《What The Luck!?》


 Chapter 1 - 1. Unlucky

    "You''re such a loser, if you ever tell anyone you''re my brother again I will lock you in the basement for a week!" This was a very common threat that was often followed up from Asher''s sister Cara.


    This and the phrase, "Dad left because a brat like you was born" was a constant reminder of just how bad things were. Asher''s mother spent all her time working and couldn''t be bothered to listen to him about his sister''s harassment. On top of this the entire Ronan family was struggling for money to the point that they often only ate once a day. For Asher that was a gift, mostly because his mother would not leave him food or his sister would eat it on him. He often had to sift through the neighbors trash for something. When his neighbors caught him, which was often due to his bad luck, they would smack him with a broom to get away.


    School life was not much better, when he actually was able to make it to the school building he managed to show up at the same time as his school''s most prevalent bullies. No matter what time he left home, early, late, or on time he seemed just unlucky enough to enter through the same entrance at the same time as Darren and his friends. This had resulted in him being stripped and left tied to the flagpole in the winter, tossed in the fish pond in the lunch courtyard, and even locked in to the back dumpster where he had been stuck until the garbage man emptied it in to the truck and carted him all the way to the dump.


    Add on the fact that Cara went out of her way to put him in to bad situations against the seniors when he was only an almost sixteen year old sophomore, gave him the constant reason to leave school early. Besides the fact that somehow his homework would always get lost. Submit it online? His internet would crash. Bring a paper copy? The neighbors dog would literally eat it. Take an in class test? Well his teacher would misplace it or claim it hadn''t been turned in.


    The only positive of the day was that for once his mother had taken an early day from work to walk him home from school and spend time with him. Today was his official sixteenth birthday. Normally his sister and mom would forget his birthday or mix up the days but this year she had remembered. Asher was able to put aside all the trauma from his day, with no friends to wish him happy birthday ever he was even more excited to see his mother. He had even used the school showers to wash his long dirty blond hair. He was barely over five feet tall and the lack of nourishment shown on his face.


    With only a few bruises from his usual slips and falls in the shower due to left over soap or trash left around he wore his nicest clothes. His normal blue shirt always highlighted his green clover colored eyes. The basic black pants he had fished from the lost and found narrowly fit him but he wore them happily, seeing his mother waiting for him on the street his face lit up for the first time in years.


    She was in her late forties with darker brown hair tied in a bun, she was taller and skinnier than Asher, and wore a very professional business suit. She always held a very stern face, no love or happiness, let alone other emotion ever seemed to show. The mirror image of his older sister Cara. But this did not deter Asher in the least, his whole life he had pushed away the terrible luck he had been dealt, today was the same but today he was lucky, he got to spend time with his mother on his birthday.


    His mother barely greeted him as they walked. "You know Asher, your sister will be graduating in a few months. She gets good grades and should be able to get in to a good university." Unsure of where this was going Asher stopped at the crosswalk they were on and looked back at his mother. "It will still cost a large sum of money, so today I took out an expensive life insurance policy. You need to do what''s best for the family Asher." Still lost on what his mother meant he felt her hand on his back. With a hard push he was in the middle of the road, the bus didn''t even have time to stop.


    "Ah why did I think my luck had changed just because it was my birthday." Asher cursed himself just before the bus ran him in to paste on the ground. His bad luck had finally killed him. Now there was nothing but black.


    The only thing that existed now was darkness. Glowing in the darkness was a small white flame. "So this soul finally came back. I know I messed up by giving you a negative luck value but hope you won''t blame me, a god has a lot of things to worry about. Well don''t worry I will be putting your soul back in to circulation, I rebuilt your world a bit...I don''t even know why I am bothering saying this you''re just a soul, you can''t even hear me. Hhuuuu, well off you go, good luck." The small white flame faded leaving only the darkness.


    "HUUURRRRYYYYYY UPPP!" Cara''s yell resounded through the house making Asher jump out of bed. He shot to the bathroom seeing that his clock said there was only half an hour before he needed to be at school.


    Asher froze staring in the bathroom mirror, clock? He had never had a clock, wait he was sleeping in a bed? Why was he in bed? His face looked more full, the protruding cheek bones completely gone. He was wearing clean pajamas which he couldn''t recognize but for some reason knew were his. His head was a mix of memories, which ones were true which were false. Hadn''t his mother just pushed him in front of a bus? He stumbled out of the bathroom glancing out the window, his jaw dropped.


    "Did someone just fly out of the neighbors house?!" he must have gone crazy, this was not normal, people don''t fly. Cara had walked out of her room seeing Asher stunned looking at the sky.


    "Why are you being so weird today? You''ve seen Mrs. Wilson use her powers to fly to work every day since we moved here. Being weird like this is why you don''t have any friends." Cara walked away with a snort but no death threats, or promises to lock him in the basement.


    Asher returned to the room he knew was his but he had never slept in before. This was not the world he grew up in, this was different. Sifting through his memories he knew he had died, that was certain. But there were new memories, ones where his father was home working for a local law firm. His mother was a stay at home mom and his sister could actually...be nice to him. There were no bullies that waited for him in the locker rooms and he got average grades rarely forgetting his homework. He had died and ended up in another world, it was almost completely identical, almost. About eighty years ago science had a massive breakthrough when studying the brain. They discovered that humans had many genes and parts of their body that were dormant. Having found this they struggled to give humans conscious control over it. They succeeded.


    From there research a vaccine was created, aptly named the evolution shot a.k.a evo shot. This was given to any child on their sixteenth birthday when their body had developed enough to handle the opening of such locked away genes. When unlocked they gave way to unique abilities. These super powered abilities could do anything, super strength? Telekinesis? Even Cara had the ability to enhance the sound she produced. His mother had super hearing and could hear a whisper from across the room. His father who he had never known but now had many memories of could remember anything he read, this made him one of the top lawyers in the city.


    This history flooded his mind, he had only ever heard of someone being transmigrated to another world. It was the dream of shut in losers who were too afraid to pursue their own goals in society, but it had just happened to him. Not only that but his life was already many times better, his bad luck was gone, he was in a world of superpowers! Even more his birthday was today, he turned sixteen today. This was the day he got to get his evo shot and awaken his dormant genes. What power would they evaluate him to have? Having put his jumbled brain in order Asher ran out the door heading for school where he would get his evo shot to start his new happy life...in his underwear and pajamas top.

 Chapter 2 - 2. Father

    "Where do you think you''re going!" Grabbing the back of Asher''s pajama shirt, his father had stopped him in his tracks. " I know you are excited for your shot today, but do you really need to run out the door in your underwear?"


    Asher realized what he was wearing and turned redder than a tomato, his thoughts were again jumbled while he looked at the father he only knew in this world. His slicked back dirty blond hair was the same as his own. His father was a bit taller than him with a fairly muscular build. The suit he wore was very high end, it was even monogrammed with their last name; Ronan.


    "Umm, just excited yeah that''s it¡­" Asher slipped his father''s grasp and ran back upstairs putting on his school''s blue button down shirt and black pants. Combing his hair back a bit he looked presentable. Still running short on time he made it to the kitchen, noticing all the lavish furnishings and nick nacks. They had nick nacks now! They had barely even afforded wood chairs but here he had couches, a tv, and nick nacks.


    He was moving through the house like it was some fancy museum he couldn''t touch for fear it would break. "Good morning Asher, your father said you are pretty excited to get your evo shot." the sweet voice and soft giggle was enough to almost kill him again. The beating of his heart fluttered as he laid eyes on his mother. She wore a pink apron, and a matching pink dress. Her face showed eyes full of light and a brilliant smile. If he did not have memories of her from this world he would swear this was not his mother at all.


    "Why do you look so lost? I know it is a lot to take in, even I was nervous about my sixteenth birthday. But don''t you worry, even if you grow a second head as your superpower we will still love you." Asher spat his orange juice on the table.


    "What are you doing, you weirdo!" Cara threw her napkin at him while he tried to make sense of what his mother just told him. Asher had not even considered that he could grow an extra head. But now that he had heard this he did find that in his new memories he had seen people with tentacles, tails, even bat wings. Anything was possible when someone got their evo shot.


    Cara ran out of the kitchen slamming the front door shut, she had left Asher in the dust on her way to school. Throwing napkins over the orange juice and tossing them at the trash can, Asher jumped up with an apple in hand. "I''m off too! I can''t wait to tell you guys about my superpowers later!"


    Leaving the home there were significant differences, the small front garden wasn''t just a pile of half rotted mulch and sand. Instead there was a well kept rose bush. Asher was looking all around him finding more and more things that were different between his two sets of memories. The larger office buildings he passed had open sections that people with powers that gave them flight capabilities could land in. Doors seemed extra large, a man the size of a grizzly bear showed him that there were justified reasons.


    He only lived about five minutes from Warren high school and there were many students in similar uniforms wandering the streets. Some of the older looking students had strange additions to their uniforms, One such student was covered in full winter gear and seemed to be radiating steam. Another seemed to be surrounded by house flies, they landed on him everywhere. There was one girl with pure white hair that had pure white wings to match, she could easily sum up the definition of an angel. One such person that walked in to view made Asher''s blood run cold, Darren.


    Darren was waiting at the gates with his three ugly as all else friends, they seemed to be on the lookout. "I knew it" Asher mumbled to himself. They were looking for him, he let himself get caught up on how much better this world seemed. He couldn''t find any memories of beatings or harassment in his new set of memories but maybe they had mixed together with his previous set. Or maybe he had just been beaten so badly that he couldn''t remember.


    Clenching his jaw he tried to move as quickly as possible through the gate. "Asher! Wait right there." There it was Darren had seen him. Prepared for the worst Asher closed his eyes and turned. "Is your sister around? She borrowed my biology notes yesterday and I need them for our quiz."


    "Huh, notes?" Asher was stuck. Darren had just asked him something, nicely?


    "UGGHHH no dice, I knew she beat me here, Let''s go guys we might be able to catch her before first bell." Darren and his friends had just run off no punches, nothing.


    Asher walked inside the front doors in a daze only to be more shocked to find his locker looking spotless. "Attention, those with birthdays this month are to report to the nurse at first bell. Attention, Those who have birthdays this month are to report to the nurse at first bell." Their principal''s voice echoed through the halls snapping Asher back to reality.


    With an extra pep in his step he pushed his shock away much in the same way he would his bad days. The nurses office was on the second floor, however it was easily triple the size from what Asher remembered from his previous stays. The nurse had always forgotten about him which left him to treat his own wounds.


    There were already fifteen other students lined up waiting outside. They all held their student ID in their hands. Some bounced around impatiently while others seemed to be praying. The familiar face of the nurse called in the next person in line, Asher took his spot dead last to wait for his turn. The girl leaving the nurses office made his jaw drop.

 Chapter 3 - 3. Shots

    Asher stared dumbfounded at the girl leaving the nurse''s office, she had thorns wrapped around her head and arms. They were growing right out of her body and even sprouting white roses. This was a beautiful yet cruel power to unlock, he couldn''t wait to see what everyone else would gain as he waited. The next student to leave looked incredibly pale, he could have been called a ghost. To back up Asher''s thoughts the student seemed to slip through the door to the stairwell. He had really gained the powers of a ghost!


    Shifting his weight side to side he was becoming more and more restless, this was something he had only heard of in fantasy or sci-fi tv shows. How amazing was it that he had somehow woken up in another world like this. Asher was sure he would be getting an amazing power. Maybe he would be able to summon demons to fight for him. He could gain the ability to teleport. He wouldn''t mind if he gained an ability to shape shift either. With his amazing new life started he needed to get the best power!


    The nurse ushered in the three remaining students. Asher was the last to walk in to the massive office. There were many more beds and even high tech medical equipment. This was almost like a real doctor''s office instead of the nurse''s office he remembered from his world.They could easily perform surgery here with all the equipment, this was not a far fetched idea though. The more Asher thought on it, it only made sense that a world with super powered teenagers needed much more advanced nurses offices. He shuddered at the thought of getting in to a schoolyard brawl with someone with dangerous superpowers.


    Hushed whispers from behind a curtain caught his attention after the nurse had led him to a bed for him to wait on. "And you''re sure this is the least three?"


    Yes yes, we only had enough funds to donate to the school to bribe the principal to let us test five of the new double dose evo shots."


    "I just hope it stays stable and actually gives someone two powers, if this works we will be swimming in Nobel prizes for the rest of our years and even in our deaths." One of the voices was almost acting like a mad scientist. Asher started to sneak to a standing position ''maybe I should get my shot another day''


    His thoughts were interrupted by a doctor leaving through the curtains he had just listened in on. The school nurse had handed him a syringe full of a clear liquid, "Hello there and happy birthday Asher Ronan. We just need you to lift up your prepared sleeve so we can give you your evo shot. Hopefully lady luck is smiling on you today, you just may get something unique."


    Asher gulped down his saliva and slowly rolled up his sleeve of his left arm. The doctor swiftly inserted the needle and administered the shot. ''Ahh why did i let him do that! I''m an idiot, I just went with it like I did before I died'' Asher inwardly cursed himself for his just go with the flow attitude he had gotten used to adapting after constant bad luck and torture. The tingling he felt start to spread in his arm was like someone had just hooked him up to small electrical current.


    "Now you will want to lay down for about ten to fifteen minutes, the shot will start to take effect and unlock all those hidden away genes you have. Just breathe slowly and relax." The nurse spoke softly to Asher and walked away.


    Asher''s body started to sweat and become clammy, this tingling traveled everywhere, every single part of him. He felt this was an unstoppable itch with no possible solution, he almost wanted to stand up to run around to try to sake this strange gross feeling, however even shifting his head slightly made him violently dizzy.


    These feelings went of for eternity, ''My life is no better, I was brought back from death in to this world just for this torture.'' His inner curses became worse and worse until all the sudden his feelings had returned to normal. His ragged breathing fell in to a constant rhythm. The tingling had left as suddenly as it started, The nurse and doctor had both opened the curtain to his bed to have a look at him.


    "Ah you see very well off, most of you classmates were sick or passed out. Congratulations on receiving your superpower! Can you sit up for us?" The doctor offered him a bit of a hand and soon the world had righted itself. Asher was still unsteady but he was soon able to follow what the doctor was asking of him.


    "Alright since it does not appear you gained a physical mutation can you stand and hop on one leg for me?" Asher obliged, hopping on one foot.


    "Now pat your head while you do that." Asher again complied.


    "Good good, now used your other hand to rub your belly." Asher was confused this time and kept doing it.


    "Now while you do that touch your tongue to your nose." Asher stopped.


    "Seriously! What kind of physical is this?" his face was a mask of annoyance and confusion.


    "Oh it''s not, I just thought it was funny" The doctor was scribbling down notes but still showed his open smile at his teasing of Asher. Naturally Asher was a bit unhappy with this and vowed to get a little revenge before he left.


    Un-noticed by Asher sneaking a peak over his shoulder, the doctors notes read;


    Test five seems to be in perfect physical condition. The double dose evo shot shows no instability or side effects as of yet. The process seemed to be a bit harsher than the average single dose. Fifth subject shows no open mutations and is otherwise not emotionally affected. The subjects abilities as read by my evaluation superpower are...

 Chapter 4 - 4. Powers

    " Well young Asher, my ability is known as evaluation. I have one of the many powers that doctors like me use every day on patients." The doctor adjusted his glasses, a strange light reflecting in his eyes. " I can see that your ability is indeed a bit different. I am not sure what to make of it."


    "Doc, what is it? Maybe I will have an idea if you can describe it." The doctor gave Asher a hard look while scribbling down more notes.


    Asher leaned forward trying to get a look but was dismayed to see the doctor angle the papers away from him. "Now don''t get too ahead of yourself let me go check the computer for more information. Our database may have a detailed description for you. My powers are only giving me a name of an ability, normally I can give a description as well." The doctor hopped up and rushed to a computer at the opposite end of the room where another doctor joined him.


    Asher saw the two typing things in and arguing about things, however they seemed even more excited to be adding more things to their notes. "Well those two seem rather excited, it''s looking good for you." The nurse assured him before going back to her work. She was gathering the used syringes from the day so they could be properly disposed of.


    The doctors came back to Asher, they had gathered their thoughts and smiled in expectation. "You seem to have quite the amount of fortune today young man, we have found that you have a power not on record!" the doctors gave each other a shared smile, "We of course look forward to you figuring out your abilities and sharing them with us. The name my evaluation power gave it is Lucky Jinx. There was no description from my power or from our database. We know nothing." The doctor laughed harder than he meant dropping his clipboard.


    Asher glanced down, getting a sight of the notes on the paper before the doctor scrambled to pick it up.


    "Fifth test subject does not show evaluation with two superpowers in one body. No mutations have occurred as a secondary evolution. A new superpower was instead recorded with no description. The ability seems to be contradictory with itself. The ability is first lucky but second a jinx which is known to cause bad luck. Our process shall be observation to-"


    This was all Asher had read before the doctor had picked up the clipboard. "Ehm sorry about that, I got a bit excited. New powers are rare nowadays and it is always a rush to find one. We will be transferring you in to class one with a few others today. This is the class with some of the more delicate powers and we will place you there due to the lack of knowledge on what the power entails." With a nod the two doctors stood up along with Asher.


    Asher made the sudden turn to make a move toward the door now that he felt better. His face encountered something soft and warm "EEh!" a higher pitched squeal filled his ears.


    Pulling his face from two voluptuous mounds he found the nurse''s face filled with horror. Asher turned around to see that a tray of used syringes had been in the nurse''s hands was now on the ground and the syringes had flown in to the two doctors faces.


    "AHH I''m so sorry are you all right? I didn''t mean to, it was an accident." Asher and the nurse both said these things as they went to the doctors side and helped pull the needles out. The needles on the Syringes that Asher pulled out seemed a bit tougher than the ones that the nurse pulled out which seemed to cause the doctor a bit more discomfort.


    "No ah-No we are-ah at fault too- ah, we stood up too -ah dang that one hurt. We stood up too fast and - ah got in the way." The doctor Asher was helping tried to apologize as well but had a hard time of it.


    Having fixed up the doctors they shooed Asher away to go to his new class assignment. The nurse assistant at the door gave him a slip of paper showing his class transfer to the sophomore class one.


    Heading to the classroom Asher passed a handful of students walking toward their class, they were obviously skipping the first period of the day. He edged around them since they didn''t seem to want to give up the center of the hall, just as he moved by the student in front tripped on nothing. His face slammed in to the ground and his four friends tripped over him in to a dog pile of groans.


    ''Wow what bad luck, that kid just tripped over nothing but air'' Asher laughed a bit to himself at the sight.


    Class one was a bit detached from the other rooms since these were the people with more dangerous or lesser known powers. This also seemed to be mirrored by the fact that these students often joined larger organizations or important government jobs. With stronger powers they had more versatility, it was everyone''s dream to join class one or at the very least class two.


    Asher slid open the door to reveal only nine other students in the room. The teacher was standing at the front chalk board about to start in on a math problem. "Another transfer? You''re the fifth one today, our class one has doubled in a day. I guess there goes the easy life for me." The teacher wearing a clean cut grey suit with round rim silver glasses looked fairly stressed. His grey hair matched his suit which made him seem very neat and organized. "Hand over that transfer slip so I can verify the transfer in my books. Hmm Asher Ronan please introduce yourself to your new classmates. They will be with you for two more years in this school, get to know them well."

 Chapter 5 - 5. Neighbor

    "Hello, I am Asher Ronan and I just got my power today too. I''m not sure what it does but I look forward to figuring it out with all of you." Asher expected someone to laugh or make fun of him since this was the normal reaction when he spoke to almost anyone in his previous life but instead found only silence.


    "Alight, sounds good, welcome to the class. That seat over there is yours." the teach pointed to a middle seat next to another boy who seemed lost in his own head. " For those of you that are new, My name is Mr. Smith. I will be your teacher for as long as you are in class one. This class is known as the class full of odds and ends. This is only because a lot of your powers are a bit hard to wrap your head around or like our newest addition here have yet to be found in a human." Mr. Smith erased the chalkboard, freeing up space.


    "Since the class has doubled to ten members let''s get the basics out of the way, listen up I will only say this once." Pulling a pristine piece of chalk from his jacket pocket he tapped it on the board twice. "Now we all know powers are an integral part of our society. The real question is how do you find your place within this society? The answer is simple, since the start of the evo shots there was a lot of chaos. Understandably many went wild having gained their powers. This was problematic so all the world''s governments got together and decided to found a new organization, Hero corp. This overarching organization brought together the former police, firefighters, hospitals, legal systems, and even trade groups. There is much much more that make them up but those are the most notable that you all should have learned in daily life." The list was written in perfect penmanship by Mr. Smith on the board. Most students were not paying much attention to this as it was basic knowledge.


    Asher soon found that these very things were within his own memories. This world was so different now, he still had trouble piecing it all together.


    "Psst¡­.pst, neighbor." The spiky haired boy to Asher''s left was hiding his face behind his hands whispering to Asher for his attention. "The name''s Art Mathews, nice to meetchya. I got my power today too."


    Asher was trying to figure out when this boy would pull him out of his chair or spit on him or even throw something at him to start the normal school torment. However he found that the boy was eagerly awaiting his own introduction...could he want to be¡­.friends?


    "Erm I''m Asher Ronan, I got my powers today too. My arm''s still a bit sore." His face twitched with awkwardness but this did not deter his desk neighbor in the slightest.


    Art reached out his hand to shake Ashers'' but as soon as he leaned over, the desk started to follow.


    CCRRAASSSHHH!!!!


    Art hit the floor in a tangle of limbs and desk. "You joined this class today and you are already fooling around! You just volunteered yourself to clean up after school!" Mr.Smith put down firm judgment to the struggling Art who could barely right his desk.


    "Waaaaa, why? I was just-"


    "No complaints now listen close!" Mr. Smith cut off Art before any argument was made. Some of the students let loose a few giggles but Asher just sat there a bit apologetic. He knew exactly what it was like to be the center of attention and to be laughed at. He would try to make Art feel better later.


    Mr.Smith continued on with the lecture explaining how society had changed from the addition to the evo shots. Many of the gangs and criminal organizations had tried to use their powers to boost their own goals. This led to a higher crime rate which was combated by the funding of police forces.


    The problem was that every country had different laws at the founding of the hero corp. The name they had chosen was to be the "Hero" of the common man uniting all the important life saving groups. This being the case brought the word Hero to a new title for specialized law enforcement.


    Heroes were important buffers between the investigators and detectives of the police forces who would go after those with less dangerous powers. The heroes who had more developed and stronger powers themselves would go after the organized gangs and powerful criminals. Fittingly these culprits came to be known as villains.


    Asher found this to be right out of the comic books he had read as a kid when he found them in the trash. He could not read them very well due to their poor condition but the scenes that were visible spoke of pure hearts and dastardly deeds. While Mr. Smith explained the law enforcement aspect for a hero and their ability to operate across nations Asher was daydreaming about saving maidens and defeating monsters.


    "Now who can tell me the average category for a super power?" Mr.smith surveyed the room finding the daydreaming Asher. Deciding that he wanted to teach another new student in his class how things worked he chose, "Asher your answer?"


    Asher was startled and opened his mouth to reply, he bit his tongue only getting out one letter, "Ee-''


    "Yes that is correct, the E ranked superpowers are the average of society. There may be the F ranks below them but they are those who have yet to get an evo shot or for some reason refuse to get one." Mr. Smith was kind of impressed that someone who was lost in their own head knew the answer to his question so fast.


    Asher on the other hands was too distracted cursing his bad luck for biting his tongue. He was nursing the pain only thinking that life was still an unforgiving place, nothing had changed.

 Chapter 6 - 6. Ranks

    "Furthermore there is the D rank above it which usually holds those with basic physical enhancements. They are often just a bit more powerful than the average human. Following that we have the C rank, this is where things get interesting. The C rank holds those who develop more than just small enhancements, they will often have powers that influence the environment to greatly enhanced strength or mind. They are not considered overly dangerous but often find themselves in jobs such as constructions of sciences." Mr. Smith was writing out the chart with all the letter ranks on the board, Asher had focused on this finding that any memories he had for these ranks were too fuzzy.


    "The B ranks are much more powerful and usually make up the basic police force or firefighters. They will use their powers to deal with natural disasters of serious accidents. Many with healing or medical capabilities also fall in to this category just based on the value of their powers. Above this is the A rank. This is the minimum requirement for one to join the specialized law enforcement group of the hero corp. Their abilities are often very powerful or unique and if used wrong have destroyed entire city blocks." Asher gulped after hearing this. His world before may have had its own danger, he had been hit with a bus afterall! But here there were people that could straight up destroy a city block if they let their inner demons out to play.


    "Higher still we have the top of the top, the S ranked powers. These people are the very leaders of the hero corp. They can take down entire criminal organizations and have been known to sometimes stop natural disasters like hurricanes or earth quakes by themselves. The will have very rare powers such as weather control, elemental manipulation, or even things like technopath. Some of you fall in the the A and S ranks already one reason you were put in to class one." Mr. Smith''s eyes wandered over each student as he knew which were the ones with this potential.


    "Finally there is the SS rank, this is held by a very small group of people, their powers are extremely complicated and it is thought that they could manipulate entire countries if they so desired. They have risen to the very top of the hero corp and currently keep the most dangerous criminals in check. They may only number three at the moment but even one of them is enough to make an entire nation relax safely."


    Asher raised his hands, "They can really influence an entire nation? What kind of powers do they have?"


    "I am glad you asked, one of them is actually very similar to me. I may only be a B rank super power holder but I have an ability that lets me see three seconds in to the future. This is the reason I am in this particular class, I can keep trouble to a minimum with a simple look. The SS ranked hero I am talking about has the ability to glance years in to the future and find small points to alter to change the future in a number of ways. He is known to only act if a major calamity is about to happen. One such instance was when a tsunami threatened an island nation that he said would one day birth the world''s best heart surgeon. He managed to evacuate that country and ten years later found the child who had been labeled a genius. This child had already reached a level that none had ever reached at such a young age as a doctor."


    Being able to see in the future!? That was a really amazing power even if it was just three seconds, Asher had the realization that his new teacher was actually really amazing. "I understand, having a power like that must be really amazing." Asher was still innocent of some of the draw backs of such powers and Mr.Smith was not sure if he should burst the new students'' bubble.


    "Unfortunately while it has amazing positive possibilities there are also some great drawbacks. What if they make the wrong choice? What if they change something and can''t see the new future immediately? What if the choice they make comes at a great price? Some people with powers of prediction have gone mad just trying to understand what their own choices could cause. The free will of others is very mentally taxing to predict. Lucky for me I only worry about three seconds. Bless you." Mr. Smith added on the bless you at the end making Asher wonder if he was religious.


    "Aaaachooo!" One of the girls at the front of the room sneezed with all her might causing the wind in the room to stir. Papers flew everywhere. Not a single person''s hair was left untouched, most were spiked up at odd angles, the girls seemed to have tangles that could never be undone.


    Mr.Smith had seen the sneeze coming just three second early. He had a smirk on his face, he was not always so reserved but showing off now and then was fun. Asher felt his own hair after the wind had dissipated. His hair was purchased back in a strange way but he felt it was much nicer than the style he had always had. "Ha! This is awesome, thanks for my new style." The other students looked at him with worry in their eyes but could not disagree that his hair did look good.


    "Thank you Mr. Smith." The girl who had just sneezed was wiping her nose, "My allergies are really bad today for some reason.


    "She looked about the room finding that everyone was glaring at her but one person. Asher had two big thumbs up due to how happy he was on his new looks. She immediately labeled him the new fool of the class.

 Chapter 7 - 7.Stuck

    Mr. Smith had returned to his lecture going in to more detail on how these rankings worked in society and what benefits could come with them. Most of the benefits related to higher positions in society. There was not any real discrimination between the rankings but there were times when those in different power rankings would but heads, it was unavoidable.


    "The most trouble you will see when it comes to power rankings will be in the year end tournaments. The seniors are always watched like hawks by the universities. This added stress for scholarships causes a fair amount of disagreement. You all will not need to worry about any of those, your sophomore tournament is much more relaxed. For those that wish to compete for law enforcement or even hero jobs it is an invaluable chance. Those of you with other positions have opportunities to join in the trivia tournaments, art gallery tournaments, entertainment tournaments, and so on. You will receive a print out of the twenty different tournaments you can now participate in." This was also new news to Asher who only could find basic knowledge on these events due to his second set of memories.


    In any means these tournaments seemed to be a great way to learn and find a path to the job he wanted.


    The lecture lasted another few hours going in to more details on the history of what had transpired to get to the place their society was today. Once the bell rang it signaled that it was time to eat lunch. "Hey Asher, come and eat with me! I brought a triple serving of lunch so that I could share it with my new friends." Art didn''t even wait for a response and instead grabbed Asher''s arm to bring him off to the cafeteria.


    The hallways were a bit packed with students but not enough to stop them from walking along without trouble. Their class made their way out the doors, "Hey why aren''t you all moving? We only have half an hour to eat." Asher tried to push past some students who were standing in front of him not moving. "Hello? What''s with you?" The two students weren''t even blinking.


    Feeling that Art''s grip was also frozen Asher looked behind him only to see that Art was glancing behind them completely stopped. "Umm Art?"


    "I''m sorry, I''m sorry please don''t look at me." The girl''s sweet melodic voice was trembling as she spoke. Looking up from the ground the slender legs rose to a scaly green thigh. The blue and white striped dress fit this girl''s figure perfectly. Purple hair flowed down to this girls waist. She held her arms close to her trying to hide more green scales that seemed to be growing over most of her body. She had longer pointed nails that were more easily described as claws.


    Asher looked up and saw her face was as perfect as any Greek goddess he had seen in Greek history books. Her face was free from the green scales but her eyes had a strange golden glint. She looked tearful but seemed to be stuck when Asher looked her in the eye.


    "Are you OK? What''s wrong?" Asher was worried seeing the girl in this state since she had just come out of the same classroom as him. She seemed very familiar; he swore he had seen her somewhere before. "Oh, you were one of the students that got your evo shot today! I got mine too happy birthday!" She still did not react to him even though he was looking her right in the eyes.


    "Hey are you stuck too? What''s up with everyone?" This must be how things really were, "I knew you all hated me¡­ nothing has changed." Asher pulled himself free from Arts grip and Walked away from those that were stuck in place. He headed up towards the school''s roof which was also an available eating spot. It was better to eat there alone than be tormented down in the cafeteria.


    Once Asher had left the girl started to move again. She was thinking to herself too fast, what had just happened. Since I got this power anyone that looks at me is stuck like they are stone, but I was stuck when I looked at him¡­.I saw my own reflection in his eyes. The shock and realization was plain on her face. She had thought herself cursed when the doctor had told her that she had the super power called Medusa. That no one had gained the power before but it consisted of a physical shift which changed her body traits to add some qualities of the mythical monster medusa. She also had eyes of Medusa included in this that stopped those who looked upon her in their tracks.


    The doctor had sent her to class one because her ability could cause a huge amount of trouble in daily society. What if she was looked at by a passing driver? There would be a car crash. This simple fact placed her in the higher ranks already. She would need to master this power and figure out how it worked perfectly.


    Her heart was beating faster than it ever had before, she was still feeling crushed by her unlucky superpower but for some reason this boy who had also gotten his evo shot today had made her stop in her tracks. She could barely contain herself. Turning to rush after him her actions caused the others that were frozen in place the ability to move again.


    "Ahhhmm finally, I can move! Asher, wait up!" Art ran full steam after Asher and the girl that was now going towards the roof as well. He was not sure what had just happened but he had a bad feeling that there was a lot about to happen. What did this girl intend to do on the first day in the new class? She had made them all stop frozen in the hallways and was now chasing after the one person she had not stopped. It must be revenge!

 Chapter 8 - 8. Dont Look

    Asher sat on an empty bench alone basking in the sunlight and breeze of the rooftop. "I''m such an idiot. I can''t believe I thought that that guy was my friend. It was just another game they were playing to mess with me." He wanted to kick himself for his nativity.


    Bang!


    The door to the roof burst open and the same girl was standing there, she saw Asher with his head down looking defeated. "You! Don''t look up and just listen! My power freezes people in place, you''re the only one that was able to move after looking at me because I saw my reflection when you looked at me. Please just stay like that so we can talk!" She was trying her best but sadly Asher had only heard some of her words through the wind in his ears.


    Asher looked up meeting her eyes again, "So it''s your power, That''s so cool. You got a way better power than mine. They didn''t even know what mine did so I got put in to class one." He was much happier to realize it was a misunderstanding, she wasn''t trying to make fun of him she just coil not control her power! "My name is Asher, my power is called Luck Jinx, I have no idea how it works. What''s your name?"


    What bad luck, I am stuck again. The girl desperately wanted to introduce herself to him but she could not even move a single muscle. Why must he look me directly in the eyes. Why are his eyes bright and reflective? She was enthralled by her own image layered on top of the beautiful green color in Asher''s eyes.


    Bang!


    The door to the room was again flung open, "Asher! There''s a girl after you quick ru-" Art distracted Asher letting the girl the ability to move and turn her head. This led to Art now being frozen in place and the girl moving freely.


    "Art, I am sorry I thought you two were trying to make fun of me by freezing and ignoring me. I am so sorry." Asher immediately apologized, feeling terrible all over again.


    "No It is my fault. I think I just need to cover my face, no one can even look at me without being frozen in place. I can''t even look anyone in the eyes anymore." The girl had broken down crying looking at the ground. Art was freed from his frozen situation.


    "Huh? Wait so you weren''t after him because you couldn''t use your power on him?" Art''s words were ignored, he was foolishly asking a crying girl questions about her powers, this only made her cry more while she covered her face with her hands.


    "Art, give me your shirt." Asher asked for Art''s shirt since Art was wearing an undershirt and he was not.


    "Umm OK but why?" Art did not understand why but still unbuttoned it and handed it over without issue.


    "Just watch," Asher wrapped it around the girls crying face and tied it making a perfect mask, she could still see out of a small slit but otherwise was completely shielding her face. "Is that better? Try looking at Art and freezing him in place like a statue."


    "Wait me? No why?!" Art tried to get out of sight but when the girl''s gaze landed on him he realized he was still able to move. "Oh...umm it''s fine, I knew it would work." Trying to play off his worry Art was stretching as if his actions just a second ago were not fearful.


    Still sniffling loudly the girl finally took a seat and turned her head to Asher, "Thanks." her sniffs subsided a bit more until she spoke up again. "My name is Jane fields. I have the power called Medusa...Like the Greek monster. It''s the worst power ever. I have scales everywhere and even my hair changed. People can''t even look at me and now if I see my own reflection i get stuck." She started crying all over again.


    "Don''t worry, there is plenty of time to figure it all out. That there is Art and he is my desk neighbor. You can hang out with us as much as you want!" Asher wasn''t trying to just be nice, he had meant every word of this. Not only had one person tried to be his friend but a girl was even talking to him. She hadn''t even tried to make fun of him or tell him to die! He started to wonder, is my luck turning around?


    "Well since I do have enough food for three people it seems like fate that you would eat with us, Like Asher said, My name is Art Mathews. My power is Lead control. I got stuck in to class one because my ability lets me control a poisonous substance. I apparently can change its shape in any way I want but I don''t have any with me. I did try to make my pencil lead sharper but all I managed was to break it." Art laughed a bit embarrassed at his failure to use his power.


    At first this seemed like a useless power but thinking more on it Jane and Asher could tell it was a very dangerous power. With his power he could easily poison anyone he wanted, not only this but if he changed it in to a weapon he could trow it around that way too. It was pretty much the same as those gifted with the ability to control metal but with a poison thrown in.


    The three dug in to their meal chatting about the lecture they had earlier in the day. The had all three wondered who were the other two new students in their class but they were the last three to make it to class so they had missed the introductions. "So do you guys have any idea on what job you want to do after you graduate? What university do you want to go to?"

 Chapter 9 - 9. Choices

    Art came out of nowhere with this question. Asher had no idea how to respond to be honest. He never had future plans before he died and now that he had a whole second set of memories he still could not find a set goal he wanted to pursue. He was just as lost now as he was before he came to this different world.


    Jane seemed pretty stuck herself, with her power she would be very limited to what she could do. Any job that required her to show her face was off the table. She had thought about being a singer but what was the point of singing if her entire audience would be stuck in place the entire performance. She would never be able to see the happiness on their faces.


    "Well I plan to aim to be a hero. My older brother is going to a university to be a police or hero officer and my parents talk about how great he is with his solid metal control super power, I will show him how great I am!" Art seemed to have a clear goal in front of him, his rivalry with his older brother was just the starting point for what would drive him forward.


    Well if you think being a hero is so awesome then I will become one too. I have no idea what my power does but I figure if it makes me even a little lucky maybe that will mean I can catch criminals and villains more easily. Just try and keep up with me."Asher raised a fist to challenge Art in a race to the special law enforcement group of heroes. "What about you Jane? Want to join us and see who will be a hero first? Your power would be perfect to stop a criminal in their tracks. If there was a hostage situation the criminals wouldn''t even be able to lift a finger to hurt someone, it''s perfect!"


    Asher''s enthusiasm pierced Jane''s heart, she hadn''t even started to consider what she could do because she was still blinded by what she could not do. Feeling that she would be able to make a difference just like Asher said she decided to follow in his footsteps, "Yes, I will try my best to be a hero even with this power."


    Their deal was set just in time for the end of lunch bell to ring, the three speedily cleaned up their lunch and rushed to their new class one classroom. They were unfortunately the last to get there but luckily crossed the threshold as the bell rang again. Mr. Smith started the math class bringing plenty of the students to a depressed state. It was the most evil of all subjects; Math!


    The rest of the day dragged on without much of an event, the class all survived the brutality that was geometry only to be dragged in to a physics lesson next. Since the five new students had just switched classes and received their evo shots they would have the chance to choose which classes they would like to take for their final three periods of the day.


    "Now you all have the chance to take three selected courses every day, I recommend keeping the three courses all semester but if you switch it is no problem. You will get credit as long as you attend at least one course for each period. If you are aiming to join law enforcement in any way I recommend taking the combat class. If you want to join a more academic field there are many science and math related classes, there are even some that take you out in to different ecosystems to learn. You can even join my advanced poetry class, it is an arts class but it is very inspiring."


    Mr. Smith had not been pegged to be a poetry man by the new students but it seemed that his cool gaze held a bit of a philosopher''s aura. The five students took the paperwork listing all the classes available. Asher noticed that the girl that had sneezed was another new student, Sh had some influence over the wind so it made sense that she was in class one. The final of the new students was a boy who seemed to have his mouth taped shut. Asher was too afraid to ask him what his ability or name was since he only glared at him when he noticed Asher''s gaze.


    "What should I choose, I have no idea what will benefit me¡­" Asher thought out loud bringing Art''s attention to him.


    "Isn''t it obvious? We all need to take the combat class at least. We will need to be able to take down opponents'' powers or not. What if my ability doesn''t work on someone? You said you don''t know your power right? Then you need it even more than I do, you can take down a criminal even without a power if you learn enough in a combat class." Art made some good points so Asher circled that as his first of three choices.


    "I am taking chemistry as my second option. I need to learn more about the properties of lead as a metal and what its poisonous effect is. I can''t run around with that dangerous stuff all over me." This was hand tailored to what he needed; it was very wise thinking.


    Something like chemistry was not much help to Asher, He saw from a few desks that Jane was holding up her paper to show that she had circled combat and sewing as her first class. It was obvious that she chose sewing so that she could learn to make proper clothing to hide her face more easily and avoid trapping people in place everywhere she went.


    This made Asher worried that there may not be any classes that were best for him, what else did he need? Looking through the list he found one that stood out to him. " I think I will take this philosophy class, It is really important for a hero to have strong morals, right? If I study what things mean I should be able to strengthen my convictions in anything I do." This made sense to Jane and Art who circled that option as their third. This left Asher one more class to choose. "Augh what else should I choose?" He was stuck without any clue.

 Chapter 10 - 10. Home

    "Alight, now that the time is up hand your papers forward, you five can head off to a study hall for the remainder of the day." Asher randomly circled his last class and handed the paper forward. He cursed himself as he did so since he had no idea what he had just chosen.


    "Well I guess I can always switch if I don''t like what I chose." The exasperated sigh he had released most of the tension he had having to choose. The five left and headed to the library to work on homework before they could leave. The study hall passed faster than the rest of the day had.


    The last bell rang out to release the student for the day, "Finally! We can go home and brag about our powers!" Art was the only one excited about leaving since he was the only one who had a firm and positive grasp on his powers. Jane was actually afraid to tell her parents about hers since she would have to explain that she needed to hide her face from them. Asher was much the same, he had no idea what to say about his power.


    Art ran off in the opposite direction as Asher and Jane. Surprisingly Jane walked next to Asher for some time. "So you live this way too huh?"


    "Yes my family has a condo just three blocks down. Are you in this area too?"


    "Yes I am actually right here!" Asher pointed out the house just on their left.


    "Oh Asher, you sure made it home quick. Who is your friend there? Already bringing a girl home on your first day?"


    Jane and Asher immediately got red faced, the only thing was no one could see Jane''s reaction since she still had her face covered. "Mom no, this is Jane, she lives down the road. I will see you tomorrow in class. Let''s go inside mom!" Asher dragged his mom inside trying to get her away from Jane before she said anything else embarrassing.


    Jane stood there for a few minutes trying to slow her beating heart. "Ahh what if he had really brought me home to his parents." She fell in to her own day dream the last five minutes to her own home.


    "Well I don''t know why you didn''t invite that young lady in for a drink, especially if she lives so close. By the way, why is he face covered? Is she OK?"


    "She has a unique power, anyone who looks at her freezes in place so she covered her face to avoid causing anyone trouble."


    Asher''s mother smiled sweetly, "She is such a dear, caring about others like that. Maybe she will be a doctor in the future with that kind of thinking!" Asher''s mother was still hard to grasp, she was just too different between his two sets of memories. He found an excuse to head upstairs and clean up before dinner. Asher was going to avoid telling his family what his power was at all costs, who could look his own parents in the eyes and say "Hey I don''t know what my power does so basically I don''t have one" He would be a stain on their family name and even worse they may end up hating him just like in his other world. Asher was paralyzed by this thought.


    Soon the sounds of his sister coming home and chatting with his mother were clear. This put Asher even more on edge. This only increased when a short while later his father came inside and started asking how his sister''s day was. How would he make it through an entire dinner and keep his power under wraps.


    "Asher come on down! I made tacos to celebrate you getting your evo shot today!" His mother shouted up the stairs to him so that he would come down. This was it his mortal weakness; his favorite food, Tacos!


    Unable to resist the sweet smell of soft tacos and melted cheese he slowly descended the stairs to see the full spread of food for dinner. "Hurry up mom and dad said we can;t eat until you tell us about your evo shot!" Cara gave him a shout after seeing him stop at the foot of the stairs.


    Asher swallowed and slowly took steps to the dinner table and pulled out a chair. He had no idea how to explain that he was basically useless when it came to super powers and wanted to be a hero since his classmates had talked him in to it. He was so gullible.


    "Now tell us how everything went. What did the doctor say about your powers when they evaluated you? When I was a kid in school I was lucky to have a nurse with the ability to analyze super power, she wrote down a description and everything!" Asher''s father was getting caught up in his own memories of school.


    "Honey, we are waiting to hear from Asher About his powers not to relive your birthday." Asher''s mother scolded his father but neither of them seemed angry in the least.


    "Well how can I not remember the day when we first met? It will forever live in my heart." This was gross, they were both getting gooey over the day they met in high school. This was torture. Although it was strangely warm, Asher had never experienced a family like this.


    "Mom, Dad, if we aren''t going to eat soon I might diieeee" Cara was losing her patience waiting for the two love birds to finish up being over over dramatic.


    "Fine fine, we can start eating while Asher talks, I am sure he''s plenty excited." His father got much more serious. "So tell us what was it all like?"


    Asher had built up a little courage but still could not help but drag things out, his family was about to go back to hating him after all. He looked down at his empty plate and started to speak,

 Chapter 11 - 11. Reaction

    "Well the shot was ok, my arm doesn''t even hurt so that is pretty good." Small beads of sweat had formed on his brow. "I was knocked out for about an hour, my body felt like I was burning. I really didn''t like it at all." This stopped all three of them from eating.


    "What do you mean you were knocked out for an hour?"


    "And felt like you were burning?"


    "None of that is normal at all, The evo shot it painless."


    In turn each of them replied to him but Asher had no answer for them. "Well I did see the clipboard the doctors had but I don''t really have any proof other than that it said they were testing a double dose¡­" Asher trailed off realizing that they all were looking at him funny.


    "Ha! That''s our son! The jokes you come up with." Asher''s father burst out laughing soon followed by his mother. Cara was the only one that seemed to believe that Asher was telling the truth.


    "Ha-ha yeaa joking¡­" Asher started to fill his plate with tacos now that his parents were distracted, however he could feel the gaze of his sister still on him. Would she try to force more information out of him later? No way they could try it though, his mothers super power was hearing she would hear every word no matter what room they were in.


    Wiping the tears from his eyes and breathing more deeply his father calmed himself, "So what did the doctor say?"


    This was it, he had avoided it as much as possible. With a small sigh Asher told them what the doctor had said. " They had no idea what my power did, the doctor even had a power that let him learn details about a power and the name but all he got was the name...Lucky Jinx. That''s all I know."


    Asher was waiting for them to leave the table or tell him to get pout of the house and never come back. He was definitely a scar on their family name now, it would be the same as before.


    "You have a power that was not in their database?" The serious voice of his father made Asher flinch, he even closed his eyes in fear that someone was about to physically throw him out.


    "Our son has a unique power! We are blessed! What does it do? Do you have any idea yet?"


    Yea spill the beans, tell us what changes you''ve noticed."


    The three of them were buzzing with excitement. They wanted all the details that he had experienced. There was no yelling, no cursing, and even more so no negativity at all. Was this some convoluted dream waiting to end so that he could be back in the torture of his real life?


    "Well? Are you going to say anything weirdo?" Cara made her voice a little too loud lettering her curiosity manipulate her powers.


    "Cara! Voice down, we are in the house and we shouldn''t disturb the neighbors this late." Their mother scolded her before looking back at Asher also eager for his answer.


    "Well I have no idea, nothing seemed different, the two words are opposites so I have no idea what they could do. If they affect each other i guess that leaves me as a normal person right? A jinx is unlucky and if I am also lucky then I am average?"


    "Heck no! My son with an unique power can''t be average in the least!" Asher''s father refused to believe that a power would cancel itself out, "It will be your job to figure out what to do to use your own power. Not everyone is so lucky to be able to claim they are the only one with their super power."


    Asher was stuck, he was lucky? Since when was he lucky? These thoughts ran through his mind, "I need to go to the bathroom. I will be back in a minute." Asher stood up and caught his leg on the chair. He started to fall face first in to the table behind him. The family photos getting ever closer just waiting to break.


    Asher could only think, I knew it, I am unlucky even now.


    Right before he was about to crash in to the table with their family photos the carpet underneath his feet shifted allowing him to only take a knee. It looked like he had just performed an elegantly dance move. "Honey are you alright? You scared us there almost falling in to the table"


    Asher''s mother was standing in shock, her son had nearly slammed his head on to a table but somehow pulled off a move to save himself at the last second. "Are you sure your power isn''t superhuman reflexes? That was very smooth." His father was also curious about what had just occurred.


    "Umm no i just tripped on the chair but also slipped on the carpet and now i''m here." Asher stood up and headed toward the bathroom.


    He did however hear his sister mumble, "How lucky that was."


    Asher threw cold water on his face, not only did they not believe him about the double dose of the shot but instead of being angry about his power they were happy. This support was something he had never felt, he was just an unlucky kid who always had to deal with the worst in life. Why were so many good things happening, this was only something for lucky people not for him.


    Asher looked at himself in the mirror, how could things be so good now? What about him had changed since he came to this world. It was like everything had been rewritten to make his terrible luck disappear and now he had a super power that had luck in it? Is there a chance that he is now lucky? Then what about the jinx part of his power? Is that just the doctors mistake? Ashe

 Chapter 12 - 12. Dragged Away

    Asher made it back to the dinner table full of strange emotions. He actually could feel that he was excited to talk with his family more about his power. This life was really different from how things used to be, maybe it was time to learn to accept it. After all he did have all the memories from this world along with his other ones. Maybe he could learn to let go of the others.


    They all ate while asking about his first day in his new class. "Well I did not expect you to be in class one, but with a unique power like yours they need to be safe than sorry. I will expect you to stay in class one unless you can give them enough data on what your power does after your year end tournament." His father nodded reassuring his own thoughts.


    "Oh it will be a big end of year, you get to enter one of the tournaments for the first time and your sister is entering the senior tournament. I hope you can get a good scholarship Cara, aiming for law enforcement is a big goal." Their mother was fawning over them happy about how the two of them were growing up.


    "Speaking of tournaments, now that you have your power Asher, what are you thinking your goals will be?" This was the other big question he was worried about, the future.


    Holding his breath Asher released it and decided that he should just come clean, "Two of my classmates who also got powers today want to become a hero. Well one of them did and he asked what I wanted to do and I decided to join him. We talked to another classmate and she doesn''t think she wants to be an idol anymore and that her power could be used as a hero, so she will join us too."


    "Is that the girl who had a shirt over her face earlier? Well I thought you were just bringing a cute girl home and was trying to hide here." His mother actually seemed disappointed in this? Did she really think he would find a girlfriend on his first day like his parents had?


    "You already met a girl? And she wants to join you in becoming a hero? Our son is growing up too fast, Cara if you are too slow Asher will be married before you." Their father was getting blurry eyed.


    "Who said I wanted to get married! You''re a fool if you think I would rush in to things like that!" And there went Cara rushing to her room leaving her father stunned.


    "Girls are so hard to raise¡­"


    "Really? It''s your fault, you don''t make a woman feel like she is too old for a relationship. You''re in charge of cleaning up tonight." There went Asher''s mother too. His father was defeated.


    "Asher, my son, you will stay here and help clean up right?" This question came too late though, Asher was already half way up the stairs the only thing on his mind hiding away in his bedroom.


    It was bad luck for their father, stuck to clean up the dinner and the kitchen. At least everyone was going to sleep and he would have some peace and quiet. With a sigh he had started to clean.


    Asher was up bright and early, he even woke up before his sister. Before she had even opened her bedroom door Asher was already dressed for school and stuffing a breakfast sandwich in his face. "This is so good, mom you''re an amazing cook!"


    "Well someone is in a good mood this morning, you must be excited for your three new classes today. I really enjoyed taking those additional art and cooking classes. It made me the cook I am today." His mother reminisced on the cooking classes she had tricked his father in to taking with her. How romantic she had thought it would be until he had burned half of their food every day.


    "Honey, do we know a girl with purple hair that wears a green plastic mask?" Asher''s father called out from the door, he was about to head to work when he saw the strange girl standing at the gate to their home.


    "Jane!" Asher grabbed his book bag and slid out the door past his father. "By mom! Bye Dad!" He grabbed Jane''s hand and dragged her away before his parents could embarrass him again. It was not safe this close to his house.


    "Goodmor--ing Ash--her." Jane tried to greet him but being pulled away kept her from properly speaking.


    "Um..sorry. Good morning Jane. I just felt we would be late if I didn''t get a bit of a run in, you know how it is." Asher''s strangeness did not affect her in the least.


    "Well it is important to be on time and if we aren''t early we are basically late. I just thought since we were in the same direction we would go together, you know how friends do."


    "Yea well since we are nearby we should." Asher was blushing like a red tomato, "Ahh I''m sorry." He jumped back embarrassed that he was still holding Jane''s hand but started to fall backwards and held on even tighter.


    Crashing to the ground the green plastic mask fell away from them just out of reach. Jane''s eyes met Asher and his met hers. "I''m sorry are you alright? Jane?" Asher was looking right at her but she wasn''t moving a muscle. He had no idea what was going on. He tried to move and help her up but she was still like a stone. "Umm I can''t help you up unless you move¡­" Still no reply or movement, this was a bit uncomfortable for him but he wasn''t necessarily opposed until a thought struck him.


    "Your mask! I will turn my head. I am sorry I forgot." Asher closed his eyes and turned his head, he felt Jane regain the ability to move. She was dead silent, her face even more red than his. "Why is it only your eyes that my face reflects in?" Asher wasn''t sure what she had just mumbled but it sounded like she was pouting.

 Chapter 13 - 13. Walk To School

    Jane quickly readjusted her mask, she was cursing  herself inwardly for not finding a better one in such a short time. "So what did your family say about your powers?" Asher was dusting off his pants and wanted to try and change the subject before the awkward silence could set in.


    "Oh, they were really happy to see that I got something so unique but it took them a while to get over the scales and purple hair...I also accidentally made my father late for work since I forgot about the whole freezing people in place thing." Jane seemed rather sheepish at this part but Asher found it a little funny. He tried to hold back his laughter but a little slipped out. "It''s not that funny, it was an accident." Jane started off on a faster pace leaving Asher to catch up. "And you? What did your family say?"


    "Well I thought they would hate me." Asher saw no reason to lie to her, she most likely had the same fear with the way her power was. "I pretty much told them that I may not have a power technically but all they were was excited that I had a power that had not been seen before." While he spoke a thought occurred to him, "Hey Jane, was it painful when you got your evo shot?"


    Jane slowed down hesitating for a minute, "Yes, it felt like I had the worst fever in my life until I passed out. Then when I woke up I was like this." This affirmed Asher''s own experience.


    "Me too, my parents said it should not have hurt or made me pass out at all. Even my sister said so¡­ saw some stuff on the doctors clipboard though, I think we got a double dose of the evo shot. I have no proof but for what I quickly read through." Asher was afraid that he would become a laughing stock if what he was saying became known by others, so he prepared for Jane to laugh at him that second.


    She was fairly quiet, "I did suspect something strange too, the doctors were whispering a lot when they prepared my evo shot. I would say we should bring this to the police but it is completely legal. I looked on the internet and since we signed the waivers and our parents signed they are allowed to give us any variant of the evo shot they have. This kind of thing has happened before. I dug around and found that a few other high schools reported strange effects and even one student had a huge mutation!" Jane had grown in volume nearly shouting the last few words drawing some attention to the pair walking.


    This was just like humans, testing something potentially dangerous in those that had no power to stop them. It was an evil trick from adults they should trust, this soured Ashers mood completely. "Nothing we can do now, but I am glad we are both alright. Maybe our powers being so weird is caused by the shot. If the research more then we may have better answers." Asher did not really believe that they would get more answers but he wanted Jane to feel more at ease with the situation. Seeing her shoulders relax he knew it had worked, if even a little bit.


    "Hey you lazy butts! I beat you two here by like ten minutes and I live farther away!" Art was running towards them from the school entrance. He was not paying any attention whatsoever to where he was going. His foot stepped right in to a patch of sand sending him sliding oh so elegantly in to a split. The silent scream was enough to pierce Asher''s heart.


    "Ah what bad luck, morning Art!" Asher tried to hide the pain in his voice but it was hard to do, this was a painful male blunder. Even Jane could tell that she was better off not saying anything with the risk of making it worse.


    Giving Art some time to gather himself they stood in the front entrance. Asher noticed almost everyone that was walking past seemed to slip on the sand that was there. "I would say it is bad luck that so many people are slipping on the sand but at this point I think people are just really bad at observing their surroundings."


    "As long as I am not the only one I feel a little better. Let''s go to class early, maybe we can figure out our other classmates'' powers!" Art led the way with a funny walk but still full of energy. As the three walked away the pile of sand was blown away by a gust of wind.


    Finding that they were very early still the three were some of the only ones in the class. The girl that had sneezed the day before was asleep at her desk making them unable to ask her about her powers. They knew she could most likely control the wind but there was still the question of what it was called.


    Mr. Smith was sitting at his desk preparing some documents, he was wearing the same suit he had the previous day. He was too engrossed in his preparations that he did not pay anyone any mind.


    "Art, how did your family like your power?" Asher wanted to try and distract hims from the lack of classmates to ask about powers, it seemed to do the trick.


    "They were pretty happy that I also gained an ability to use metal, but lead was something they didn''t expect. My brother can control much more so he said that his power was still better, But if I can master my power I can use it way better. I just need to study it." Art looked much more distraught than he had before, the meeting had not seemed to have gone as pleasantly as he made it sound.


    Other students had started to filter in as they chatted and before they knew it there was the bell telling the, the first period was starting, it was time to survive academics.

 Chapter 14 - 14. Combat Day 1

    The day had passed fairly fast and the three of them had eaten lunch on the roof like their first day in their new class one. Once they had returned they survived the dreaded math problems that never seemed to end. "Now, in a few minutes the bell will ring and you will all head off to the first of your selected classes, Those of you who are already used to this you can head out early. Those of you who chose yesterday can come on up and grab your assignment cards. They will have the room number assignment for your new classes."


    Mr. Smith had five laminated cards in his hand and was about to Walk to each of them to start handing them out, when he was going to pass towards Asher to give him his he froze in the aisle between the desks. "Umm, Mr. Smith is everything alright?" Ashe was a bit worried since their teacher had just frozen in place and it was definitely not Jane who was causing it.


    "Ah no need to worry, I have a vision that I would trip over the desk leg if I moved in that moment. There would have been a noise in the hall that distracted me but because I stopped moving nothing happened." Asher sat there in awe, having the ability to see in the future was sure useful, even three seconds told him so much. If only the students that had slipped on the sand earlier had such an ability.


    Once four seconds had passed Mr. Smith continued forward letting some of the other students passed him. He handed all five their assignments then made his way to his desk to start grading some homework assignments.


    "You guys have combat training first right?" Art was the most excited to start practicing combat, this was simply because it was one of the most relied upon skills to law enforcement let alone a hero. Without it many would not survive against a dangerous criminal.


    "Yup, I brought an extra pair of gym clothes and some old workout gloves my dad doesn''t use anymore." Jane was already putting the slightly padded gloves on her hands. With the mask and the gloves she was starting to look kind of intimidating.


    "I just hope that we don''t have to spar too much today¡­" Asher had some worry that he would end up black and blue in this life too.


    "What? Why? That is the best part, we need to get real fighting experience so that our bodies will act before our minds even know we are in danger. It needs to be instinct." Art was hyping himself up more and more as the three walked towards the smaller gym that was used for combat lessons.


    The small gym had padding on the floor and Walls because it was used specifically for the combat lessons. It was very near the large gym which was used for power training and the normal gym lessons. This Was also near the nurse''s office since it was very common for students to be gain small injuries while learning. This gym was a dilapidated part of the building in his past memories but now that he was in this changed world he was seeing it in a much better state.


    There were even new locker rooms for the boys and girls to change before the lessons. After just about five minutes they students were stretching themselves in the small gym wearing their white and blue gym clothes. Asher was finding it very entertaining bouncing a little on the soft mats. Art was right next to him humoring him by bouncing a bit on his own. The two looked like little kids trying out a bounce house.


    The class was only full of ten students, it was very rare for anyone to join the class mostly because the skills were not as applicable to other future career options. The final bell rang for students to be in their classes, this was the signal for the gym door to open.


    Bang!


    The door slammed open and a tall woman wearing a red tracksuit waltzed in. She had a long ponytail of jet black hair. She was well muscled and looked like she could crush stone with her hands if it looked at her funny. "Stop your stretching and listen up! For the fresh meat I am Coach Winters! Anyone that calls me Mrs will run laps around the school until you puke." This imagery was just what they all needed right before starting their new class. Naturally, a few of the students stepped a little farther away from their teacher. "We will jump right in to our first sparring session, lets me see how bad you all are so I know who to motivate more." She thrust her fist in to her hand as she said this, Asher had a feeling that motivation was not necessarily what he had in mind.


    Afraid she may start early with her motivation every student paired up with the nearest person. Art and Asher had moved to the side farther away from the others so they had their own space to do whatever they wanted. "Now don''t be too afraid, I have already trained a little." Art made strange noises and started to hop about kicking and punching the air. Before he knew it his foot came down weird and he was in the second split of the day.


    Asher drew in a sharp breath, "Ouch...Art can you breathe? Art!?" He had turned deathly pale and looked like he had broken something.


    "It''s not been even five minutes and you have already hurt yourself! You foolish kid, you two there!" coach Winters singled out two boys nearby. "Take this one to the nurse to try and cure his lack of brain cells. You there, you will spar with me until your partner can walk again." Asher was again cursing himself, what had he done to need to spar against such a brutal opponent?

 Chapter 15 - 15. Beating Up

    "Coach Winters are you sure you will spar with me? I have no experience yet." Asher wanted to find a way to get out of this but everywhere he looked the other students were still with their own partners completely immersed and focused.


    "So what? Your body should have some instinct to it as long as you have more brain cells than that kid from before. Now get in a stance!" Coach Winters raised her hands ready to block any attacks that came.


    Asher bent his knees and copied a popular boxing stance he had seen on television. He knew that he should never cross his legs and to remain on the balls of his feet. Other than those two things he was completely in the dark.


    He took some steps forward getting closer to coach Winters who was bouncing foot to foot. Her actions showed that she was well seasoned in this kind of fight. Asher threw out his left fist as quickly as he could aiming for her face. His fist hit nothing but air and instead he found that coach Winters had sidestepped the attack and took another step inwards. She was right up in his face now, he was unable to pull back his fist in time. She arched her arm out and stuck her leg behind him tripping him on his butt and holding his back to the mat.


    "Get back up, the fight isn''t over until you subdue your opponent!" She was already back bouncing side to side looking for her next opening. Asher felt embarrassed being so easily taken down. He had never fought before, all he knew how to do was get beaten up and left in an alley or behind the school to crawl home.


    He decided to use some of the tricks the bullies he had in his other world had always used. He pretended to ready his foot for a kick but instead stomped it down making a loud noise and punched out with his right fist. Again it only hit air, but coach Winters seemed little happier with his actions and did not take him down again. "Better, use your head, if you are in a real battle it is not about strength but your mental capacity."


    With this she started to move in a complicated foot pattern keeping Asher spinning in place to keep up with her. He had no chance to even react to her the way things were going. "Ugh stop moving!" Asher thrust out in annoyance trying to stop her. The result was a firm push forcing him to stumble back.


    "Really? I barely did anything and you are already getting annoyed? The second you lose your cool I win!" Coach Winters pushed in to take him down again, she was using the same strategy as before to back trip Asher. This time however Asher wanted to counter it. He reached out to grab her arm but was unable to step away from her leg.


    Asher had still been recovering from the beginning push from a few moments ago and completely lost his balance. He fell dragging coach Winters down too. He did not release her arm and as the two fell the unprepared coach Winters landed face first on the mat. Asher was on his side still holding coach Winters''s arm which was now bent behind her back. "You thought you could lie to me and say you lack experience!? Get ready to run, your little stunt has just put the entire class on laps for the rest of the class. Listen up everyone owes me ten laps right now!"


    "What? Now wait I just slipped and fell-" The glare for coach Winters was enough to silence him. He joined the rest who had jumped in to a running line immediately after hearing the angry roar of coach Winters.


    "Asher, how did you do that? Do you practice martial arts at home?" Jane had seen what happened and was very impressed by his obvious skills. Or at least what looked to her to be skills.


    "No it was bad luck, I slipped and fell and she ended up like that." Asher tried to explain but seeing that everyone was looking at him fairly impressed he stopped talking.


    Jane got a little closer and whispered in his ear while they ran, "If it was any kind of luck it was good luck. Coach Winters looks pretty happy with you now, you might be her favorite student now." Asher followed Jane''s gaze and saw that coach Winters had an evil smile on her face while watching him run.


    "I may be her favorite in one way¡­" Asher kept up his running while thoughts of torture ran through his mind, he was definitely going to have a tough time in this class.


    With every student covered in sweat and breathing heavily the ten laps around the school had been completed. "You should all get up early and do your own training! If you are serious about this then you should train your bodies. I can only teach you technique. Next class, we will start with how to fall properly. You will all be falling plenty." Coach Winters left them with that terrifying thought.


    "Well isn''t she great, she already cares about us so much that she will show us how to fall without getting hurt." Jane believed every word coach Winters had just said in the most positive light. The other students just looked at her like she had just spouted the world''s craziest conspiracy theory.


    The class went to change and clean up, they all had two more periods left in the day. The unfortunate Art showed up just before the bell would ring to change. He walked a little funny making the male students say a silent prayer for his manhood.


    "You look a little better Art!." Asher went up to him after they had changed to see how he was.


    "Ha! I am fit as a fiddle." Art tried to stand a little taller and wince bending his knees back a little. He was not as fit as he tried to show.

 Chapter 16 - 16. Slip Of The Tongue

    "Are you two ready for our philosophy class? We should be able to learn a lot about what kind of moral situations a hero has to deal with. I spent all night dreaming about how a hero decided how to save someone or who to save first. There is so much we will need to be able to figure out in an instant." Jane was surprisingly excited for this class.


    "You seem pretty hyped up for this huh?" Art was caught off guard to find that Jane still had this amount of energy after sparing for a whole class.


    "Well the more I think about it the more I realized that the meanings behind songs that an idol would sing can be the same as morals that a hero follows. When I become a hero I will still be able to be an influence on many and get my own ideals across." She had found the common ground between the dream she had before the evo shot and the newly sparkled dream she had just been introduced to.


    "That''s a great way to look at it, I am glad you found your calling in being a hero this way." Asher could not help but be infected by her happy feeling. "You have a point, when we are heroes people will look to us as examples to follow. We might just inspire a whole generation of heroes!" Asher was officially dragged in to Jane''s energy. The two chatted happily about the kind of heroes they wanted to be all the way to their next classroom. Art waddled behind not as enthusiastic after his last experience in a new class.


    The room they entered was much different than the others, it was much larger with a big monitor and chalk board at the front. The seating was all slowly raised like a stadium so that every student would have a better view of the front. There were already about thirty students in the class making this the most populated class they all attended thus far. It looked like this was more of a lecture style class.


    There was an old white bearded man sitting at the front surveying the incoming students. He had no notes or even any belongings with him. His clothing was a simple old brown suit with a dull black bow tie, if anyone were to comment he was the perfect picture of a modern day hermit.


    The bell rang and students sat down in their seats looking towards the front. The old man positioned the microphone on the podium so it was in front of him. "Good evening, this month we have gained another ten or so students. I am overjoyed to see those who wish to pursue the what and why of the world. My name is Mr. Richards but you can all just call me whatever you want. I have no reason to dwell on names in life." The attitude seemed pretty relaxed as a teacher, he was even taking his time to introduce the entirety of what they would be doing.


    "Um guys, I think we just got the easiest class ever." Art looked like he had just won the lottery.


    "The question you should ask yourself when you wake up in the morning is, who are you? What are you doing in existence? What will you become?" Mr. Richards was stroking his bear the entire time he was speaking in his slow relaxed manner. " What drives your actions? Those of you who wish to be the next world breaking doctor or researcher, why do you learn? Those who look to be the next great author, what worlds live within your minds? Those who wish to be law enforcement and heroes, what values make up a safe and productive society? All these are things you will be explaining in your first five page essay due at the end of the week."


    "Five page essay¡­" Art looked like he had just been punched in the gut, he hated writing essays.


    "Maybe we will get lucky and there will be a way out of it?" Asher wanted to be a little positive but knew that this could just be the way of things.


    "Now I realize that you all may be like me and just wish to go with the flow of life so I present you with a chance to have that freedom from. I will ask one question and the one with the most thought provoking answer will be allowed to pass on the essay." This was exactly what Asher had just hoped for.


    "Dude, you just called that, so lucky. But I won''t let you get the answer first." Art wanted to do whatever he needed to avoid having to write an essay for his class. To him homework was pure evil.


    "What can someone say that will provoke the most thoughts in a human?" Mr, Richards said this carefully. His eyes seemed to gain a sharpness as he looked about the room at the thinking students. Art raised his hands immediately.


    "Mr. R, They can ask a question!" Art thought he had it in the bag. He whispered over to Asher and Jane, "Trick question like this is easy right?"


    "No, I believe there was a philosopher who once caused much more thought with much less than a question. Any other takers?"


    "Let me take a shot, I might have to beat." Asher whispered over to Art accepting his little challenge before. Now that Art had answered wrong there may be a chance to get free from the essay himself.


    Asher raised his hand slowly and waited for Mr. Richards to notice him. A few of the students in the front row had tried their luck and been equally rejected. Mr, Richards pointed at Asher who had been patiently waiting. When Asher opened his mouth to answer his voice was caught up.


    ''Ugh of all times to bite my tongue'' Asher could only think to himself about his bad luck hitting him again. He was stuck in temporary silence.


    "Oof, got stuck. It''s alright, we can write out essays together." Art wanted toi reassure Asher since it looked like he had blanked on the answer he wanted to give. The other students hand felt that this was the case as well. The only one who was not looking away and choosing another student was Mr, Richards.


    The silence went on for easily five minutes, many students had given up on keeping their hands raised feeling the soreness set in. "Ahhahahhhhahaha!" Mr. Richards suddenly broke in to a loud and long laugh. This was the most energy any student had seen from him ever. The new students were making some rather strange conclusions to what this teacher was like. "You sneaky kind, you really went above what I thought anyone would. I will tell you what, you are exempt from writing essays for the whole month! Who would have thought that the most though provoking thing someone could as would be to ask nothing at all." Mr. Richards was completely caught up in this realization. He sat down on a nearby chair and started to ponder on this himself while the rest of the class sat there dumbfounded.


    "But, I just bit my tongue.." Asher spoke quietly and only Jane heard this. She giggled a bit hearing this response. ''Even Jane thinks I messed up, ugh how unlucky.'' Asher only had this single thought running through his head but he didn''t realize that Jane was thinking the opposite.


    The rest of the class went on with less commotion than the start. They would speak on what morals a person needed in certain professions and where they came from over time. It was a very interesting class that made every single student think on how they made their own decisions within their lives.


    "I think my brain is melting out of my ears after that class¡­.why did we take it again?" Art was acting very dramatic and grasped his head pretending to hold his melting brain inside his head.


    "Because, if we do not know who we are and what makes us act then how can we stand up and represent others?" Jane was taking the moral values very seriously. She would definitely become one of the heroes that followed the law to a T.


    "I think the best part of the class is that all our assignments are what we think. It means that we don''t have to research a bunch of things. We are our own resources!" Asher had taken a different lesson from this. He thought this would be easier when it came to essays, not that he had to write any this month.


    "Ah! I can use that for my essay right? You have the month off so I will write about how we can only rely on ourselves in the stress of a battle. A hero needs to stand on their own solid foundations when they decide on how to act." Jane stood tall taking what Asher had just said to heart and beyond.

 Chapter 17 - 17. Fortune

    Asher parted ways with the two who went off in opposite directions. With their second class done they had one left. Art had chosen his chemistry class in an effort to learn more about the metal he could control. His desire to gain this knowledge seemed to outweigh his fried brain after philosophy.


    Jane was running off to her sewing class. She wanted to learn as fast as possible how to make her own mask that could be easily put on and off when she needed it. She had spent most of the night awake filling a journal with ideas, zippers, Velcro, buttons, all were possible but there were too many options. She needed to try them all out and find the best. She also relished the idea that she would be able to make her entire hero suit when she graduated. There would be no expensive cost of hiring a designer and she may even be able to take a few orders herself and make some extra money!


    Asher had forgotten he had randomly circled a class until now, ''what did I get myself in to?'' he couldn''t help but wonder as he reached room 777. He pushed the door open and found a smokey incense filled room. "You who ventures through the fog of uncertainty shall find the truth within the crystal clear waters." An old raspy female voice called out these words. However Asher could not see clearly through all the incense smoke. The scent was strong with sage and other various herbs. This was like walking in to an herbalist''s shop.


    "Madam Weaver you need to put these all out, if any new student shows up they will think the room is on fire!" A second more smooth and sweet girl''s voice cut through the room and the smoke seemed to be pulled out somehow.


    The minutes past revealing a tall skinny girl with large eyes and folded brown wings on her back. She had a long brown braid running down her shoulder from the top of her head. She seemed to lock on to Asher the second the incense smoke started to clear, he felt he was being looked upon by a bird of prey. "See if I hadn''t opened the window and cleared out your smog I would never have found our new student!" She yelled toward an extremely aged looking old woman sitting in front of a large desk covered in a ton of different items.


    There were collections of white and blue crystals on each corner. The black and gold star patterned covering lay over the entirety of the large desk. In the dead center was a crystal ball sitting upon a silver metal ring. The light being let in through the window was reflecting off of it causing small rainbow circles to shone in to the walls. There was a line of incense burners all set up slowly trailing of the aromatic white smoke that had just blinded Asher.


    The old woman sitting at the desk was wrapped in a purple felt hood, her face was wrinkled beyond that of anyone else''s Asher had ever seen, ''is this woman a living raisin?'' Asher could not shake this one thought from his mind. She wore many gold or gem rings on her bands that made it look like she could never bend a finger. She did not open her eyes the entire time even though she seemed to know exactly where Asher was.


    "Such a conflicting aura you have about you child, you pull in gold and put out black. I can feel fate twist around your very being." She could see his aura, it was as vibrant as a golden sun but all that was around him was the dark negative energy.


    "If you spout ominous words like that he''ll drop the fortune telling and astrology class today before we even give a lesson. My name is Lin and I am the one and only student here. This is madame Weaver, she is the teacher here." Lin looked at Asher, her eyes still looking at him as if she could see through him.


    "Yes, I''m Asher Ronan. I kinda ended up choosing this class and well here I am." He had somehow managed to choose a class with only one student, ''So what now? Should I leave or stay? If I''m the second student will the class be easier?'' Asher was contemplating whether to leave or stay. If the class was so small that there was only one student then maybe it was not a good class. But if it only had one student then he could get the best attention from the teacher to learn more and faster.


    "Child you are indeed in the right place. I am an expert on things like luck and jinxes. You can feel free to be yourself here, I can counter any unfortunate event that may surround you." These words were again confusing to him, but Lin felt the same way. ''How does she know about my super power? I haven''t said anything about it yet?'' The thought stuck in the front of his mind.


    "What do you mean by any unfortunate events? Is something bad going to happen madame?" Lin started to lean against a chair while wondering what in the world the madame Weaver was talking about.


    "Lin dear if you lean on that chair your butt will be sore all day tomorrow." Lin looked at her like she had gone crazy, but as she started to put her weight on the chair a single leg fell off the chair and Lin stumbled back. But with the warning she easily caught herself and stood steady again. The chair tipped down on to its side.


    "I will never know how you can figure all this out with your aura sight, My eyes are as developed as an owls and I can even see in the dark but I can''t see a hint of this aura you always go on about." Lin had been through these things time and time again. "Madam once saw me eating my lunch and told me to throw out my sandwich, naturally I didn''t listen and the next day I was sick with food poisoning. I try to listen to her with these things but they make no sense." Lin hung her head down lost to the meaning of aura.


    "Oh, dear, you don''t see aura, you feel it with your soul and your mind''s eye interprets it. If you use your eyes to try and see aura you are better off staring in to the sun. It is a pointless act." This seemed like a well rehearsed skit between the two.


    "So, I was wondering. What is this class all about?" Asher finally cut in to their little skit with his questioning wondering what was actually going to learn during this class. He had no idea so far other than the fact that somehow his new teacher could see aura and that the one and only classmate was able to use her super powered mutations to see things like an owl.


    "Well we look toward the ways of the spiritual world of course! The way fate changes, how the future just falls in to place, in your case I would say we look at the luck and unluckiness of the world around us." madam Weaver held a sneaky smile like she was seeing something more than what she let on. " There are truths hidden in stars and a light in every darkness., We just need to open our true eyes and accept what they are." She opened her eyes just for a small second showing only white. She had no pupils and was completely blind. Yet she was able to see this aura and act accordingly.


    Asher was a little unnerved by this but he had become intrigued by what she said about luck. ''Does she knew something about my power lucky jinx? Can she help me to understand how it works?'' Asher wanted to outright ask but if he did he had the feeling that he would be left with more questions than answers.


    "So since we have a new student who didn''t run away yet is it time for a real aura reading?"Lin turned to Asher, "Whenever we get a new student that looks like they will stick around Madame uses her aura reading power to give them a reading. It usually makes little to no sense but sometimes the students that seek her out had major breakthroughs in their life. The top of the class used to have a huge problem with his memory but somehow fixed it after hearing his aura reading. Then our top martial arts student was losing a bunch of matches but after hearing his aura reading he trained for three days and created a new technique to confuse opponents." Lin again left out a sight. This was another aspect she just didn''t understand in the least when it came to auras.

 Chapter 18 - 18. Aura Reading

    "Well for someone who says they did not understand you are always so excited to see me use my aura reading power." Madam Weaver laughed a dry cackle to herself while giving Lin a knowing look. She knew that Lin was never really upfront with her love of the unknowing in fortune telling.


    "So what do I need to do? It''s part of the class right? Is there a grade?" Asher was uncertain with what the aura reading would be so he wanted to make sure he would not do anything wrong.


    "Grade? In my class there are really no grades or assignments. Just by being here you will learn, fate would not give you this path if you were not meant to learn on it." Madam Weaver tried to sound mysterious as she said this, well her voice was always mysterious the way she spoke.


    ''Yes! Free easy class to boost my grade point average. Art will be so jealous.'' Asher was having a mental celebration.


    "You should write and start a journal of what fortunes you come up with or what you understand from this class. It''s what I do and it helps me translate madams riddles." Lin held up a blue journal filled with pages upon pages of writing. Each page was dated one day and the notes underneath looked incredibly detailed.


    "Just a journal? Well sure I''m fine with that, if you ever spring a pop quiz I will be prepared." Asher had caught on that madam Weaver had not said anything about quizzes.


    "Bah, forget that now give me your hand and relax your spirit. I will take a look at what your aura is all about." Asher reached out his hand with his palm facing up.


    "You know she was able to tell me when my wings would reach full growth after my shot. The doctors said it could be within a month or a week. But madam said my aura would concentrate in to a growth spurt after three days, I still have no idea how she knew but her power is the real deal." Lin was as transparent as possible, if there was anything that had made her join this class and stay here it was that moment.


    Asher relaxed as madam Weaver took his hand and traced her old ringed fingers along the lines of his palms. She took his hand and placed it upon the crystal ball in the middle of the table. Asher swore he saw a flash of colors in the crystal ball just for a second. "Hmm, how interesting. A broken soul left in an accidental hell. Then rebuilt to fit a heaven instead." Madam Weaver opened her eyes, the pure white emptiness still seemed to pierce his being. " The wheels of fate will favor you and feed you a fortuitous path, but those around you shall feel their fortune wane. May the enemy fear you for their fortune shall turn to misfortune." Her eyes flashed with the same colors Asher had seen in the crystal ball before she tightly shut them.


    Releasing Asher''s hand from the crystal ball madam Weaver seemed out of breath like she had just climbed a few stairs. Lin was furiously writing down every word that she had just said in her journal. "Um madam Weaver, are you alright?" Asher was worried that this old woman had just reached a dangerous point in her life.


    "Child you do not need to worry...I am always tired after using my powers. The auras in the world are always within my view but reading them takes a toll. However it is very valuable, I have put many on the path to prosperity and warned others that theirs held only pain." This ominous stance she had taken in the future put Asher a little at ease.


    Lin tore out a paper for her journal, "I made two copies of what your aura reading was. Go over it and tell me if this means anything to you. If not we can research it as our class activity tomorrow. Oh yea, what is your super power? You didn''t explain much." Lin wanted to try and figure out what the aura reading met before Asher did. Deciphering a puzzle like this was what she hungered for, it may be part of who she was or the huge desire for knowledge in her enhanced brain due to her mutation, but it was there none the less.


    "My power is kinda tough, the doctors didn''t have it on file so they said it was new. They didn''t have any description of what it does but they told me it was lucky jinx. Kinda goes against each other right?" Asher was a little bashful with this, he didn''t like talking about himself. Plus his power was contradictory. It was embarrassing.


    "Lucky jinx? So fortuitous path here could mean that you will be lucky everywhere you go. And jinx could be this waning fortune. The part about enemies having their fortune turned to misfortune sounds like you have another ability that isn''t luck after all. But that''s not possible at all. This is a weird reading, all I can guess is that you''re lucky and those around you are less lucky¡­" Lin tried her best to give the Basic review of the aura reading.


    "Lin, I thought you had yet to open your eyes, but I see that you have partially opened one. How great that is to glimpse in to the world of aura." Lin was used to being confused about what madam Weaver said, but had she just guessed right?


    "Yup, I am even more lost, but I think Lin is right. I have been told I am wrong but I could have two powers stuck together." Asher did not even attempt to hide it, the doctors were the ones at fault for letting him know accidentally. Not to mention they did all have their parents sign paperwork which let them get the evo shots from the hero corp researchers. This didn''t specify which evo shot so this was inevitable.


    "Wait really!? How would you even know? Do you have proof that you have two?" Lin needed more information, having this tempting wealth of knowledge to consume before her she could not let it run away.


    "Well when I was getting my evo shot the doctors were acting funny¡­" Asher trailed off seeing the look on Lin''s face. She was definitely doubting him since he didn''t have any evidence.


    "What do you mean funny?" Her eyes were still wide but her face was showing more doubt by the second.


    "Well they were doing a lot of whispering and they talked about a new dose. Then when the doctor dropped his clipboard I read on it the results and that it was a double dose. I''m not really sure what it was all about but then when they saw my power they were really excited. The shot also burned a lot and knocked me out. My friend had a similar experience and she had a strange power too." Asher spilled out everything that had happened afraid that he was going to be ignored again and brushed off.


    Lin was shocked, the doubt was still there and she was looking at Madam Weaver for any input. "Child, whatever has happened was the path you are meant to be on. Just accept it and find your happiness in it. There is no point in worrying over what caused it since it has already been done. Just take what you have now and learn." Madam Weaver smiled knowing that she had given all the answers he would need, but it would be up to his own interpretation.


    "Well whatever happens if you actually have two powers that is a massive breakthrough, If not then you just have a unique power which is all the better. I will try and write out what I think the aura reading means tonight when I get home. I want you to take the copy I gave you and write down what you think it means. We can debate on it tomorrow". Lin packed her stuff in her bag as the bell began to ring.


    ''Did my classmate just give me home work¡­'' Asher was floored, he had received homework from teachers but never from a classmate. "Madam-" He tried to ask Madam Weaver if he really had to but found that she had already sneaked away from the class without a sound. It was an eerie skill.


    Asher left the room with his brain swimming around his head, first this old raisin like teacher had told his fortune which he didn''t understand and now he had a classmate that acted more like a teacher than the teacher...What a final class of the day.


    "Hey Asher, guess what I found out today!" Art was running through the hall with a small bag in his hands. He was wearing lab gloves.


    "I will take a wild guess and say that it is related to lead?" Anyone could have guessed this.

 Chapter 19 - 19. Needles

    "Bro, you aren''t a mind reader right? You said you didn''t know what your power did." Art was much more surprised than anyone should have been by Asher''s guess.


    Art soon recovered his shock and tossed the idea that Asher could read minds to the side. "The metal I can control can be liquid at a higher temperature. But it''s low enough that if I get a good gear I can carry around molten lead to use against super tough villains or to temporarily fix structures," For someone who seemed like they lacked brain cells the idea was not too bad.


    "Wait, so does that mean you have figured out how to manipulate it? That''s awesome, show me what you can do!" Asher was desperate to see how the power would work. He had never seen someone bending metal to their will in this world of his previous. It was a rare super power that was often shared in a family.


    "Well...All I can do is this." Art pulled a handful of lead pencils from the bag in his hands and looked at them as if in a staring contest. The points on the pencils slowly started to look more and more dull.


    Crack


    The soft crack sound was barely audible but it was easier to see. The tips of one of the pencils fell off and on to the floor. "Ha! Yes that was faster than last time! Now all I need to do is break them all at once!" Art proudly displayed this power but at the end of the day all he had done was break the tip of a pencil.


    "I hate to rain on your parade, but wasn''t that what you said you could do yesterday?" "


    ''Why is he so excited?'' Asher spoke but also wondered just why.


    "Well...yea but now I know that I should be able to use it in different forms. My brother can only move solid metals. He can bend it but as soon as it starts to melt he can''t move it anymore." This made more sense to why he was so happy.


    "So when you get home you get to one up you big brother huh? I wonder if I will be able to beat my older sister¡­" Asher was trying to imagine a situation in which he would ever beat a super power like his sisters. She could manipulate the sounds she made which was really hard to beat.


    In his memories of this world Asher could vaguely remember that when Cara had gotten her powers she had nearly caused the entire family to go deaf. Their mother was the worst off with her super hearing, she needed to wear ear plugs around the house for months.


    "Your sister? What powers does she have? What class?" Art had not known that Asher had a sister.


    "Senior class two, she has the super power to control the sounds she makes. Pretty much she is loud." Ashe laughed it off with a joke.


    "Your sister is Cara the deafening!? She literally makes everyone she fights deaf for weeks after the fight. She is favored to take one of the top five spots in the senior combat tournament! My brother even said if he fought against her when he was in school then he would have lost. I guess sound travels through metal weird."


    "Is she really known like that?" Asher was equally in the dark when it came to his sister''s nickname and reputation. "I guess I never really asked around about her at school¡­"


    "Found you! I was wondering If you had both had left me waiting here and gone home!" Jane was waiting by the school''s entrance.


    "What did you do to your hands!?" Asher was looking at the ten or so bandages wrapped around Jane''s fingers.


    "Well it''s kind of hard you use a needle...But I can use the electric sewing machine just fine!" Jane started soft but spoke up just as she spoke on the electric sewing machine. "I learned about how to design and chart out what I want to make but it will take a lot more than I expected. The teacher gave us a needle and thread to practice. She said if we can''t use it safely then there was no point in making something ourselves." She was not deterred by her rough start at all and instead was looking forward to the future lessons she would learn when it came to sewing.


    With Jane joining them Art and Asher both looked at her humming as they left school. They both could not understand how someone was so happy when they had just pricked themselves so many times in the last hour.


    "Art, don''t you need to head that way?" Asher realized that Art was sticking with them and not heading the same way home he had the day before.


    "Ahh well I figure taking the long way around is a nice change." Art looked unsettled but Asher decided not to push him. "Hey Jane, did you know that Asher''s sister is the deafen-er Cara?"


    "Really? She is? You have a sister that is one of the best in her class. So that''s why you want to be a hero, so you can keep up your rivalry with your sister. Having a sibling must be so much fun." Jane was an only child and had never thought she would have a sibling in her life.


    "Pssh you don''t know anything, having a brother is the worst sometimes." Art spoke before he even thought. Upon realizing what he had said he picked up his pace getting ahead of the other two.


    "Well, a sibling may not always be the best...they can be cruel and spiteful¡­" Asher instantly remembered his sister before the world he was in had changed. Those memories would still come to him first. The new ones were still foggy and they were not nearly as strong.


    "Oh, I guess it is something only you guys would know since I don''t have one. Maybe I should head back home faster." Jane grew soft, she was a bit put out with the two responses she had received.


    "Sorry, sometimes siblings can fight, but some of us¡­" Art stopped and wrapped his arm over Asher''s shoulders, "Have cool siblings that stand at the top of their classes. They will also want to meet their younger brother''s friends so it would make sense that we go there for dinner. Right Jane?" This worked like a charm to cheer up Jane.


    "That sounds exactly like what a role model in the school would want." Asher was pressured by the two of them. Their joyful smiles showing no room for negotiation.


    "I don''t even know when she will get home." He grumbled defeated.


    "Jane, did you hear what I heard?"


    "Art, I did hear. He said he would love to have us at dinner!"


    Jane took the lead showing them the way to Asher''s house since she had stopped there on the way to school in the morning. They were a short walk from Asher''s house and before they knew it they had made it to the front door.


    "Mom!? I''m home!" Asher yelled secretly hoping that there was no one home at all. But he was not that lucky.


    ""You brought friends home? Are you two staying for dinner?" She was visibly excited that her son had finally brought home friends for the first time in his life.


    ''I still can''t find a memory with friends. I guess the me from this world had been a loner too. Just without the bullies¡­'' Asher would have stayed in this train of thought but Art and Jane had started to make their introduction.


    "I am Art Mathews, I can control lead and I''m Asher''s desk neighbor."


    "I am Jane Fields, I''m still learning about my powers. I''m going to be a hero with Asher and Art!" She had much more energy than Art. Jane had lost all hope of being able to visit a friends house after she had gotten her powers. Now she was not only doing this but was being welcomed in with a smile.


    "Well how polite, you two can head on up to Asher''s room with him and study or work on homework. When everyone is home we will eat, I am making spaghetti tonight so be ready to eat!" She went off to the kitchen where the smell of homemade tomato sauce was already on the rise.


    "Ugh I forgot about home work, I have so much from my last class. Chemistry might be the end of all my free time." Art dramatically raised his arms pretending to curse the heavens.


    "I have a lot too, I need to get started on that essay for Mr. Richards so I don''t get behind." Jane was already planning ahead. Her motto was work hard now so she could relax later.


    "I got assigned home work by my classmate...It was really weird."


    "Bro, you win. I''ve never heard of the classmates assigning the home work." Art rested a hand on Asher''s shoulder consoling him.

 Chapter 20 - 20. Meet My Friends!

    "Mom, Dad! Whose bags are these by the door?" Cara''s voice echoed through the house just an hour later.


    "Lower your volume we have guests!" Their mother responded as usual, Cara was still a bit too loud most of the time. That was to be expected with her powers though.


    "And that would be my sister, we should wait until moms got dinner done though. We are almost done with the biggest parts of our homework." Asher was on a roll with his math and wanted to have it done so he could relax. He was currently avoiding the homework that Lin had given him because he thought he might think about it too much.


    "What? Why would we keep doing homework. Meeting Cara the deafening sounds so much more fun." Art had been this way the entire hour, he just wanted to procrastinate and have all his home work done magically.


    "Maybe you should have prayed for a home work doing ability. Then you wouldn''t be so far behind already." Jane had tried to help Art but realized that it was a useless cause. He was just too lazy.


    "Nope, I''m not going down there and starting anything with her. She might be my sister but I''m pretty sure if I bother here right when she walks in the door she will kill me." This was part from the other world''s Cara but also because his sister''s temperament still seemed to be fairly forceful. He would hate to lose his hearing for a few days.


    "Fiiiinnneeee, let''s get this done." Art gave in and started to actually study the periodic table he was told to fill out as homework. Asher chugged away on his math and Jane was enjoying the philosophy essay she was writing, she had found a fair bit of joy in writing about how she felt.


    After another half hour the door could be opening again, however Asher''s father would rarely announce his homecoming. He preferred to surprise his wife in the kitchen. "Ah! Honey, your home!" This was the common skit they played every day when he got home. They both knew the other would do it but that was just how love was.


    "Asher! Bring your friends down, the table is all set for dinner!" Art nearly ran ahead after that but realized he had forgotten where the kitchen was. It was troublesome being in someone else''s home for the first time.


    "Mom''s meat balls are the best, you guys will love them!" Asher had started to take on the attitude of a foodie since he had started to have consistent meals. He never knew what he had been missing until he was filled with this world''s memories of family meals and sweet desserts.


    The three came down the stairs at a pretty fast faced, "Wait Art! You''re still in your socks be careful on the-" This was the last Asher got out of his mouth before the graceful sight of Art slipping on the l top steps shown before their eyes.


    "Ahhhh" Art let out a manly scream as his butt bounced down every single step and landed right on the landing of the first floor. His pained expression was clear to everyone who could see him from the kitchen.


    His head looked upwards finding that there were a pair of legs stopped in front of him. He looked up finding the disgusted face of one of the schools top students glaring at him. "Pfft sop you brought a monkey home huh? He''s pretty clumsy for a monkey, maybe you should have brought him to the jungle bars at the park if he was going to monkey around here."


    Asher wanted to argue with this but he couldn''t argue with how true this statement was to a degree. If Art were to be compared to an animal he would definitely be a monkey. "Art, this is Cara. Cara this is Art." Jane came down the stairs behind Asher being much more careful in her socks. "And this is Jane, Jane this is Cara my sister."


    "You brought a girl home too? Ha! So this monkey was the third wheel to your date? Classic!" Asher heard this and started to turn red.


    "Noo-o we are just friends, Asher and I just met each other." Jane''s voice was unsteady but if they could see past her mask they would know just how red faced and embarrassed she was.


    "Asher hurry up! You can all chat and hang out later. The food is going to get cold." Their mother had heard every word of this and realized that if they stayed there any longer all they would be left with was more teasing from Cara.


    With a slight huff Cara turned around and took a spot at the table. There were two more spots made up for Art and Jane. "Give me your arm." Asher helped lift Art off the floor. He was still rubbing his butt from bouncing down the stairs, but overall he looked fine.


    "Mrs. Ronan this all looks very delicious!" Jane was very polite, her parents had taught her proper manners while growing up and she was always ready to put them to good use.


    "Thanks for having us, I will drag Asher home one day for dinner too." Art promised to feed Asher too one day, it was only fair in his book.


    "Good, I''m glad he was able to find friends in his new class. If i remember right the three of you should have started off your three new elective classes today. Find anything interesting?" Asher''s father chimed in wanting all the details on what they wanted to learn.


    "We are all taking the same first two classes. The combat class was very inspiring. We have such a supportive coach!" Jane was still convinced that Coach Winters was out for their best interest and not to torture them.


    "At least you made it through the class, my luck was terrible today. I swear I thought I would be in the nurse''s office all day!" Art was traumatized from his previous blunders. "Asher was the lucky one in Philosophy though, he got the teacher to let him off the hook for a whole month of essays."


    " It was an accident. I bit my tongue and didn''t say anything. Mr. Richards just decided that it was a response." Asher was a bit sour since he had not actually gotten the chance to respond at all to the question. Not that he was unhappy getting off the hook for essays anyways.


    "Wait, you got Mr, Richards'' first day question right? Nobody ever gets away with that. Lucky." Cara was obviously jealous of this, she had tried her best to answer the question when she took one of his classes but had failed miserably. Her answer hadn''t even been entertained.


    "Are you three sticking together for the third class too? How adorable, you''re like the three musketeers!" Asher''s mother was loving this side of her son and his friends. She almost got up to go get the camera to take a picture to commemorate the occasion but stopped herself. She couldn''t scare them away.


    "Actually we chose different courses that were more suited to our powers. Since I need to cover my face to keep people safe from accidentally being stuck in place, I took a sewing class. I am going to make my own hero equipment one day!" Jane was still just as motivated as earlier.


    Asher''s mother looked at Jane''s hands seeing the bandages already on them, "Just keep working hard dear, I am sure you will have the best sewing skills out of anyone else in the class by the end of the year." She was supportive but the look on her face was a bit more worried for the future needle pricks.


    "I''m taking chemistry. Since I can control lead with my powers then I need to learn as much about what it is made of and what it can do. I need to safely use this power if I want to be a power." Art nodded with each sentence knowing that it was the best course of action.


    "Well that''s very responsible. All those lead paints from when my parents were kids have caused so much trouble. Just be safe when you are practicing." Asher''s father chimed back in recalling the work his father had done with painting houses.


    "So, Asher? What are you doing for your third class?" Cara was the one who asked this, surprising both their parents. They did not expect her to be so interested in what her brother was learning about.


    Asher held back saying anything. ''How do I explain my new teacher is a fire hazard waiting to happen? What will she say that I am one of two students? I could brag about having an easy class that doesn''t assign homework...but my own classmate gave me homework'' He was caught up in his own head trying to decide on how to say what happened.

 Chapter 21 - 21. Group Study

    " Come on, what are you all afraid of? Are you the only student or something?'' Cara was impatient as always wanting Asher to tell them about his last class. She wondered if he was taking the same one she had chosen when she was a sophomore.


    "It''s astrology and fortune telling¡­" Asher nearly whispered this not wanting to say it out loud.


    "It''s what now? Speak up." Asher''s father was having none of this, if he wanted to speak he needed to be firm.


    "Astrology and fortune telling! I circled it randomly because I ran out of time. I am only the second student and I have no idea what is really going on in the class." The table was silent after his loud outburst.


    "Wait is that the same one Lin is in? You know she has the top grades in the school right? She has never gotten anything less than a perfect score on any test. A bunch of people tried to join that class because she was in it and they thought that they could study with her. But apparently every time they went they got scared off by the smoke in the room. They thought that they had gotten to a different class." Cara laughed pretty hard at this thinking about how foolish they were.


    "Those are incense that madam Weaver used, I have no idea why she had so many burning in one room. But Lin cleared it all out out...If she''s the top student I kind of understood why she gave me homework today." Asher was still a bit moody over this, she wasn''t even a teacher.


    "Lin gave you home work!? Hahaha that''s tough, just wish your grades goodbye because when she reads it she is bound to fail you. She even corrects the teachers when they are wrong on a subject." Cara was loving this, she had expected something along the lines of what a hero would take and definitely not a fortune telling class.


    "Well what do you do in the class?" Their mother tried her best to keep Cara from teasing Asher so much in front of his friends.


    "Actually yes, what do you do in that class? I haven''t ever had my fortune told before so I have no idea what would go on in one." Art was supporting his sister. '' You have betrayed me again Art'' Asher sent a glare at Art who was none the wiser of his treachery.


    "Actually I have not heard of this class either, can you tell us?'' Jane broke the tension asking as well, Asher couldn''t hide from it now, he had to tell them what it was all about so far.


    "Well madam Weaver has a super power called aura reading, I guess she can see auras and make some sort of prediction about a person from them." Asher had the note book paper in his pocket and decided that it was not the time to bring it up. He would ask Jane and Art for their thoughts later.


    "She took a look at my aura and said a few confusing things and then Lin wrote them down. Now i need to write about what I think it means. But the entire time Lin was stuck on what auras were and how to see them without eyes but with a third eye. I was totally lost." Asher couldn''t hold back the truth, he also had no idea what a third eye was or what an aura would look like. For him this was just another of the many mysteries he would find while in this class.


    "So you took a hippie class? If you want to be a hero you need something that is more attuned to your power. I know it''s called lucky jinx or unlucky lynx or bahh whatever it is called you need one that can put you in situations to figure out what it does." Cara was right about that, he needed to figure out what his powers really did. But where to start?


    "Well I think joining a fortune telling class is a great random guess. If your power actually has to do with luck maybe you were lucky enough to join a class that can explain what luck is." Their mother was still very supportive. Jane was mirroring her with head nods and a smile. Even Art was giving him a thumbs up.


    "I''ll try...I just don''t know what the differences in my daily life are. I do need to say people seem to be tripping or slipping on things a lot lately. Super weird recurring coincidence lately." Asher was trying to draw connections to these things in reference to his powers but so far couldn''t make any solid ones.


    "I swear if it is you who made me slip like that at the gym I will make you pay." Art immediately flew in to fake rage at this to tease Asher a bit.


    "Oh you think you could resist my powers if I am the reason? I am too powerful for you!" Asher rebutted his taunt easily adding an evil laugh.


    "If you two start to fight I will take my mask off and stick you both in place for hours.'''' Jane''s threat was much tougher, her acting was on point completely stopping the two boys from competing further. Cara just sat there a little stunned at the three who had fallen in to their own little world.


    The rest of the dinner went on much like this with all of them teasing each other about their powers. Cara finished and excused herself as soon as she could so she could go work on her own home work. She had become a lot less interested in this conversation since the start.


    "Alight lets get another hour of homework done and then we can stop and head home." Jane was as motivated as ever seeing that his own homework was just about done. She was by far the fastest out of the three of the, when it came to working.


    "Wait, actually I want some help if you guys can. I have what the aura reading from madam Weaver resulted in. I have to translate this and write what it means. But I have been avoiding it. What if I realize my powers are evil you know?'' Asher did have the minor fear that being a jinx would bring some bad things in to his family''s life. He could end up the same way as his previous world.


    "Yes, let me see it! I want to solve the puzzle first!" Jane grabbed the notebook paper and started to read. She passed it to Art who was much more interested in this thanks own homework. The essay that he needed to write would suffer for a little while longer.


    "Bro it sounds like you are going to be given good looks by fate everywhere you walk. So just walk everywhere and avoid cars and planes and trains and you will be lucky." Asher was floored, ''how can you make that relation? It doesn''t mean a physical path that I walk. It''s metaphorical!''


    Asher was too amazed at how Art had made this ridiculous relation to fate feeding him a fortuitous path. " feel their fortune wane'' does that mean that the people near you will just be a little less lucky in life? Are you a luck eater or something?" Jane had watched a show on tv where the main character literally ate luck.


    "I am pretty sure I can''t actually eat luck. Although I do wonder what luck would taste like. Bad luck could be spicy." he followed this train of thought to tease Jane just a little while she contemplated the rest of the aura reading.


    "Well at least the last part is easy, if you have an enemy anything that is fortunate will become unfortunate. This is pretty clearly part of the jinx name of your power." Jane was glad that at least one part was so simple.


    "Just remember, we are friends here OK? No need to make my luck bad¡­" Art was a little fearful now. What if Asher decided they were enemies and ate all his luck.


    "Well I have never had any real enemies so don''t see that happening." This was true even in his other world with how poorly he was treated and the terrible things that had happened he had not yet considered anyone to be his enemy. He had always just blamed his bad luck on everything that was happening to him. Not that he didn''t try to change things to be better, they would just always fall apart somehow.


    "Well I am definitely not going to write about eating luck or not traveling in a car or train or whatever. I think the last part can use some details but hopefully Lin will like it." Cara''s words echoed through his head about how Lin would most likely fail him on the spot with whatever he brought back as homework. This prompted him to grab his laptop and start to type up his theories. It was better safe than sorry!

 Chapter 22 - 22. Fever?

    The three worked in silence for another hour just talking when they found they needed some help with something. Art had started to fall asleep while looking at the essay he was hand writing and made the first move to leave. "I will see you two tomorrow at school. We have gym class so we get to double up on our training." He was very excited to actually participate this time instead of being sent back to the nurses office.


    "Oh, I almost forgot, I will bring some extra clothes." Jane was glad she had been reminded, she would have forgotten the right gym clothes and ended up wearing the same smelly ones as the day before.


    The three walked down the stairs and outside on the front porch."I have to head that way, so it''s up to you to walk with Jane home Asher!" Before Asher could say a word Art had already run off.


    The two looked at each other with an awkward smile, Asher stuck his head in the door grabbing his jacket, "Mom I''m walking Jane home! I will be back in a few minutes!"


    "You know if I get in to trouble I can just take off my mask and freeze them in their tracks, I''m perfectly safe walking home alone.." Jane''s face was turning red, however there was no way to see this under her mask.


    "No it''s totally fine, what if you ran in to some creepy guy? Even if you froze them in place, who would keep an eye on them while you called the police? It''s always safer in pairs...Not that my powers sound like they would do much." He was a little discouraged thinking that he lacked the proper skills to defend someone. But that would need to change.


    "I know you would be the best person to partner up with. I just have a feeling that you would have my back." This was completely unexpected, Asher stopped for a step before he fully absorbed these words. He had no idea how he would thank her.


    Jane stood taller and held her hands behind her back walking with a little bounce in her step knowing she had just made Asher speechless. "You know I have been thinking a little on your home work that You asked Art and I for help with, do you want to hear what I think?''


    This brought Asher out of cloud nine and back down to earth. "Yes! Of course I do, I need to figure out exactly how my powers work so I can get stronger. Talking with you and Art has shown me how far behind I am to others. My sister has even gotten a nickname for being one of the best in her class." He grasped his fist tightly feeling like he could run for miles with this motivation.


    "Well the making your enemies fortune in to misfortune part aside, it sounds like your power is kinda interesting. It''s like mine, it''s two parts. I can stop people in their tracks and I have this changed body. It is pretty great for incapacitating criminals and then defeating others at the same time." Jane held her hands up showing her sharper nails and scaly arms.


    She was silent for just a few moments as the streets passed. "To me it sounds like fate or whatever controls luck is pushing it your way. Does that come with some drawbacks? Yea of course it can be a great boon to have some luck, but a real friend won''t run away from you because of that. From what I can see you are pretty lucky, If I didn''t run after you that day then I would still be stuck at home without a dream to follow. You are my good luck charm and I don''t plan on running away just yet." Jane looked a few houses down and realized she had gotten home. Her heart was beating faster than it ever had, her face burned with embarrassment after saying all those things. "That''s my house over there, I will see you tomorrow!" She ran off and in to her condo leaving a crying Asher in the street.


    Jane had not even seen him break in to tears, the words she had just said were some of the most heartfelt words he had ever heard. With the memories of his other world mixing with this worlds he had felt like two people smashed together, But in this moment everything became one, he had friends, he had goals, he had a family, and most importantly he had hope. ''I''m going to be a hero and I will be the best hero this world has ever seen!'' these inward cheers flooded his being.


    Asher had started his walk home with tears still streaming down his face, years of pain band suffering due to his bad luck being vented. He may never have considered anyone an enemy or anyone to be at fault for the things that had happened but instead is his own bad luck. However it was true that he had felt hurt by every little bad thing. The simple things like finding a rock in his shoe or even when he would be drawn out of a lottery to clean the classroom every single time. These things all weighed on him after some time.


    "Empty your pockets and hand over your wallet!" A man in a black mask stepped out from behind a bush holding a knife out in front of him. "Do it slowly and I won''t send you to the next life!"


    Asher was too stuck in his own head to notice the orders of the masked man or the knife in his hands. He walked right in to the man. "Ah! Sorry I wasn''t looking where I was going." Asher wiped away tears with one of his hands while the other was still at his side.


    ''This kid just walked in to my knife, oh my god...I am going to jail for murder¡­'' This thought was the only thing that the man had in his head. "I just Wanted to scare you in to giving me some money like the others." The masked man stepped away, the knife still firmly grasped in his hands.


    The knife blade was nowhere in the handle, ''The blade went so deep it''s stuck in this kid...ahh i''m a child murderer. I will be sentenced to death with this'' The man''s greatest fears flew in to his mind and started to consume him.


    "Mr. What do you want money for? I don''t have any, I just walked a friend home." Asher was confused about what was going on. This guy was acting so strange. "Is this man sick? His face must be very cold since he is wearing a ski mask, this is a flu symptom. He is cold when it isn''t cold outside at all, it''s a high grade fever.''


    Thus the misunderstanding was made, Asher pulled out his phone and failed for an ambulance, "Don''t worry I have an ambulance on the way just stay here."


    "Yes you''re right, I will stay here in your last moments. I will explain my faults." Asher looked at the man talking crazily. The masked man was too distraught, ''This kid is in shock and he doesn''t even realize there''s a knife blade in his heart.''


    They both stayed in this position for five excruciating minutes while police officers that were nearest to the location were dispatched to give first aid while the ambulance was on the way. Asher watched as the man deteriorated talking to himself about repenting and accepting his wrong doings. The masked man watched as the child he had stabbed was in shock acted like he was completely fine.


    The sounds of running came down the street and two officers on foot reached the pair. "Officers, over here. This is the man I called about." Asher raised his other arm and the blade of a knife fell to the ground. "Where did this come from?" Asher stared at it even more confused. ''First fevered man and now a random knife blade falling from the sky? What is this'' He was extremely confused.


    "What!? You mean I didn''t actually stab you when I tried to rob you!?" The masked man was beside himself, he had thought so wrong. Every moment of terror and repenting was just a sham in all of this.


    The two officers heard his exclamation of disbelief and acted swiftly. The man was pinned down to the ground in a whoosh of air. The other officer created handcuffs from ice and placed them on the masked man. "Kid are you alright? This man was trying to rob you. You are lucky he seems very unstable at the moment." The first officer pulled out a notepad while the second kept the masked man detained and read him his rights.


    "Now please tell me everything that has happened since you came in contact with this man"....Asher explained everything from his perspective giving the officer the best answers he could.

 Chapter 23 - 23. Fitness Journey

    The officer finished Taking Asher''s statement and kept double checking it. "You really thought that this man was under the influence of a high fever?" He was in awe that this kid had been so blind.


    "Of course, why else would someone wear a ski mask in such warm weather? I''ve only worn them when I was out in the snow. I heard that when someone has a fever they feel cold even in the heat of the summer." Asher was still not fully convinced he had been in an attempted robbery.


    "I don''t know if you are the luckiest kid I''ve ever met or just messing with me but you still managed to keep the situation from escalating. We have recorded your information and will forward it to our chief." The officer placed his notepad in his pocket and surveyed the area quickly before readying himself to leave. "You don''t happen to want to pursue law enforcement in some way do you?" ''Maybe this kid just doesn''t want his powers to get put publicly for when he joins the force in the future. It would make sense''


    "Actually I want to aim for a little higher than that. My friends and I have made a deal that we will all become heroes." Asher found that he was brimming with confidence he had never felt before as he said this. He stood taller and raised his head. ''I never noticed how often I look at the ground..'' He realized this while looking the officer in the eyes.


    ''This kid has to be messing with me! I knew it!'' The officer''s thoughts felt to be confirmed. "Then in that case I will personally have my chief send notice to your school of tonight''s incident. Nice job future hero!" The officer slapped him on the shoulder before heading off with his partner and their captured criminal.


    ''Even the officers are so supportive now. This new world is amazing.'' Asher had opened this new door fully. It was time he pursued his new goals in earnest. He had gym class and combat class in the morning to look forward to. ''I will learn everything I can and give everyone something to watch!''


    He walked home too energized to sleep. He wanted to go right upstairs and start some athletic training early to tire himself out. "Where. have. you. Been.?" Asher''s mother was sitting on the front step with a deadly serious face. The aura of anger rolling off her.


    "Well I kind of got held up¡­" He knew that he was in trouble but he feared what would happen when he told her what happened.


    "Oh I heard the conversation with the officer. I thought I would keep an ear out for you since you seemed a little too happy to walk your new friend home. I was just doing what a mother should. But what do i hear when I check again?" Her eyes became much colder. "I hear an officer explaining how lucky you are after an attempted robbery!" She had officially lost her cool.


    "Wait mom, you were listening in on Jane and me!?" Asher was instantly red faced and completely embarrassed.


    "That''s not the point! You have yet to understand your power and you are off getting in to these dangerous things. Even your sister would have been smart enough to run away back here to call the police." The tone bit in to him harshly. This was the special kind of force behind a mother''s reprimands.


    His energy was burned away after an hour of talking to and finally being sent to bed. Asher collapsed on to his bed instantly falling in to sleep. He could no longer motivate himself to start an early work out. ''I will start early in the morning. I can just wake up earlier.''


    BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP


    The alarm blared at a bright and early four in the morning. Asher had sleepily set the alarm early to get in to the proper training. Asher slammed his hand down hitting the stop button on the noise that had invaded his sweet dreams of tacos raining from the sky.


    "Ugh, it''s so early¡­" He mumbled to himself as he brushed his teeth and dug out some running shoes. He grabbed an extra pair of gym shorts and an old sweatshirt. Flipping up the hood he left his room only to see that his sister was stretching by the front door.


    "What are you doing up this early?" She had never seen anyone but her father awake this early in the house and that was only when he had a work deadline to meet.


    "I decided to start working out in the morning. I want to be a hero and I can''t get there by doing nothing." Cara was almost speechless seeing that the fire in her brother''s eyes had been lit. She swore she saw an emerald flame in his forest green eyes.


    "Well if you can keep up to the park I will let you watch my circuits. I work out for an hour then a fifteen minute run around the neighborhood. If you can''t keep up don''t expect me to stop." She finished her stretches and put on a determined face. ''I''ll show you what a real workout is''


    The motivation was there so Asher did not hesitate even for a moment. He fell in to step behind her before realizing he was falling out of breath more and more. ''I need to control my breathing.'' Asher motivated himself and slowed down. Cara took many lengths ahead but she did not look back.


    ''She''s so fast'' Asher resisted the urge to sprint up to her and match pace again. He knew that he would not make it to the park if he did. He fell further behind her but after learning what his natural place was he found some rhythm in breathing.


    His sweatshirt was hot and stuffy causing him to sweat much more than he would have if he was in a normal T-shirt. But he had seen on television that boxers and fighters wore them to train so he would too. "Almost...There!" Asher saw Cara drinking from the park''s water fountain and allowed his pace to rise in to a final sprint to the water fountain. He found he moved faster than he imagined after reserving some energy.


    "Took you long enough. I thought you gave up already. Get a drink then we will do crunches." Cara moved to the open basket ball court which was the perfect flat service for her circuits.


    Asher gulped down a few mouthfuls of water before rushing to join Cara on the ground. "Thirty, then switch," Cara said this then started doing basic crunches at a furious pace. Asher tried his best to keep up but realized that when he was on twenty that Cara was already standing up to start doing squats.


    Asher followed in this manner the entire time. He was always ten or fifteen repetitions behind his sister. ''she does this every morning?'' He was stunned, never had he realized that his sister would be up early working this hard to be where she was in life. ''I wonder if she was like this in the other world too?'' This thought entered his mind but was discarded easily since they had not lived well enough to allow either to work out let alone in this way.


    After rotating through five different exercises and thirty repetitions of each Cara started over at the same pace. This went on three rounds in total with Asher feeling like his muscles were being burned away in flames. When Cara stood up and took a drink he breathed a massive sigh of relief.


    "Come on, let''s get the rest of cardio done. I will shower before you get back. Make sure you eat some extra protein at breakfast." Cara was off again. Asher gulped more water and started off running again. His pace was even slower than before but he pushed himself to maintain a light jog. This run may have been fifteen minutes for Cara but was much longer for him. He arrived a full fifteen minutes after her to her already earring breakfast having showered and getting ready for school.


    "Asher, go get cleaned up you are going to be late for school if you don''t do it now!" His mother was still unhappy with him and gave him some more harsh encouragement to get on the move.


    Having cleaned himself Asher grabbed his bag and double checked his homework. He found that his mother had set aside an egg sandwich for him to eat on the walk to school. "Thanks mom!" He grabbed it but stopped remembering what Cara said. He grabbed a package of peanuts to snack on too. "These are protein right?" With his breakfast in hand he left through the front door finding a familiar face...well mask waiting for him. "Good morning Jane!"

 Chapter 24 - 24. Gym Class

    "Good morning Asher." Jane said this a little quieter than the day before. She had been rolling around in bed all night embarrassed by what she had said when Asher walked her home.


    Asher bit in to his egg sandwich and closed the door behind him. Jane looked at him seeing that he had slight bags under his eyes. "Are you alright Asher? You look a little tired, did you sleep well?"The concern in her voice warmed his heart


    Swallowing his food he gave her the rundown of his start to a new morning routine. "It''s good advice your sister gave you to eat more protein then. Your muscles get micro tears when you work them. They get repaired and become stronger so they need protein to build those repairs." Jane remembered this well from biology class, It was one of the courses she was proud to say she aced.


    "That makes sense." Asher had already finished his egg sandwich and was about to finish the peanuts. When he realized he had not grabbed a Lunch today. " Ahh I left my lunch bag at home! But we are already at school." The front of the school had just come in to view and if he ran home now he would be late and get detention for sure.


    "I was planning to buy lunch today if you want to go with me.." Jane had a lunch in her bag but she figured Ashed did not need to know that.


    "Really? Sure, I wonder what they have today. Maybe they will have spicy chicken wraps!" for some reason he was craving something spicy. He was unsure if it was the workout making me sleepy and his body wanting something to push him awake for or what. But he craved a spicy chicken wrap.


    Jane pointed at the posted bulletin by the door. "Looks like you''re in luck, Today is chicken wrap day in the cafeteria. Just promise me you will get some fruit too. If you get cramps while we are in combat you could get hurt. Then we would let coach Winters down." Jane was still under the impression that coach Winters did not have the goal to work them to death but instead to uplift them.


    "Yes! That''s awesome!" Asher raised a hand in excitement.


    "You know it is! I knew you would be happy to see me!" Art had seen the way Asher acted as soon as he came in to view.


    "Oh, hey Art. I didn''t even see you there. Good Morning!" Asher greeted Art causing some confusion to show on his face.


    But you just..-"


    "Come on we only have five minutes to get up to our classroom." Jane interrupted them and grabbed their arms to spur them in to motion. "We are not getting detention today!" she yelled as she pulled the two in to a run. Asher''s legs fought him on this but they moved nonetheless.


    Their normal lessons passed slowly. To the students the academics were nearly torture to them for hours. They needed to sit and take notes while running their minds ragged. The sound of the bell letting them know that they could go to gym class was a blessing.


    The large gym was much different in this world than Asher''s previous. It was made in a stadium style so that there was seating to observe the actions that went on in the huge open space in the middle. The floor and walls were made of some tougher materials to resist the super powers that the students were constantly practicing.


    Mr. Smith had exchanged his grey suit for some grey workout gear and stood in the middle of the massive gym waiting for the students. "Alrighty today we will be playing dodge ball. Powers are allowed but if you use anything too strong I will be issuing detention for a week. The teams will be random so no complaining. The losing team will run five laps around the gym before we end class." With that, he started to tell which students to go where.


    "Asher, we''re on the same team! We will definitely win!" Jane bounced with excitement having a feeling that with Asher on their team they could not ever lose.


    "I''m going to take you down! You will be out before you know it." Art was jumping around throwing punches in the air.


    "You know it''s dodge ball right? You need to throw the ball not punch things!" Asher yelled back at him. However, he gave away his taunt with a small smile appearing next.


    The two started up their rivalry while Jane watched, Mr. Smith set out the dodgeballs on the center line. "Everyone to the base line! On three you will start!" Mr.Smith glanced at the two teams of five


    They all crouched on their respective lines. The girl who had sneezed with her wind super power looked to be the biggest competition on the other team. She knew that if she had figured out how to control that ability then she could just get everyone out easily with the very air in the gym


    "1..2...3!" Mr. Smith shouted, causing every student to rush forward. Asher held back knowing that his sore legs didn''t allow him the best speed. Jane however was far ahead of their other three teammates. She grabbed two dodge balls and tossed one back to Asher while backpedaling to the line.


    "That was fast! Do you train on your own too?" Asher felt he had just watched a trained sprinter get off the start g line.


    "I do just a little. I was on the track team in middle school but decided not to pursue it until I got my power.." Jane was distracted by Asher''s amazement.


    The rubbery echoes of a dodge ball making contact broke through her daze and she realized she had just been hit in the shoulder. "Ha! That is what I meant when I would bring you down." Art had tagged Jane out first for the fear of her ability. All she had needed to do was lift her mask and the entire opponent team could have been stuck in their tracks as easy targets.


    Jane dropped the ball in their hands and walked away coldly. ''I''ll get you yet Art'' She made herself this promise in silent anger.


    Asher saw that the others on his team had been knocked out almost instantly too and all that was left on the opponent team was the girl with the wind controlling super power and Art. "Where did everyone go! I was only distracted for a second!"


    "You can''t underestimate us. We are the power house pair of our team!" Art was talking it up while the other girl just stood there trying to get a ball just past the center line.


    Asher saw this as an opportunity to throw his ball and tag her. He wound up and let the red dodge ball fly through the air. The girl saw it coming and waved her arms trying to make the air stop it. Instead, all she managed was to cause her hair to stand straight up. The ball slowed and gently tapped her elbow before hitting the floor. She still stood frozen in place with her hair up straight while Art wandered over to pick up the ball.


    "Well my friend, it''s come to this. I did not wish for us to meet like this, in such a harsh way. But I will defeat you here." Art put on a grand performance as he wound up to throw the dodge ball at Asher.


    Asher was looking around frantically for another ball but found that they were all too far to grab. The ball left Art''s hand as fast as he wound up. Asher moved to dodge but felt his foot get caught. ''My shoelace!'' He knew it was his loose shoe lace in an instant but was unable to adjust himself.


    With a turn he tried to roll with his fall and found that his hands grasping out felt something solid. His roll came to an end with him on his back and a red dodge ball caught in his grasp. "Art is out! Asher''s team wins!"


    "Asher that was amazing, how did you catch the ball like that. You dove head on toward it and rolled and then boom you were there holding the ball. It was soo cool" Jane was rambling on about what had just happened. However Asher was laying on his back a little dazed after his accidental tumble.


    Art fell to his knees in defeat, victory had been taken from his hands. He needed to act his part and mourning his loss. "Stop your fooling around. It was a dodge ball game not the end of year tournament. Now get running. You all have five laps!" Mr. Smith got them in to motion.


    Asher heard this and jumped up, dropping the ball and coming back to reality. His body was still sore but he thought that if he sat there resting he would be falling behind others on his oath to being a hero. "Mr. Smith I will run too." Asher dashed off to the back of the line running right next to Art. "I won''t let one of my rivals get ahead of me." Art heard this and picked up his pace.

 Chapter 25 - 25. Wraps

    "Wait you two! I refuse to lose to either of you!" Jane joined them too. The other three students just sat there looking at them like they were crazy. The hooded student that had been ignoring them all just sat down and waited for the bell pretending that nothing was going on. The other two girls looked about and decided to join everyone else running. They figured they had nothing to lose so why not?


    Asher, Art, and Jane were on their way to becoming the strangest trio in the class. Their class one was already known as the oddballs due to their powers but now they had three outstanding members.


    Just a few minutes after they finished up their laps the bell rang sounding to them that it was lunch time. This brought Asher in to a whole new wave of energy as he changed. He could barely contain himself while waiting for Jane to finish up. "Art you took too long, as soon as Jane is out we are running to get spicy chicken wraps at the cafeteria!"


    "Ah what! It''s spicy chicken wrap day? I''m coming too, that spicy mayo is the best." Art had not known either what lunch was being sold and now with him on board they were of one mind.


    Jane came out changed and carrying her bag in her arms. "Let''s go before they are all gone." Asher dashed away towards the cafeteria. He would get one of the spicy chicken wraps or he would die trying!


    The three ran through the halls dodging passed other students who looked at them in curiosity. The cafeteria doors lay open before them with only a short line at the counter. Asher was the first one in to line and could see the stacks or rolled up wraps shining like a pile of gold.


    Asher, are you drooling?" Art swore he saw a dribble of drool falling from Asher''s mouth.


    "Huh? What? nooo. " Asher wiped his face pretending nothing happened.


    "I''m so hungry I could buy that while stack." Jane reached them looking at the prizes to be bought laid out before them.


    In turn they each placed their order grabbing their wraps. The cafeteria woman stopped them before they walked away to eat at a table. "Now don''t forget about the raffle. The one who finds the wrap with the big H branded on it will get a personalized gear free of charge from hero corp labs. Good luck!" The three hadn''t heard of this raffle but when the cafeteria woman pointed at a big poster on the wall it was dated all the way from the week before.


    "Personalized gear for the tournaments? That would be so awesome. We could request for battle gear. Or the science tournaments could request for a lab kit. Or the business tournament can request advertising equipment. It would be the best head start to anyone in any tournament. I would have the best combat suit to carry my lead with me." Art was already designing his price in his head.


    "Wouldn''t the lead be too heavy? You would be a sitting duck." Jane became the voice of reason to Art''s folly.


    "That''s fine I will just join the weight lifting club and aim to improve my body. The stronger I get the better I will be able to use my power anyways right? The more metal the better." Art was unperturbed by the logic so Jane just shook her head and looked for quiet corners where she could turn her head and eat without stopping others from enjoying their own meals.


    "I think it would be pretty cool to have our own personal gear too. I think my sister already has one that can help her use her power better." Asher was trying to drag up memories of his sister wearing a specialized suit but it was too blurry in his mind to properly remember.


    "Most who want to go in to law enforcement end up hiding the capabilities of their uniforms or gears. The business tournament does this more than us though. They like to hide every single detail so that they can get an edge over competition. They even make mascots for the corporations they mock up. It is the best one to visit since they try to sell their ideas for companies." Jane had been once with her parents since it was an event open to the public. It was more or less a career fair that showcased the students instead of the jobs.


    "Guys! The flyer says there will be five winners!." Art had just read one of the other posted flyers on the wall. The fine print at the very bottom said that there would be a total of five sold at the lunch. "It also says that they offer this promotion to ten other high schools! That''s so cool. Fifty people will get their own personalized items or gear or whatever. It''s like handing out a better grade for free." Art was over the moon seeing this.


    "The hero corp really goes all out with their promotions don''t they?" Asher himself thought that it seemed like too much. If they asked for anything it could get very expensive the more that they did.


    "They are investing in the future. A lot of students will avoid joining any sort of justice system jobs because of the tougher requirements to get accepted in to the right university or starting job. This is basically their way to throw caution to the wind and give an unsuspecting student a better chance." Jane was slowly unwrapping the tin foil on the wrap.


    "Wait, we should do it together." Having sat down while still chatting and seeing that Jane was about to be the first to see if she won something Art stopped her.


    The three of them placed their wraps in front of them and looked around. Their excitement plain on their faces. "Good luck everyone, no hard feelings if one of us wins and the others lose alright?" Asher wanted to make sure that they wouldn''t get angry if the other won.


    "How could something like this make us angry?" Art wasn''t even worrying about it and Jane had no intention to even support the idea that it could happen. "Lucky fist bump first!" Art held out a fist.


    "Weird but OK." Jane held hers ot tapping Art''s fist while waiting for Asher.


    Asher laughed a little thinking it was indeed weird. "Lucky fist bumps!" Asher tapped his fist on there and the three instantly tore open the tin foil revealing the tops of their spicy chicken wraps.


    "Bust!" Art saw that his was not a winner and looked at the other. They were all free of any H brand which would show that they were winners. "Should I go buy us more?" Art asked slowly. He wondered if they would want to try again.


    "There''s no way I could eat two of these, The flyer says one per person anyways so you would just get in trouble anyways." Jane casually picked up her spicy chicken wrap to take a bite.


    "Jane!" Asher stood from his seat holding his own spicy chicken wrap in his hands pointing at the wrap Jane was about to bite in to.


    Thinking there was something wrong with it she dropped it on the table. "Asher!" The reaction came from Art this time pointing at Asher''s hand holding his spicy chicken wrap.


    Jane having jumped again Art''s shout joined the three of them pointing. They were all at a loss for words pointing at each other looking wide eyed. Jane thought for a moment that her mask had fallen off and they were all stuck but realized that none of them had the right words to finish a full sentence.


    Art finally managed to get put a proper question after mumbling a bit, "What do we do now?" The three of them had lined up their spicy chicken wraps revealing that there were branded H symbols on each of them.


    "They were sneaky! What If I bit in to it and ruined the symbol!" Asher was annoyed by this possibility since none of them even considered that the symbol had been hidden on the bottom.


    Jane had turned away and was reading the fine print with the instructions on the flyer. "Ah! Hurry hurry hurry! We need to show the cafeteria worker before the lunch bell rings!" She grabbed her wrap and sprinted towards the lunch counter.


    There was already a lunch worker that had noticed their commotions and was waiting for one of them to come up. She had already handed out the price voucher to one winner. ''Finally a nice girl wins.'' Her thoughts were then thrown in to confusion as she saw that the two boys with the running girl also held their wraps. ''Oh no, they all are going to fight over who gets the voucher.'' She already held her head in her hands with worry over how she would remedy this.

 Chapter 26 - 26. Vouchers

    "Miss, we are here to redeem the promotion prize!" Jane announced their goals holding up her spicy chicken wrap. Art and Asher followed her and did the same.


    The cafeteria worker''s jaw dropped, "Three! But you all just bought them at the same time!" She was stunned. ''How lucky can they be that all three got them at the same time. I will be having a word with the other workers who placed the pre-made wraps on the warming table. "Ehm, Congratulations on being this year''s winners. You three are the second, third and fourth to claim the prize. I will give you all a voucher for your prize to be used at any hero corp design center." She gathered herself and pulled out three blue and purple vouchers. They were water proof and had a space for a signature. "These are transferable if you do not wish to hold on to them but I would recommend you three sign them now."


    Art and Jane grabbed pans from the cafeteria worker and signed their name on the spot. However Asher hesitated and put it in his pocket. "Asher what''s up? Are you going to give it away?" Art saw this as he slipped his own in to his pocket.


    "Well I have no idea what I would use it to get yet. I need to learn more about my powers for what I might need in the next three years of high school." He was thinking for his junior year next year and his senior year. Eventually he would be in the same situation as his sister trying to show off to the universities to get scouted in to a program. He was taking the smart path and saving it for when he would better use it. If he had any use at all.


    "Well I know exactly what I will use it for so don''t go copying my design for my combat suit. I will be winning the combat tournament for our grade this year and next year, and our senior year so you don''t need to worry about that. I will let you have second place though." Art was riding the high of victory.


    "Don''t act all high and mighty. It was that weird lucky fist bump you had us do. If Asher hadn''t joined then I doubt we would have won. He''s the lucky charm of the class." Jane had the feeling that if Asher wasn''t around then they wouldn''t have won anything at all.


    Asher looked down a little embarrassed, "Just because my power was lucky in its name doesn''t mean that I am actually lucky¡­"


    "You''re right, Asher is the best good luck charm there is!" Art laid a hand on his shoulder smiling like a fool. "Promise never to leave my side buddy!"


    "Eww no, get off me you weirdo." Asher tried to escape his grip and looked to Jane for assistance but she was too busy laughing. Or at least that was what it looked like since her shoulders were bouncing and she was clutching her side.


    The girl that had tried to manipulate the wind in their dodge ball battle earlier had fixed her hair in to it''s usual smooth style. She had been late to lunch due to her spending the time to fix her hair. ''Awe..I am definitely too late to win now.'' She had gotten to the front of the line just as the cafeteria worker was bombarded by the three familiar faces of her classmates.


    The scene that unfolded was both shocking and also disheartening as she saw them all show their winning symbols. "Wow you guys are so lucky. I just got here and there''s only like ten wraps left¡­" She had just barely been loud enough for Asher to hear.


    "Your hair looks much better that way then sticking all up." Asher''s strange greeting put her off just a little. "I haven''t properly introduced myself to you yet but I am Asher Ronan. Your power to control wind is really cool. I bet you can fly if you practice!" She was enamored with how excited he seemed to get at the prospect of her being able to fly.


    "Um, well I have tried but I can''t make the wind do what I want yet...Oh, I''m Sammy Young. I have wind control¡­" She started to repeat her power but realized that it was obvious since everyone in their class had already seen it when she had sneezed at their gym period.


    "We are going back over to the table in the corner there. You should come eat with us after you get your lunch!" Asher started to turn but stopped giving a look at the spicy chicken wraps left. "I have a good feeling about that one with the torn tin foil." He pointed out one that looked like it had been squished under the whole pile of wraps.


    "But it lo-.." Asher had already headed off to the table he had pointed to. Art and Jane had gotten ahead of him. ''Well I might as well right?'' Sammy grabbed the torn and squished looking wrap and placed it on her lunch tray. The cafeteria worker gave her a look that asked; Do you really want that one?


    Sammy fully committed to this one as she paid for her lunch and immediately let her curiosity take over. ''Come on please lady luck be with me today.'' She tore the rest of the wrapper revealing the wrinkly looking top which had no marks. She looked so disappointed.


    "Try turning it over." The cafeteria worker was equally curious if there would be a fifth winner since no one else had come up. ''I swear if one of the students ate it without checking the bottom I will quit this job forever'' She was afraid that the fifth voucher would go unused this year.


    Sammy took the cafeteria workers advice and rolled the chicken wrap on its side. "Ah!!" her loud shot caused the wind in the cafeteria to pick up blowing napkins in to a tornado. She was jumping in the middle of her own little rain of napkins and plastic silverware holding up a winning chicken wrap.


    ''Please rest well today.'' The cafeteria worker said a silent prayer for the custodian knowing that he would have a pretty large chore to clean all this mess up. She surveyed the area seeing that all the students affected by this wind were showing faces of jealousy and annoyance. "Now now, get a hold of yourself. Your wind is getting food everywhere." She jumped in to mediate making most look away from the jumping girl. She handed over the voucher and recited the same speech as before.


    Sammy signed the voucher instantly, she could not hold back her brimming smile as she rushed to the table where art, Asher, and Jane were digging in to their wraps. "I won too, you picked the right one for me! How did you know!?" She leaned over the table getting right in Asher''s face.


    "Hey! Asher is eating, get out of his face!" Jane reacted and pulled Sammy back who realized her blunder immediately. Her eyes were still staring at Asher refusing to move without getting her answer.


    Art responded while Asher tried to swallow his food to respond. "Asher is the good luck charm of our class. Of course he would pick the winner, it''s only natural for him." Bragging like this was a fatal flaw for Art but instead of making Sammy retract it only made her more excited.


    "You have to get a desk next to me when we switch! If you help me on the multiple choice answers I am sure to pass our next geometry test!" Sammy could only think of how much easier it would be if she followed Asher''s flow when it came to testing.


    "What? I am terrible at geometry." Asher found his voice after he finished his mouthful of food. "I just pointed at a random one. You are the one who chose it at the end of the day so you are the lucky one." This did not seem to release any of the pressure behind Sammy''s gaze. Trying to get her distracted he decided to properly introduce the others, "This is Jane and Art, they are my best friends. I am going to beat them to becoming a professional hero after graduation." He threw in a little spice to get Art in to the conversation. It worked like a charm.


    "Oh no you don''t! If you listen to him you''ll end up betting on the wrong guy." Art didn''t even wait to finish his bite and was already talking.


    Jane looked at their newly introduced lunch mate, So with your power you can pursue a lot of careers right?"


    "Yes, elemental powers always have a variety to choose from. But I was actually thinking of law enforcement too. The skies are full of trouble now that there are so many people that can fly. My father flies planes and always complains about how many people can get in the way." Sammy spilled her desires to protect the skies.

 Chapter 27 - 27. Combat Class Day Two

    The bell rang dragging the four back to their classes. They were dreading the remaining academic classes. However the combat class time approached faster than anyone could have expected.


    "Today I will stay the entire class period even if I get beaten to pulp!" Art was determined to be more careful and learn as much as he could possibly learn in this one class hour.


    "Just don''t go trying any of the kung-failer like last time." Asher laughed at his own joke bust was only greeted by Art hitting his shoulder.


    The two changed as fast as they could so that they wouldn''t anger their tormenting coach. She was already awaiting everyone in the gym unlike last class where she had made a dramatic entrance by slamming the door open.


    Jane met them in the gym and joined the line of students waiting to hear what was planned for the day.


    "Listen up. Today we are going over the basics of footwork." Coach Winters looked about unhappy that she had yet to scare off any students. She had a personal goal top get one or two to drop every semester. " If your opponent throws you off your rhythm you are done. Controlling the flow of a battle is dependent on how you move. Watch."


    Coach Winters got on to the balls of her feet and started a soft bounce from side to side. However as she increased her pace she was tapping her feet down three, then four, then five times between each side to side bounce. She had masterful control over her body and how it moved. "Now that control will allow me to push off and change my moves appropriately. To a martial artist with a physical enhancement like mine I need to train very carefully. For any of you who lack physical enhancement, you will need to train much more often to gain the same benefits I have."


    Coach Winters had been training for years, her muscles and ligaments had all been strengthened by her evo shot. This made it necessary for her to be careful in how she trained or else her other body parts could suffer from stress. This lesson she always made sure to pass down to students who she thought may push themselves too far.


    "We have squats on the mats to start. You will all follow me through copying my steps. These are exercises to train your footing and how fast you react." She stepped to the front of the line and started her side steps. It looked like a professional moving through a choreographed step. Not a single student was confident that they would keep up.


    Art attempted a slightly faster pace in front of Asher who was followed by Jane. The three were sidestepping slowly but without error. The other students were tripping up or moving very very slow. The three of them ended up in tandem which was fairly impressive for first timers.


    "Pick up your pace! If you are too slow you have already lost the battle. Your opponent would never wait for you to get used to something before attacking." Coach Winters was watching the three in tandem wondering if they were planning this or if the three had just been working with each other for so long that it came naturally.


    Art slipped slightly causing him to stop for a moment. Asher''s face pushed in to the back of his shoulder. "Ugh, man gotta keep moving." Art shook his head apologetically but Jane had already bumped in to Asher.


    The pressure of two soft mounds behind him caused Asher to instantly turn red and want to jump away. But with Art in front of him there was nowhere to go until Jane backed off on her own. "Ah, Asher why did you stop, we are only half way across the gym." She didn''t see any problem with the situation and used him to straighten herself looking curiously at him and Art.


    "Don''t tell me you are too sore from your work out this morning to keep it up, you need to make sure you are stretching well." Jane thought that he had been the one to stop instead of Art. However before Asher could respond in any way Art already heard that Asher had been working out early.


    "What do you mean started working out in the morning? You have done more training?" His voice was a bit off set. ''I need to push harder or else I will be last.'' Art made a resolution to start his own morning training to combat Asher.


    "Well, since you three have so much time to relax and chat here why don''t you all give me three laps then start over." Coach Winters had zeroed in on their pause and decided to bring the hammer down.


    The rest of the combat class went much like this. Jane and Art wondered why Asher was so silent the whole time but neither of them could figure it out no matter how much they asked or pried.


    "Now the last ten minutes you will demonstrate the foot work you have been practicing. The goal will be to get past your opponent in a battle of speed. Your goal is to block your opponent from getting past you but also getting past them. The winner will be the one to tag their opponents back." Coach Winters had adequately tired each of the students out by giving them laps as penalties when she saw mistakes. ''This is where I break them'' Her devilish thoughts brought a wicked grin to her face.


    "Look how happy Coach Winters is at how hard we are training. Let''s give this sour all." Jane partnered up with Asher and was ready to push herself to the limit.


    ''She is definitely trying to crush us.'' Asher already was dripping with sweat but now knew that Jane was again not understanding the true intentions of this evil coach. "Hisss, well let''s go. Ten minutes and i will beat you." Asher decided there was no way to change her mind and decided to put himself in to a focused mode. He needed to win.


    Jane lunged at him and made a graceful twist trying to get around him without actually touching him. He did not expect her speed even though she had seen a demonstration in their gym class earlier. Her long slender legs were very strong and added to her speed by changing the momentum to the side.


    Asher used his newly learned sidestep to try to get in front of her but Jane had already gotten to his side and reached out for his back. He had already been tapped once in just a few seconds. He wildly underestimated Jane and her speed. "Asher come on, get serious. You aren''t allowed to go easy on me no matter what." ''He must be afraid he''ll make me feel bad.'' Jane had this thought and her heart started to grow faster. Asher was so kind.


    ''I can''t keep up with her so I need to try and predict her movements'' Asher himself was thinking no such thing. Instead his mind raced while he watched Jane move in a slow circle looking for an angle to move in to. She angled her toe to his left so Asher sidestepped before she bursted with speed. He ended up directly in her line of sprint.


    "Ahgggg." Asher was tackled by Jane who could not slow her momentum. She had not expected him to throw his whole body in to line to block her. The two fell unceremoniously on to the floor. With nothing to grasp on to Jane reached her arms around the only other thing around; Asher.


    Asher felt the impact of the mat behind his head but also realized he could not breath. He struggled to move only to find that his head was being forced forward towards the soft mounds in front of him. ''What is on top of me?'' He thought this only momentarily as realization came to him. ''Jane!''


    He was still struggling to breathe but Jane also realized the situation she was in and rolled off him releasing Asher from her grasp. "That was a good catch." She had thought he was trying to block her then caught her as they fell. Asher on the other hand knew that he had no such intention and was burning up in to a red faced mess. Asher?" Jane witnessed his growing red face thinking about the position they had just been in. She was happy to have her mask hiding her face at the moment. If Asher had seen it he would know that she was terribly embarrassed.


    "You two think that you can slack here because it''s the last ten minutes!? Get your butts up and start running laps until the bell or I will make you both stay for another hour!'' Coach Winters was not having any slackers in her combat class.

 Chapter 28 - 28. Meanings

    The bell rang out releasing Asher and Jane for the countless laps they never thought would end. "Finally, I thought we would be running all day!" Jane wanted to fall flat and sleep right there.


    "Were the laps too much for you? Do you need more to show you just how great they are?" Coach Winters did not want to let up but knew that they had to go off to their next class. "If you two are still here in two minutes you will get to run laps for another hour." Her threat went over well enough to get the two running to the locker rooms. "I still have it." Coach Winters smiled as she started to clean up for the next combat class with the seniors.


    Having changed and met outside Art and Jane had been waiting for Asher who ended up lagging behind. "Coach Winters is so inspiring. She would have helped us train all day if we didn''t need to go to another class. I hope that I can have the same amount of drive when I am older." Jane was fantasizing about her own exploits in her future career as a hero.


    "If you have the same kind of drive as her you might just end up being the most brutal hero in all the world." Art was pretty pessimistic after being stopped multiple times with his poor footwork. He had a huge tendency to cross his face and fall flay on his face. He had become an easy target for coach Winters.


    " I am just glad we can rest in out next class. Plus we can see what else we have to think on." Asher was the first to enter their next classroom finding that there was a pamphlet of questions on each other''s seats. Mr. Richards was sitting in a chair by the podium watching the students enter. As soon as they were all seated and the bell had rung he was standing.


    "Hello, welcome back. We have a slower class today. I want you all to talk for the whole class. Your goal is to find twenty different answers to the same question on that pamphlet in front of you. After you will write a short journal entry on their differences and why they appear in different people."


    ''Is this just lazy teaching?'' had a feeling that Mr. Richards was basically just leaving them to talk and hang out but when he saw the pamphlet full of the same question twenty times in a row he felt even more that it was a waste of paper too.


    "The question you will all be answering is simple. Why do we look to the future with hope?" The entire class looked at him like he had just asked the most simple question however as soon as their voices started to ring out there were many more answers than Asher had expected. This was going to heat up a bit.


    "Easy, we look to it with hope because we know that awesome heroes are going to be born to protect us." Art sat straighter showing off his height and feeling of strength.


    "People normally look forward to the future for the possibilities it has. Even the impossible can become possible in the future." Jane''s explanation was much more logical and by the book. She knew that many people had hope for what new and promising events the future held. Humans always strived to evolve and make new things that no one had ever thought of before.


    "You are both right. The future is hopeful in different ways to everyone. I used to hope that the next day would be my lucky day. Now I hope for a future where I can stand next to my friends as a true hero. I think humans look to the future for hope because it is not set in stone, it has the ability to change. The past can''t , right?" Asher''s answer seemed to trump theirs in insight but neither were willing to budge on their own feelings.


    With their answers found they started to find more students to ask around the room. However Asher had a thought. ''I wonder what Mr.Richards thinks.'' He had noticed that not a single student had approached their teacher to ask him their thoughts and knew that someone should. It was an insight that nobody else would have in the classroom.


    "Mr.Richards, can i get you input on this question?" Asher stood, wishing his pen at the ready.


    "Oh? I am surprised you came to ask me. I have been waiting for someone to come. The future huh?'' He sat pensive for a moment stroking his beard. "People look to the future not for what they are but for what they wish to become. The future holds the power to be both light and dark. Humans look with hope at the future because they see an infinite possibility in the future."


    Asher found that the answer was even more refined than his own but also very similar.This was more encouraging to him. Mr, Richards was shuffling some papers when his hand slipped and ten or so fell from desk to the ground. "Oh darn, again. I dropped so many of these things today that I swear they are jumping out of my hands on purpose." Asher bent down to pick them up and noticed that these were pamphlets that had already been collected. Mr. Richards had been looking at last year''s answers to start making his inferences.


    ''I am just going to slowly pick these up.'' Asher acted like each paper he picked up was a delicate flower and placed them on the desk. He was reading them as he went but pretending that he did not want to damage any one else''s assignments. "Sorry for distracting you. I hope i didn''t bend anyone''s homework." The comment made it seem like he cared about the other student''s work so much so that he was willing to sacrifice some of his time and carefully collect them.


    "Oh, no. You didn''t need to pick them up at all. They are old. I was just referencing them from last year. Thank you for your help." Mr. Richards hadn''t even noticed the strategy Asher had used.


    "How did you finish so fast!" Art saw him return to his seat after just a few minutes. He himself was only halfway through and could not figure out how fast Asher was to get all the answers.


    Jane was finished after another five minutes further confusing Art who was still many away from being completed. The two of them were now comparing answers and writing their journal entry early.


    "I just finished and you two are already halfway done with your entry. You two must be hidden genius." Art couldn''t keep up anymore and started to write frantically just as the bell rang. "Nooo, I was just starting to write my journal entry." He nearly shed a tear thinking about the home work he would need to do tonight.


    "Good luck in sewing and chemistry! I''m off to astrology and fortune telling!" Asher was actually finishing himself most excited for this class. Having thought about Jane''s words he was much more confident sharing his opinions on what his aura reading meant.


    Upon opening the door he was again hit by a wall of incense smoke. He burst in to a fit of coughing as a familiar voice came up behind him. "I swear if you keep this up we will all lose our ability to breath. Madam open a window!" Lin rushed in to the room past Asher. She had mastered maneuvering the room blind and opened four windows.


    She flapped her owl like wings a few times to start the room clearing out. The sunlight started to show through and brought the sight of madam Weaver in to full view.


    She was resting her hands on the crystal ball humming a strange tune while seemingly meditating. She had paid Lin''s words no mind. The bell rang again signalling the start of the last class period of the day. "Oh, I knew you would both be here when I opened my eyes." Madam Weaver had a small smile on her face.


    "No matter how many days you make that joke it is still bad." Lin just sighed and shook her head at this terrible joke. She had heard it hundreds of times at this point and just couldn''t handle it any longer.


    "Welcome back Asher, I am glad you decided to stick with the class for a little longer. We have plenty more to talk about. I am sure Line spent all night trying to decipher some code in your aura reading." As much as Madam Weaver seemed to question Lin;s logical approach she was interested to see what inferences she had. The two had long debated things alone and having a third fresh mind was just what they needed.


    "Oh yes, I spent some time deliberating and came up with three solid theories. However I have no idea if luck is actually a factor when it comes to anything. It''s the same mystery as auras. Shall I start?" She pulled a three page typed essay in her theories and looked at Asher.

 Chapter 29 - 29. More Logic

    Lin had a starry look in her eyes wanting to share her well thought out theories. "Well Let''s see what you have come up with today." Madam Weaver seemed interested. It was a daily event for them.


    Lin pulled out three separate reports all of which had multiple pages of reference. "I started on these just writing down ideas but decided to do some historical research on luck in cultures. The first theory I have is just your basic scientific explanation." Madam Weaver visible shook her head.


    "With everything there is a mathematical formula that can explain it. There is always a percentage chance of something happening. Even with super powers if scientists dedicated enough time they can prove it scientifically. The best possibility is that your power is subconsciously calculating these possibilities and it is more easily explained in the terminology as luck and jinx." Lin presented pages and pages of numbers and math probability formulas.


    "That seems like a lot of work for one brain to be doing¡­" Asher was starting to feel his brain melt already.


    "Yes dear, it is a lot of work for an average human''s brain to do. If you had such an ability your brain would be different and most likely you would have a power related to brain calculation speed or size. Lin actually has an enhanced brain by taking on traits of an owl." Madam Weaver chimed in pointing out the differences between the power to make complex calculations with the average human brain.


    "Unfortunately that s the chink in the armor so to speak. He had no visible traits that would support him being ankle to calculate these things. It is also strange that his power would be named lucky jinx if it was related to mathematical probability. But it is still the most logical." Lin nodded pleased with herself.


    ''I hope that''s not what my power is. I would be the world''s biggest math nerd doing math with my subconscious.'' Asher was in his own little world worrying over being a math nerd when Lin opened her second theory.


    "The second theory I wrote up involves your family history. I looked up the name Asher and in Irish culture it has been known as a lucky name, that may have influenced the naming of your power but it is a similar ability to probability manipulation. You can manipulate the probability of things around you. It is a subconscious precognitive ability that is created through observation." Lin seemed very proud of this one since she had found multiple cases of super powers having different names when researched but the same effects.


    "So you think I can guess the future and manipulate it?" Asher was trying hard to understand why this was all happening in his subconscious.


    "No, I think you can observe patterns and use that to your advantage." Lin simplified it even though she looked a bit annoyed.


    "Lin if that was the case then even his name being of Irish descent a culture that has plenty of mythology related to luck, then why would it be a predictive ability? The two do not seem to add up."


    Lin looked at madam Weaver like she had just taken the air out of her . However there was a pint in Madam Weavers words, the theory seemed too loosely connected. "Well that leads us to the final theory." Lin opened the last of her theory reports and pulled out multiple articles.


    "These are all instances that those who examined a student after they gained their super power had been found out to be wrong. This happens multiple ways, Sometimes the doctor is distracted or rushed reading to an improper examination. There is the possibility that someone else''s powers interfered however unlikely that us. There is also the possibility that the doctor lied for some reason. There are even outliers that are just unique reasons their power was diagnosed wrongly or completely different from what it actually was."


    The articles that Lin passed around were largely written as medical journals written for you doctors to avoid the same mistakes. ''So she thinks the doctor lied to me?'' Asher wanted to refute this after thinking on it for a bit but realized he would have no proof.


    "Lin, it is very possible that human error was at play but I do not believe that is the case." Madam Weaver stepped in again fending off Lin''s theory. Lin was going to argue this but instead her eyes moved to Asher.


    "What are your theories?" Her eyes were not on him but the typed up papers he had written. They were small in number and she doubted any real facts were in them.


    Asher straightened his papers and straightened his back. "With the help of my friends we talked over what the aura reading might mean." Asher hesitated wanting to get this over with. "One of my friends thinks that i can eat a person''s luck and make it my own, but I think that is wrong. I don''t feel like I can do something that direct at all."


    Madam Weaver shook her head at this, "That is a more outlandish theory your friend has."


    ''If only she knew he thought I couldn''t use public transport because I wouldn''t be walking.'' Asher tossed this thought from his mind and instead cleared his throat. " After talking more with my friend I ended up with a better explanation. "My power is not one but two. I am Lucky and lucky is drawn to me. But this comes at the cost of those around me losing some luck." Madam weaver was nodding along ever so slightly, Lin did not miss this.


    "But what is luck? It isn''t real, it''s scie-" Madam Weave gave Lin a hard stare causing Lin to tense up and fear for her grade point average.


    Asher saw this look and decided it was safe to continue, "My theory on the jinx part of my power is that when someone thinks of me or I think of someone as my enemy then their luck becomes less in spoke way. Most likely if I am around the, their luck would probably transfer to me and they would be left with no luck at all. So maybe bad luck?"


    Madam Weaver was looking at him debating what he was saying in her head. "Well, I believe that would be close to what I thought. You have a pretty unique power and you should foster it well." This was not necessarily a confirmation but with her words he felt that his grade was safe.


    " Ok Ok Ok, Let''s pretend it is luck. So you will pretty much be lucky yourself but others around you will lose luck?" Lin confirmed this theory then proceeded. "Then believing that you actually have two separate powers, this jinx power would make your enemies seriously unlucky to the point where they would most likely be unable to harm you or something?'' Madam Weaver did not contradict this at all. Letting out a deep sigh Lin dropped her hands and shoulders. "This is auras all over again."


    "Oh child don''t you worry. It is hard to grasp when you have relied on cold facts your entire life. Your mind makes you see logic and helps you understand most things. Your gifts just have a harder time grasping the spiritual side of the world." With some more encouragement madam Weaver seemed to make Lin feel a bit better.


    "Well It is about that time. Keep meditating on your power and what it may cause. Lin, you are still learning, take it slow." Before either could reply to why Madam Weaver was saying her goodbyes the bell rang out. Neither had realized so much time had passed them by.


    Lin had her theories and notes packed away in a second and before Asher could even say a word of goodbye to madam Weaver she had already disappeared from sight. ''How does she do that?'' Slowly gathering his own bag and papers Asher headed out confused about how he had missed his teacher move yet again.


    Stopping dead in his tracks Asher stood staring while he was in the middle of the hallway. "What did you do in your chemistry class?"


    Walking down the hallways a slightly blackened Art had appeared. His clothing was singed and his hair was ruffled. There were black smudge marks all over his hands and face. "Well first we learned to use the Bunsen burners and then we tested a few chemical reactions and then...well¡­.puffff." Art dramatically threw his hands up in to the air.


    Asher put his face in his hands, "only you Art...only you."


    "Hey what does that mean." Art made a tough face and sounded offended.


    "Asher, look what I made!" Jane was running through the halls dodging around the other students who were on their way out of the school for the day. "Art? What did you do?"


    Letting out an exasperated sigh, "Puffff" Art only had this response before heading off to grab his bag from his locker.

 Chapter 30 - 30. Family Tradition

    "Puff?" Jane just repeated Art''s words as he walked away towards his locker near the school entrance. She turned towards Asher curiously hoping for an explanation.


    "He learned about chemical reactions today in chemistry." The realization came over her as she glanced at his back taking note of the singe marks on him.


    "Should we go talk to his teacher and ask them to keep him farther away from anything dangerous?" Jane''s idea was well founded, it seemed like Art was the unlucky kind of guy that would find himself in these sticky situations.


    ''I really hope I am not the cause of his bad luck'' Asher thought this with a short prayer knowing full well that it is a pretty good chance that he was having some effect. "Let''s get out stuff too, we can Walker Art home to cheer him up a bit. I don''t mind taking the long way as part of some training."


    "Great idea! Two birds with one stone. Our legs will be stronger from the longer walk and Art might not look so gloomy." Jane couldn''t help thinking, ''Asher is so sweet!'' She was lucky that Asher could not see her face turning red as she thought about how sweet he was and how much she liked this about him.


    The two followed behind Art grabbing the rest of their stuff. "So Art which way to your house?"


    Art looked surprised and nearly bumped in to the girl in front of them. "My house? Why my house?" He had no clue why Asher would be asking this of him.


    "Hmm student who looks like they just survived an explosion walking down the street alone...yea I would say that would not look strange at all. People definitely won''t call for law enforcement." Asher gave Art a wide smile.


    "And we are going this way." Art didn''t even try to argue back after hearing Asher''s logic. Instead he turned and started walking down the main street. Art was being fidgety making Jane and Asher look back and forth at each other. Usually Art would be more energetic.


    "You know we won''t go inside. We just figured you would want company on the way home. You walked with us the other day." Jane tried to get Art to open up.


    "Oh umm no I am not worried at all. It''s fine." Art rushed his sentence and returned back to being silent. The trio walked in silence until a large mansion started to come in to view.


    "Yo don''t tell us you have been holding out on us and you live there!?" Asher was shocked to see the massive white mansion with extremely well kept flower beds surrounding it. The amount of windows and fine furnishing on the outside of the house were almost uncountable.


    "Well I¡­"


    "This is such a beautiful home! Art you are super lucky to live here." Jane interrupted his as she came out of her shock at first seeing this.


    "Awe come on Art no need to be bashful, just show off for once. We won''t stop you." Asher tried to get a smile on Art''s face but instead his brown crinkled more.


    "I''m not allowed in the house right now¡­"


    What?!" Asher and Jane responded at the same time, nearly making Art have a heart attack.


    "Well my brother doesn''t approve of my power so he kicked me out. Our family has its own traditions. I''ve been sleeping there since we got our shots¡­" Art pointed at a small green gardening shed.


    ''He''s been lying to us the whole time so we wouldn''t think bad of him not staying in his house?'' Asher immediately felt terrible while thinking of this.


    "I''ll beat your brother to a pulp. All I need is a look at his way and I can wail on him until he has some sense in his empty head." Jane had taken the rage trout and was ready to burst through the gate and right this wrong.


    "No! This is his decision as the head of our family!...There''s nothing to change it until I can [rove that my power is better than his ability to control solid metal. My mom can only control magnetic metals and my father only controls gold. That''s how we got this mansion. But We can''t just go in and fight him. If I can''t do it on my own I will have proven nothing." Art was dead set on this.


    "Fine" Jane huffed angrily, not wanting to overstep her boundaries. ''I will still beat up this stupid brother of his when I see him.'' Her thoughts were different but she would respect Art''s wishes.


    "Well you do you man, we won''t interfere. Now go grab some clothes and anything else you need for school." Asher had kept his calm face and thought things through.


    "Why do I need my things? We don''t have class until tomorrow." Art was slow as usual and didn''t catch on to Asher''s intentions.


    "How else will you live at my place in our spare room?" Asher looked at Art like he had just asked the world''s dumbest question.


    Art looked slightly blurry eyed. ''I can finally get out of that stupid cold garden shed.'' This thought sent him running to the garden shed without hesitation. Second later he was rushing out with a bag full of a week''s worth of clothing and the textbooks he needed for school.


    The trio walked in silence again but now a wide smile was on Art''s face. Asher was taking the time to think about what he would do if he ever met with Art''s older brother. After they were walking for about five minutes Asher suddenly asked a question. "Would you say that your older brother is your enemy right now?"


    Haring this Art''s face contorted in to many emotions while he decided how to reply. "This is just the way my family has always been. If I were to hate him for doing what has always been done I would be wrong. But right now I do hate him a little. But I will show him he was wrong about my strength." Art seemed very dedicated to this.


    "Then I won''t consider him our enemy either. But if you ever feel he is one, tell me. Because that day I will also think of him as an enemy." Asher wasn''t sure of his jinx power would really work this way but to help a friend he would do whatever it took.


    Art felt how sincere Asher was and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Thanks bro. I never thought I would meet my two best friends the second I transferred in to a new class. I might just be luckier than you." He laughed a sad laugh but the smile was genuine.


    ''He has suffered through this without anyone to back him up. We will be the best friends you need Art!'' Jane screamed this thought in her head. She would refuse for one of her friends to be hurt, no one of her best friends to be hurt. "I still want to beat your brother up¡­" This ominous threat made both Asher and Art look at the sweet Jane they had come to know in the past days like she had turned in to a monster.


    "I think coach Winters has possessed Jane!" Asher jumped away dramatically to make his words seem real.


    "I thought her power was a body enhancement one." Art missed the obvious joke but looked at Asher who was now on a collision course with a vending machine. "Watch out!" Art did his best to send a warning.


    Asher turned just a little too slowly and before he knew it his face met the vending machine with a perfect thud. "Bahhhh" Asher stepped back holding his now reddening nose.


    "Asher! Is your nose ok?" Jane rushed to him fussing over his unfortunate meeting with a metal vending machine.


    "Bro, did a vending machine just steal your first kiss?" Art looked at Asher with seriousness in his eyes.


    Asher looked back at him, "Dude, no. But it did just try to break my nose¡­" There were metallic clicking sounds before any of them could speak again.


    "Ummm" Jane was worried that the vending machine was broken now. But to her surprise the robotic voice of the vending machine rang out instead.


    "Thank you for your patronage. Please visit me again!" The sweet robotic voice drew all of their attention to the drop box at the bottom. Three chocolate bars had been dispensed.


    "Asher the lucky charm strikes again!" Art grabbed the chocolate bars and tossed them to Jane and Asher. "You can even make a vending machine apologize when you bump in to it. '''' Art laughed a little saying this.


    Jane and Asher weren''t really sure that they should take the candy bars but after thinking for a moment they realized that someone else walking by would just take them instead so it was better them than a stranger right?

 Chapter 31 - 31. Camp?

    The three had continued on their way to Asher''s house. Jane left them at the front gate looking back to wave to them three times before she was out of sight. She was obviously worried about Art and did not want to leave the two of them alone. But she needed to get home before her own family worried about her too much.


    "Mom!? I am home!" Asher yelled and instantly heard the noises in the kitchen. The smell of baked mac and Cheese was filling the air.


    "Kitchen!" Her voice carried through the house easily. Asher knew that even if he whispered that his mother would hear him but he shrill yelled regardless.


    Asher dragged Art to the kitchen. "Mom can I ask you something that is very important." He put on his most serious face and treated this like a professional business deal. He needed to make sure Art had a place to sleep. A good place to sleep. He needed to be a good friend and assure this would happen.


    "What''s wrong? You look very serious, this isn''t like you." His mother stopped working on their dinner and gave her full attention to Asher''s strange attitude while also glancing at Art who had his head down in shame.


    ''I need to put this delicately so Art doesn''t feel even worse.'' He tried to sugar coat his words as much as possible before he spoke. "Art needs a place to stay for a while. There are certain family traditions he needs to follow and I respect that. But I can''t have him without a warm bed to sleep the night. Can he stay here until he beats his brother in to submission?" Art looked at Asher like he had just said something crazy.


    ''That was not as delicate as I had hoped it would be'' Asher mentally kicked himself.


    "Of course. But next time you ask, try to be a little more...eloquent. We never use that spare room so just go up and give it a good dusting before he goes up there." Asher and Art were equally surprised by this.


    "Of course, I will go clean now!" Asher ran up the stairs.


    "Wait, I won''t put you out! I will help!" Art tried to catch Asher to make sure that he didn''t do it all himself.


    Little did the two know but Asher''s mom had been listening in on the conversation while they had walked home. She always tried to check to make sure Asher and Cara were making their way home safely when they left school. It was a parents duty to make sure they were safe after all. Asher''s mother just had super hearing to help her out.


    The sounds upstairs of a bed being moved and a closet being opened made her smile a bit more. She knew that the two were doing their best to clean the entire room so it would be in pristine condition. '' My son finally has some great friends.'' However just as she thought this a loud bang and the sound of multiple dresser drawers crashing on the ground made her flinch. "We are fine. Nothing happened." Asher''s nervous yell put her even more on edge. "Breath through it, breath through it'' Thus her cooking became just a bit more stressful.


    Cara returned home with no trouble and saw that there were another pair of shoes on the mat again. ''This stupid brother is going to bring his friends home every day now.'' She thought this but was secretly happy for him.


    Soon after she returned their father also came in the door and did his best to go surprise his wife like usual. The surprised yell of Asher''s mother was the sign that everyone was home and it was time to eat.


    "So Art, you look especially...well done today. Did you all have cooking class today?" Asher''s father had no idea to tell the boy that he looked like someone had tossed him on a grill using too much lighter fluid.


    Almost choking on his mac n cheese Art tried to respond. After gulping down half a glass of water he finally managed, "It was a chemistry reaction that I got too close to. For some reason it burst in to black smoke instead of making bubbles. Even the professor had no idea what had happened."


    "Well at least you didn''t light the school on fire. I would have come for you if you rained out my engineering class." Cara gave Art a cold glare before taking another bite, Art visibly flinched as her teeth crushed the mac n cheese noodles.


    "Oh, well if you didn''t have cooking lessons today I am sure you will have it tomorrow. If i remember right it was the day after your gym class." Asher''s mother looked very excited to have Asher learn to cook. Cara was not chef material but she had hopes that Asher would somehow come out as top chef in the house so she could make him help some nights.


    "Oh that should be fun." Asher thought that learning a new skill like cooking could be a blast. ''I never had the chance to cook in the other world but now maybe I can learn how to make my own tacos'' The dreams of making his own tacos whenever he wanted flew through his mind. Little did his mother know that if he was given free reign of the kitchen this would be all he wanted to make.


    Their dinner went on much like this discussing classes and what they were going to do in the future. Cara interjected at one point, " What camp are you going to try and go to for the fall break?" Their high school gave them a week long break but they would have the opportunity to choose three different camps to go to to increase their studies instead of go on a normal vacation. Most students would choose a camp over staying home doing nothing.


    "Oh, your father went to camp jack when he was in school. He learned a lot about laws and even some other trade skills there. It is definitely nice having a handy man around the house." The gross flirting had started between their mother and father.


    "Avoid camp Jack got it" Asher made this decision right off the bat.


    "I might go to camp Darwin just because I could use the studying of chemistry to help my element. But it''s a tough choice." Art was still pondering this. He didn''t need to worry about going on vacation with family since he was ousted from the house until he proved himself.


    "You two should go to camp cruel. I went and I kicked everyone''s butt every day. It was great." Cara had a villainous smile.


    "Cara! It''s camp Jewel. Don''t insult the counselors that way. They run one of the only camps in the country completely dedicated to fostering the youths who wish to pursue law enforcement. They have trained some of the best in the field in their childhood years."


    Asher had not found these camps in his memories in detail, there were just small details here and there. "Then I think I should go to camp jewel. If I want to be a hero and beat out Cara I need to catch up." Asher said this while staring off in the distance. His mind had already wandered off on to his future plans.


    "Pfft you wish." Cara retorted and stuffed the last of her mac n cheese in to her mouth leaving in a huff.


    Eventually Art and Asher finished as well. Art helped with the dishes insisting that he needed to or else his respect as a guest would be gone forever. Naturally Asher''s mother took this in stride and let him have the task. The two eventually headed off to do their home work and sleep themselves. Asher had felt the soreness building in his body all day and was ready to let sleep take him.


    With what seemed like a blink of his eyes his alarm was blaring in his ears. He slammed his hand down to silence it and realized he had slept in his clothes all night. Rushing to put on his sweat pants and sweat shirt he was dad set to beat Cara downstairs. His body protested the entire time.


    Making small gasping sounds coming down the stairs as he bent his legs at every step he swore that he could hear Cara''s giggling from the front door. He turned the corner to find that not only Cara had beaten him to the front door but Art was standing there too in a spare set of gym clothes. "Morning Asher, I''m coming with. You won''t be getting ahead of me anytime soon." Asher swore he saw Cara smile for a second after hearing Art say this but in a blink of an eye she was straight faced again. ''I must be too sleepy still.''

 Chapter 32 - 32. Recipes

    With Art as their new addition they set off running to the park. Art tried to keep up with Cara but was quick to realize that she was going to be very much ahead of both he and Asher. "Man, your sister is fast." Art dropped back to match Asher''s pace watching the distance between them grow.


    "Yea, she has been at this for ever I guess." Asher managed to get this out between breaths.


    Art slowly pickled up his pace showing a sheen of sweat on his forehead. ''I will at least beat Asher there.'' This thought was resounding in his head over and over. He would beat his rival this time.


    ''Art you can have this one, I will crush you in the jog home.'' Asher watched Art push himself hard at the start and made no move to compete just yet. This was a marathon not a sprint.


    The three made it to the park to continue on to the circuits. Cara had already gotten her drink and was about to start the circuit leaving Asher to show Art the rotation. Asher took some sips and did not want to be left behind his sister too much.


    "Seriously? No break?" Art complained a bit before sipping water and joining them still breathing heavily. The circuits went faster and after and Asher tried his best to keep up with Cara this time around.


    ''I have no chance if keeping up with her running but I can try to beat her in circuits.'' His small goal was set and Cara seemed to feel this. She picked up her own pace and started to even do five extra repetitions to her own workout. Thus gave Asher the illusion he was catching up but really Cara had just started to be serious.


    Art was trying his best to get the thirty repetitions but found himself five behind Asher and fifteen behind Cara. He looked at his own body wondering if he had really even been trying to pursue his dream of being a hero better than his brother. "UUUgghhhhh Let''s gooooo!" With his sudden outburst Art pushed his body faster and faster. He had found his own flame that would drive him.


    Cara finished her circuits first which was to be expected. She stretched a little seeing that she had plenty of time to get herself some water and also start her long run home. She set a watch on her wrist as a timer. "If you two want to get better you should start to time yourselves. I am going to break my record today so don''t even try to distract me." She got herself in to a sprinter''s start position and clicked start on her watch. With a little dust kicked up behind her the two boys just stared at her silhouette in awe.


    "I never knew she was that fast!" Asher was amazed by his sister.


    "Oh my God! We are literally being left in the dust. Let''s go!" Art started off behind Cara not even taking another sip of water before leaving. Asher did not make this mistake and gulped a little water then started his jogging pace.


    Art looked to be well ahead of him but slowly Asher started to gain his ground back. Four streets from his house he was even with Art who was huffing and puffing along. "See you at breakfast!" Asher yelled and took off in to a sprint. Art was completely out of energy and could not even bother to look up at Asher.


    When Asher burst through the door he could hear Cara coming down the stairs. ''She still beat me in and out of the shower! I need to be faster next time.'' He knew he would not beat her home but for her to take the time to shower and change was an insult to his speed. "Finally made it back huh? Where''s your money friend? Don''t tell me he got lost?" Cara teased him while sitting down to some toast and eggs.


    Asher rushed to the shower and started to get ready for school. Hew wanted to be able to sit down and eat this time. The door slamming open as a ragged looking Art walked in was the next thing he saw as he too came out of his room tucking in his shirt. "Dude...huff...hufff...how...did...hufff...you already... get ready...hufff?" Art was just as shocked as Asher had been the first time he had worked out with Cara.


    "You''ll get used to it if you don''t pace yourself tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day, and the next day." Asher let his taunts drift to Art''s ears as he sat down just in time to have a seated breakfast. His mother put together an egg sandwich for Art with a smile on her face. She knew that Asher had just been this way the day before and learned his lesson. Now that he had a rival in the house that he could compete against she was sure that they would both improve until they could properly challenge Cara.


    Art tried his best to rush downstairs but by the time he got there Asher was standing there with a sandwich in his hands, "Awe I was just about to eat your breakfast too." Art jumped forward to snag the sandwich from Asher''s hands.


    "Ha! I am too fast, I am victorious!" Art had the egg sandwich in his hands and felt that his whole workout of torture was worth it. He hadn''t had a warm breakfast in days, this was ecstasy.


    "Come on, Jane is already here waiting for us." The two left out the front door while Asher grabbed a bagged lunch for the two of them. There were more fruits and even a small protein shake in them. His mother had started to take not of the needs they would have when working out like Cara and adjusted the lunches she would make.


    "Thanks for lunch Mom!" Asher yelled one last goodbye before heading out himself.


    "Good morning Asher, Art." The sweet voice of Jane was one that warmed their hearts after their tough morning workout.


    "Good morning." The two said in unison, although Art''s voice was a bit rough since he had a mouthful of egg sandwich.


    "My mom said we should have cooking classes today. Think we will make something good?" Asher recalled the dinner conversation the night before and was actually excited to make some food himself. "I really hope we make tacos¡­" He mumbled this under his breath hoping that some luck flowed and it would come true.


    Jane heard this and could only wonder why he wanted tacos so badly. "If we don''t make tacos then I can make some for you another time.'' She turned her body away from him while she said this acting sheepish.


    "You would make me tacos! That would be the best thing ever!" Asher was immediately caught in to the joy of his favorite food.


    "I''m getting a feeling that you really like tacos." Art had stuffed the rest of his egg sandwich in his mouth and looked at Asher who was nearly dancing about the street due to excitement.


    With Art''s comment Asher took a hold of himself and cleared his throat. "Ehm, well I guess you could say they are my favorite." Jane made a mental note to never forget this. ''I will learn the best taco recipe ever.'' She had a new goal in life.


    With the talk of food being their main topic the rest of the way to their classes the three now knew that Jane had a sweet tooth for anything strawberry and that Art would get in to a fight over any kind of smoked meats.


    "Well let''s try to survive the academics. Good luck my friends, may you both hold on to your souls." Art was dramatic but seeing that Mr. Smith already had some math formulas on the board when they walked in to the class they felt that it may be harder than they expected.


    Feeling their brains slowly melt for the hours of academic every student started to come to life when Mr. Smith started to announce what was next. "Today we will start our cooking course. We get to use the kitchens once a week and we will start with a simple recipe. We will be making double chocolate chip cookies. If anyone wants to suggest a recipe for next week please place it in the box up front here. I will give you all five minutes to do so before we head over to the kitchen."


    Asher tore out as many papers as he could and started writing tacos over and over. "You will all only get one vote" Mr. Smith saw what Asher was attempting and put an end to it instantly. ''There is no way I will be making tacos for a year straight'' This was Mr. Smith''s fear. However he also noticed that Jane had written the same thing down so he sighed knowing that with his luck he would be making tacos at least twice.

 Chapter 33 - 33. Master Chef

    Once they had all placed their votes for recipes next week Mr. Smith led the way to the kitchens. "Everyone will need to roll up their sleeves and put on an apron along with what. Food safety is a key to staying healthy in the kitchen. How terrible would it be to make someone ill by not following the proper sanitation standards?" Without a pause Mr. Smith moved to a hand washing sink and started to point out the proper way to wash hands and how long they should wash them for.


    Jane was watching intently as she wanted to make sure she did her best to learn it all, she would be making tacos for Asher and she refused to make him sick by accident. "Now I left a recipe on each counter. They are very simple to follow but I expect questions. Please get in to groups of your own accord. I don''t care how many people are in one but if you make a large group you do not get to make more cookies than a single batch.'' There were a few groans of protest but there was nothing they could do. One batch per group was the expectation.


    Asher, Jane, and Art made a group of three happy to split their creations among themselves. Asher read the first step and set the oven to preheat. "Umm Asher, why did you just type three thousand five hundred in to the oven? It only gets up to five hundred." Art was looking at Asher like he had just witnessed a major fault.


    "What? No that''s three hundred and fifty." Asher argued back causing the two to get in to a dispute. Fortunately Jane was following the recipe to a t and did not hesitate to start to mix the batter. She read the measurement for chocolate chips and was not happy about it.


    "Mr. Smith, can I add more chocolate chips than this?" Their teacher came over to double check the amount then look at the batter Jane had made so far.


    "Your batter looks perfect. The formula is made with the proper balance for the chocolate chips here. If you wish to add more you can but you are responsible for the final product." He knew that most of the students would do this whether he told them no or yes so just let them make their choices.


    Jane heard this and decided to double the amount. ''Asher will definitely like them more with double the chocolate.'' She hummed along as she mixed in the chocolate chips and spooned them on to a baking sheet.


    Meanwhile Art and Asher had somehow started to mix their own batter. The two were fighting over what amount of sugar to put in. "It says one quarter cup not one quart! Asher it will come out terrible if you do that.'' Art was trying to hold Asher back but as he saw the mountain of sugar start to fall he knew he had already failed. The entire quart of sugar was emptied in to a whole pound of butter. Art was starting to feel his heart ache knowing that this food would be wasted and lost to him forever.


    "That''s it, i need to be in my own group. Good luck with your monstrosity." Art dashed for the remaining unoccupied over and started to mix furiously. He turned the oven on to the proper temperature and started to carefully measure out the ingredients as he watched Asher completely decimate the flour storage.


    "Ah no!" Asher dropped some flour causing a white cloud to envelope the classroom. Jane was instantly blinded while walking to check her baking cookies.


    "I can''t see a thing!" She bumped in to the table and the tie in her apron caught on it causing it to tighten around her waist. "''I''m blind!!! Asher why did you do this!!" She yelled out at Asher wondering why he had thrown the flour everywhere.


    "I''m stuck in here too." He coughed a few times realizing that he had inhaled a huge mouthful of flour. Art just watched the chaos form across the room. Mr. Smith just looked further down at his grading tests pretending he did not see this coming.''No way am I going over there to clean that up and get blinded too.''


    While the flower cloud died down Asher looked up to find a flour coated Jane giving him what he assumed was a glare while she tried to detached her apron from the table. However as soon as his eyes drifted he found that the tie on Jane''s apron had become very tight and been forced up to below her chest. "Umm uh Jane...Your um...Apron is a bit¡­" He tried to form a proper sentence but he was instantly made to be a bumbling fool.


    "Asher get over here and fix this I''m stuck and can''t get this stupid tie detached." She pulled at it making it even tighter under her chest. Asher was feeling lightheaded from this grand sight before him.


    With the time ticking down on Jane''s cookies baking she gave up on Asher for help and took the nearby scissors and cut the tie off fully. With a release of pressure she returned to her normal apron wearing self only to find that Asher was a statue staring at her. ''Is my mask off?'' She checked and felt that the mask was still attached properly. "Why is he so red? Is he really that embarrassed for dropping the flour everywhere?''


    Asher was snapped out of his trance when Jane''s kitchen time went off. He nearly jumped a foot in the air but easily recovered himself. He grabbed a broom and cleaned up the flour all over the floors before Mr. Smith realized anything. ''I''m so lucky he didn''t notice. He''s really focused on those papers.''


    Mr. Smith was instead thinking, ''Please don''t ask me to help clean'' This was the ideal situation for him and he didn''t want to be involved.


    Art was putting his cookies in to the over having made the recipe faster than anyone else had. Asher on the other hand was mixing his chocolate chips in to his massive hunk of batter. ''This looks a little bit different than everyone else''s. They really should read the recipe better.'' The other students had taken notice of Asher''s antics now and all looked away for fear that they would lose their intellect by watching him.


    Jane sat there dusting herself from the flour while her cookies cooled. They were nearly covered in dripping chocolate. ''These look the best. Everyone loves chocolate, the more the better!''


    Art smashed his hunk of dough on to a sprayed cookie sheet. ''Why would I divide it up when a whole giant cookie is better?'' He flattened it out and tossed the whole pan in to the oven. ''I should turn it up so that it cooks faster.'' Asher turned the temperature up again putting it on four thousand five hundred. Art saw this and shook his head knowing that Asher might just be a lost cause.


    Art was mixing up a second batch of cookies even though Mr. Smith had said one per person. Mr. Smith was watching this and surprisingly gave him the thumbs up. They had shared a knowing glance before Art returned to his cookies.


    The smell of oven roasted cookies had filled the room, yet there was another smell cutting through everything else. "Why does it smell like something is burning?" Jane was the first to notice this and looked at Asher who was standing by the oven''s window watching his cookies bake. As she approached she saw that his were indeed burning. "Asher they are burning take them out!" She threw oven mitts at him.


    Catching the mitts Asher made no move to remove his massive tray of cookie. "It''s called charring, it adds flavor. I saw it on the cooking channel, cookie bake off final episode." he shook his head. '' I really am the only one that knows how to cook here.''


    If Asher could see the pained look on Jane''s face he would know he was committing a huge baking sin. By the time the timer for Asher''s cookies went off the tip of the chocolate chocolate chip cookies was like coal. Without hesitation he flipped the tray over and dropped his massive rectangular cooking on to a cooling tray. Half of it was still raw sticking to the bottom while the top was burned to death. "This would totally win a bake off."


    Jane watched in horror as he said these words. She said silent prayers to any cooking gods that may exist that Asher never be allowed near a kitchen after today. Unknowing to her every single student and their teacher were saying these prayers in their heads as well. ''May Asher never be allowed to try and cook again in his entire life, for none may survive.''

 Chapter 34 - 34. Feelings Of The Winds

    "Alright. It looks like everyone has finished up their baking. While everyone waits for them to cool we will clean up. Those of you who have made the biggest mess need to clean the more." His eyes drifted to Asher who was still covered in flour as if he was attempting to be a ghost for Halloween early.


    Art was already hard at work wiping down his counter and scrubbing out the sink. The nearby students were watching him speed through every possible surface that was within reach. "Hahaha fear me grime and dust. I shall defeat you in the name of justice." They heard this and immediately thought that Art had lost his mind at such a young age, But at least he was doing the best cleaning.


    Mr. Smith made a small note in his grade book. He had not expected someone in his class to have such a talent. Asher on the other hand looked like he was about to flood the sink. Luckily Jane was there to catch him before the sink over flowed on to the floor. She waited until he was not looking and slid his massive cookie in to the trash. "Oh now Asher! Your cookie fell in to the trash when we weren''t looking! I guess you will just have to share mine with me."


    "What!? NOOOOOOOO My poor child, how could this happen. You were so perfect and delectable.." Jane swore she saw him shed a tear.


    "It will all be OK, you know what they say Asher, If you love something let it fall in the trash." She faltered at the last line trying to change the cliche saying to match the salutation.


    Asher sniffled slightly, "People really say that?"


    "Yea of course." Jane did not hesitate and went all in.


    "Thanks, I know you are just saying that." Asher went back to cleaning and Jane went back to following him fixing his chaos.


    Within a short twenty minutes the entire kitchen looked more or less like it had when they had forgotten in there. In the case of Art, the space he used looked almost brand new. He had put some serious elbow grease in to his cleaning.


    "Everyone can take whatever they made home. Just don''t eat them all at lunch or you could feel unwell later." Mr. Smith saw the bell was about to ring and handed everyone a bag. He came to Asher and shook his head a little making Asher wonder, ''what''s wrong?'' In this moment Asher had been given the nickname the clueless cook by each and every person in the room.


    ''How am I going to explain to Mrs. Ronan that Asher can''t cook to save his life. He nearly poisoned himself today alone!'' Art was having a moral dilemma at this thought and couldn''t bring himself to build the courage to speak to Asher''s mother later.


    "Asher, you need to try my cookies!" Jane held up a chocolaty dripping cookie, it was pretty much all melted chocolate chips at this point.


    "Sure, they look extra chocolate chip flavored!" Not wanting to say no to a cookie Asher stuffed the whole cookie in to his mouth. ''Is there even any cookie in this?'' He could only feel melted chocolate in his mouth.


    "So? Soooo? Do you love it?'' Jane couldn''t contain her excitement any longer and wanted to what all the things he said about it. She had a good feeling about this double chocolate chips she had added.


    ''I can''t say that it is just chocolate and not cookie...what do I tell her?'' Asher wracked his brain for the right words but decided just to stick with simple. "This is the most chocolaty cookie i have ever had." He feared this would not be the right response since Jane did not react instantly.


    After a few seconds of tense silence "you really think do?" Asher nodded slightly holding his gaze on Jane. "Yess! I knew you would love them." She gave a little hop and bounced on her feet happy as all else. Asher breathed a sigh of relief, ''I''m safe''.


    Art came over with four bags of cookies. "Here I made some for you two as well." His bags of cookies were evenly portioned for each of them. They were all exactly the same and had a perfect round shape.


    "Whoa these look like they came out of a magazine cover. Are you sure they are real?'' Asher pulled one out and held it as if he was holding the world''s most delicate item. He bit in to it finding that there was a perfect balance of crunchy and gooey chocolate chips. "This is the cookie of the gods and angels and immortals and and¡­" Asher ran out of words to praise them. Jane heard this and grabbed one out of the bag to eat too.


    She felt that her body was melting as soon as she slipped on under her mask and in to her mouth. "You win this one for now Art." Her words were quiet and threatening. ''I will make better cookies one day'' Jane promised herself she would crush Art next time.


    "Huh? This is just how my grandma taught me how to cook when I was little. She always dragged me in to the kitchen when my brother was training, I have no idea why." Art may have been blind to this but the others knew there was a deeper meaning to it.


    "Sounds like you had a pretty awesome grandma Art." Art just nodded remembering how cool it was to see his grandmother manipulate the iron skillets in the kitchen with her super power making them change in to any tool she needed. He knew he couldn''t do the same with his power but he had hope that one day he would be able to use his power to the same precision.


    Art placed his cookies in to his bag just as the bell rang. "Yes It''s time for lunch then we can go off and focus on learning combat! I have been waiting all day." Art came back to reality wanting to get in to the second fitness challenge for the day. He planned to put his all in to combat and learn as much as possible.


    "Hey!" A familiar voice called for the trio as they left the kitchen. When they all turned around Sammy was slamming her bag around her shoulders and holding a brown paper bag with her lunch in it. "Where are you all eating today? Mind if I join?''


    "Yea sure, we all brought lunch today so we are heading up to the roof tables. It''s a good spot to eat, pretty quiet." Asher had no reason to tell her not to join them. After all she was their friend now too who had eaten with them just the other day.


    The four made their way to the roof and sat at the largest table. They Were the only students that were eating up there so they could relax freely. "I''ve never been up here before, the wind is so nice." Sammy was enjoying the slight breeze from being so high up.


    Aren''t you used to wind by now? It''s literally your super power." Art wasn''t the only one wondering about this.


    "Well I started to feel there are different kinds of winds you know? Up here it''s soft and peaceful, when it will rain it''s sad and slow. When it will storm it is angry and mean. You get me?" She tilted her head wondering if they were feeling the same things as her.


    "It might just be you, your power probably lets you have some insight in to what is going with the wind currents and what they will bring." Jane was logical in her response since it would only make sense that Sammy would have this as part of her power.


    "I should make a list of what each wind emotion means...It might help." Asher was pulling out his journal as he said this making sure that he wrote these down. ''If I even hear her say the wind is sad I will make sure I have my umbrella ready.'' This plan would definitely come in handy later.


    "Well right now the wind seems excited, I wonder why? The sky is all clear. The wind is only excited when big clouds fly over." Sammy seemed confused looking at the clear sky. Not surprisingly as they finished their lunch a massive white puffy cloud had come out of nowhere and was drifting past the school. The sun cast it''s shadow in to the ground.


    "Well how about that, excited wind means that a big cloud will show up¡­" Asher looked up at the sky as the bell rang signaling that they needed to get to the next class. The trio said goodbye to Sammy who was rushing off to her own class. Asher scribbled in to his notebook as they rushed off as well.

 Chapter 35 - 35. Lins Interest

    The combat class was different then they had all expected. Instead of coach Winters there was a substitute there. "Today i have been left with materials to distribute. We will also go over a few videos of the moves outlined in your materials."


    "Is coach Winters sick?'' Jane was the one to ask this question. She was worried that they would not see her for some time.


    "Oh, no she just had a tournament to attend to. I am sure she will be back next class to teach you all." The substitute didn''t waste any time and move on to the first video showing the safe way to punch without harming the wrists.


    ''Tournament huh?'' Asher was thinking about it and thought that it would make sense that their combat teacher would participate in martial arts as well. She would need to be well versed in it so that she taught it properly.


    "Do you think coach Winters will take it out on us if she loses?" Art had just uttered a truly terrifying sentence.


    "Let''s pray that she does win and we don''t even need to see the day that she loses." Asher and Art closed their eyes and sent off positive wishes to the world for coach Winters to win whatever tournament she was in.


    "I can''t wait for coach Winters to get back and tell us all about it. Do you think she will have some videos of her fights so she can teach us with them?" Jane was more excited to see their teacher in action than anyone else.


    After the class had gossiped about coach Winters and her possible career in martial arts they started to read through the material and realize how important some of it was. ''So if I kick with my leg at that angle I could damage my tendons or dislocate it¡­.'' Asher was reading and absorbing it all. Since they had started this combat class he had expected that they would be doing much more hands on activities every day, however having this day to look at diagrams was really helping how he thought of his attacking strength. Many mistakes he had been making were plain to see in the diagrams here along with plenty of ways to fix them.


    Even Art was silent but for the moments where he would react to the new things he wanted to try. Before they could even fully get through the first half of the materials the bell had rung and sent them off to their philosophy course.


    There was not much that was going to happen since today was a lecture day. Most of the students took notes or just stared off in to space. Asher wanted to nap since he could feel his early morning starting to catch up. But Jane was right there bumping his elbow every time he started to nod off, she was a lifesaver since right before the class was going to end Mr.Richards called for their homework to be handed in. if he had been asleep he would have missed it.


    This was the case for some students who were not paying attention and missed the call. ''Off, they are not going to be happy when they realized they just missed that grade.'' Asher silently wished for them to realize this but none did. They were just unlucky to fall into their distraction there in class.


    Before the bell rang and sent them off to the final class of the day Mr. Richards assigned them even more homework to do so that they could reflect on the lecture. "Jane you''re the best." He needed to make sure he thanked her since she was the reason he had taken his notes and not fallen asleep the entire class period.


    When he got near the classroom 777 he could already smell the incense. The same reprimanding tone from Lin could easily be heard in the hallways. ''This is going to be an everyday occurrence, I wonder if Lin gets tired of it. '' Asher was thinking this while opening the door and seeing the scene he had already witnessed before. Lin was trying to get the incense smoke out of the window while madam Weaver just sat with her eyes close relaxing.


    "Hello hello!" He greeted them as he closed the door behind himself.


    "Hello child. Today your aura seems rather bright. Having a good day?" Madam Weaver saw his good mood instantly.


    "Well we have our start to cooking classes today and even though I lost my perfect cookie my friend gave me some of his. They are right out of a magazine I swear." Asher pulled the last of his bag of cookies out and handed one to Madame Weaver and to Lin.


    "These are so perfectly round. Do you know what formula he used to bake them?" Lin was thinking about what she would have to do to make cookies so picture perfect.


    "Well my friend Art said that he used to cook with his grandmother and she taught him how to make them like this." He said this as he shoved the last cookie in to his mouth.


    "I see. So it is a family technique passed down. Do you think you could ask him to show me or write it down?" Lin was much more interested in this than Asher had expected.


    "Well yea sure. I think it would be easier to see though. Art is a little...slow when it comes to homework and descriptions." Asher felt bad saying this but remembering how bad Art was at doing any form of home work he could not say it was a lie.


    "Then you will introduce me so I can learn this. I know it may sound strange but I am not that good at cooking. For some reason everything I make comes out oddly shaped."


    "You once made me lunch and the pasta noodles you used had become rings even though you said they were straight when you put them in." Madame Weave showed a sneaky smile as she recalled the last time that Lin had been nice and brought lunch to her.


    "And that is why I no longer bring food to share." Lin looked away in a huff as she ate the cookie. "Wow it really is perfect¡­" She couldn''t help but to say this out loud.


    "Yes, your friend really out did themselves. I hope that the aura connecting him and Lin becomes very strong." Madam Weaver munched on her cookie as well, very impressed by this.


    ''Aura connecting me to Asher''s friend?'' Lin wanted to ask out loud what this meant but she had a full mouth and she did not want to be rude and speak with it. By the time she had finished what she was chewing madam Weaver had already stood up and went to a cabinet.


    "Have you ever used tarot cards before? I have some here if you would like to take them home and learn about them?" Asher was curious to what they were since he had never heard of them.


    "No never in my life. Are they something that can tell me about my power?" He thought that there was a reason this was being presented to him.


    "Well no one knows what could be a teacher to them when it comes to powers. But I would say these are for basic fortune telling. I had Lin try them out too but all I received was a paper on the mathematical probability of drawing certain cards. So I am going to see what you can make of it." She handed him an aged looking box which held a deck of cards. All of them had different symbols and names making him even more curious.


    "Here I have instructions. I printed them out when I was given the same deck before. It''s always good to be prepared." Lin handed him a few papers on how to tell his own fortune with the tarot cards.


    ''Wow, and she held on to this for so long?'' Asher was not sure if he was impressed or weirded out by the fact that Lin had been just carrying around the instructions for this.


    "Don''t look at me like that. I carry around everything I need for my classes. It''s to be expected that I may need to remember how to tell a fortune even if it is just a probability game." She returned the look Asher was giving her.


    "Dear, I hope that you can find a way to see aura one day. You will understand that it is not math that chooses the card but the cards that choose you." madam Weaver looked deadly serious about this.


    "I think I have heard that somewhere before...like in a television show maybe? Some things about cards being in my heart¡­" Asher couldn''t place where he had heard it before so ended up giving up. The rest of the class passed by easily since they really just spoke on what kind of aura the two had that day and the events that Lin believed caused this. Before he knew it Asher was packing up and heading out to find Art and Jane for the walk home.

 Chapter 36 - 36. Trouble

    " Asher Ronan report to the principal''s office. Asher Ronan report to the principal''s office" The loud speaker announced that he was needed in the principal''s office. Asher stopped in his tracks knowing that he would not be able to meet his friends to walk home. Instead he was sure to get in trouble.


    ''What happened that I am about to get yelled at now. Ugh Cara definitely heard that and if she gets home before me mom and dad are going to kill me.'' Asher was mortified by how much trouble he would be in when he returned. His mother was going to tear his very soul from his body and put him through so many chores as punishment that any happiness in life would be gone.


    The principal''s office was on the top floor of the school which was reserved for all the faculty offices of the high school. This was something had been known to everyone in Asher''s memories however he was noticing some differences. The offices in this world had much higher technology, there were many more security cameras all over the campus along with more advanced computers on the desks.


    It would seem that there were many staff without classes that were monitoring the students for safety. Yet there was also the fact that some were recording notes on what they students were doing. In particular some very familiar students that Asher had just seen waiting in line for their evo shots the other day. ''These people are watching us for results after put shots. How creepy.''


    Asher knew that this was something he had signed up for by having the shot and attending the school. The hero corporation had most likely given documentation to parents on how much safer it was and explained that it would also be used for the future generations. They would readily sign the waivers and such not even thinking about how the children would feel themselves.


    Walking past this he felt a little more agitated but couldn''t find anything to direct the anger at except for himself for not being wiser about how things work in the world. This wasn''t avoidable in a way.


    Coming to a larger oak door he looked upwards at a golden plaque with long cursive black writing. The fancy letters made up headmaster, which had been used many years prior. ''Well I might as well get this over with.'' Asher took a deep breath and knocked on the door.


    "Come on in Asher." The gruff voice echoed in his head. Feeling a little disoriented Asher pulled open the door revealing a large office. The desk was massive and stacked with papers that threatened to fall in to an avalanche at any moment.


    "Hello sir. I am Asher Ronan." Asher tried to say this out loud but realized he was only thinking it.


    "Yes, it is nice to meet you Asher. Do not be put off by my power. I was born mute but when I received my power it was telepathic communication. My evo shot literally gave me a voice. I form channels in our minds to speak, it is very useful for managing the school building."


    The man that leaned from behind the paperwork as this mental message was sent to Asher was wearing a clean white suit. His white hair was slicked back perfectly with not a single strand sticking out anywhere. The wrinkles around his eyes showed that he was someone who often smiles. This gave Asher a reassuring feeling.


    "I am sure you are worried about why you were called here. It is in no means a negative meeting and I hope you can relax a little." Hearing this Asher felt his shoulders lose some of the tension. "I have already sent a letter to your parents home with your sister. It was about the incident the other night with the police. I received their report since it is strictly prohibited to be using powers that could be dangerous outside your school. I have reviewed your files and found that you have a power not yet documented and decided it is best to speak to you. From what the officer said they do not believe you used your power but somehow still kept the would be robber occupied. This is a great feat for a hero let alone a student."


    Asher stood a little taller at this praise. Every time he thought he was about to be reprimanded he ended up being complimented. "What worried me is that you may have gone looking for this on purpose. When someone gets their evo shot and has a super power it is very exciting I know. You must not abuse it though. There are many who try and end up in poor situations. I believe that you have a bright future ahead of you so please stay focused."


    ''There it is, he totally thinks I went looking for trouble...I wonder how often he has this conversation.'' Asher took a deep breath before he replied. He needed to make sure that his reply was as sincere as possible. "Sir, I promise you that I was not looking for trouble. I live right near there and so does my friend. She stayed for dinner and I walked with her home. On my way back I was distracted thinking about some stuff and bumped in to that guy. After that it''s just as the police report must say. It was all a strange situation."


    The principle looked at him carefully. Asher was still a little on edge since the principal''s lips wouldn''t move to signal that he would be speaking and instead he would just talk in his head. ''He must scare a lot of people this way.'' Asher was thinking this to himself when the principal gave him an even more curious look.


    "You know...I can still tell what you are thinking when you direct it at me." Asher was instantly embarrassed and even jumped a little. The principle smiled knowing that he had just scared Asher completely. Unfortunately for the principle, as soon as Ashers'' food fell back making the floor vibrate there was a domino effect.


    The vibrations in the floor gave the precariously stacked papers on the principles desk a chance to start to fall. The first one slipped making the principal reach out to grasp it. Yet this was a fatal mistake. Asher watched in awe and the stack seemed to wobble in slow motion and then suddenly topple over the principal. The papers had claimed their victim drawing him in the sea of paperwork yet to be filed away.


    "Well sir I should leave you to your work, have a nice night." Asher saw his chance and bolted out the door. ''If I am fast enough I can still walk home with Jane and Art.''


    "Wait I recommended you for¡­" The principal felt the papers shift and was unable to focus enough in his power to tell Asher the full reason he sent his family a letter home with his sister ahead of him.


    Asher was able to dodge down the stairs much faster than he had expected, no other student seemed to be in his path. The ones that were he easily swooped around. The front entrance came in to his full view and lucky for him the two faces he had been hoping to see. "So what did you get in trouble for today? Don''t tell me they banned you from cooking classes?" Art asked him as he ran to join them.


    "Huh? Why would I be banned from cooking classes? I definitely aced that class today/" Asher was clueless as he could be making Art flinch.


    Jane gave Art a look, however the true feelings did not seem to reach him since her mask kept her facial expressions hidden. ''I will yell at you later'' She made this promise to herself so that Art would be learning his lesson. "I hope it was a good talk or just something with paper work." Jane herself was concerned though. What if Asher had turned out to be a secretive trouble maker. ''He''s so mysterious'' Jane was looking at Asher with a whole new view.


    "No he just wanted to give me a talk about what happened the other night when I walked you home. He thought I was out looking for trouble since I wanted to be a hero and stuff." He couldn''t get the idea out of his head that rushing away for the principle drawing in paper work may have been a bad idea.


    " Are you in trouble for it? You explained it all clearly?" Jane feared that the short conversation had not been good enough to clear Asher of any suspicion.


    "Well yeaaaa I should be fin-" Asher was going to say fine but in that moment he remembered that the principal had sent his sister home ahead of him with a letter for his parents. "I''m so not fine!"

 Chapter 37 - 37. Five Star

    "What do you mean you''re not fine? You just said you weren''t in trouble" Art was lost now. Asher was making zero sense to him.


    "He sent a letter to my parents with Cara. It probably says that they should give him a talking to as well. Ugh I am so dead¡­.You two will come to my funeral right?'' she looked with puppy dog eyes at the two.


    "Of course bro, I will come and help dig the grave for you. Just don''t expect flowers, cause I have a terrible green thumb." Art shook his head while giving Asher a pat on the back.


    "But you already explained things to your mother right? She should know that you have already learned and wouldn''t intentionally do anything like that." Jane tried to be reassuring however she knew well that the wrath if a mother was not something easily quelled.


    The entire walk toward the house Asher dragged his feet. ''At least I got those cookies as a last meal.'' His thoughts in sweeter times before him and Art said their goodbyes to Jane.


    Jane gave Asher a thumbs up trying to make him believe that it wouldn''t be so bad, however he thought betrayed her as she walked down the street. ''Yup he is totally getting grounded for the rest of his life.'' That was exactly what her parents would do.


    "Come on let''s go." Art pushed the front door open since Asher had seemed like he was frozen in front of it. Looking forward Asher felt his last bit of freedom escape.


    The two dropped their shoes and left their bags by the stairs. The sounds of Asher''s parents and sister talking in the kitchen brought shivers to their spines. Art knew he was not in trouble but he could still feel the amount of pain that came with an impending scolding.


    "Asher! Hurry up and get in here!" His mothers voice rang out towards the two boys who had just come in the door. Asher gave Art a pleading look, but it was too late they would have no where to run to now.


    Asher sucked it up and walked in to the dining room with Art at his side. ''Art thank you for staying by my side'' Asher said this silent thank you whole trying to avoid looking on his parents eyes. Even Cara was sitting at the table looking at Asher.


    "Ehm, we received a letter for your principal today¡­" His father started off the ball rolling with the words he expected. "¡­ We are so proud of you Asher!"


    "I know I am sor- Wait what?" He was dumbfounded, wasn''t he supposed to be yelled at or something?


    "We never thought that the principal would put in a recommendation for you to go to camp jewel three days early. Your sister did the same thing. I can''t believe both of our children are so talented to get the principal''s recommendations. " His mother started off gushing about how happy and proud she was.


    "But wait, what do you mean camp early? I thought I was in trouble?" Asher still couldn''t understand what was going on at all. Art was right next to hum equally stunned by the turn of events.


    "Oh did the principal not fully explain this to you?" Cara sounded annoyed that she would need to explain things to him. "Remember when I first went to camp I left school three days early? The principal is allowed to send a few promising students to certain camps three days early to receive special course options while there. You and I both received the nomination to camp jewel. You don''t have to go but if you waste it you will be stuck behind me forever." This seemed to be a prospect that Cara did not mind at all.


    "Oh pfft yeah I knew that. I was just trying to make a joke. Right over your head I see." Cara did not buy Asher''s bluff for a second.


    "Well that''s settled I will go to the same camp. If you are getting three extra days I will need to bother you when I get there so that you can catch me up." Art saw the perfect opportunity to gain the same training that Asher received just at a slightly later time.


    "Oh I can''t wait, I am going in to the kitchen to finish cooking. I am so excited." His mother left the table and went to the kitchen where aromas had started to waft over.


    "I can come help, I am a master chef after all!" Asher immediately tried to follow, making his mother smile much more brightly.


    "NO!. I mean, you need to relax and enjoy. This is a little celebration for you Asher. I will go help." Art stopped him and made him sit back down in to a chair.


    While Art rushed off after Asher''s mother he could swear that Art was saying something in a whisper to his mother. ''Must be planning some special desert since he brought home those cookies.'' Asher was clueless that Art was warning Asher;''s mother of the terror in the kitchen that Asher was.


    Asher''s mother on the other hand felt that the world had played a cruel joke on her. Both of her children were hopeless at cooking, how would they ever survive the real world. The three left in the dining room could smell the fresh scent of herbs and roasting chicken. Every once in a while they could hear Art surprising Asher''s mother with his skills. She was proud to have someone with cooking ability making the meal and going above and beyond.


    "Asher, why didn''t you tell me that your friend has such a talent for food? He is whipping up a five star meal in there with the roasted chicken that I started earlier. You really need to study from him." She seemed like she had just found rescue while trapped at sea. The entire family was puzzled, ''had she really hated cooking so much?'' each and every one of them was asking themselves this question.


    Just a few moments passed before Art started to bring out plates. "I hope this looks good, I copied the style that one of my families sheds used and then I changed up the flavors a bit." Art held plates that were wildly out of lace on an average family''s dining table.


    "I sliced up the roasted chicken and laid it over some garlic mashed potatoes. Then I took the fats and juices from the chicken and made a quick gravy. On top I have some bacon wrapped asparagus. I hope it is good enough for everyone."


    Art''s explanation sounded like mystical magic to the entire family. ''Since when has our dining room been a five star restaurant?'' Cara was looking at the food then to Stay and back again. He could not figure out how in the world he had done something like this so easily. "It isn''t worth it if it doesn''t taste good." She put on her best I don''t care face and tried a bite.


    The feelings of pure bliss washed through her, Cara was experiencing the best food she could remember ever having. The mashed potatoes were like silk in their mouths and the bacon wrapped asparagus were the perfect balance of crispy and fresh.


    "You even added a little kick to my herb roasted chicken. I love it, you will need to show me exactly how you did it." Asher''s mother was positively over the moon with how things had worked out. ''My son is a terrible cook, my daughter is a terrible cook, and my husband can''t even use a microwave. But our new house guest is a master chef. I win.'' Asher''s mother was thinking this as Cara seemed unhappy.


    "You will show me how to make these mashed potatoes or will beat you to death, got it?" It was so rare for Cara to want to cook anything that everyone but Art flinched away at the table.


    "You got it, just tell me when and I will come running." She smiled widely since his food was good enough to make Cara one of the top students in the entire school to want t o eat it again. This was an accomplishment if there ever was one.


    The dinner was devoured almost as if no one had ever seen food before. However Art was not done. He still had a whole bag of cookies left from today''s cooking class. "These are the chocolate chocolate chip cookies I made in class today. I save the ones just for dinner tonight." Art placed them down after after shifting them from the bag to the plate.


    "I''m taking a picture of this." Cara wasn''t even going to hide it, she pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of the magazine cover worthy cookies. Art was so overcome by this he thought that he was about to die. Yet before his Asher''s mother snapped on up and started to bite into it. She reached the peak of happiness in that moment alone.

 Chapter 38 - 38. Body Training

    While his parents and even Cara gushed over the cookies Art had made, Asher managed to get his hands on the principal''s letter. It was actually a decent recommendation based on the experiences he had so far. The school had seen that he was catching on in combat on the very first day. ''If they only knew it was a complete accident.''


    Asher was reading more small examples like this and found that almost all of them were accidental, even the philosophy class was mentioned. Mr. Richards apparently sent in his own recommendation saying that Asher had a deep mind. ''I have no idea what a deep mind is but if it''s good then it''s good.''


    Even more surprising was the fact that the aura reading was outlined saying that Madam Weaver saw great promise in his future. ''I really need to thank her. She is wicked confusing but pretty good about helping out with my powers.'' Asher was starting to realize that the blessing of circling a random class was more so than the ones he had chosen. It was like the fortune telling and astrology class was made just to give him the right ideas about his powers.


    "Well you better teach me how to make all of this. Mom thinks I can''t cook but I will be proving to all of you I can cook better than anyone!" Cara was getting more rambunctious hearing that her mother wanted Art to start helping with dinner.


    Asher heard this and felt his skills would be needed. "I am a much better cook. I will teach you don''t worry. Just call me master chef." He pointed a thumb at himself as he stood to bring his dishes to the sink.


    "Please Mrs. Ronan, don''t worry. I will help and also prevent the worst from happening." Art was deadpan as he said this. Asher''s mother nodded with slight fear in her eyes.


    Asher and Cara couldn''t understand why the two were sharing this look but quickly disposed of the train of thought. The three had homework left to do and they needed to get it done before bed.


    With the dishes dealt with they headed to their rooms. Art had a heap of chemistry notes to write over since they were scribbled on lab papers and Asher was becoming curious to what the tarot deck could do. He was about to tear it open and play with it but sadly his academic homework stole his attention. The hours passed as he tried to focus on other classes and just as he was about to break he managed to hit a rhythm.


    He hurriedly pulled out the deck of tarot cards and placed them on his cleared table. ''Step one trace your finger on the edge of the deck to add your aura.'' Asher did this feeling silly but didn''t wish to mess anything up.


    ''Step two ask the deck a question.'' "Will I have a breakthrough in understanding of my powers tomorrow?" This was something weighing on him, he still had no idea of the scope of what his powers did. The range and the exact strength was all still a mystery.


    ''Step three shuffle the deck.'' Asher started to shuffle the cards in to a random order. The patters on the back were mixing up here and there but shined slightly with the gold paint on the black background.


    ''Step four pull one or many cards. It will depend on how you feel.'' Asher was stuck on this step. He had no idea how many cards he was feeling and how to know what feeling would tell him to stop. ''Can''t I just pull every card if I wanted?''


    Asher started to pull cards, the first he set still face down in front of him, he grabbed a second then went for a third. As he placed the third he heard a thump thump thump down the stairs. "Art honey are you alright?" Asher''s mother yelled from the living room.


    "Poor Art, he knows not to rush down the stairs with his socks on¡­'' Asher felt bad that Art would need to start padding his butt however he saw that he only had three cards. ''Well I might as well stick with them.''


    The first car he decided to turn was a simple jester. The detail was simple and the hat easy to identify. ''The fool? Does this mean that I won''t know what''s going on?'' Asher looked at the card a little longer. ''This deck is messing with me, it has to be.''


    He shook his head thinking that this was all going to be bogus anyways so he might as well continue. The second care he tuned was an intricate wheel. ''The wheel of fortune, huh so this one is good and bad luck? Does this mean i will be a fool with good and bad luck...this is dumb'' He felt that he was still being insulted by the cards.


    Asher looked at the third car wondering if the insults would continue. The third card was a character with fire in their hands. ''The magician...looks cool. I wonder if this means i will be able to use my power actively? Or wait, am I going to get a fire ball spell!?'' Asher''s mind was wandering to insane places.


    Having this fantasy in his head he was able to make himself feel better that the cards had basically been insulting him. However he wrote down what he thought they meant and decided that having madam Weaver give him a better estimate and reading in class tomorrow would probably go better. He put the cards aside and got up to head to bed. However as he stood up he bumped his table causing the card in the top of the stacked deck to fall on to the ground.


    Asher picked it up looking at it wondering why only one car had fallen. ''Physics is weird, I''m glad I don''t need to take that class yet.'' When he picked up the card he was looking at an ancient looking chariot pulled by bulls. ''The chariot upside huh? Let''s look this up for fun.''


    Asher pulled up the meaning of an upside down chariot in tarot cards on his laptop. '' lack of control, lack of direction? Are these cards just mocking me for fun? I have control and direction, I want to be a hero!'' Asher cursed out the cards before putting the chariot card on top with the three he had pulled prior. Madam Weaver was going to get an earful about the mean cards she had given him.


    Like the day before sleep was but a blink of an eye. Before he even realized it Asher was slamming a hand down on to his alarm clock with the great desire to crush it. He needed to get up and work out again before heading off to school.


    The groans of someone walking down the stairs spurred him to move faster. By the time he reached the front door he was amused to see that Art was trying to put on his gym shoes with as little effort as possible. Cara just stood there smiling devilishly. "Looking a little stiff there Art." Asher was trying his best not to laugh out loud.


    "Bro, how do you deal with this ever day? I felt like my legs were going to give out on me the second I stood up." Art was rubbing his thighs trying to get them to stop screaming in pain.


    "That''s what you get for not eating enough protein to fix up those torn muscles. Now you get to experience a real fun workout. Let''s get on the move." Cara said each word with joy since she knew that the two of them would be suffering just a little behind her. She may have been starting an intense rivalry with the two.


    "You heard here, time to get running. Just stretch really well when we get to the park. We will try and get some extra protein shakes on the way home from school so we don''t end up crawling to class later." Asher no longer made fun of Art since he too was still feeling the soreness in his legs and hips. They screamed for him to go back to bed.


    The two of them trailed behind Cara, the same as the day before however Art had learned the tough lesson and was keeping a slow pace with Asher. The two were able to make it to the park pretty fast without any problems. However as soon as they approached they were surprised to see seven people wearing matching workout clothing there already.


    Cara was speaking to the tallest one like she had met them before. "Oh you two finally caught up huh? Get over here and meet the body training club. They are ranked pretty high in the clubs since they always seem to win their physique competitions."

 Chapter 39 - 39. Super Sounds

    Asher and Art were wide eyed looking at the so called students in front of them. ''She said they were in a club on campus but are they really our age?'' The two were trying hard to figure out how someone could have such a perfect chiseled physique at their age. "Oho so this is your little brother and his friend. I am Rob the president of our little club. We change up our workout routine every week and come here today. Cara has a decent circuit that we like to join in on. Let''s do our best."


    Asher was not sure how to respond to the muscle bound guy introducing himself. These guys were all super fit and intimidating. ''One punch and these guys could send me to orbit and they are here to work out with us?''


    ''Hello, I am Art. I just started working out and look forward to the circuit. If you have any advice i will gladly listen." Art took the initiative to try and gain some insight from people who seemed to work out harder and more than anyone else.


    "In that case it''s all about metabolism. You need to eat a small snack every hour to keep it burning. Get rid of that worthless fat and keep feeling the fire in your muscles." One of the shorter boys spoke up while snacking on a piece of what looked like dried apple.


    "No no don''t listen to him, it''s all about repetitions. Do something a hundred times and your muscles will fall in to line whether they like it or not." Another boy instantly countered trying to make his techniques known.


    "Ah just take what they said with a grain of salt. Both methods work but if you do half of what they both say you will end up with a perfect award winning physique like mine." Rob smiled while flexing his arms. His white gym shirt threatened to tear under the pressure.


    "You slackers, get over here and start things up!." Cara had moved to the basketball court with the pothers to start her reps. She shook her head at those who were distracted and falling behind already.


    Asher and Art ran to the water fountain and gulped some water before joining the circuit a few reps behind. The club members were almost double as fast as Cara and were pumping out more and more reps like they were going out of style. ''These people must all have some power related to their bodies because this is just insane.'' Art and Asher were both stunned at the insane speed. They couldn''t believe that a human would be capable of anything like this.


    The entire workout went by much faster since every time they switched to a different exercise Asher and Art felt that they had no choice but to push themselves faster. The body training club was intense and didn''t even look to be breaking a sweat.


    "How do you all do this without even taking a break? That was insane?'' Art finally had enough and while they all grabbed water before the run home he asked Rob.


    "Oh that was just a warm up. We have two more workouts scheduled for today. One at night before bed we will all do our own thing and after school on club time we will do a three hour lifting session." That was it Asher and Art felt that they were broken.


    Cara seemed to feel their pain sightly but not enough to wait up for them on the run. "Come on these meatheads will be running laps to the school for ever. We need to get home and change." Asher almost wanted to give up there hearing that the body training club was not done at all and still had laps planned until the got to school. They were intense.


    Art and Asher managed to stay much more in pace this time. Cara had only just gotten out of he shower and off to change by the time they had returned. "I call shower first!" Art sprinted up the stairs and turned the corner.


    "Ahhhhhh!!!!" The high pitched screech defeaned the entire block completely. Asher held his head feeling it was about to explode in to a million pieces.


    He rushed upstairs to find quite the scene. Art had naturally rushed and completely tackled Cara as she was walking to her room. Luckily for Asher''s eyes she was still wearing her towel tightly around her, however Art who had bumped in to her and somehow managed to catch her in the fall was lying on his back holding Cara up.


    His hands had grasped in the second to catch her and ended up in a pretty interesting place. Asher wanted to yell but found that when he spoke he couldn''t hear his own voice. Art was looking stunned and frozen while Cara was winding up a solid fist aimed at his face. Before anything could escalate Asher''s mother kicked open the door to her room and grabbed the two on the ground by the ears.


    The look of rage she had was palpable but luckily none of them could hear the angry yells coming from her mouth. She dragged Cara into her room and slammed the door shut behind her. She took Art the opposite way next and pushed him in to the shower. She glared at Asher, almost daring him to try something this morning. The shivers that went up his spine told him that if he dared to step even a toe out of line he would be sending himself to an early grave.


    The entire house was in silence as everyone got ready. When the three had all gathered in the kitchen Cara had a furious look on her face. Every time Art even twitched she sent vicious glares at him. The hearing loss was still great but slowly fading since they could now start to hear the rustles from the kitchen.


    Asher''s mother brought out three bags for lunch however the two she handed to Art and Cara were full of nothing but air. "Oh thank the lord I have food in mine.'' Asher was thankful he had not been part of the punishment and still received a double peanut peanut butter sandwich with plenty of apple and banana slices. The protein shackle was a nice bonus too.


    The three of them left for school in a hurry, Cara took the lead and avoided being near Asher and Art. "Hey what''s going on with your sister today? Did that weird noise earlier wake her up from a nap or something?" Jane saw them and immediately joined in to their pace but Asher and Art only heard her voice as a whisper.


    "Art made a move on my sister this morning; it was not the luckiest thing for our hearing." Asher practically screamed this causing Jane to jump like a frightened mouse.


    "Why did you yell that? Just say it normally I will speak up!" Jane yelled a little louder making her words easier for the two to hear. Art was strangely quiet while the two had their yelling conversation about Art''s mishap. He was looking at his hands in a daze completely stuck in his own head.


    ''Great, he bumps into a girl one time and now he is completely broken. Even I was able to keep my sanity.'' Asher had no reason to get angry at Art for this accident since he knew he may have caused the bad luck to get deafened like this but he still was disappointed to see how Art had fallen into this state of day dream.


    Their walk to school was much less talkative than usual since Jane quickly got tired of yelling so that they would hear them. "Art let''s go to the nurses office and see if she can fix up our ears before class!" Asher shouted this but with him not receiving a response decided to just drag Art off instead.


    "Jane, we will meet you in class a little bit. Thanks for walking with us earlier than usual!'' Asher yelled this causing other students passing by to look at them. They were stunned by how shameless this kid could flirt in school. Jane found herself happy that her mask was hiding her emotions from everyone.


    She managed a wave at Asher as the two went up to the nurses office. She tried her best to calm her bearing heart after Asher''s shout. ''I knew he was happy to see me there earlier this morning. I know he would spend more time walking with me tomorrow if I show up early too.'' Jane fell in to her own day dreams as she went to their classroom. ''Wait tomorrow is the weekend...I won''t get to see Asher tomorrow.'' Jane fell in to an emotional conundrum at the thought. ''I will just need to find a way to get him to hang out.'' She walked in to the classroom while opening her journal, she started to scribble down ideas over and over until she had almost filled an entire page.

 Chapter 40 - 40. Camp Choice

    Meanwhile Asher and Art had just walked in to the nurse''s office. The soft voice of the nurse went completely ignored. The nurse came up to them slowly losing her smile after being ignored. "Good morning what are you here for?" Her annoyed tone went unnoticed by the two who still could not hear a word she had said. She grabbed their shoulders ready to chew them out until the smiling faces of the two boys hit her full force.


    The two said very loudly in unison, "Good morning, we are having trouble hearing!" The nurse jumped away as if she had just seen the largest bug in the world. The shock of being yelled at in such a way brought her heart to the edge.


    ''Ugh another deafening incident? That Cara girl really likes to mess with people''s hearing'' Her inner annoyance only increased since she was constantly fixing the hearing of those who battled Cara in class.


    She took the two to a chair and used her own super power to get to work. She was not that amazing when it came to powers but still found a very solid career in life. She only had the healing ability to heal small wounds or injuries and nothing major. But because of this she was a perfect school nurse. She could fix up students with injuries or fevers in a pinch and send them back to their classes.


    Her eyes glowed green and she touched the boys ears slightly. They felt a sting of warmth run through the heads and then the sounds of the world rushed back in. "You both should be able to hear just fine now. Next time you two look for a fight don''t go after the deafener, I would hate to see some permanent damage." With this she promptly kicked the two out of the office and sent them toward their classroom.


    "Bro, your sister definitely hates me now...If only I hadn''t been rushing. I''m the unluckiest guy in the world." Art was nearly crying with how his idol would definitely try to kill him if he even spoke to her.


    ''Really? Now you think she hates you? She literally called you a monkey the first time she saw you¡­'' Ashe was trying to figure out how Art thought but decided that there was a better way to fix things up. "I do have an idea you could use to help your situation.


    Art looked at Asher with pleading eyes, he was in full puppy dog mode wanting to find out how to appease the wrathful Cara. "Please I don''t want to be made deaf for the rest of my life." His plea was even more pathetic than before.


    Seeing this Asher barely withdrew his idea but decided that it was his duty as Art''s best friend to try and make things better. "My sister''s birthday is this weekend, she turned eighteen and I plan to look for a gift. Want to come with?" The look on Art''s face was like he had just been shown the way to salvation.


    "Yes! That is a great idea I will find her the best present in the world so that she can find the will to not kill me every time she sees me." He was nearly dancing down the hall with joy. Before the two could even say another word they realized that the bell was about to ring. As much as they wanted to avoid their academics for the day they knew that detention would be much worse.


    Setting foot in the classroom right before the bell rang Asher tried his best to stop his momentum. Luckily right before he slammed in to the first desk a hand reached out to grab his shirt by the collar. "Let''s not cause any broken bones today Asher. Try not to run in the halls anymore." Mr. Smith had seen the future of him falling in to a pile of desks and decided to change that right there and then.


    "Your power really is the best Mr. Smith!" Asher flattered him and gave his most sincere thank yous. ''He said broken bones...I could have been back at the nurses office before the day even started.'' This new fear brought Asher a whole new wave of terror. He really was lucky that Mr. Smith had stopped him.


    With the bell having rung and the rest of the class ignoring the scene unfolding at the door Mr. Smith started his lecture on geometry. The entire class felt the wave of tiredness come over them since they knew that there was no way they would be able to remain awake through the entire lesson. It was time to suffer through academics.


    Much later with a slightly melted brain the three of them were eagerly awaiting what class they would be having today. "No for your class we were supposed to have a study hall. But since the break is coming up next week we will talk about the camps you have the ability to choose from. This year there are the same three as always but we will now require your parents signatures on a waiver. This is a minor update from last year since there will be an i creased number of students from other high schools attending at the same time." Mr. Smith wrote the three camp choices on the board to remind the students what they would be able to choose from. He left details underneath and also set up three different stacks of forms, one for each camp.


    "Now feel free to ask any questions you have so that I can answer to the best of my ability. You may also talk amongst yourselves to work out what you want to do. You will have the entire weekend to bring back the forms filled out so be sure to get it signed!" With this the classroom burst in to talking since everyone wanted to try and go to one with familiar faces.


    "I already know I will go to camp jewel with Asher. There is no better choice but that. We will come back with the best training and stand on top of the school." Art was having fantasies of a completely changed body from training and mastery over his super power in just the week long break.


    "I think I will have to choose camp jewel since the principal gave me the recommendation for an extra three days. Plus if I don''t take it Cara is going to get on my vase about falling even further behind." Asher couldn''t think of anything worse than being farther behind his sister in ranking. She had already accomplished so much in comparison to him.


    "Well you could go to camp jack and learn to do a whole bunch of trades and jobs. They could give you a very open mind when it comes to hero work. Heroes don''t only resume people and fight villains. They do the little things too like help fix damaged homes for the elderly and volunteer at food shelters." Jane heard the mistake the second she said it.


    "I should definitely learn more recipes so i can bring my master chef level cooking skills to those in need." Jane flinched at this knowing she may have just doomed many people to a fate worse than death in food poisoning.


    "Well Asher you need to think this through. You have way too much to learn before you rush off to help those people. Let''s take it slow." Art had heard the same thing and instantly jumped to rescue those future [people in need. ''Nice job Art.'' Jane gave him a secretive thumbs up after he spoke.


    "That''s a good point. I kind of considered Camp Darwin though. It would be good to learn more about sciences since there will be a bunch of things I could do in other fields as a hero. Like what if there is a factory explosion and I need to know about chemicals to properly treat someone''s injury." This specific situation was a lot less rare nowadays than anyone would think. Due to the technological advance many experiments caused these situations.


    "I did consider that too, but mostly because that camp could really help me understand how my power works. But if I go there I will miss out on training that could prepare me for when I can''t use my super powers." Art had really thought of the long run here. The training he received would greatly out weight the purely power based training he could get at the camp Darwin.


    "At the end of the day I would like to go to camp jack, but that would only be for making my gear and sewing. I will choose camp jewel too so that i can keep up with you two." Jane turned her head slightly trying to show that she was smiling happily at the two through her mask.


    "Well it''s settled we three will be competing at camp jewel to see who can beat the others to the most improvement in a week." The three did a triple fist bump to lock the challenge in place.

 Chapter 41 - 41. Static

    After grabbing their waiver forms and placing them in their bags Sammy ran up to them. "I bet you guys chose camp jewel too right?" She was bouncing with excitement. "I have never gone to camp but I chose this one I can practice in nature more. I was told that this is the only camp taking place in the woods and since I need open spaces to try things out it was the obvious choice." She stood tall showing off her well planned out decision.


    "Wait so you mean we might get to be the first ones to see you use your powers to fly?" Art was happier about this than anyone. The realization that he might be able to talk Sammy into getting them to fly too was not just a pipe dream.


    "Well I don''t know if I can figure it out in a week but i will try my best." Sammy was a little shy hearing this but knew that she would one day be able to do many things, flying was just a small step in the ability she had.


    "I wonder who else will go too?" Asher looked around the room at the many students he had yet to talk to and wondered if they would be joining him in the competition for training.


    "I saw Louis take one of the camp jewel forms so let''s go ask him." The three looked at Sammy confused by this. They hadn''t met Louis yet and were lost to who it was.


    Sammy went to the back of the classroom and stood next to the boy that always seemed wrapped up in bandages and wearing a hoodie. "Louis you took the camp jewel form right? You are going to come with us and train to the world''s end!?" Sammy was getting more and more fired up.


    "Sammy you now you shouldn''t stand so close to me. It''s dangerous." He spoke slowly and carefully while not moving an inch.


    "Well hey man, we are going too so you should plan to sit next to us on the bus. When we get there we are going to compete to see who can make the biggest improvement." Art was the first to extend his hand in greeting.


    "I can''t shake hands unless you want to get fried to a crisp. It''s better if you all stay away. My body might zap you all." Now they were all getting curious and confused. The only one that wasn''t was Sammy.


    "You''re so bad at explaining Louis" She gave him a disapproving look before turning to the others. "This is Louis Wren. he got his shot the same day as us and has been wrapped up tight like this since. He got a little bit of a dangerous super power so he''s pretty afraid to touch anyone. Pretty much he is a walking lightning bolt now. If he isn''t wrapped up with these rubber bandages he will zap you good." Sammy giggled a little at this completely disregarding the danger.


    "That sounds a little...dangerous." Art was taking a step back with a little fear showing on his face.


    "Oh it''s not that bad. If he is feeling extra zappy I just jump in the air and don''t touch anything." Sammy gave a little hop and floated for an instant without touching anything around her.


    Louis let out a large sigh. "You know that only works with you since you can make the air hold you up for a split second. If anyone else touches me they will feel like they are touching a wall socket or even worse struck by lightning. It is the worst power ever." Louis was obviously brought to the class due to his chances of causing other people or electrical items damage.


    While they were standing there everyone''s hair started to stand on end slightly. "You will want to back up, I am about to have an extra jolt..." Louis seemed to shrink away from everyone not wanting to be near anyone at all.


    Jane, Art, and even Sammy jumped back with full force putting a large distance away from him. Asher was not as quick however. He was standing there barely starting to take a step when Louis let out a short gasp. The air crackled around him and everyone could see small bits of blue electricity escaping from around the bandages.


    Asher winced as he felt the shock come for him, but when he thought he was going to be fried he felt nothing. "Ummm what happened?"


    Louis had stood up in shock, the build up of electricity had suddenly faded as if directed away from him somewhere else. Asher opened his eyes and looked about wondering if the blue electricity he had seen was just a bluff. The smell of melting plastic and metal was the true identifier that something had happened.


    "Ahh Louis you melted the wire to the classroom projector!" Sammy was looking up at the once low hand projector cord. The electricity had jumped to the closest thing and traveled through it. The intense energy had melted the plastic casing and even the copper wiring in it.


    "Whoooo, that was close. I thought you were going to be electrocuted. That one felt big. It''s like all my energy builds up at once and just bursts out. I have no idea why. If I can go train in the woods I can get rid of these bandages and really try to learn to control it. Oh the doctor called my super power blue lightning body." The cool name instantly attracted Art''s attention.


    "Dude, you can make the best hero names when you learn to control your power." He was already writing names in his head for Louis.


    "Not so sure I will be a hero but I am debating working with power generation facilities since they will deal with a lot of dangerous electricity. I would fit in really well." He seemed happy to hear that his power was seen as cool instead of an accident waiting to happen.


    "True if you go there and can control electricity you will be the best at electrical safety at any facility." Jane saw the benefit immediately. There were so many injuries that could be avoided by having someone with proper control over one of the most dangerous elements in the world.


    "Well since you seem discharged for now." Asher held out his hand. "Nice to meet you Louis, I am glad you are not the quiet brooding type and instead just keeping us all safe. You should come sit with us at lunch from now on." His genuine smile made Louis rush his step forward and grasp his hand. He had not touched anyone since he had gained his powers.


    "I will be taking you up on that offer." Even though he was covered in rubber bandages the smile was still plain to see on his face.


    "So that''s half our class alone going to camp jewel. How crazy is that?" Art had realized that with Stanley they had officially befriended half the class and found they were sticking together when it came to camps.


    "I am pretty sure the boy who sits in front of me is too, I think his name is Stanly." Louis pondered this before looking to his left. "And I know for sure that Erin is as well. She is the one who handed me the form when I walked up. I can''t remember what power she has though. But if she ever needs my help I will give her anything she needs."


    The last comment put everyone on guard, he couldn''t really tell them about her but since she handed him one form he is already so dedicated. "Umm a little weird but I guess everyone can be a fan of whoever they want." Jane tried to brush it off but the others still felt a little weirded out.


    Trying to push on to another topic they chatted about the rumors they had heard about the camps and what they would do. "You know Asher''s sister called it camp cruel. Not sure how I feel about that but no pain no gain." Art remembered the dinner clearly but he didn''t know why that was the name made for it.


    "I have heard that it is the hardest camp but I figured that was because it was mostly for those aimed at law enforcement. It''s no walk in the park learning all the laws and the training that goes in to it." Sammy seemed that she was not deterred by this and actually expected it. "I have already studied what training is needed for those who go in to the air to police the skies, it is a lot of training in lung capacity alone."


    "So it isn''t intentionally cruel just that it is tough to learn so people act like it is cruel." Asher summed everything up thinking that everyone that had been was just exaggerating. With this their conversation mostly came to an end, the bell soon ringing for them to move on to lunch.

 Chapter 42 - 42. Dating?

    The group had grown by two people in just two days. They were required to take over the largest table on the roof but were still lucky that no one else went up there. Louis kept his distance and ate at another table. Since he removed his bandages there were constant sparks shooting off and dissipating from his face. However everyone had looked at first to find that his eyes were bright blue and seemed to dance with lighting. They could also see the very pale skin and many blue bruins that popped out from his skin. The lightning seemed to have fully taken over his body.


    After getting their fill of seeing their new friend for real they chatted trying to make the most of the time before they went to their next classes. "Hey, so what classes did you guys choose for electives?" Asher was curious what the two of them were doing since they had not chosen a combat class like them.


    "I go to meteorology seminars. I have a super power related to lightning so I figure it is important to learn about weather. What if there''s a thunder storm and I somehow end up attracting all the lightning?" This was something none of them would consider. Louis was showing his dedicated thinking and his desire to keep people safe from any harm that his ability could cause.


    "I go to the same one! We are desk buddies there and it''s a lot of fun. Did you know the wind currents are always changing up there? Down here could be super calm but wayyyy up there in the sky they can be up to hundred of miles per hour gusts. I will be up there fighting those gusts one day." Sammy was bouncing on the bench just thinking about this.


    "Other than that you two are off to other things right? Or did you two end up in every class together?" Jane was starting to pry a little since Sammy seemed a little too happy over the fact that her and Stanley were desk buddies.


    "Yes we are in all three classes together, we also took a physics class which is super helpful to our abilities. I need to know how to counteract the force of gravity. And Louis will need to learn how even lightning is affected by gravity."


    "Our third class is a lot more practical, I chose to go for a basic law course. Having some law education to fall back on will only improve my standing as an applicant and in general a citizen." Louis finished Sammy''s explanation making Jane nearly squeal.


    "So you two spend pretty much the whole day together huh? I bet you even walk home together." Art had picked up what Jane was thinking and decided to test the waters.


    "Well yea she is my cousin, we live next door to each other." Louis completely pulled the air from their inflating egos. Every bit of rumor or gossip was gone. Asher nearly fell from his seat laughing at the two of them.


    "You two look like someone just stole your dessert." He was practically on the ground laughing seeing that Art was showing enough disappointment to make up for Jane''s hidden face.


    "Ooooohhhh I get it now. Louis, they thought we were dating." She joined Asher in laughing, however her high pitched giggle was much cuter than Asher''s almost snorting laugh.


    "Ha! Like I would date you, you are way too much of an air head." Louis threw his new favorite teasing insult at his cousin.


    Sammy responded with her own favorite teasing insult. "Yeah yeah, your brain was fried the second that shot touched you." The two were picture perfect siblings even though they were technically cousins.


    The bell rang again sending them all scrambling to get their trash thrown away. "I am off to class, we need to be fast so that can walk down the hall safely. See you guys later!" Sammy was off and Louis was practically running behind her.


    The three left were also on the move, they yelled their goodbyes while trying to be the first to the gym locker rooms to change. They had hoped that today they could watch more of the how to videos in combat class.


    They were quickly proven wrong when they walked in, coach Winters had come back early and was standing in the middle of the mats. She had a few cuts and some small bruises on her face and arms that were visible. "Hurry up you lazy bunch! I was gone one day and I gave you a chance to learn something. Let''s see who is able to catch on to anything." she started to put people in to pairs as they came out of the locker rooms.


    Jane and Art ended up as pairs leaving Asher as the last to walk out of the locker room. "Oho lucky me, I get to take on the expert." coach Winters had a viscous smile, she was excited to put Asher in his place after their last bout.


    "Welcome back coach Winters. I hope your tournament went well." He tried his best to hold her off from the fighting but it gained him no time at all.


    "Look alive!" Coach winters started out with a slow jab. She was holding off and warming up. It was obvious that she was a little tired from fighting in her tournament and needed more time to get going. Asher decided that he needed to take advantage of this. He started to move his feet in the patterns that he had learned previously and focused on keeping his wrist straight. He punched out mimicking coach Winters jab.


    It was nowhere near landing on her but she was slower to sidestep leaving it just slightly passing by. She spun on her heel and sent out a basic straight kick. Asher had lost his balance trying to use the fancy footwork and managed the duck under the kick completely by accident.


    Coach Winters clicked her tongue and kept moving. She was going to use another straight kick but saw that Asher was doing his own straight kick. She was annoyed by his copy cat fighting technique but was not disappointed to see that someone had actually been practicing while she was gone. She was looking around the room to view the others'' progress and found that most people had neglected the how to class they had had.


    She took special note of the mock battle between Jane and Art. ''Those two look like they are already at the muscle memory stage for the basics. They must have been practicing these basics even before I had them go over it.'' She was very happy to see this and decided to stop the class. "Everyone freeze where you are!"


    Her yell stopped Asher in his tracks halfway through a kick. The other students were in similar situations. "Kid stay like that and you won''t hit the broad side of a barn." Coach Winters pushed Asher''s hip to the side and twisted his leg a little in to the ideal pose. "Hold this while breathing slowly for five minuets and then remember it every time you kick. This way you can take the head of anyone taller than you." She walked towards Art and Jane leaving the frozen Asher behind.


    "No look at these two, they are the best two in the class and actually look to have practiced anything from the other day at all. You two go." She nodded for Jane and Art to continue.


    They jumped in to it right where they left off. Art was not the fastest with his jabs and heavier punches but he was slowly making the moves so he would remember the feeling. Jane was right with him working on her footwork to dodge. Her fast speed was well above everyone else.


    When Art would draw back his arm for a heavier punch, Jane would use a small burst of speed to get in close and use her own jabs. This forced Art back but he would create space with a kick to throw off Jane''s rhythm. "Stop!" Coach Winters only let them go for a few minutes.


    "These two are not fighting with everything they have. They are acting and reacting slowly with precision and only thinking of how their bodies feel. When they are in a tense situation their bodies will remember every move of this perfect practice and react perfectly." Her point was made ending her little lecture. She dismissed everyone back to their own training but Jane rushed up.


    "Coach Winters, can you tell me how your tournament went? I bet you were able to defeat everyone!" Jane was much more excited but the sour look on coach Winters face spoke of different results.


    "I met an old rival there. We butt heads enough that it was a good fight. But we were both swept by a newcomer. That won''t stay that way for long though." She walked back to Asher to keep up the class. Asher ended up leaving at the bell much more sore than he was before. Although he was very curious to anyone that could properly match Coach Winters.

 Chapter 43 - 43. Debate

    "I know that she was angry but did she really need to go so hard?" Asher was winning to them as they headed to their philosophy class. "I would hate to meet whoever she fought that was able to butt heads with her." Asher could only shudder in fear.


    "She even said that someone was able to beat her and her rival. They must be super strong. I hope we can train with them one day." Jane was overly optimistic for the possibility.


    "A second coach Winters to train us? Nope I would switch classes that very day. I wouldn''t survive a second" Art was shaking his head so much that it could have been spinning.


    "With how i feel right now I don''t think I will ever be able to properly match coach Winters." Asher was still stretching his arms slightly trying to get rid of the newfound soreness.


    "But you are so lucky you got to train with her. She was able to fix even the smallest errors in your form so now you can attack and defend even better than everyone else." Jane did have a point but Asher was more in the mood to wine than appreciate his opportunity.


    "I am just glad she was happy with our progress. I have been doing fifty of each jab and kick I know before bed every night."Art tried to stretch his arm a little while walking.


    ''I have been out training in my own home.'' Asher realized that Art had started to take a lead right under his nose. "Then you should come to the back yard and practice with me before bed. I think we can go through the reps better looking at each other''s flaws."


    Asher''s sneaky attempt to get Art on the same level as him was taken, hook line and sinker. "That''s perfect. I didn''t even realize you were doing the same thing." Art was more than happy to have Asher there to push him. "We can also use it for a little sparing practice." However he was also thinking about how they could use each other as real life testing dummies.


    The two looked at each other with fire in their eyes as they walked into the philosophy class. Before they had even sat down they heard that Mr. Richards had already started to speak. "..Then today after you have handed in your journal entries I want you all to have an open debate about Justice, What does it mean and how does it pertain to society."


    The students perked up hearing their topic. They all had string views on the topic of justice and were always ready to speak on it. The influence of heroes in society had made sure that every citizen had some understanding or view of justice.


    "Justice is purity in morals and strict teaching." One student raised a fist and yelled this instantly starting a loud discussion through the entire room. Mr. Richards just smiled enjoying the moral dilemmas that started to surface. This was exactly his intention. The super heated battle of morals was the best way to find new meanings and understanding.


    "Well that''s just too broad. I could tell you all day that justice is following the laws and being a good citizen. But would that really cover everything?'' Jane was unhappy to hear that this was the subject.


    "I think he meant to get us with that. Look he is just over there smiling like the devil." Asher pointed out the look on Mr. Richard''s face which more than showed that he had done it all on purpose.


    "Well he might just be as evil as coach Winters." Jane smacked Art''s arm when he said this since she still believed that coach Winters was an outstanding person pushing for their improvements and not at all trying to torture them.


    "Not to mention justice is down to perspective. Some people run around stealing things to donate to homeless shelters. To them that is justice." Asher continued on with the subject realizing that the word justice was more of a trick question than anything.


    "Well stealing is never justified, it''s wrong. They should find another way to help. Find someone that would donate instead." Jane was the opposite, she could not fathom that someone could feel justified stealing from another.


    "Wait but aren''t there the villains that go around trying to take down other villains since they fight for tru justice? They will even fight heroes since they don''t think that they can properly deal with them. Sure they are more brutal but it could be argued that they are doing more in the name of justice. How many villains come back again after they are dealt with by another villain?" Art was making a very edgy point.


    Jane was visibly agitated by this but she was not in a place to argue. The logic was surprisingly sound. Some in the world even advocated that it was a better way to deal with some of the worst lawbreakers. "I can see how that works, but they often use violent means without worry for anyone in their way. Wasn''t there a whole city block caught on fire once?"


    Asher had seen a newspaper clipping mentioning a psychokinetic super power user that went after a corrupt insurance agency. Things had gone very poorly when the fire that was meant only for the offices spread to every building on an entire block. Many people were injured and it made world news sparking a huge debate over these kinds of hero villain hybrids that went out on their own rules.


    "They are villains though, if they''re not conforming to any of the rules that keep people safe then they are just running around causing harm. Justice is not about hurting others." Jane came back in to things with this statement.


    ''She isn''t completely wrong.'' Asher immediately had this thought. "I think you''re right, justice is not about harming others. In some cases it is unavoidable but most of the time it is the pursuit to better the lives of others. I think the term justice is not so small that it can be put to just one situation. It should arch over to many. Justice can be found in many places." The pensive look of his face made Art and Jane stop arguing in their debate and start to think on it.


    "That does make sense-" Art was going to add to his point when a commotion broke it in the middle of the room. Two male students were yelling at each other in a heated manner. One was yelling something about how justice could even be done with evil ways if there is a good reason. While the other was yelling about how justice always had to be good.


    "Oh man are those two going to fight?" Art changed what he was going to say while staring at the two who were now in their own circle of onlookers. The one kid had started to grow scales all over his skin in his irritation. The other was yelling and making spikes out of his hair. The long quills that were formed looked way too sharp and dangerous for a classroom.


    Mr. Richards was nowhere to be found when Jane went looking for him to try and get him to break up the fight. ''How could he have disappeared so quickly. He was just here watching us a moment ago.'' She was about to yell out when the two students that were getting ready stopped.


    "Ummm what is going on with those two now." The two students that had looked to be angry and ready to fight a second ago were now all smiles and retracting their super powers. The emotions that had caused them to get all up in arms completely gone from them.


    "Well as you can all see there is a very serious amount of debate that can take place over such a topic. There is always also a huge amount of stress that comes from different opinions and could end up this way. I expect to find essays from everyone with at least five thousand words on the topics discussed today. You two will be giving me an additional two thousand words on to what drove you to your current state. By the way, my power will wear off in an hour." Mr. Richards had somehow gotten right next to the two students who were about to fight.


    "What was that!? How did he get there and how did he make the two of them so calm and collected?" Jane was the one at a loss here. She was the only one able to get the word she was thinking out of her head.


    ''I didn''t even see him move. And he was able to change the actions of two angry people. What super power can let him do this?'' Asher was trying hard to decipher these clues but everything he came up with seemed wrong.

 Chapter 44 - 44. Notes

    "Now after that little interruption I would prefer you all to take the time to think in the last few minutes of class. Anyone who acts up will have detention for a week." This caused everyone to silence themselves instantly. The threat of detention came with the hefty price of an extra two hours at the school. People would miss their clubs and sports. Not to mention the fact that parents would most certainly bring punishment down.


    Luckily they all could take the time to start writing their essay outlines. Some of the students were able to write introduction paragraphs before the bell rang to send them home. The collective sigh from the room could be heard in the hallways since everyone had been bottling up their thoughts.


    "That was intense. I thought we would all end up with detention forever." Art was the most afraid of this since staying at school so long sounded like a curse. He always relished the time he had away from classroom academics and homework.


    "I was afraid they would get in to a fight and hurt someone. The spoke that guy made in to quills from his hair looked very sharp." Jane was still thinking about the body enhancement powers the two had shown off.


    "You can worry about that while I wrack my brain over what power Mr. Richards has. One second he was at the front of the room and the next the two about to fight acted normally and he was there next to them. I have no clue."


    After Asher''s comment the three tried their best to come up with an answer but in the end were forced to separate and head off to their own classes. Asher had been eagerly awaiting this time of day so he could make some sense of what tarot was all about. He had followed the instructions but realized that he was clueless on what meanings the cards would represent.


    When he approached he heard Lin already yelling about the incense smoke. However this time there was a little change in her voice. ""This time I came prepared! There will be no more smoke filling this room ever again!"


    Asher stepped in to the room and immediately saw the large fan that Lin had wheeled in. It looked industrial and way too powerful for the small room, but it fit perfectly in the window and could definitely solve the problem. "I will set it up here so that all I need to do is flip this switch and then I will have a clear and smoke free room." She smiled like she had just won a great battle.


    "Oh Asher, perfect timing. Plug that in there and flip the switch on the wall." Lin caught him out of the corner of her eye and gave him a job.


    ''Well already put to work.'' He couldn''t help but think that he was going to be ordered around all class now. "It''s plugged in, flipping the switch now!"


    The switch flipped with a click and the hum of the fan began to resound through the room. The plan seemed to be working well for Lin as the air was becoming much more least at a much faster pace. She was still smiling triumphantly when the humming g fan started to vibrate in the window.


    "Hey Lin. That doesn''t look safe¡­" Asher wanted to warn her but was instead met with a hard glare.


    "I made sure the window was stable and the fan wouldn''t slide through. It is the perfect pla-" She was halfway through her word when the vibrating window frame gave out and took the fan with it.


    ''And there goes out new addition to the class'' Asher said a silent prayed for the window frame and the fan falling to then ground. The resounding metal smashing sound made Lin flinch and freeze. Her victory had been snatched away from her by a faulty window frame and plain old bad luck.


    "I did try and warn you dear. The aura around that fan was darker than night." Madam Weaver said her part with a frown. It seemed no matter how many times she tried to tell Lin something it would go over her head.


    "But how would a fan have aura?! It should be living things that have aura from what I have caught on to!" Lin was beside herself.


    "Everything has an aura but not everything has a colorful aura like humans do. Some are simply black or white. Others rest in grey." The way Madam Weaver said this was as if she was describing the weather. To her these things were the same.


    "Sorry about the fan...and the window¡­" Asher had a feeling that he may have in influenced this somehow.


    "Don''t you worry yourself over there dear. That was not at all connected to your aura. Those cards however look very nicely connected. You followed the directions very well." She was looking at his pocket that he had slipped the tarot cards in to in the morning.


    "I guess...It''s fine¡­"Lin sat down a little dramatic staring at the now windowless hole in the wall.


    "Should we go get the fan and window frame?" Asher was curious if they should go to clean up their mess or not.


    "Oh I think you will want to wait until you for the day." madam Weaver was smiling a little while looking at him. "Now get those cards out, ask your question , then shuffle." She was very demanding not leaving him with any room to do otherwise.


    Doing exactly as he was told her pulled out the deck and looked at it. "Will I be able to learn more about my power at camp jewel early training camp?"


    Asher started to shuffle while madam Weaver watched. "I thought you would choose that camp. If you go there make sure to spend some time looking at the stars. Without the light of the city here you will be able to see much much more. You may even be able to think more clearly." Her smile spoke of wisdom and experience.


    "Now draw one card. That shall answer your question." The way she spoke it was as if she already knew what would be drawn.


    ''Come on show me what I want to see, show me what I want to see.'' Asher chanted this in his head over and over wanting to see something that would prove that he would have a breakthrough in camp.


    While he started to pull the top card he put all his faith in to it. The card now separated from the deck was upside down in his hands. He felt the time was right and flipped the card.


    Lin drew in a sharp breath, "That''s bad right? I know that anything that looks like that is bad¡­"


    "Death...I drew the death card. I am fated to die!" Asher was ready to cry.


    "Calm down, I swear don''t the two of you think that the death card means anything else?" Madam Weaver was not having any of the antics at this moment.


    "You asked a question and you got an answer. You think it would just mean you die?" She looked more exhausted at this and continued anyways. "The death card in this position means the end of a cycle, beginnings, change , and even metamorphosis. Would you like it to mean these things or would you prefer just to think you will die?" The sarcasm was strong as she explained."


    Asher was a little worried but responded anyways. "I-I would like to make a change and start new with my power. I want to understand it better¡­" The biggest I told you so look anyone had ever given him came from Madam Weaver at that moment.


    "Ehem, well I knew that, of course. I just wanted to play along with your joke¡­" Lin tried to play it off but she was very poor at acting. The two saw right through her.


    "Since it seems you two need some lessons I want you to spread every card out and let me explain them. I expat you to take notes." This was something madam Weaver rarely did unless she felt that the lessons that she was trying to teach was being ignored.


    The rest of the class went slowly since the two were made to repeat the notes twice so that madam Weaver was sure they would not forget. They were both very happy to hear that the bell rang to release them from a third time repeating the notes. ''I swear I will never make trouble for madam Weaver ever again.'' This was Asher''s final promise to himself as he walked back in to the hall to search for his friends.


    Being the lest one to the lockers Asher found that Jane and Art were standing by the entrance looking at a crowd of people. "What are you all looking at?" This was what he said before he saw for himself.

 Chapter 45 - 45. Counting Sheep

    "How is that kid alive?"


    "Do you think that fan fell on him?''


    "Look even that window fell out of the wall."


    "Who could be sleeping through that?"


    The crowd of students constantly resounded with these phrases of curiosity as the scene became clear to Asher. There was a skinny boy wearing a large fluffy grey coat. His eyes were tightly closed and a slight bit of drool dripped from his lip. The only proof that he lived was his small snores.


    "Is this kid sleeping underneath the fan like it''s a blanket?" he was dumbfounded by how someone was able to lift it so easily let along keep breathing with the heavy metal fan on their chest.


    "Bro, I think I have seen this kid somewhere before¡­" Art was scratching his head trying to force the memory to surface.


    "Well you should know him. I am pretty sure he sits behind you in class." Jane''s voice dripped with disappointment.


    "Aha! Yeah he sits behind me. I think I saw him write his name down as Lester!" Art seemed to sure of this but when Jane started to speak the triumphant smile fell from his face.


    "Stanley...His name is Stanley , Art you really should try to improve your reading¡­" She was shaking her head feeling that Art might just be an academic lost cause.


    Asher stepped toward the sleeping Stanley now that he knew his name. "Hey umm Stanley. You alright there? Can you get up?" His voice was unsure but he was stunned to see the reaction from Stanley.


    The second he stopped talking white fluffy sheep started to crawl from his jacket and grow to the side of normal sheep. There were numbers written on their wool. The crowd that had grown took many steps back in surprise. Even more surprising the sheep started to move the fan off Stanley and then even sat him up. One slapped him a few times with it''s hoof.


    The result was the slow awakening of Stanley. His eye started to crack open causing the sheep to start to dissolve in to white smoke. By the time he had opened his eyes fully there was just the onlooking crowd and Louis. "Good morning...am I late for school?"


    "Umm, no man. School is over for the day." Not a single person was able to figure out what was going on in this situation. It was like something out of a bad comedy.


    "Hey man, I''m Art. We are desk neighbors." Art extended his hand outward.


    Stanley yawned and stretched his body trying to stand up. Eventually with a tired glance he grabbed Art''s hand and stood up. His wobbling made him seem drunk but it was obvious that he was nearly sleeping on his feet.


    "Thanks for that...I just couldn''t keep walking so stopped for a quick nap. I got cold and wanted a blanket so the sheep got one for me. I only managed to count to five before I was asleep though." His words were slow but definitely not easy to understand what so ever.


    "Yeeaahhh about that, Where did the sheep come from? Also why did they use that fan as a blanket for you?" Art was trying to find these answers but it looked like it would be tough.


    Stanley looked like he was too tired to even answer back but after what seemed like an eternity he spoke again. "My super power is sleeping sheep...When I start to fall asleep I can count sheep and when i fall asleep the number i end on will be summoned from dream land. They take care of me¡­.I can''t really control them but they are really nice¡­"


    "Wait, so is there no limit to them? You can have an army of sheep with you?" Jane picked up on this possibility immediately. ''This has to be the reason he is in our class. He can''t control the sheep and if he counts too high when he goes to sleep then there could be thousands of sheep roaming around for his unconscious needs.''


    "Hmm I need to count so go to sleep...I once counted to ninety six and got hungry. When I woke up...there was a whole grocery store of snacks in my room...the sheep went out and somehow made money to buy it all¡­" This was even harder to understand than before.


    Asher couldn''t help but start to catch on that with his power Stanley didn''t end up getting much sleep. "Sounds pretty rough, do you ever get a full night''s rest?"


    "Well¡­.once¡­.twice a month." Stanley had just spoken of something terrible. The curse of not being able to sleep well but for once or twice a month finally broke the crowd of students. They all decided to be on their way and keep moving for fear that this wild somehow pass to them. They could not risk their precious sleep!


    "I''m gonna head home...see you guys in class after the weekend¡­" Stanley started to wobble off. Every other step he was stumbling from one side to the other.


    "I don''t think he will be alright." Art played the part of captain obvious here.


    "Do you think we should follow him, just in case?" The worry in Jane''s voice was the same worry all three of them felt.


    "Ummm, naaaa. I think he should be fine." Asher was trying to laugh it off but was having a hard time being convincing. ''Is meeting another classmate why madam Weaver wanted us to leave the fan there?'' Asher was still stuck on why he had been told to leave it there for now.


    After watching Stanley get far out of sight the three started their own wall home. Asher hesitated before leaving the fan, ''Is this wool from those sheep?'' He picked up a small white fluff ball that was as soft as a cloud. He stuck it in his pocket figuring that it was something weird to figure out when he was bored.


    "Hey so Asher, do you want to meet up on our day off tomorrow?" Jane broke the silence while they all walked.


    "Actually that sounds perfect! I told Art he could come gift shopping with me for Cara''s birthday." Jane felt that she had been robbed of an opportunity to spend alone time with Asher but since he had already made the plans it was unavoidable.


    "Well if we are all going out we should stop by the hero corp design shop. We have those vouchers and it would be best to get something made sooner than later." Jane had been dedicated to making something herself but until she improved her sewing skills.


    "Yes! We can all choose something super cool and tough looking!" Art was already designing his gear again. He didn''t have much control of his power but he was thinking of the future when he would have the control.


    "You know, I a, still not sure if I should use the voucher. I could really only use a little body armor maybe? But I can just use some saving." Asher was still shaken that he had money in his savings in this world compared to his previous where he had rarely even held money at all.


    "We need to protect our good luck charm. Let''s just buy you a suit of armor instead." Art was trying to think of the best defense he could and had taken it on himself to mentally build it.


    "No no, we can just put him in one of those giant bubbles." Jane did not miss the chance to tease Asher a little.


    "And that settles it, I am not getting any gear at all." Asher dropped this bomb on them making both of them feel bad. ''Maybe I will get some padded gloves and combat boots. But i won''t tell them that.'' Asher laughed at his own sneakiness.


    The conversation continued with their wild ideas on what things the hero corp designers could make for them that would go with their powers. All of Art''s decisions were based on carrying more lead. Now matter how much he was told he was not strong enough to carry so much, he kept insisting.


    Jane''s ideas were at least practical since she didn''t need much. She was naturally fast so she wanted something light that would not slow her down. The mask would need to be easy to put on and take off so she could safely use her power. The sharper nails she grew when she got her evo shot would be part of her combat prowess so she didn''t want anything to inhibit that. The most surprising part was that she wanted to cover the scales that grew on her arms. She thought they were creepy. ''


    "I like you the way you are, you should show off the parts of your power that are nique like that." Asher didn''t like the idea of her hiding her powers at all.

 Chapter 46 - 46. Dreams

    Jane started to get very fidgety after Asher said this. ''He said he likes me the way I am. Does that mean he is confessing his love for me? Or does he just want my body?...Does he have that kind of fetish?!'' The crazy thoughts that fell in to Jane''s mind were uncontrollable.


    "Hey, Jane! Jaaaannnneeee!" Art waved his hand in front of her since they had all come to a stop in front of Asher''s house.


    "Ah, oh sorry. I was thinking about something." Her thoughts had turned her face bright red but not a single one of the boys knew this because of her mask. She was beginning to believe that her power may be a blessing in disguise for this very reason.


    "We asked what time you wanted to meet up to go shopping? We will be up early to workout anyways so any time is fine. We could even get lunch while we are out." This brought Jane back to reality fully.


    "Well I can come by around eight then. We can get to the hero corp design department store before they get busy."


    "Sounds good to me, I''ll see you then." Asher said this, making a whole new wave of embarrassing thoughts fly through Jane''s mind. Her walk towards her house made it look like she wasn''t even paying attention to the road.


    "That was weird huh?" Art had no idea what had completely stopped Jane from replying but he was curious none the less.


    "Dude, girls are complicated. I would hate try to understand a girl''s mind¡­" Asher had grown up with a sister and he still was at a loss for some of the things that happened.


    Bang!


    The front door flew open as Cara sprinted out. "Move!" Her shout was too late though. She had already bumped in to Art completely toppling the unsuspecting boy.


    "Ahgggg" Art''s cry as he fell and hit the ground was pitiful but soon the sight of Cara pinning him to the ground took up Asher''s vision.


    "You stupid money, you didn''t move." Cara was in a rush and struggled to get up. She managed to roll off of Art and sprint away down the street. She had her backpack filled with clothing and was headed off towards a friends house.


    "I guess she is heading to her classmates house for a sleep over. Don''t get your hopes up because we are still working out." Asher feared that Art would try to escape the early morning if he didn''t say this.


    Sadly Art was not even hearing his words. He was still laying on the ground stunned. The fact that Cara had knocked him to the ground and pinned him had sent a shock through his mind. "It''s OK, once we train more you will be able to react to something like that without thinking. Did she hurt you when she knocked you down?"


    Asher got his attention and caused Art to start to stand back up. "No...it''s just that...it didn''t hurt. Your sister is really light and like, soft. I thought she would be all muscly you know? From the workouts and stuff¡­" Art looked at himself for a few minutes then spoke again, "You don''t think I''ll stay soft do you?"


    He was having a small crisis and feared that he wouldn''t develop any visible muscle from working out. "Ha! Dude if we keep working out you will gain muscle whether you like it or not." Asher thought there was something wrong with him but realized he was just being weird. "Why is he so worried about muscles anyways?"


    "Well would you want to be rescued by a soft looking hero? Or would any girls want to¡­ eh whatever let''s go inside!" Art left Asher in the front step with no choice but to head inside the house too.


    "Art honey come on in to the kitchen. I could use a little help!." Asher''s mother took the chance to steal Art away as a second cook. Art who wanted to avoid more questions from Asher was more than happy to run there and wash up.


    "Hey mom, I have a permission slip for camp that needs to be signed!." Asher left it on the table and could hear his mother from the kitchen.


    "Art honey, will you be able to get your permission slip filled out?" She was worrying that Art would miss out on camp.


    "I should be fine. Tomorrow while I am out shopping with Asher and Jane I will stop by my mother''s work and have her sign it. Just because I can''t go in the house doesn''t mean she won''t help me." he even went so far to show Asher''s mother the texts he and his own mother had sent each other regarding this persimmon slip earlier in the day.


    "Oh that''s good. I am glad it worked out." She spoke with a much more relaxed tone. "So what are you three going shopping for?"


    "Well Asher told me it was Cara''s birthday tomorrow so I thought I should get her a gift. I also made her kind of angry the other day and need to apologize properly¡­" Art sounded like this really hit him harder than Asher had expected. "We also have our vouchers from the lunch contest so we want to put in for the free gear. If we can get it before the camp then it will be a great way to break it in." His voice became much more excited at this.


    "Ah, well if you are looking for a good gift for her I would suggest finding some good ingredients for a chocolate cake. You have the best cooking talent in the house now and she will need a cake." Asher was surprised how his mother was speaking. It was like she was trying to hint at something.


    Realizing that he was just eavesdropping at the point Asher felt embarrassed and headed upstairs to do some home work. He emptied his bag and found the little cotton fluff. He tossed it on his bed with his bag and got to work. Before he knew it dinner had come and gone. Art and him had gone out back and practiced all the basic moves they had earned along with a small sparring match in slow motion.


    The exhausted pair collapsed in to their respective beds. They didn''t even have a chance to change before they fell in to dreamland. While he slept Asher had the strangest dreams.


    He was in a great open field. Tall green grass flowed in the wind and little wool sheep pranced about. "Hello? Anyone here?" His shout caught the attention of every sheep nearby and they converged towards him. There were countless sheep moving around all with different numbers on their wool.


    They did not seem to be after him but the sheer amount of sheep made Asher nervous. There was no place to run, however as they came close they just looked at him while bouncing in place. "Um...hi. I don''t know where I am or what''s going on." The resounding Baaaaa from every single one nearly caused him to go deaf.


    "I was in bed and now I am here. I am supposed to workout in the morning and train but.." He was more talking out loud but the sheep seemed to have heard him loud and clear. They backed away leaving a wide circle and a sheep with the number 75 on it''s side entered.


    "What''s up?" Before Asher could ask anything else the single sheep was charging at him. He jumped and rolled out of the way but the sheep had started in on him again. This time it turned and kicked it''s back legs at him. Asher crossed his arms to block it and was knocked back. He rolled like he had learned in class.


    ''Ah this is a nightmare where I am beaten to death by a sheep¡­'' Asher had decided that it was the only possibility. Knowing this he gave up on logic and just went with the flow. He dodged, kicked and jumped around the sheep. The footwork he had learned from coach Winters was becoming less sloppy and he found he was using it better. He had practiced the proper way to punch and kick and could feel that he was faster in using them.


    ''This might only be in my tired brain sleep but I wish I was actually training like this in real life.'' Asher found that other sheep were jumping in here and there and he was able to improve rather quickly. This strange dream was all too real, he could feel the sweat dripping down his face and the harsh breath in his throat.


    Before he could continue and really start to give the sheep what for he heard the loud echo of his alarm clock. The field turned white and faded in to smoke along with the sheep. "Ah!" Asher jumped from bed slamming on to the alarm clock to stop the noise. He was covered in sweat and breathing heavily. ''What the heck was that all about.'' He didn''t notice the little wool fluff dissolving in to white smoke near his pillow.

 Chapter 47 - 47. Video Games

    When Asher changed and got downstairs Art was looking at him funny. "Why are you already so sweaty and tired looking?"


    "Dude, weird dreams last night. I think I must have a hidden fear of sheep or something¡­" Asher was still thrown off by the dream but could remember every detail of it perfectly.


    "You could have just told me that you were going to try and train extra to get ahead of me." Art was convinced that Asher was trying to stay ahead of him and didn''t want to admit it. ''This guy is going to surpass me, I will get up earlier tomorrow and train too.'' His promise to himself was made and his motivation soared. "Come on, we set the pace today."


    Ashher shook himself from his thoughts and realized that they were not competing with Cara but with each other this morning. "Bring it on!" The two set off on the run to the park finding that is was empty. They got in to their workout and were soon on the way home. They made good time. Asher narrowly beat Art in to the house, securing the use of the shower first.


    "Mom I can make us breakfast this morning. It''s the least I can do after kicking Art''s butt in the last run." Asher tried to take over in the kitchen but he did not expect his mother''s reaction.


    "No! Out out out! You can make the toast and that''s it!" Her reaction shocked Asher. ''Well toast it is then...but she doesn''t need to be so territorial." He was pushing it off as just his mother not wanting another cook in the kitchen.


    The smell of burnt toast slowly wafted through the house. "Who is burning toast?" Art walked in to the dining room showered and in casual clothing looking at Asher with horror.


    Asher had made a stack of crispy blackened toast. "I added a little char to it so that it will have some extra flavor. What do you want with it? Butter? Jam? I could make a special sauce?"


    Hearing that Asher could mix a special sauce made Art shiver in fear. He could not imagine what ingredients he would use to poison the breakfast if this was allowed. "Don''t put yourself out, I will take the grape jam please." Art tried his best to smile through his suffering as he put loads of grape jam on the blackened toast.


    "You really like jam huh? I can get more for you while we are out." Asher could only think his best friend was a jam fanatic watching this. However Asher''s mother knew the truth and gave Art a thumbs up to encourage him. He was taking one for the team eating the toast after all.


    After forcing himself to eat Art stood up. "If we hang around here too much longer we will leave Jane waiting outside too long. Let''s get this show on the road." He moved towards the door.


    "Asher, while you are out make sure you grab this list of groceries for dinner. Will you be getting some gear designed for camp as well?" His mother asked out of pure curiosity since she had already heard about Art''s ideas while they cooked the other night.


    "No, I might buy some gloves and basic pads but I think I will hold on to the voucher...maybe I will do something else with it. I haven''t signed it making it mine yet...I don''t think I can make the best use of it to be honest."


    "I am sure you will figure it out while you are shopping, just keep an open mind honey. You should think about your own safety too." She left him with this as he headed out the door and was greeted by the waiting Jane.


    "Good morning you two!" She sounded full of energy and ready to get out and about. The morning was bright and the sky was clear. They had a whole day ahead of them to shop and explore.


    "Hey Jane!" Asher and Art said in unison causing the two to try and punch each other in the arm.


    "You guys can''t let me forget to pick up groceries on the way home or my mom will kill me again." Asher knew that there was the possibility of being severely punished if he didn''t bring them home.


    "Again? Bro, you mom is super nice. How could she kill you at all?" Art caught this and Asher just shook his head.


    ''Ah man, they wouldn''t buy my crazy story about a world where I was pretty much nothing. I decided to focus here in this one and I need to keep it that way.'' Asher shook his head to push the thoughts away. His actions were strange to Jane and Art but they just figured he was being the usual weird Asher.


    "So we need to stop at the hero corp department store design shop. Then we can hit the video game store to see that new fighting game they have. After that we can snag some food. Then we can hit the grocery store. Sounds like a plan?" Art was listing these off on his fingers, however he could only care about the design shop and the grocery store. He had already created the recipe in his head and written it all out the night before.


    "Then why do we have to go by the video game shop?" Jane had no idea why she would be dragged to a video game store. She knew it was a boy thing to go after the new video games but still she didn''t think it would be a place to get a gift for Cara.


    "Oh well there is this new fighting game that they based off real martial artists. So if we can get it then we can watch their moves in the tutorial for added training." Art spoke matter of factly and even started to bring up the pilot video on his phone browser.


    Jane held this and watched it while Asher peaked over her shoulder. ''He is leaving right against me, why can''t this video be longer¡­'' Jane let out a sigh as they watched real martial artists demonstrate their moves and have them mapped by a super smart computer program. The result was a hyper realistic video game that basically could teach someone how to use those moves.


    "I have gotta say Art, great idea. We can train them and really surprise coach Winters next class." Asher was feeling the same things as Art, they would be able to come out of nowhere with a huge improvement to their portfolio of moves.


    "Do you guys really think it would surprise coach Winters? I bet she would be really happy to see us working hard!" Jane was hooked, she still believed coach Winters to be out for only the good and not to torture them but in this case it was more drive to get the game.


    "Now way! The website says that a random lucky customer will get a free copy and a chance to meet the guy whose moves were used for the main character. They are going to randomly select someone walking in to the store." Art looked at Asher knowing that they had their good luck charm.


    "Then let''s head there first, it''s on the way right?" Jane had a point, they might as well just stop there instead of passing by and not going in.


    With their goal found the group moved through the streets faster, they were just in time for the opening of the store. The group of dedicated gamers was already there, twenty or so people with chairs or even tents had set up camp. There were cameras taking pictures of a tall muscled man in martial attire. This had to be the man that had his moves used to create the main character.


    "Yo check that guy out. No wonder he is the main character. He is totally jacked. I would definitely bet that his super power is physical strengthening." Art was pointing like a fool at the martial artist who took notice and gave a wave. He was enjoying the spotlight and decided to really live it up.


    "Looks like he noticed you." Asher laughed at this while heading toward the store entrance first. Those who had been camped out were already in line at the register while the martial artist was watching the door with excitement.


    ''The alarms will go off when our man goes through them, then he will win the game and we will take a photo. The game store will get the copy back and we will have our publicity. It''s a win win.'' This plan that the martial artist was using was very common in these kinds of events to trick people in to showing up for the hope of a free item then leaving with a paid one.


    "Can''t stop me!" Art jumped ahead of Asher and made it through the door first.


    There was no response from the alarms or anything at the door. Art looked disappointed, he had no luck at all.


    "Jane, ladies first." Asher played the gentleman card like he had seen his father do in the past. ''There really are benefits of having dad around.'' This thought nearly brought a tear to his eye.


    "Here I go" Jane entered and looked about, "Dang". There was no notice that she won anything either. "Asher your turn!"

 Chapter 48 - 48. Scam

    Asher was about to step through the door when a hand grabbed his shoulder. "I''m heading in first watch your step kid." The skinny boy in a nice shirt pushed passed him and through the door.


    "Woooowwwwooooooowwwooo congratulations your aare a winner!!!! Wooowwwoooowww"


    The alarms blared sending off flashing lights and confetti all over the entrance. "Hey come on, he just cut our friend in line!" Art had seen the whole thing along with multiple others wanting to enter the store or in line for the register.


    "Hey too bad you weren''t fast enough. It''s just bad luck. No need to make enemies here." The skinny boy in the nice shirt stuffed his hands in his pockets with a triumphant smile. ''Just as planned, this is the easiest bonus I have ever gotten.''


    The martial artist came up holding a signed copy of the game. Congratulations to our lucky winner. Please accept this prize and my handshake. We can take so photos after for the website!" The martial artist had known this would happen but was acting it up for the publicity. The yells of cheating had died down almost instantly.


    "Yes, thank you. I am indeed a lucky guy. I can''t wait to see all the moves you spent hours adding to this game. I can''t believe an award winning martial artist like you has their own video game!"


    ''What did this guy read from a script or something?'' Asher looked at the sight skeptically. The others in the line also found the line to be too perfect. This was more sup[ported when the skinny boy pulled out his hands from his pocket and a lanyard fell out.


    "Oh hey you dropped this...why does this say you work as an employee for Action Games video game store?" Asher read the company name off of the identification card.


    "Did he say employee!? Employees aren''t allowed to participate!"


    "It''s a scam!"


    " they are liars!"


    "I want my money back!"


    "Never mind, I am going home. I don''t want to support a fraud."


    The line of those waiting to purchase the game dwindled to just two people. The skinny boy was mortified to see the Identification card in Asher''s hand. He couldn''t believe that he had dropped it.


    ''I need to salvage this situation. What to do, what to do?'' The martial artist was trying ti think up any way to save his reputation and decided that it was going to have to be through the use of a scape goat. "I can not believe that all my hard work would be thrown in my face in such a way! Your store has tried to cheat your customers while I was here. I shall never support this ever again. You young boy. For bringing this to light please accept this game with my signature and my heartfelt thanks."


    Without even a move from Asher the martial artist had already forced the game in to one of his hands and started to crush his other hand in a hand shake. The photographer was taking picture after picture of Asher''s surprised face loving every moment. This was the exact shot he had hoped for to publish on the website; surprise.


    Seeing this some of the crowd of gamers started to return to the store just out of principle. The martial artist had denounced the store and made it look like one bad employee. ''Now to get out of here before they realize I was in on this.''


    "You told me that all I had to do was walk through the door and pretend to be the winner and I would get a fifty dollar bonus! You scammed me for publicity!" The skinny boy was furious that he was taking the blame and spouted the truth. It was too late for the martial artist who wanted to run. Naturally the boy was furious that he wouldn''t be earning a bonus and had even been used as the villain.


    The gamers that had started to return left immediately along with the remaining two in line. One even started to get a refund immediately. There were other stores that sold the game after all. "Asher, let''s get going. There is way too much drama here." Art hooked one of Asher''s arms while Jane looked at the other. The rescued Asher from the martial artist''s grip leaving the two arguing people in front of the store.


    "Well hey, I won¡­" When they were a few blockers down front he store Asher held up the signed game smiling sheepishly.


    "I can''t believe they tried to cheat everyone there. They are getting what they deserve from doing something so shameless." Jane was shaking her head at these wrong deeds. "You know how we talked about justice? You picking that Identification card up and reading it out loud was justice."


    "Exactly, justice isn''t always defeating a villain. Exposing the truth to set things right and teach someone a lesson to change their ways can also be justice. Oh and I am sooooo going to use that in my essay." Art jumped in to support Jane but also sneakily decided it was going to be his home work too. "Why are you two looking at me that way?"


    "I already finished my essay last night." Jane had been diligent so she could have the weekend free of homework.


    "Same here man, I don''t want to waste my weekend when I can spend it with friends." Asher hit him with the final blow. Art had been defeated by his friends who had been diligent students.


    With the disgruntled Art next to them the trio headed towards the hero corp department store. This was the same as any mall but it was entirely home to hero corp companies. There was anything someone could think of. Need fire resistant clothing because your body is always on fire? They have it. Need a water proof phone since you have gills? They have them. Need to rent a work shop to experiment with your own gear? They have that. Insurance for the house you accidentally dismantle with your telekinetic abilities in your sleep? They have it.


    "I always love coming here, last time I came I saw a guy who could breathe fire buying tissues that wouldn''t burn. Who thinks to make these things!" Art was surprised that this was on sale here but he was right. Not many people would think of such a thing.


    "Look over there. That''s this year''s super tough phone. They said it could withstand a bomb going off and that it is perfect for anyone with strength type abilities." Jane was fawning over the rainbow version in the display. Asher and Art were caught in the chrome version.


    After forcing themselves away from this store window they were again distracted. "Isn''t that the famous author that released their novel Master of None? I heard that his main character could do anything and even survived an elf kingdom jail." Art surprised both of them by running up and immediately buying the latest copy of the novel and having it signed. He came back with his bag and a huge smile on his face. "Don''t worry, I have all the other books at home, you can borrow them later."


    ''Who knew that Art was a fantasy junkie¡­'' Asher had no idea that his friend loved this genre.


    "Well good for you, but did you guys forget why are here?" Jane tried to sound like a voice of reason but the two boys saw her eyes drifting back to the rainbow phone cases and knew that she was in the same boat as them.


    With their goal reaffirmed they headed toward the large design store. This was the base for all the orders for custom made items. " I think I will hang out and browse while you two meet with a representative. I am just going to use some of my savings to buy some combat gloves, pads, and boots. I will hold on to my voucher. I have an idea for it." Asher had made his final decision. The two looked unhappy not to be getting a full custom set of gear with their friend but understood that his power doesn''t seem to need custom gear like theirs.


    With his two friends off to find a representative Asher found himself browsing the premade items. While he went through the padded gear he found some shirts in his favorite color blue that had been made with a tough metal and rubber weave. They were said to be strong enough to stop a bullet and flexible enough to easily move and stretch in. Since they were on sale he grabbed two pairs. ''These will be perfect for camp. I can wear them under normal clothing so I will be ready when ever.''


    He kept on moving looking for a pair of shoes that fit him well. "Excuse me sir. Would you like help finding something?"

 Chapter 49 - 49. Spice

    "Actually yes, you have perfect timing. I am looking for flexible combat boots that are tough and good for martial arts." The attendant that had asked was happy to help. He had just been trying to find a customer to make a sale since he was paid based off of how many customers he helped.


    "These here are out favorite combat boots for martial artists. These here are also water proof." The grey pair he pointed too looked bulky but water proof was a good idea. "These here are fire resistant and also very flexible." The black pair he pointed to did not have water proofing but withstood fire. However they looked pretty soft and definitely couldn''t protect his feet as well.


    "Hard seller huh? Well this pair right here are our multi-use combat boots. They are actually made by the same engineer as the shirt you''re holding. They are tough and flexible but also made to resist water and fire. They are not full proof but can handle warmer temperatures or basic rain storms." Asher''s eyes lit up seeing that these blue and white striped boots matched the shirt and pants he chose along with had a range of qualities.


    "I will take these one then. They look perfect and match my favorite color blue." The attendant happily took down Asher''s size and went to the back storage room to find a fitting pair.


    ''Now to look for some combat gloves..'' When he made his way to the shelves and racks full of different gloves he found way too many options. He started immediately looking for the same style he had for his boots and clothing but came up empty.


    The attendant returned with a box with his combat boots in them and handed them over to Asher. "Is there anything else I can assist with today? Or would you like to check out now?"


    "Actually I had hope that there were gloves made by the same engineer as well?" Asher still could not see any.


    "Ah, unfortunately there were but they were placed on sale last week and sold out. If there are any left they are most likely damaged or returned. I can point out other options." Asher''s face dropped unhappy with this. But what could he do?


    The attendant went to grab a pair he recommended when his shirt caught on the rack nearby. The attendant managed to get out of the way as the rack fell with a loud crash.


    "Ah, I am sorry sir. Are you alright?" The fear on the attendants face was strong until he realized that no one was hurt and that everything was fine. The audible sigh was a sign to let Asher relax as well. However as the attendant rushed to pick up the fallen display a small flash of blue caught Asher''s eye.


    "Wait a minute. '''' Asher bent to grab the little bit of blue and white fabric from under the fallen display. When he pulled it out he found that he was looking at flexible and tough combat gloves that match everything he had found so far. "These look like they were under your display. They must have made it unbalanced. I am glad you''re alright. But do you think I could purchase these?" The kind smile Asher had made the attendant rest easy. He also was happy to see that his customer had found the cause of such a problem most likely preventing it from happening again.


    The attendant took extra care when checking Asher out since he was thankful for him being so polite with the falling display. The beep of the scanner rang out twice when he scanned the gloves. "Well look at that, these are listed as fifty percent off. You got a great deal for these." This made Asher''s day even better.


    With his smile wider than anything Asher clutched his bag now holding the game he had gotten and also the gear he had just bought. He couldn''t be happier with what he found and saw similar smiles on his friends'' faces as he saw they had the paperwork in hand for their orders.


    "The guy that helped me knew exactly what I wanted. He even had a design that I could have adjusted as I grow and get stronger. They really are the best engineers in the world." Art was raving to the two as they walked out of the design store.


    "You think you struck it good, I have a woman who knew exactly my style and what would work for my power. She was even able to make a mask that would let people see my face indirectly using a clear mirror like technology. When she looked at me through it she didn''t freeze up!" This was great news since Jane had been worrying about this constantly.


    "That''s awesome. I can''t wait to see what they look like at camp. I just got some premade items but they are all matching and by the same engineer. It''s a complete set." Asher almost pulled his out thigh in the middle of the plaza but decided it would be better to wait and show off at camp.


    "So all that''s left is to hit the grocery store right? Asher couldn''t think of anywhere else he needed to go.


    "Well I need to stop upstairs and have my mother sign this on her lunch break. If you guys want to go ahead and eat while I do that I would be fine." Art pointed upward toward the upstairs hero corp offices. It would make sense that his family worked for hero corp if they had such a large mansion property. They did have some of the world''s highest paid employees.


    "Yes, that is fine. We want to make sure you can go to camp. Hurry up and go get that signed." Jane was a little forceful when she said this but neither of the boys thought anything of it. ''Hehehe. Asher and I can have a lunch date now!''


    "Then I am off on my way." Art waved to them and headed towards an elevator while flashing his student Identification card to a man posted as security. He soon disappeared to the upper floors.


    "So anywhere you want to go eat?" Asher figured it was only polite to let Jane decide.


    "Then we should try those five alarm tacos. I saw the advertisement when we walked in and I know you really like tacos¡­" She had her hands behind her back a little shy to say this but her words were like music to his ears.


    "Taco day! I''m definitely down with that. Come on!" Asher grabbed Jane''s hand in excitement and practically dragged her in to the store. ''He''s holding my hand.'' Jane was off in her own dream land.


    "Hello, welcome to taco palace, are you interested in our five alarm taco deal? One five alarm taco and a milkshake. Get the hot and the cold just like A rank hero frost fire." The woman taking their order pointed at a man with flames all over his body but breathing ice from his mouth. This was one of the more popular heroes that advertised on the side to make a little extra money for charity.


    "Sure, we will take two please!" Asher took the liberty to order for both of them and pay. His father had made it clear that a woman should never be forced to pay when with a gentleman. Jane was busy swooning in her own little world. To her Asher was becoming a dashing gentleman.


    Their order came out fairly fast, however the heat coming from the five alarm taco was intense. They could feel their eyes start to burn just from the fumes coming off of it. The milkshakes were frosty and nearly solid ice cream but this was just the way Asher liked them.


    "They even swirled the chocolate and vanilla, this is the best way to make a milkshake." Jane was more interested in the milkshake than the taco. ''If I eat that taco I might breath fire too.'' This was her only thought when she saw the pure fire that seemed to radiate off the five alarm taco.


    ''Well I can''t give up now. I need to be strong and fight the fire.'' Asher grabbed the taco and committed to his first bite. "Huh, it''s not hot at all." He was surprised to notice there was no hint of heat at all. However as he said this he realized that it was just a delay. The searing heat started to spread across his tongue.


    Jane had heard him say this and already taken a bite from under her mask. "I was wrong, I was wrong." Asher had started to tear up and his face was turning red. He was way out of his normal.


    "Oh no. Oh no. Oh no." Jane could only repeat this over and over as she was not used to dealing with extremely hot foods. The two were struggling to take another bite but could not stop now. The perfect lunch date Jane had envisioned had turned in to a strange red face, tearful dance.

 Chapter 50 - 50. 5 Alarm?

    "Milkshake!" The two grabbed the milkshake after forcing the rest of the tacos down their throat and were immediately greeted by the calming coolness. The chocolate and vanilla save their precious burning lips.


    They had drank down half their milkshakes in just a second which sent Asher rushing up to the counter for a second. ''This is the genius promotion. They give a super spicy taco then that makes people buy another milkshake.'' Asher knew that this was the business model for the deal but he couldn''t argue that it wasn''t a good idea.


    "Thank you for your purchase." The girl at the counter smiled. ''She knows that she hooked us good with their five alarm taco plan.'' Asher felt taken advantage of but couldn''t really argue it.


    "Uggghh yesss." Jane snagged the milkshake from Asher and began to drink it as fast as possible. "Gahh noo brain freeze."


    The sight of Jane holding her head made Asher laugh a little more than necessary. "You really aren''t about the spicy life are you?" His joke would have been more impressive if he wasn''t a red faced victim of the five alarm taco as well.


    After her brain defrosted Jane gave Asher a kick under the table making him jump up and try to distance himself. His only success came in bouncing on his butt in the seat as he tried. This gave Jane her own laugh.


    "Hey, you know who we should bring a taco to?" Asher''s face showed a devious smile.


    "I am thinking that Art will be missing lunch while he speaks with his mom¡­" Jane picked this up perfectly and even added a villainous tone to her voices.


    The laughter as they threw out their trash was intense. While they ordered a to go meal their shoulders bumped and neither pulled away. Asher''s face was red from the spice in the taco but if he had not eaten any it would still be equally red.


    When the two had procured the kind hearted gesture of lunch for Art they decided to wander about while they waited for his message. ''I can carry your papers for you in my bag so they won''t get all bent up in your pocket."


    "Sure, It''s fine though." Jane handed over the papers causing their hands to touch slightly. The both withdrew their hands, Jane still holding the papers.


    Even though Jane had a mask covering her face she was still turning her head away out of habit trying to hide her embarrassment. "You two look like just the perfect couple for my new invention!" Their mood was interrupted by a man holding two about a frozen heart shaped lockets on his arms. "These are the latest ion couple technology. Have your lover''s location at the push of a button. Feel the pulse of their heart. You can even use it to share how you are feeling at any moment!"


    Asher and Jane tried to step away from the weird pitch but as they did the man followed. He had sniffed the scent of young love and refused to let it get away without ,making some money. "No, umm we aren''t a couple. Just window shopping." Asher tried his best to get the man away.


    "You and your lovely girlfriend would be the envy of the block with the matching set. Trust me when I say that you will deepen more than just your love!"


    "He said no, now back off or I will make you." Jane didn''t like this forceful approach but she had learned that sometimes it was the only way to get a problematic person away.


    "Oh don''t be too stressed now. This is a once in a lifetime offer for you and your boyfriend." The man was still not letting up, however the three had backed away towards a large fountain surrounded by small tables. Many onlookers were catching on to the small commotion.


    "Fine, let''s just get out of here Jane." Asher was sick of the salesman trying to make a quick buck and grabbed Jane''s hand to escape.


    The two weaved around the tables with the stubborn salesman on their tail. ''I know they will buy something if I give it my all. They are just playing hard to get!'' The salesman was running after them without fail.


    "This way!" Asher pulled Jane on to the edge of the fountain and ran on it trying to get away. "Jump!" Asher hopped over a puddle on the railing they had started to run on and then off and around more tables towards the elevator with the security guard.


    The stubborn salesman continued after them but as he stepped in to the puddle he found his sense of gravity gone. He had started to slide, and not in the desired direction. He had no control over his speed and even as his butt flopped on to the railing he only gained momentum. When it looked like he would fall on to the floor he jerked his head back to balance. This was not the best move though.


    When Jane and Asher turned around at the elevator they joined the security guard whose attention had also been grabbed in watching the scene unfold. They saw the stubborn salesman try to balance himself and instead backwards dive in to the fountain. The lockets flew in to the air making a rain of little splashes. The small scene had now become the center of attention and naturally many people were taking photos. Before the stubborn salesman had even left the fountain there were already photos online. "The washed up salesman" Was the leading title before it became an internet meme sensation.


    "Some people just need to accept the word no and go on with their lives." Jane huffed as she looked at the stubborn salesman try to climb out of the fountain but slip backwards, this caused another chorus of laughter and many more photos were taken.


    "Are you two alright? That man is always troubled, I swear." The security guard was very familiar with the "Inventor" Who would show up day after day with new attire and a new invention to try and sell to the masses as they went through the hero corp shops and departments. This was a burden that came with his job.


    "Yes, we are just fine. We would have asked for help but luckily he was a little unlucky and fell in to a trap of his own making." Asher had a strange feeling that if the stubborn salesman had been chasing anyone else then he would not have fallen in. "Would you mind us hanging out here? Our friend should be back from meeting his mom any time."


    ''Friends of little Art? Hmm'' The security guard made sure he memorized anyone he saw since it was part of his job. He had seen Art many times but never with friends so he was doubly sure to remember what they looked like. "It is fine with me. I''m glad to see some of Art''s friends." The security guard said nothing more.


    "Just out of curiosity, how long have you known Art and his family?" Jane decided it couldn''t hurt to pry.


    "I have been employed here for ten years as of last month. I like this job very much and can only thank hero corp for allowing me the opportunity to assist one of their executives." This was a response by the book. But it still gave them more information than they expected.


    "Art''s mother is an executive?" Jane said this to Asher wondering if he knew anything.


    "You know just as much as me. He hasn''t talked about his parents jobs much at all. To be honest I don''t think he is ready to really talk about it much right now." The security guard was listening in slightly.


    ''I knew little Art''s brother recently took over as the head of the family but I didn''t realize it was that hard on him.'' he had always had a soft spot since Art was the son which would actually come to visit his parents while they had lunch breaks. Is older brother only ever came when required.


    The ding that rang caught all of their attention. "Oh, I was just about to text you guys. Check it out, I am all ready to go to camp." He showed off his signed slip triumphantly.


    "I look forward to your next visit. Good luck at camp." The security guard showed a slight smile before returning back to his perfect poker face.


    "I will definitely see you again. I will bring you some cookies for your kids next time, Adam." Art waved and headed off with Asher and Jane. Seeing Art act so happy and friendly they felt a little bad that they were about to bring the fire in to his life with the five alarm taco they got for him.


    "What''s that in your hand bro?" Art pointed at the to go back in Asher''s hand. He had seen the bag and become curious, little did he know that he had fallen in to the trap already.

 Chapter 51 - 51. Shopping Battle

    ''Well since he asked I might as well let him have it'' Asher decided this and put on his best smile. "This is a special from where we ate. It even comes with a milkshake!" Art folded up the permission slip and grabbed the bag.


    "You guys are the best. I started to talk way too much with mom and completely missed my chance to eat in their work cafeteria." He had been starving and immediately took a bote of the five alarm taco.


    ''Here it comes...Are we terrible friends?'' Jane felt the impending doom abut to hit them now that Art had taken such a large bite.


    His face shifted through a few emotions as he looked at the gaze of Asher and Jane''s turned head. The silence was eating at the two of them while they waited for the inevitable bomb to go off. When Art took a second bite of the taco they knew that something was seriously wrong. "This is great! It has just the right amount of spice and balance. I can see why it is paired with a milkshake. I am sure the creaminess cuts right through the heat."


    Asher and Jane were both dumbfounded at Art''s immunity to the spicy fire that had tormented them. "That''s it!? You are fine?"


    "No way you can''t feel the heat. That is the five alarm taco that literally melted out mouths." Asher and Jane were trying to find out why he was not reacting or even getting red faced.


    "Eh, five alarm? I would say this is like two alarm¡­" Art just took another big bite then looked at the two curiously.


    "He must have gotten a dud. No way he is fine." Jane did not believe for a second that Art was immune to the spice in the taco.


    "But I can smell it, it burns my nose¡­" Asher wanted to think the same but there were too many facts. ''It looks the same. It smells the same. But he isn''t even flinching.''


    "You know I should make you guys some real spicy tacos some time. I have a recipe that uses those ghost peppers from down south. They say they are as hit as the sun at noon. So it pretty much melts the asphalt making up the roads." Art looked like he was dreaming and excited about these peppers.


    "You want something spicier?" Jane raised her hands and let them fall in defeat. "You are insane¡­" She gave up that second trying to ever prank Art with spicy food again.


    With Their small bit of trickery doused by Art''s surprising immunity to spicy food, the trio set their sights on the next stop. The grocery store. Art had a list memorized and written down. He also knew that Asher had his own list so the real question was, who would finish getting their supplies first.


    "Jane, we would like to elect you our official judge. We will trust you to give a just decision of the winner." Art turned to Jane with these words and an extremely serious face.


    "Please be as impartial as possible. When I defeat Art in this battle for glory I will only feel completed if it is unbiased and fair." Asher started up too leaving Jane just as confused as when Art spoke.


    The two looked at each other and started to step in to the store they had chosen. "It''s on!" They yelled and were off with a cart in their hands. The wheels spun as they pushed down the isles after their ingredients. Asher was barreling toward the produce aisle looking for green onions and potatoes.


    Art had taken a different route and was in the middle of the coffee aisle. Asher did not spare a moment to think about why his competition was grabbing coffee if he was making a chocolate cake. Instead he counted his lucky stars that Art looked to be grinding his coffee beans himself.


    The Produce was so perfectly stacked but Asher could not stop to grab the top apples. He made the split decision to grab from the bottom of the stack. This fatal mistake caused a tremor through the entire stack. Before Asher knew what hit him there was a mountain of apples rolling around on the floor. Art had been sneakily coming up behind him after grabbing his coffee and been caught in this mess.


    "This is a trap! I just need to get to those strawberries!" Art''s voice was cut off by the rolling apples knocking him off balance. Asher managed to escape and get in to the aisle with all the fresh baked bread. He needed an entire loaf of french bread but the more he searched the less he found.


    They can''t be out of it now¡­'' He looked frantically toward the bakery where he knew the bakers would always be hard at work and spotted the baker pulling out a fresh sheet pan of french bread. There was no hesitation as he pushed the cart with all his might and came to a skidding halt in front of the counter. "Miss, can I please have one of those french breads?"


    Asher used his most polite tone and really turned on the charm, however as the woman went to respond that she needed to get a bag Asher saw that Art was [passing him on the way to the flour. ''He already escaped the apples? How fast is he?''


    "Ha-Ha! You will never beat me Asher. If there is one thing my grandmother taught me it was to efficiently get through a grocery store!" Art was in cloud nine knowing that he only had a few things left to get.


    ''Is that really something to brag about?'' Asher wasn''t sure if he was supposed to be intimidated or impressed by this at all. Instead it felt kind of nerdy. "Here is your fresh hot french bread, Thank you for your patience," Asher had the hot bread in his hand and was already in the move.


    ''Egg noodles, egg noodles, where are you egg noodles?'' He sprinted through the pasta aisle missing the egg noodles twice before he saw them in the very bottom shelf. He grabbed the cheapest brand and was moving again. "Can''t decide on what one to use huh?"


    He sent his taunt out to Art who was holding two different bags of chocolate in his hands. He had no idea on what one t sue to make his chocolate move filling. "This is an art form here Asher, if I get one with too much cocoa butter in it the mousse might separate." It looked like Art was willing to lose time over this so Asher took full advantage and hunted down the canned tomato sauce.


    The worst was about to happen though, in front of him a fallen wet floor sign was not doing its job and warning of the slippery floor ahead of him. When the wheels of his cart hit it Asher was dragged in to a sideways drift. His turn was failing but the feeling of the drift was exhilarating. ''Well if I die now i guess I will at the very least know what a race car driver feels like.''


    The drift seemed deadly and Jane held her breath seeing this from the entrance. She knew that her friends were acting like children but she still felt that she was interested to see who would finish first. Seeing that Asher managed to save himself and the cart she sent a silent cheer for him to the heavens. He managed to grab the canned tomatoes and get in to line easily.


    ''This line is too long.'' Asher immediately had this thought but after searching around he noticed one factor which would be his perfect win no matter what. ''There is only one cashier and I am in the line first.'' He was already reveling in his victory. The line moved slowly and Asher began to feel a growing worry since he still did not see Art behind him. '' Don''t tell me Art got lost?''


    Asher managed to get through the line and have everything bagged up for the trip home. He was still feeling high in his feeling of victory when his face dropped as he saw who was standing next to Jane at the exit. "Bro, why did you wait in line when the self checkout was open?"


    These words trampled Asher''s poor heart. ''The self check out! How could I forget?!'' Asher could cry at his ignorance in this race, He had not lost because of his speed but because he had given up such a small mistake. "I''m a good guy so I won''t make you carry my bags as the loser." The smug smile on Art''s face made Asher want a rematch immediately, but they would just end up wasting food if they shopped again.


    "I will get you next time. Just you wait." Asher raised his fist and made the angriest face her could, making them all laugh in turn.

 Chapter 52 - 52. Party Prep

    Sweat began to fall down Asher and Arts'' foreheads. They had underestimated the power of the sun and the fact that they needed to carry the bags the entire walk home. "You two don''t look like you are doing well¡­" Jane was getting rather worried seeing that they had become tagged looking. Their breath was heavy and they had shed their jackets.


    "We are...just doing ...some weight...training!" Asher managed to get these words out between steps. Art was trying to say he agreed but couldn''t find a way to say in between his breaths. By the time they had arrived in front of Asher''s house the pair looked like they were going to pass out. Jane ran to the door and headed inside.


    "Mrs. Ronan! I thin Art and Asher are going to pass out!" She returned with Asher''s mother holding two large classes of Ice water. The two boys grabbed them as fast as possible and barely started to chug them. Cara''s words rang in his ears which made Asher stop Art from gulping it down.


    As they sat in the shade and supped their water the color returned to their faces and they two were able to steady their beating hearts. Once they seemed to be stable they were made to bring in the groceries. "Now Art, you let me know if you need any help in there with the cake. I will gladly be your sous chef." Asher''s mother was not saying this out if any positive desires. She had the single goal to rob Art of all his amazing recipes.


    ''Ha! I was warned of these kinds of tricks. I will keep my mocha ganache recipe secret until the day I die!'' Art saw through her kind offer and got to work. The clanging and chopping sounds seemed to increase constantly. The sound of whisking in the metal bowls sounded like a symphony for a long time but that was the least of the commotion.


    The smell of baking cake soon overtook the house. Everyone that was home started to become ravenous animals. If the cake was left unattended for even a moment then someone was sure to stick a finger in to steal a lick of frosting.


    "So how was your shopping trip? Find what you needed?" Asher''s mother asked Jane and Asher while they tried to distract themselves from the wondrous smell from the kitchen. It also served as a way to keep her from giving in to her curiosity and sneaking to the kitchen to try to take away the recipes.


    "Yes! I spoke with the best attendant who set me up with an engineer who creates altered clear plastics and glasses. I should be able to show my face with the right mask and not affect people with my powers!"


    "So you''re saying I may be able to see just how cute your face is to go with your sweet voice?" Asher''s mother made sure to lay on the compliments since she could see right through the two. Asher had found someone his mother approved of and she was not going to let the two separate. ''Now if only I could get Cara to bring home a boy..'' This was a though their mother often had.


    Jane fell silent, she was not used to someone being so nice and was struggling with a reply. Asher took this pause to talk about what he had found while looking at the general items. "I was lucky to find a whole set from the same engineer. The gloves were even in sale as the last pair!" He was proud to show his smart buying. It had taken some of his savings but it was well worth it.


    "Oh I bet they are all blue. Am I right?" His mother knew him too well. The change from a mother that couldn''t even be bothered to spend time with him to a mother that had his likes and dislikes memorized. It brought a tear to his eye.


    "Hey, anyone want to have a snack while I wait for the cake to cool?" Art''s voice called out to the living room getting all of their attention. Not a single one of the, could say no. Instead they all looked rather excited. "I have a bunch of extra mousse so I made up some parfait cups with the ganache i made and the cake scraps from the first layer I baked."


    The little glasses he handed them were layers of these ingredients all topped with a finely diced fresh strawberry and mint fruit salad. It was like he had just handed each of them an important museum piece that was not to be touched. "You have given us the greatest gift any could ever desire." Asher let his tear flow and pretended it was due to the happiness for this delicious gift.


    "I need to take a picture!" Jane started to snap pictures from every angle. "I need to remember this so I can properly ask for it for my birthday!"


    Art just stood a little taller as he was happy that someone was appreciating the thing he had made with the scraps. "I was told never to waste anything!" With his idea of wise words he went back to make up some more decorations.


    With their small treat finished and their ravings done as well, they three got to decorating the kitchen for Cara''s birthday dinner. The sound of Asher''s father coming home early with a banner and an armful of takeout. "I beat Clara home with her favorite pizza from that Italian place across the river." He looked very proud to have accomplished this even though the traffic had been chaotic. "What is that smell? It is the best this house has smelled in weeks." The smack from Asher''s mother put him in his p;ace since he had unintentionally insulted her cooking.


    The small amount of bickering went on as they all set up the table. Jame decided to stay since she had become invested in the set up. She felt a little bad intruding but after some convincing from Asher''s mother she found herself holding a party popper and waiting for Cara to walk in the door after a day with her friends.


    The sound of the door opening was the signal they all needed. The loud pop and some small confetti falling was met with Cara jumping back startled. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!" Everyone should out making her turn red.


    "I said I was too old for parties!" She was embarrassed and tried to fight it, but the smile she had betrayed how she actually felt. Seeing the pizza on the table she looked at her father knowing that he had to have left work early to make this happen. She gave him a massive hug along with her mother knowing she had made the decorations possible.


    "Well dig in while it is still warm." She was prompted to eat while Asher was getting the plates. She spared Art but a glance before turning her head away. She even greeted Jane.


    ''I knew she hates me..'' Art thought this but was able to affirm himself. He had a plan and he would follow it through. If his cake didn''t work as an apology then he had nothing else to offer just yet.


    They all ate while Cara told them about her day, she had headed to an amusement park with her girlfriends and eaten their way through the food court. Before they had realized it the pizza was gone and the smell of the chocolate cake was still there. "So when are you guys going to tell me why the whole house smells like chocolate? " Cara finally asked the question she had been dying to have an answer to.


    "Well, Art, Why don''t you show her." Asher''s mother chimed in giving Art the stage.


    The nervous look on Art''s face made Asher jump up, " I will help you out!" The two went in to the kitchen and Asher caught the first glimpse of the cake. There were two tiers of cake. They were perfectly iced in a chocolate butter cream and adorned with dark chocolate roses. The sight was out of a magazine, picture perfect.


    "Do you think the chocolate drip on the sides looks good? She should like the mocha mousse on the inside right? The ganache is on the layers too, it keeps is moist...It should be good¡­" Art was stressed out and afraid he was making a mistake with this gift.


    "Calm down, I have never seen a more perfect cake in my life. What happened the other day was an accident. My sister might hit you a few times to get even, but she won''t hate you for something like that." This seemed to make Art calm down just a little bit. With his courage boosted, Art lifted the cake. He struggled under the weight but with Asher there it was no problem at all.

 Chapter 53 - 53. Gifts

    "I present to you the most perfect birthday cake ever!" Asher announced Art as he placed it on the table.


    "There are rich chocolate layers with mocha mousse and mocha ganache in the center. The chocolate butter cream is home made from scratch. I added a coffee chocolate drip to the sides and some hand made chocolate roses. I Hope you like it¡­"


    His words trailed off as he saw the jaw dropped face of Cara. Her eyes showed a glint of excitement that could not be tamed. "Well are you going to cut me a piece or just sit there looking at it?" Cara was losing her patience. The most tantalizing dessert she had ever seen was being held just out of reach.


    Art jumped in to action cutting the slice of cake showing off the layers. He hadn''t just made three layers per tier, he had sliced the cake thin and layered it ten times on each tier. The skill to do this was above the average person''s level. Art was proving to be a hidden culinary master.


    "Happy birthday Cara." Art said this as he handed the slice of cake over. He was waiting to see if this was really a win. However as Cara took a bite he knew that he had succeeded perfectly.


    The look of pure happiness that came over her face told everyone that this was the best cake she had ever had. The slice was there for only a few more seconds as she scarfed it down. There was no mercy, Art was bombarded by requests for slices from everyone.


    ''I did it. I succeeded!'' This was the cheer he had in his own head as he sliced the entire cake. Everyone ended up eating two slices, Cara was halfway through her third when she realized that she was unable to eat any more. "I want more...But I can''t" The sad voice cut through the room.


    "Well, I ummm...I can make it for you whenever you want¡­" Art was a little embarrassed to hear that she had liked it so much. At first he had hope that this was just going to work as a form of apology but instead it had gone above and beyond what he had hoped.


    "If you go back on your word I''ll never speak to you again." Cara sent him an evil glare that made Art gulp.


    "I would never go back to my word to you." Art crossed his heart, not only was Cara one of the top students but also his best friend''s sister. How could he go back on anything he said to her?


    ''Oho, Art you are definitely daring'' Asher and Cara''s mother saw this little exchange while she cleaned up some of the things from dinner. She was the only one to catch on to this as the others were falling in to a food coma.


    "I have no idea how I will walk home after this...I might burst!" Jane was sitting on the couch with Asher who was in a similar state.


    "If we weren''t on the weekend I would stay here and skip school tomorrow just so I could eat more of the cake for breakfast." Asher''s comment was met by his father.


    "I''d call out sick to work tomorrow for the chance to eat that cake all day." This was met with a glare for Asher''s mother but she did not refute him since she knew she felt the same.


    "Well you all need to ask Cara what to do with the leftovers, it is her cake after all." This phrase form Art had earned him glares from the entire room. However the look from Cara of appreciation was one he had never seen. His face turned a beautiful shade of ruby red as he went to hide in the kitchen to "Package up" the cake.


    "Alright, well since it will start getting late and everyone will be in a coma until tomorrow morning let''s give her the rest of her gifts." Asher''s mother pulled out a box from one of the dress stores that they knew Cara and her friends to frequent.


    "We saw this when we passed the other day and could only think of you when we saw it." their father spoke up from his seat. He had been waiting for this lucky find to be presented.


    Cara undid the ribbon from the dress box and exposed an amazing emerald green color. She lifted the spring dress and held it up to her figure. There were darker green vine patterns crawling across it which had been hand sewn. The size was a perfect fit for her. "Oh my god...This is the spring release! There were only twenty made and it was first come first served! I can''t believe you guys got it for me! I am wearing it to prom, there can be no other place!"


    Cara had been looking for a dress since senior year had started, this was one reason that her friends had frequented the popular dress shop. The problem was that the dress shop operated under the principle that one needed to be always on the lookout for fashion. They did not take orders nor did they reserve items. The designer could release a dress without notice and someone would just need to see it and get lucky.


    Her parents gave each other a nod. They had both made a point to walk past the dress shop before it opened and before it closed every day trying to get one just right for her. How else could doting parents get the perfect gift.


    Jane used a lot of her effort to stand up from the couch, "I know we aren''t very familiar with each other yet, but I got you something as well. I prefer to get someone something practical so I looked around while at the hero corp stores."


    Cara opened a small blue box curious to what this unexpected gift was. She did not expect Jane to attend her family''s little party but she was not unhappy about it. She and her mother were always matched by the boys in the house and now that Art was there they were outnumbered. They needed another girl around.


    She revealed two small silver metal hair clips. They were shaped like tuning forks. "I saw that an engineer with a musical theme was selling them. He said that they work just like regular tuning forks and all i could think was that they would be useful to someone who could control sound."


    "These are actually pretty cute you know." Jane was already fastening them in to her hair. With a flick the sound rang out and she made it reverb through the room. "I will definitely use this to catch someone off guard." The evil smile was a little more than everyone expected. ''Yes, step one to winning over my future sister in law completed.'' Jane on the other hand was in fairy land with her daydreams.


    After the two finished gushing over the hair clips and how they would go with just about anything since they were basic silver, their eyes slowly fell on Asher. ''Why are they all looking at me like I was supposed to do something¡­'' This was his first thought, but soon the realization hit him like a truck...well not that hard. ''Ah her gift right!''


    Asher jumped up from the couch with his hands in his pocket. "I need you to get in to a top university so when I beat you it will be even more impressive. So use this." Asher tried to play it off cocky and like a rival should but when he handed her the hero corp voucher from his pocket his face had betrayed him. He was a caring brother who wanted to see his sister be the best and that would not go anywhere.


    The curiosity on what he was giving her was written in everyone''s faces. But when Cara read what the voucher said she remembered the posters all over the school and how much everyone in her class had talked about it. "You know that people in the senior class would kill for this right? You want me to take it?" Cara could not believe the thing she was holding in her hand. To the seniors this was basically the ticket to an amazing scholarship if it was used wisely.


    "Why do you think I didn''t sign it?" Asher was wishing that the attention would leave him as soon as possible. "It''s not like I need it since my power is still a big fat bundle of weird. So you should use it and I will figure out my stuff in the next two years. I have time." Cara was never a touchy feely kind of person but in this moment she stood up and hugged Asher.


    You might be an idiot to give this away, but you''re the best idiot I''ve got." Cara tried to say something nice but her words just escaped her leaving her with this. Not a single person thought she was being mean though. They all saw that this gift had brought her to tears even though Asher was missing it since he was being hugged.

 Chapter 54 - 54. Double Running

    The emotional moment passed as soon as Cara took the pen and signed her name on the voucher Asher had gifted her. She was going to go right to the design department and request gear for herself in the morning. She had so many ideas and designs that she had been saving up for that would work perfectly with her sound based power. However she had been limited by money and always settled for the basic things she could get through school.


    Jane had grabbed Cara''s phone number and the two eagerly promised a girls night. Asher''s mother had even joined in saying that she would kick the boys out of the house one night so they could have it to themselves. This made them a little fearful since they could unexpectedly be told not to come back to the house one night in the future.


    Jane who had started to fall asleep from her food coma realized if she didn''t leave now she wouldn''t ever leave. She said her goodbyes and was escorted by Asher all the way home. The two took an extra long time due to their over stuffed condition. By the time Asher returned he was barely awake.


    Cara had fallen asleep on the couch and Art had made his way to the guest room. Asher saw that his parents had finished the clean up and gone to bed themselves. This just left Asher who was about to head up the stairs to bed when he heard his sister talking in her sleep. The tired and slow voice was hard to make out but Asher swore he heard what she said, "My Art makes the best cake¡­"


    ''What kind of dream was she having? Don''t tell me she is going to chain Art up to the kitchen and make him cook forever.'' Asher''s imagination ran away with the craziest possibility. ''I might need to protect Art in the future. I knew my sister was really evil.'' He thought of how he would protect him as he fell in to bed. His last thought before sleep took him was about the weird dream he had had the night before. ''Please no sheep fighting this time..''


    Fortunately for him he was not met with a dream land full of green fields and endless sheep. He slept through the night without any trouble. The only thing that caused him to be unsettled was the blaring alarm that tore away the sweet sweet sleep he had fallen in to. His hand slammed in to the silence button and he was already up and moving. If he was going to commit to this working out thing he could not hesitate.


    When he made his way down to the entry way he found that Cara was looking extra motivated and wearing a new headband. "That headband looks pretty nice." Asher made sure to throw the compliment out since it looked like Cara was going to be pushing them a little harder today and it may save them from being way too sore the next day.


    "My friends gave it to me as a gift yesterday. It''s supposed to have some cooling fabric that keeps me from getting overheated." She looked at Asher who had started to follow his stretching and also at Art who joined them as soon as he came down.


    "That headband looks really nice on you." Art saw the look of determination on Cara''s face and had the same thought as Asher did. ''It''s going to be a tough workout today!''


    "Yea I know, Asher said it too." You both can join me or not but I am doing double long run after the circuits so I can eat another piece of cake." Asher and Art looked at her like she had just said something insane. ''She''s doing double cardio so she can eat cake?'' Asher could not fathom why she needed to work out to eat cake.


    "Alright. Then I will do a double run too. I know you will be ahead of me but I can''t let you stay ahead of me for too long" Art was quick with his reply and started to put himself in to the right mindset to properly survive this.


    ''Wait, what? Why is he doing double running too, he isn''t going to eat cake? Wait, what does this have to do with cake?'' Asher really didn''t understand it at all, why was this all related to the cake.


    "Then you should have a piece with me later, I know you didn''t have one last night since you were cutting it." Cara smiled and even acted nice. She had changed the entire way she treated Art. ''His cake must be magic...Art can actually make magic cake!'' "Let''s go and get working. We have stretched enough." Cara was off before Asher could say anything or fully figure things out.


    The three started off with Cara way ahead. However her pace was significantly slower and she stayed in sight of the other two. She was keeping her energy for the longer run after, it was all about pacing.


    Art and Asher were able to keep pace with each other all the way to the park. The usual circuit was quick and they tried to keep up with Cara. However the two were both crushed by her speed and efficiency. Everything went smoothly as the last days of work out until they got to the time they needed to do the longer run.


    Cara did a little extra stretching before setting her watch. She set off a slower pace headed in the opposite direction of the house. Art gave Asher a determined look and followed suit. ''I guess I can''t avoid it then, off I go too.'' Asher followed Art with the realization that he was going to have trouble walking the next day at school.


    Their work out time was at the same time that the garbage trucks were roaming the streets to pick up household trash. The three ran in a way to avoid the trucks but there were still the worries that they would get in the way. Cara was way ahead of the group but when she went to pass a truck she suddenly stopped in her tracks. Asher and Art quickly caught up to her and wondered why they had stopped there. "Do you guys hear a weird sound?'' She was trying to listen to the truck which seemed like it had no employees on it.


    "Actually, I think I hear yelling¡­" Art heard it too and the three realized it was coming from the truck.


    "help...I got pulled in¡­.help¡­" There was a faint yelling from the closed truck.


    "The worker got stuck inside! We need to get them out!" Cara knew that they needed to get in to action immediately. The inside of a garbage truck was not any place for a person to be. There is a compactor inside and if things go wrong then a person pancake could be made.


    "We are here outside! We can help you. Just tell us how to open the back!" Cara got close and used her power to control sound to make her voice louder and clear through the metal door that would normally dampen the sound.


    The muffled voice was not easily heard and Cara couldn''t decipher it with her power at all. "I can''t hear him either, what do we do?" Art was booking to Cara since she was the older one. She still looked calm and collected.


    "You head off for the police, try that house over there. None of us brought our phones¡­" She gave Art a little push then motioned for Asher to come over. "Look in the cabin of the truck and see if you can find a manual. If you can bring it to me."


    "You got it!" Asher jumped in to motion. ''Cara really knows what to do.'' Asher admiration grew a lot in just these few seconds. He wouldn''t have even noticed that someone was in trouble.


    He had some trouble opening the door and climbing in to the cabin of the truck. Digging around he realized that there was no such manual for the truck or anything other than just a lunch box and extra jacket. He was not the right size for the large cabin since the seat was adjusted for a much larger person.


    Without realizing it he leaned against a black handled lever. The sound of the truck roaring to life and metal screeching pierced his ears. Yelling from inside the back of the truck became frantic and Cara rushed to the cabin. " What did you do!?"


    She had lost her calmness and was showing all of her worry. The screams for help were more than she could handle at the moment. She was still in high school and not ready to face these kinds of harsh situations. Asher was now equally freaking out realizing that he must have hit something. ''I tried to be a hero and here I am accidentally killing someone!''

 Chapter 55 - 55. Gamer Moves

    "I don''t know what happened!" Asher shouted as he turned to see the many different controls. There were meters showing the hydraulic pressure. Some showing how full the back of the truck was. And even more levers that didn''t have labels at all.


    "Just move back whatever you moved before!" Cara''s voice was high pitched with worry and distress. The ever increasing yelling from the trapped workers was weighing on both of them as each second ticked by.


    ''What one does what?'' Asher was screaming this in his head while he furiously searched for anything to stop the compressing garbage inside the truck. "Ah screw it!" He slammed his hand down on the control panel. There was a huge screeching sound followed by much louder yelling and a sudden stomp of all sound.


    "Oh no...I killed someone¡­" Asher''s face was pale and his breath shallow. He had just murdered someone while trying to save them. Forget being a hero he was going to jail.


    Cara was just looking at him dumbfounded. ''I cant believe his answer was beating it with his fist...I can''t believe it.'' She couldn''t speak of all the things to happen this morning they had happened upon someone in need and they failed to help them at all. They had even just caused a death. Her future had just been flushed down the drain.


    "Are you the kids that saved me? Thank you two so much. When the compressor fired up I though the automatic compression started and I was about to be made in tio a block of garbage." There was a man in a yellow vest standing behind Cara covered in bits of trash.


    "Are you the ghost of the man we just killed¡­?" He knew that his murder could not be forgotten but now Asher was going to be haunted by the ghost of the man he had killed.


    "Ghost? Kid are you alright?" The man was confused by this statement. He couldn''t fathom why they would think he was a ghost.


    Cara looked at the back and found that it had opened. "You''re the man that was trapped in the back. Thank the stars you are safe!" Cara felt the stress all wash away. She was more exhausted than she had ever been from a run in her life.


    "Yes, I was tossing in an extra heavy bag and it got caught/ When I leaned to push it a;; the way inside I slipped and then the door finished closing. I have been in there for an hour!" He was wiping the sweat from his brow and smiling like he had just seen the world as a new man.


    "Over here! There is a worker trapped!" Art was rushing up with an officer behind him .


    "Asher! Cara! I found an officer on bicycle patrol. Where-" He stopped seeing that his two friends were now with a worker and that the back of the garbage truck was empty.


    "Officer, these two kids save my life just now. I would like to file a report and have them awarded!" The worker stepped forward and made sure to give the officer every single detail. After some time the officer met with the tree of them to hear what they had to say.


    "I assume since you three were out on a morning jog you do not have any identification on you? Since this matter is closed and there was no harm I will take your names on trust. However in the future please wait for law enforcement to get to the scene. Things could have gone very poorly if you two were not familiar with such machinery."


    Asher and Cara looked at each other. ''Since when were we familiar with machinery like a garbage truck? Did that man say that we were?'' They did not press the matter but gave their names and assured the officer that if they ever see or hear anything in the future that they would follow the proper rules and report it to law enforcement.


    The worker thanked them about a hundred more times before returning on his way to work, he was over two hours behind now that everything had happened. Asher, Art, and Cara were just standing in the middle of the walk way stunned. "So what in the world just happened¡­" Art was the most out of the loop since he had run for help.


    "I pretty much almost killed someone."


    "Then he hit the controls and somehow freed them."


    "And now we are not murderers."


    "So I guess, everything is OK?"


    The two finished each other''s thoughts. " You know if you two keep talking like that I don''t think I should hang out with you anymore." At just looked at the mentally drained siblings like they were twins out of a horror movie.


    "Psshh, a monkey like you can be alone." Cara turned away from him after his words.


    "So, do we just jog home? We have been put for like an hour. I know you wanted to go and use the voucher and Art and I should try out some martial arts moves. I plan to ask Jane to come too." Asher was thinking about the video game they had got from the scamming store.


    "Then I guess we go home¡­" The three stood there for another few minutes still making sense of what had occurred. This was definitely the strangest morning they had all had in a long time.


    By the time they had returned they had missed the chance to have a hit breakfast. Instead they got an earful of why they need to let people know where they were going and how late they would be if they would not be bringing their phones with them. The speech became even longer when they mentioned what had happened. They all knew if they hid it they could have been in much more trouble.


    The three each apologized and promised not to leave the house without their phones in the future. After that they were made to warm up their cold breakfasts and slowly take their showers. The dishes were left to them as punishment but it was the lightest sentence they could have been given. Cara was out the door with a book full of design ideas before the two boys had even opened the container of the video game.


    The door bell went off and Asher could hear his mother welcoming Jane in to the house. "We are in here, we are just starting to download the game now!" Asher placed the game in to his system and started it up. He quickly skipped through all of the opening scenes and saw the character selection.


    "Alright so looking at the online guide it says that we don''t have to play the story to get to the testing mode. Just choose a character that we want to use then we can do the tutorial o how the moves work. It will show us the 3d model on how it moves and shows the buttons we need to push to make it happen." Art was reading from his phone when Jane entered the room just in time to hear it.


    "Does it say which ones have the best moves for all around use?" She didn''t want to practice the niche moves that could only be used in certain situations. She wanted to be able to do thing sin just about any situation, a hero should always be prepared.


    "Yes, the top three ranked are the guy who tried to scam everyone, the girl in blue there, and the guy wearing the black cape." Art pointed out the three that were the most played and said to be the most well rounded move wise.


    "Wheel kick is the girl in blues best move. Apparently the spin she uses is fast and can pack a good punch. The scammer has a punch called hammer thrust which puts his big weight in to a full thrust. Then the guy in black had a quick jab that can incapacitate people if you aim for vital points. These three look to be the most useful. Once we learn them, we should worry about the other moves."


    Hearing Art''s choices either of the other two argued. When they chose the scammer they were all able to see his split foot stance and the twist of his hips as he pushed forward with an open palm that switched in to a fist last second putting an extra oomf in to the punch. " This is pretty much just a better version of the basic punch that coach Winters taught us." Asher saw many constituencies to what they had already learned.


    "So he ended up making his name based on the basics that he improved. I guess sticking to basics really applies here." Jane summed this up making this the easiest one to practice. Playing the move multiple times they started to copy it. The three looked like they were doing some form of home workout on the television.

 Chapter 56 - 56. Chicken Walk

    "So now we just twist a little more" Asher and Art were still practicing the move having trouble getting the force to translate from their legs to their fist.


    "Think of it like stomping down on a spider then trying to push yourself away from it." Jane had thought of this since the move mirrored the last time she had seen a spider.


    "What do bugs have anything to do with this?" Art was a little confused about this because he had never had a problem with a bug and preferred just to let them back outside.


    "Pfft, Asher understands. Just look." Jane had figured out the move a while ago and was getting tired of watching the two boys mess up such a simple basic punch. They just needed to go with the basics and slightly change them.


    "I wouldn''t say it''s like stepping on a bug and pushing it away. But it is definitely like stepping on the edge of a dollar and filing your hand out to catch your fall." His experiences from his previous life had been very different. Therefore, when he put Jane''s theory in to motion the connection was different.


    "Ugh, you make no sense either. This is annoying!" Art stopped down and put his full body force in to the punch. He moved almost exactly like the avatar in the game and the force of his punch had definitely improved.


    "Why didn''t you do that at first? We could already be trying out the next move." Jane was understandably irritated by Art who looked to have been able to use the slightly different basic move.


    "Fine fine, lets learn this wheel kick." He rushed in to the next screen with the how to for the blue girl character. Her tutorial had a lot of big kicks but the best was the wheel kick.


    When Art pushed play the girl in blue used her leg to bend their leg up and then spin on a single food releasing their heel in a sharp cutting motion. The momentum and the strength of the heel would definitely make this move deadly to any opponent in range.


    "Not sure my leg moved like that...we should stretch first." Asher was already starting to stretch his calf muscles. Jane however was replaying the move and starting the basic stance.


    "So i juts bend my knee like this¡­" Jane was talking herself through the move. " Then I use all my momentum and.." She swung her head with all her force. He heel narrowly missed Asher''s head and proceeded toward the television stand.


    "Stop, stop, stop!" Ashe yelled seeing that she was heading right for the television, In less than a second Jane was able to change the trajectory of her heel. Sadly it was now toward the glass of water on the coffee table.


    The glass miraculously took flight and spun in the air. All three of them flinched waiting for the inevitable crash of water to soak them. Asher and Art closed their eyes just to what Jane let out a shriek.


    ''Oh no, Jane totally just broke moms glass.'' Asher was fearing for Jane''s safety as he peeked through his hands that covered his eyes. The sight revealed to him was the disheveled looking Jane dripping with water. She had given herself an unintentional bath. The glass lay on the carpet without a single drop inside, it had all landed on Jane''s head.


    "We should do this outside¡­" These were the only words to be said as she looked for a towel to dry off. Art was already in action heading toward the back yard. They could go back inside to look at the avatar again if they needed to. In the meantime they needed to get away from the valuables while attempting a new move.


    Unknown to the three kids Asher''s mother was preparing to head down stairs and yell at the three to go outside. ''Hmm that Jane has a good head on her shoulders. I will let it pass this time.'' She decided to let her future daughter in law this one exception since she had realized her mistake. Having decided this Asher''s mother sat back down and returned to the book, her ear was, as always, open for anything interesting.


    "Alright so your kick looked pretty good. What did you do to get the force in your spin?" Asher wanted to jump right in to this new move. He had only learned a basic straight kick and thought that a flashy move like the wheel kick could really aid his combat prowess.


    "Well I arched my foot a little and that made it easier to twist and flick out my foot." Jane tried it again while she spoke. The motion she used was clearly the catalyst to her improved twisting and momentum. However as she got her leg out she lost balance and her heel didn''t hold any power. "Ah, stupid ground isn''t flat." Jane tried to play it off like the ground was not flat and that made her mess up.


    "Oh, right. It was the ground. Definitely had nothing to do with your balance." Art stuck his tongue out at Jane and tried to copy the kick himself. The thud that came from his butt hitting the ground caused a triumphant laughter to come from Jane.


    "That my friend is known as Karma¡­" Asher shook his head at the two before attempting the wheel kick himself. He did what Jane had suggested and let his standing foot arch. When he felt he may fall backwards he went with the motion and flicked his bent leg out. The force that came from his transferred to his heel causing the force to all transfer to it.


    He was surprised by this feeling but his body flowed smoothly and his heel slammed in to the grass causing a decent dent. "Whoah, bro how did you just do that first try?" Art stood back up excitedly. He had no idea how Asher had pulled it off so effortlessly.


    "Don''t try, just go with it. I let my foot kick out when I thought I was about to fallback and then then it just kinda happened." Asher tried a few more times finding that his theory was correct. He was able to perform the kick as long as he kicked out his leg at the right time.


    Art and Jane easily followed him after ten more tries. They were by no means masters but having the muscle memory of how the kick should be performed would set them up for Monday''s combat class.


    "Alright alright, lets go try the last one!" Art had gained even more excitement. They were going to learn three new moves today that he was sure not many of their classmates would be learning. This would put them ahead in class and after they learned every move it would set them well ahead of their entire grade.


    He pulled up the last avatar they planned to study. The avatar in black was moving their fists in speedy motions while changing their level with the bending of the knees. This gave the avatar an ability to strike vital points from multiple angles. "From what I can see the quick jab is not the important part of this move. It is the level change he uses in his footwork." Jane''s deduction was supported by both of the boys.


    "Then we will be learning then we will mix it in to the foot work coach Winters taught us. Hopefully she is OK with us changing it a little." Art felt he may be committing a taboo but figured that he needed branch out with his own techniques anyways so why not now?


    "Let''s do that first. We can add in the level changing to our foot work and use it to play tag. After that we can try to add in jabs and mix in the other moves we know. We need to be able to string them all together." Asher thought this was the best way to transition in to a proper flow for their combat techniques.


    "Yes! We will need combos to get more points!" Art had started to fall in to video game world as he replayed and tested out the avatars moves. The edgy avatar had started to corrupt him. Asher and Jane dragged him back outside and forced him into their foot work game of tag.


    The three started far away from each other finding their own rhythms at first. They had no idea how changing levels was going to influence their speed. Asher was finding that jis speed was much slower as he tried to bob up and down. His attempt to mimic a master boxer was funny to say the least. Art was trying his best but had only figured out how to lower his stance, unfortunately getting back up was the problem. Jane however was using her fastest speed to move through the yard, yet when she would try to change levels she would nearly stop moving completely. Their bodies could not cooperate with their minds. As a result they looked like they were trying to imitate chickens looking for worms in the ground.

 Chapter 57 - 57. Power Progress?

    "I...Think...I have it." Art was making the best progress with it and had finally figured how to start to gain his sight back as he moved. He had started to use a technique similar to a wrestler''s walks. This was where someone would slide down on to their knee and burst up with force. The improvised wrestler''s walk was giving him the idea of how to keep on the move and burst upwards. Soon he was adding the punches she knew in to is, one such punch being a very basic upper cut he had seen on television before.


    ''Dang it Art is getting ahead of me.'' Asher used his rivalry as fuels to start to speed up. He tried to follow the balancing act that he had in the wheel kick and found that it was giving him significant force to his feet. The speed of his moves were also much better and after he tried for another ten minutes he could see that there were points in his motions that could connect to kicks and punches.


    "Ha!" He let out a wheel kick and then dropped lower and slid to the side to throw out a straight fist. His small combo got both Jane and Art''s attention. ''What is he a martial arts genius now? Wasn''t his super power luck or something¡­'' The two couldn''t hello but think Asher had some other super power related to learning. They had no idea that the strange area he had had where he fought so many sheep had actually kick started his battle instinct.


    "Fine if You are going to play that way, then take this!" Jane used her speed and rushed Asher. The result was a startled Asher who moved ion instinct alone. He ducked and dodged Jane''s outstretched hand which left her open. ''Time to try a jab.'' Asher let his hand fly out and poked Jane in the side.


    "Hahaahah" The laughter caught his ears sounding his victory. "Ugh, not fair, I will tag you ten times as revenge." The two had begun the game officially and Art, was also fair game.


    They both targeted Art with their own techniques. They refused to let him escape the training to the fullest degree. Surprising both of them, Art did not try to use his foot work but instead just dropped his level and burst upwards completely jumping over them. He landed in the ground and poked them both in the sides. The two were forced in to a set of laughter before they could retaliate.


    "You look way too happy for someone who is about to be taken down.? Jane had been triggered and now she would not be letting him off. Her speed was still much faster than both the boys so she dropped the attempt to use different leaves and flat out got in Art''s face. He had no chance to react and had the smug smile wiped from his face. It was replaced with laughter and a little pain after being poked in the side.


    The game went on until all three were panting on their backs in the back yard. They had not noticed their new audience the entire time they had practiced. "Encore Encore. I want my show back!" Cara had returned home from her shopping trip to witness the game of tag the three had started.


    " Ha HA¡­" Asher wanted to retaliate but was too tired.


    "You three should try to add more moves to your back pocket. The only one of you that has a power that can make any projectiles is Art right? So you two will need to be able to have a move for every situation." Cara had made a good point, but that didn''t mean they wanted to accept it.


    "Wait! I just remembered!" Art stood up and sprinted inside. Cara looked at him wondering what she had just said to trigger this reaction. Art''s loud footsteps made them all look at the back door as he came out with a box of lead pencils in his hand. "Watch this!"


    Art pulled out one pencil and broke off the tip. After his face grew serious and he looked like a vein on his head may hurt the small pencil lead tip started to float slightly in his palm. Just a second passed before he let out a huge breath and looked at the three. "I can finally make lead float!" He was extremely proud of this growth.


    "That''s so much better than just breaking the tip off a pencil!" Asher knew this was still not very amazing but it was actually a big step in comparison to before.


    "I tried to practice every night for days and then after I learned that it can technically float as a gas I decided to try imagining that the lead I move is floating on its own in that state, and it worked." His excitement to show off to his friends was intoxicating.


    "Sooo just a question. But will lead poison you too?" Art heard Cara''s question and stood there completely still. He had not even bothered to ask the doctor that question. "Don''t know huh? Well if you are immune to it then I think you should try to make it some kind of movable armor." Cara went back in to the house after saying this since she was bored with watching the three make fools of themselves while training.


    Art was dazed, not only had one of the top fighters in the school given their advice but it had also been an amazing idea. "Oh, My, God. I have been blind for so long!" His dramatic pose showed that he had not even considered such a method of use.


    "You still have the paperwork they gave you detailing your power right?" Jane remembered the documents that they were given to bring home to their families when they got their shots that detailed certain precautions to take in case the power was dangerous. Without hesitation Art was dashing in to the house.

 Chapter 58 - 58. More Sheep

    "I take it that he has them still." Asher laughed a little while stretching out his shoulders. The training had been getting to him a little and he needed a break. "Let''s grab something to drink while he finds them."


    The two found some lemonade in the kitchen and sat themselves on the grass in the back yard enjoying the sun. "If Art can use his super power like that without worry then he could be much stronger. Plus anyone that hits him would need to go to a hospital for possible lead poisoning." Jane was already brainstorming the possibilities so she could be wary of what may happen if she sparred with Art too often.


    "I think if he is immune I will let him find different training opponents. Its not that I don''t want to train with him but I really don''t feel like going to a doctor every other day due to lead poisoning." Asher was starting to rethink his choice in best friend. It was all well that Art was a good person but what if he accidentally poisoned him?


    Art came rushing back outside holding the paper. "Check it out!" The paper fell in to Asher''s lap.


    "Lead control and lead immunity¡­.So you have two powers too technically?" Asher read this out loud and realized that it definitely made sense. "You have been carrying the lead and stuff with you since you got your shot and you haven''t dropped dead yet so i guess it makes sense. But maybe you shouldn''t do any more cooking." Art looked at him more seriously.


    "Asher has a point. What if you mix something accidentally." The thought of never eating the cake again was a little rough but for their safety they would need to stomach it.


    "Psshh you guys are crazy. You really think I don''t practice proper kitchen safety? There are no place for chemicals like lead in the kitchen. You guys really need to learn a lesson in our next cooking class." Hearing this from Art we was notorious for not doing his homework on time and also not being a perfect academic student hit them hard. They were stunned at the condescending attitude.


    "Says the guy who hasn''t even finished his philosophy essay." This retort from Asher broke Art. He looked about to cry as he shuffled off with his paper in his hands to get a laptop to type his essay. ''These friends are too mean¡­''


    "Are you going to hang out outside or sit and eat this cake?" Cara was sitting at the kitchen table with two slices of cake. Art found that he had just seen an angle. While Jane and Asher sat outside afraid of the consequences that could come with Art''s power. Art and Cara sat inside eating cake.


    The three of them have practiced for most of the day and wanted to have their own time to get homework or studying done. With this decision made they all ended up spending the day this way and before they knew it the morning had come again.


    "No double run today...double runs are cursed." Art met Cara and Asher at the door with this phrase and was greeted by nods of approval. The three of them would not be falling in to the same trap as before.


    "I have my phone on me this time, we should be good." Asher showed his phone in his pocket and then headed out the door after Cara. The three were now better accustomed to the work out routine and breezed through it. However they were all on edge compared to the previous experience.


    Luckily there were no such events and the usual went on. Nothing strange seemed like it was going to happen at all on this Monday.


    "Good morning you two." Jane was waiting at the door as the boys headed out to school. The three fell in to step and made their way t the high school a little earlier than usual since they were getting faster and faster at running in the past days.


    "I can''t wait for combat class today. We are going to dominate every bit of practice." Art was fired up even though he was feeling the soreness of learning new moves. His muscles had definitely learned how to use them but he would need more practice to perform well with them.


    "I can''t wait to see the look on coach Winters'' face when we suddenly wheel kick or change levels and jab." Asher was looking forward the little amount of revenge he would get before she would find a new terrifying exercise to put them through.


    "She will definitely have praise for us. I think I will ask her for advice on the combos we could do. I would hate to ruin the flow of my moves because I don''t know what is better to go next." Jane had spent a lot of her night at home thinking about how her moves would fit together. She felt that the puzzle was missing too many pieces for her to properly compete.


    "Well I think we should focus more on basics then add moves slowly. If we rush we will do everything wrong.." Asher was worried that if he rushed along there would be more accidents like Jane kicking the glass. They had been lucky it did not break but if it had or anything did they would all be looking at their end.


    "Wow, why is the entrance so busy over there?" Art saw that a crowd was at the entrance of the school.


    ''So much for our boring Monday'' Asher had this thought before running after Art who could not control his curiosity. Upon their arrival they found a few white fluffy sheep with numbers on them blocking the entrance. This sight reminded Asher of his dream and bright shivers down his spine. These sheep were piled up on themselves like they were a fluffy white wall. There were easily twenty of them in the way. "What the heck are these things doing here?"

 Chapter 59 - 59. Stanley?

    The trio edged their way to the front and stood before the pile of cotton sheep. Looking up to the top the familial sleeping face of Stanley was peacefully resting. "Stanley! Wake up!" Jane was the first to realize that the only way to solve this problem was to wake him up.


    "Stanley!" Asher joined in yelling with Jane and a sight twitch seemed to come over the mountain of sheep.


    "SSTTaannnlleeeyyy!!!" Art joined in making the shout even louder and finally affecting the entire mountain of sheep.


    "Mmhuuu so...noisy." Stanley rolled over and slid down the mountain of sheep as it started to dissolve in to white smoke.


    "Looks like we started him awake." Jane stood with her hands on her hips triumphantly. "I can''t understand how his power works or where those sheep come from but there were easily thirty or forty of those things." She started to shake her head at the quickly dissipating pile of sheep.


    With students finally able to progress through the gates the rush was on to get to class before the bell rang. The confused and annoyed looks were all directed at Stanly as they passed by. They couldn''t believe someone could be so selfish and nap in such a spot. The strange sight of a mountain of sheep would soon be the talk of the school.


    Standing up with a little assistance from the last sheep Stanley finally opened his eyes and yawned. "I was having the best dream. I was sleeping on a cotton candy bed in the warm sun." Asher could see the slight bit of drool on his lip causing him to grimace.


    "Dude, you''re sheep were making a mountain of fluff to block the gate. No one could get in." Art tried to reason with the bed head but unfortunately, it yielded no reaction at all.


    "The sheep do what they think they need to. I can''t control them¡­" this go with the flow attitude seemed to eat at Art just a little. ''He should care...not worth it Art, not worth it.'' These thoughts were able to keep him from forcing the subject.


    With a little goading from Art the three left Stanley who seemed about to fall asleep again. "Yeaaah let''s get to class before there''s a repeat showing."


    "Yup class!" Jane and Asher agreed. Neither wanted to be responsible for keeping the go with the flow Stanley awake and out of trouble.


    "Pretty sure he will just sleep through detention anyways, so we should let it be." Asher''s logic seemed sound so no one argued as they set foot in to the classroom. There were piles of the permission slips which the trio placed their signed slips in.


    "Asher please come over to my desk please and do not step on the green floor tile." Hearing Mr. Smith''s voice Asher walked to the desk and stepped over the green floor tiles all the way there. "You only needed to avoid stepping on the first green tile to avoid it breaking and knocking the permission slips on the floor. It would have made a mess but for some reason you were smiling on the floor." Mr. Smith was shaking his head not understanding the three seconds vision from the future but chose to change it anyways.


    "Oh...ummm weird." Asher wasn''t sure why he would be happy falling on the ground either but since he didn''t fall he was pretty happy Mr. Smith helped him out.


    "You are one of the students able to go early to your chosen camp. Instead of leaving Monday morning with the other students you will leave Friday after classes end. So plan accordingly, we will not be stopping at anyone''s homes to pick up last minute necessities."


    "Understood. I will bring a bag of extra clothing with me and be ready to go." With his understanding shown Asher was sent to his seat. When he sat down the bell rang perfectly on cue for the class to start. Unsurprisingly Louis was nowhere to be seen. However there was a little bit of chaos in the hallways as a rush of late students were running through the hallways. The apologies of students could be heard all down the hallways.


    The suffering through the brutality of academics was mind numbing as always but lunch eventually rolled around allowing some much needed freedom. "I swear math class was ten times harder today than it was last week."


    "Art, that''s because you barely paid attention last week and now you have to catch up." Jane was tired of watching Art fool around and practice his super power instead of take notes when she would look over at his desk.


    ""You know she''s right, you will eventually end up having to stay after school for tutoring." The shock from hearing Asher''s words seemed to vibrate through Art as he sat at the lunch table.


    "How could you wish something so terrible on me? I thought we were best friends?" The fake crying from Art made Asher take a swing at his arm which was skillfully dodged.


    "Today sucks." Sammy sat down slamming her lunch tray on the table.


    "See, Sammy thinks that math class was harder too. Why else would she think today sucks? Hmm? Hmmmmm?" Art felt he had a supporter on his side finally.


    "What? Why math? I don''t even need to study for such an easy subject. The answers are practically given to us." Sammy still looked irritated but Art was able to throw her off in a tangent to distract her for a moment.


    While Art fell in to his own pouting while eating his peanut butter sandwich, Asher looked at Sammy wondering what was wrong. She knew that she needed to explain and didn''t wait for someone to ask.


    "Louis ditched me to follow that stupid Erin Heart girl. He said that she might need his help and he just haaad to repay the favor to her. I don''t even know what he is talking about, she literally just handed him a sheet of paper. There''s nothing to repay. Sammy huffed and rolled her eyes while telling this little story.

 Chapter 60 - 60. Spoiled

    "So did she ask Louis to sit with her at lunch or something?"


    "No"


    "Then she asked him for help at lunch?"


    "No again"


    "Then she was carrying something heavy and looked like she needed help?"


    "And a big fat no."


    The three tried to see if there was really a reason why Louis would be going out of his way to repay such a tiny gesture to another girl in their class. It was even harder to imagine he would abandon his cousin since they grew up together as siblings.


    "Weird" The three chimed in unison.


    "YUP." Sammy threw her head in her arms tired of the whole situation. She had wasted the first ten minutes of the lunch trying to get him out of his own head and to go to the roof to eat with the others like the other day.


    "Well then let''s go see what this Erin girl says. She''s in our class right? It''s a shame we haven''t been properly introduced, since we will be in the same class for the rest of our stay in high school." Asher stood up and tossed his trash out. He started to head toward the door with the cafeteria in his mind as the destination.


    The others sat for a minute not sure if they should follow him before all jumping up and joining. They were interested too, not to mention Sammy hated being ditched and wanted to set him straight.


    When the group entered the cafeteria there was a stunning difference at one of the tables compared to the others. The table in question was completely devoid of anyone sitting at it but for one single black haired girl. She was eating her lunch while ten boys stood around her watching. One such boy was Louis, who would normally be as far away from other people as possible to avoid any shocks.


    "Yo Louis what''s up? Why aren''t you eating with us today?" Asher took the lead role in this and went right up to him.


    "Huh? Oh, I am just helping Erin out with anything she needs. I owe her that." Louis turned away and put his eyes back on Erin who had stopped mid bite when Asher came up.


    The other boys looked like they expected her to say something but instead she returned to chewing her food. "Ah so you''re Erin. I''m Asher. We are in the same class."


    The introduction was short and sweet and seemed to get her attention. Erin took a napkin and wiped her lips. She placed her fork down and gave a look to Asher. "I''m so glad you came to help me out too. I really appreciate your assistance." Asher was captivated by her words but he had an annoying feeling.


    "Yea I can-" He stepped forward wanting to ask if there was anything he could do to help her but realized his foot hurt. "Oh, dang I stubbed my toe on the table leg. "Sorry about that, I actually came to figure out why Louis and well...I guess the others are waiting here to help you?"


    Erin just blinked a few times as her face showed shifting emotions. ''Why didn''t my power work just now? Shouldn''t he be compelled to help me after I asked him?'' Trying again she spoke to Asher with a little more force, " You know, I have Lou helping me here and I REALLY could use another hand."


    Asher was about to step forward again and offer his hand to Erin when a passing student bumped him in the back with their lunch tray as they rushed by. "Hey, watch out." A yelled sorry came from the student that bumped him.


    "I guess I can help but you have so many people here with you, actually, why are you the only one sitting and eating? Shouldn''t all your friends be sitting with you and eating too?" Asher was still lost on what was going on, however Sammy had heard every word and burst in.


    "Louis hates being called Lou, it''s his least favorite nickname right next to sparky." She yelled this a little louder causing Louis''s hand to twitch a little before he stepped back.


    "I told you not to call me that! Why do you have to be so mean!" He retorted immediately but then looked around realizing he had made it to the cafeteria. "Whoa...when did I get here? Good thing I am starving. You guys want to go eat?"


    Erin just looked on unable to come up with anything to do. ''Two people slipping my control? I thought my spellbinding speech was supposed to make people compelled to do what I wanted or needed? How could it fail?'' Unable to take this unknown anymore Erin stood up and faced Sammy, "Why are you all not doing what I want? My super power should be making you do what In say!" The incredibly whiny tone of voice she used was extremely unattractive.


    ''Spoiled brat'' This was the only thought in all of their heads. With her tone changed the boys looked around and realized they had made it to lunch and that they were nearly out of time to eat. Some were stuck on how they got there while others just ran to get some food. Every single one of Erin''s helpers had left here high and dry.


    "Wait, your super power?" Jane heard this right and knew exactly the meaning behind it. "Your power lets you make people do what you want doesn''t it? That''s so¡­" She didn''t have the proper words for it and ended up shaking her head disapprovingly.


    "Come on, Let''s go get a table and eat with Stanley for the last few minutes. This one looks too dirty." Sammy was red faced and angry but chose to take the high road. There was no point in arguing with this spoiled brat. ''Now you don''t have anyone to be your attendants. But if you ever mess around again I will snap everyone out of it.'' She made herself this promise as she ran to Louis who had just paid for his lunch.

 Chapter 61 - 61. Late

    The group mostly ate in silence, they were all pretty annoyed that their friend had been played with by a fellow classmate. Every once in a while Sammy would huff in frustration and mumble under her breathing. Jane looked fairly agitated too. Sadly Louis was too distracted while he tried to eat as much as possible before he had to run off to the next class.


    "Just how could someone be so spoiled!"


    "Right? How could parents raise a child to treat people as servants?"


    " She even got a power that made her more spoiled, what kind of world do we exist in?"


    "If she goes near any of the boys in our group like that again we will make sure she can''t talk again."


    "What''s the saying? Oh yeah, silence is golden but duct tape is silver."


    The two girls suddenly went off and ran with each other out of the cafeteria.


    ''I am never making them angry'' This was the only thing Asher could think of while listening to this. To do so would be playing with fire in the most dangerous way.


    "I''m going to report this to the disciplinary committee." Sammy finally stood up, her frustration was at its height.


    "I am going with you, I can''t let a friend do such a thing alone."


    With Jane''s response the two girls were off walking with a mission. "We never make those two made, agreed?


    "Agreed"


    "Agreed"


    Asher''s question was agreed to by Art and Louis in an instant. Before they boys could try and understand anymore of what had gone on the bell rang calling them to their next class.


    "Good luck Louis, I hope that spoiled brat stays away from you." Asher waved at Louis who was trying to get to his class and find where his backpack had been left along his brainwashed state.


    "You know what time it is bro?" Art''s face showed Asher a look of excitement.


    "Time to show off our boss skills from playing video games?" Asher was thinking the same thing, the two of them had this at the front of their minds since they woke up this morning.


    They nearly sprinted through the halls trying ti get changed and in to the combat class gym first. They found that they were some of the first students there. Unfortunately Jane was running late since she had left with Sammy to deal with the spoiled brat Erin.


    Asher and Art were stretching themselves a little more in preparation to lay down some of their new moves. They wanted to jump right in to things as soon as coach Winters walked in the room. However after the bell rang there was still nothing.


    The students just stood their murmuring about what to do. They were left with no direction and no teacher so far, after five more minutes the boredom had evolved in to full on conversation to pass the time. "Hey Art, you bored?"


    "Yuuup, want to practice out foot work and level changes while we wait?" This brought a smile to Asher''s face as he had a better idea.


    "What do you think would surprise coach Winters more? You, me, and Jane knowing level change in out food work, or the whole class knowing it?"


    "Pretty sure the whole class would surprise her more, why? Are you thinking what I think you are thinking?" Art had started to get in the same track as Asher remembering the game of tag they had played the day before.


    "Hey who wants to play tag?" Asher yelled out to everyone which stopped the conversation.


    "Laaammmeee"


    "Why"


    "Let''s play dodge ball!"


    "Where''s coach?"


    The responses were not the best but Asher pushed on anyways. "The rules are to use foot work and level changes to tag someone and avoid being tagged. It is definitely harder than normal tag. It''s also much more fun." Asher dropped in to a stance and used foot work and a level change to poke Art in the side and then get behind him. His soft kick to the back of the knee dropped Art on the ground no problem. "See? I tagged Art twice and now he is it."


    "You sneaky!!!" Art didn''t even bother to finish the insult before he jumped back up and went after Asher.


    The energy he had made a few of the other students join in. They too wanted to have fun and kill the time they had here. If coach Winters isn''t showing up then they would just do what they wanted."


    With more and more students joining in after about ten minutes only four were left. They had gone to get their phones and were leaving on the wall playing games. So far they had all killed half an hour playing footwork tag. Asher and Art had been the dominant pair until Jane had arrived halfway through, She had entered and begun to tag anyone and everyone leaving nobody safe.


    "You two thought you had become the kings of this gym huh? You didn''t expect the queen to come after you!" Jane used her speed to push forward and easily took out Art. He fell to the ground unable to retaliate.


    Asher and Jane were the last standing since the other students had given up on rivaling the in footwork tag. Jane was about to rush in and use one of the new moves on Asher when the gym door slammed open. "That''s enough fooling around! You four are out of my class. If you ever show your faces here again you will be used as a training dummy for everyone here." Coach Winters pointed a finger at the four against the wall on their phones.


    They jumped up and ran out of the gym in absolute fear. They had seen her brutality when it came to students. They knew that detention would be a blessing. But she would choose to use them as sparring partners instead to teach them lessons. She was one of the most evil teachers in the school.

 Chapter 62 - 62. Extra Credit

    "Those of you that were just going to sit around being lazy lumps on a log can run laps for the rest of class!" The students jumped in to action. Asher, Art, and Jane all started to run too not wanting to end up in trouble. "Not your three!"


    Coach Winters was looking at them with a sharp gaze. "I saw that you two were the masterminds of this little game of tag. You definitely looked used to playing as well. Explain." She was not as happy as she could have been but they knew that they weren''t in trouble.


    "It''s a game we made up to practice our footwork and level changes. We were training over the weekend and even learned some new moves." Before Asher or Art could reply Jane jumped in with an excited tone.


    "Just a game you all made up on your day off? And tell me, how much do you all train a day?" Coach Winters tone seemed to have changed, there was less steel in it and more of a genuine curiosity.


    "Well Asher and Art workout in the morning before school and I work out before bed. But we all practice out moves separately like shadow boxing. Art showed me on his phone. We also practiced moves the other day and tried to learn how to leave change. It''s a lot of fun!" Jane answered so honestly it was painful.


    ''Jane, you''re great but you are telling this torturer all our secrets.'' Asher knew that if coach Winters knew all this she might find a way to add on to their workouts somehow. It would be much tougher is she found a way.


    Coach Winters looked at each of them for a while. "I will allow you three to take out one of the demonstration videos from me every weekend. You two will get extra credit for getting the class moving. Lat year when I pretended to be late I needed to kick the whole class out. The principal was pretty angry but I reserve the right to kick out those who don''t have the right to learn." She turned to Jane and looked at her with a hard expression. "If you have been on time I would be giving you extra credit too, but you were late. I expect a one page apology and explanation for tomorrow. However you are definitely the most advanced with foot work here."


    Jane hung her head in shame. She knew she was going to be late and was ready for the consequences but at this moment she felt really bad about it. ''Thankfully she only assigned me more homework and didn''t give me detention or remove points from my grade.''


    Asher and Art were surprised to hear these things from coach Winters since they believed she would always be ruthless and try t torture them more. "Come on and choose one to study this week since you will all be at the camps later. Just give it back Friday." She led the three to a closet full of different video tapes. They were all labels with martial arts basics or competitions from champions. "I will give you the basics of reading an opponent." She handed a video that read ''''Basics of reading your opponent''''


    "I have heard of this, Art told me that reading an opponent means that we can see how they will move." When Jane spoke coach Winters looked at Art a lot more seriously.


    "You seem to do a lot of research on these things? Any particular reason?" Her gaze became thin as she suspected something ominous.


    "I want to be a hero and I need to know as much as possible. I also need to beat my brother out for control over the family so the better I am the sooner that will happen." Art was afraid to lie to coach Winters so he just blurted out the truth. She nodded with his words as if she knew exactly what he was talking about. There was no doubt on her face any longer. Asher could swear that coach Winters had prior knowledge of such family matters


    "Now get put of here before the bell rings. If you''re late to your other classes I wont take the hit for you." The usual cold attitude returned as coach Winters sent them away. The three changed and found that they had an extra five minutes before class.


    "We have to watch this tonight and practice!" Jane was already thinking of after school even though they had two more classes left to go.


    "We have it for the whole week, we could get out other home work done first then focus on it." Art spoke about doing home work early.


    "Dude are you sick? You just said you wanted to do home work early¡­" Asher looked at him like he had been replaced by another person.


    Even Jane was looking at him weird, well her mask was facing him. "No I just want to be ankle to focus on getting stronger and the home work will be in the way." He looked like he wasn''t fully focused, his mind was elsewhere.


    "Well sure, let''s do that then. If we can get it done early then we can watch the videos and practice on it tomorrow. You guys can take it with you since we will all watch it at Asher''''s anyways." Jane handed the video she had taken to read back to Art who stored it in his back pack.


    "I definitely think it was weird that she was testing everyone though. Asher had felt this way since coach Winters had said it.


    "Oh yeah, super weird."


    "I think it sounds normal. She had to get the people who were just there for what they thought was an easy grade. If they had stayed in class they could have hurt our learning. It was for our best." The boys were still not sure how Jane''s brain worked when it came to coach Winters.

 Chapter 63 - 63. Library

    "Well I think it was weird and I am sticking to it." Art refused to change his mind on the test that coach Winters had pulled on them in the combat course.


    The three were ready to switch gears and jump in to their philosophy class. Art had even finished his homework on time to hand in. "Why is the door locked?'' Art pushed with all his weight but the door didn''t budge at all.


    "Look up and read the sign." Jane shook her head at Art trying to push the door with all his might.


    "Oh...We are having class in the library today¡­" He looked away a bit sheepish. Asher and Jane just shook their headed and continued walking towards the school library.


    There used to be a fairly decent sized library from what Asher could remember. Bit now he could recall that there were many more shelves and a second floor to the library. As the three stepped through the doorway Asher was hit by the full effect.


    The sights of towers shelved double the size of what he had previously remembered was enough to silence anything he would have said. The rows of tables and computers was enough to call this a first class place to study. Even a sniff of the air brought the calming smell of ink on pages.


    The shelves were sorted by genre like a normal library would, however here there were genres that solely focused on super powers and the development of evolutionary sciences. These were all undiscovered treasured to Asher who had never read any in this world or his previous. They held unknown potential that brought an idea to him.


    "Hey, why aren''t we reading that section on discovered super powers?" He pointed to one of the largest shelves. Some books having multiple volumes for every notable holder of such super power. "If we ever need to know about a power we can just look it up on the internet. The books are more or less copied exactly." Art shrugged not seeing the point of reading something he could just look up online if he wanted. However Jane looked like she was seriously thinking on it.


    "We would need a lot of time to read all of those. Like Art said, It would be more efficient to look them up using our phones." She could not fault the logic that it would save the time to use one of the most advanced tools humanity had created.


    "Fine, I would say phones work the best but what if we didn''t have access to phones? We could have everything we needed to know about an opponent''s super power already in our heads. We wouldn''t have to buy time to look stuff up too."


    Asher was on a roll thinking on the possibilities of learning ever single possible power and it''s drawbacks. "I think that sounds like an essay question. What would you do if the internet suddenly disappeared? How would you function without it? What knowledge would we gain and lose?" The voice of Mr. Richards came out of nowhere behind them.


    Jane jumped back and fell in to a fighting stance just off of muscle memory. Art just stumbled forward while Asher was the only one still standing still just turning his head to their philosophy teacher. "Sorry about that, I have been waiting for students to come in and giving them their assignments. I prefer the question you posed though. I will let you three write on what the world may be like if the internet completely disappeared over night. Now go find some books, they are all you would have." Mr. Richards laughed a little then walked away pondering the way of the world without the advancement of the internet.


    "Sooo I guess we have a journal entry to write?" Asher spotted an empty table and made a straight path for it. Art pitifully pulled out his notebook not wanting to start in on a another assignment.


    "If we can finish this fast we will basically have a study hall. We can work on any homework we want." Jane drew this conclusion which sounded like a great idea to Asher.


    "Then get your butt writing Art, we have an entire bookshelf of super powers to study." Without even a second of pause Asher was furiously writing.


    "It''s your goal to torture me with more and more work, is''t it¡­" Arts whining went ignored by the other two while they both dove in to their work. They had the goal to finish early and nothing was going to stop them.


    Some time later Asher had already finished his journal entry page and was browsing through the nearest shelf on super powers. Jane had moved on to the rest of the week''s math homework, every problem was answered in a matter of seconds.


    Art was busy procrastinating with only three fourths of his journal entry done. He leaned back in his chair looking at what Asher was doing behind him. "How many of those are you going to look through today?"


    "As many as possible. Do you know how many powers could be related to luck? Or even to curses, jinxes, fortune, probability manipulation, they never end. I even found one that is written about controlling specific metals. I would tell you where it is but you still have work to do."


    Hearing that Asher had found something Art tried to jump up and search for the book himself. Sadly his precarious balancing act was making this impossible. With a loss of breath and a silent face of terror, Art fell back and rolled across the floor with a resounding thud.


    Every student in the library turned towards them and looked at the glorious sight of Art on the ground with his chair somehow on top of him. "Dude, you''re supposed to be silent in the library so you don''t interrupt others while they work¡­" Asher reprimanded Art with a smug smile on his face while offering a hand to help him up.

 Chapter 64 - 64. Bookworm

    "Now show me where that book is." Art managed to hop up without injury. The only damage was to his now unruly hair. The look was similar to a mad scientist, but Art didn''t seem to care too much at all.


    "What book?" Asher''s flat response made Art''s mood drop.


    "The one on powers that control specific metals¡­"


    "Oh that one. No idea, I put it away randomly so that you could only find it after you finished your journal entry. I might remember where I put it, I might not."


    "Not cool bro, not cool" Art returned to his seat dejected. His pen slowly wrote each letter while grumbling about Asher being mean and not at all a bro.


    "Find anything on a power like mine?" Jane had decided to take a break from her math after Art''s loud show of falling from his chair.


    "Yes, there are actually, a bunch of volumes on powers similar to Greek mythology. This one about Hercules mentions an encounter with medusa. I have no idea if it will help but maybe there is something useful." Jane looked up at the book he was pointing to on a shelf above her head.


    The green hardcover book was barely out of reach as she tried to stand and stretch to her tippy toes. "Come onnnn just get In My Han-" Her annoyed words came to a sudden stop and she slipped forward.


    Asher had initially expected this to happen and was already prepared for the possibility of a fall. His hands reached out and cradled Jane in them while the green hardcover book bounced off his own head.


    "Are you alright?" His no flinching attitude after the book bounce off of him made Jane swoon. She couldn''t find any words for the situation and just tried to steady herself again. She tried to bend down and pick up the book but Asher''s hand snagged it before she did. "Here''s the book I was talking about. Try to be careful, I would hate to see you fall."


    ''I was so cool there. That was the perfect move. I''m so glad dad watched so many old school movies.'' While Asher complimented himself on how smooth he had just been there were different thoughts flowing through Jane''s mind.


    ''I want to fall again. Catch me a thousand times!'' Naturally Asher''s smooth cliche had worked and all thanks to a high bookshelf and a little focus. If he hadn''t noticed the possibility of this happening then it could have been a disaster with a trip to the nurses office. ''


    ''I definitely have a bruise forming but it was totally worth it." While he feigned scratching his head he rubbed his sore head hoping that no one would be able to tell that he had a large bump growing.


    "You two are so gross, get a room." Art''s general response made Asher and Jane respond with equal taunts about him getting to work on his home work. However before they could really get in to their usual skit the bell rang calling them to the last class of the day.


    Asher rushed to check out two books on probability and fortune telling while Jane rushed ahead to her own class. Naturally Art was as excited as ever to escape the journal entry that he had been working on. If he had taken even another five minutes he could have been done with it.


    With his eyes on room 777 Asher prepared to fight through the incense smoke that was sure to be filling the room when he opened the door. ''Hold your breath and it will all be fine.'' He took a deep breath and pushed the door open, however instead of seeing and hearing a disturbed Lin, he found a perfectly clear classroom that already smelled like incense.


    "Looks like you expected much worse." Line casually walked up behind Asher who was looking for the usual smoke. "I got a water based vaporizer. The same smell that the incense has is dissolved in an herbal mix for the vaporizer. Then it smells up the room just the same without all of the smoke. Much better for us, and safer!" As she spoke she gave a look at madame Weaver who did not even flinch.


    Madam Weaver was sitting at her desk looking deeply in to the crystal ball which was dancing with lights from the clear window. Since the window was normally obscured by incense smoke this was a rare occasion. The lights were showing her many different auras that reflected in from the outside. They were captivating.


    "See anything we should take note of?" Asher knew that he could be inviting trouble if he was going to ask this, but he wanted to try and learn something new instead of just hanging out and meditating on his power.


    "I see many things as a child. The strongest right now is the looking fog coming in tomorrow. Many will be lost to their own minds and full of stress." Her words seemed ominous but Lin quickly interjected.


    "Well with the senior quarterly academic tests starting tomorrow it would only make sense." Madam Weaver looked deflated after Lin explained it that way.


    "Lin, you really need to take an acting class so you can understand when a little extra something is needed." This was the polite way for her to say that Lin had just ruined the atmosphere. "Asher, you look like you are hungry, what has gotten you so motivated? Your aura is bright and spreading out much more than usual."


    "Well, I''m not sure about my aura spreading out but I did have class in the library today. I started reading books on super powers so i can remember what they do and possible weaknesses. If I am going to be a hero, I can''t rely on tools to do all the work for me."


    "Really, you went to the library? What shelf did you start on? What is the book name you started to read? If I have read it I can pass you my notes!" Lin became very excited. Asher seemed to have found the thing she loved most.

 Chapter 65 - 65. Ominous Aura

    "Umm, I took these two out to read from this week before I go camping early." Asher was a little worried that handing over the books would result in more homework.


    "I have read both of these, give me your email so I can send over my notes. There are some tough parts with this book on probability super powers. The more you read the deeper you will dig yourself without good focus." The offer to share notes was not what Asher had expected. It seemed that Lin was thinking he could really use the knowledge to prepare for the camp outing for the coming week.


    "Thanks a ton. I will try to find some stuff to learn from." He put on his best smile to thank Lin. She was giving him some of her hard work after all.


    "Now that''s more like it. Lin your aura is positively shining right now." Madam Weaver looked like she had just found a gem. This reason right here was why she had offered to become a teacher. There was also the reason that people with any type of fortune telling abilities were rare. Every school tried to find one teacher to cover the subject just in case they were able to be lucky enough to have a student with such a super power.


    "Is it really shining? What color is shining? What does shining mean? Does that have anything to do with my mood or my actions?" Lin went in to research mode wanting to know every single little secret. The more information she could get the better for her to conduct more research n to auras.


    Madam Weaver looked at her and thought for a few moments. "Your shining aura is one of yellow, there are hints of gold present. You should have increased kindness and a little luck in the future. You have paid the karma forward."


    "Karma again. I have explored this before and found that I do tend to have a better time in my day when I have done kind things previously. I have not figured out if it is because of my perspective do to the chemicals my brain is producing, or similar to the butterfly effect. Karma can definitely be classified in multiple ways but there seem to be no solid facts."


    Madam Weaver shook her head as Lin rambled on to herself. The amount of things she was factoring was the same as trying to understand the very fabric of reality. "What is my aura doing right now?" Asher had grown curious if he had any shining aura like Lin had at the moment.


    "Yours is still greedily drinking up the shining aura around you. However I see a little darkness in it. Have you been teasing or making fun of anyone lately? Some of your jinx is reflecting on you. Karma does not take kindly to abuse, you should be mindful of what you say."


    Asher''s face dropped, his memories of teasing of Art when he fell in the library and when he wasn''t doing his homework flew through his mind. ''I need to make it up to Art before i end up worse off than i was before¡­'' With this realization Asher wanted to run out of the room and fix things. He would be a saint if he needed to be.


    "Oh don''t go stressing yourself out. You aren''t going to drop dead from something so small." Madam Weaver saw the panic in his eyes and knew she needed to talk him down before he went crazy.


    Asher headed her words and started to return to a calmer mindset. However next to him Lin was still rambling. Asher had nit been in this class long enough to know weather this was normal or not for Lin. "Did we break Lin?"


    "No dear, she will write twenty or thirty theories and start formulating a paper based in the most probable ones. It''s how her mind works. With he enhanced brain power she has multiple trains of thought." This unexpected explanation made Asher hold much higher respect for his senior student and his teacher.


    ''All the things I could do with multiple trains of thought in an improved brain. I could watch television, do homework, and maybe even use one to train'' He immediately fell in to daydreams full of limitless potential.


    With her two students lost in thought Madame Weaver focused herself on her aura reading and looked in to the future of her students. ''You will keep shining more and more, hmmm major breakthrough¡­'' Her eyes were on Lin, it was clear that she was destined for great things in the academic world. Madam Weaver just wished she could learn to open her mind more.


    Turning her eyes on Asher she looked at his aura much more carefully. ''You are a gluttonous boy, your aura seeks to bring all the luck to you. How greedy. But why is there so much dark aura hanging around you right now?'' She worried about what potential future was waiting for him. She knew he would be heading in to the woods for camp since he had already mentioned his choice of camp the other day. ''I will just need to hope that he does more good deeds and brings positive karma to those around him as well.'' She decided to just breathe and accept it, however she still did worry for what it may mean.


    The bell rang and called the day to an end. Asher and Lin split up still lost in their own thoughts. Jane, Art, and Asher met up at the entrance of the school like they had been and walked their way home. They had the goal to get as much home work done as possible so they could try learning from the video they had received in combat class. They wanted to learn as much as possible about body language and predicting their opponents moved before they went off to the camps.

 Chapter 66 - 66. Ashers Signature Breakfast

    The week went by in a flurry of training and practice. The three watched the video which taught them numerous amounts when it came to body language. They were able to learn certain characteristics of someone who was lying. The idea that someone would hold their arms closer to themselves and often shift from foot to foot was really easy to understand and look for. They even started to test each other by throwing little white lies in to their training. The two truths and one lie game came in handy here.


    Seeing that there were also ways to focus on the feet and body position to see what way the person could move would help immensely in a fight. They could predict what foot or fist their opponent could strike with. The instructor in the video even described how they could see the different muscle movements to figure out if the opponent would retreat.


    Normally these things would take years of practice and training to catch on to naturally. With the instructional video from coach Winters, the trio was able to grasp the idea and begin to put it in to use. Their sparring matches and games of foot work tag became much tougher.


    The fact that the three got better at foot work tag every day was not bringing the combat class much joy. The simple fact was that coach Winters had loved the idea so much she had added it to the warm up before class started. In her words, it was, "The best way to get blood moving and learn how to react in a fast paced situation."


    Jane had taken her words to heart and made it a personal goal to face off against everyone in the class every day. Most days the other students went out of their way to avoid her since the only two that could combat her were Art and Asher. The fact that Art only won two out of ten times was not important, at least he would win.


    Asher on the other hand was really hitting his stride as the moves they practiced had become muscle memory. The repetitive practice every night before bed with Art was really paying off. On top of that, the three had explored some of the other moves in the video game and chosen some favorites. This was the start of their own personal styles even if they did not realize it themselves.


    When Friday morning finally rolled around Asher had just started to head downstairs to go out of the usual work out with Art and Cara. The only problem was that Cara was standing in front of the door refusing to let him out. "Why can''t I go work out with you two today? It''s just like any other day."


    Cara''s face was filled with confusing emotions. She shifted from concern to stress, and back to stubborn coldness. "I said no, you will understand later. Art is fine since he will head to camp Monday, but you need to eat a really big breakfast. No work ut at all, if you even think about practicing I will make sure you don''t get dessert when you get back." She had steel in her voice and Asher knew that he wouldn''t get away from her if he went against her will.


    "But Art said he is making angel food cake with a strawberry mousse! You can''t take that away from me, my life will be incomplete without it." He could feel his heart breaking hearing the threat of no dessert.


    "Bro, if your sister says no work out just go with it. She has to have a good reason." Art was right there supporting Cara. ''Weird, Art keeps backing her up more and more lately. He even made cheddar stuffed burgers when she asked for them the other night.'' Asher had noticed these coincidences but hadn''t noticed them all lining up until now. The last week had been full of them. Even more so, his sister wasn''t calling Art a monkey as much anymore and even used his name sometimes.


    "That''s that, no go make something with a lot of carbs and protein." Cara gave him another harsh glare to show she meant business. The two left on the work out leaving Asher alone to cook in the kitchen. This was a grave mistake.


    ''Fine, if I can''t go with you two I will make the best breakfast ever and make them suffer through watching me eat it.'' His devilish smile showed that he would do his best to make them jealous.


    Asher was quick to pull out the box pancake mix and bacon. ''Bacon is the meaning of life so bacon with pancakes will make them crazy jealous.'' He was already mixing milk in to the pancake flour mixture making a thick crumbly batter. The amount of lumps was more than anyone would think possible. "Perfect, this will keep it from being too basic, add some texture." Asher started to talk out loud as he cooked. He had picked this habit up from his mother who likes to sing to herself while she made dinner.


    The bacon hit a scalding hot frying pan with a loud hiss. The smell soon started to permeate the house. He had managed to find some eggs and cracked them on top of the bacon. Not a master chef moves, but to him, it was. ''The bacon will cook with the eggs and make the perfect sandwich shape.'' His goal may not have been bad, however, the look of the half-cooked bacon mixed in to the raw eggs would make any chef cry.


    The smell of cooking was quick to awaken his sleeping mother, luckily his father had already left for work. "Asher honey, why are you cooking now?" His mother stopped at the entrance to the kitchen seeping the eggshells that covered the counter and the pancake mix that was covering Asher''s shirt. Her voice became unsteady as she turned around, "Clean up when you''re finished or you won''t be making it to camp today." Her words struck fear in to his heart as he started to clean as he waited for his pancakes to cook.

 Chapter 67 - 67. Sly Art

    The cooking went on until the two returned from their morning routine. Cara was the first to smell the bacon, the only problem was that she also smelled some burning and something sweet. "Mom? Is everything alr-" She saw that it was Asher in the kitchen and that there were three loaded plates of food. The bacon mixed with burnt eggs made her stomach turn. The toast he had created was darker than roof shingles. Even the pancakes were somehow cooked but had little bits of dry mix falling from them.


    She tried to walk backward but encountered a body behind her. "I was going to make my master chef level breakfast just for me but I started to feel bad. I made you and Art a plate too so get changed and eat up." His genuine smile filled her with horror. She had never seen such a mess of a breakfast and there was no way she could eat any of it. ''How could mom leave him to do something so gruesome?'' Cara could not fathom why he was allowed.


    "Woohoo, made it back and I smell bacon!" Art was enticed by the wonderful smell of bacon as he entered the door and took his shoes off.


    "Perfect timing, I made you a plate too!" Asher went to get the food and put it on the dining room table.


    "Thanks bro, I am starving...Wait, you made me a plate?" Art''s heart started to pump faster and faster, even more so than when he was running. "Haha, you know I don''t think I can eat just yet. I ran too hard and my stomach is hurting a bit. I need to calm down first. Maybe I will save it for later." He attempted to put it in the kitchen but Asher was already dodging around him with the plate and putting it on the table.


    "How could I let my best friend go hungry? If you are still feeling bad after you shower then I will make it your lunch." Asher was being kind and nice just like madam Weaver had recommended. Yet to Art and Cara it sounded like they were being offered torture from a demon. How could they eat this poison?


    They retreated to the upstairs where they found Asher and Cara''s mother reading a book without a care in the world. "Mom, you let Asher make that poison?"


    "What was I going to do? He was already cooking when I woke up. Shouldn''t he have been ut working out with you two? Why wasn''t he?" This made Cara shiver, she had been the one to tell him not to go since she wanted to look out for his best interest.


    "You know he is going early to camp cruel like I did. I worked out the morning I went and the whole thing was worse because of it. I wanted to be nice. But now he is going to poison Art and me." Cara''s whining got her nowhere with her mother. As far as her mother was concerned she had brought it upon herself by not allowing Asher to work out like usual. If he had worked out like usual then he would have been burning whatever else happened upon himself. She didn''t look up from her book again having the full intention of staying in her room until they all left for school.


    Cara walked away defeated realizing that she would be stuck with this fate no matter what now. By the time she made it to the shower and dressed for school, she found that Art was downstairs looking at the food on the table. "See I told you we needed to wait for Cara. It would be rude eating without her."


    ''What us that monkey playing at? Why did they need to wait for me.'' Cara felt something suspicious was going on, but when she saw Art''s smile she thought that maybe there was a plan.


    "Ugh, but the food is cold now. I told you we should have eaten first." Asher was being over dramatic and had his head on the table.


    "Bro, I''ve got this. I have the best microwaving technique. It will keep the taste and heat it up perfectly." Asher looked at Art skeptically but nodded his head. ''I would rather eat hot food than cold food. Even if it tastes like it was microwaved.''


    "Cara, can you bring the other plate for me?" Art went in to the kitchen with two plates and Cara behind him with the last. He leaned over to her and whispered, "I know the bacon is still raw. I can''t fix the taste but I can use chef mike here to fix the foodborne illness possibility." Art looked worried as he said this but popped the plates one after the other in to the microwave.


    The smell of cooking bacon moved through the house again. It didn''t crisp up but luckily it was now fully cooked saving the three from being sick all day. Unknown to him, Asher had just been saved from a terrible stomach ache for the entire time he would have been at camp.


    "We have like no time bro, dig in while we can. Whatever s left we can safe for after school!" Art made it seem like they would be late if they didn''t rush now. Asher shoved food in his mouth not even tasting it while he rushed. Since he was distracted Art and Cara slowly ate the parts of egg and bacon that were cooked the most without any burned parts.


    ''Hmm, he might be smarter than I thought. I guess the cake wasn''t a fluke. I wonder how that angel food cake with strawberry mousse will taste?'' Cara daydreamed about the future desserts that she would taste while Asher''s friend lived in the house. "You know Art when I am a bigshot in the law enforcement as a chief or something, I can hire you as a personal chef." Art just shook his head having his own goals. Although Cara was unhappy to see this.

 Chapter 68 - 68. Off You Go

    "What time is it? We can''t make Jane wait." Asher was on edge since rt had rushed him to eat so he tossed the dished in to the dishwasher and rushed outside. "Hurry up you guys. We need to get to school!"


    Art grabbed Cara''s plate and took it to the trash, "rest in peace poor food. You deserved better." His little prayer made Cara giggle, naturally, she hid it from him though. He grabbed them some peanut butter and a few pieces of bread and made quick sandwiches for them. With a snack to eat the two left their own way.


    Cara took the lead and did a light jog to school trying to escape Asher before he decided to ask what they thought of the food. Art joined Jane and Asher who had been chatting the entire time he was clean things up. "Sorry for taking a while, I was still really hungry. I must be having a growth spurt." His excuse threw Asher off of the truth and kept him in the clear.


    "So are you excited to leave for camp early? I heard only two other students got approval this year to go to camp Jewell early." Jane had asked around through the week to see if she could get any information on what the camp was like. Most of the students who had gone just brushed it off or said that it was pronounced camp cruel. This gave her nothing useful to share other than the fact that two other students were going early.


    "I have my bag and I am feeling pretty ready for everything. I figure I will the combat gear I bought at the store under my uniform before I go to the front entrance. I have no idea what to expect but I want to make sure I am the first person ready to go." He was very excited to go to camp first. He would be able to scout out all the best parts of the camp so he could show it off to his friends.


    "Just don''t get too ahead of us before we get there. I will be doubling my work outs this weekend." when Art said this he crossed his arms to look intimidating. Sadly Asher was way too used to him and would never be afraid of Art.


    "I will be doing the same, I am going to shadow spar and practice as many moves as possible. When I get there I will make sure to test out what you learned." The sweet Jane was missing and replaced with a completely different person. She sounded like she was ready to punch a hundred people just to stay on the same level as her friends.


    While the three walked to school the rivalry only grew the entire time. Today was the day they had to return the video to coach Winters and they were all sad that they wouldn''t have the chance to grab another instructional video for the week since they would be at camp. "I really wish we could get one instructing us on holds and body locks. I feel like we need to learn to restrain an opponent after we stun them." This was something that had weighted in jane''s mind as they had trained the past few days.


    "If we cant contain the villain we capture then there is pretty much no point in trying to subdue them at all. They could run away at any time. Most villains know how to get out of basic handcuffs or other restraints." Art had already looked in to getting restraints and found that there were thousands of videos on how to escape them with ease. Even the most high-tech were easy to get out of in minutes.


    "At the end of the day, I think it would be better to capture them and incapacitate them. If we learn to knock them out we are doing one better than restraints. But it is a little mean¡­" Asher saw that straight up knocking someone out to stop them could be cruel at the end of the day.


    "Definitely mean, but if it''s the only way you''ve gotta do it." Shrugging his shoulders, Art had long accepted this as a possible solution.


    "What about that police officer who decided not to be a hero but pretty much is a hero? He can use ropes like that are his own body, he uses them to sneak up on criminals and traps them. You should try that Art." Jane had heard the story on the news that the officer had been offered a hero spot four times and always turned it down. He was an unofficial hero.


    "If I can ever use my super power to control lead that carefully then I should be able to do anything at that point." He started to lose himself to the idea.


    "That would be pretty cool. You could make like metal snakes to go and catch a villain." Asher was getting in to it as they neared the school entrance.


    "If you stick around as the good luck charm the metal might just start catching villains by itself." Art laughed at his own joke but had his joy interrupted by a tall muscular woman at the gate.


    "You are Asher Ronan correct?" Her gruff voice was like gravel being poured out on to glass.


    "Ummm yeah that''s me, why?" The woman nodded and grabbed him around the waist tossing him on her shoulder.


    "We are going to camp Jewell now. Say goodbye to your friends." Asher tried his best to struggle free but found that the woman''s grasp was tougher than anything he had ever encountered.


    "Make sure you return this to coach Winters!" Asher tossed the video from his bag to Jaenwho caught it without fail, His two friends watched as he was carried away to a van with two other people standing by it. "I will see you two when You get to camp!" He tried to shout a goodbye but he was soon tossed in with two other students. They were off to camp early.

 Chapter 69 - 69. Nice

    "So you are ur third huh? My name is Jackson I am in class three. I''m sure you were dragged here too. At least you look like you have extra clothing, mine is still in my locker¡­" The large boy could easily pass for a short man. He seemed like he barely fit in the seat he had been tossed in to, and his clothing looked like it was ready to tear.


    The boy named Jackson let out a long sigh, "I really am sixteen, I just got a super power called perfect body. My body is at the peak strength for a human my age. Pretty much with ideal genes, everyone would look like me. It makes clothes shopping really hard. But it makes working in my garden a lot easier."


    Asher was having a hard time grasping the situation as he listened to Jackson. His sheer size was intimidating, however, his voice was soft and his hobby of gardening was able to put Asher at ease.


    "Ooo my turn. I am Laura and I bet I''m faster than you," The girl that had somehow just popped up out of nowhere in the seat in front of Asher seemed to be vibrating in place. She was looking at everything with extremely quick glances while fidgeting. "I got really lucky and I was invited last minute. I was stuck in the hospital until they figured out my power. I have this hyper metabolism that lets me moves super fast like a humming bird. I can never get enough food, but I am ssssssssuuuppppeeerrr fast."


    She spoke almost too fast for anyone to understand, ''How were they able to catch a girl like this. I can barely keep up.'' Asher gave her a good look finding that her blond hair was wild and wind blown. Her features were fairly sharp and the vibrating she seemed to have about her body made his eyes hurt.


    When Asher finally started to grasp the situation and that the two others were the students he was going to camp Jewell with he decided to introduce himself. "I am Asher. I am a member of class one, please don''t get angry at me for any bad luck you may have." His last phrase made them both confused, but hearing that he was from class one they knew that it was most likely because he had a tough super power to manage.


    This excited them and made the two who were stuck in the car curious. "So what super power do you have?" Jackson was the one to ask. Laura seemed to be snacking in some protein bar she had somehow pulled out of nowhere.


    "It''s called lucky jinx. I kinda am lucky but also make other people unlucky but also make my enemies really unlucky. Or maybe I absorb luck from others...It''s really a mess."


    "So you have a unique power? Is it new or just super rare? Mine is super rare. They need three exports to stabilize me." Asher barely understood Laura but couldn''t seem to fault her since she looked to have been trying very hard to speak slowly.


    "New, that''s why I am so lost. I think I have been catching on to it though, slowly but surely." He shook his head not wanting to focus too much on the complicated power he had gained. If he followed in Lin''s footsteps and tried to analyze it he knew he could become even more lost.


    "That is pretty cool. Being the first to have a super power could cause a huge breakthrough in gene science. Mine is really rare but widely researched and easy to control. That is why I am still in class three." Jackson looked relieved as he said this. It was only natural for someone to worry about having a dangerous power that could cause harm.


    "I should transfer classes soon, my power isn''t dangerous as long as I don''t let myself get too excited. If I move too fast the air friction could start a fire." The two boys looked at her with wide eyes.


    "Wait, wouldn''t you get burned moving so fast? And won''t you need a ton of food to fuel your body to even move that fast?" Asher had seen the flaws in this power quickly.


    "Yup, that''s why I need to wear special clothing and eat these pills and snacks all the time." Se geld up a small tan pill. "This is pretty much compressed calories. Hero corp made it for those who grow to massive sizes. It can feed one person for a month. I eat about ten a day."


    This was a lot to take in. From the sound of it, Laura could eat every person in the city out of house and home. Not only that but if she couldn''t control her power she could harm those around her and herself. "You must think us to be moving in slow motion¡­" Jackson sounded sad saying this out loud. He could only imagine how long the day must take to pass.


    "It''s not that bad. I really like to get things done. So in the time, it takes someone to do one thing I have done five. I already did my homework for two months." This comment made the two bys shut their mouths. They had just heard of the best super power to have in school ever. They could not imagine being able to get all of their home work done and then relaxing for two months.


    "Get some rest back there, once we get to camp you will be starting off with basic training." The woman who had caught Asher yelled to them. Unfortunately for her this just made the three students talk more. They couldn''t help but wonder what they would be doing and what the camp would be like. For the rest of the car ride, they talked about what they had heard of the camp and what they expected to improve on. Before they knew it the car was slowing to a stop and the side door was being opened to reveal the sunlight.

 Chapter 70 - 70. Jogging

    The door slid open and presented them with the bright sunlight. The three were blended for a moment before their eyes were able to adjust to the daylight. The view of trees filled their eyes from every direction. "Welcome to the crystal forest. It looks pretty green now but in the winter the mist freezes just right to show off the best ice forest you have ever seen." The woman that had grabbed Asher waved a hand at all the trees.


    "The camp is ten miles that way, good luck getting there." She closed the door to the car hopped in and drove off. The three stood there silent and stuck.


    "She just said ten miles...right?" Jackson gulped and looked in the direction she had pointed.


    "I wish she didn''t...at least I ate a full breakfast." Asher rolled up his sleeves and started to stretch his muscles. After he had spent a solid ten minutes he started in a straight line following the direction the woman had pointed. "No point in just standing there, come on!" His yell was enough to get Jackson on the move too.


    For someone so large he was easily matching Asher''s pace. "You have a good running pace, are you sure you aren''t physically enhanced like me?" Jackson had no issues talking and running at this slow pace. To him this was a walk in the park, the main problem was that he absolutely hated running with a passion, he preferred the slow calm life.


    Laura was nowhere to be seen and Asher couldn''t find the breath to reply to Jackson. Instead, he just focused on his breathing and kept his feet moving straight. "Ugh!" Jackson had started a pretty impressive streak of tripping on almost every single tree root they passed.


    "Ninty seven." Asher huffed out this number.


    "I swear it''s not a game. Just because I have tripped that many times." The defeated sounding Jackson easily caught back up to Asher.


    "Whoa, you tripped that many times? You need to watch it more carefully. There are a lot more roots up there." Laura had shown up next to them without warning.


    Asher didn''t have the mental energy to be surprised and just kept on moving forward. The terrain was tough for him to maneuver and he had been jogging slowly for over two hours.


    Laura was gone in another blink of an eye. "Is she actually teleporting instead of running? I can''t keep up with her using my eyes. And they should be the peak of humans!" Jackson was having trouble fathoming Laura''s power.


    While the two ran Laura started to pop up here and there just to check on them, it was clear that she could have easily gotten to the camp without them. Knowing that she was worrying over them even though they just met made the jog more bearable.


    Asher suddenly stopped and looked forward. "What''s wrong? We still have at least two miles to get through." There was a slight sheen on Jackson''s face but otherwise, he looked perfectly fine after so much jogging in tough terrain.


    "I am pretty sure I hear water...great." Asher''s sarcasm was the strongest it had ever been as he started up his job again. When he finally reached the water he could hear it was more than he imagined.


    "So I was able to hop over the rocks to the other side. But they are slippery." Laura popped up and started commenting.


    "Think I can pull that off too?" Asher did not even hesitate to respond. The number of times she had done this in the last few hours was enough to desensitize him for life. ''This has to be some hidden training. This girl just shows up without any rhyme or reason to test my heart.''


    "Sure, just don''t fall in by that big rock because it''s really deep and you will get totally soaked." Laura pointed out the larges rock in the rapids. The water around it was swirling a little and had formed a pool.


    "Why did there need to be a river here...Do you think it''s on purpose?"


    "Jackson, everything has been on purpose. They grabbed us when we weren''t expecting them. They dropped us where we didn''t expect to be, and now there is water which is also unexpected. Now I know why everyone called this camp cruel. Lucky for me my sister didn''t let me work out this morning or I would be on the ground back there a few miles." Asher was counting his lucky stars and looking at the rocks.


    Without much hesitation, he began hopping across the stones one by one. The water was not deep but it was moving fast enough to make sure he would fall down if he slipped. "Avoid that green rock it looks like its-" Asher tried to warn Jackson but he was too late. Jackson was sitting in a shallow part of the river completely soaked.


    "Why must my life be so chaos filled¡­" Jackson lamented the loss of his slow life. Since he had his evo shot his life had become much more busy. He was priorly a skinny quiet person who studied and worked in the garden. He was the newest member of the gardening club at school. Now he was bulky and clumsy. "I will get used to this new body even if it kills me!"


    Having found his inner fire, Jackson was already standing and trying to power through the water. He stepped over the smaller stone and vaulted over the larger ones. "Hey remember what Laura said about the big one!" Asher tried his best but again he was too late.


    Jackson was fully underwater and trying to swim his way to the shallow part again. "Why is it every time I try to just get it over with it gets worse!" His cry made Laura giggle from the other side of the river. She had long gotten to the other side and was amused watching the bulky Jackson attempt to get across the river.

 Chapter 71 - 71. Tour

    Ashe managed to keep hopping all the way to the opposite side of the bank with only some slightly damp shoes. This was in stark contrast to Jackson who had given up on staying dry and just swam his way more or less the rest of the way. His strength had definitely come in useful here because he easily pulled himself on to the bank.


    "You really are funny Jackson, you should come to hang out in my class some time." Laura had been very entrained watching him slip and slide his way across before giving up and just swimming.


    "Oh yeah sure, so you can make fun of me a little more?" Jackson let a little sarcasm seep out before taking off his shirt and squeezing water from it. Before he could comment again Laura had already run off somewhere else. "Ugh...more running."


    Asher just shrugged, ''I did try and warn you.'' His thoughts kept to himself he started up the jog again. The forest had started to change and seemed a little more open. They started to notice that there were some trails around them that seemed to be fairly well traveled. This made their footing more sure and their speed faster. Before long there was a large wooden sign coming in to view.


    "" Camp Jewell"


    "" Home to the family of gems""


    Asher and Jackson read this as they stopped in front of it. "Finally we are here!" Jackson was the most relieved since he detested running with all his heart.


    "Yup you made it." Laura was leaning against the sign eating chips lasshe had already been there her whole life.


    "Where did you get chips, how long have you been here?"


    "Oh, I only just got here a few seconds ago. But I already gave myself a tour of most of the camp. There are a lot of interesting things set up for us to play with.'' She misled like she expected a lot of entertainment in this.


    "You know with your power you could have scouted the entire run and helped us right? Why not"'' Jackson was still falling for her bait.


    Asher cut in before Laura could keep antagonizing Jackson, "She did scout it out. She could have gotten to the camp and just stayed here but chose to come back and see us over and over. If she hadn''t we could have run off course or been stuck at the water longer."


    His point was easily made and Jackson just sat there silently thinking about the whole jog. "You three are all finally here. Good! Time for official introductions now that you have been accepted as campers officially."


    ''That run was to accept us as campers...Intense." Asher couldn''t help but worry that if this was how they were inducted as campers then what would they do now?


    "I am Garnet. I am the head counselor of the Jewell family camp for training. Me and my family all have nicknames related to our powers. That is just what we get with out powers. Anyways we can do a tour first or I can bring you to a temporary cabin. You three have the privilege of coming early so you are allowed a cabin until the other campers get here. Do not expect such comfort when they arrive."


    "Wait we won''t be staying in the cabin for the week?" Jackson was startled to hear this and showed his worry on his face. If there was anything he had started to learn about this camp, was that its nickname of camp cruel was well earned.


    "Yes, you will have to earn your living quarters through the stay here. If you can not meet certain requirements in the various training while here you will not gain enough points to afford a cabin, or food, or the return of your clothing, or really anything you want to do." Garnet just walked ahead leading them while she explained this.


    "Points? Can we get points before other students get here?" Laura was already seeing the advantage that they could have.


    "Yes, but you will not be allowed to stay in the cabin if you decide this. Camp will start fully for you if you decide on that path."


    Laura was happy to hear this and immediately prepared to say yes. However, Asher was already asking his question. "I would like to take the tour. After that, I will decide if I want to start on points or just rest." His decision was the wise choice since, unlike Laura, he had not seen any of the camp.


    "Alright then stay close and pay attention." Garnet headed towards a large wood cabin. "This is the cafeteria, your meal will cost two points a day. Just from doing the basic camp chores or work out should net you enough to eat."


    ''Good, so if I wake up to do my usual work out I should be able to earn my breakfast.'' This removed some of Asher''s stress and even brightened his mood. Hos shoes were also starting to dry which attributed to this as well.


    "This way we will find the general store. You can purchase your bag back for two points, rent a cabin for the night for fifteen, and buy various other things like soap." This was where other students would waste points. They would want the same easy life as at home and run themselves out of points completely.


    "That cabin behind it is the luxury cabin. It cost one thousand points for one night. Or you will need to find the hidden golden egg to earn one night. The egg is hidden in the entire camp once a day and allows the finder to stay for the one night. We rarely have had a camper find the egg. We are very good at hiding it." Asher was in awe of the giant cabin.


    He could already see the amazing features from where he stood. Shower, large bed, there was even a television he spotted through a window. ''I need to get that cabin!''

 Chapter 72 - 72. Points

    His motivation skyrocketed as he looked at all the details of the luxury cabin. The outside seemed like any other large wood cabin. However, as he looked through the window he noticed more and more modern amenities that he could take advantage of.


    "That cabin looks awesome...I want to go and take a shower now. I''m going to find that golden egg." Jackson was hyping himself up for the search.


    "Well I can''t say I have seen it yet, and I already looked at the whole camp." laura showed up next to asher snacking on a protein bar this time.


    "As I said, we are good at hiding it. Over that way is the mountain trails. You can hike as far as possible and gain different amounts of points. The farther you make it the more points you get, especially if you manage to climb Onyx''s rock wall to the peak."


    The three could already tell the trails were going to be tough to climb. There were massive roots covering the ground and the world trail did not seem to ring true in the least. Turning their head from the so called trail they followed Garnet to a larger more open field. "Here you will be able to learn basic combat and train against myself and brother Quartz. If you manage to learn a move to an acceptable degree you can earn points. The main practice though, is to earn them through sparring matches with other campers. We have trained many martial arts champions I will,l have you know." The pride in Garnet''s voice spoke volumes.


    She continued through the training field and in to the trees yet again. They found themselves in a small clearing. "This is the start of the obstacle course. My sisters Diamond and Lapis take pride in the challenge level of this. If you manage to complete a certain number of obstacles you can gain points. Other than these three major point builders there are also classes taught on survival and other life skills. Our parents take care of those and when my son is old enough he will be teaching too. For now, though he is off at a tournament."


    The surprise that Garnet had a son was enough to stun the three. Even Laura was stunned about this and had stopped snacking on the cookies she had somehow obtained out of nowhere. "He came to see me at my last martial arts tournament and saw me go head to head with my rival. It inspired him to join one across the country and do the same. I raised him right." this sounded like the entire family was all about fighting.


    "Other than those means, is there any other way to get points?" Asher was wondering if he could do different tasks to get ahead in points to lead a relaxed life when camp started. He couldn''t go without a meal after all.


    "I am glad you asked. If one of the counselors tasks you to perform a task for them then you may be rewarded. If you would like to start now I can give you one that will earn you four points." Garbnest smiled as she had just found the perfect target.


    "Make it six points and I will start right this second." Asher thought that getting a full day''s worth of meals from his first task was a golden opportunity.


    "Smart boy, then from this second you are banned from sleeping in a cabin unless you pay with points. You may not eat unless you spend points, and you will need to buy things at the general store. Is that understood?"


    Asher''s nod was all Garnet needed to continue speaking. "I will give you six points to spar with me and show me all the things that thick headed coach Winters taught you." Garnet flexed and fell in to a stance. There was just enough room in the clearing for them to have a sparring match.


    "Should I guess that you are the rival coach Winters went against? It wasn''t you that made her unhappy at the tournament was it?'' Asher''s questin caught Garnet off guard.


    "Who cares about that, the one that outdid us will be crushed next time. What matters is I get to see what foolish training she is preaching."


    "Well, how about I use a game that my friends and I convinced her to make as our warm up. Let''s play foot work tag!" Asher thought this was the best thing he could show off that had come as a result o his combat classes. Without the learning of the basic foot work then they would have never thought to make it a game. On top of that if they didn''t have the basic moves to mix in then they would still be trying to figure a lot of other things out.


    Garnet stayed in her stance ready for whatever the game he had decided to play would bring her way. When Asher started using the basic foot work she had learned years ago she relaxed. However, as he started to change his level and approach her she saw that there was a lot of muscle memory in his footsteps. The first kick that Asher let out was the deciding factor for Garnet.


    She was taking it more seriously than she had planned to. Se expected a complete novice without any muscle memory due to their beginning status. Instead, she found that she was facing a diligent student on another path to becoming an intermediate martial artist. Asher may still have been some distance from such a title but he was definitely not a beginner any longer.


    The two danced around with only Garbet defending, Asher was using his moves and level changed to try and make any real hits, however, he found that every attempt left him with no success and a feeling that none of his attacks could do a single bit of damage. "Is that all you have learned so far? If not then show me what you can do in the defense." Garnet took her first step forward as she went in for her own attacks.

 Chapter 73 - 73. Garnet Bones

    Garnet moved forward causing Asher to retreat. This proved to be his first mistake since he left his balance stance as he stepped out of rhythm. Garnet made a large step forward and sent a jab testing him. Asher was able to barely lower his level to dodge but had the blow grazed his shoulder. "That soft jab looks like it was able to get you off balance." She was pretty happy to see he had managed to dodge the hit, however, this was not the only one coming.


    Garnet had already sent a combo next, she jabbed with her left hand and had a slow right hook on the way. Asher was unable to keep up with the increased speed and the jab hit him in the chest. Luckily it made him stumble out of the way of the right hook. ''Dang, she hits hard. How can a jab feel like a brick?''


    Asher was trying to get his food work rhythm back but Garnet was not going to allow him to have the chance. She was an expert n martial arts and did not wish to let an opponent breathe. "Come on get a grip!" She started to get a little more serious and threw a triple combo of jabs at Asher. He was even farther from her speed this time and took all three jabs head on.


    Having felt the weight of her jab already Asher was ready and had brought his arm up in a traditional boxer stance to block them. "Not bad kid, now take this on for size," Garnet yelled out and lowered her stance in to a crouch. She burst forward much like Jane would when she wanted to surprise an opponent.


    Since Asher had seen a move similar to this he was leaning on his muscle memory to defend it. The look of surprise on Garnet''s face was showing her thoughts much too clearly as Asher lowered his level and allowed Garnet to step directly over him. "My friend does that all the time. You''re faster but I have already learned that one." Unfortunately for Asher, his bragging did nothing to help him.


    The vicious smile that overtook Garnet''s face made Asher start to hake, the energy coming off of her spoke of a battle hardened fiend. She rushed at him throwing out her first kick, even though Asher had his arms up the kick was much too strong for him to take. He felt the kick land and in a blink of an eye, he had flown five feet away and rolled on the ground.


    "So you still need to learn what to block and what to dodge." Garnet walked over and held a hand out to the now bruising and dazed Asher. "I can teach you more about prediction when it comes to body language and intent. You have a very good base for your age." She sounded impressed, all the viciousness was gone from her face.


    After asher had caught his breath he finally replied, "I know you held back, but how did you hit so hard?"


    "Did you not catch on to my family''s nicknames when I gave the tour? You don''t think my name is really Garnet do you?" She started to laugh at the three student''s faces, she had hit the nail on the head. "We have those nicknames based on the powers we have. I have the super power called garnet bones. My bone structure is the same toughness and weight of garnet."


    "Wait really? That''s super cool. You have a physical enhancement then by technicality." Jackson found this to be very exciting since that meant that Garnet''s whole entire family had similar super powers.


    "Yes, technically it is a mutation but at the end of the day, it acts as a body enhancement. My sister Diamond has skin as hard as a diamond. The doctors hate giving her shots because it is a permanent mutation and not one that can be turned on and off." Hearing this Asher fully grasped the difference between super powers that created mutations and ones that gave enhancements.


    "So that could be a double edged sword. It''s like my power. If your sister gets an internal injury it is very hard to treat. But if she is defending from an external attack it might not damage her much at all." Laura had somehow managed to find yet another snack while they were all talking. She had a fresh looking eclair in her hand.


    "Where do you even get food like that in the middle of the forest?" Jackson was finally at wit''s end with her strange knack for getting different snacks every few minutes.


    "A girl has her secrets you know." Laura stuck her tongue out then finished her snack while waiting for Garnet to speak again.


    "Yes exactly. There are a lot of drawbacks to mutation based super powers. My family has had to find unique ways to train the rest of our bodies to keep up with our powers. You will find that our camp gets many campers with unique mutation based powers that come here to be in a safe environment to learn and adapt to them. I believe we have an electricity based mutation coming this time, it is a very rare mutation we saw about ten years ago."


    Asher knew exactly who it was with the electricity based power. "That is Louis, he has a lightning body. He literally can fry any technology around if he isn''t careful. He said he could zap people around him by accident but I haven''t seen it happen." Asher just shrugged as he said this.


    "Well if you know his power and the dangers then you know that there are special measures he will need to train. We have reopened a special cabin with rubber lined floors and walls for him to properly use his mutation. He will need someone to check up on him. Since you are his friend I will assign you the task for one point a day." Garnet looked happy pawning off the chore to Asher without his consent.

 Chapter 74 - 74. Right Is Right

    "What? No Wait I don''t want another job!" Asher tried his best to argue back to get out of the chore of checking up on someone else''s training. However, he did want more points¡­


    "Great, you have the job. Glad to hear you are so enthusiastic." Garnet had already accepted that he was going to do it even though he was saying he didn''t want to. "So what about you two? Starting camp now? Or will you just rest for a few days and take your own time?"


    Jackson looked like he had already thought of an answer but was a little hesitant. "Can I still take the survival classes and such if I am not starting camp fully?"


    "Yes, that is one benefit of being accepted early. You can ask any questions at the classes as long as you are self studying." Garnet knew that her parents would give him a hard time since they technically would not be working until all the students reached camp. However, she knew if a dedicated student showed they would force all their knowledge in the, regardless.


    "Then I will wait until later and rest." Jackson was already planning his self study plan. He cared much more about wild plants and other survival skills than points and combat. If he could learn about the plants in the surrounding area he would not even need to ask for meals.


    "I will start. I am going to go run the obstacle course then the hiking trail. How many points for reaching the climbing wall on the first try?" Laura was more excited to get things done instantly. She was practically bouncing up and down in place waiting for the word that she could run.


    "You will get a bonus of six points for reaching the climbing wall. If you can climb it in one try then you will get ten." The words had no sooner left Garnet''s mouth and Laura was gone. Thye could only look in the direction of the hiking trail. Garnet looked off at the trail then back at the other two. "Well unless either of you two wants to spar I am going to go and get the camp ready. I recommend you find a good place to sleep the night unless you can rack up some more points."


    Asher was struck with the realization that he had been premature in starting his camp experience. He had been tricked in to getting some points right off the bat, but he was now stuck needing way more to get a roof over his head if he wanted comfort. The worst part was there were no other students around to challenge to a sparring match to try and build points. The Only person he thought he could spar was Garnet and he was sure he would get his butt kicked.


    ''I guess I need to go and try that hiking trail too, never tried rock climbing before.'' Asher''s decision was to attempt the hike first then if he failed he would try the obstacle course. The hike just seemed like it could give him more endurance training, not to mention he wanted to see if Laura got to the end on the first try.


    Jackson had already lumbered off toward the cabin used for teaching. The entire way he looked to be mumbling about building a shelter and sleeping under the stars. ''I''ll need to be nice to Jackson if I fail in getting enough points for a place to sleep.'' Asher''s mental note would not go forgotten.


    With a back up plan in mind, he started off toward the hiking trail. Before he was even a hundred steps in to the hike he realized that it was definitely not one trail at all. The split in the trail gave him five options to travel down, and from his standing, he could see that two splits again just a few steps later.


    Asher cursed his choice knowing that even reaching the wall itself could take hours of trial. This was the perfect challenge for someone like Laura who would need to burn a lot of energy to try the possible routes to get to the wall as well. It was a great measure to prevent those with super powers that gave them an advantage too much of an easy run of it.


    "Off I go." Asher pepped himself up and headed down the right trail. He thought it looked like the least traveled one and recalled the saying to take the path less traveled. He was having a much easier time traversing the roots and mossy path since he was not jogging.


    The trail looked the same with logs fallen on some sides and moss almost everywhere. Asher decided that every time he would come to a fork he would take the right side. "Right is always right." This small motto was one that came from a childhood comic character he had seen in passing on television. Since he had no idea which path would lead to the wall he decided he might as well wing it.


    Before he knew where he was he came up on part of the mountain. The trail was losing its moss and giving way to rocky fround. The traveling was much tougher but not too tought to stop. The only reason Asher could tell he was in a trail was the fact that the center of the trail was more or less clear of most large brush.


    The rocks on the trail were growing and growing making Asher needing to weave around the larger rocks and builders. The trail was getting slower and slower to move forward on. By the time Asher realized that he was nearly crawling up the mess of rocks and around boulders he could see the a flat clearing.


    Asher stood up and realized he was over looking a massive forest for moles. He could see the river he crossed and even the place where he was dropped off to jog to camp earlier. "How in the world did you make it up here?"

 Chapter 75 - 75. Down We Go

    "I asked you what you were doing here kid. How did you make it up here? The only way is up the flat face of the cliff here." There was a slim, well toned man in a black tank top who was also at the flat top of the hill Asher had just climbed up.


    "Huh? I''m trying to find the rock wall that Garnet said was at the end of the trail. She said if we get to the wall on our first try we get a bunch of points. And if we can climb it first try we get even more." Asher was looking around trying to spot the rock wall expecting one made of colorful handles like most gym classes and camps he had heard of had.


    "Do you even know where you are¡­" The man had his face in his hands and gave a pitying look to Asher. "This is the top of the rock wall. Now how did you get here?"


    "How can this be the top? I barely climbed anything. I just came up the trail through that way." Asher pointed at the place he had practically crawled up.


    "That''s not even a trail...what did you follow the path of the water that flows down the mountain in the rainy season?" The man was thinking that the kid in front of him must have some sort of flying super power and just popped up here that way. "Just fly back home, this is a camp for students to train."


    "I am a student and I came to earn some points. I started today so I could get a headstart training." Asher was getting a little annoyed since the man was not listening to him.


    "Fine fine, what is your name kid? I will contact my sister and see what she says." He pulled a hand held radio from his back pocket and looked at Asher waiting.


    "Asher Ronan, I am one of the three students here early."


    "Garnet, I have a kid named Asher claiming he is a student up on top of my mountain. You know him?"


    The hand held radio crackled loudly before a reply came through. "No way he''s up there already. He managed to climb the wall? Put him on!"


    The man handed Asher the radio. "Hello, Garnet. It''s Asher. I just followed one of the trails and came right up. I don''t know what''s going on here, but it was really no trouble."


    There was not a response for some time but before Asher gave the radio back it crackled in to life. "Hear you. I don''t know how you got up there but you don''t have a flying power...you don''t have physical enhancement powers or even a mutation. Tell Onyx the points are added and to see you down."


    The man took the radio back looking Asher up and down a few times before he spoke again. "As my sister said, I''m Onyx. Follow me, I will show you the safe way down." He sounded like he could barely believe that someone without any power related to physical enhancement or mutations had made it all the way to the top of the mountain without following the trails or even flying. It was just impossible to him, he hadn''t even noticed the Asher until he was already on the mountain.


    "We are going to take a side trail I carved out myself. Just watch me and put your hands and feet in the grips I put mine and it should go fine." Onyx started to slide over the edge and grasp on to the rock face.


    ''He really expects me to climb down from here...he''s crazy.'' Asher had no skill in climbing yet and he did not want to risk his life climbing down from so high up for the first time in his life. "I will just head the way I came, no need to worry about me." Asher retreated from the cliff face and started toward the place he had come up the mountain.


    Before he knew it Onyx was right back up on top and had Asher in his arm. Just hold on to me then and don''t let go. If you get the courage up to climb down halfway let me know I will set you up safe."


    Asher had no time to argue. He was already hanging on to Onyx''s shoulder for dear life as he was being carried down the side of the cliff. "Holy...Why did you grab me?! I can''t climb cliffs! I came to climb a rock wall!." The fear in Asher''s voice echoed down to the ground and back to his ears.


    "Well you managed to get up here so you should have the courage to get down. Now just toughen yourself up and stay there or climb down yourself." Onyx was not affected at all by the slightly struggling Asher. His first grip on the wall was almost like he was part of the stones themselves. His hands seemed to dig in to the wall like they were tougher than the stone.


    "You know if my power didn''t make my body as tough and strong as Onyx you and I would both be pancakes on the ground down there. So calm yourself or I will deduct all the points you got from getting up here."


    The threat was enough to silence Any complaints Asher had at the moment. The only thing left was to feel defeated and wait to be placed on the ground by his new babysitter. ''As soon as Art and Jane hear about this they are going to avoid me like the plague.'' Asher was cursing himself over this for a few minutes. By the time he started to actually observe his surroundings the two were only a third of the way up the cliff, they would soon be at the bottom.


    "Ughhhh screw this I need to give it a shot so my friends don''t call me a loser. I will climb the rest of the way from here." Asher clenched his jaw and was looking for one of the hand holds he had heard Onyx tell him about.

 Chapter 76 - 76. Climbing

    "Finally decided to act like a man then? Took long enough." Onyx gave a shake and pushed Asher up to his shoulders. For a moment it felt like Asher was weightless and about to plummet. But the next second he was on Onyx''s shoulders and could see two easy to hold hand holds on the rock face. "Grab one hand in those and curl your fingers to lock them in. When I step down you will fit your feet where I put them then step down like a ladder." Onyx was already on the move.


    Asher felt that his bodyweight was resting more and more on his hands until he felt that his feet were being grabbed one by one and placed in to grips. He felt that the closer he hugged the rock face the less likely he would be to fall.


    "Stop hugging the wall like that, if a wind picks up you will be blown in to the river. Just rest back a little bit and let your body weight put stress on where you are holding. It will lock your hold better so you don''t slip when you step down." The advice sounded easy enough so Asher tried to copy it.


    When he leaned back and bent his knees a little he could feel that his balance was better and that the chance of falling with slightly lowered. "That''s it, now pull that right leg out and slide it down the rock until it catches on the next grip. A good climber doesn''t need to see it but only needs to feel it."


    "I''m not an expert, just give me some time and I will be moving." Asher was breathing much more heavily than he wanted to. The possibility of falling was something he was not used to. After holding on for a minute he could feel that his heart was starting to slow down and fall in to his normal jogging rhythm.


    Feeling this he unhitched his foot from the grip and slid it down like he was told. He could feel his foot catching on the next grip after just a little distance down. It was the perfect highest for him to grasp. "No released the same hand and move it down too. It is just a slow back and forth as you move down the cliff" Onyx''s voice sounded distant, Asher refused to look down and check since looking down was always the worst choice.


    He just kept taking deep breath after deep breath while moving in the way he was told to do. ''Just keep going and eventually, I will be at the bottom and can find a tree and fall asleep under it for the next three days while I wait for Art and Jane.''


    Asher was giving up and telling himself whatever he needed to tell himself to get to the bottom faster. Onyx had already reached the bottom and saw the boy mumbling to himself with every single movement he made. ''This Kid is crazy. A natural born climber, but crazy.'' His thoughts were very different than those of Asher''s.


    "Stop there!" Onyx yelled fairly loudly at Asher making him grip on to the wall for dear life again. "You can let go."


    These words sounded like this camp counselors had just told him to jump to his death. "What do you mean let go? I refuse to jump. I am still a kid. I have to find true love. I need to show the world my master chef level food. Who is going to be top hero if not me?" Asher rambled off the things he wanted to accomplish in life and why he shouldn''t jump. "I have so many reasons not to let go."


    "Can one of the reasons you have to let go be stepping down so that we can hike back to the camp¡­" The monatone voice Onyx used had one singular meaning. He was basically saying he was done with these antics.


    Asher braved a peek at the ground and realized his feet were just inches off the ground and all he had to do was step done once more. "Ha! See I told you I could climb this cliff." While Asher had his moment, Onyx continued to wonder what mental problems this kid had.


    "How did you get here?" Laura appeared out of nowhere right next to Asher. Onyx had only seen a blur pass by him with a slight breeze.


    Laura was looking very confused while staring Asher down. She had even stopped eating the popcorn she held in her hands. "I ran around every trail until I finally took the right one all the way here. It''s impossible that you managed to get her first when you started after me.''"


    "Well, I just stuck to the right. Eventually I was on the top of the cliff." The casual way Asher answered caused Laura to not fully grasp his words. She was about to turn to the counselor with Asher and ask to try to climb when she realized what he had said.


    "You mean you already climbed up to the top too? You said your power was luck or whatever. You must have lied!" She was bouncing around in annoyance thinking that he had a better power than here which let him get to the top almost instantly.


    "You must be one of the other early arrivals. This kid has no power that could have flown him to the top, I asked my sister. You''re more than welcome to try to climb up now. I will stay here and watch, give me a shout when you get stuck."


    Laura did not miss the fact that he had just said "when you get stuck" This was assuming that she would fail the first time. "I will be at the top soo. It should only be a few minutes since I have the speed to get op there faster. She showed off her speed by rapidly climbing up the first quarter of the cliff before she lost the momentml and was completely still.


    "Why do they always rush up at first." Onyx shook his head while he started to climb up after Laura.

 Chapter 77 - 77. Lessons

    "Hey Laura, are you alright up there?!" Asher yelled to see if she was just taking a break or stuck. It was clear that Onyx thought she was stuck for sure.


    "I don''t get stuck. I am just trying to figure out where I want to go. It''s called planning." Asher swore her speedy voice was just slightly higher pitched when she said she was planning.


    "Well it looks like there are hand holds on your left!" He abandoned any mocking he could do, especially since he had only been able to climb one third of the way down after some help.


    Onyx seemed to be taking his sweet time climbing. There was an overly bored expression on his face. After doing this for a few years he had learned that everyone would rush up their first attempt, and everyone would get stuck their first attempt. "Stupid kids don''t study. Could go to the survival classes after making points soaring but nooo they need to rush in to things." His grumbling was audible from the ground.


    "So where do you think you will go next?" Laura was surprised when he blinked up next to her holding on to the cliff with only one hand like it was natural.


    "I am thinking about it, I''m planning." Laura had been so plateful and confident since Asher had met her. Yet now, she was frazzled and about to panic.


    "Well while you plan let''s think about some things. Your arms are going to start to get tired the longer you are stationary. You will still be buffeted by the wind. And in the real world, you might be alone on this cliff. So let me ask again, what do you want to do?"


    Laura was looking at the rocks, her expression scrunched up as she felt her own annoyance grow. She hates that she had not made it to the top instantly. It had been so easy just to try every single trail to find the cliff, yet now she was stuck.


    Her small voice was almost impossible to what, "help me get down¡­"


    "Good choice. Now I''m going to get beneath you and guide your foot in to a good hold. Just stay slow and follow my lead." Onyx lowered himself and side climbed under Laura''s feet like it was nothing.


    ''So that''s how he helped me. I wonder if a climber is stuck if this is how a rescue would go down? Or would they need someone with a flying super power?''


    Asher had started to brainstorm many potential scenarios. This camp was the ideal place to test and start to train in them. There was a shallow river to try water rescue, a mountain, and lining trails to try wooded rescues. Furthermore, there was a sparring ground where he was sure to learn first aid.


    This was the ideal camp for a future hero. This realization Was a welcoming one for Asher, he had worried just moments ago that he had chosen wrong and that it would be better just to wait for his friends.


    With his enlightenment, he was starting to see all the benefits this could bring. Specifically, he was here early, this could teach him to rely on himself much more than with his friends. Lately, he had been totally focused on his group efforts to strengthen himself, if anything happened that separated him from them could he manage alone?


    His mind started to run in circles as he asked himself these questions. Before he knew what was going on there were two pairs of feet landing on the ground. "Next time you need to move slower and process the grooves and crevices in the stone. When you climb you need to know every single spot you tough like it is part of your body." Onyx had gone off on an in depth lesson on how to climb.


    "I learn fast, I can climb fast. Just let me try it again." Laura looked as if she would start to climb up the cliff again without learning a thing.


    "No you aren''t. Instead, you are going to go and work on your cognitive skills. You were able to move fast yes. But you were only able to move fast up the easiest places to grip and got stuck at a more challenging point. Your body is fast, your mind is slower. Or am I wrong to think that you had to check every path to get here instead of seeing the markers I leave?" Asher and Laura were both silent. Neither of them had expected this in depth review on why Laura had so much trouble on the cliff.


    "Oh, you both look surprised, I expected him not to see the scuff marks or the bent branches I leave in the trail for campers to learn to track missing persons. The only reason he didn''t was that he went off trail. You on the other hand just went to check every single trail until you got here. It was a waste." Laura just stood there, her jaw had dropped hearing that there were things that could have literally pointed her in the right direction that she had missed.


    "Wait, on the way back can you show us? Tracking sounds important." Asher saw a great opportunity in front of him. This counselor could show him exactly how to get back to the cliff every single day. He could point farm and work on his skills.


    "Well we are going down the trail I made today. Tomorrow I am going to move some logs around in my work out so don''t expect it to all be the same." Onyx looked like he had just been handed an extra chore.


    "You really change it every morning? How do you get rid of the path from before?" Laura couldn''t grasp the fact that Onyx was so adept at tracking and creating paths that he could also remove them.


    "If you learn enough you can even walk through the forest leaving no traces at all." His words seemed too plain as he started to head toward the trail to the main camp.

 Chapter 78 - 78. Soft Steps

    "Do what I do, It will be a pain if I have to clean up anything extra in the morning." Onyx was in a slight crouch as he moved. Hos body seemed to step softly instead of the normal tread of a person.


    Asher could tell that he was focusing on every little movement in his body. Unlike them, his feet would not make a slight slide as he pushed off forward. His steps were also completely silent, unlike Laura and Asher whose feet would make a soft swishing or crunching depending on where they stepped.


    "Stop making all that noise, it''s like you want your opponent to know you are about to ambush them." Onyx was becoming more annoyed as this walk back was part of his own training. "If you can''t do it then you get to find your own way back."


    "Mean." Laura was not feeling overly happy about this, she wanted to learn everything quickly and just use it. She was not one to take a slow way.


    "This is like a slow version of foot work tag. I just need to learn different footwork." Asher had an epiphany and started to watch the specific movements that he used when stepping on to roots and over soft spots. The main thing that he saw was that his head was on a swivel.


    There was not a moment that Onyx held his sight in the same place, it was like he was constantly searching. "Why did you stop. He is going to get too far ahead then we won''t know how to get back." Laura was anxious to rush off and follow but if he told her that she was not allowed to then she would lose the chance to learn the things she was missing.


    "I''m playing copy cat. If I can learn his footwork then I will be able to do that too." Asher started to move again this time mirroring Onyx''s steps. "Does he twist like this? What did he see there that wasn''t there?'' Asher''s thoughts were full of questions, but he could learn more by watching than asking.


    Laura gave up on trying to reason with Asher and Onyx and followed suit. This was yet another weird thing that involved asher. First, he had a unique power that made no sense when he introduced himself. Now he was making up a word game to follow Onyx. The weirdest and by far the most annoying to her was that he had been faster at getting to the mountain let along on top of the cliff wall.


    Laura had always prided herself on her speed even before her evo shot. When she would do her homework, take tests, and even in gym class she was always the fastest. Not her super power mirrored this. She had learned to accept the downsides of having a super speedy metabolism, she just brought tons of snacks and took the nutrient packed pills. Yet now that she heard that her mind was slower it was eating at her.


    Asher let out soft hmm''s and huh''s as he started to adjust the way he walked. After just a short time he had started to pick up on the pattern and the basic movement of how to place his foot down without leaving a footprint. he was still leaving impressions in the mud, however, they were negligible compared to how he had walked at the start.


    "Pretty sure we are slowly...very slowly, going in circles." Laura was reaching the end of her patients after half an hour of walking in this weird manner. She had not stopped and gone this slow a day in her life.


    "But are you catching on?" Asher glanced back at her seeing that she had started to use her speedy reflexes and body motion to get a full survey around her in an instant. This was something she was able to do but Asher could not. "Huh, you know if you make this muscle memory then I think you could be like a ghost. Here and there without a trace." This idea had just popped in to his head. ''She''s like an assassin in video games, super quick and if she learned to walk without leaving a trace she would be perfect for the role.''


    Asher already could see Laura wearing edgy robes and keeping her head covered under a black hood. It would be the perfect look for her if she wasn''t so talkative sometimes. "You two can take the lead. It''s making me uncomfortable that you''re copying me. It''s like having two very odd shadows." Onyx had stopped dead and motioned for the two to pass him. "Take the left trail and stay straight. You will be back soon. I will be following."


    His last sentence made Asher feel there was more to what he was planning to do. When he and Laira had moved out of sight he stopped her. "We should keep using his footwork to move through the trail. He sounded a little expectant at the end there. I think he is testing us. We might get more points." Greed seemed to seep in to Asher''s eyes as he said this/. He needed points and if he could get more he would be happier.


    "Sure sure. Let me just eat this first." Laira pulled out a silver case from her pocket. When she opened it she took out a small round looking pill. She swallowed it whole and Asher could see some redness make its way to her face. "Phheeww that feels better. I was getting light headed after the climbing."


    Laura had started to get too exhausted and knew it was a sign of her body needing more fuel. If she were left alone without food for just a few hours her body would turn on itself and start breaking down her fat and muscles to survive. That was how she had been sent to the hospital the day she gained her power. She had skipped lunch then shot in to metabolic overdrive due to her new super power. She had lost thirty pounds in a few hours before the doctors were able to stabilize her and help her gain weight.

 Chapter 79 - 79. Tripping On Vines

    The pair was still following Onyx ad he stepped through the forest without leaving a trace. Asher was putting a significant amount of effort in to his movements so that he could copy the foot work technique. He had a strong base from playing foot work tag and challenging himself to battle Jane and Art. Now that he was seeing this new way of using his footwork with his whole body he was excited to try it out.


    "This is so much easier than I thought," Asher exclaimed as he started to pick up his pace with the goal to catch up to Onyx. Laura was behind him looking at him like he had just told her the sun was cold, his words were just not believable.


    "How could you be picking it up already. I am still leaving full foot prints?" Laura was dumbfounded, she watched Asher''s feet and saw that there were only small imprints instead of massive and easily visible steps left behind.


    "Before I do any training after my homework I do foot work tag with my friends. We have built up a base over the days since we started. So it is only natural that I could pick up the how to about this way of walking.


    Onyx was silently listening to the two spoke as he moved forward at a slow pace for him. Normally he would already be halfway home to relax again. This time his interest had been caught by Asher.


    ''This kid must have a very solid understanding of the basic steps used in foot work. If he didn''t act so strangely when we first met then I would say he might be an unknown genius.'' Onyx couldn''t hello but see the potential in the hard working Asher. It was plain to see even if you were not a martial arts expert.


    Deciding he wanted to test the two he sped up his pace leaving them in the dust as he moved ahead. "He''s moving faster. I could catch him if you weren''t holding me back." Laura tried to use Asher as an excuse for her speed, but Asher knew better.


    "If you just focused n what we were doing you could have it learned just as well as I do. But nooo instead you decide to whine about it and distract me." Asher was a little harsh in Laura but it was clear that she would need a heavy hand to change her rushing mentality to one of patience.


    Laura was frustrated by this and gave Asher a slight push on his shoulder. The problem with this was that there were some vines in the trail ahead. They were the perfect challenge for campers who were desperately rushing through the hiking trails, many would give up because they would find traversing them to be too tough. That or they would believe that the trail they were on was overgrown and no longer used.


    With the vines tangled around his combat boots, Asher fell and roled across some of the fines landing face first in to the ground. He was lucky not to hurt himself and after a moment of being stunned on the ground lifted his head. He was staring directly in to a small hole made by an animal in the base of a tree.


    "Hahaha, thanks so much, Laura!" Onyx had heard the fall and seen Laura panicking after her annoyed bump had caused such a dramatic fall.


    He had to backtrack t make sure the camper was not injured. He knew that if one of the three campers they needed to assist was hurt then Garnet would chew him out and give him a major scolding and most likely withhold a week''s worth of pay.


    "I was going to apologize but I guess if you can laugh like a crazy person then you ate fine." She stalked away unhappy that she was about to extend a hand to help him out.


    "You don''t get it, I was super worried about points and where to sleep tonight, but you helped me a lot just now. I would have missed this from how I was standing." Asher held up a gold shiny egg. He had seen this in the little hole in the base of the tree and he was happy


    "What!?" Onyx and Laura explained in unison. They were both awestruck that Asher had managed to find the golden egg that nobody ever found year after year.


    "I can''t believe you found one of the most challenging tasks by sheer luck. If she hadn''t have pushed you it would have been my turn to hide it."


    ''From what it sounded like the counselors take turns hiding the golden egg so that it was harder to track where it would be hidden.'' Asher was memorizing this information that Onyx unwittingly gave. He also chose to note that the egg could be in the various areas and strange paces. The fact that it had been an animal''s den was just the evidence he needed to prove this.


    At first, Asher planned to eat a meal then walk around aimlessly deciding on what his game plan work be for the next day. Now that he would be able to plan out his day in a comfortable bed watching a television show he was even more excited.


    "Well, I guess someone can finally open the egg and get the secret prize. Not that it will be a secret anymore." Onyx was trying to get Asher to move on to the best part about finish the egg. There was more to it than just being able to stay in the luxury cabin. They had long since placed a special prize inside the egg for when the first person would find it.


    Asher looked at Onyx with confusion. He was worried that he would need to break the egg, however, he soon noticed that there were two pieces that screwed together. Asher quickly began to unscrew the two halves and open the egg to take a look inside. Laura was watching along lost in her own world of jealousy.

 Chapter 80 - 80. Banking Points

    Asher held a piece of paper in his hands. It was a colorful orange ticket that had a number on it. The number was fifty. "You are lucky to be the first to find it. The first camper that finds it gets fifty points in addition to the one night stay in the luxury cabin. You better spend it well." Onyx was still stuck on how lucky this kid in front of him was.


    "What!? He already had fifty points and he gets to sleep in the best cabin. You have to be cheating somehow." Laura was unable to fathom how Asher had gained these things. This was completely unheard of to be this lucky. Camp hadn''t even really started yet.


    "Well, I did tell you what my power was right? This stuff just kind of happens. I am starting to realize what it all really means. It looked like it was bad luck for me to fall yes, but it was actually really good luck because I was able to see this." Asher paused a little while thinking, "I still haven''t understood the jinx part yet, I don''t think of myself as having enemies so I doubt it will show its effects."


    "Kid, I will never play the lottery with you unless you promise to give me half." Onyx had started to get the idea that Asher''s power was related to luck. The problem was that if he ever tried to compete with him he knew that he wuld definitely lose off of this precedent.


    "Sure! Just let me know. Even my friend Art says I am a good luck charm. But to be honest I am pretty sure I am the reason he seems so clumsy¡­"


    "Even if he is clumsy having good luck is so much better. If I found a hundred dollars every time I tripped I would not care about the bruises at all." Laura was feeling an incredible amount of jealousy toward Asher, He seemed to have a much better power than hers just based on the fact that it had not caused him any problems.


    "Ok well here is what I think. You have a good power for you yes. But what about the person that loses the hundred dollars. Wouldn''t that be bad for them? If you are going to be the top hero I would expect you to try and find the owner of that hundred dollars and return it. With your luck, you could make it more feasible. If you kept everything for yourself that you got with your luck you would be some low class villain." Onyx was a little harsh but the view was fair.


    "He wouldn''t be a villain if he wasn''t breaking any world laws." Laura was stuck in that part.


    "I would be a villain in a way. I would be doing things I know were letting others experience pain. Any real hero would avoid that. It''s not the same as a villain by technicality but I can see how it could seem that way." Asher was already understanding what Onyx was saying. Thanks to Mr. Richards he had a more open mind for moral things like this.


    "Oh so you aren''t saying it''s law based but based on your own judgment of good character." Laura, as able to understand this much better.


    "Anyways, keep moving. We should go show my sister that you found it. She is going to freak out. She is the one who hid it this morning.'' Asher could see that Onyx had a mischievous smile on his face. It was one that only siblings about toeas each other would wear.


    Onyx was off again with his soft foot work. Asher followed trying to improve his own as he watched for new ways that onyx would move. Laura was still struggling behind them making plenty of signs that someone had walked through. She was not the elegant type, especially because of her fast metabolism and rushing in style.


    While they moved asher spent some of the time thinking about what was really valuable here at camp. The training stood out as a great way to improve oneself. However, the fact that Onyx had gotten annoyed at Laura when she was stuck on the cliff spoke volumes. ''I need to go and take some of those survival and skills classes. If I can learn enough then the obstacle course and sparring will be much easier.''


    Asher was so lost in his thoughts that he didn''t even realize that They had reached the camp again. He bumped in to onyx who was standing still looking around for where garnet might be. "I know you are excited to go and see my sister to show off your find, but wait until I find where she is."


    After another moment Onyx saw that his sister was in one of the cabins through a window. "Follow me, she is in one of the learning rooms. It looks like our third camper is there as well."


    "I wonder what Jackson decided to learn. We will have to pay points to join but I think it will be pretty worth it.'' Asher wanted to get in there and start absorbing as much knowledge as possible.


    "I would say he is looking at edible plants. Garnet may be our best martial artist but she is also the most k knowledgeable on the edible plants in the area. Not may peoole take her class until the end of the week so she is probably excited to have someone so eager."


    Asher heard this and mentally kicked himself. ''If Jackson knows what plants he can eat he won''t even need to ay points for food.''


    "I feel like I am already behind and we haven''t even gotten to the start of the week with all the students¡­" Laura said this in a defeated voice. She couldn''t help but feel at a loss.


    "Well I might have points, but I think the person who won out was Jackson. He hasn''t started camp and can learn as much as possible in the next few days before he needs to pay points. He definitely will have an advantage when the other students get here." The two silently decided to get Jackson to spill all the knowledge he collects.

 Chapter 81 - 81. Prove It

    Onyx lead them in to the cabin, there were four rooms all that seemed to highlight different subjects. The room that Jackson was in Was full of books and other documents. The pictures on the walls were hand drawn explanations of plants and their uses. Some even showed harvesting methods and temperaments.


    "Onyx! Get over here, this boy is great. I want you to take him to learn rock climbing tomorrow." Garnet was shuffling through the books on a shelf.


    "I would prefer to learn more in the other classes. I want to learn shelter building, tracking, surviving in different environments, really anything like that." Jackson tried to voice his opposition but Garnet was not paying a single bit of attention to him.


    "Look I already gave him six different books on edible and poisonous plays and he knew the majority. The ones that he doesn''t know he is already starting to memorize. By the time night comes, I can take him out to do some practical training." She looked proud to have a camper that was so adept.


    "Jackson are you really that awesome with plants?" Asher was curious if his true strengths were really his mind and not his super power at all.


    "Well, I really like plants more than anything. Before I had this power I was pretty small and skinny. I prefer the peaceful things. If I end up like a hero or whatever I would prefer to focus on rescue. I guess I can''t really go off and start a farm if I have the potential to help others. It would be a waste."


    "That''s pretty noble of you. I''m planning to be a hero too so feel free to lean on me for help." Asher and Jackson affirmed a strong friendship right there on the spot. Knowing that someone had made some sacrifice to do the greater good was a respectable action. On top of this, both of them knowing that they shared a similar goal sparked a bond.


    "So why did you bring these two here? They can''t have enough points to take my class yet? I am sure that they did not want to take the class anyways." Garnet gave Asher and Laura a look of pity. They had missed a huge chance to learn for free and jumped right in to training. She had seen this mistake way too many times.


    "About that, Kid show her what you fund after we climbed down from the top of my cliff," Onyx spoke with a slightly softer voice trying to hide his excitement at his soon to be surprised sister''s reaction.


    "Oh, well Laura bumped me because I was messing around and I fell." Asher pulled the golden egg from his pocket along with the ticket that showed the points he gained. "And in the little den in a tree stump, there was this."


    Garnet''s face was frozen. She was still giving them the look of pity but her mind was miles away. When she finally spoke up her voice held some anger and dismay. "How did you find that, I personally hid that somewhere where no one has ever found it. Those trails get changed daily!"


    Her voice had become louder and louder as she spoke becoming a yell by the end of it. "Like I said...I fell¡­" Asher was thrown off by her yelling. It was a little too much for him to handle after she had been silent for a few moments.


    "I know it''s really hard to believe but it looks like the luxury cabin will need to be cleaned after tomorrow and his points need to be updated." the slightly mocking tone in Onyx''s voice was enough to direct all the frustration to himself.


    "Oh, I see how it is. You just happened to take them through the trail that leads them past where I had hidden the golden egg." The venom that dripped from her words was enough to make Onyx realize he had just poked a sleeping bear.


    She was about to reprimand him more when she remembered what he had said when he first told Asher to show her what he found. "Did you just say that you and him both climbed down from your cliff? He made it to the top in the first try and found his way there?"


    "Well I can''t say I have any idea how he got up there, but yes. He made it up to the top and then needed help climbing down. He needs to learn to climb. This one here made it to the cliff and got stuck. She needs to take a few classes so she can learn how to think. I really don''t feel like having to rescue more people than I need to from the cliff this month." Onyx''s weary voice made it sound like helping campers was a massive chore.


    "I know you would much rather sit up there on the cliff and train but you need to help us with the camp. It is the family business. Now you," Garnet turned to Asher and looked him dead in the eye. "How did you get up on top of the cliff?"


    She wanted to know how someone could make it up to the top of a cliff that most campers would not even make it to the first time they started off on the trails. It was a literal maze made to train tracking and endurance.


    "I just stayed right. I didn''t really follow the trail specifically but when it looked at a split I went right. I barely had to climb at all.'' Garnet looked just as lost as Onyx had been when Asger had said this.


    "There is no way, we don''t have a trail that you can climb that would avoid the cliff." She was very sure about this because the entire family had world hard to design the trails in such a way.


    "Onyx doesn''t believe me either. Should I just show you?" Asher had started to smile as a plan started to form, he had the perfect idea to make this second hike worth his time.

 Chapter 82 - 82. Extortion

    "Well then let''s go. Lead the way if you found some secret path." garnet had a slightly annoyed tone. She thought that Asher had somehow tricked her brother in to thinking he had climbed the cliff.


    "Well I don''t think I should just take you up the mountain, I don''t want my friends to lose their easy walk after all." Asher''s voice was lackadaisical. He was looking away like he didn''t really want to.


    "What do you mean you don''t think you should? You won''t be showing anyone an easy walk anywhere." Garnet was getting progressively more worked up as Asher pretended he wasn''t motivated at all now.


    Aser''s smile showed that he was waiting for this moment. "Well, I could be convinced to take you all up the path I found for the proper motivation. Maybe thirty points?" Garnet and Onyx both looked liken they were going to blow a fuse.


    "Kid! You push too hard, the camp hasn''t even started yet and you want that many points?" Onyx was the first to burst out when Asher had said the incredibly high number for just showing them a path.


    "Well, I guess I will just need to show it off to every camper that shows up. Don''t worry, they will keep you company on the top of the cliff for the entire week. I would hate to see you alone and lonely like when I walked up there earlier." His words brought Onyx terror. The peace of his cliff top was the very reason he went there. He was able to relax and train without worry, his peace was of the utmost importance.


    Garnet was about to refute the number of points and make things difficult. She planned to investigate herself and prove that Asher was just causing unnecessary trouble for more points. She believed him to be greedy and sneaky.


    "Fine then let''s go, show me, or I will subtract all of your points. If you are a liar I will expel; you from the luxury cabin as well."


    ''Huh, I thought Garnet would break first. Guess Onyx will be giving me my points.'' Asher had been guessing that Garnet would give in to anger and just offer him the points, however, Onyx had been stricken by the fear of losing his peaceful training are. This had been what won Asher the points he knew he would get when he showed them the path he had taken.


    "Come on and follow me." Asher walked out of the cabin first like he owned the camo, his arrogance was showing but he was not trying to hide it.


    "Jackson, you''re coming too. I refuse to let you stay here and only study. You need to physically train too." Garnet grabbed Jackson''s arm and forcefully dragged him from the books that were open on the table.


    "No- wait- my booookkkkksssssss¡­" He mourned the loss of his peaceful moments reading. He would give anything to be let go to return to his learning. He had found so many plants that he had not grown or had not even seen.


    After a few short minutes of walking the group now stood at the start of the path. "Well lead the way. Show us the secret path that you used to disturb the peace at the top of the cliff." Onyx had gotten more and more sour the entire walk over. He had reached a point of no return, if Asher did not produce a result he was looking at sleeping outside and gaining zero points the entire week.


    "Remember right it right." Asher said the stupid saying again as if it was a phrase full of unspoken wisdom. His steps brought them to the first split in the trail and he stayed to the right. The group followed behind him with no trouble. Jackson was glancing behind him thinking about making a break from it to get back to the book that were calling his name.


    "And we take a right here." Asher stepped on to what was clear to him a path.


    "What do you mean a right here? This isn''t a path. This is just a spot where the water runs off the mountain." Onyx was frustrated that Asher seemed to be trying to get them lost in the woods.


    "No, It''s the path I took. It''s the same worn out trail that the others are. I know that you don''t want to give me points but it''s really annoying." Asher knew he was the one to put him in a bad mood, but he still didn''t like that he was berating him.


    Asher moved forward a little faster in his frustration. "Just wait and let him make a fool of himself if he wants to. He has already dug his own grave and he will have to face reality." Garnet was talking down her brother now that she believed that Asher was lying to her, this was just someone fooling around and she could just wait it out.


    Asher walked following the water run off before he curved towards the left and suddenly spoke again. "Here we take a right too. Just following these little trails right is the best way."


    ''That''s a rabbit trail. He can notice that but thinks it was made by us? This kid isn''t smart at all. He is naive and a liar.'' Onyx could feel his blood beginning to boil as the so called trail Asger was taking them on was getting steeper.


    "Why is it so steep all of a sudden. And there are pointy rocks everywhere." Jackson felt that every step put him in danger.


    "It will flatten out when we get to the top, just crawl along as best as you can." Asher encouraged him and the pothers as he speedily crawled up and over the top of the slope. "And now here we are. The top of the cliff!" Asher was standing with his hands up showing off the view of the setting sun.


    Garnet came over the slope ready to reprimand him and call Asher out on his bluff. But she was caught by the sight before her. They were certainly on the top of the cliff looking out at the setting sun. She had been proven wrong.

 Chapter 83 - 83. Challenge

    "What makes you think someone else could possibly find that off trail route you took?" Garnet was looking at Asher like he had just proposed a foolish idea.


    "Well I am sure people won''t just find it, they will ask me and I will show them." His smug smile made Onyx want to yell at him but it was a loss, there really was a way to get up the top of the cliff without real climbing.


    "Fine. You can have the points. But you need to climb down the cliff on your own." Onyx was still pretty sour about the entire incident. He wanted revenge so he challenged Asher to climb down the cliff he had to carry Asher down before.


    Asher made a move toward the way they had just come but found that Garnet and Onyx both moved to block him. "Don''t think you can get away that easily. You started this."


    Garnet was looking at him with the same smug grin he had had just a moment ago. ''Well, I messed up. This is the end for me. My gravestone will read Asher fell from a cliff and went splat.''


    "You got down the cliff before right? You should be fine this time." Laura had not caught in that Asher had needed help. She only knew that she had not been able to get to the top.


    The look Asher gave her was pitiful, if she knew the truth she definitely would not be so supportive.


    "I''ll give it a try with you. If I get back to my gardening books faster I will be happy." Jackson was the one who spoke up this time.


    "I knew you were the best Jackson!" Asher still feared climbing down the cliff, but having Jackson spoke up and kept him from doing it alone made all the difference.


    "I''m not all that great, I just think it would be better than doing it alone. I am not really a climber either but I should learn it at some point. I might as well tough it out now."


    "Good attitude. You should learn from Jackson here. He isn''t trying to be greedy and drag points out of every little thing." Garnet was still happy with the enthusiastic camper she had found. To her, Jackson could become her best camper yet, if he did what she wanted him to.


    ''This is perfect, I know where the footholds are that Onyx uses so I should be able to easily get down.'' Asher went over to the cliff and looked at the side. This was the moment he realized that he had no idea how to spot the holds he was looking for. Onyx had helped him find them and he had even placed Asher''s feet in to them so he could find them.


    ''Just you wait. When you beg for someone to help you climb down I will be right there to answer your call. Then I will let you give up all your points to pay for the help. That will teach you a good lesson'' Onyx was silently cursing Asher. It was only fair because of the dirty tricks Asher was pulling to get more points.


    "Yout alright over there?" Jackson had readied himself at the edge of the cliff as well and saw that Asher was frozen at the edge.


    "Oh yeah, just waiting so we can start together. I figure we can partner up and practice together. It will just help us in the long run." He tried to sound as genuine as possible since his easy path seemed to be gone from beneath his feet.


    "That sounds great. I will be much more comfortable having someone next to me." Jackson was breathing a sigh of relief. He was not afraid of heights but he did not want to risk being stuck and panicking all alone.


    ''Well, at least before I fall I will have a friend to talk to.'' Asher was trying to look on the bright side and he and Jackson took the first move down the cliff.


    Asher was able to use the strategy of sliding his foot down until he could a grip. This was the main point of his strategy. He could grip with his hands on the places he was able to hold with his feet as he moved down. If he couldn''t hold with his feet he would just move side to side until he could find a grip downward.


    Jackson had a much different strategy. His hands were strong due to his super power, he was able to grip on to some of the smaller notches in the cliff face with ease. "Don''t be alarmed but I think I need to kick off my shoes so I can keep the grip on my feet."


    "Won''t your feet get all cut up?" Asher was looking at Jackson like he was crazy.


    "Not really, they might be a little sore but since I got my power it''s pretty hard for me to get any cuts or bruises, or really anything."


    There was a large amount of jealousy building up in Asher as he heard this. He could only watch as Jackson kicked his shoes off and listen for the soft thud of them hitting the ground.


    "Did you just hear that¡­" Onyx gulped as his mind went directly to the worst case scenario.


    "It was such a soft sound, I''m not sure what it was." Garnet was not super worried since she had heard the sound of someone falling before. This was way too tame of a sound. However, the seed of worry had been planted in Onyx''s head.


    " I think I am just going to go down the side too. It''s better to have an expert there." Onyx''s voice was shaky as he stepped toward the cliff edge faster than he meant to.


    As he looked down he told himself that there was no way one of them had fallen. He was nearly praying for this possibility to be just a nightmare. His heart dropped as he looked over the side.

 Chapter 84 - 84. Miracle Of Nature

    Onyx took some unsteady steps backward as he looked down. "They are gone...I don''t see them on the cliff...they must have fallen and are gone now. I already lost two campers and real camp hasn''t even started yet." He fell to his butt while Garnet stepped forwards to check herself.


    Meanwhile, Asher and Jackson were having their own conversation while they went down the cliff.


    " So since I can''t find a way down right now I should just move sideways then try to go down again?" Asher had let Jackson in on his brilliant idea to just sidestep all the tough climbing and just keep moving around to find the easier grips.


    "From the ground, we might look weird. Ha, we would look like crabs going side to side with out hands up like claws." Asher was hilding on and using this joke to make the endeavor sound much easier.


    "I think it is a great idea. Let''s move towards your side. Mine is definitely too hard to climb down." Asher looked at the struggling Jackson wh couldn''t find a new foot grip.


    The two started to move side to side looking for the right spot and only making slow downward progress. Soon they had moved so far top the side that they could not be seen from the place they had started.


    "This isn''t possible. How can they be gone. Even if they fell we would be able to see their bodies from here." Garbet had thought that Onyx was exaggerating but the two campers were really gone.


    "You lost Asher and Jackson!?" Laura was barely containing herself now that she saw the faces of the two counselors. "We haven''t been here, more than a day and I am already the only one left. This must be why the camp is known by the nickname camp cruel¡­"


    Laura stepped away from the counselors who were now glaring at her hearing the hated nickname of the camp. "I will just go down really fast and see where they are. I bet they are just in a nook in the cliff." Laura was off in that second moving as fast as her legs took her down the way they came.


    "But there are no nooks in the cliff...He really can''t fly?" Onyx was starting to believe that the power Asher had was indeed flight and his paperwork was just incorrect.


    "No, it is most certainly not flying. Even if it was how could he carry Jackson? That kid must have been born giant to be his size at his age." garnet had received the files on what students would be attending multiple times. She always saw it as one of her duties as the head counselor to memorize the powers of every camper, let alone the ones that were selected to come early for the extra training opportunities.


    Asher and Jackson had been using their strategy to get down one quarter of the cliff by this time.


    "Look over there, that tree is growing right out of the side of the cliff. I bet it is a good spot to catch our breath." Jackson had seen the sturdy tree growing right out of a crack in the cliff and marveled at the strength of nature.


    "Great idea, if we can stop there and stretch out arms we can make it down the rest of the way much faster.'' Asher was just looking to have a somewhat stable place to stop. The burning in his arms was almost as bad as when he did his morning work outs with Cara and Art.


    The two kept their sideways movement going and reached the tree easily. Asher scooted over as Jackson came to sit next to him. The tree was large enough for both of them to sit comfortably and easily hold their own balance.


    "Nature is really amazing. It can even grow in such a tough place. Look how strong this tree is! It looks like it could stay here forever."


    The second Jackson spoke these words asher had a chill run up his spine. "I think you just jinxed the future of this tree."


    Jackson gave Asher a strange look as Asher was gripping the tree with much more force than necessary. "I think you are overreacting. The roots have to be really solid to grow a tree this bi-"


    The crack and shifting of the tree made Jackson turn as pale as a ghost. His large arms immediately wrapped around the tree for dear life. "I''m sorry nature, I will never use you as a resting bench again. Just don''t break again!"


    His plea was ignored though as the tree started to shift downward again. The two boys were latched on like koalas. They looked like they would never let go of the large tree growing out of the side of the cliff ever again.


    Onyx and Garnet were about to leave the top of the cliff when they heard the crack of the tree. "What was that¡­?" Garnet was the first to ask the question. She knew it was not a normal sound to hear on a cliff.


    "There are no trees up here. Nothing should...My cliff tree!" Onyx realized where the two boys must have gone to climb. He had planted the tree long ago in a large crack in the cliffside due to his own curiosity. He had hope that it might grow but also knew that it might now. Over the years he had seen it become something he had once thought impossible.


    Garnet had never seen her brother move so fast outside of a martial arts tournament. In the blink of an eye, he was already climbing on the face of the cliff. Hei speed while climbing was unmatched between all of the family.


    "No no no no no no, please don''t be my cliff tree. I promise I will never try to get revenge again if my cliff tree is safe." His cries for mercy went unheard as he came close enough to the side of the cliff that the two boys had gone. When he was his precious cliff tree moving downward he himself felt that he was falling.

 Chapter 85 - 85. Massive Fall

    Jackson''s face was full of terror as the tree started to slip downward. "Asher if you live, go take my place in the garden club and lead us to a victory in our orchid competition." His plea was random since terror made him think of the only other thing he had been looking forward to recently.


    Asher didn''t hear a single word, he was instead muttering about his own death and splat being written on his gravestone.


    Onyx was trying to climb to the tree as fast as possible but soon realized he was too slow. The tree had started to fall.


    The roots slowly pulled out of the cliff face and let the tree fall. The two boys were clutching on to the tree with their might. The screams they let ut were not supportive of their masculinity but could not be avoided. Jackson was trying to remain awake instead of passing out from the fear of the fall.


    Asher was praying to the universe to give him enough luck to survive this terrible fall. He held on tighter than he knew himself able to. In a sudden moment, he felt a hard jerk as his body came to a stop.


    ''Ah...I''m dead now. I must have hit the ground.'' He opened his eyes still holding on to the tree and wondered if he was in some strange world. He could see the orange and pinks of the setting sun on the sky and thought himself to be in some form of heaven. ''I might as well let go instead of carrying this uprooted tree with me through my entire afterlife.''


    Asher let his grip go and felt his back hit a hard bumpy surface. He struggled to roll over feeling the pain on his back since he had fallen on to some pebbles. This shook him to his senses and he started to feel his body. "I''m alive...I''m alive!" He was laughing like a fool poking his shoulder and toughing his face, he could feel everything and be somehow standing on the ground.


    He felt that he must have been saved by some secret hero but was in awe at the state of the tree on the cliff. He was looking at the branches in front of him and noticed they were swaying even though there was no breeze.


    His eyes followed the tree upwards and also the roots. They were still attached to the cliff and had been pulled out finally staying attached to stop the momentum of the falling tree. "Jackson! Let go." Asher spotted Jackson who was still clutching the tree and cracking the bark in his arms.


    "No way! I refuse to die." He was pale and shaking slightly thinking that he was still about to fall.


    "Fine then open your eyes and then let go." The sarcasm in Asher''s voice was enough to catch Jackson''s attention and make him open one eye cautiously.


    "Oh, it''s the ground¡­" Jackson was monotone as he realized that he was only a few inches off of the ground. He rolled off the tree and hit the ground much more elegantly than Asher had.


    "Do you two know what you just did?" Laura popped up right next to them with an excited smile on her face.


    "We died, we died and now we are somehow alive again." Jackson was still having trouble making sense of the situation they were in since he had yet to look at the tree handing by its roots still attached to the cliff.


    "No, stop that. You bungee jumped with a tree and its roots. It was soo cool. How did you know the roots wouldn''t break? Was this your power Asher? How fast do you think you were falling? Do you think it can be done again? I want to try, it looked like so much fun. Way better than the amusement park rides."


    Asher didn''t even have a chance to answer a single question as she threw them all out at the same time. Her words were nearly too fast to understand.


    "That was not what we meant to do. We were taking a break and then that happened." Asher pointed to the handing tree finally showing Jackson what had happened to the tree.


    "Ahhh, that tree was so strong looking. How could it fall like this but still stay attached by the roots. This is against nature." All the knowledge that Jackson had gained about growing plants was lost at this moment. He had never heard if a tree having strong enough roots to not only hold it in after being torn almost completely from the ground, let alone a cliff. He also had never heard of a tee growing such perfectly straight roots that they would just fall and hold their shape when out of the ground.


    "Not sure about my power, I guess this is pretty lucky. A lot of things needed to happen for us to not be flattened in the ground right now." Asher was feeling a lot of warmth about his super power at this moment. He had not felt this lucky in his life. "Alos, no one should even do that ever! Why would you want to try and deliberately fall off a cliff? Are you crazy?'' His harsh words made Laura shrink back a bit.


    "But it would be better than an amusement park ride¡­" She just outed as Jackson tried to pull at all his knowledge to figure out what could have happened to make this possible.


    "OK, so in theory, if the crack in the cliff that the tree grew in for the years of its life is straight then the roots were forced to grow tougher and perfectly like a rope. If that didn''t happen then we would be flat on the ground. The cliff must have shifted as time went on and our weight was just right to make the loose roots shift and pull out but not enough to make the larger roots pull all the way out." Jackson was trying to plan logic in this situation but was still skeptical.

 Chapter 86 - 86. She Always Snacks

    "How could you do this! Forget having points, you both will have negative points forever!" Onyx was distraught seeing his precious cliff tree hanging from the cliff face like a swing.


    The look of his face spoke volumes of the trials he would put them through if they dared to speak back, however, Jackson did just that. "But I haven''t even started camp yet...how can I have negative points?"


    "How? How? Because you tore the cliff tree I planted when I first learned to climb as a kid off of the cliff and caused it to hang like some sad forgotten birthday decoration." His anger had most certainly boiled over at this point.


    "How would we have known that the tree was so important? We were just taking a breather so we could climb the rest of the way down and keep from being penalized by you. It''s not anyones fault it fell. Plus look, it is still attached to the cliff, right Jackson? It should stay alive."


    Asher turned the attention back to Jackson, who was the expert in plants between the two of them. He should be able to talk Onyx down just a little since he knew the chances of the tree surviving. "Well, it looks like it still has strong roots so it won''t have a problem absorbing any water. It also looks very strong which is why we sat on it, the leaves should still take in air and sunlight. It is just in a weird position. I am sure that it will grow back to the cliff in time. Those exposed roots will be free to grow out and probably start to attach to the cliff face to absorb water."


    Jackson was using all of his knowledge to make it sound like the tree would have the best chance and even a better chance of growing as it was now. He knew that if he shared the fact that it could possibly go in to shock at the change in its positioning and root exposure that Onyx might explode.


    "Onyx, I swear if you do- oh, you haven''t made any of them spar with you. Good." Garnet had finally descended the cliff and found that Onyx was staring at the tree and nearly crying. She knew that if he was pushed too far he could snap, she had done it to him a lot as kids to get another training opponent.


    "We didn''t know that it would fall and now he said we would have negative points but we had no control over this and we even were climbing down like we were told and we fell and -" Asher was rambling through what had happened and the number of times he said the word and made Garnet cut him off before he just ended up saying only that.


    "You should have seen it, they bungee jumped down the cliff on the tree. It looked really cool, do you have anywhere else we can bungee jump here? I don''t care how many points I need I will make them." Laura was still stuck on bungee jumping while she snacked on an apple the others hadn''t noticed her holding just a moment before.


    Garbet held her face in her hands trying to understand just where the minds of these campers went. The three of them had proven to be some of the most chaotic campers they had ever had in the camp as early admittance. "Just stop. Whatever you are thinking stop." She took a deep breath before looking at Onyx. "You head back to your cabin and take tomorrow off, I know you are unhappy but you will not be giving them negative points. It was just bad luck."


    "Sorry about that." Asher looked down when Garnbet talked about bad luck, he knew his power most likely attributed to any bad luck those around him had.


    "Jackson since you seem to be a plant enthusiast you can earn extra points for when you start camp by working on this tree in the morning. If you can set it up to survive better we will be grateful. Asher, you showed us the path but I will only give you ten points. You should know why, that attitude you took does not really befit a hero, that is what you want to be right?"


    Asher''s face dropped as he heard this reprimand. He hadn''t even thought of that as he tried to get more points. To him it was just a way to advance and nothing more, he had not reflected on the morals of his extortion in the least. This was something he should have been able to do if he really focused on Mr. Richards''s lessons and looked within himself for the answers.


    "And no we do not have bungee jumping. Also, where do you keep getting the food out here?" Garnet had finally started to catch on to the strange antics that Laura seemed to be pulling by disappearing one second and showing up the next with snacks. Garnet knew that Laura had an enhanced metabolism and therefore, had a highly enhanced speed which made her need more food. The problem was that she somehow kept finding food.


    "Well, this apple came from a wild apple tree down a trail over there. Then I got the eclair from a roadside bakery that way. I found¡­" Laura explained where all the snacks came from.


    "You are telling me you ran all the way to the road and back with food in such a short time? I will need to rethink your training and how many points you get from the obstacle course." Garnet was floored, she had not expected such strange powers and situations. She could only see monsters about to be born if this was how every camper was when they showed up this year.


    "It was really annoying, I ordered a half dozen of the eclairs and only one made it back to camp. But when I rand back again the road side bakery was closed. So annoying." Her simple words made them all want to slap themselves, this girl was too obsessed with snacking.

 Chapter 87 - 87. Home Gym

    Garnet decided it was best to leave onyx be for a while and grabbed the snacker, Laura, and headed back to camp. Jackson and Asher followed her afraid that Onyx might get angry again if they started there. The walk back was becoming dark and Garnet continuously mumbled about troublesome campers.


    "Jackson you know where the normal cabins are, you can head there unless you are choosing a night lesson. Laura, if you raid the kitchen while I sleep your world will end. Other than that good luck with your sleeping arrangements. Asher," she sighed loudly knowing that she would be stuck cleaning the luxury cabin the next day. "Let''s go to the luxury cabin."


    With that, the two went off from Jackson who was looking back where he had been reading. The odds of him sleeping were slim. He was trying to remember all of his knowledge on uprooted plants to fix the tree and keep it alive. The fear of it dying would keep him awake anyways.


    "Laura you know you can''t sleep in the cabin too right?"


    Laura was walking with Garnet and Asher toward the large luxury that Asher had gotten lucky to win a night stay in. "Yeah? Well I can look, right? It''s one of those look but don''t touch rules." She smiled smugly at him as she said this.


    Garnet wasn''t paying much attention, she was still trying to make sense of the weird set of events that had led to the prior drama. Having a camper go off trail thinking they were following a trail was fairly common, but having one actually find a way up the mountain was unheard of.


    ''I wonder how soft the bed is.'' Asher''s thoughts were on one thing and one thing only; the bed. He couldn''t think of anything better to get rid of the stress than fall back in to a heavenly mattress.


    Garnet pulled her keys out and unlocked the door. "You can sleep here for one night. After that, if you''re still here I will let Onyx kick you out."


    "Understood." The threat was enough to make Asher sweat a little since he knew that Onyx would not be gentle.


    "Come on, open it Asher, I want to see before I ask about how many points I have." Laura was bouncing in place like a little kid waiting for their favorite television show to come on.


    Asher took the advice and pushed the door open to reveal the entirety that was the luxury cabin. His eyes fixed in the large bed with joy, but there was more.


    His face slowly became quizzical, "you didn''t think it was some spa did you?" Garnet had an evil smile as she stepped through the door.


    "The bed is made to help relax muscles after training, it is high quality so be careful. The mirrors and television are linked so you can see suggestions on your posture and form when you practice any moves. There are weights along that wall and there is a shower over there. If you need teaching you can use the videos over there to play back moves that our staff recorded."


    Hearing that the room was mainly high tech training stuff made Asher flinch even more. ''This is just a gym with a bed!'' His inner cries were nearly audible as Garnet dragged Laura back out of the room and shut the door.


    Now that he was alone he took the time exploring the luxury cabin finding that it was indeed a gym with a bed. The only notable feature that seemed luxurious was that the shower had an assortment of muscle relaxing shampoos so that he could stretch sore muscles more easily.


    Feeling dispirited he decided that he might as well see what the television had in store for him. ''Is there even a remote? Where is the dang power button?" Asher searched everywhere not seeing a remote in the room nor any power button anywhere. "How does this stupid thing work!?"


    His annoyed shout seemed to work some magic. "Welcome to elite fitness home gym model S rank. Thank you for your support. What would the user like to do today?" The sweet robot voice spoke out and showed a myriad of work out options on the screen.


    ''This is awesome, it''s voice activated.'' This was very impressive to Asher since this was such a high tech feature. He even noticed that there was a body outline of him on the screen which followed his movements. His reflection in the mirror was even shown which meant that the mirror was recording his movements.


    "The user is unranked and had no registered identification. Would the user like to create their avatar?"


    "You know I do!" Asher saw a 3D model of him pop up on the screen. He saw a selection of black spaces including his name and nickname. He also noticed places for his super power and age input. The elite fitness home gym was really something else.


    "Asher Ronan, Lucky Jinx super power," Asher was about to say a nickname for his avatar but realized he didn''t know what he would be called. He had never had a nickname that he used freely. The only ones he had from his previous world were insults others had used on him.


    ''Should I just use my super power as my nickname? But it''s not cool...lucky dragon? Noooo, lucky charm? Weird cause that''s what Art and Jane call me¡­.I guess I am kind of protected by my luck right? If someone is mean to me my Jinx power should stop them and my lucky power just makes me lucky. If I use providence as my avatar name it is pretty cool and intimidating."


    Asher thought he had just come up with a gem. The name carried a heavy weight with it and would say he is in a state of being protected by his super power. It would definitely be something that he was a tough opponent to mess with. Feeling like he had just found the best name he gave the name to the elite home gym, "My nickname is Providence."

 Chapter 88 - 88. Brutal Training

    "The user has selected the nickname Providence. Welcome Providence. Would you like to start with the basic work out today? Based on current heart rate, body conditions, and rate of mental energy the user should be able to perform one three hour session."


    This was going beyond what Asher had expected. The elite home gym was really living up to the elite part of its name. Asher was not sure if he wanted to do one of the basic work outs, if he did he was afraid that his practice in footwork and moves would fall short. Not to mention he had only run and done a small amount of climbing today. He had missed the circuit he would normally do with his sister and Art.


    "I want to do a custom work out." The television switched to a custom screen showing that it would record the repetitions and the time of everything he did along with his vital signs. ''This is great, maybe it will give me suggestions for after I finish so I can improve.''


    "Please begin when ready Providence." Asher started in on his warm up with some footwork shadow tag. He saw that the television was recoding it as stance training and cardio. When he started to add in some of Onyx''s techniques he saw a score start to show up next to it. His score for the footwork shadow tag showed D rank.


    ''Pfft only D rank? I am better than that.'' This angered him and he started to focus much more. Before he knew it he had been performing his shadow footwork tag for half an hour before he switched to his circuits and going through fifty repetitions of every move her knew. The television showed ranks for every thing he did.


    "How is my highest rank footwork? It''s only D. I know I am better than that!" In his frustration, Asher decided to stretch and quit.


    "Providence has ended their work out. Predicted rest time until Providence can start another session is four hours of sleep and one shower at a high temperature with a twenty minute stretching session. Please consume additional protein and potassium to recover."


    Asher was caught off guard yet again by the elite home gym, it had even calculated rest for him. Not only this but instead of asking whether he wanted to do another session it instead started a timer. This prompted him to rush to a small fridge in the corner of the room.


    He found that there were fresh fruits and protein shakes. He grabbed a banana and a chocolate protein shake and ate them quickly before hitting the shower. He found that the home gym even adjusted the temperature for him. The best part was it was a super fancy shower that had water jets on all sides. Asher had the best shower he had ever had in his life. ''Now this is how the rich live.''


    He flopped on to the bed and found that it adjusted itself to the perfect form for his body. ''This is pure heaven.'' The heated bed sent him off to a deep sleep that he had never had in his previous life. It was truly the lap of luxury.


    Four hours later the elite home gym system set off a small alarm, "Providence the rest period is over. What level of work out session would you like to participate in?"


    Asher was groggy and did not fully wake up as he mumbled back thinking he was still in a dream saving the world and helping his friends to do so. "I''ll help you save the mayor¡­"


    "Providence has selected hell mode work out. Only one version is download on to the elite home gym rank S model. The ranked session will begin in five minutes. The premises will be locked down until Providence has completed the five hour work out."


    Asher sat up realizing that the home gym had just been speaking. He rolled out of the bed and looked around for the television screen seeing the short timer displaying the time to start of the work out. "Ah dang it, I thought I could sleep more." He grabbed a set of work out clothes and refused to give up this opportunity. While he had slept he had dreams of being the top hero in the world.


    ''I need to keep up my intensity. This is the high tech training I need to be at the top. This luxury cabin is a blessing in disguise." He refused to lose this chance to improve himself. He had figured out that the luxury part was not the relaxation but the fact that it could give the best possible training. He had also caught on that the home gym was Rank S not as a model number but as a quality, this meant that it was made for S rank heroes to use. This must have cost a fortune!


    "The work out shall now begin. Follow the instructions on the screen and proceed to reach the goals for your specific body type. The calculations have been made. Please follow the suggested rhythm."


    The television and speaker started to show a pulse and displayed a foot work movement. Asher saw that there were new moves added in making it more fluid and balanced. He did his best to mimic it and found that it fit his posture and breathing perfectly. ''As expected of the best home gym ever!'' His inner thoughts praised the elite home gym until he noticed that the beat for his movement pace was speeding up.


    The avatar in the screen started to add moves he had used in to the motions. They were refined and held stiffer motions that delivered more force. The tough part was that they held a very quick withdraw and transition in to the next move. He had not learned this amount of fluidity in his movement yet.


    Asher started to sweat bullets as he pushed his body to the limit. He had no sense of time and no way to see the outside since the home gym system had locked down the room and closed the shades automatically. He was later reduced to a gasping mess on the floor, the sweat pouring off of him as the screen showed a calculating screen.

 Chapter 89 - 89. Exhaustion

    "Grades for performance have been calculated. They are being recorded in the elite home gym world ranking." Asher who was still breathing heavily looked up at the screen which started to display categories of grading based on his work out.


    "You mean...gah..I get...gahhhh...graded?" His breathing made him sound like a panting dog but he still managed to keep his head up and look at the screen.


    "Providence has been graded.


    Providence had been graded based on multiple categories.


    Current physique rated: E


    Current understanding of super power and use: ungraded due to super power type


    Current development of unique combat style: D


    Adaptability in style: A


    Intelligence: G


    Notable remarks:


    Providence is able to learn new moves with minimal instruction and add them in to the current practicing style. Improved physique over a period of one month will raise grade to C.


    Providence can increase unique combat style grade by increasing repetitions each day over the course of one month. Providence must practice moves while using footwork skills to gain fluid motions.


    Providence is in dire need of life skills and common sense awareness. This can be improved by actively focusing on what is happening around you along with social cues


    Current overall rank: D


    World potential ranking on the elite home gym system: 15th"


    The elite home gym system continued on showing in depth video where Asher had made eros. It also highlighted the specific [positooning and lapses in breathing. It further showed places where he had self improved by seeing his own error. Furthermore, the elite home gym system asked him for his email and sent the videos with recommended dietary goals to maximize the recovery after work outs.


    Asher ended up laying on his back trying to understand everything that had happened. The clicking of the locks and the rising shade made him look up but what really made him sit up was the slamming of the front door.


    "I told you to be up and out of here in the morning or I would be here to kick you out!" Garnet rushed in and was stopped after finding Asher in his dead tired state on the floor, barely moving to sit up. "What in the world did you do?"


    "Elite home gym system is evil¡­" His words were soft between his heavy breathing.


    "You actually used it? Why are you so messy after a basic work out then? You weren''t this bad after the hike. Have you never worked out before?" Garnet could only look on in amazement as she thought that Asher had been so sheltered his entire life. Her main thought was that he was a shut in video game player who didn''t even participate in gym class.


    With her now thinking that Asher had just been lucky to pull off moves in their first sparring match she looked at the elite home gym system to see what his grades were. "This actually isn''t bad for your age, you might be one of the better campers we have had." She was surprised She had expected all G grades or lower like most who recently started working out or using their super power.


    Garnet had read Asher''s paperwork and knew why his power was not graded. She skimmed passed that and looked at the work out he had chosen from the basic workouts. Her face showed a look of surprise while she racked her brain for words to say. "What on earth made you choose the hell mode work out that only my family and I use¡­.?"


    "I never chose, I heard it talking, and then all of a sudden I had five minutes before it started. I wasn''t even ready." Asher was still cursing the elite home gym system for doing this to him right when he woke up. He wanted to improve but this had just been cruel.


    "Home gym replay the previous user''s choice in training mode." The home gym system responded by showing the video of Asher sleep talking saying he would help someone in a mumbled voice. Then the system confirmed the choice was hell mode and it would start the only downloaded program.


    "I have never seen anyone accidentally start the hardest work out program on the home gym system. I don''t even know how you made it to the end." Garnet sounded like she was disappointed in the fact that he had somehow survived the grueling work out. "Well, it looks like you did the world ranked option so we might as well see what your potential rank is. I rank pretty high in the top two hundred for my potential ability." Garnet was trying to show off her prowess as a counselor since she was seeing that Asher might be a diamond in the ruff that needed polishing.


    When she saw that his potential score was only two digits she nearly punched the television screen. "How could this be broken...it must be broken...there''s no way his potential ability world ranking is fifteen¡­" This was too much to process for her. One moment she thought Asher was a trouble camper, then he was a shut in that never worked out, then he was a diamond in the rough, and finally, he is one of the highest potentials in the world? That doesn''t even factor in his super power!?


    This would be enough to crush any martial artist''s drive. Garnet had worked for years to get in to the top two hundred potential rankings. He had to understand her super power to adapt and strengthen her body before her potential showed. Then constantly improved based on what the elite home gym system recommended for her. She needed more proof.


    "Home gym system, show the video and analysis of the last user." She watched the video of Asher''s work out and started to take notes on what he was good and bad at. Asher meanwhile crawled his way to the shower and turned on the hot water. Luckily for him, the home gym system was still adjusting the water for him to recover from the intense hell mode work out.

 Chapter 90 - 90. No Bacon?...

    Asher had changed clothes after cleaning up his gear that had become dirty the day before. When he came out of the showed on wobbly legs Garnet was still staring at the grades he had gotten on the television. "Good you''re done. Get your butt moving and eat what we have in the cafeteria. Use your phone to check the recommended diet for the day. I used your information to sign you up for the elite home gym fitness and diet tracker. You should have the link in your email too."


    Asher wasn''t sure what to do with this information since he had never had either thing before. This was something only those with money would have, not the average person. "I said hurry up and download the app. I expect you to use it every day."


    The look Garnet gave Asher said that if he did not heed her words his life would reach an end. There was no choice. Once she saw that he was still slow to move she practically threw him over her shoulder and closed the cabin door behind her. The cleaning could wait until she had dealt with the slow kid in need of food. While she walked with him over her shoulder like he was a sack of potatoes she snatched his phone and downloaded the elite home gym app.


    "Here, log in with that cheesy nickname you chose and make sure you view the adjusted notes I added while I walk." Garnet wanted to think about her own training. She was full of fire knowing that she had found someone ranked higher than her.


    Asher felt completely helpless against this monster of a camp counselor. He couldn''t resist and just let himself be carried while he logged in to the app. When it all came up he realized that he had been linked to the camp Jewell account as a premium member. This allowed him to use the full features of the elite home gym system and track all of his work out goals and progress.


    The most interesting feature was the links that Garnet had added to the video of his five hour training. They were moves that she suggested he learn or ways to modify a move for his own use. It was amazing how in depth she had learned these things and Asher realized that it was not her super power and martial arts training that made her so powerful, but her mind.


    "Garnet, I have been wondering, what is your super power rank?" This was something that had been on Asher''s mind since he showed up at the camp. He wondered what coach Winters was as well but Garnet appeared to be much easier to ask.


    "You want to know that? I''m just a B rank, I am almost considered A rank." This was a big surprise. Being a B rank meant she could have a very profitable career in law enforcement. Not to mention if she was almost A rank she could become a hero.


    "Don''t go thinking I''ll be a hero when I surpass B rank. It won''t happen, not in this lifetime or the next.


    Garbet set Asher down a bit rough as they came to the dining hall. "Wait but, why? You could at least be law enforcement and help people¡­"


    Asher could not imagine why someone would not want to be on the good side of the law if they had the power. Garnet gave him a hard look before she gave him a slight kick towards the dining hall. "Follow the app suggestions as I told you. Then come to the sparring field and show me what you learned." She didn''t bother to even acknowledge his question.


    The dining hall was massive and held a huge amount of high tech vending machines. They displayed different versions of food that they could instantly cook and serve. No chefs needed, which was a small disappointment to Asher since he thought human prepared food would just taste better.


    Asher was afraid that Garnet would see him ignoring her suggestions and opened the app to see what the elite home gym suggested he ate. The code that popped up was labeled "suggested breakfast". Not seeing any way to get around it he walked up to the largest vending machine and scanned the code.


    The machine started making plenty of wiring and sizzling noises and in Five minutes a large covered tray was spat out from the bottom. Asher could smell something delicious, how mouth started to water as he grabbed the drink it had also dispensed and went to a table.


    "This smells great!" Asher lifted the cover and was hit with a wall of steam. When it cleared he was left in shock. "This is just fruit and oatmeal!"


    The oatmeal was hot and fresh with mixed berries and even a few cucumber slices on the side. The drink he had been dispensed with was a fruit smoothie with protein powder in it. ''This must be some cruel joke, where''s the bacon. The eggs, and there''s not even cheese on anything.''


    He pulled up the app to see what kind of brutal trickery this was. The first thing he saw was a timer. "Three hours until protein and potassium rich snack. Six hours until second meal." This made him a little excited since the god food might just be waiting for later. However, he was suddenly hit with a wave of understanding.


    ''I have to pay with my points every time I eat...that means my snacks will cost me...Garnet is trying to rob me of my points out of revenge. She''s evil!'' His inner thoughts ran rampant with every spoon full of oatmeal he ate. His tears adding the salty combo the sweet fruit needed for balance.


    "You''re here pretty early. How was the luxury cabin? Think you can help me find the golden egg today?" Laura popped up with her own tray of food and sat down in front of Asher. She was furiously eating triple the size of Asher''s meal without batting an eye. "I should be able to find it before you if I really try. I will make sure I am faster." This sounded like a real challenge for Laura instead of her asking for help.

 Chapter 91 - 91. Style

    "What do you mean you want to compete.? Weren''t you just asking for help? You can''t be faster at finding it if I am helping you find it." Asher''s confused voice made it sound like he was questioning all of Laura''s brain power.


    "Fine if you don''t want to help then I will just find it first and you won''t have a chance." This confused Asher even more since the idea of helping was now out the window.


    "What are you playing at? Mind games?'' Laura made a nervous smile. ''This girl really is trying to play mind games. She wants the luxury cabin that much?''


    "I''m just wondering, you know out of curiosity, how was your night last night?" His questing seemed to be the last thing that Laura wanted him to ask.


    "Oh, you know slept like a log. Well look at this, I am out of food. Time to go look for that golden egg." She was gone before Asher could even try to tease her and play his own mind games.


    ''I guess she didn''t spend points to sleep inside.'' Asher could only wonder where Laura had made a bed for herself. Unfortunately for him before he could think on things more he remembered that Garnet was waiting for him in the sparring field. If he took too long he was sure to get a worse beating.


    Asher tossed his tray in to the trash and rushed out the door. He used the distance between the dining hall and the sparring field as a warm up jog. By the time he saw Garnet in the field doing her own training, he was starting his stretches.


    Garnet paid him no mind as she went through her motions fluidly. Asher had never seen anyone move in such precision. Her moves were well trained and he could not predict what she would do next. He tried t guess if she would kick or punch but every time he was wrong or would be surprised by a new move.


    Seeing that Garnet would not be stopping anytime soon and Asher had stretched the sore muscles he joined her by practicing his footwork. The elite home gym system had given him a few additional tips to adjust his footwork and even had a layout of what steps to take to form different patterns as he moved.


    Upon reading these suggestions in the app he did not hesitate to slowly add them to his shadow foot work tag game. His speed was extremely slow and mapped out as he added moves that were newer to him. Garnet still didn''t say a word as she practiced herself.


    Speeding up Asher found that his balance was not as important as he had believed. The more he tried to stay perfectly balanced the less successful he was. The real change started when he allowed his limbs and body to swing freely with the steps and moves that the elite gym system had suggested.


    ''This is like that kick from the video game.'' Asher immediately added the wheel kick in to his moves and found that it fit perfectly in to the style he was building. This new technique began to consume him as he could not stop. The feeling of everything falling in to place was addicting.


    Garnet had long stopped her own practice and begun to observe Asher. She had only seen the style he was practicing once before. It did not bring back positive memories for her. "Kid, where did you learn that?"


    Asher brought down another kick and fell in to a bouncing stance so he would not lose his momentum. "I didn''t learn it anywhere. We used a video game for a few moves then we had the footwork coach Winters taught us. I have just been putting it all together. This just feels right, I slip a lot when I move but this makes me go with it and I think it works a lot better."


    He knew that his slipping was definitely not due to his own clumsiness, but most likely something to do with his power. The first time he had really experienced it was at home when he slipped behind his chair. The next was against coach Winters when he slipped in to a perfect move to pin her. He always seemed to be lucky enough to slip in to the move he wanted.


    "Just putting things together and going with it¡­" Garnet mumbled to herself as she recalled the technique she had seen and compared it to what Asher was doing. In strict opposition t her own style Asher''s was more free flowing while hers was a string of tough moves using force and muscle. Asher''s used momentum and the natural flow of gravity to make the heavy hits.


    She finally came to her own conclusion on what the difference between the style she had seen and what Asher was building. "The style that is like yours is called water fall flow. The martial artist that uses it trained after trying to copy the falling of a water fall. You are more like a ragdoll. Your body falls and swings as it flows and adds force. They are similar but yours looks like you don''t even know what you will do next. It''s like you leave it up to fate to decide."


    Garnet''s analysis was something that made Asher stop his bouncing. The fact that she thought his style was like letting fate decide was almost poetic. Since he was attributing his slipping and sliding in to moved to be his lucky power then it did make sense that fate would be choosing his moves. He would just use the move that felt right in the moment.


    "Are you sure you won''t try and give up the hero''s life? There is always a lot of money and fame in the martial arts tournaments. My last tournament netted me fifty thousand for a tie in second place." Garnet smirked as she used her trump card. This is how she managed to loop in students.

 Chapter 92 - 92. Rag Doll Style

    Asher was amazed that getting second place in a single tournament could pay that much. "Not to mention my other siblings participated in their own age groups and the family made about four hundred thousand all together. I would have had first place if that brat didn''t show up."


    Garnet looked incredibly sour remembering her loss but she still was able to pull off an air of mightiness mentioning the family''s winnings. It was becoming clear to Asher how they were able to afford a rank S elite home gym system. "I can''t give up on my goal. My friends are my rivals and we promised each other that we would become heroes together. I will stand at the top, they will figure that out later." Asher laughed at this since he knew if Jane and Art were there they would be arguing with him.


    "I would let you have access to the elite home gym system every day. You would easily become one of the top young martial artists. The youth tournaments pay much more in scholarships to promising universities." Garnet refused to give up. She had wanted Jackson to join in the sparring but learned that he had never so much as raised a fist. He was too soft of a soul.


    Asher on the other hand looked like he was not afraid to get hit or hurt. Even when he was afraid of the cliff she had seen his eyes wide open as he started to climb. She figured that when the two had fallen Asher had instinctually grabbed on to the tree and held on but by the time she had gotten to the bottom of the cliff he was already calm and collected while Jackson was still slow and stunned. It was a rare trait of recovery that not many possessed.


    Asher heard that the scholarships could helo him with universities. This was a very tempting offer since his only other way to get scholarships would be the end of year tournament his senior year. "I don''t think I could devote the time. I need to get stronger to be a hero one day. I will need more than combat technique¡­"


    Well, you can do both, just think it over. And don''t worry that coach Winters about this. It would only go over her head." Garnet wanted to slowly convince Asher over the camp so that she could recruit a promising fighter in to the camp to make more money and raise their status more. The camp was already responsible for a few heroes and a few decent martial artists, adding another with an incredibly high potential rank was the icing on the cake.


    Asher realized that Garnet was not going to let him go so he just ignored her for a bit and fell back in to his training. He felt like the foot work he was practicing was starting to be ingrained in his muscle memory. This made him more excited for when Jane and Art would come. He would challenge them both to a sparring match in the field to show off his skills. First, he planned to take on any challengers by flaunting his points. This would be the best way for him to build more points and see what the general store had to offer.


    "Hey Garnet, your family hid the golden egg again right?" His curiosity was peaked since he wanted to try the elite home gym system again. If he trained all day then used the home gym system he could see what advancements he had made and what new mistakes he may be developing. Being able to spot them early would be great for his adjustments and future skills.


    "The egg? Yeah, Lapis hid it this morning on her ten mile warm up. Apparently there was a good spot she has been wanting to try since last year. I doubt it is, that''s amazing though, she always says it''s a good spot then Onyx or I have found it before the day is out." Garnet brushed it off like this was a boring activity for them.


    "Wait is this part of your family''s training? I can definitely see the hunt for the egg as a good way to train your mind and observation skills." Asher had missed many lessons so far in what went on in the camp. It was all so perfectly designed for the campers to train every aspect of themselves. Thinking of all this he couldn''t see how the campo wouldn''t give birth to martial artists, law enforcement, and potential heroes.


    "Finally starting to catch on? Took long enough, I thought you would be playing dumb the entire time." Garnet just laughed while she stood up stretching out a little. "Let''s see what the rag doll style can do."


    Without another word, Asher was on the defensive as Garnet''s heavy fist came towards him. Any moves that he had started to learn were not memorized and well practiced enough for him to use them instantly. He needed to dip and attempt to dodge it the best he could.


    Asher lowered his level and dodged the first bow but her other fist was still in motion. The hit landed in his arm spinning him around. Asher tried to let himself flow with the momentum and had a feeling that he should kick out. His leg spun with his body and the heel came out toward Garnet.


    She just smiled and back stepped letting the kick wiz by. However, Asher was not done. He kept the momentum and as his kick fell downwards his arm rotated upward. His fist was deflected by Garnet who ducked in right to his face and grabbed his arm.


    The next thing Asher knew he was flying through the air. The birds chirping and the clouds flying over head. He had yet to be thrown in such a way nor had he learned any throws or defenses to throws.


    The surreal feeling came to a crashing end when his back hit the ground and made him roll to a stop looking up at the sky. "Oh¡­"


    "I would get up fast, or I will keep tossing you around until you can''t stand back up." Garnet''s voice brought Asher back to reality. Before he knew it he was standing again, his body had moved on its own.

 Chapter 93 - 93. Asher, Meet Trees

    Asher was alrieady rolling to the side as Garnet made the threat. She refused to let up in the hopes she could draw inspiration from Asher''s self made rag doll style.


    The roll was enough to give Asher the momentum to get on to his feet. His hand was already up as a kick grazed him. Garnet was flawlessly tying her moves together to keep the pressure on Asher. However, the momentum he gained from the kick that grazed him went in to his own wheel kick.


    The kick stood no chance of coming in to contact with Garbet, but it was enough to make her back away for a moment. She bounced a few steps back looking for her next opening. Her boxers bounce had long ago become her resting moving stance between attacking and defending.


    Asher could feel the pressure that Garnet exuded, from her experience and skills were intense and did not let up. ''I need a way to even the odds. I''m too sore to give it my best.'' Asher was wracking his brain for a solution to his predicament.


    Asher''s face showed the creation of an idea, he started to run in a slight circle getting closer to the edge of the sparring field. Garnet did not fully take the bat but did follow him wondering what he had planned.


    When Asher had lured her as close as he could he realized he would need to get a little more extreme to get her where he wanted her to be. Asher let down his guard a little and faked starting to wind up for an attack. Garnet was quick to see this opening and move in to teach Asher the lesson of letting his guard down.


    Her fist came in to contact with Asher''s arms as he locked them in front of him after luring her in. He had done this on purpose so that he could using the rolling momentum to get back toward the trees of the forest around the training field.


    The idea worked like a cham and when Garnet hit Asher he rolled backwards and was able to get right next to the first tree. Garet was already rushing in gain since Asher was vulnerable, however, she did not know that this was part of Asher''s strategy.


    Asher saw her coming and knew that with her speed she wouldn''t be able to easily change direction. He stepped back and let the tree he was next to take up the left side as his guard. When he sidestepped he used the tree as a shield and Garnet''s fist landed full force on the tree bark.


    The cracking of tree bark made Asher''s skin crawl since that punch was meant for him. "Smart move, but I have lived here a long time. The trees can''t get in my way for too long." Garnet''s words were terrifying to Asher who was starting to weave through the trees to avoid her.


    Asher was making sure to keep one between them every time Garet advanced. The problem was that he could not easily attack either and his kicks were missing their target more easily than before. His brilliant idea had come with an added challenge he had not thought about before he executed it.


    His smaller stature was to his benefit since he was more easily able to get around a tree and send out the whip kick that the elite home gym system had added to his evil work out. This kick was his fastest yet and he was starting to find the best ways to add it in to his slowly developing combat style.


    Garnet easily blocked the whip kicks but she was becoming annoyed since the move would sting a little each time it landed. Eventually, she started to use a little extra force to improve her speed. Asher was not ready for the increased difficulty and was caught off guard.


    The attacks from Garnet rained down on him and he could not handle the pressure. Before he knew what had hit him another kick was sending him flying backwards. Unfortunately for him, a tree was right behind him and he had no way to stop his motion.


    Sher''s back met the tree with a loud thud and all the air in his body was pushed out. Garnet realized he excessive use of force the moment her kick made contact, but it had been too late Asher was already on his butt gasping as the smaller tree he had hit was vibrating slightly.


    Garnet had never had a moment like this before with a camper, only her siblings could provoke her enough to use more force in a sparring match. She wasn''t sure if she was impressed or worried she had hurt him.


    Asher''s gasping breaths started to even out while he learned to focus himself back on his surroundings. Asher felt something bunce on to his shoulder as the tree started to return to its still state. "Come on, I know you hit me hard, but do you really need to throw something at me to make sure I''m alive?"


    Asher could only think that Garnet was trying to see if he had been unhurt and able to move after being hit in to the tree. He looked down where he felt whatever had been thrown roll to and found that she had not thrown a single thing.


    Sitting on the ground next to him was a familiar golden egg. With his breath returning to him Asher grabbed the egg to Garnet''s distaste and held it up. "Do I get fifty more points for finding it two days in a row?" His smug tone made her want to have hit him harder, but she did not act on the thought.


    "This is what I get for humoring your strategy. I thought you had started to grow a brain since you were using the terrain to your advantage. Unfortunately you someone managed to lead me all the way to Lapis''s jogging trail." Garnet just looked at Asher with a mix of frustration and general awe. She could not believe how lucky this kid was.

 Chapter 94 - 94.Strategy

    "Lapis is going to be furious that she hid the egg in a tree during her run and in less than three hours it was found." Garnet was shaking her head knowing that this was some mystical impossibility occurring before her eyes. She knew that her family was not this bad at hiding the egg and before the other day had boasted years of perfectly hidden golden eggs. Sometimes even in plain sight!


    Asher was unsteady on his feet but as he stood up he smiled at the little golden egg in his hand. "Have any recommendations for the elite home gym system later?" Asher knew he would be sore, but the elite home gym system should guide him through the best recovery options. So he was not worried that he would not be able to perform another work out to get better.


    "Going for the hell mode again, are you? I didn''t think you would like it so much, I can download another person to challenge you more if you want?" Garnet thought it funny seeing the look o terror on Asher''sface when she said this. After her amusement, she answered a little more seriously. "I already sent you one I think you should do. It is just the basics video but if you use the elite home gym it had an advanced work out you can use that helps everything become muscle memory."


    Asher smiled as he pulled out his phone from his pocket to look at the app and see what it was all about. "Really? You''re so easily distracted when you are still in a battle?" Garnet rained down a few punches knocking Asher aside.


    ''Did she do that because she''s angry that I found the golden egg, or is it really because she wants to teach me a lesson?'' Asher asked himself thins while rubbing his already bruising arms.


    "Hey, I should have way more bruises than the new ones from today. I definitely hit myself in a few soft spots yesterday." He was so surprised to find that he was still in pretty great condition.


    "You used the shower in the luxury cabin right? As long as you followed the elite home gym suggestions the shampoos there aid physical recovery. They had a few enhanced oils and medicines that can make your body process injuries faster."


    Garnet had said this like it was just some small simple fact. However, Asher knew that things like that would often cost hundreds of dollars. It was way beyond luxury for any normal person.


    "How!?" Laura''s voice burst in to their ears out of nowhere. She was standing in front of Asher grabbing his hand that held the golden egg. "I have been looking for this all morning and you already have it?" She was almost shaking with frustration, or at least Asher thought it was that. He was still not sure if her increased heart rate just made her vibrate naturally.


    Garnet saw the opportunity to make things a little harder on Asher and could not resist to do so. "Well if you really want the luxury cabin you could always challenge Asher to a sparring match. If you manage to get him to admit defeat I am sure he would not have the pride left to hold on to the golden egg."


    Her words were like a match to gasoline, Laura''s eyes burned with fire and she smiled wickedly. "Let''s fight then. I will have you beat before you even know what hit you. Then I get a nice comfy bed and you can use your millions of points to get a regular cabin."


    "Nooo, we don''t have to fight. I have no reason to risk my sleeping arrangements." Asher decided to just play stubborn t make Laura back off. But his trick didn''t seem to work since she had decided to push back even harder.


    "So you''re afraid of being beaten up by a girl? I thought you would be used to it after sparring with Garnet. But maybe you are saying that Garnet isn''t really a lady?" This was a dirty low blow. If Asher didn''t take the challenge now he would anger Garnet and make things much worse for himself overall.


    With his face scrunched up in annoyance Asher bit his lip before speaking next. "I just thought it would be inappropriate to disrespect my current sparring match. Garnet and I were busy before you rudely interrupted us." Asher feigned stretching and looking at Garnet with worry.


    Laura did not expect him to play this card but she refused to let it work on her, she was going to get the golden egg no matter what. "Well it looked like you two were done. It was just soooo obvious she had already kicked your butt." She was trying to intentionally anger him so that he would rush in to the sparring match without thinking.


    Asher was instead already ahead of her. He had started to stretch while they spoke to buy time and prepare himself for a sparring match he knew Garnet would push forward no matter what. "Fine then, let''s walk back to the field and start everything up fair. You will need time to warm up anyways. I should give you that since you are about to lose." Asher sent his own taunt as he slowly started the walk from the trees he and Garnet had traveled in to.


    This was a smart move, Laura had speed and she could easily use the trees to sneak up on Asher without him seeing her. If they were in the open it was probably that Laura would use more straight forward attacks and be easier to predict. Not to mention the fact that Onyx had said she went the easiest and fastest route anyways.


    Asher was using this time to plan out his strategy against someone he knew was devastatingly faster than him. Garnet had hopes that this would happen. She had seen Asher''s results in the elite home gym system and realized that he lacked the general decision making and common sense skills. If she could train those skills up a little more then he would be a much better fighter. She also knew that she might have a better chance to recruit him in to their family''s tournament circuit.

 Chapter 95 - 95. Straight Path

    "We can fight wherever you want since I set the challenge. Here, in the field, I''ll even fight you on the top of the cliff." Laura could care less where she beat Asher and took the golden egg for herself. There were too many thoughts of luxury snacks, a luxury bed, luxury everything in her head.


    "No cliff!" Garnet instantly put the possibility on hold. She knew that Onyx was there watching Jackson try his best to fox the prized cliff tree. If Asher went over there and risked damaging it more Onyx would lose his mind and really snap.


    "Yup, I agree with Garnet. No cliff. To the field, we go." Asher understood the reasoning why Garnet had said no to the cliff and he could not agree more. ''Not getting beaten up by two counselors today.''


    Asher all but blinked and Laura was gone. She had rushed to the sparring field as soon as Asher had told her where he wanted to spar. "You pushed her in to that intentionally didn''t you?" Asher had picked up on what Garnet was doing. It was odd she was so supportive of a sparring match all of the sudden.


    "You know it. How else will I get you to start thinking more of battle strategy? I''m fine if one of our fighters is brain dead, but in battle, you need to at least have some common sense."


    Asher''s eyes narrowed as Garnet said this. ''She just called me stupid. She totlally called me stupid.'' He wanted to call her ut on it but he knew that he would still end up losing the battle if they ended up sparring as a result. No matter what he did he would come out worse off.


    "I still never agreed to join your family as a fighter in any way." Asher made sure to annunciate every word to make a point.


    Garnet just smiled at him, "It would be really good training for being a hero. The best heroes can take down a villain before they even act. You will need a lot of combat experience for that." She knew to play to the hero role now, it was her sneaky strategy moving forward.


    Asher felt himself becoming interested and instantly turned away. He knew that if he let himself fall in to the trap he would never escape the endless martial arts tournaments and never become a hero.


    "You two took so long to get back here! I swear if I find out you were just sitting around to make me anxious I will steal all your food." Laura had felt as if she waited an eternity. In reality, it had only been a few minutes.


    "You''re so impatient. While you waited for us you could be stretching and preparing for the match. Instead, you just sat around waiting." Garnet went right in to trainer mode and reprimanded Laura for her lack of preparation. This was something Onyx had touched upon before he had lost the cliff tree.


    "You shouldn''t worry, this match will be over in a second anyways." Laura was acting a little harsher since she was being underestimated. However, Garnet knew that the one being underestimate was Asher. His rag doll style could take a hit and turn it on an opponent easily. If Laura rushed him she would end up on the receiving end.


    "Get in to position, I know you have been stretching while we walked back Asger." Garnet gave him a look to make sure that he would not try and hold the match off any longer. She was getting bored of the slow movement toward actual sparring.


    "Finally!" Laura''s voice was full of relief as she crouched in to a sprinter''s position. She was practically screaming at Asher that she would be coming head on in the first sign of Garnet saying go.


    ''I need to make sure when she comes at me I am already in motion for a counter attack. If she just runs in to my punch it is less work for me/'' Asher knew he was beaten in speed, so he chose the lazy way. When he heard Garnet say go he would just throw a fust out and hope everything worked out the way he wanted. If not then so be it, he would just be stuck waiting t find the egg the next day.


    Asher fell in to his usual stance and waited to hear Garnet start ti say the G in go. That was when he would act. Watching Laura bunce in her crouch was strange, it was the most still she had been since Asher met her. It was almost unnatural.


    Garnet looked on in anticipation, she wasn''t sure if Laura had any combat training or ability. She was always excited to see a new style of fighting to use to supplement her own. Being the counselor in charge of the sparring fields was one way she had learned a myriad of movies and counters. Most of her many wins could be attributed to those she trained or those that she saw training.


    Garnet raised her hand and looked at Laura. Laira gave a quick nod. She then looked at Asher who gave a slow nod, he had not taken his eyes from Laura in the slightest. "Go!"


    Before she had said the full two letter word Laura had already disappeared from her spot. Asher was raising his fist and driving it forward. Garnet could barely make out the way the two were moving.


    Laura had a strained face on as she tried to twist her body away from Asger''s raised fist. She had sped toward him faster than she could adept making her path lead directly to his attack. The only problem was that there was too much force. Asher would definitely be hurt and Laura was going to take some serious damage.


    The two had the instinctual cringe, making them both twist away. Asher''s fist barely made contact with Laura''s shoulder. The two were both thrown to the ground since the force was enough to affect their entire bodies. Asher was able to roll through the fall but Laura hit the ground with a heavy thud since she lacked the training to roll when falling.

 Chapter 96 - 96. Mind And Body

    Asher rolled to his feet as he felt the bruising starting on his knuckles. They had only scraped Laura''s shoulder but it was more than enough to cause him damage. ''What f I have hit her dead on?'' Asher could only imagine the breaking of his bones and shivered.


    Laura groaned as she made herself stand up. She was holding her shoulder and looking a little grass stained from sliding after her fall. "Round two." Her breath was slightly ragged after falling and having the air forced from her, but this was not the end all be all of how tough she was.


    She had made a lot of mistakes the first few weeks of getting her powers. After she had been given the right medications and gotten her weight back at the doctor''s Laura was left to figure out her power. She had no bearing for how to move, she couldn''t hold anything back nor could he mind keep up with the way her body moved.


    Doors, dressers, even cords became huge obstacles since she would not be able to make her body stop fast enough to get it to avoid these things in her path. This was much worse when other people were added in to the mix, she could guess where they would go but if she was wrong she would more or less tackle them. Just walking through the halls of the school is a dangerous activity for her.


    Asher was already starting his next attack since he could see that Laura was about to spring forward again. He had his body turning and his leg kicking out so that he could try and avoid injury and trip her. Laura bounded forward and aimed to flat out tackle Asher this time.


    Garnet had started to realize that Laura had no means of properly attacking. There was no combat knowledge and only speed. This meant that Laura wouldn''t be able to properly defend against Asher''s attacks even if she knew how.


    Laura came in to contact with Asher''s low kick and was not able to make her body step over it in time. "Ahgg!" Asher felt the force of a truck hitting his leg and was knocked on the ground again. He tried to roll out of it but the strange angle put him on his back.


    Laura was much worse off and was sent tumbling for a few feet. She had not done anything to slow the force and was now covered in new bruises and some scratches. She cursed herself for being unable to keep up with the way her body moved and made the decision to force hearseslf to move slower.


    Asher was already standing and waiting for the next burst of speed to come at him. However, he saw that Laura was getting up and taking very slow steps towards him. ''What is she playing at? Will she jump at me super fast out of nowhere?'' His thoughts raced as he tried to figure out what Laura was trying to do.


    When Laura got in closer to Asher he used a basic jab which she was able to easily dodge. The fact that she was still not using the blinding speed from before was not lost of him. The fight had become a little easier to map out for Garnet who could see that Laura had learned a very minimal self defense technique which was often taught in elementary school children.


    Asher was on edge because he believed that if he sent out a big attack then Laura would use a burst of speed to attack. Instead, he stuck to his own small jabs and avoided the larger kicks. After about the fourth he ducked in and used his elbow to push forward.


    He felt the contact on Laura''s chest and turned slightly more red, but he followed through none the less. Laura was pushed off her feet and landed on her back again. Asher had no experience in holds or body locks and just did his best to use a knew to pin her down. His hands held hers so she couldn''t fight back and his eyes rested on Garnet who would be calling the match.


    "Asher wins. I''m pretty surprised that you''re so forward with woman." Asher looked at his position and rushed to get up from the pinning of Laura. He had a bright red face but realized that Laura was in a worse shape. Her hands were shaking as she dug in to her pockets and stuffed one of the nutrient pills in her mouth. Once a few minutes passed by she finally sat up and looked at Garnet and Asher.


    "Sorry about that, I moved too fast and burned up a lot of energy." She had not eaten since breakfast which was a huge problem for her. She needed eight meals a day to stay ahead of her metabolism.


    "From now on you have free access to the cafeteria, I refuse to be the reason you can not train properly." Garnet had overlooked this being an issue and decided that she should remedy the mistake before anything gets worse.


    "So that is why you slowed down. I thought that you were slow at frits then going to get in close and use a super fast move to beat me." Laura was kicking herself as she heard Asher''s thoughts. If she had done that she would have won faster, she knew it.


    "There are plenty of other things you could have done. Let''s go and sit down to review the match. Also, you need to get some ointment on those scratches, I can''t believe you haven''t practiced enough to avoid this kind of damage." Garnet was already formulating a training plan.


    "I have only been able to figure out my super power for a few weeks. If I had more time I could be farther along. It''s just really hard to keep up with the way my body moves." Hearing this Garnet was able to properly understand what Laura''s main problem was. Mental processing. She would now be centering the training plan for Laura around mental exercises instead of physical.

 Chapter 97 - 97. Experimental Scientist

    The three headed in to the camp again and Garnet guided them to the back room of the dining hall. It was set up like a small nurs office. "This is the old nurse''s office from before we expanded. You two and Jackson will be the only ones allowed to come here when the other campers get here. It''s another benefit of coming early."


    Asher thought this was a nice surprise. He wouldn''t need to worry about getting to the larger nurses'' cabin if he was injured when sparring. There was a sure chance that the students would all get over excited when they first got to camp and a lot of small injuries would occur.


    "Grab some ice from the freezer for your knuckles. You should know that I saw you hut them." Garnet said this like a doting mother. It was a strange change in her personality that the two did not expect from her.


    Asher opened the freezer in the corner of the room to find a stack of medicinal ice packs. They were specially made to cool and distribute a special healing balm while it defrosted. The last time he had seen these was when they had been marketed during their release. Since then they had fallen out of popularity on the average home and risen to be a generic school and hospital staple.


    "I haven''t seen these in forever, I remember when they used to be blue and green or had cartoon characters on them." Asher and laura were enamored by the childhood memories. Asher hadn''t even realized that he had these memories until now, but they came so naturally that he had started to think that maybe, just maybe the memories from his other world were nightmares.


    "My son hated those. He said he didn''t want to sell out to the mass market, but in the end, he wanted the money to fund his next medical invention, so he put the cartoon characters on it" Asher and Laura were shocked.


    "You have a son?!" the two shouted in unison not fully believing they had just heard right.


    "Well, what did you think of me? Just a lonely martial artist running a family camp? I may not be married but I did adopt a son. His name is Samuel and he is an experimental doctor. He was lucky enough to get a super power that enhanced his brain processing speed. He used it to develop medical technology. I am very proud." Garnet was gushing over her son''s accomplishments.


    "I didn''t think you would have a child, or well, adopt one. I just thought that you were more the leader of the pack loner type." Asher was a little quiet and afraid that he might anger her by saying this.


    "I was...I used to be." Garnet looked off and grabbed some of the healing ointment to toss to Laura who was washing out a few scratches on her elbow. "But when you get in to a multiple car crash and your family is experienced in rescue and has the strength you help. We managed to drag almost everyone out of the wreck, but it was still on fire, and we were the only ones there. Samuels parents didn''t make it, but I was able to grab his car seat before his car was completely burned."


    Asher had a feeling that he was on the downward slope of a roller coaster. This was a lot to take in and it made his stomach to do a flip. "So you took him in and raised him. Remind me again why you aren''t a hero?" Laura was also thinking this. In her view, Garnet was describing the exact things a hero would have done in the situation.


    "It''s not my path to take. But yes, I raised Samuel. They tried to take him to an orphanage. Yet every time he left my arms he would cry himself silly. It was hysterical watching those medics freak out over the baby that wouldn''t stop crying." Garnet was suddenly much more human than Ashjer had been seeing her. He had made her in to this intense monster of training and harshness. But really she was just another person like him.


    "I''m sorry. I think I misjudged you." Asher looked guilty, and so did Laura who was stopped in her actions.


    "Why? You didn''t do anything against me. Onyx on the other hand¡­" She smiled knowing that Onyx would definitely make Asher''s training harder as the week went on. Just like that Asher was back to seeing Garnet as a harsh martial artist ready to pummel him.


    He tried to shift his gaze away and found that Laura was putting on some bandages to the worse scrapes in an odd way. "Laura, do you not know how to use a band aid?"


    "Pssh, of course I do. I just stick it on the cut like this." She slapped the band aid on her scrape completely missing the the largest portion.


    "And I''m adding the first aid course to your required training while you are here." Garnet held her head in her hands for a moment in disbelief. "I swear school doesn''t teach you anything anymore. When I went I had an entire course on first aid."


    "That course is next semester. We are only sophomores so they usually wait until we have had a chance to understand our super powers in case we need to take a special first aid course." Asher had remembered Cara taking her first aid course when she was a sophomore so he knew that it was just too early as of yet.


    "Well, you three will be having a crash course while here. If you have yet to catch on as part of coming early you will also receive a day to day training schedule. This is why so few students are accepted as early enrollment to camp. You are all considered promising students and the school will ensure that you receive the best education. My family''s camp is part of that." Garnet looked at the two as she explained these things, Asher could only wonder why Cara failed to mention this perk.

 Chapter 98 - 98. Analysis

    "I have been wondering something," Asher spoke up with his sister in mind. "My sister came here early when she was a sophomore too. Her name was Cara. Is there any reason she didn''t mention all this to me?"


    Garnet''s face became very serious and she gave Asher a once over. "You''re sister was the reason every single counselor needed to wear earplugs every single day. I had to teach everyone sign language in a rush."


    ''Oh great, bringing up Cara may have been the last straw. Training is going to suck now.'' Asher just sat there mortified. He was not ready for everything to become tougher.


    "She had high marks and sounds like she followed the rules. We prefer people to keep the benefits secret so that when people are chosen to come to the camp early it is based off of the natural school effort and not something people compete for. If people competed for a tailored training plan and the benefits that came with it we would have a lot of promising talent kicked to the curb before they even had a chance."


    Laura and Asher both knew this was true. They had been selected and offered this by the principal. If it was a competition to be accepted for added bonuses like this there would be many students who wanted a head start at their career bullying the other students to keep them from showing off. Having a tailor made training program was usually an expensive investment for those who wished to join law enforcement or become a hero.


    "So the less we tell people about it the better. I can keep it a secret. My friends aren''t really in to the whole training thing so I am the only one that came to this camp. Same with Jackson since his gardening club went to the other camps because of their herbology lessons. Jackson just came here because he said it could help him get used to his bogger body." Laura was still struggling with a few band aids but Asher had managed to more or less take over and patch her up better.


    "Well enough slacking, let''s go over why you lost Laura." Laura froze up knowing that everything about to be said would hurt to hear. "You''re too slow. Mentally that is. Your metabolism and body have gotten faster, but your processing speed is still a normal persons. You have yet to adjust your thinking to the super power speed you have."


    Laura already knew this but she had no idea what to do with it. "You also lack muscle memory and basic combat knowledge. How will you handle yourself when the other students get here? you might not be able to get points at all if you spend all your time in this office." Garnet was being much more harsh, however, her face softened slightly as she moved on t the solutions she had.


    "You can take a lot of the common courses to expand your knowledge, especially on first aid since you seem to be prone to injuries as you adapt. Second, we have some reflex training you can do. One of my sisters developed a good training program so I will have you join one of her classes."


    "Asher, you thought right when you decided to attack early in the hopes of Laura just rushing forward. But you did not factor in the damage you would take nor did you see when her attitude change when she slowed down. She obviously slowed down due to control issues, if you had learned how to properly read body language you could have expected this. Instead, you seemed to have only learned how to predict movement and not feelings from body language."


    Garnet had hit the nail on the head. Asher had really only focused on learning the way someone would move and he had not watched and trained in the methods to judge emotion from body language. "Another thing you need to work on is your repertoire of moves. You have no throws that could have been used to completely avoid any damage from a charging opponent. And that pin move you made up may work when you are being forward with your girl friend but it won''t do you any good against a real villain."


    Asher and Laura both turned red based on Garnet''s final bit of evaluation and teasing. Garnet was enjoying the small bit of teasing since she knew that it would make the two of them more apt to train to get over the embarrassment. "I actually want you to teach me throws. You used one against me earlier and I really need to learn them. My friend jane already knows one and I can''t let her get ahead of me."


    Asher had been caught on this for a while. Knowing that his friends might be learning these things while he was at camp early was making him anxious. If he could learn some throws and body locks then he would have two more avenues available for him to train in.


    "Then tonight I will have one of the throwing dummies left in the luxury cabin for you. Just use the elite home gym system to do a walk through of body locks and throws. I will have the weight of the dummy adjusted to ten pounds heavier than your weight."


    "Elite home gym system?" Laura was lost at this moment.


    "Oh yeah, the luxury cabin you wanted to win so bad is really just luxury in the sense that it has the high technology training equipment and programs. It tried to kill me last night." Asher was almost sweating thinking about the intense work out.


    "I wouldn''t kill you. If you are about to die it automatically calls for the ambulance to come to pick you up." Garnet just shook her head at the overdramatic Asher.


    "Wait, so I just got all bruised and scratched up so I could go to a hermits work out room?" Laura looked a lot angrier hearing this.


    "The bed was really soft though, it was the best bed ever." This made Laura lose a little steam, but she was still unhappy to hear it wasn''t a form of a spa.

 Chapter 99 - 99. Coincidences

    "Fine go off and have fun with your lame home gym thing. I will be getting better at first aid, and tracking, and sneaking, and¡­" Laura trailed off as she stuck one last poorly placed band aid on her arm and ran out the room. She was annoyed that she wasn''t the winner in their sparring match but more so that the luxury cabin wasn''t what she had hoped it would be.


    "I wonder if she remembered that she would need to pay points to do all of that no1?" Asher''s out loud thinking made Garnet burst in to laughter. Even she had started to overlook this fact since she couldn''t help but find more and more things the three would need to give crash courses in.


    "I think I will try to get to that course in first aid today. I learned some stuff from daily life, but I don''t know how to make splints or give CPR. I feel like those will be really important one day." Asher had a lot of experience in bandaging his own wounds but almost none in real injuries.


    "I thought you would be rushing to learn some of the throws and body locks. I guess you have a few brain cells bouncing around that head of yours. Come on and follow me. I will text Lapis to meet us in the general nurse''s cabin." Garnet said these insulting words without so much as a drop of sweetness.


    ''You could at least make it sound like you don''t want to be mean.'' Asher just went along with it while slightly cursing our Garnet in his head. He would return the attitude one day when he had a better combat experience than her.


    Garnet typed away on her phone making sure that Onyx would send Jackson as well. She had a feeling that he also needed to learn how to give proper first aid. By the time Asher and Garnet had reached the general nurse''s cabin, Jackson had just finished a jog there. "Onyx said if I didn''t run as fast as I could here then I would have to climb the cliff a hundred times."


    Garnet just smiled a little devilishly while Asher shook his head. ''Poor Jackson, he must have been tortured the entire morning.''


    "You''re joining the first aid class with Asher. He has some basics but needs a few more emergency teachings. Do you know anything about first aid?'' Garnet saw a look of realization come over Jackson''s face as she spoke.


    "Actually my mother is a surgeon, I know a lot about first aid. The only thing I lack is emergency treatments to stabilize someone injured." Jackson had not mentioned anything about his parents yet so everyone was pleasantly surprised. If Jackson was a character in a fantasy novel he would definitely play the role of an herbalist.


    "That''s pretty cool. My dad is a lawyer so sadly I don''t have many skills that he can teach me when it comes to these things¡­" Asher felt a little less lucky but still would not trade his family for anything.


    "What do you mean cool? My mom always wants me to go and become a surgeon too. When I got my super power she was excited to see that I would be able to deal with search and rescue trauma. I have to agree with her a little but I still think surgery and stuff is gross."


    Asher and the others had remembered that Jackson liked plants and peacefulness. If he ran around the chaos of a disaster scene trying to save people instead of caring for the plants his heart yearned for it would be pretty abnormal. He was pretty much a peaceful giant.


    "But I do have a good ability to do it and if I can help people I might as well go for it. But I will still prioritize search and resue. I will be in nature, so I will be happy. I will deal with possible injuries for hikers and lost individuals which will make my mother happy. Plus my father is a stay at home dad, so as long as I am getting out in the world he is a happy camper."


    "You know, that is kinda the opposite of my family, my mom is a stay at home mom and my dad is out working as a lawyer. Kinda funny." Asher and Jackson were bonding over their coincidental family situations when Laura popped up in front of them.


    "Awe are you two having a moment?" She was snacking on a bag of spicy chips looking at the two while trying to contain a laugh.


    "Yeah, we were bonding over how we both will kick your butt in a sparring match tomorrow." Asher needed to retort since he felt he had just been made fun of.


    "Wait, no. I don''t want to spar with anyone tomorrow. I want to finish the cliff tree and then learn about animal migration patterns." Jackson just looked at the two helplessly.


    "Oh, you both will beat me? Then bring it on. I will be even faster tomorrow. And after this class, I will be able to fix myself up without you babying me." Laura gave a glare to Asher since she had needed his help with bandaging herself up.


    "How did you manage to get the points so fast to come and take this class? Asher has too many, and Jackson is smart to hold off and take the free things. That leaves you out." Garbet had her interest piqued since she had not heard of Laura completing anything for points.


    "I met your sister Diamond, she said to call her Dia. I ran the obstacle course like five times and they just kept giving me points. The obstacles were really slow. They didn''t even activate when I passed over them. The only hard part were the tripwires but after the first try, I just ran faster and jumped over them.


    Garnet checked her phone and saw that she had received a text message from her sister saying exactly that. "Well, then I guess you are fine for today. I will set aside a cabin key for you too." Garnet just rolled with it. These campers were abnormal after all.

 Chapter 100 - 100. Self-Sufficient

    "You''re here! Are you the one that found the golden egg?" A girl wearing worn out blue jeans and a matching jean jacket came up behind the four. "Hmmm, hhhhmmmmmmmmm...Yeah OK, I will let you off for now."


    "You three, this is my youngest sister Lapis. She is energetic to say the least." Garnet sounded like she could barely handle being around her youngest sister.


    "Yuuuup that''s me. So you three want to learn first aid right? Basic? Situational? Emergency? Or the crash course on all three?" Lapis listed off the different courses she offered for the campers to learn. She had to change level based on the campers taking the class because she had some who wanted to specialize in different fields who would need more advanced knowledge.


    "You can cover them with the crash course in all three. Try to focus on emergencie situations." Garnet said this then turned around to leave them to their course. She had things to prepare for when the rest of the campers would get there in a day. If the camp was not ready she would spend her week ten times more stressed out than she normally would be.


    "Alrighty then. Crash course with a focus on emergency treatment. I will give you all some helpful pamphlets about triage and other things later. But first, you need to go out and catch a chicken."


    The three of them just gave Lapis blank stares. "Did you say to catch...a chicken?" Jackson was careful with his words wondering if he may have heard wrong.


    "You got it! We have free range chickens all over the camp. Just go catch one so I can have it for my dinner tonight and In will teach you to suture stitches." None of them saw how this connected to anything medical wise.


    "You don''t mean¡­" Jackson had connected the dots.


    "I''m going to deal with the chicken and prep it for dinner. But after I have set it up and humanly slaughtered it the body is perfect for learning to suture." Asher and Laura were looking at her horrified.


    "Are yous seriously going to hurt a chicken just to teach us?'' Laura had a tear in her eye already. She didn''t plan on harming any animals at all.


    "No, I plan to slaughter one of the chickens my family raises for the camp''s food source and kill two birds with one stone. I can teach you all suturing then move on to other skills and I can have my meal ready. If you want to back out then I will go do it all by myself, but I really want a nap sooo you can do it for me." Lapis just smiled cutely while she said these things.


    "Self sufficient. The camp is self sufficient. That''s why you all know how to gather, and hunt, and climb, and track. This camp doesn''t have any goods shipped in does it?" Jackson now realized he had yet to see a brand name food good or really anything other than some paper goods or building materials.


    "Exactly, you''re the smart one aren''t you?" Lapis had an even broader grin hearing that one of them understood the way the family lived. "My family even cut the trees to build the cabins. My parents have lived out here since they fell in love in highschool. It''s so romantic." Lapis was swooning over it. Her high energy and overly romantic tendency was a weird mix. "No go on and get it or else you will lose points for nothing."


    Lapis went inside the cabin leaving the three hanging. They were totally thrown off by the direction that their first aid class had taken. "I think this is their version of dissecting frogs from biology class." Jackson was still on point with his puzzle solving ability.


    "but...I don''t want to bring a chicken to its death. I need to protect them!" Laura found her inner animal lover coming out and taking over. She always loved cute animals and to her baby chicks were adorable. In her mind, she could only think that the chickens would produce more baby chicks and without the chickens they wouldn''t. There was no deeper thinking, just the pursuit of cuteness.


    "They were literally raised for this, you need to get a grip. Didn''t you eat the food this morning? Where do you think it comes from, magic?" Asher was a lot more logical in this after processing it. Usually, the food would be dealt with and cleaned up before it gets to the grocery store. This was just him having to do the dirty work.


    "It sounds like it will be worse than it really is. If you don''t want to do it then don''t. I am not happy with it either but Asher has a point." Jackson was coming around more and more to the idea. This was something that he would need to face more if he was going in to search and rescue operations. He could see the worst in a human''s poor situation. If he froze up someone could die, he should prepare himself early.


    Laura saw the determined looks on Asher and Jackson''s faces. she was not ready to run off and do these kinds of things and had never planned on it. However, the experience of being hurt while sparring really hit her pride hard. She felt that she was much too weak and unreliable unless she learned to really take care of herself. Since she received her super powers she had been learning lessons every day on how to care for herself. It was up to her and not her parents anymore.


    "Fine, but if it gets gross you two are in charge of dealing with it. And if I think it is going to be mean for the chickens then I will rescue them." Laura was saying silent prayers to apologize for the chicken and its family.


    The two boys just looked at each other. "She is definitely going to cry."


    For sure, she will definitely cry." Asher and Jackson accepted this knowing that they would be in the role of counseling Laura when the worst happened. Lapis was sure to just brush it off, her happy energetic personality would just breeze over other things, they were sure of it.

 Chapter 101 - 101. Track That Chicken

    "Come here chick chick chicken." Laura was wandering around the camp calling out in hopes that this would attract the free range chickens. However. She had a secret hope that they would instead stay far away after hearing her.


    Asher and Jackson had a feeling that Laura might try and scare the chickens off so they moved in their own team. The two boys were not happy to be hunting a chicken but knew that it would eventually end up on a dinner plate anyways, so they headed out.


    "You seem to be an expert in this kind of thing, where should we look?" Asher had a feeling that Jackson might know where a free range chicken might prefer to make a nest.


    "Hmm, I just read it earlier but it was the free range chickens that escaped and became pests down south. Should work similarly though." Jackson was sifting through everything he had read recently and had heard on the television shows he had watched about animals.


    "So we should look for some scratched up ground. That means the chickens have been looking for small bugs to eat. If we can find that kind of place we can follow tracks to a nest." Jackson''s plan was easy to follow and the pair split up to check their surrounding area.


    ''Now if I was a chicken where would I go to find insect snacks.'' Asher imagined that he was a chicken roaming around the camp. He avoided the busy areas where campers would most likely hang out when they came to camp. To him, it just made sense that the chickens wouldn''t like the annoying noises of chatter.


    Likewise, Jackson had the same thought, instead of looking at the front areas of buildings he was searching the back storage areas. Behind the buildings, there were almost no signs of foot traffic and plenty of weeds growing. It was an ideal place for little bugs to hide away.


    Jackson suddenly started swatting in front of his face and he had just stepped forward. "Gah, bleh. Spider webs." He explained this as he jumped back trying t get the feeling to leave him. He wiped his face but was not paying attention to where he stepped., His butt had no sooner hit the ground that he heard the fearful squawk of a chicken.


    His head turned and he saw the white tail feathers of a pudgy chicken running away from him. "Asher! I found one!" Jackson scrambled to his feet and started to sprint after the chicken.


    Asher heard the shout and he started to run toward Jackson''s voice. The second he rounded the corner of a cabin he saw that Jackson was running with all his might after a fleeing white chicken. He instantly started to run as well wanting to cut off the escape path.


    The two were soon side by side huffing and puffing while watching the chicken dash away, The soft squawks as it escaped sounded triumphant. " I think...gahhh¡­.that it can run¡­.forever." Jackson was out of breath looking at the way the chicken went with awe.


    "I thought they were slow and easy to catch." Asher realized he had not known a single thing when it came to chickens at all, his lack of animal study was plain as day here.


    After catching their breath the two looked down at the ground and realized there were very clear tracks on the ground. "That must be one heavy chicken to leave tracks like this." Jackson was amazed that they were so clear and easy to see.


    "I guess we are working on tracking today." Asher just shrugged and started to follow the tracks. The two were having no problem until they came to a sandy clearing. They looked down to find that the tracks were running in circles. They criss crossed over and over making it incredibly hard for them to follow. "What is this? The hard mode of chicken tracking?"


    "Ooo I bet that will be a video game one day." Jackson thought this would be perfect for a phone game. He stored it away in his mind for a future endeavor. He had a friend in the gardening club that really wanted to make games one day.


    "Just give me some credit when it becomes famous." Asher laughed a little while walking circles to follow the chicken tracks. The two were shoulder to shoulder as they followed the tracks toward a very large tree. They could not see any tracks that lead anywhere else.


    Asher held up a finger to his lips and started to walk in the same way that Onyx had. He was more or less silent needing a lot of practice to reach perfection. But this was more than enough for him to sneak up on one side of the tree while Jackson tried to sneak up on the other side.


    Asher jumped to try and scare the chicken in to a frozen state. However, there was a pile of dirt kicked up by the chicken right behind its talons. The chicken gave out a loud squawk and kicked up the dirt in to Asher''s face. This puff of dust made Jackson rush up and become the second victim of the evil chicken.


    "My eyes!!! Myyyy eeeeyyyeeesssss!!!" The two were desperately trying to clean their faces while nearly crying. The dust was blinding them and their eyes were watering constantly to get rid of the dirt. With their blurry vision, they managed to make it to the camp restrooms and use a sink to free their eyes from the dust.


    "That chicken is the child of evil," Asher said this while full of hatred.


    "Yes evil, but how in the world is a chicken smart enough to set a trap? I thought it was just stupid and ran away and we could follow it. But it deliberately lead us to a trap." Jackson was wiping his face and rambling about the slew of impossibilities here.


    "I don''t care how, I just care about catching it and getting revenge. The evil chicken must fall." There was a fire burning in Asher''s eyes.

 Chapter 102 - 102. Teamwork

    "This time you can jump to catch it first. You''re stronger anyways so you can make sure it''s trapped." Asher was not going to let the evil chicken escape.


    "No chicken is this smart. Also, have you seen any other chickens?" Jackson held a hand over his face. "You don''t think this evil one killed them to take the camp for itself?"


    The two boys had officially lost it and were allowing their imaginations to run wild. "Laura!!!!" Asher yelled out to hopefully get the girl''s attention.


    "Why so loud? I was on to a feeling that the chickens were near the cliff." Laura was sure that her guy was telling her that was where a chicken would roost.


    "We have the trail of an evil chicken. We need your help to trap it." Asher was dead serious making Laura very confused.


    "Ooohhhkkkk and why are you two covered in dirt again?"


    "That''s not important. We will track it and you can cover its escape since you are so fast." Jackson was only afraid they would have to sprint after the insanely fast chicken.


    Laura just nodded her head becoming even more confused the longer this went on. ''It''s just a chicken? Have these two lost it?'' She just followed the two boys outside to a trail of chicken tracks.


    "Let''s get this done." Asher felt the fire within him burn brighter as he stalked the chicken tracks.


    I''m no time they had circled every single cabin in the main camp area and were heading toward the obstacle course. "This thing is still running. How can it have so much energy?" Jackson was amazed, he had never heard of a chicken or a prey animal, in general, having so much stamina.


    "Shh, I hear it." Asher looked around and spotted a white streak in the green tall grass. He pointed at it while Jackson and Laura split up to opposite sides.


    The three used a multi sided approach to near the chicken as quietly as possible. Their target did not look to notice them at all yet. The three have each other a nod and all jumped at once. Their target was nearly in their reach when it made a loud squawk. Its wings opened and it flapped a few times jumping over Jackson and sitting on top of his back.


    "Ugh, so heavy. What are you eating? Rocks?" The chicken moved and started to run at full speed away again. However this time they had Laura.


    She had already recovered from their dive and was moving to block the chicken. Naturally the chicken didn''t expect this from the last attempt and was forced to backtrack.


    Asher was already back on his feet and whipped out his hand to grab the chicken. He narrowly missed its tail feathers but the chicken fell in to disarray. There was no organization to its fleeting and it ran in circles.


    It lucked up dust making Laura cough and have a tough time seeing. Jackson was still down for the count after the chicken landed on him so all that was left was Asher.


    He touched out the dust in his eyes and mouth and chased after the chaotic chicken. He moved in randomly with it not allowing even a single inch. He pursued it relentlessly eventually coming back to the center of the camp.


    He was about to try and pounce on the chicken when it suddenly fell over and stopped moving. Asher saw his chance and pounced in the fallen chicken.


    A loud metal thud echoed through the camp as his head came in to contact with the chicken. ''Did I jump at a rock instead?'' Asher was stunned and tried to roll over finding that the chicken he was latched on to was not budging at all.


    Pushing aside his throbbing head where he hit it on the chicken, Asher ruffled the feathers. "This thing is solid!" He explained this just in time for Jackson and Laura to catch up to him.


    "Well yeah, it jumped on my back. There is no way that chicken is normal." Jackson had a little sarcasm after being tormented by this evil chicken.


    "No, I mean it is really solid, like solid metal." Asher dug through the feathers finding a tag underneath the chicken. "Chicken run robot version three." He just sat there lost after finding this.


    "We didn''t seriously just chase a robot chicken around for like three hours...did we?" Jackson''s voice was nearly a whisper, his mind was in a fog.


    Laura tried to lift the chicken out of disbelief. She had a fear that Asher was just messing with her, however, as she used her full strength the chicken barely budged.


    "Well, I at least thought you three would be able to trap it. But you were lucky enough that the battery ran out of juice." Lapis came up behind the confused and stunned campers looking at the chicken. She was holding a fancy and high tech remote.


    "You! You were controlling the evil chicken! Why!?" Asher yelled out more in frustration than anything.


    "Well, we wouldn''t have our chickens free range. We are in the forest, do you know how many things could eat them? They would be eaten in one night let alone years." Lapis just shook her head doubting the camper''s intelligence.


    "But why? Why the robot and the chasing and and...." Jackson had completely fallen apart. This was the craziest weird thing that had happened yet.


    "Why do you think? I swear I have had campers figure this out way faster." Lapis paused while she looked at the three disapprovingly. "First, you got to do some training, mental and physical. Second, you can now come in and evaluate any minor injuries your fellow campers have. Third, it is a lot of fun for me."


    Her last reason made the three want to jump at her. However, they had a feeling that if they tried to enter a sparring match with her that she would manage to pull out another trick. They were grudgingly starting to follow her in to the cabin after she opened a hidden solar panel on the chicken. Asher looked back at it while he headed in to the cabin, ''you''re still evil. I will remember.''

 Chapter 103 - 103. Crash Course

    With the running around done the three were able to grasp the fact that by running through the weeds and bush they had become rather scratched up. The dust that the chicken had kicked up had covered them making the two boys seem like they had been out working all day. Laura was better off but her own running around had caused her to pick up more scratches than she had before, she was still lacking in her evasive maneuvers while moving at high speeds.


    "Now first things first. Tell me how to treat her scraped knee." Lapis pointed right at Asher and expected a quick answer.


    "Umm, wash it with clean water and use antibiotic ointment and a band aid?" He said this in a questioning tone not wanting to be wrong when suddenly being put on the spot.


    "Oh brilliant, and what about the bacteria and dirt you just rubbed all over the bandage by not washing your hands?" She reprimanded Asher without even batting an eye.


    "Tell me what you would do about the bruise forming on his back. You don''t have ice because you''re in the middle of the forest." Lapis pointed at Laura this time.


    "I could move him to the shade so it is cooler and let him rest there without moving too much." She sounded more sure of herself in her answer than Asher had.


    "Nope, you are in a forest, it is shady and you should find a way to reduce swelling. Staying still is good, but going to a stream or river and soaking a cloth in cool water is better than just shade." Lapis had the better answer but was not completely denying the answer that Laura had given.


    "Tell me what you would do if he was stuck in a rockslide and the scratches he had on his arm would not stop bleeding." Her finger pointed at Jackson who was just as flustered as Asher had been even though he had seen the other two get asked. He had tried to guess what question would be asked of him but he was not expecting the added situation.


    "Well, I need to bandage the wound after cleaning it. Then I need to make sure he is safe to be moved. But if he is stuck and the situation is dangerous I should try to make sure he is conscious and talking." His answer had a few good points.


    "Yes, you should make sure he is talking and conscious. That could distract from pain and panic, but you should have made a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. Then you can move to clean and bandage the wound. It would need to be a quick field dressing using the clothing you or him is wearing. Better you since the patient could easily get could due to blood loss." Lapis listed off steps that none of the three had anticipated. They were all out of their league when it came to this kind of first aid.


    With the three stuck in their silent state waiting to figure out what to do they just started at Lapis. "Well pick a bed over there. We are going to go over each injury separately. They may be small but in certain situations, the smallest scratch or bruise can be the most fatal injury to someone in a disaster." Her words made sense.


    The class went on with plenty of demonstrations. Lapis made examples of different bacterial infections and how to treat them. This would be important for the search and rescue aspect of first aid. Jackson was listening intently as Asher was used as the first patient. His scratches were easily bandaged but Lapis went further pretending he had burns from a forest fire and showing a treatment. Then she showed a splinting technique. Then she showed a concussion test, and on and on until Asher looked like he had just fallen off a cliff and been treated for every possible injury.


    Asher was left to start to undo some of the unnecessary bandages and treatments he had been given. Lapis had already claimed Jackson as the next victim and started to show them how to treat basic injuries revolving around neck and spinal injuries. Jackson was much worse off since he was made to lay on the board made of forest materials to stabilize him. Lapis had gathered these sticks and branches to teach this lesson but it was still odd to see a large person like Jackson tethered down in a still position.


    "Now let''s go over what to do with someone who is on the verge of exhaustion from lack of water and food."Lapis gave a look to Laura making her shudder. It was her turn to be used as an example of how to treat someone. The two boys could just look at her knowing that she would most likely end up as a form of a medically wrapped mummy as well.


    Asher struggled to release Jackson from the tight wrapping but after trying for some time was able to fully free him. The problem was that When Jackson finally was able to move he had already had his legs fall asleep. He was walking like they were jelly before the pins and needles feeling over took him.


    "Perfect, we can also go over what the numbness might mean." Lapis looked like she had just been given the perfect target and flew in to a lecture on how t trace numbness to the source of injury without causing harm to a patient. By the time Jackson had proper feeling in his legs again, he was already bundled back up like a mummy.


    "To finish up the course I will give you three medical journals with the basics to field medicine and first aid. They were created by myself and my parents so that we could pass on the knowledge to many others." Lapis handed out copies of the journals happier than anything. She felt that she had just given them one of the best lectures she had ever put together. This day was a very productive one in her mind.

 Chapter 104 - 104. To The Obstacle Course

    "Oh, and the books I gave you are also water proof and fairly fire proof. They were made for survival in and so if you take them with you they should be a valuable tool to own." Lapis left them in the nurse''s cabin on that note. She whistled as she started to fiddle with the remote to the robot chicken. The three now feared leaving the cabin due to the possible terror it could wreak on them.


    "Do you want some help there?" Asher was looking at the two who had been wrapped head to toe in bandages.


    "Well yeah, I can''t even reach my chips on the table over there. I am starving." Laura was nearly drooling looking at the chips that she had left on the table when she first walked in. Asher and Jackson had forced themselves to stop wondering where all the food came from. They just understood that she needed to eat more often than other people.


    Feeling a little bad for leaving Jackson to figure out his own situation, Asher started to unwrap the bandages holding Laura''s arms in place.


    "I don''t think everything she showed us is medical. I feel like she just wanted to wrap us up like a spider does with its prey." Laura was more angry because she was hungry than because of the crash course on first aid. However. Asher and Jackson couldn''t really say she was wrong. They were both lost as to why she needed to stabilize them so much that they couldn''t even move a finger.


    Asger grabbed some of the scissors for cutting medical tape nearby and started to rip away the rest of the bandages on Laura. He left the smaller ones that were covering the scratches she had gained from the things she ran in to while running.


    " I think you really need to get some more practice in while running. I feel like every time you run off you have another scratch." Asher was more stating a fact than any form of insult. But instead of worry Laura took it as a challenge.


    "Yo don''t think I can use my super power well enough? Then ow about we spar tomorrow morning too. We should be able to do so before the other campers get here." She had ice in her voice which made Asher toss aside any idea of refusing.


    "Weren''t we already planning to do that?" Asher remembered Garnet had said there would be sparing in the morning but was a little foggy in the details.


    "Whatever you two plan to do tomorrow morning is up to you, I need to focus on the important classes before I need to get points. I might just skip that part and go build my own shelter." Jackson had been having a debate in his head whether he would try for points and an easy stay at camp or just go all in on camping and build his own survival shelter. Either way, he would be learning about shelters.


    "You really want to rough it out in the forest? I think it will be tough, but with so many campers around I am pretty sure wild animals will avoid this place." Asher''s first thought was the danger, but he soon pushed that way since the animals would hate the noise made by campers.


    "I don''t see why not. I checked out the camp store and the tents are cheaper than the cabins. Plus there are a lot of natural fruits and root vegetables in the area. I am not worried at all about it at all. It would be a one week camping vacation, people do it for fun." Jackson seemed fairly committed to doing this so Asher couldn''t argue with him on it. He also sounded like he had plenty of research.


    "Since we won''t have much chance before the other campers get here, do you two want to come check out the obstacle course?" Laura looked like she was more excited about this than any of the previous activities.


    "You have been there already, right? Have any tips?" Asher knew that getting the lowdown from Laura could help him maximize his points.


    "Run fast and you won''t need to worry about the obstacles." Laura just shrugged like this was an easy thing. The problem was that she could run faster than Jackson and Asher combined.


    "Actually, I want to try the obstacle course. I have heard that people do them during running races. It should be a lot of fun." Jackson was imagining something similar to an amusement park that he would need to run through instead of getting on rides.


    "Well then, let''s go." Asher took the lead while Laura ran ahead. The obstacle course wasn''t far from the camp but the entrance was deceiving. T the start it was just an open area at the start of a path.


    "The run to the real start is a bit twisty but once you get to the first thing it gets really cool" Laura only gave the two boys this hunt before she rushed off. With nothing else to do the boys started off on a slight jog.


    They moved down a clearly marked trail which was much more flat than the hiking trail. It was a great surprise since Asher had expected a more challenging jog. However, no sooner had he begun to believe this then, the trail started to change. There was a sharp decline and the trail started to weave side to side as it went down the hill. There were rocks and bushes added in to the mix slowing the two.


    "Just a bit twisty," Jackson grunted as he ran. Asher didn''t have the available focus to reply but he was going to say the same to Laura if they even caught up to her.


    The hill started to even out but when the boys looked in front of them they saw that their going would not be easier at all. The obstacle course was about to truly start and it was going to test them to the top of their abilities. "How many obstacles did they say were in this course?" Jackson looked at Asher with the question.


    "Pretty sure they didn''t tell us." The two just looked on anxiously.

 Chapter 105 - 105. Rules

    The two could only look on as they saw the first two obstacles of the course. There was a large pit dug in to the ground full of mud. The only way to cross it was a shaky looking rope ladder with wooding pegs to grip on to. This would have been a fairly simple challenge if not for the side. It was nearly half a football field in length and the ladder was wobbling. The only way to safely grip it and cross would be upside down.


    Farther ahead the two could see that there was a huge climbing wall between two trees. They would have to get across the mud pit and then climb the wall. Their arms were sure to be tire and sore making the climbing infinitely harder.


    "We can only see two of the obstacles. If there are more we could be run to the ground after the third or fourth." Jackson was already starting to admit defeat. The obstacle course was too intense. Instead of the ones he had heard f that might have a small mud pit and a few slides or climbing ropes, this one was a monster.


    "Think Laura would be OK if we just went back and found another way to get some points?" Asher tried to turn around but suddenly felt someone holding his shoulder.


    Laura was right next to him holding on to his shoulder to keep him in place. "Ready to meet Dia and try out the obstacle course? She is really nice and the obstacle course is super easy if you run fast enough." Her smile was too pure, it definitely held some hidden malice.


    ''This is totally some revenge for the sparring before. She is out to make me lose myself in the obstacle course to feel like she won something'' Asher easily found the hidden intentions Laura had. However, he was not that easy to scare off. He would show her what''s what and beat this obstacle course!


    "I thought I told you to come back when the camo starts? You already beat the course. You don''t need to beat it again and again." There was a tall skinny woman with white hair but a youthful face. She walked with an important air about her.


    "Dia! These are the other two that came early with me. I told you I would bring them here." Laura dragged Asher and Jackson towards the woman who was standing at the beginning of the obstacle course.


    "So these are the others. I am Diamond, but as I am sure you know I prefer to be called Dia. Welcome to my crowning achievement. The Jewell camp obstacle course. Self proclaimed most challenging course in the country." She stood with her arms open wide as she showed off the first to obstacles.


    "This is Jackson, and this is Asher. They are both going to try out the course today. They have been wasting to come here." Laura was laying it on thick. It seemed like she really wanted to be on Dia''s good side after she had too easily finished the course the first time due to her speed.


    "Oho? Come to try your luck? Well then let me give you the rules and rewards. First, you will receive points based on how many obstacles you cross. If you make it to the opposite side then you get a bonus. If you do the return challenge then you get double the points."


    Asher and Jackson were looking at each other thinking that the rewards sounded too good to be true. If they just completed this one obstacle they could get points then give up and be done. It was way too easy.


    "The rules are as follows. You can not quite until you complete three obstacles in a row. Then you may claim points. Next, you must do the course by yourself. There is no teamwork here, just a test of your very own will. You can not bypass any obstacles, they must all be done appropriately." The rules sounded fairly straight forwards. Asher even noted that the points for three obstacles completed would not be bad, it was a fair reasoning.


    "What about your super powers? Are we limited in how we use them?" Jackson was the first of the two to ask a question. Asher had no reason to ask this one though, his powers were in effect no matter what. He had no way to turn his off. The same went for Jackson but he was more asking out of curiosity.


    "As long as your super power won''t make you bypass any obstacle then you are welcome to use it. This is training after all. I would prefer you use the super power you have to train yourself to better use it." Dia gave a heavy glare at Laura. "Unless you just run through every obstacle like here, she was too fast and didn''t even activate any of the harder obstacles. There was no point in her trying."


    The attitude Dia had was not unfounded. It was fair for her to be upset that the thing she had spent years building was so easily beaten but speed alone. Laura had taken full advantage and just ran straight through each obstacle without a hint of challenge. "Are you going t make it harder? I would love to do it again. I am pretty sure I almost walked on water when I went through the pond."


    "Yes, I will make it harder, but if you do it you need to go half speed and actually spend time training on the obstacles. No break neck speed rushing." Dia held a firm tone.


    "You know Garnet would be saying the same thing. She wants you to learn more skill in using your super power." Asher reminded her of the shortcoming Laura had faced against him. This made her soften up a little bit.


    "Pssh, Fine I can go slower since you two are here and need someone to talk you through as moral support." Her excuse was more for herself than the boys. But it would be enough for now.

 Chapter 106 - 106. Just Run

    "So now that you understand, who is starting first?" Dia looked at the two with a much happier expression since she was about t have two fresh challengers. Having Laura admits to going slower too also attributed to the improved mood and attitude.


    "Yout got this Jackson." Asher immediately volunteered Jackson for the position since he wanted to see the best way to go over the rope ladder. However, Jackson looked at him like he was crazy.


    "Sounds like you are going first." Jackson was already with a retort, he had half expected this. Having someone else to follow after was a valuable chance to gather information. Even seeing one obstacle failure could change their strategy.


    "Why does this always happen. Just do rock paper scissors or something." Dia had seen this between friends uncountable times. They would always try and push the other to go on first so they could watch. Or the one that was more afraid of an obstacle would push their friend to go first to prove it was too scary or the opposite, not as bad as it looked.


    Lara held the two boys'' fists to not let either one go first. "Ready? Rock,paper scissors...Shoot!" The two threw out their choices.


    "AAhh come on, my luck failed me." Asher looked down at Jacksons'' closed fist for rock and his two fingers for scissors. He had taken a crushing defeat.


    "Great, not you get to go first. Try not to fall in the mud, I won''t be going in to help you out." Dia shook her head to make the point that she would not be going in to any mud at all, so if Asher got himself stuck he would have to wait for someone else to fall and help him or just exist there forever.


    ''Well that is encouraging.'' Asher just gave her an annoyed look as he approached the start of the top ladder. He needed to use this bridge to get all the way across. He was not worried about the crossing, more the fact that he was about to make his arms more sore than they needed to be before a climbing wall.


    He tentatively grasped the first wooden rung and saw that even the lightest touch made it swing wildly. "How did you do this Laura?" Asher said this out loud not really expecting a reply because it was more of a question to himself.


    "I ran across it. If you move fast enough it doesn''t have time to twist. It''s the simplest way to get across fast." Her voice was condescending, she was acting like she had just answered the world''s easiest question.


    ''Ran across it? Wouldn''t she fall no matter what she did? I might as well throw caution to the wind.'' Asher was going to just climb across, but when Laura actually responded to his question he felt that if she could do it maybe it was really the best method.


    Dia saw Asher start to back up for a running start. "Are you kidding me? Is this kid really about to try and run across the rope ladder as you did?"


    "He is, he is. I told him it''s the best way. He might not be fast like me but I think he will do it. If not he will fall in the mud, that''s good too." Laura so no loss in this at all and was happily going along with the situation.


    Dia just held her face in her hands waiting to hear the sound of someone crashing in to the mud.


    Jackson was just looking at everyone in disbelief. Asher was really about to run head on in to the rope ladder trying to run across the wooden rungs. "Asher this isn''t an anime! Just do it the easy way."


    Jackson''s warning reached Asher''s ears but as Asher had readied himself he found himself more and more excited. "This will be fun!" Asher shouted back then burst in to a run. Jackson covered his own eyes afraid of the result. However, the sound of a body hitting mud was not heard. There wasn''t even the sound of Asher sliding to a stop and giving up.


    The three watched in awe as Asher''s feet hit the wooden rungs dead center without jostling the entire ladder at all. Asher was letting his body take full control. He had a knack for balancing when off balance thanks to his lucky super power. He had gambled that it would work out if he actually tried to run across and so far he was succeeding.


    Asher looked like he was about to fall over many times while running across the rope ladder. By the time he reached the halfway mark, he had unbalanced the ladder and it was moving side to side. Amazingly Asher happened to step in the perfect way to counteract each of the swaying motions so he was always taking a solid stride.


    "This kid¡­" Dia didn''t have the words for what she was seeing. He obviously didn''t have the speed but somehow he was balancing perfectly. Dia had her first obstacle trounced on twice in one day. When she glanced over at Jackson she was afraid that twice would become three times in just a few moments.


    "This is awesome, I knew he could make this worth it. He can do it the same as me but slower. I will do it that way my next try." Laura sounded proud and excited. Jackson was still just dumbstruck by the blatant disregard for safety,


    "I thought he was smarter than this, but he actually is running across. You two are crazy." Jackson''s review was not unfounded.


    "So you are the normal one? I know the campers we get for early admission are usually a bit out there, but these two are their own breed." Dia was breathing a sigh of relief that one of the campers had a sound mind.


    "You should hear the things they come up with. If it wasn''t for the fact that Asher could speak like a normal person I would think he is an alien right now."


    "Wait, are you calling me an alien?" Laura responded to Jackson''s words with anger. She was read to beat him up if he continued the insult.

 Chapter 107 - 107. Monkey Bars

    Ashe felt his foot touch down on the opposite side of the rope ladder, He had run across the entire half football field distance and kept his balance without falling at all. "That was pretty awesome.'' He was praising himself while looking back at the swinging rope ladder. If he had hesitated more he would still be on the other side trying to get across.


    "I can''t believe you actually took my advice. That was pretty smooth." Laura popped up next to him nodding her head. She was very impressed by the fact that Asher was able to use her technique without flinching. He also did it slower and seemingly with more skill.


    "I kind of just said, why not, and went for it. Worst case I was falling the mud right?" His thoughts were pretty simple but they had easily succeeded.


    "Next one coming over!" Dia yelled from the other side of the rope ladder to let the two who had decided to stand right by the opposite end to move. Jackson was preparing to head over to the other side. However, he had thrown the idea of running across right out the window. To him, that was the craziest idea anodyne could have.


    "You got this Jackson!" Laura gave an encouraging shout while watching Jackson take the first wooden rung in his hand. He was tentative in his grasp since the rope ladder was swinging even more with his larger weight on it. This was the downside of having a super power like his.


    "Slow and steady wins the race!" Asher tried his best to encourage Jackson as well, but it looked like his shout had just distracted him more since the rope ladder started to swing a little more.


    "Think he will make it? The rope ladder is already bouncing so much. What happens when he gets to the center? Pfft he''ll make it, I''m being too worried." Asher''s question was enough to make anyone cringe. This was a definite jinx.


    Almost instantly Jackson was starting to swing from side t side with every movement. Instead of climbing straight with the ladder, it looked like he was swinging instead. His position from the top of the ladder looking more precarious ever rung he moved.


    "Ohh this looks bad." Laura''s insight came from the fact that she could see the treetops moving with a gust of wind. She knew that the swinging rope ladder would just get worse even with the softest wind.


    "Dang it!" Jacksons shut of frustration when the wind hit him could have made anyone swear out loud, but he heald it like a pro. Unfortunately, his holding back on his language didn''t seem to help here.


    The rope ladder was pushed off enough to make him swing full circle. His right side up position had completely switched and Jackson was hanging from the wooden rungs only half way through the rope ladder. He was fighting the power of gravity as he avoided falling in the mud.


    Thanks to his super power he had the best possible human reflexes. He was able to grip the rungs when he felt the change in the wind but was not having trouble keeping himself up. He had the proper strength but it was not normal for him to exert this kind of effort. The very fact that he was not used to it would be the reason for his down fall.


    He reached out for the next rung and found that his feet were not hooked on the previous spot any longer. He had moved too fast and let go of his feet while also only having one hand firmly on a wooden rung. The sharp intake of breath was all the onlookers saw as Jackson clung to the rung with his one hand.


    Pulling upwards while hanging about Jackson slowly grasped the next rung. He was holding on like this was a set of swinging monkey bars. ''Finally, someone who is doing the obstacle like I meant it to be done. Balance and strength.'' Dia was pleased to see that someone had started the obstacles she had built it.


    The mud as a deterrence, Jackson continued on swaying side to side while also moving forward. He could feel the train on his arms as he reached the opposite end. "Ha! Take that mud!" Jackson hopped on to the ground in victory.


    "That was pretty close. I thought when you flipped over you were done for. But the monkey bar move was great." Asher could only praise the quick thinking Jackson had had.


    "Don''t worry, you gen get more revenge on the mud. There is another pit later in the course." Laura had only wanted to share with them that their victory over mud pits could be expanded. Yet when she said this she was met with two pained expressions.


    "Well, let''s just get up that climbing wall and over." Asher was a little deflated but he knew he would have an advantage over the wall since he had not used his arms in the last obstacle. This was the reason for taking such a risky gamble before.


    The rock wall that was in front of them was nothing compared to the cliff. It was more like a small obstacle than anything. The two massive trees that anchored the wall on both sides seemed like they had grown together in to the wall. It was a beautiful natural challenge.


    Dia had moved with the three walking her own obstacle free path for instructor use. "The wall is the easy part. Just make sure the grip you have is firm." Her smile was too sincere. She was definitely hinting at something nefarious.


    "Well, no point in waiting." Asher grabbed the very first hand hold and started to pull himself up. His hand retracted with the wooden hand hold in his hand still. Luckily he was on the ground still so this just made him take a step back. His eyes moved to Dia who was smiling at him. She was not letting any secrets out, but he was sure that this was the intended effect.

 Chapter 108 - 108. Getting A Grip

    "This is going to be rough." Asher looked at Dia with a hard glare. She was sneaky and couldn''t be trusted. This was a tough rock wall to face if he needed to make sure that every single hand hold would not fall out when he reached for it.


    If he followed the safe route he would need to carefully check every single one. If he followed the speedy path, the odds of falling with a loose hand hold in his hands was too high. "I just got a good running start and jump like halfway up." Laura was ludicrous and said this like it was nothing.


    "If I could get the speed up like you I could jump halfway up as well." Asher''s sigh made the annoyance tangible. However, this did not stop him from reaching up his hand and grabbing the next hand hold. He had decided that he should just start his path now and try for the top.


    He could see the easiest path to climb but had a different thought. ''If it were me making this I would make the easiest looking hand holds the ones that fell out.'' His theory was the most plausible and He moved upwards grabbing at the farther challenging to hold handholds.


    He was making great progress upwards and had been nearly zig zagging across the wall. However, when he wanted to move up he noticed a perfect line of hand holds across the whole entire wall. "Nope, no way I am touching you," He said this out loud as he gathered an extra bit of energy to push himself to the next highest hand hold. He knew if it looked too perfect that he was not supposed to grab it.


    With his efforts, he was able t make it to the top with relative ease. To his surprise, he found that there was a long slide leading to a small trail on the other end of the wall. ''Ha ha, this is was better than climbing down.'' His delight was plain on his face as he turned to see Jackson following in his footsteps.


    Jackson had avoided the areas Asher had not limbed and chosen to grab the handholds he had seen Asher use. It was the best part about watching the last person go. Unfortunately for him, Dia knew this.


    She was seemingly innocent as she leaned against the tree. Yet, her hand disappeared behind her and an audible click was heard while Jackosn went to grab the next wooden hand hold. He knew there was something wrong but was already in motion.


    His hand pulled back holding the hand hold while starting to slip a little downwards. Luckily he dropped it and frantically grabbed out for another. His hand latched on with all his might keeping him from falling down on to the bouncy mulch ground.


    "What just happened?! That was definitely one that Asher grabbed before!" His worry was overtaking his calmness in his voice.


    Dia didn''t flinch at all and just replied cooly. "The wall might change here and there. A cliff face would never be the same for everyone that climbed it. Your hands are different, your weight is different, even the weather can be different." She had a point but none of them had expected such a dastardly wall.


    "Just double check every spot you grab!" Asher''s advice was not the best but it was the simplest method to continue upwards. Jackson already knew this but realized that he would take triple the amount of time to reach the top of the wall from this point.


    His method of checking twice before he pulled himself upwards was quicker than he expected, however, he found many more of the hand hold pulled away from the wall than he desired. This was hard more and he knew it. Dia was just smiling at him from the bottom of the wall like the world was spinning around perfectly.


    "Ahh!" Jackson grabbed a hand hold that pulled away and he swung out only holding on with one hand.


    "Jackson, you need to get a grip!" Laura was giggling at her pun.


    "Good one," Asher was stifling a laugh as well, he was slightly jealous he didn''t come up with the quick corny joke.


    "Oh yeah, because it''s so easy when you are surprised by the hand holds that AREN''T REAL!" Jackson was not as appreciative of the joke as Asher and Laura were, but he was too busy to keep yelling at them since he was only a few hand holds away from the top.


    When he finally made it there he was glad to see that all he needed to do was slide down to the bottom. "Yessss, I don''t want to climb that thing ever again."


    "Come on, let''s side down and see what the next obstacle is." Asher had been waiting and was all ready to push on to the next challenge. Without even another warning he had hopped on the slide and was heading towards the bottom.


    "Wait, but I just got here." Jackson was a little let down but he slid down the slide to the bottom anyways.


    "This next one is super fun. You just have to crawl." Laura was looking at a row of mesh ahead of them. There was a small space between the ground and the mesh.


    "Wait, we are crawling in the dirt all the way to the other side? That seems pretty lame compared to the other two obstacles." Asher knew as soon as he said this that it was not the best thing to tempt fate like this.


    There was a small patch of dirt that looked like it was recently covered up. There was most certainly something underneath that would cause him trouble. Asher took a deep breath and accepted that whatever it was he would need to face it. He fell on to his stomach and started the crawl.


    "He already started? I just got down here." Jackson saw that Asher was only a few feet in to the crawl when the dirt looked to be moving. "Why am I not excited for this one either?" Jackson''s voice held a great deal of worry.

 Chapter 109 - 109. Blinded Again

    Without the three noticing Dia had made it to the next obstacle as well. "Go on then. There is room for five people to try this obstacle at once." She had an evil smile on her face since she knew exactly what was waiting for them in the crawling net.


    "Why does that make me feel like things are going to be harder?" Jackson just went in to a crawling position and proceeded to crawl under the netting. His large body was barely able to fit but he still managed.


    The two were slowly making progress at a literal crawling pace when they noticed the dirt around them was starting to shift. Around them, dividers were being pushed up through the soil. They were made of the same netting that the top was made of which stopped them from freely crawling about. They were now trapped in a maze they needed to crawl through.


    "I knew this would be a pain." Jackson just squeezed through the maze trying to catch up or beat Asher to the exit.


    "Stupid netting rising out of the dirt. I already had dirt in my eyes earlier and now again." Asher was cursing this obstacle for getting dirt in his already unhappy eyes. Now he was crawling around blinded.


    Asher was crawling and trying to clean his eyes the entire time. His direction looked aimless as Laura and Dia watched him. "This might take a while." Dia had no faith that Asher would make it out of the obstacle at all. "I can let him sleep there if he needs but I doubt he will want to spend the night out here."


    "Why do you think he will be stuck all night? I bet you he will make it out without even cleaning his eyes properly." Laura knew that there was more to Asher than met the eye. She had already seen and heard enough to know that his super power had a greater effect than most people understood.


    "You''d be willing to bet on it? Alright, if he makes it out without cleaning his eyes I will give you twenty points." Dia felt that she was making a sure-fire bet. "And if he doesn''t make it put you need to go to the deepest mud pit and go for a swim." She didn''t want to take away points but would love to see the fresh mud pits she made for the obstacle course get used.


    "You have a deal, but instead of points I want you to jump in the mud pit instead." Laura wanted the one responsible for this obstacle course to have a tase of their own medicine.


    "Trying to be slick? Fine, I will win anyways so We can make that bet." The two girls shook hands, Dia was still very confident that she would have victory over their bet.


    Laura had a feeling she would come out victorious and just patiently watched as Asher blindly moved through the maze. Jackson appeared to be making more progress but had become partially stuck in the risen walls of the maze. His large body was not friends with the tight space of the crawling maze.


    "Jackson, you might consider a diet¡­" Laura was teasing him but the reaction she got was a little too cold. Jackson just gave her a deathly glare. Ever since he had gained this super power of a perfect body he had hated how much it changed his way of life.


    "Stupid maze, I will beat you!" Jackson pushed himself through the spot that he was stuck and made the net bend away from the proper location. Dia just frowned harder as she watched, however, she could not fault Jackson since she had not taken someone of his stature in to account when designing the crawling maze. She would be doing some repairs later on in the night for when the campers all arrived. This was more of a final test.


    "I can''t even see, and I don''t know where I am going. And this stupid netting keeps hitting me in the face. And I am crawling in the dirt." Asher''s grumbling was overly dramatic but fair since he was still trying to get the dirt out of his eyes. He had managed to move some ways through the maze and was following his basic right is right strategy.


    The two girls had been completely distracted by their bet and then by watching Jackson bend the mesh netting to get through the path. Since this was the case not a single one noticed that the blinded Asher had already escaped the crawling maze and was crawling towards the next obstacle.


    "Ugh, come on there is water here too?" Asher had crawled forward and found that there was a stream of running water in front of him. He was not happy to find that the maze was even harder. But since he was stuck with it he just took a deep breath and proceeded forward.


    "Jackson was making decent progress and was able to pick up his pace easily figuring out the pattern of the crawling maze. "Jackosn you''re doing great. You are so fast." Laura had some trouble with this obstacle since she had to try every path. Her speed still made her get through it without any issue, but it was annoying to her.


    Happy to hear the positive feedback finally Jackson pushed to move faster, he knew that the exit was near and soon broke in to the freedom outside the maze. "Ha ha! I must have beat Asher!" He stood tall and looked to see how far behind Asher was. However, no matter where he looked from the top he could not see Asher anywhere. "Umm, where did Asher go?"


    "What do you mean, he is still blind in the maz-" Dia realized that there was no blinded Asher anywhere to be seen. "Where did he go!?"


    Laura was equally shocked, she had been so focused on Jackson that she had missed Asher''s escape and win the bet for her. The three were turning themselves in circles looking for the blinded by somewhere. After looking a little farther away towards the next obstacle Dia spotted him.

 Chapter 110 - 110. Treetops

    "How did he get all the way to the water hurdles I made?" Dia was rushing after Asher who had crawled all the way in to the next obstacle.


    Dia had redirected some of the water from the river and made it flow in to a flat she had made. The flowing water made the hurdles tougher to dunk under or over since it made the footing a challenge. Asher had somehow crawled all the way in to the water and was currently crawling in the water underneath the fourth out of seven hurdles.


    "Asher! You are in the next obstacle, stand up!" Jackson tried to call out to him to let him know he was out of the maze. However. Asher was in the water and could not hear what was going on around him. He was just cursing the stupid maze.


    "Pretty sure he can''t hear you." Laura was taunting Jackson again. He was bummed out that she had switched back to messing with him.


    "How has this kid gotten through life so far? He doesn''t even realize that the maze didn''t have water in it when he started?" Dia was just stunned at the lack of details Asher had noticed. He was the kind of kid that just went along with whatever completely distracted.


    "Ugh, fine. I am done with this." Asher stood up while rubbing his eyes ex[ecting the mesh net to be breaking from the ground. However, when he got his eyes cleared he found that he was standing in the middle of a flat rea with a lot of water flowing around. There were two log hurdles in front of him. "Where am I?" His lost expression covered his face.


    Jackson was pursuing Asher and trying to jump every hurdle at double the speed. He was fast but the poor footing brought back the experience of the river crossing and he was soon on his back soaking wet."


    "Hey man, are you OK?" Asher stood over Jackson visibly soaking wet but worried. He had seen Jackson suddenly jumping over the hurdles towards him and then witnessed the sudden slip and fall.


    "Umm, weren''t you still crawling?" Jackson was a little lost as well but he stood up accepting the fact that he and water were not meant to be.


    "I got annoyed and stood up to quit but then realized that I am nowhere near the crawling maze. I think we are in the next obstacle." Asher pretty much stated the obvious since Jackson already knew this. But Asher had been blinded by the dirt in his eyes. He was still slightly teary eyed but the water had helped clean most of it out.


    "Seeing that we are now on the fourth obstacle we should probably just quit now. Then we can get some points...wait, I''m not getting any points." Jackson had been so caught up in all of this because of Asher and Laura that he had forgotten he still didn''t need to care about points. He was crushed.


    "This is still good training. You can get the inside scoop on the obstacle course then amaze everyone when they try it and fail. You would look like the cool kid in school who can do anything." Asher was speaking like it was him who was going to be the cool kid, but Jackson didn''t dwell on the tone. He instead heard the words and felt that he was becoming more motivated.


    "Fine, let''s dop these water obstacles then see what the next two have to offer us." Jackos got his hold on the next hurdle and used it to op over. He landed with a large splash and again found that he was on his back. "What is it with me and water?''


    "I am going to get ahead of you." Asher copied Jackson''s jump over and rand to the second. He looked to be sliding a little in the water but somehow ended up just a little closer to the next hurdle and easily hopped over it. Jackson couldn''t help but feel this was intentional.


    "Well it looks like he realized where he was, but why is he running through the next obstacle so fast?" Dia was again lost to what was happening.


    "Ooooo They are racing, I want to go ahead." Laura sprinted ahead and easily caught up to Asher and Jackson. "Come on let''s go to the next one. It is really simple but I want to neat you both." With that, Laura was sprinting well ahead of the boys.


    "Why is it that every time she says it will be fun or easy she is actually setting us up for something really annoying." Jackson couldn''t help but think out loud.


    "I have a good feeling about this one. Let''s just stick it out." Asher rand froward through some trees finding that there was a massive set of steps that lead to the treetops above.


    "You had a good feeling huh? We are going way up there, still have a good feeling?'' Jackson could only imagine the cliff incident happening all over again if they went up high.


    "At least we will have a good view. I am heading up the stairs." Asher started running up the spiral stairs leading to the treetops.


    His legs were soon burning since the stairs seemed to never end. When he thought himself close to the top there would be a sloping bridge connecting to the next tree and he would need to climb steps upwards again. This was a brutal set of stair running."


    The two boys were out of breath fighting through the stairs as the next obstacle. ''Why can''t it be a cool treehouse and that''s the end.'' Asher was wishing he had an easy climb t a massive treehouse full of snacks, but instead he just saw five more bridges with six more sets of stairs leading to the treetops. He renewed his energy as he heard Jackson catching up to him. He refused to bail on this obstacle if Jackson was still participating. Jackson was doing this all without reward so Asher needed to make sure he stuck it out with his friend.

 Chapter 111 - 111. The Best Obstacle

    The stairs were plain and simple. There were no hidden tricks or traps, just brutal leg numbing training. The mental aspect was that they were constantly climbing high above the ground the descending, it would make anyone with a fear of heights cringe.


    "Ugh, this is worse than hill sprints in gym class." Asher could only feel the burning in his legs intensifying. The odds of him being able to walk the next day were slim. Instead, he would look like his legs were made of jelly.


    "I knew I was going to catch you!" Jackson had finally caught up to Asher with his superior pace. In the blink of an eye, he had stridden past Asher.


    "Aren''t these trees amazing? They have to be over a hundred maybe two hundred years old to be strong enough to support all these stairs and downward paths."


    Jackson had been marveling at the strength of the trees so much so that the height of the stairs he was on was ignored. "Oh yeah...the trees are great man." Asher had no idea how to reply to Jackson so he just kept up his n¨¦e pursuit.


    ''This set looks like it''s going higher than the others. And I don''t see another set of a path going down.'' Asher was trying to guess what was waiting for them at the highest set of stairs yet.


    They two were quickly climbing what proved to be the largest tree in the forest that they had seen. When they finally broke above the tree tops they found that there was a large platform resting only on this tallest tree.


    "Made it here almost in a pair. Why were you racing?" Dia and Laura were already on top of the platform.


    "OK I know Laura is faster than us and would beat us to the top without breaking a sweat, but how are you here?" Asher and Jackson were both wondering how the counselor had beat them when they were running the entire time.


    "That offer right there." Dia pointed to a ladder fixed to the tree trunk leading to the platform. "I just need to run to the tree in a straight line then climb. I was here well before you. When my staff is here to help I will sunbathe up here between campers." She sounded so proud of this.


    Laura was bouncing in excitement, this looked like the obstacle she had been waiting for the most. "Let''s do this, it''s the best part. I promise." She was looking eagerly at Dia who softened a bit since this was her favorite too.


    "Alright here is the next obstacle. Hold on and don''t fall. That''s it. Oh and if you fall you will land in the muddy water below." She grabbed a handle and reached upwards. With a snap, it hooked on to a wire line the two boys hadn''t even noticed.


    "We are going zip lining!? That''s so cool. Where is the harness?" Asher was too na?ve and was looking for the general safety equipment that would attach him to the handles.


    "Harness? Why would we have those? You hold on or you fall in muddy water. That''s it." Asher and Jackson both held Dia with a blank stare.


    "Oh, I knew that. We just hold on, right Jackson?"


    "Yea Asher, it was obvious. We just hold on and everything will be fine."


    The two held perfectly monotone voices after hearing that the zip lining was another crazy obstacle. "I think I might prefer the stairs again." Asher just rubbed his sore legs in sadness.


    "So who is going first?! It''s a lot of fun." Laura wanted to go herself but she knew the boys were actually challenging the obstacle course and she refused to take away the fun of the zip line from them.


    Asher snapped his head up, "Jackson beat me to the top so he is going." Jackson looked at Asher like he just been gravely betrayed.


    "Sounds good to me, get veer here and grab on. Remember if you let go you get to go swimming in the muddy water below. I dig the pit every year so no one will hit the bottom. It is perfectly safe." Dia made sure to let every camper know that it was in fact safe. However, that did not stop her from relishing the fact that most would become fearful and lose grip on the handle anyway.


    With a pat on the back Jackson who was barely holding on to the handle was sent sliding down the zip line. "Oh, I forgot to tell him to be ready to let go and land on the platform at the bottom. If he doesn''t he will hit the stopper and fall in the mud anyways." Dia had forgotten since Laura was distracting her. She just shrugged it off while Asher thanked his lucky stars to have heard her say it.


    "Four, three, two, and there. He should be at the bottom. Your turn." Dia clicked another handle in place. " good luck, hold on, and have fun." She knew Asher had heard the safe part before and didn''t see the point in repeating it. Before Asher had even reached to hold on to the handle Dia was starting to push him to the edge.


    ''It''s a wonder she hasn''t killed anyone yet.'' His hands grabbed the handle tightly and he was off. His first reaction to let out a sharp yell while his stomach dropped from the speed. The wind was whipping past his face and his hair blew wildly. "Woohoooooo, this is gggrreeaaattttt." He realized the rush he was feeling as he sped through the air.


    He couldn''t see anything but the tree branches flying by. The speed seemed to be building more and more as he headed down the zip line. His heart beat faster than it had in a long time as the adrenaline pushed him to his limit. Now Asher knew why Laura was so excited about this obstacle course. He would gladly go through the other obstacles over and over just to go down the zip line again. Or at least that is what he was thinking before he saw a padded platform quickly approaching ahead of him.

 Chapter 112 - 112. Camouflaged

    Asher''s eyes were teary from the wind but he was still able to make out a padded white platform ahead. The zip line would take him to a perfect position to land on it. However, he could also see that the entire platform was surrounded by a massive mud pit. If he was not exact in his release he would either roll off in to the mud or he would let go and fall straight in to it.


    Asher had no time to think since the speed had not let up. He made the split second decision to release his grip at a smaller tree right before the platform. ''Let''s hope that this works.'' With his jaw clenched and his eyes tightly shit Asher let go of the handles.


    The sudden drop made his stomach do a flip. He slightly bent his knees and waited for the feeling of soft padding or cold mud to envelop him. This fall felt like an eternity with the amount of adrenalin pulsing through his body.


    With the speed he was going Asher drifted forward through the air and had covered the distance between himself and the platform. He landed with his eyes closed feeling the soft padding below his feet. "Yes! I made it!" Asher opened his eyes and was about to jump up in happiness.


    What stopped him was the fact that he was on the literal edge of the platform. His toes were nearly over the edge and he could have easily fallen over in to the mud if he was not careful. "Whoa!" He backed away and fell on his butt thanking any amount of luck that had just saved him from a muddy fate. "Wait, where''s Jackson?"


    Asher said this out loud not knowing where his friend was. It was strange that he could not see him anywhere even though he had gone down the zip line first. "Here, I am here." Jackson''s voice came from much closer than Asher expected, but he still couldn''t see the large boy. "Here, I am here." Jackson had a more powerful tone this time.


    Asher looked downwards and in to the mud to find a perfectly camouflaged Jackson. "Oh, you were practicing your camouflage. That''s a good idea. Maybe I will do that later." Asher misunderstood for the simple fact that he believed Jackson would have landed on the platform with his super power being physical enhancement type.


    "No, I fell in. I didn''t know there was a platform. I also didn''t know that brake would stop me so suddenly and literally throw me off in to this mess." He raised his arms and gestured to the massive mud pit. He was far from happy with his situation.


    "Woooohhhhhoooooo!!!" Laura was flying down the zip line and landed perfectly center of the padded platform. She had done the only logical thing, she followed the boys down. "You landed pretty well too Asher, congrats!. But where is Jackson?" She hadn''t noticed Jackson either.


    "Down here." The depressed voice from the mud instantly drew Laura''s attention.


    "Wait, are you practicing camouflage? That''s awesome. We should do that next Asher." Laura was overly excited thinking that Jackson had gotten ahead of them in one of the classes to learn camouflage. She too had expected him to still perfectly land on the padded platform without fail.


    "Watch it!" Dia came down with a picture perfect landing. She even raised he hands in the air like a gymnast. "One, two,...where''s the third?" She also missed Jackson. However. With his current embarrassment continuing he did not say a word.


    Laura was giggling slightly but eventually calmed herself and spoke up. "He is practicing the camouflage he learned. You can''t even see him right there." Laura pointed to an empty spot of mud.


    "No, over here." The depressed voice of Jackson droned again.


    "I see, camouflage...Well nice job taking advantage of the situation. When you start camp tomorrow come and go to the course again, I will give you a few bonus points." She knew that it was completely her fault that a camper had ended up in the mud. As much as she wanted to just pretend it didn''t happen she needed to properly play it off.


    "So, how do we get from here to the other side of the mud pit." Asher was looking around for a way but was coming up empty.


    "That''s the easy part. Just hit that button on the side of the platform." Dia pointed out a red button on the side of the platform. It was set up so that no one could accidentally hit it when they dismounted the zip line.


    Asher walked to the edge and tapped the button. There was a mechanical clicking from underneath them and mud covered stepping stone rose for them to walk to the edge of the platform. This was set up so anyone who missed the platform wouldn''t hit them and get hurt.


    "Thanks Dia, now the two of us can walk over there without getting all muddy." Laura smiled widely and started to hop across the stones.


    "Two of you? Why is this kid not coming with us?" Dia thought it must be Asher who was staying behind. There was no other way that she could interpret this.


    "You can''t forget our bet. I won''t let you go against it." Laura smiled even more. "You are going to jump in to the mud pit since Asher made it out of the crawling maze while still blinded. You can''t say he didn''t make it since he even made it partially through the next obstacle."


    Dia was frozen, since Laura had not mentioned it since they moved to the next obstacle she had chosen to forget the bet all together. Having Laura bring it back up was like taking a shot through the heart. There were no words coming to mind of how she could escape this fate.


    "Awe, what? You two were betting on me making it through the maze? Laura, you owe me a drink for winning you something." Asher tried to play it off like he was mad, but he was much more amused to see that one of the counselors had been baited to jump in to their own mud pit.

 Chapter 113 - 113. Gathering Information

    "So I won''t be the only one in the mud. That kinda makes me feel better." Jackson sounded a lot let''s depressed hearing that the counselor would jump in to the mud too.


    "I can''t just go jumping in to a mud pit now. It would hinder me from observing the rest of your training. You have plenty of obstacles left." Dia thought this would be the perfect plan to avoid the mud. She could just fall back on needing to be a supervisor.


    "Naa I''m done for now. I need dinner and some rest before I try out another training session at the elite home gym." Since Asher was planning to learn throws and body locks he wanted enough rest to be able to focus properly.


    "And I''m done too. I won''t get points for this anyways." Jackson had already managed to pull himself on to a stepping stone and stand. He was well covered in mud and his face was barely wiped clean enough to see properly.


    Dia thought the reasoning was all too perfect. They all just happened to be done as soon as she would need to fulfill her end of the bet? How coincidental, ''they must have planned this to mess with me. I should have listened to Onyx. This year''s campers are going to be evil.''


    With her inner cursing done Dia knew she couldn''t avoid it. "Ugh, and here I thought I was lucky and didn''t fall in the pit this year." She pulled her phone and a set of keys from her pocket.


    She walked to the edge of the platform where Laura also happened to be standing. "You know kid. It''s not very wise to make bets while training, they always seem to come back in the end and bite you."


    Dia''s arms locked around Laura''s waist. "What?!" The two fell in to the mud with a huge splash. Laura struggled to climb up immediately while Dia just held herself up and laughed.


    "That was so cheap. I can''t believe you would get me like that! We had a fair bet." Laura was looking at herself covered in mud just like Jackson.


    "Well as a counselor I couldn''t let you think illegal underage betting would go unpunished." Dia just tried to hold an air of wisdom over herself, however, the mud covering her made things less effective.


    Asher and Jackson were laughing like fools. "She got you good. You didn''t even see it coming."


    "Jackson has a point, you completely missed any signal of my sneak attack." Dia saw the perfect backup to justify her trick.


    "Why are you laughing Asher? You are the only victim left unscathed." Laura was already past the trickery for Dia and the comment from Jackson. She only saw one person that was not covered in mud and they were laughing at her.


    "No, no, no!" Asher saw it coming but was unable to dodge with the platform he was on. The small space gave him two options. Jump in to the mud himself or get pushed in by Laura and Jackson.


    He tried to dodge even though it was impossible, with a harmonious splash he had joined the group in the mud bath. "I know we can shower, but¡­ why mud?" His melancholy voice made Laura and Jackson laugh even more. Even Dia appeared to be sharing the comedy.


    "Since we are done with the spa treatment, can we all get back to clean up now?" Asher knew it was inevitable that he would end up in the mud at some point. The obstacles were sure to get harder later on and he could save them for when At and Jane got to camp.


    The four made their way through the mud and on to the bank of the mud pit. Dia let out a heavy sigh, "I was supposed to put some finishing touches on the log roll today, but I guess I am heading back to the family cabin." She was not very happy to need to head back, but it was inevitable.


    "That sounds cool. Having a log roll in the water to balance on like an old school lumberjack should be fun?" Jackson thought the idea sounded more like a competition instead of some form of obstacle.


    "Lumberjack? No, the log roll is a new obstacle where you will roll a log up a hill. I have different weights for different sized camper." Dia just smiled through the mud and crushed Jackson''s dreams of lumberjack log rolling as he had seen in cartoons.


    "I think we could spend all day on this obstacle course and still not be at the end." Asher''s thoughts were pretty clear and Dia was happy to hear them.


    "That has been my goal since I took it over. It used to be small and only made of six obstacles. After five years I managed to double that and after another four I have almost triple." Dia was nodding her head as she bragged.


    Asher sensed a chance to gain more information for when he could go through the course again. The more he knew the more points he could get along with the fact that he would look cool beating every obstacle his first try. "What is the most challenging obstacle in your opinion?"


    Dia was hooked in without a problem. She had always like to brag about the obstacle course she spent hours working on. Plus she knew that the campers were trying to get more information from her, she did not mind since everything would come down to their own physical and mental capabilities anyways.


    "I would saw the totem puzzle. I separated five pieces of a totem pole. At the end of the course in the field, the challenging camper needs to get the five pieces from their own miniature obstacles. Then climb the totem pole and add the pieces. I have only had seven or eight finish it. I obviously have not made it tough enough." Her self critic made Asher hope that she wouldn''t change it to make it harder before he managed to get to it. He could just imagine how amazed Jane and Art would be if he completed it in front of them.

 Chapter 114 - 114. Silent Falls Training Organization

    "I feel like this camo gets bigger every single time I leave the cabins in the morning." Jackson''s amazement at the size of the obstacle course and the camp, in general, echoed in his voice.


    "Well, my family owns the entire mountain and surrounding land now. It used to be considered too dangerous because of the animals and river and mountain, but my family cleaned all tat up." Dia said all this like it was some small achievement barely worth mentioning.


    "Your family owns the entire mountain!" Laura was shocked to hear this. She had believed this to be a small camp that the school had a bond with for years. That reason was what she believed kept the school sending people to the camp.


    "Of course we own the mountain, it was the perfect place for my parents to immerse themselves in nature. Then when me and my siblings were born we started to expand. They only had a small survival school then as the years went on we started martial arts competitions and found that we could do more than survival classes. Now they are the owners of the country''s top rated training camp."


    Dia was absolutely beaming with pride as she spoke. Her words were filled with joy. The three listening to this could only hope that one day they had the same feelings as she did about their own careers.


    "So if you all own the entire mountain, why is this main camp so small?" Jackson was having trouble believing the camp was really ranked too high. He also couldn''t figure out why the main camp they stayed at was so small in comparison if there was so much room to spread out.


    "This is only the camp for your grade. Do you expect us to keep for the same facilities and training areas for every single grade of high school? We have four camps. One for the summer opportunity that freshmen often take. Then the sophomores like you. Next, we have the juniors camp, they have a lot more academic material there. Finally, the senior camp. The ones that come here for the senior camp are usually pushing to join a university with a scholarship so we train them harder."


    "So, this is just a small camp, what is this mountain called?" Jackson had caught on that this camp may be named camp Jewell but if it was just one part then what was the name of everything together?


    "You don''t even know that? The school needs to teach you kids better. This is waterfall mountain. Each of the four camps is owned by a family and together we are the silent falls training organization." Dia was shaking her head at the apparent lack of teaching in her eyes that the school was doing to educate students on where they were going.


    Jackson shut his mouth tightly. He had just been hit with a harsh realization of where they really were. Laura was in the same position, she had head many things abiut this training orginization. "Pretty sure I am the only one missing out here¡­" Asher was lost, he thought that this sounded grand since it was multiple camps working together. But the name silent fall training organization meant nothing to him.


    "How do you not know? Have you lived under a rock? Are you from another world that didn''t have super powers? Are you even human?" Laura fell in to a dramatic skit while shaking Asher''s shoulders.


    ''She doesn''t even know that she hit the nail on the head with one of her guesses.'' Asher just looked at her blankly not wanting to give away anything.


    Jackson felt a little pity since Laura was shaking Asger so violently. He eventually took a breath and started t explain, "Silent falls training organization is considered the top training a hero can get. They have had a hand in training an untold number of top heroes and law enforcement agents. They even specialize in some of the most used disaster response training." His explanation was short but held everything Asher needed to realize that their high school had sent them somewhere amazing.


    "The more you three talk about your schools the more I worry. I feel like they need to be more thorough in their teachings. What kind of school doesn''t explain the state of current top businesses?" Dia was the most annoyed hearing all of this. In her opinion, the school should have been educating every student on these things.


    The four walked through camp chatting. The three continuously bombarded Dia with questions about the camp and the organization. She was more than happy to share everything with them since she rarely got his amount of attention. The four mud covered figures strolled through the camp like this was a normal every day occurrence.


    "They even managed to get Dia in the mud. These early admission campers are trouble." Onyx was watching the mud covered campers and Dia walk toward the cabins.


    "You''re just sour they knocked one of your trees off the cliff. Don''t think I don''t know you plant one every single year." Garnet wasn''t having it. She had long known that Onyx had explored the entire mountains climbing walls and planted trees in tons of areas for fun.


    "Whatever. I still don''t get why you care so much about them this year." Onyx was frustrated but Garnet was so hung up on campers that he had decided he didn''t like.


    "You know why. The last two early admissions dropped out of school and joined up with that organization. This year I need to do things right." Garnet''s voice shook slightly as she remembered the previous year''s early admissions campers.


    "That isn''t your fault or ours. They chose to give up their path to law enforcement and heroship."Onyx knew that his words were not going to make a dent in the stress Garnet was feeling, but as her brother, he needed to say something.


    The two continued on walking away from the direction the four mud covered people had gone. They were in their own world today planning out the next week of camping activities.

 Chapter 115 - 115. Bragging

    "Make sure you get all your friends to come to the obstacle course when they get here." Dia waved and left them to deal with their own mud covered situation.


    "Oh, I''ll bring my friends. And we will crush the obstacle." Asher''s face held an evil grin.


    "Why do you need to crush it?" Jackson was surly look at Asher like he was crazy under his mud covered face.


    "How else will I show off? It''s not like I can do a cool flip or something."


    Laura stifled a laugh, "why is doing a flip the next coolest thing you think of when comparing beating the obstacle course?"


    "Well the zip line is pretty cool, but I most likely couldn''t do a flip before camp and if I somehow manage it now it would be cool technically. It''s just logical coolness."


    The two just held back their lighter, "so you''re saying there''s a science to coolness? Should we call you professor cool?"


    Asher took Laura''s teasing seriously, "no, I''m pretty sure there is already a super hero with ice super powers named professor cool." The sad tone in Asher''s made it even funnier.


    "This is my stop, I''ll see you guys for dinner." Jackson left them for one of the general cabins he had been staying in. Laura was a little stuck. Now she needed to go pay points for her to get a cabin.


    "I can go to the luxury cabin but once I''m there I''m stuck. I want to take another walk through the camp so I''ll hit the river if you want?" Asher was mostly offering to be nice but instead, Laura turned bright red.


    "I thought you were an innocent nice guy." She was tightly hiding her muddy covered clothes and body.


    "Huh? Well if you want to go off in the forest alone that''s fine, you did it already so I doubt you''re worried about bears or snakes or whatever." Asher just brushed it off. ''If she doesn''t want me to be nice and watch her back I''ll just go by myself.''


    "Snakes? You can''t joke about that. There are no snakes here, they would have caught them all and made them leave before campers come here. My parents said so for sure."


    Laura''s face had become pale under the mud, her voice was slightly shaky. Asher had no idea of why the change had just occurred but he had a small theory. "So not afraid of bears, I''m sure you''re faster."


    "Pfft, bears are slow and fat. Of course, I''m faster." Laura returned to her slightly aloof and arrogant personality.


    "I have heard that snakes have a fast reflex though. Could bite before someone blinked."


    "Mhm¡­" Laura just responded quietly. It was as if she was trying to hide the things Asher had just said.


    "Of course there are water snakes around. There must be food for them in the river. Naturally, they can''t all be taken away, the river is a good hiding place."


    Laura was frozen in fear at Asher''s words. She was nearly shaking. "You offered to guard me while I washed up, right? I''ll make you stand away from me, and if you turn around and aren''t keeping an eye on the upstream of the river I will drop you off the cliff."


    ''She''s afraid of snakes, good to know'' Asher had a slightly devilish grin but he also had not wanted to wash up alone. He could hope his luck would save him from a bear, but he was too slow to outrun it ''Yeah, safer to go with someone. I might have my lucky super power but it doesn''t mean I won''t run in to a bear.''


    "I will do my utmost to protect you, my lady." Asher bowed with drama making Laura scoff, she did feel more at ease going to the snakes'' river with another person around.


    The two walked their way towards the river. The good part about the twisting and turning areas was that there were plenty of places that the water built up in to pools like the one Jackson had fallen in when they jogged to the camp for the first time.


    "You said you are in class one right? Does everyone else have powers like yours? Or are they wild and crazy like the rumors say class one is?" Laira had been wondering this for a while. The school had many rumors like any high school would. But when it came to class one some people avoided it because they were said to be the most dangerous students. Mostly because they didn''t usually have proper control over their super powers.


    "Well, My friend Art is like his family and can control metal. The only problem is he specifically can only control lead, kinda poisonous you know? Then my friend Jane gained a lot from her super power. She had sharp nails and some scaley skin. Oh and her hair turned purple, but she also freezes people on the spot. Like not ice, but you just can''t move when you look at her face, pretty dangerous in the regular world."


    So it''s not that they are dangerous people, but their super powers could cause some problems." Laura was catching on that the rumors may have been slightly twisted as they were passed on person to person.


    "Then there is Louis who has a lightning body super power. He probably has one of the cooler super powers, well, when he isn''t frying electronics or worried about zapping people. Oh, and his cousin Sammy is in our class too and she can control the wind. I''m pretty sure she will be learning to fly soon." Asher''s head bobbed as he nodded. It was one of his first times bragging about his friends to anyone else.


    "So don''t touch the mud pit of the river when Louis is around, got it. And try to avoid the cliff when Sammy is climbing it." Laura mumbled out loud as she made not to avoid these problems. "Oh, wasn''t there that girl in your class that always has boys fawning over her? How does she do that? Is her family rich or something?"

 Chapter 116 - 116. Wildlife

    Laura had not realized she was going to be opening a can of worms, but the next tone Asher took was harsh. "That spoiled brat shouldn''t have anyone fawning over her. Would I do anything against her? No. But I won''t be trying to make friends with her. She can make people inclined to do what she wants with her super power and it''s just sad. The boys around her are under her influence."


    Laura watched him shake his head and clench his fists. She knew she had just asked Asher about something that really rubbed him the wrong way. However, hearing about her super power it made sense. For anyone who wants to be a hero to see someone being manipulated against their will, it was infuriating.


    "Well, then I won''t talk to her either. We will keep Jackson away too, he is too nice anyways. He might try and marry her." Laura''s joke managed to get a small smile out of Asher.


    "Aghhh, whatever. It''s not worth thinking about. The biggest bummer is I still haven''t met everyone in my class officially. I knew getting caught up in learning a new thing or coming to camp, or training. Plus we haven''t had any group projects yet."


    "That''s lame, I met my entire class on the first day they sent me home. I was pretty used to the fact that I needed to eat more so I went to class and just introduced myself to all of them. My teacher was super nice too, she wanted me to get in the swing of everything since I was brought to the hospital after getting my super power."


    "Well, that''s really nice. I bet she was afraid you would have a hard time fitting in. Missing class can be rough." Asher was about to feel a little bad for Laura.


    "It was really great, she let me copy everyone''s notes and since my power lets me move faster I had the copies done in two days. I am even a month ahead on all my classwork." She was exceedingly proud of this.


    As Asher''s pity fell away he realized they had made it to the slower section of the river. "Well, since we are here...Yahooooo." He ran and jumped right in after tossing his muddy shirt on the ground.


    "Really? I thought you were going to guard me.." Laura was pouting slightly on the tide of the bank.


    Just jump in the way you are. Why did I need to guard you in the first place?" Asher hadn''t even held a thought on guarding each other apart from the threat of wildlife. But that didn''t mean the two needed to jump in the water separately. They were both wearing the clothing they wore in the mud pit, the only difference now was that the water was clean.


    Laura hesitated before she was able to speak, Asher couldn''t tell through the mud, but her face was bright red. "The mud is everywhere...even our underwear¡­" The last word was nearly a whisper.


    "It''s even where?" Asher hadn''t heard what she said and was still pretty lost.


    Laura mumbled even quieter making Asher get slightly annoyed. "What do you mean? I know the mud is everywhere. That''s why I jumped in like that."


    "It''s in our underwear too you idiot! So get yourself clean and then get out and stand guard or I will throw you off the cliff." This stunned Asher, he hadn''t considered all the places the mud had made it to while they were completely encompassed by it.


    "Oh no, It got everywhere. My shoes, my underwear, it''s even in my armpits!" Asher started to freak out as he tried to scrub away the mud.


    Laura was just as shocked. She had thought that Asher would fall prey to his animal instincts as a male and want to get her to wash up in the water too. She had been proven wrong. "Ha, you''re kinda dumb huh?"


    Asher didn''t even hear her as he made his best effort to clean off the mud under the water. After some minutes his combat clothing looked clean again along with the clothes he had worn over top of them. Laura had tried to shield her eyes but when she saw he had clothing under his regular outfit she was confused.


    "What''s with the double clothes? Afraid you will get cold?" She smirked as she slightly made fun of him.


    "No, these are made by the same producer, they are for combat and training. I have gloves too. I wore them under my regular clothes so I would be prepared for anything, plus it lightened my suitcase. Go figure that they took our stuff when we got here. Now I have two sets of clothing and don''t need to worry about spending points."


    Laura was about to tease him again but was silenced after realizing how smart it was to have a second set of clothing. "Maybe you aren''t so bad. Now watch for snakes and don''t you dare turn around. Or. You. Get. Thrown. Off. The. Cliff." She said each word with force so Asher knew it was a serious threat.


    Asher stood at the water''s edge while he watched for any approaching wildlife. The most he saw were a few birds flying by. The cloud passed them by in the breeze and nothing was out of place. The only sound that broke the peace of the day was the splashing of water as Laura was cleaning away the mud.


    Asher heard the splashing suddenly stop and he barely was able to keep himself from turning around in curiosity. "SSSSnaaakkkeee!!! Get away, get away! Get away!" Laura was screaming bloody murder as she kicked up water everywhere. Asher felt a large splash hit him in the back and he started to turn around.


    Laura grabbed him from behind and latched on to him. He could feel her heart beating much faster with her so close, among other things. Yet he was too focused on the things he saw floating in the water that had pushed her to this state of fear.

 Chapter 117 - 117. Snake!

    The pressure Laura was putting on him made it harder for Asher to focus. He could feel everything on his back. Her heartbeat was one of the outstanding things since it beat faster than any other humans due to her super power.


    "It''s a snake. Kill it. Throw it away. Make it get out of here!" Her screams were deafening since she was too close. Her head right by his ears.


    Asher tried to push it from his mind and focused on the floating thing in front of him. His face became deadpan, he took a deep breath. "Really? Are you that afraid of snakes?" His flat tone made Laura catch in her cries.


    "Huh?" She wasn''t sure what he meant.


    "As much as I enjoy the massage from your heart beating like a jackhammer, please let go for a minute." Asher felt the pressure on him release and he stepped in to the water farther.


    He reached in to the water and grabbed the floating object. "You were afraid of this stick?" He turned around and held it up to show a twisted piece of a beach with a vine on it.


    His face turned bright red and he dropped the stick in the water again. He had been graced with a sight any boy his age would be jealous of. ''Today I have set foot on my path to being a man.''


    With his silent joy, he was too distracted to notice Laura''s foot heading towards his face. When his eyes opened again he was on his back looking up at the sky.


    "So you''re saying the two of you were waking off the mud from the mud pit and he slipped down the bank?" Garnet"s voice sounded full of suspicion.


    "Yeah, it was a total accident. You know how slippery and muddy it is here." Laura''s voice held enough nervousness that Garnet would need to be deaf to miss the lie.


    "Ah, I see. So he was about to get in the water and slipped. Hitting his head and passing out."


    "That''s exactly how it happened." Laura nodded her head with her arms crossed supporting the theory Garnet gave her.


    "Well, if that''s how it happened why is he clean from the mud? You just agreed that he was getting in to the river. Not out." Garnet could see the panic in Laura''s eyes as she caught her in a lie.


    While Laura mumbled and tried to talk herself out of the situation, Asher sat up. "That''s because she thought a stick was a snake. Nearly choked me to death out of fear. Then when I showed her that it was a stick she freaked out and kicked me. Like, I get I saw all that you have going on, but you literally latched on to me yourself. It''s not my fault."


    Asher saw Garnet take on a look of realization. This was a common occurrence when the campers arrived. The female campers would try to wash in the river if they didn''t have points for a cabin and showers. The males that peeped would usually get nabbed by staff. But this was a unique situation.


    "I wouldn''t have needed you around if we didn''t need to worry about bears. And might I add I told you I didn''t want you turning around. You didn''t protect me from snakes or keep our deal." Laura just threw this out there with a huff.


    "First, we make sure that the wildlife that could cause harm is more or less deterred from the main camp areas. Second, you could have used the showers. They are only one point to use¡­" Garnet was shaking her head finding that this event had even happened. "Third, you lied to me about what had happened. I know you''re embarrassed but that is not an excuse. And you," Garnet pointed at Asher, "You will do your best to erase the things you''ve seen from your mind, or I will let her hit you until you do forget it."


    Asher flinched As Garnet said these things. The look on her face said much worse than just forgetting would happen if he didn''t push anything that had happened out of his mind. He just nodded and looked at Laura. She wasn''t happy to be reprimanded, but the blow was softened after she heard that Asher was being spoken to as well.


    "Now both of you can get back to camp. Go and rest up for the other campers tomorrow. You two and Jackson will be present when we introduce everyone to the rules. We will have a special role for you all to play." Garnet left them on the bank of the river and headed in to the woods away from camp. It was clear she still had some things to attend to before she returned to camp.


    The two looked at each other with tension in the air. "You literally knocked me out." Asher''s voice held anger.


    "You peeked," laura said this like it was the only logical action.


    "You were literally freaking out. And don''t tell me you forgot the position you put me in when you grabbed on to me like that." Laura turned bright red.


    "It''s your fault." She ran off in annoyance and frustration. Asher was just left alone without anyone to yell at for his unjust feelings and treatment. All that was left to him was a walk back to camp and his own thoughts.


    After thinking for a while about what had happened Asher finally made it back to the luxury cabin. The day had been much more eventful than he had expected and he wanted to do nothing more than sleep. He raided the fridge in the luxury cabin first since he didn''t feel like going to the dining cabin and risking seeing Laura who could hit him again.


    The elite home gym system recognized his body type and powered on listing his previous accomplishments in training. He noticed that there were more suggestions for meals along with training. On top of that, there were also blinking links on how to perform throws and body locks. After scanning the room he saw that there was a human shaped training dummy in the corner. ''I guess I should get to it now, maybe I can show off some throws tomorrow.''

 Chapter 118 - 118. Throws

    Asher played the first video on how to do a basic arm throw. He was drinking a protein shake and snacking on a piece of fruit while he watched it. The snacks in the luxury cabin were fresh and well worth the grab. He was even more amazed at how well stocked it was since there was even a whole grain sweet bread for him to eat. It was a perfect snack to get his energy up before he got on to his training.


    The throw was simple. The video showed an instructor grabbing the elbow and turning to put the opponent''s armpit on the thrower''s shoulder. Then with a roll of the back and some downward force the target would be thrown and land on their back. It was very basic and easy to defend. But if it was used on a charging opponent then the damage would be greater. It was the perfect defense against Laura of a heavy weight opponent.


    Asher grabbed the dummy and found that it was much heavier than he expected. "What''s in this thing? Is it full of iron?"


    "The approved training dummy is weight at one hundred and ninety pounds. It has been adjusted for the use of the current user." Asher hadn''t meant to ask the question but received an answer anyways.


    He practiced the throw ten times as the video had shown. On the tenth attempt, he received visual feedback from the elite home gym suite. It showed where he was holding back and that he was not popping his hips upwards as he should. This was something he had not even thought about and when he tried it the next time he could tell the flow was better.


    "Move on to the first body lock please." Asher knew he had the basics down and was ready to move to the first body lock. This was also simple, it has a headlock. The video supplied was showing the same movements but different holds as the throwing technique.


    Asher watched as the instructor gabbed the elbow the same way but instead of twisting and pushing the opponent up and over the instructor punched towards the head. The fist missed the opponent''s head and turned in to a hook catching the opponent''s head around their neck. The instructor pulled on the elbow and pushed with their other arm rolling the same way as the throw.


    The opponent was rolled to the floor but the instructor held on to them and locked their punching hand with their other arm. This left the opponent with the neck and arm crushed in the instructor''s grip. It was a tight lock and looked hard on the opponent''s neck, but very effective.


    Asher copied the movements step by step and found them very easy for him to use. It was just a matter of falling with the weight and then locking his grip. When the elite home gym system offered its input Asher was happy to see that the only issues were adjusting his locking grip. He had been able to perform the throw and lock without much trouble at all.


    He moved on to another two body locks and two throws that all used his opponent''s weight against them. Once he had gone through the total of six instructional videos he set up an hour of training in each of the locks and throws. The home gym system recorded every single movement he made and even started to send detailed reports in to his email for what to adjust with each move.


    The more he moved the better his flow became and by the time the hour was up he had figured out how to connect all the new moved in to his rag doll style. He wasn''t a huge fan of the name that Garnet had come up with since it sounded like it was a weak style. But the more Asher started to accept it the more he realized that it fit him all too perfectly.


    By the time he was done with his first training session the light outside had faded and he was ready to fall asleep for hours. However, the elite home gym had other plans. T had registered that he had yet to do any muscle training and only gave him a six hour timer for rest. Asher did not hesitate to properly shower and relax. The elite home gym system even recommended some vitamins to take from the medicine cabinet.


    Some of the medicines in the cabinet were very pricy and would not be bought at a normal pharmacy. Asher was again amazed by the depth the camp had. If he had known how amazing it was before he came he may have thought that it was a fantasy. With this, the night and second training passed by before he knew it. When he finally left the luxury cabin he was surprised at hold little soreness he felt.


    He made his way to the dining cabin to find that Jackson was already there and eating. "Morning, You must have been up pretty early." Asher saw that Jackson was covered in dirt and leaves.


    "I was checking out some mountain flowers that are only safe to harvest when they bloom. If they are picked while they are closed then they are poisonous and can''t be used for tea. The tea they make helps speed up blood flow and heal bruising." Jackson had been memorizing every book he could before campers got there and he would need points.


    "The more you talk about this stuff the more it makes me think joining the gardening club will be worth it." Asher knew he had no natural talent for gardening but this was a tempting reason.


    "You would be surprised how useful the things you learn are. I have plenty of tea blends that help keep the body energized. When I get points for my bags later I will share some of the tea I drink every morning. It will wake you up and get you running no matter what. It can also get rid of a headache." Asher had no idea how much Jackosn could talk about these things. It was impressive that he had such dedication.

 Chapter 119 - 119. Everyones Here

    Asher had woken up and headed to get good at the finding cabin. The suggested meal was much larger today along with a much longer suggested work out. Before he had gone to bed he browsed the app for the elite gym system and found it even more useful than he had thought.


    Jackson had already been there and chatted with him about mountain flowers which made great tea. This was a surprise but before they could get in to it more Garnet and Laura had walked in.


    "Alright, here is how this will play out. The campers will arrive the same way you did. After that, they will make their way to the camp entrance which is set up with a stage. Your three will be asked to stand with me to give the welcome address. Please do not tell them about my siblings, they need to find them for point earning challenges on their own."


    "Got it." Jackson just kept eating while saying his two words.


    "Can I direct my friends to meet Dia if I want? She told me to bring them to the obstacle course when they get here." Asher remembered yesterday''s events at the course and knew that it was most certainly his first stop.


    "That''s fine, just don''t point her out and say things about getting points from her and such." Garnet wasn''t too worried about the obstacle course since it was a challenge to make many points on unless someone really worked hard.


    "They should be arriving in ten minutes from the starting point. Your teachers will instruct them to run and we will head to the entrance. As they arrive you will help with handing out one water bottle and packet of crackers. My staff arrive last night and are setting them up now." Garnet thought for a moment before adding one last thing, "each student gets one set, it is the only bonus they get before they need to push themselves for points to progress."


    Asher ate his food as quickly as possible and grabbed an apple to eat while they walked. Jackson was still a bit dirt covered from his plant explorations by nobody said much as the four headed to the entrance. Laura was ignoring Asher but that was only fair after the previous day.


    When they made it to the entrance to the camp themselves they found over twenty similarly dressed staff members toiling away. There''s were tables with water and crackers along with a few obviously medical staff as well. They were in a hustle which was fair since they had arrived in the night and most likely had a large number of tasks to complete.


    "If you want to train of read or anything while we wait for camper''s that is fine. I recommend that you get a little cleaner Jackson."Garnet only saw a problem in Jackson''s appearance but other than that it was up to them what they did while they waited.


    Jackson ran off to clean up and Asher played his own game of foot work shadow tag. He had been mixing in moves as he did so and noticed that Garnet was watching him. Laura was off somewhere finding a snack.


    "You''re much more fluid than the other day. I think you have a better knack for fighting than you thought. Without a super power that boosts your physical ability the style you are developing is ideal. You can go with the flow and use your opponents'' strength against them." Her analysis matched up with the elite home gym system making Asher wonder if she had been looking at his training.


    "Just wait until you meet my friends. Jane should be able to surprise you with her bursts of speed, and well Art...He is pretty solid." Asher wasn''t sure what to say about Art when it came to martial arts, he was more just an all around basic fighter.


    "A camper already? But it''s only been a short time. They would be nearly matching the record for getting here." Garnet was looking at her phone and seeing that there were two campers that had set off her alarm. Her phone was connected to many alarms around the camp to keep safe track of campers while there.


    Asher smiled wider than usual, "That should be them now." Garnet raised an eye brow and gave him an expectant look.


    ''So his friends are the ones approaching before anyone else? I wonder how much training they have been doing together before they all got to camp. If they are as hard working as this kid is then all three should have been here early.'' Garnet kept her thoughts to herself while the two waited patiently for the two campers to reach them.


    Another forty five minutes passed since the alarm went off meaning that the campers had most likely been tripped up by the river. This was normal since it was the exact reason the campers were started at such a point. Garnet breathed a sigh of relief knowing that the record she had set when she was their age was still intact.


    "Hurry up!!!!!" Asher saw the familiar masked face of Jane and the panting figure of Art in the distance. They were well ahead of the other students according to Garnet.


    The two heard his voice and broke in to a finishing sprint. Asher shouted a few times until the both of them started charging right at him. "oh no."


    The three hit the ground with a thud and some groaning. Through panting breaths Art managed to speak, "That-gahh-is for-gahhhh- missing workouts-gaahhh" Art had been put through more and more harsh workoputs from Cara since Asher left. She knew the advantages that Asher would have over Art and Jane so she made the two work harder. However, she failed to tell the two of them this and so they both wanted a little revenge for being alone.


    "Yeah yeah, I missed you to bro." Asher looked at jane who was laying on her back panting as well. "Glad to see you made it safely. That new mask looks pretty amazing, well fuzzy but amazing."

 Chapter 120 - 120.Friends Meet Friends

    With Jane''s new mask her face could finally be seen to some degree. The fuzzy appearance was from the way the tough clear material was made. It would refract light to a degree changing what was seen through it. This kept Jane''s super power at bay while also letting her and others see.


    Jane smiled showing off a little more. "I know, it came out amazing. I need to send a thank you card to the manufacturer, I hope they will be able to give it to the person who invented this. They told me it could even stop a basic bullet so I don''t need to worry about anything breaking it."


    "That''s wicked cool. What about you Art? How is your gear?" Art''s face dropped, he had a scrunched up face.


    "Yeah, it''s great. No problems. But I didn''t bring it, you know heavy and stuff." Art wouldn''t make eye contact with Asher making him feel that there was something wrong.


    He glanced at Jane who just shook her head a little. She had tried to meet Art at Asher''s house but after waiting for a little while Cara mentioned that Art had left earlier for school. She wanted to talk to him too but he had avoided being alone with her and she knew that she would need Asher''s help to figure out what was wrong.


    "So these are the two you have been waiting for. I am Garnet the head counselor here. Welcome to the camp. As two of the first five to make it here, you get a special something." Garnet handed them a small ticket.


    "Night training pass?" Jane read it out loud curious as to what it could mean.


    "You will learn about it when the other campers make it here. Last year it took at most seven hours." Garnet''s tone was very lackadaisical when she said this.


    Jane wanted to pry and get more information but Garnet had already walked away to get back to other preparations. "Well, since it looks like we aren''t going onside yet, why don''t you tell us all about the camp?" Jane just smiled and nudged Asher. Art was looking away in a daze, he appeared to be trapped within his own mind.


    "Well, the thing is I am not supposed to ruin the specifics but I don''t see why I can''t run through the general stuff. Most of the things I will tell you will be explained in the introduction though." Asher proceeded to tell them most of what had happened and omitted a few things. He especially omitted the incident with Laura since he was sure Jane would get angry at him for it.


    They managed to pass the time chatting and starting to do some foot work Tage. Asher was not surprised to find Garnet watching them. Jane had somehow gotten faster while Art was easy to catch off guard. With his mind elsewhere he was a weak opponent.


    "Oh, that is Jackson. He is the gardener I told you about." Asher saw Jackson return from cleaning up and proceeded to drag him to his friends. "This is Jane and Art. They are in my class."


    "Hey there, Asher told me that you guys are pretty good in combat and have some interesting powers. Feel free to ask me whatever you need about plants or wildlife in the area." Jackson was happy to finally meet the two people Asher had mentioned a few times. Meeting other class one students would give him a chance to make more friends.


    "Ohhhh so these are your friends." Laura was behind them snacking on cheese crackers. She had shown up without any of them noticing.


    "And this is Laura, she is forever snacking." Asher sighed at this, he had started to get used to her constant disappearances and reappearances with snacks.


    "You say that like I''m fat or something." She gave Asher a soft hit to the shoulder and dodged his response. "Too slooooww."


    Jane stepped between them, "I wouldn''t hit him like that. He can wipe the floor with you any day." Jane thought she had pulled out the perfect high and mighty card for Laura''s defeat.


    "Well yeah. He already has. But it''s ok, I got revenge." Laura was referring to the mud pit. She sounded like she had done something much worse before things could escalate Asher jumped in.


    "You and Jackson, and Dia ganged up on me. It was three against one. There was no way to avoid the mud." This looked to calm Jane down.


    "Who is Dia?" She realized that Dia sounded like a girl''s name and had become more curious than she needed t to be, Asher felt a shiver run down his spine.


    "She''s the best. She is in charge of the obstacle course. Asher will introduce you since she said we should bring our friends by." Laura was just excited to talk about her favorite part of the camp, her teasing had ended in a moment.


    "Art, there is a really cool part of the obstacle course I think you will like. You and I should head there."


    "Hmm, sure bro." Art''s response was almost nonexistent. Asher was ready to drag him away to figure out what was wrong but a panting student came up to the crowd of campers that had grown while the group chatted.


    "That should be the last of the campers for this year. You all made it to camp Jewel. Welcome. Please listen close, if you want me to repeat the rules you will need to pay a point for every rule." Garnet started off with a basic explanation for points and different activities at the camp. Jackson seemed excited to hear about the classes having more options. He had exhausted the main ones he wanted to take and suddenly had more options.


    Jane perked up her head at the explanation of the sparring field. Ashe had expected her to spend a lot of time there trying to get points. However, when Garnet got to the portion about spending points to get bags back the entire crowd of campers started to become agitated.

 Chapter 121 - 121. Challenge Targets

    "You mean you all thought that this would be a vacation? You signed up for a training camp." Garnet sounded like she was about to get truly harsh. "You can earn bulk points in a few unique ways. I won''t leave you all out in the rain." Her eyes shifted to Asher, Laura, and Jackson.


    First, let me explain the luxury cabin. There is one cabin outfitted with the best of the best training amenities. This gold egg here holds your ticket to one night free of charge, We will hide it every night in camp, the first one to find it will get the life of luxury." This brought a murmur through the crowd of campers. They all had focused on the shiny golden egg in Garnet''s hand. "Of course the real one is already hidden."


    Her last sentence made everyone want to rush in to camp, but Garbet wasn''t done with the introductions. "Other than that the points come from activities and challenges issued by the counselors or other staff." Garet pointed out some nearby staff and to herself. This was the main way to build points other than the facilities.


    "Lastly I have the three early admittance students." The three went up on stage. "Jackson here is the king of the educational classroom. You will challenge him in a class of his choosing. If you defeat him you gain twenty five points." Many of the campers zeroed in on him, but most were deterred by the fact that he was the king of the classroom, meaning mentally tough point building.


    "Laura is the queen of the obstacle course. If you can beat her unique obstacle triumphs then you will earn twenty five points. Be warned she is quick on her toes." Garnet knew that not a single person would beat Laura in speed. The only hope would be that when they challenged her she was distracted.


    "Last but not least, we have Asher. He is the battle master. Find him in the sparring field. After you defeat ten people in a row you are allowed to challenge him for thirty points." Garnet added five additional points so that Asher could get more training in. She wanted to see him developing his rag doll style even more than he had so far.


    The campers had all memorized the three and how many points they were worth. Asher even saw Jane giving him an evil smile. She would most likely challenge him the most out of anyone else. Art was looking off in to the distance stuck in his own head. Asher was sure that he had missed most of what was said.


    "Finally, we have the night training tickets. Those who manage to find the counselors of each area and complete a challenge can gain one of these tickets. There will be a night training course every night. They will be to train all after dark skills and situations. This class is trained by two guest instructors who will introduce themselves tomorrow night at the first night training." Garnet had finished her speech and was looking around proud.


    "Well, what are you waiting for? Camp is open!" Garet''s shout sent everyone running. They all wanted to get their belongings or find the golden egg. Not a single one of them wanted to sleep outside or miss a meal. The staff that had been gathered also rushed off to their own positions.


    Asher saw that Garnet was leaving too and wanted to chase after her for making all three of them targets for the other campers. "I bet we will get points for beating the challengers." Jackson hit them with his theory. If he was right then the three of them didn''t need to worry ver points. Instead, they would easily be making them and staying well rested.


    " I didn''t even think of that. Great idea." Asher was pretty excited to hear that theory, he was confident that he could deal with most of those who challenged him. He had a larger amount of moved to use and training against real people would help him gain the experience he needed to refine his style.


    Some campers stayed back looking at Jackson, Laura, and Asher. The problem was they had not gone in to camp so the campers could not challenge them yet. The remaining campers shuffled off. "Well, we are training targets for everyone. Maybe we shouldn''t go back in." Jackson would have been fine with staying outside the camp.


    "If we stay outside of camp how will you get a ticket for night training and go out after some night blooming plants?" Asher knew this kind of incentive was what Jackson needed to push forward.


    Shock and realization showed on Jackson''s face, he hadn''t considered this. "I don''t see why you wouldn''t want to go. We got the best spots for each of us." The two boys could swear they saw Laura moving faster than usual after hearing this. She would get to spend more time at the obstacle course she enjoyed.


    "Asher! I''m going to kick your butt!" Jane ran up to them with Art in tow already trash talking.


    "You and what army? You remember that you have bad luck when you try and use your powers against me. It will come down to skill, and I have some new moves." He was already bragging.


    " you learned more moves? That''s so not fair. You need to teach us first then, right Art?" Jane turned to Art who wasn''t focusing.


    "Hmm? Oh yeah." Asher and Laura just stared at him with annoyance and worry.


    "Hey, can you two head back first? I need to have a talk with Art here." Laura and Jackson nodded knowing that Asher needed to sort out the mood that Art was in. It was a best friend''s job after all.


    Jane gave Art a hard stare while Asher stood in front of him. Art could only look at the ground. "What''s wrong? You haven''t acted like this before, even when you got kicked out of your house."

 Chapter 122 - 122. Power Struggle

    "I''m fine, there''s nothing wrong with me. I''m just tired." Art looked away in to the woods refusing to make eye contact with Jane and Asher.


    "Alright if that''s all it is then you will be fine with us never entering camp and wasting these days. I figure if we don''t train here we will have a few months set back from our goal to be a hero."


    "Asher''s right, just a few months set back. That is if we can still be ready for our end of year tournament to sew the seeds for our path to a senior year scholarship to a university. But it doesn''t matter. We can afford to start late on that path."


    Asher and Jane finished each other''s thoughts to make it sound like they would be taking a heavy hit. The only one that knew how true this was was Asher, he had realized all the benefits this camp had at every turn.


    "That''s not fair. It''s really nothing. I am just feeling tired like I said." Art was trying really hard not to talk about it. But Asher and Jane both knew that if he bottled it up it would just make him feel worse. On top of this, they also knew he would start to fall behind from the stress of whatever it was making him become way more behind in everything.


    "And if it was fine you would be able to tell me how many points you get for beating me in the sparring field." Asher looked at Art like he had just said something crazy.


    "I- umm, what are points for?" Art fulfilled


    "That''s what we are talking about Art! You have something bothering you. Asher and I are your friends. Rivals. And at this point family, so stop being so hard headed and tell us what is wrong. Worst case we can''t help. Best case we can be there for you to lean on." Jane had taken a harsh tone but it finally seemed to get through Art''s thick skull.


    "Just- just watch" Art pulled out a bent paper clip and held it up. Asher and Jane were a bit confused but didn''t show it.


    Art held the paper clip and his brow creased. His focus was intense as he willed his super power to work. The paper clip slowly straightened itself out before their eyes. "Wait, so you found lead paper clips to use as a hero?" Asher thought that this had to be the answer, but Art''s face said he was wrong.


    "No¡­ I found a steel paper clip that I accidentally bent while practicing the other day. I thought I had found a lead paper clip and was worried about why it existed. But.." Art trailed off as Jane showed a realization.


    "Your super power isn''t only to control lead, is it?" Jane and Asher were silent, they weren''t sure what to say.


    "That''s what I thought, so I snuck in to the nurses'' office and found the paper files from when we got our super powers. I knew it took a while for them to give me my information but I thought it was because they were so busy." Art''s face became more and more tired looking while he spoke.


    "Then when I found it¡­ When I found it I didn''t know what to do. My super power is recorded to be all metal manipulation and all metal poison immunity. I have two powers just like you guys. But my real powers were hidden for some reason. But I have an idea why." Asher and Jane had become much more serious. This was not a simple accident and they knew it.


    "My brother took over the family and my parents both work for hero corp as researchers. If my theory is correct then my brother had my information falsified so I couldn''t contest him as the head of the house. His powers are only metal manipulation, it has to be in a solid form. Mine is all metal manipulation and all metal poison immunity. I would be forced to take over as the head of the family the second I graduated."


    The paleness of Art''s face had made him appear as a ghost. He had no anger left but still could feel the pain with every word he said. "It could be a good thing, you won''t need to worry about the duty getting in the way of your dream to be a hero. It''s unfair to you thug, you should be able to be home with your family. If you don''t want the position then you shouldn''t have to take it." Jane laid it all out straight.


    "I don''t think my parents know, which is even scarier. How does he already have these connections so soon after graduating? It makes me worry that he is involved in something worse than just changing documents." This put Asger and Jane on edge. If Art''s parents weren''t involved and were in the dark then it was going to be messier.


    "Then we keep it a secret for now. You still pretend that your power is to control lead. Practice in secret and we will see what we can do. If I sit down with Garnet I think she will allow us to have a private training space at night. We can take it slowly and make sure your parents are safe and your brother isn''t involved in anything nefarious. He deserves to be punished for lying to you, but if he is in to something worse then we might not be able to stop it."


    Asher didn''t finish his statement because Jane jumped right back in. " And if it is just him wanting power Asher and I will stand with you. You shouldn''t have to take on anything you don''t want. If they try to force you then Asher will let them spend some personal time with his jinx power while I show them my beautiful face." Jane and Asher were smiling wide at Art now.


    "You guys are kinda dumb. But I like the plan..Thanks." He turned away again from them, but this time he wasn''t trying to avoid their eye contact. Asher could see from his shoulders that he was crying.


    "Well in the meantime, let''s get you on the fast track to being a martial arts master. If I remember you will need to be strong to move some of that metal you want to carry." Asher clapped Art on the back and headed toward camp. Jane was at his side. Art looked at them blurry eyed before running to stand next to them as well.

 Chapter 123 - 123. What To Do

    The three walked in to camp officially starting their training for the week. Asher couldn''t shake the angry feeling from hearing about Art''s brother and the possible corruption. Not only would it be a problem for Art if this was something bigger, but it would be a problem for everyone who received their evo shot. If more documents were falsified and a dangerous super power was not treated safely then people could die.


    Jane was not in a different set of mind, she was also considering these things. She had spent the last few days trying to figure out why Art had taken such a massive turn in the opposite direction. She had first thought that he was just upset that his best friend was gone away early, but the more she poked and prodded the more it appeared to be worse than that.


    The two were keeping a tough poker face to make sure that Art would be able to become stronger and decide his won path, but the nagging feeling that they would all be too weak right now was eating at them. The three were going to need to work much harder this week, more so than they had been. "What do you guys want to do first? Everyone will be searching for the egg so we could do that? I found it the days I was here so my luck may have run out. I need to talk to a councelor and get one of those night training tickets too. I want to try that out with you guys." Asher knew there were too many options.


    "That egg can wait, we have the chance to just wander in to it while we do other things. I want to get some points for lunch first. That run made me tired." Jane was rubbing her stomach as if she had never eaten in her life.


    "Don''t mention food, I haven''t been in the mood to eat and no I am way too hungry." Art had even made some meals for lunch for the weekend but had just given them to Cara since he wasn''t feeling liek eating. Naturally, Cara was ecstatic to have them and made sure not to leave even a single crumb.


    "Then we should go farm points. If you two act as my left and right hand you could easily crush the challengers that come to spoar with me? Or we can try the obstacle course, but I think it is better to do that after a good night''s rest." Asher knew that he ahd not made it through every ibstacle and that he wanted to give his friends and him the best shot at completeing it.


    "If we spar will we be able to handle the back to back matches? We will probably need to go to the nurse''s cabin the head counclor mentioned." Art had been listening to the part about where the mani facility cabins were. The nurse''s cabin was one he made sure to remember.


    "I have a different cabin I can go to for that since I came early, but I am sure I can bring you two if I say i am treating your wounds as first aid prctice. Plus I don''t feel like seeing Lapis and that evil chicken¡­" Jane and Art were still confused abut the evil chicken but since they had yet to witness it, they would stay confused.


    "I wish we could take some of those classes for free or to get points." Jane wanted to test her knowledge and try and learn some new things about search and rescue operations.


    "Don''t worry about those classes. Jackson is an expert so we can just ask him to teach us. He will need some help learning combat so we can show him how to use footwork." Asher waved it off like it was an easy thing.


    "Wait, that big guy has no combat ability? Like, at all?" Art couldn''t believe that someone so big and bulky wouldn''t have any physical prowess at all.


    "Nope, he is in the gardening club. Before he got his super power he was small and scrawny apparently. It''s crazy what we can get for a super power, right? To be honest I won''t be surprised if he and Laura and transferred in to our class if they become more powerful. Laura could pass out if she doesn''t eat and is crazy fast. Jackson is not used to his body yet and can cause some serious damage without training. It will be good for him to learn martial arts to become more familiar with his own body."


    "I can''t imagine needed to learn how to use my body again. It must be really hard on him." Jane felt a twinge of pity. She had a hard enough time finding her own balance in training at first, having to restart must be a huge trial.


    "Laura has it hard too, she is suddenly super fast and can''t keep up with her own body. She only uses simple straight forward movements. So she is in the same boat as Jackson. I''m the one that stands out with the weird super power. But Garnet has been really helpful figuring out a style for my martial arts." Asher had been thinking about showing off, so heading to the sparring field would be the ideal choice.


    "You have a style figured out already? I haven''t even started to figure out mine." Jane was miffed by this and turned away from Asher. ''Why is he so cool, he even has a style.'' However, unknown to Asher her thoughts were different.


    "Do you guys want to come see? I can show off a little. I am pretty sure Garnet will give you some coaching too, just don''t mention coach Winters I''m pretty sure they are rivals and she meets her often in tournaments." Asher had remembered the first encounter and made sure to warn his friends. With that, they headed toward the training field. They passed many students digging through the camp in search of the golden egg which was the key to the luxury cabin, unfortunately for them, they did not look to be succeeding.

 Chapter 124 - 124. Getting Help

    It took you long enough to get over here. What were you doing? Napping?" Garnet had expected Asher to come right over the second that camo started. He had talked about his friends and their training so many times that it only made sense for him to bring them to show off and get some sparring in. Instead, she had waited and found that they were not coming.


    "I have been here a while yet and the only campers that came were ones that wanted to check out what the field looked like. Only two so far have challenged each other and it was a rough match to watch." She was not happy with the slow influx of campers, they were always way too focused on the golden egg until they realized it was too hard to find.


    " My friends and I were having a talk. Actually, since no one else is here I wanted to know if I could ask a favor?" Asher had hope that he would be able to trust Garnet with this. So far she was a tough personality but had proven to genuinely care for the camper''s improvement.


    "Since you''re so serious I can at least listen. But no free points." She had seen a few campers try to gain free points with sob stories when they weren''t doing well. It usually would stem from laziness.


    "Nothing like that, we will earn our points. I was wondering if there was a private cabin that no one would bother us using to help Art practice his power. We have some reasons for keeping things a little less public. I can explain more if you need, but that is up to Art."


    Art saw that Asher was fairly trusting of the head counselor and knew this must have come from the few days of camp he had been here so far. He took a shallow breath before deciding what he would say. "I need somwhere safe to practice my powers. They weren''t what I was told they were. If I can''t figure them out things can be tough." He tried his best tp avoid eye contact.


    Garnet appeared a little shaken hearing this. "The last people that asked me for a private place tp practice their powers left camp early. Tell me what you are planning and I will help." This was a shock to Asher. He had expected some form of pushback but the pained expression on Garnet''s face was not one he believed to be possible.


    "I won''t be leaving for anywhere. I need to understand what I can do so I can face my brother. I will be a hero and that is final. But Asher said I can put my trust in you so here I am. Please help us become stronger." Art held out a hand to make a deal. Garnet had expected him to act differently. She thought that a past event was going to repeat itself here today.


    "Find that golden egg and I will let all three of you use the luxury cabin. There is eniugh room to take shifts. Asher can explain why it is so important. But not a word to the other campers. I will be tracking your improvement and setting up a plan." Garnet had gained her tone of steel again. She could see in Art''s eyes that he was not burdened by the weight of the world.


    The two shook hands making their deal. "But first, you are going to show me everything you learned from that coach of yours." Garnet was doing the same thing to Art and Jane that she had done to Asher. The only thing left was to watch as Art tried to withstand the onslaught. Art had received the warning but he was not ready for the sudden change in seriousness.


    Art went through the same form of exchanges that Asher had. However Asher could see that art''s movements were muchmore stiff than his. He would fight with a firm base and put out solid hits and blocks. He was trying to be a wall unlike Asher who moved with the flow. His style was one that relied of strength and toughness, unfortunately for him, Garnet had more strength and toughness.


    Art was reduced to a pile on the ground in just a few minutes leaving Garnet to run down the style he was starting to make. She promised him that she would have more detail once they managed to get to the luxury cabin. Her gaze fell on Jane next which was eniugh to make Jane flinch.


    "Your turn now, show me this explosive speed burst that Asher has been bragging about." Jane gave Asher a look, she felt that she had been betrayed. Her secrets had already been given away.


    Asher knew that he was in for a rough time training later since Jane would be sure to get some revenge when sparring aginst him. This match went much differently. Jane had started ti rely in string kicks keeping a little more distance. Asher had expected this sort of style since she had the perfect figure to take advantage of a solid kick. The bonus of her speed was that she could switch to a closer punch in the blink of an eye.


    Garnet let a small smile show when Jane switched like this the first time. She had expected a burst of speed in to a harsh kick but was met with a furious punch toward her unguarded side, which made her dodge. Jane tried to emphisize on this by pushing forwards again, however this was a fatal mistake.


    Garnet was able to grab the next kick, perfectly predicting it. The next thing Jane knew she was being thrown through the air and in a perfect body lock. Garnet waited for only a few seconds before releasing her and explaining the flaws in her patterns. Jane was falling in to a habit of constantly repeated combos. This was a downfall of martial artists that followed the same practice too often.


    "I will make sure this and more is factored in to what I want you all to do. Now go find that egg, Asher. I need the campers to get serious instead of chasing a dream." Garnet had a feeling that Asher would find the golden egg anyways.

 Chapter 125 - 125. Egg Hunting

    "So what the heck was that about? The way she acted made it feel like she wanted to beat coach Winters up through us." Art was feeling a few bruises growing where he was blocked and taken down.


    "So you know how Coach Winters said she came against a rival? Then they both lost to a younger martial artist? I think they are rivals and both lost to the same person." Asher''s theory was nearly confirmed now, he wanted t somehow get the two together but he had a feeling if they did then they would get in to an all out brawl.


    "Then we are getting coached by two top placing martial artists? I see no problem in that." Jane had her own soreness from the body lock that she had been put in to. But nothing could make her unhappy about the feedback from Garnet. She would be able to improve much more now.


    "So, the real question is where we should look. The entire camp is being scoured and no one has had any look." Art was spinning in a slow circle looking for a lesser populated place to hunt for the golden egg.


    "The main area looks pretty full of people. I expect the farther areas to be abandoned. But knowing Laura the obstacle course has been swept clean, and with Jackson in the classrooms, I think that will be clear too." Asher had his hand on his chin as he looked around.


    "We can try the entrance area. Everyone just ran in. If my theory is right the egg will be there since less will look there." Jane was trying to put everything in to a theory of where people would most likely ignore after getting to camp.


    "Treu, how many people are going back to the camp entrance when they just got here? There aren''t even any activities near there." Asher thought t was a great idea, before he could start leading the way Art was already heading in the direction.


    Asher and Jane looked at each other, "He seems a little more motivated."


    "I think he just needed to get his goals straightened out, plus he was afraid to put this on us." Asher and Jane knew that the weight of something like this could be heavy and that Art didn''t want to burden them. But they were his friends and wouldn''t let that stop them from helping. They put some extra spring in their steps to catch up to Art who was blazing the trail.


    The trio easily reached the completely abandoned front entrance. The staff had already cleaned up the area the campers had been waiting along with the tables that had held the drinks and crackers. All that was left was an area that had been scuffed up by the camper''s shoes and the camp sign.


    "We don''t need to search anything past that point since that is outside the camp. If they hid it out there then nobody will find it and that''s just a rip off." Asher pointed out toward the area they had all jogged from. That was well outside the camp area and he had no plans to head out there.


    The three split up and started to look around the area that they had started with. Art was chacking the bushes while completely ignorning the fact that they were covered in spines. If he found the next step to getting stronger he didn''t mind a few scratches.


    Jane was more practical. She had watched carefully and listened during the explanations. She tried to derive clues from the explanation of the egg being hidden and made a point to search very thoroughly where Garnet had stood to outline the rules.


    Asher was the least practical. He was attempting to climb to the top of the sign since he had a feeling he could see better from the top. His technique wasn''t the most optimal, but after wrapping himself around the pole on one side of the sign he was able to inch up little by little. By the time he was halfway up Art and Jane had noticed his actions and were standing on the ground looking up at him.


    "You know there''s no way it could be on the sign right?" Art could see the entire sign from the ground, he was worried that Asher had lost his mind thinking it was on top somehow.


    "Not on top, but around the area. I need a bird''s eye view!" Asher yelled down clarifying his plan. Jane just looked at the trees around them and wondered why they hadn''t qualified. "Art, we should stay here in case he falls. I have a bad feeling that he will need our help." Art just nodded along with this. He also didn''t trust that Asher wouldn''t fall or even jump down.


    After a few more minutes of climbing, Asher had reached the top and pulled himself to balance on the thin sign board attached to the poles. "I have a way better view up here! Just watch me find the spot it''s hiding." He did not doubt that he would be able to spot the egg from so high up. The gold color would stand out really well against the green and browns of the forest.


    His eyes scanned the ground and he slowly turned himself around while sitting and balancing on the sign. He wasn''t seeing anything on the ground and moved his gaze to the trees. He couldn''t leave even a single leaf without evaluation.


    Some time passed and Art and Jane were getting worried that Asher had actually gotten stuck up top. He hadn''t moved much for a while. "Is everything OK up there?" Jane yelled to him.


    "Yeah, I just don''t see it." Asher raised his hands and placed them down. He felt something attached to the sign as he placed his hand down. "Oh come on! How is it here." He looked at the golden egg shape that was perfectly fitted in to an egg shaped groove in the wood of the sign. It was the perfect spot so it couldn''t be seen from the ground. Only a climber could find it fitted in the top.

 Chapter 126 - 126. Pressure

    "You aren''t stuck are you?!" Art yelled up to Asher after hearing him shout in annoyance.


    "No, The stupid egg was really up here!" His yell made his two friends'' faces show confusion until Asher held up the golden egg.


    "No way! We found it already!"


    Art was practically jumping. Jane was very surprised and wanted to climb up and check out how it was hidden. She didn''t waste even a single moment as she wrapped herself around the pole.


    She matched Asher''s climbing technique and inched up the pole with her arms locked. She had seen how he moved and was able to make her speed faster. Before long she was pulling herself up to sit next to him. "Ha! Made it, now where did you get that thing?"


    She was a little out of breath but Asher couldn''t help but be impressed by the skills she had to climb up on the first try. "That was fast. It was in this part here." He pointed out the carved out section of the sign on his opposite side.


    Jane leaned over him, "Ugh, it''s so far away. I wish we had more room to move." Asher couldn''t help but remain perfectly still as she leaned over him. His face turning a bright crimson as she pressed against him. "Who in the world came up here and spent the time to carve this. It''s perfect to fit the egg."


    She was stumped, to her, it was a radical action just to hide an egg. "Actually, Garnet and her siblings use this as a game to help their training to spot details. So it is not just for campers, I wouldn''t underestimate sibling rivalry." Jane didn''t expect it to be more than just a game for the campers to play. She saw the value in using it for training but knowing that the counselors were using it for the same training made it feel more worthwhile.


    "Art, catch!" Asher dropped the golden egg to Art who managed to catch it without issue. He wanted to get down, but in the position, he sat there was no room to move before Jane. Instead, he just stayed still and focused on his breathing. He needed to keep his heart calm.


    "Did you learn a meditation technique too? You are breathing really carefully." Jane noticed the change in Asher since she was still pressed up against him.


    "No, well, I kinda. I''m just trying to stay calm."


    "Why wouldn''t you be calm?" Jane looked at him full of curiosity. She was genuinely lost as to why Asher would be having trouble keeping calm.


    "It''s just, this position¡­ it''s a little tough to be in¡­" He trailed off with his words trying not to make eye contact while his face was turning more and more red.


    "What''s wrong with this position?" Jane leaned in to him more. Asher saw that she had caught on to why he was uncomfortable. "You aren''t afraid of heights right?"


    ''She totally knows that she is making this hard for me!'' Asher saw the mischievous look she had taken on as she spoke. Her false words about the height to try and throw him off were not fair at all.


    "Hey, are you guys stuck? Or will you two come down so we can get another activity started?" Art had started to believe that the two had gotten stuck or one of them was afraid to try and come down.


    Jane grinned a little more, Asher started to feel it was even more unfair that he could now see her face. Even though it was a little blurry it was a huge advantage for her to have. Jane had much more confidence, but she also had practiced the entire weekend with her facial expressions to get back to being used to p[eople being able to see them.


    "We are coming down I was just checking something out. I will tell you in a minute!" Jane slowly moved off of Asher and let herself down to the pole. She used a generic technique that firemen use to slide down a pole. It was quick and efficient and worked.


    Asher followed her lead after letting himself cool off for a moment. He was already starting to plan his revenge. He had not been able to see Jane''s face for the majority of their friendship. But now he would be able to see it and take advantage of her emotions.


    "So how could we not see that thing up there?" Art was curious since he wasn''t able to see anything from the ground.


    "So they carved out like a half egg shape. Then they fitted it perfectly inside so you have to climb to the top." Jane gave the description sounding very impressed with the way it had been done.


    "If I hadn''t put my hand down and felt it I might not have noticed at all. It was that perfectly set." Asher still thought it was an excessive amount of effort to hide it, but remembering about how crazy the camp was as a whole, it made some sense.


    "So now we show it off and get to the sparing fields to cause some trouble?" Art was rearing to go, his renewed drive was pushing him to burn some energy.


    "Show off, then hit the sparing field. Then just rack up the points. If we spread out far away from each other we won''t scare anyone off. The people who don''t think they can beat one of us might go to another. At the end of the day, we might all beat the same people since they will try their luck one by one." Asher''s plan sounded foolproof. If they managed this they wouldn''t need to worry about points at all, even though Asher had stocked himself up.


    "Then Art and I beat you and get a ton of points. I of course will beat Art too and be crowned battle master of the sparring fields." Jane was dead set on beating Asher, he had a few days to improve at camp and she had the feeling that he had grown more than she or Art combined.

 Chapter 127 - 127. Campfire Cookies

    "You think you can beat me? The battle master? You''ll need to defeat ten people to even challenge me." Asher played some bravado in his speech trying to sound high and mighty.


    Art and Jane didn''t miss the chance to rebuttal, "foul villain. You force us to slay your enemies by the tens, just for entertainment!"


    "We shall rise above and crush you. You will feel our true wrath!"


    The three cracked up after Jane''s addition. They were unable to keep up the facade as they started to draw looks from other campers. "Hey Asher, go long!"


    Art held the egg in a throwing position. They had drawn some attention and it was time to show off. Asher dashed forward and jumped in the air catching the golden egg. "The golden egg is caught! It''s a ten point run. The crowd goes wild!" Jane''s announcing voice was on point, many campers instantly became dejected.


    "Yes yes, thank you for coming to see our victory. Tomorrow you will have a chance to lose to us again. But for now, we will kick your butts at the training field." Asher turned about as he spoke holding the golden egg high.


    "Bro, you''re a little bit much there. Won''t everyone come to the sparring field and try to beat you now?" Art was worried Asher was getting in over his head.


    "It''s perfect! They will show up to fight Asher and we will have a steady supply of practice." Jane saw Asher''s plan in full. It would be a great points farming opportunity and training.


    "Make sure you get a lot of training Art. But make sure to save a little energy...I think we will be doing a tough workout with the elite home gym." Asher had still not explained the home gym fully, but the two knew it meant they would be dead tired.


    The more the three walked through the camp the better things got. Campers were already gossiping and many had given up the search. "How do you always find it! I searched the whole obstacle course while running it and I found nothing!" Laura was understandably frustrated to see Asher holding the golden egg yet again.


    "Ohh, you want to know where we found it? Reaallllyy?" Asher held the egg up taunting her. Laura''s simple response was to chomp harder on the cookie in her hand.


    "It was in a groove at the top of the welcome sign. It will be a challenge if they hide it like that every day." Jane said it outright ignoring Asher''s attempt to tease Laura.


    "That''s so sneaky! Do you know how he found it the first time? It was inside a hollowed out part of a tree. It was impossible. Here." Laura offered a cookie from her package to Jane.


    "Asher didn''t tell us, he has been pretty lame today." Jane threw some teasing at Asher who appeared to be lost for words. ''They''re going to gang up on me. Girls are pure evil!''


    "It''s alright bro, we both know you don''t have to be jealous of those cookies. Mine are better and if we get enough points I''ll buy ingredients at the general store. We can make a fire and make a campfire cookie." Jane immediately stopped mid-bite.


    "And that is why we are best friends Art." Asher clapped him on the shoulder and stuck his tongue out at the girls.


    "Are they really that good?" Laura couldn''t help but whisper to Jane.


    "Better than good, I''d kill for them." Jane''s solemn face was enough to motivate the food driven Laura. She needed the constant snacking and if it tasted better she would fight for it.


    "Then I think the boys should make us a batch of campfire cookies." Her eyes exclamation made it sound like the boys were striving to show off and offer them the best. Jane didn''t even flinch and knew she should back Laura up.


    "One batch for each of us would be the perfect amount. It would be a proper gift to give to lovely ladies like ourselves." The two girls felt they had the perfect plan to guild the boys in to sharing, but Art had become serious over his recipes.


    "Alright, then I will need you two to get points for ingredients. Also a cast iron skillet, one someone to start a fire because I don''t know how, and I need a few tools or at least a bowl." His list shocked them. He had directly flipped the situation on them.


    "Nice move Art." Asher nudged his friend proud of the sudden flip to seriousness, but Art turned to him too.


    "You can''t touch them. I want you to get your friend Jackson to help us find some tree nuts or small berries to add. I want to make a chocolate chip oatmeal cookie. Fresh berries from the forest or fresh nuts would be ideal."


    Asher and the girls had been defeated in an instant. They went from hopeful cookie eaters to ingredient fetchers. Art wasn''t even going to revel in his victory, he was too concerned with planning the steps in his head and getting what he needed.


    Jane sighed in defeat before focusing herself. "First we need to get ourselves some points. Let''s go and get to the sparring field. Art, come on, points are an ingredient too."She knew that this would snap Art out of his own head and get him moving towards the sparring field again.


    With Laura in tow, the three headed back to the training field. The campers had quickly heard about their goal being taken away and the bragging that Asher had used. Now there was a sizable group competing in the sparring field and causing some noise.


    There were additional staff members that had been called over to watch the matches. This was part of the safety aspect of their jobs. This also let the campers feel at ease since they would have someone there if they were injured. This made them willing to give more and go all out when it came to their matches, something that brought a smile to Garnet''s face.

 Chapter 128 - 128. Trash Talking

    With the influx of campers, Garnet found herself running around more than she had expected. She saw the four approaching and left the match she was viewing to intercept them. "You three took less than an hour to find that thing. You know that Onyx spent hours setting that up when he was younger, it always stumps campers the first day." She was shaking her head, her mind starting to get used to the surpise of Asher doing this.


    "We didn''t expect to find it. We went up there for a better look at the area since no one else was searching there. If I hadn''t put my hand down on it I would have missed it." Asher held up the egg and tossed it to Garnet.


    "Well, whatever you did it got campers to start going after the activities. They all need the points for a cabin pr their stuff. But the ones that came here seem a little extra...Motivated." She was looking at the glares pointed at Asher and his friends.


    "We talked a little trash. If we get them to tire themselves out before going after us we can farm some points. No one will get to go after Asher until we have dealt with them. We also need the wins so we can beat Asher. His head is getting a little big for all of this." Asher had been feeling a little arrogant with his minor fame at camp.


    "A little trash talking? Ha! Good, they looked like they needed some proper motivation. If they didn''t start to get a little serious I would have had to start with some penalties for losses." Garnet had an evil glint in her eye. The evil smile she had on her face spoke of untold torture.


    Art was afraid to ask but found himself doing so anyways. " What penalties would you have added?" His voice was soft, but lough enough for her to hear.


    "The usual. Climb a tree and do fifty pullups. Run twenty laps around the sparring field. Clean the dining cabin. Required to wear arm and leg weights." Her list appeared to be going on and on, but she stopped when she noticed she had gotten her point across.


    "I am going to hate this, but do you have the arm and leg weights with you?" Asher surprised everyone by asking this.


    "I have a set right over there in those wooden chests. Why?" Garnet felt that she already knew the answer but she wanted to hear it.


    "I''ll wear them to train. It should make me stronger, right? If I can take on challenges while slowed down then when I take them off I should be faster." This was a sound theory and many books or television shows used it to help a protagonist get stringer. Asher even remembered the work out videos having people wear weights vests while running.


    "Then go pick some out. They are small metal beads inside straps and belts and vests. Just add what you want. They encased in rubber for protection, so as long and you don''t use them as a weapon there won''t be a problem." Garnet had a proud feeling seeing Asher take the incentive to get stronger in this way.


    "Art, come on. You too." Art hesitated as he followed Asher. He wasn''t sure why he needed them when he didn''t want them.


    "Bro, why are you making me wear them too?"


    Asher leaned in with a soft whisper, "Your super power. The metal beads are inside it, right? You can practice moving them while you train. It is killing two birds with one stone."


    "That''s! Perfect. You''re brilliant!" Art jumped and started to race towards the wooded chest full of weighted gear. He started to pull of the varying weights looking for a perfect fit.


    Asher easily caught up and the two sifted through everything. Asher came out with an old school back vest with evenly spaced patches of metal beads in it. He could feel the additional weight on his legs and knew that it would be just enough to add to his training. Art went with the leg and arm weights trying to keep the metal towards the ends of his limbs. His goal was to use them to somehow add momentum to his hands and feet when he punched or kicked. This could also take away some of his weight and increase speed if he managed to use them correctly.


    "Are you sure you will be able to use four at once?" Asher was a little worried that Art was starting off with too much.


    "Not at once, I will use them one at a time." Art changed his wording slightly as the other came over. Some sparring campers were close and he didn''t want to share too much.


    "That''s smart. Then as long as the weight is good we should make progress." Asher and Art joined Garnet and the girls while getting a feel for the additional weight.


    "Are you two ready to get the sparring party on? We have a lot of people looking to take us on, especially since they got angrier seeing you add weights. Look," Jane pointed out a few boys that had seen Asher and Art grab the weights and make a line for some to wear as well. They wouldn''t be beat out so easily.


    "Those few will be down for the count before they even get halfway through their five matches. The ones that show off always lose. You should watch out for those in long slow matches. They won''t take damage and just draw out their opponent for an easy win. Those are the people that will have a chance against you." Garnet gave a final warning before motioning to a few onlookers to come over.


    " Who here is trying to challenge these four?" Garnet pointed to all of them including Laura who had been watching the surrounding fights. Her face was full of surprise since she had wanted to go back to the obstacle course, but was now involved in sparring.


    "I''ll take on the guy with arm and leg weights. He looks too chummy with the battle master there." The tone was mocking, but Art just cracked his knuckles and started to stretch out. He had been waiting to get started and was finally on the brink.

 Chapter 129 - 129. One And Done

    The boy who had challenged Art looked pretty fit overall. He had an athletic build and was standing on the balls of his feet. "You think that you are so tough that you can weigh yourself down and still win, huh? I''ll teach you a lesson." The cocky attitude trumped anything that the others had done when showing off the golden egg.


    "I think that is the co-captain on the soccer team. Normally it''s a junior but they voted for him since he is their best player." Laura recognized him since she had always been friendly and met a lot of people. With her super power she had just emphasized this fact.


    "So he might be fast and quick to react. Art is going to be slower, but he will hit harder for sure." Jane was already breaking down how she thought the fight would go.


    "I think Art had this in the bag. He is slower but with the running we have done, I think his stamina would have caught up more than he realizes. The runs we do in the morning, then gym class, then training at night. It is all going to add up."


    The three watched as the two boys took their positions. Garnet had stepped forward as the referee. She lowered her hand in between the two. "Ready?"


    "Ready." The soccer co-captain was flexing and bouncing on his toes.


    "Ready?"


    "Ready" Art was already in his stance and waiting for the call.


    "Fight!" Garnet raised her hand and took a few steps back.


    The soccer co-captain leaped forward in an instant. His super power was clearly something to do with muscle reflex. He was able to make his movements much faster than any of them had expected. However, Art wasn''t a fool and had prepared for an incoming attack. He knew he was slower and wouldn''t let it end his battle too soon.


    Art had raised his hands to block the quick punch from the soccer co-captain. The punch hit Art on his arm and stopped dead. The added weights made him much harder to budge from his spot. The co-captain did not expect this and hesitated in his retreat. This left Art with the chance to swing his own punch.


    The left hook from Art came like a boulder at the co-captains face. His cocky attitude had left his eyes and was instead replaced with a dull shock. When Art made contact the fight was already over before it had even started. The added force behind the punch from the weights and Art''s power adding speed was enough to knock the soccer co-captain flat to the ground.


    ''Asher was right. I can make these little metal beads move faster.'' Art was thanking Asher in his mind and showing him a wide smile. This proved the theory that he had had and made him feel much closer to his best friend. Art was only able to exert minimal force on the metal due to his lack of understanding, but it was enough to add the force to decide a battle.


    The co-captain was grabbed and help up by his friends while a staff member came to him with an ice pack. The damage wasn''t severe, but he was stunned and needed some time to rest. "That was some punch kid. Asher wasn''t lying about you. But that force you used will damage your hands over time. Practice the proper punching technique tonight and make sure you purchase a pair of padded gloves from the school store."


    "Of course, I will do that after I have the points." Art would be a fool to ignore Garnet''s advice and readily accepted it.


    "Dude, that was crazy. You put him on the floor in a second. I didn''t know your left hook was so terrifying." Asher ran over and fist bumped Art.


    "Your knuckles are all red, get an ice back too." Jane was the first to notice what Garnet had spoken about just a second ago. Art''s knuckles on his left hand were already turning red from the punch. This was a lesson to all of them about the wear and tear of the fighting styles they would practice. If Art continued onwards with the straightforward and tough fighting style then he would need to improve his body''s toughness. most likely through equipment since he did not have a physical super power.


    "I think I should put my gloves on." Asher pulled the white and blue gloves he had gotten from the hero corp store and tightened them around his hands. He flexed them a few times and looked around to see who else would be trying to challenge him or his friends.


    "I don''t know what you are looking around for. The best win streak so far is three in a row, and the first two were pure luck." Garnet had approached them again and was making sure Asher knew that he had no challengers.


    "Then that means I have to challenge someone myself, right?" He looked around trying to decide but saw that a girl with strange white patches on her skin was challenging Jane.


    "That girl looks like she had bone on her skin. Think Jane will be able to win against her?" Art had noticed the challenger too and was trying to analyze the girl''s super power.


    "That is definitely bone. It should make her much tougher to damage. I can bet in a few years it will brow in to an outer skeleton protecting most of her skin." Garnet had seen similar abilities that grew forms of skeletons or armor around the camper.


    "Wait, does that mean if you are too weak that Jane won''t win no matter what? I don''t want my new girlfriend to lose." Laura was already in a tizzy shearing this. She had just made this friend and she wanted t see her dominate the training field since she herself was not that adept in fighting.


    "Don''t overestimate an armor like ability. They are strong if one approaches them in a blunt manner. Bit if you look and strategize then they will brindle in an instant." Garnet was ready to teach them all a lesson while they watched this match.

 Chapter 130 - 130. Bone Armor

    "Watch how she is sizing her opponent up. You might not see every detail of her face through that mask, but she is looking at every part of her opponent''s physique. This is an important step to take in a battle. If the super power is physical, it is even more important." Jane was giving her opponent a once over while they prepared to spar. One of the staff members was leading them to an ideal spot of ground away from others.


    "Your friend looks like she has a quick mind. Even looking at me I could feel her eyes on me." Garnet''s compliment did not go ignored by the three standing next to her. They saw this as an emphasis on how to act when in any situation. Garnet may just be highlighting the sparring aspect, but in general life, it could help in many ways.


    The staff member asked the two if they were ready and upon their responses started the battle. Jane held back and let her opponent come to her. Garnet was watching intently waiting for the first attack to start her commentary.


    The girl with bone patches on her skin stepped forward with a direct jab. The first she used was covered in the bone and would make a harder hit if it made contact. Jane used her speed to sidestep the jab and aimed one of her own.


    "That was the right move. Her opponent was already moving forward and favoring the one hand covered in bone." Jane came in to contact with the girl, her jab landing on her shoulder which had no bone on it. "Then she jabbed at an unprotected area. Since the opponent with the bone protection has them, they will be used to feeling less pain. At the end of the day, even a small hit will feel worse since they are not used to pain any longer."


    Garnet''s words struck true and the girl with bone patches staggered back holding her shoulder. Her breath was sharp and she was very unhappy with the hit she had taken. Out of adrenaline she rushed forward again but was surprised by Jane''s speed. "That was a nice bait. She managed to trick her opponent in to rushing her and then use a burst of speed to dodge and..."


    Jane let out a combo of two jabs and a solid kick to the girl with patches of biomes back. It was a brutal attack aiming for the weaker points of the girl''s body. However, Jane lept back flashing her hand. One of her jabs had partially hit one of the bone patches.


    "The combo was good, but she didn''t know about the bone patches under the girl''s clothing. That and her jab was less precise since she moved and twisted too suddenly. She will need to improve execution, but was able to put together the strategy very well." Garnet was impressed, but also saw clearly the things that needed improvement.


    The girl with bone patches fell forward after Jane''s hits and tried to get up, but just like Garnet had said, she was not used to the pain. She tapped out of the sparring match before she could even start to stand up. The staff member waved for a medical staff member to check out the wounds. "I doubt that girl is hurt much, but she isn''t used to pain due to her new super power acting as an armor. The best thing she could do is pain tolerance training."


    "How should she go about pain tolerance training?" Art was the one to ask this. The theory of making himself metal armor was still fresh in his mind. If he did this he could befall the same problem as the girl with bone patches.


    "Curious? You could do with a little armor, it would help with those heavy swings. There are many ways. Some train specific parts of their body like punching a wooden dummy. Or you can train in harsh temperatures. The extreme cold, or heat, or even storms would improve your mental strength for pain and discomfort." Garnet had used some of these herself and was living proof they worked.


    Jane jogged over to them and looked at Garnet first. "Your speed and strategy are your strengths. But you need to work on the precision and timing of your moments. Before anything go get that hand checked out. You definitely dislocated that pinky finger." Garnet saw right through Janes as she tried to hide her finger.


    "What!? Are you Alright? Come on let''s get a staff member." Asher was shocked that Jane was holding back her pain to run over to them. He couldn''t believe she would do something so reckless.


    "What did you think?" Her voice was a little hesitant as she went with Asher while holding her hand.


    "About your match? She wasn''t even close to being able to hurt you. She was just lucky. Garnet commentated on the match and we all got a lesson on sizing up our opponents. I learned a lot." Asher''s bright smile made Jane''s heart leap. She had gotten more than just simple praise.


    "Then it was worth it." She didn''t feel any pain at that moment. The good feeling outweighed the bad. Sadly, they did not last. As the staff member saw her finger and set the dislocation back in place Jane was reminded of the pain of the world.


    "Keep it taped like this overnight and put ice on it. Go to the medial cabin later and have them use some of the bruise reducing cream on it." The staff member issued the treatment then ran off to another match about to start.


    "Here, I grabbed the ice pack." Asher placed the cooling Ice pack on Jane''s hand and she could already feel the magic starting to work.


    "If I have been a little more to the left I wouldn''t have hit that bone piece. That girl was tough." She felt embarrassed having everyone see her make such a blunder. But Asher sitting with her and helping her was a better reward than she had expected for winning.

 Chapter 131 - 131. Another Challenger

    "Didn''t you say you were going to challenge someone? Don''t sit there flirting while making me wait here." Harvey''s voice embarrassed both Asher and Jane but it did make him jump up and head towards the nearest group.


    "Any of you feel like trying your luck?" The small group of campers had been watching matches until this point. Now they recognized Asher and looked hungry.


    "So you''re challenging us? Then I''ll go first." A muscular boy with form fitting clothing stepped forward from the group. "My name is Jarred and I am in the body sculpting club. Good luck."


    Asher would have been impressed by the muscle mass if not for the fact that Jarred was from the muscle sculpting club. The simple reason was that the club revolved around specific muscle building, it was all for vanity and no strength.


    "Then I challenge you." Asher shouted to Garnet, "this guy and I will spar!" The two moved themselves to an open spot in front of Garnet, it was clear she wasn''t moving herself.


    Asher''s eyes rested on Art and Jane, ''watch how much I''ve improved in just a few days.'' His hope was to show off his new style and encourage his rivals to come at him.


    Adding the pressure to himself before a match would push him to be better and his exact goal. His two friends became more serious and focused seeing his look. They wanted him to win of course, but they also were watching for his flaws so they could beat him themselves.


    Garnet checked their readiness before fighting. With both fighters'' approval, she was ready to start, "fight!" Garnet stepped back and the two opponents approached each other.


    Asher was staying back since he wanted to let the muscle bound Jarred take the first move. He did not wait long and did make the first move, he came forward with a basic punch easily dodged by Asher.


    He siding even need to step back to dodge the punch, it was so slow that it was like watching in slow motion. Asher knew he was not that fast and attributed it to the weight of the muscles on Jarred weighing him down.


    Asher had a brilliant idea and pushed inwards with soft hits. He rained down four soft punches in just a few seconds. This did exactly what he wanted; it angered Jarred.


    The soft punches were too obviously held back that Jarred couldn''t help but notice. His frustration that he was thought to be so weak even though had had all this muscle made him push forward to prove himself stronger.


    This was exactly what Asher wanted, and the next punch had all of Jarred''s weight behind it. Asher grabbed his wrist and elbow, his body twisted, and Jarred learned to fly.


    The moment Asher had popped up his hips Jarred had left the ground, however, it was a short lived flight. With a sickening thud of a body hitting the ground, Jarred lay flat on his back with all the air knocked from his lungs.


    "Winner is Asher!" Garbet announced this the moment she saw the muscular Jarred hit the ground. She knew that he would be spending a while getting up.


    "Nice match, hope you feel better soon." Asher felt a little bad using his newly practiced throw on the boy, but he needed practice.


    "So you can make people fly now...bro...no fair" Art was jealous, he had not learned throws yet or even thought about learning them.


    "That was awesome, but we didn''t even see your style." Jane had wanted to see more but the match ended much too fast.


    "Sorry, he just stepped in to the throw after I tempted him. I couldn''t let the chance to practice my new move go." Asher was a little embarrassed but was more excited knowing he could show these moves to his friends.


    "That was the right move. He was too quick to come forward. If he had waited and watched as you did then he could have found a better move. It is clear he only has experience watching fights on television. The muscles aren''t hardened either. Safe to say you got very lucky, but that doesn''t mean you were perfect. Your didge was good, but I saw you twist your wrist when you punched those soft punches. You need to straighten that out or it will lead to a lot of problems down the line."


    Asher knew he wasn''t perfect, but he thought he had already greatly improved his punching technique. Finding that he was still far from perfect made him want to go and practice it immediately, but that wasn''t much of an option.


    Jarred''s friends had seen him get taken down and were looking to get a little revenge. They needed to stand up for their friend and fellow club members. "We four would like to fight all of you." One of the buff campers leading them announced.


    Laura looked about to run when Garnet set sights on her, "Remember if you refuse a challenge then you lose a point." Her smile made Laura whimper as she accepted her fate.


    "You can''t challenge Asher, he is still the battle master, go win ten matches and one of you can fight him." Garnet would not budge o the rules.


    "Jarred just fought him, and he had only won one match." the boy leading them looked fairly agitated by this. To him, everyone should be fair game.


    "Asher challenged him, it was a fair challenge from him not TO him," Garnet explained this like talking to a five year old. This only went to anger the boy more.


    "Fine, channeling me then. I will wipe the floor with you and show everyone that you just got lucky." Asher couldn''t help but smile at the phrasing.


    "Then how about I show you just how lucky I am? I challenge you to a sparring match. Be ready to fly buddy." Asher did his best to make his voice taunting and mighty. Naturally, the boy fell for this and became red faced.

 Chapter 132 - 132. More Matches

    With Asher setting the bait his friends and even Laura accepted the challenges. Art and Jane moved off on their own while Laura grudgingly moved to a different place with a staff member. She was the only one that was unsure of her match. She had been beaten so easily by Asher and she didn''t know how it old pan out against someone else.


    Asher stayed right where he was. His opponent was not budging either. They held each others'' gaze in a staring match. The buoy that Asher had just taunted wanted nothing more than to rush in and attack. But he saw the throw that Asher had used to catch Jarred and he knew that there was a chance it could repeat. On top of that Asher had said he would make him fly, he was practically saying he would throw him.


    Garnet was happier than ever seeing the group trying to go after the top campers. This was her goal every year and it would normally take half the week to get it to happen. Asher and his friends had accomplished it in a few hours. This simple fact meant that those sparring matches would evolve faster and faster to a point well above what the campers were capable of before they came.


    Art was the first to begin. Mostly because he had the most impatient opponent. Compared to the others, the boy he faced was skinnier but still had well defined muscles. The way he moved made Art feel that his opponent was made up of compressed muscle. This was because his opponent''s every step looked like it was holding something back. He was trying hard to size up his opponent as Jane had and Garnet had recommended.


    He was so absorbed in doing so that he almost missed the staff member say to begin. His opponent took notice of this and rushed at him with a large leap. The muscles that were in his legs let out a huge amount of force pushing him towards Art. The only problem was that Art had noticed the fact that his opponent appeared to be holding back his energy.


    Art turned to the side and his opponent flashed by him missing his target completely. Art took this chance to aim a hard straight punch at his opponent. Without any hesitation he let most of his strength come in to contact with the buoys shoulder. It resounded with a sharp crack that neither had expected.


    Art held his hand knowing that he had just done some serious damage, but he knew it would only be a bruise and nothing long lasting. His opponent, however, was holding his shoulder and gasping for breath. Art''s first had landed in the perfect spot to push his opponent''s shoulder out of its socket. Normally this wouldn''t happen but his opponent was compressing his muscles. The strain had made his joints weak and caused the easy dislocation.


    His opponent was angered by this and tried to kick out at Art, but the pain made his attack weak. Art easily blocked it with one hand and brought his od foot up. His flat foot hit his opponent in the chest and knocked him on the ground. The staff member rushed over immediately and ended the match.


    With his second victory, all art could think about was finding another. He wanted to challenge his best friend properly.


    Jane was also in the midst of battle, unlike Art she was being forced to dodge much more. Her opponent was normal and taking many boxing stances. The only thing that stood out were his two additional arms. He had a well built body and had most likely practiced boxing as cardio training. Therefore, Jane was facing a series of quick jabs coming from four angles. Whenever she got near he would be ready to land a hit that she needed to dodge.


    The pressure she felt was pushing her to move at higher and higher speeds. Her body was starting t feel light and she had the urge to scratch out. This was her super power telling her to use the changes in her body. Jane had already figured out that the green scales that had begun to cover her were slightly tougher than normal human skin. With her long claw like finger nails, she could easily cause some damage.


    The problem was, that using her nails was not part of her fighting style. She did not want to cause such harm in a sparring match. She would only resort to using them when absolutely necessary, but using her face was not against her morals.


    Jane lifted her mask revealing her pure complexion. The gold glint in her eyes flaring up and completely stopping her four armed opponent in his tracks. He stood frozen with his fist halfway toward her face. Jane just made a charming smile and spun to kick. Her foot landed with perfect force on the side of his head. She had dodged countless attacks and was forced to show her face, due to this she did not hold back on her kick.


    ''Only one person can look at my face and keep moving. You shouldn''t have even made me show it.'' Her thoughts were full of high expectations and the desire to practice. For her, there was only one person that had gone unaffected by her freezing stare, and that was Asher.


    Garnet had seen this happen and realized she needed to change the training plan she had made in her head. If she didn''t factor in Jane''s super power to her fighting style in this way. She had sen the scales and finger nails and thought she should send some videos on using the scratching or swiping techniques she had seen, but now she would have to flip her plans upside down.


    "These kids are getting more and more interesting." Garnet could feel her excitement building as she glanced at Laura who had started to move much better than before. In an extremely short time, Laura had made a large leap in her own training. Garnet knew that she had been up all night and hid it from Jackson and Asher. But since she had also been up late, she had been lucky enough to witness some of Laura''s training.

 Chapter 133 - 133. Training Pays Off

    Laura had been feeling embarrassed and frustrated that Asher had beaten her so easily. She held no grudge against him, bit held one against herself. This was because she had not properly practiced with her super power. She couldn''t even stop herself when she was at her fastest speed. It was more than embarrassing.


    Garnet had been up late preparing some small things for later in the week. On her walk to her own personal cabin, she found Laura out in the woods training. This was more than just a simple surprise for her. It was against the impression she had built upon first meeting her.


    When Garnet saw her, Laura was moving as slow as possible to learn the control of her body as she moved. This looked simple since she was just stepping around and over logs. However, for Laura, moving this slowly was a harsh chore. Her faster metabolism pushed her body to move faster so matter what. This was great for getting to what she wanted to do, but her mind was always lagging.


    Since she wasn''t used to the speed her body moved compared to the speed it used to move she would train at the fastest pace she had the most control. Forcing herself to slow down was a strain on her endurance due to the fact that her body was made to go faster. The slow steps were like holding an exercise position instead of walking normally for her.


    The mental drain of this and the challenge of keeping up with her own movements gave Laura a much better handle on how she moved in general, The results of this all night long training were showing in her actions at the start of her match.


    Jane was standing face to face with an average looking guy. He had no distinguishing features other than his slightly more athletic body. Laura had no idea what his super power was but didn''t pay it any mind. She was too focused on controlling her mind so that she wouldn''t rush off and attack her opponent the second the staff member said to start.


    The moment the staff member''s hand went up the two were already in motion. Laura was still fast but Garnet could see her holding back by a lot. It was a testament to her training. Laura''s opponent was charging at her with all his might, it was obvious that he would have some form of physical super power.


    Laura stopped herself and side stepped surprising her opponent. As he had gotten close he suddenly doubled in size and tried to tackle her. His super power was simply called bulk up. It let the body spontaneously bulk up on muscle for a short time. The downside was that after the body would be in need of a great deal of nutrition to recover.


    "This surprise made Laura move farther and farther back. She didn''t want to risk getting caught by this opponent because he was much stronger than her. Therefore, she was using her speed to avoid him. Garnet was impressed by the way she used her speed sparingly, this showed that she was already thinking about her actions much more than she used to.


    "Get over here! You run around like a gnat afraid of a spider." Laura''s opponent had become much more animated since he used his super power. She could only think it was because of what his body needed to do to suddenly expand like this. Knowing that he was dangerous and more irritated she kept even further from him.


    She was dodging around him moving much slower than her normal pace, but she was perfectly controlled in her actions. This was wildly different from before making her almost untouchable. The game of cat and mouse evolved in to Laura getting just close enough for her opponent to think he could get her than her dashing away. The worry she felt started to disappear and an adrenaline filled excitement replaced it.


    ''This is fun! This is the best! I can beat anyone!'' She shouted these things in her head as she wore down her opponent. She had not expected to like any form of fighting, now she was getting a taste of the addiction the others knew all too well.


    Eventually, her opponent started to lose his bulked up appearance. Laura saw this and immediately pushed her speed higher and found that she was still able to move and stop as she wanted. This gave her the chance to rush in with her very first attack. Her opponent was tired from burning up their energy and didn''t even raise a hand to block her.


    Laura''s punch landed softly on his chest since she had no experience in ever throwing one properly. It didn''t matter though, her opponent was too tired to do anything and fell backward in to a deep sleep. "I win! I wiiiiinnn." She was bouncing around at her incredibly fast paced yet again. The staff member could feel motion sickness just watching her.


    Art and Jane who had already found their victory rushed over to see her excitement. Her shouts of victory had made them more curious. The two had not really known Laura yet but were instantly given positive impressions. If they had seen her fight with Asher the other day they would have been shocked at the changes she made, they also would know that she was not as adept in combat as she appeared to be in this movement.


    Garnet who was still with Asher and his opponent waved for them to come over, "You really managed to improve a lot in such a short time. I expect you to keep up that effort the rest of camp, I promise you will be much better in all aspects of your daily life if you do." This was nothing Garnet could control, just a factual statement.


    "Hey ref, why are you distracted, I am about to crush this kid." Asher''s opponent was annoyed that Garnet wasn''t focused on them and their match. Unfortunately for him, she didn''t worry so much about them. But having her feedback interrupted made her annoyed.

 Chapter 134 - 134. Showing Off Style

    "Oh, so you want to show off your lack of strength that bad?" Asher figured that if they weren''t going to actually spar he might as well taunt the member of the body sculpting club.


    "Like you would know! We can lift way more than you." The rebuttal was weak and Asher couldn''t help to press on.


    "I would have thought you and your members would have gone to a different camp. Here you have to do real body training. Not the flimsy vanity muscles you have. If you wanted to look pretty just use makeup or photoshop." This hit the boy''s ego hard.


    "What would you know? You''re was too scrawny looking to even put up a proper fight." The rebuttal was again weak, but it was enough to get Garnet''s attention back from the others.


    "Fine if you two are going to bicker like an old married couple then, fight!" Garnet announced the beginning and the two finally started in to their fighting stances. Her attention finally forced back on them like Asher''s opponent wanted.


    Asher had been doing the taunting in hopes that his opponent would just rush at him, but that didn''t happen even though he taunted more. His opponent stopped themself before they had gotten too close. The thought of Jarred in the air scared him and he changed strategy. Asher was now watching the boy approach slowly, but there was still obvious mental damage.


    Asher decided to test the waters and move forward. He approached and suddenly dropped his level. This was enough to get under his opponents'' guard and launch a quick punch. The jab came at his opponent''s face but was quickly blocked. It showed Asher that he might be able to get the drop on someone but he needed to push his speed even faster.


    His opponent let lose a punch himself. This one was a solid right hook that managed to catch Asher on his arm. The problem for his opponent was that Asher was pushed with significant momentum in to a spin. His off balance appearance gave the impression that he was going to fall making his opponent push towards him.


    As Asher started to fall he raised his leg and turned on his heel, this was the start of his wheel kick. His opponent had no chance to slow themselves and was headed right for Asher''s incoming kick. All the boy was able to do was clench his jaw and hope that the force was not going to knock him out.


    Asher''s kick made contact and the boy didn''t guard at all, there had been no time. The blow was enough to push him away and stumble, but lucky for him he did not fall. "How lucky. I thought you would be down for the count after that. Feel like trying to hit me again?" Asher taunted the boy, even more, he didn''t feel anything major wrong with him after his opponents hit. The fact that his style had him move with the hit caused a lot of the damage to be avoided.


    Asher pushed forward taking advantage of his opponent''s stunned state. He stepped forward with a great deal of strength and felt his foot slightly slip, instead of cursing he smiled. He believed that this would not be his end, but a major hit.


    Asher''s foot that slipped caused him to rotate forward. His hand that instinctually came out to balance his body gained a huge amount of momentum. His opponent had no choice but to raise their arms to block. Asher''s hit made contact and completely broke his opponent''s guard. This left them wide open to his follow up attack.


    Asher kept up his momentum and didn''t give any room for his opponent to retaliate. His jabs and kicks were coming from every angle he was able to get at. His opponent didn''t even have a chance to fall until Asher placed his foot down solidly and started the foot work bounce he had seen in one of the elite home gym system''s videos.


    The boy who had been so arrogant and angered by Asher fell forward heaving. He had been completely cornered and defeated, he couldn''t even admit his loss. "Asher wins" Garnet yelled out then turned to Art, Laura, and Jane. "That is what I coined his rag doll style. That first hit he took caused him to start to fall, but he used the momentum to change the tire of the battle and increase his power. I''m sure you three also saw him slip a little, he tends to do that often but always falls in to a move. Like a ragdoll falling and whipping froward."


    Jane and Art were looking at Asher like they had just been introduced to a new person, Asher had somehow built up a style all his own in the last few days. The two had seen the pieces but with the guidance of camp he had put the puzzle together


    "Asher, is your arm alright?" Jane had snapped out of her amazed daze and rushed to see how he was doing.


    "Should just be a bruise, but my spin took away most of the force. After a quick trip for some bruise reducing cream and a shower in the luxury cabin, it will be gone like it didn''t happen." Asher tried to avoid the looks of defeat and annoyance from the defeated body sculpting club, something told him that he would be seeing them in another match.


    "You four should head to the nurses'' cabin that Asher and Laura have access to. You have my permission to bring your friends." Garnet left them at that and started on another match, she knew full well that there would not be someone with ten wins today. Asher would just end up tiring himself out before real training.


    "Oh, no. You don''t think Lapis will be there?" Asher looked at Laura who had the same worry. If the two of them met here they were sure to be bandaged mummies within minutes. Even worse they might fall victim to the chicken robot again.

 Chapter 135 - 135. Bag Of Chips

    Asher led the two towards the cabin that held the smaller nurses'' office. The one that he, Laura, and Jackson were only allowed to use. The trip was quick and he didn''t encounter any other campers. This was mostly due to the scramble for points at the other activities. Staying in the ain camp would not let anyone build points up. They could really only spend points.


    "Is this smaller nurse''s office better than the one everyone else gets to use?" Art was slowly flexing his fingers as they walked, his hand was bothering him now that the adrenaline was gone.


    "This one will be only for us. The campers that get hurt will mob the other and might challenge the three of us who came to camp early. This one is also what the counselors use. So it is going to be empty. I''m glad I am allowed to bring you." Asher wasn''t planning to go to the nurse''s cabin ever again if he could avoid it, if he was even slightly scratched and campers saw him he could have a hundred sparing match challenges in a day.


    "So, this is like a safe area other than the cabins we sleep in." Jane was happy to hear that Asher could go somewhere without worry.


    "Exactly. By the way, I think you two are going to have a lot harder training ahead since Garnet was so interested. She had me download an elite home gym training app and it gives me tons to do. It even showcases what I should eat."


    "Why do you sound so worried? That is why I am here. I already learned one lesson, I can work on the control of my super power so I don''t add too much force to a punch or kick. I can''t add much but it is enough to tax my body." This was something that worried both Jane and Asher.


    " We aren''t going to shy away from hasher training if it means we will get better. I finally used my super power in a fight and it was a world of difference. I really understand what I can do. What if I specialize in hostage situations? I could freeze a bad guy in place before they hurt anyone."


    "I figured you might have the trouble Art, but it was good to hear that we could go to the genera; store to get you some gloves. For not you might want tother braces too, they might protect your joints from the strain as you get better at using your powers." Art just nodded while flexing his hand more, he didn''t want to deal with this every time he sparred.


    "Did you see how Garnet was surprised when you used your power, Jane? I bet you changed her training plans pretty radically. I bet she will make you your own style before the night falls." Asher was spot on, Garnet had already started to think on this before the trio even left.


    "Really! You guys just had to rush off without me!" Laura popped up with four bags of potato chips.


    "You could have caught up any time you wanted. You have a little more control over your speed now." Asher teased back since this would be the only chance to do so before he would worry about her controlled speed in a sparring match.


    "Well, then I guess I didn''t get you this bag of chips. But Jane and Art can have one." Jane wasn''t going to let Asher go unpunished. She greedily held on to the fourth bag of chips before turning the head back. "I''m going to the obstacle course. I want to see if I can stock up on points." She was gone again.


    "I wasn''t sure what to think of Laura when you introduced us, but now I think she is a nice girl." Jane was happy to have another friend besides the two boys. They had yet to find where Louis and Sammy were at camp so she had been the only girl.


    "Anyone who goes out of the way to bring me food is a good person." Art said this right before biting in to a chip with a loud crunch.


    Ashe just grumbled along as he pushed the door open to the small nurses'' cabin, he was miffed that she had kept the chips after his teasing. "Jackson, what are you doing here?" Asher was surprised to find Jackson sitting on a bed in the nurses'' office.


    "Oh, the usual. I stayed up all night so I could read and learn everything for free and then fell asleep waiting for people to come to challenge me. So I came here for a nap. Did you already manage to get some injuries from sparring?" His speed was slightly slow from just waking up, but he was fairly bight-eyed.


    "Just some bruises and a pinky that someone tried to hide." Asher looked at JAne to make sure she knew not to hide an injury again. Her face was both happy that Asher had worried and sad that she had made him worry.


    "In that case, can I practice my first aid? I need to keep my skills sharp so I can beat anyone that tried to challenge me in the classroom." The three were happy to let him. They only saw it as a boon for them to have someone with knowledge assist them.


    "Then here is the run down from sever to light. Jane dislocated a pinky and needs preventative measures. Ty has bruised knuckles and I saw him walking a little weird so I think his foot is bothering him too. I just have a minor bruise on my shoulder." Asher''s run down was perfect for Jackson who jumped in to action.


    "The pinky will be best set with another finger until all the swelling is gone. This will keep the muscles in a proper position without worry. Come here and I will teach you to tape it. The bruise reducing cream won''t fix it all overnight." The three watch Jackson work so that they could better learn how to do first aid themselves.

 Chapter 136 - 136. Walking Textbook

    Asher looked on as Jackson skillfully unwrapped and applied the bruise reducing cream. He also saw him grab some other items from a cabinet nearby. "This tape is strong and flexible. It is perfect for you to still bend the fingers we tape together. It will stick even in the water too." Jackson''s knowledge appeared to have expanded from the cramming the previous night.


    "What about the small pill you grabbed too?" Jane was curious on the use of what he was offering.


    "This is an anti-inflammatory. It will keep the swelling down too. Your joint was pulled apart for a little bit of time, so it will be swollen and bruised. That can impede blood flow and in worse cases even cause clotting. This will reduce that and paired with the bruise reducing cream cause a much faster healing process."


    "I feel like you are slowly turning in to a walking text book." Asher''s slight joke was all too true.


    "I learn a lot from my family, but I also like to memorize the books on plants for the gardening club. This just works the same way, I memorize it then I can use what I learned any time. It''s an investment." Jackson''s pride was clear. He was really suited for these kinds of academic activities since he was happiest when doing them.


    "Are you sure you want to go in to search and rescue? You might be amazing in a disaster situation, but you might make a better surgeon like your mother." Asher could see the drive Jackson had and only see the fact that Jackson could memorize many medical texts and be an amazing doctor or surgeon.


    "Wouldn''t he be doing that with search and rescue at a disaster? He would have to operate, treat patients, and even solve problems that cover a wide range. It is the same thing just more broad." Art had already seen this from the conversation.


    "That is my thinking and how I explained what I wanted to do to my parents after I had changed my future plans. I also figure I can still have a garden when I am not out on the job." Jackson could only imagine the massive garden he would one day foster.


    "And done. You should be fine by morning. But keep it tapped while you sleep, you move a lot more in your sleep than you think." This was one thing his mother had taught him when he cut himself on broken glass while gardening. She had fixed him up and warned him to keep it covered, now he would pass the lesson down to any he helped in this way.


    "That was so fast, and look, it''s perfect. Not too loose or too tight."Jane was impressed by the perfection in his work. Jackson and Art could only feel that they were slightly behind, but had definitely learned from watching the process.


    "Thanks. Between the books, my mother, and some practice in the gardening club I have gotten pretty good at small injuries. It''s the bog injuries that I am not comfortable with yet. No show me your hand." Art showed him the purple bruising on his hand.


    Jackson worked in much the same way by applying some bruise reducing cream and giving Art a pill. But he also made him hold an ice pack on it too. His ankle was a less serious problem and Jackson expertly wrapped it up in a bandage. "That feels a lot better. My ankle was kind of weak there."


    "If you don''t have it wrapped today and tomorrow then it would only get worse. Because when you are hurt somewhere even if you don''t think about it, you move differently. That can cause stress and before you know it the problem is two, three, or even more." Jackson had read this the night before and was very amend about it. He knew that proper rest and treatment was needed for any injury "Even a paper cut can kill if treated poorly." This would become his new motto in life.


    Art was happy to have things treated better, but he was starting to feel hungry. "We have enough points for lunch right? Are we planning to build more?" Asher looked at his friends'' minor injuries and wanted to say yes but that would be against his best judgment.


    "Naa, we can eat then head to the camp store. I have plenty of points for what we need. We can make campfire cookies and relax. Then we will be energized for training for tonight." Asher also didn''t want to let the prospect of Art''s cookies to slip away. His food loving heart would break without them.


    "How many points do you have? I thought you would need them too?" Jane asked just out of curiosity. The only one who knew that Asher was well over a hundred from finding the egg and doing activities before campers got there was Jackson and Laura.


    "Just a few. I have enough for whatever. Don''t worry about it. Tomorrow you can buy me lunch if you feel like I am spending too much." Art just nodded and stretched his arms as he stood back up.


    Jackson, you''re coming with us, right? You can tell us more about first aid and herbs we can used to heal minor wounds on the way." Jane had sneakily been watching Jackson and wanted to steal information from him. She knew he was realms above her in basic knowledge when it came to these things. She also knew it would reduce the number of classes they needed to use their points to take.


    "There are tons of plants around here that we can use. I think they planted them so campers could learn and use them. It''s really amazing how planned out it all is." Jackson gained energy immediately, his face all smiles.


    "Then off we go to the dining cabin." Asher opened the door and led the way. The group of four passed by some campers but didn''t see many about. They were all still off trying to gain points. Most would be stuck sleeping outside, but it would be fine because the few points they did earn would be enough for food.

 Chapter 137 - 137. Overheard

    As the four walked to the dining cabin Jane finally had enough of waiting. She still wanted to know everything possible about Asher''s rag doll style. "So tell us, when did you realize that you had your own fighting style figured out?"


    ''Is she angry that I didn''t tell her earlier?'' Asher thought that he was getting in to trouble with his friends because they didn''t have their fighting styles ironed out yet. However, it was the same for him since he also didn''t have everything organized.


    "Garnet said I was like an opponent she once had. They used something like flowing water style or whatever it was called. But she said that when I move my body goes with the flow of things like they do, It''s similar but not totally, I fall in to things and whip with the flow, hence rag doll style." Asher stopped there but then added, "Ever since I got my super power I slip a lot or other people do. But when I slip I end up in a better situation so the style more or less made itself."


    "Wait, so you are admitting that you are the reason I learned how to do a split!" Art connected these dots and was instantly pushed to anger. He had felt that pain for days after he had accidentally done a split twice in one day.


    "You don''t know that for sure. You could just be a mess on a daily basis." Jane savagely swooped to Asher''s rescue earning a stare full of daggers from Art.


    "Now, I might just be inexperienced. But isn''t being more flexible better for martial arts better?" Jackson had remembered hearing this once upon a time when passing someone from the martial arts club at school.


    "I guess it did help with my kicks¡­" Art lost a lot of his steam and was left with a fruitless argument.


    Jane and Asher couldn''t help but try to hold back their laughter since they had witnessed Jackson''s statement co completely take it out of Art.


    "That kid with the lightning was insane. He touched the water and it boiled in a second."


    "What about that girl who fell off the cliff but straight up floated down like a feather? People are crazy this year."


    They heard the passing campers talking about two familiar sounding people. "That must be Louis and Sammy!" Jane spoke up recognizing their super powers in a second.


    "That means they went to the obstacle course and the cliff today. They must be racking up the points to stay in a cabin or get their stuff back." Art could only make these theories based on what most campers were after.


    "Are the two people you''re talking about in class one too?" The three realized that Jackosn must be completely lost to what they were talking about here.


    "Yes, they are cousins that grew up together. One has a wind based power and the other a lightning based power. They seem to have made a big impression today." Jane filled Jackson in a little.


    "If we find them soon they can tell us what happened. But it sounds like they are already really busy, so we might have to wait to catch up with them. I know Louis wanted to come here to train and get control of his body. Kind of like you Jackson, but he has lightning to worry about instead of strength." Asher wanted to head to these places and catch up but realized he would end up wasting much more time and accomplishing nothing. Not to mention he had plenty of time left in camp.


    "Well, we can eat first. They might come to eat too." Art walked in to the dining cabin first only to turn around and look at the others, "I guess I called it."


    Asher and Jane came up next to him to find that Louis and Sammy were occupying a table in the back of the hall away from the other present campers. They were in the middle of eating so the four grabbed their own food and went to join Sammy and Louis. "We are going to take this table over for now. You two can just go jump off a cliff or boil some water." Asher joked about what he had just heard.


    Sammy stood up ready to yell at the person coming over to start a fight until she realized it was Asher that had spoken. "You guys finally found us! We have been looking all over the place and have not seen any of you. Where di you go to look for that stupid golden egg?"


    "We found it on top of the entrance sign. None was looking in the area so that''s where we went." Jane said this like it was nothing.


    "You found it!? We have still been looking." Louis had his turn to get worked up. He had fallen in to the water at the obstacle course while searching and trying to get points.


    "Yup, we are pretty awesome I know." Art felt his ego climb as their two friends were amazed by their find.


    "Pshh, says the guy with wrapped hands and an ankle. How did you already hurt yourself so quickly? Walk in to a wall or something?'' Sammy responded with an instant teasing insult. She wouldn''t have Art getting too much of a big head.


    "Wait, Sammy, can you fly now? The people that we overheard talking about you said you fell from the cliff and floated down. But was that you starting to fly?" Sammy turned red seeing that Jane was so excited to hear about her super power.


    "Oh yeah, she is making a lot of progress lately. I saw her trying to jump off her back deck the other day. Then she tried to jump off the table on the deck. And then she tried the roo-" Sammy clasped her hand over Louis''s mouth.


    "My favorite cousin, there''s no need to share my methods. Especially when you are so drained after falling in to that cold water." Everyone around shivered at Sammy''s cold words. They could feel the icy killing intent in them.

 Chapter 138 - 138. Top In Camp

    "Not to mention, I did see you trying to absorb some electricity from a battery so you can control it in your body. Then you yelled, I can keep everyone around me safe." Sammy was dealing devastating blows to Lois who could barely hang on, but a fire suddenly lit within him.


    ''If I go down, you are coming too.'' He took a deep breath and signed his death warrant. "At least I didn''t practice my floating while wearing a dress and flashing your cousin." The resounding slap and vibrant red face of Sammy were a perfect pair.


    "Ouch." Art flinched away knowing that Louis was feeling that slap through his rubber infused bandages.


    "Are they always like this?" Jackson was worried for his safety if he spent so much time around people who acted out like this.


    "Not usually, but I think this is a sibling thing since they were raised together." Jackson''s face showed understanding of Asher''s words. It made sense if these two were just having a sibling like argument.


    "I was wearing shorts underneath my dress. But you made it sound like I had shown the world my underwear." Sammy was still in a huff but lost some of her power due to her shaky tone and embarrassed face.


    "If I didn''t have these bandages on I would have a handprint on my face. How would you make that up to me?" Louis was equally in a tizzy over their exchange.


    "Well, we went to the sparing field today and made some points. But we plan to make some campfire cookies if you guys want to join us. Jackson here, and another girl named Laura are the other two campers I came with early will be there too. It is a good chance to chat with two people from other classes."


    Luckily Asher was able to distract the two from their small argument. If he hadn''t they could have ended up going all out on each other and causing a huge scene in the dining cabin.


    "I almost forgot you had come to camp early. That''s soooo not fair. You got to figure out all the tricks before we got here. But lucky for us," Sammy grabbed Asher''s arm and refused to release him, "You''re our friend and would never let us suffer." Her smile was full of temptation and ulterior motives.


    Jane and Art saw this and stifled a laugh. Sammy would bleed Aser dry on the best ways to gain points. The only thing she didn''t realize was that he had no reason to grind for points. He was just going to focus on training.


    "Well, I can do that. You see Jane and Art are my left and right hand on the sparring fields. I could use a left and right leg too. We have taunted a lot of campers and will have a steady supply of opponents, which means a steady supply of easy points for a few days."


    Jane picked up where Asher left off, "Once the less experienced people get tired or realize they need to go and train more we will be stuck with the tougher opponents. We can take on some, but that would be the time we focus on the obstacle course or even take some classes."


    Art finished the thought, "But we now know Jackson here and I have a feeling he has already learned most things in the classes. So ideally we can lean on him for that knowledge and in turn share our martial arts techniques."


    The three were proudly crossing their arms at their master plan. They would be at the top of the camp and even sounded like they were forming a gang to do it. "You guys have it all figured out. I didn''t expect a few days extra could set you up this well." Louis was amazed, he had not considered joining up together to make an entire area their own.


    "Wait, why am I involved? I just want to go in to the woods and camp while I study the plants¡­" Jackson wanted nothing more than this but he knew that it was not what he should be doing.


    "You can do that too. We can set aside time for it. If we only do one thing all day we would go crazy. Wouldn''t doing everything in camp together with friends be more fun?" Jackson heard Asher''s words and had no way to disagree. His friends in the gardening club would never be caught dead at this camp, it was just not what they excelled in. But now he could have friends that did do these kinds of things.


    "Alright, then we will do it together. But let''s not go too heavy on the sparring stuff. I only want self defense. I won''t be going after anyone for fights...well unless someone hurts my plants." Jackson let off an aura of intense hatred thinking about this. Everyone felt that if they accidentally stepped on his daises they could fall prey to his fists.


    "Then self defense it is. Welcome to the team. What about you two? Want to get in on this? Laura the other camper that came with me is at the top of the obstacle course. She could give you advice next time." Asher tempted Louis more and received his instant yes.


    "Then I am in too. That cliff climbing is impossible. I need help with it." Asher went a little silent hearing this.


    "I...Ummm...Jackson and I might not be the best to help with that. The counselor in charge isn''t a fan of us since we accidentally fell too. But I can recommend a few things and maybe get Laura to go with you to the top so that he is less likely to get angry. She should be fine with helping." The rest of them looked at Asher and Jackson with curious looks. The two sat silent until they finally built up the courage to explain what had happened. As they did their friends understood why this counselor would not enjoy personal time with them, but they could accept this as one place they wouldn''t focus on. There were plenty of other point builders.

 Chapter 139 - 139. Time To Teach

    "Well, then the cliff is off limits for a while. What do you guys plan on doing now that we are done eating?" Sammy wanted to stick with the group since they had just found them. Everything would be more fun with her friends anyways.


    "Well, we have already been to the sparring fields and to be honest we got a little bruised." Jane was a little embarrassed by the minor injuries due to her strong pride in their strength.


    "It was unavoidable. We have only sparred in class against the same classmates and each other. This was totally different and we had n idea how they would act." Asher jumped in to make sure she did not feel too bad about getting injured.


    "Asher''s right. We would get hurt eventually. We need to train more so that we can strengthen our bodies. The more punches I throw the less I will bruise as I become stronger." This was just common sense but Art felt it was good to hear to reinforce the fact that they would continue to improve.


    "So we are going to..?" Louis was still waiting on the answer but Asher was already answering, "We can do some training. Show Jackson the basics and review useful plants around here for healing. Jackson is the expert and it could be very useful. We would be killing two birds with one stone."


    "I like the sound of that. I don''t really train much since I want to fly, but it would be useful if I need to enforce the air traffic laws. Plus doing the job I might encounter a plane crash in the woods and need to deal with a disaster situation." Sammy was more murmuring to herself to weigh the pros and cons. But she was easily reaching the conclusion that she should learn as much as possible in any subject.


    "My body is very drained right now of lightning, It''s the perfect time for me to spar if you guys don''t mind some static shocks. It won''t be strong at all. I feel more tired being this drained but it is much safer." This was a surprise from Louis but a welcome one.


    "So you can also work on controlling your ability right? If you can make your shocks happen when you come in to contact you can be a human stun gun." Art made the connection and easily got them all to laugh.


    "Ooo yeaaahh that''s me, the human stun gun Louis to the rescue." The sarcasm was strong but Sammy wasn''t going to let it go.


    "Yes, the perfect name for you. I will make you the stun gun hero!"


    "Nope, if we keep this up I''m going to laugh myself silly." Asher was standing up to leave while holding his aching ab muscles. He found the new hero name for Louis to be the ideal comedy.


    Art and Jane followed Asher outside first and the bickering Louis and Sammy were quick behind. Jackson lagged behind slightly as he threw out the last of his trash. "We can head towards the luxury cabin and practice behind it. I have a feeling that the campers will avoid it since they will be jealous of not having it." Asher''s idea proved to be correct.


    "Not a soul here, this is perfect. I would much rather embarrass myself in front of you guys instead of a whole bunch of people." Jackson was understandably nervous to start training in martial arts so late in life. He had a feeling that everyone he spoke to was so far ahead.


    "Just start to stretch out with us. Even if you prove to be a nightmare at martial arts you will still be better off than before. It isn''t just for fighting. It can keep you fit, relaxed, or just be a hobby." Jane was trying to be as supportive as possible. To Jackson they were all seniors in martial arts ad it would not be fair to lead him astray at the start.


    "So what do you want to go over first? Have any ideas?" Asher asked Sammy, Jackson, and Louis this while they all stretched in a circle.


    "I doubt I will do much when it comes to punching and kicking. When I learn to fly I will most likely use those tackles that people use."


    "You mean body locks or throws? If that''s what you mean then I just learned some the other day that we can work on. I still remember the instructional videos I watched and copied step by step." Asher could understand why Sammy wanted to learn these things. If she was flying then she wouldn''t have any foot or hand grips like the ground, she would just have air and her opponent.


    "I want to learn basics. Punches, kicks, and dodging. If I really add my ability to them I won''t need fancy moves. The basics will do."


    "I feel the same. I want basic self defense. Nothing crazy." Jackson joined Louis very easily. It was very similar to his own goal and he couldn''t think about starting complicated advanced moves yet anyway.


    "Then we will do basics and body locks. I know Jane and Art want me to mix that throw I used in too so it all works out well. But first, you all need foot work. More specifically footwork tag."


    Jane, Art, and Asher all smiled with evil intent. They had three more victims to go after in their game of footwork tag. It would be much more fun now.


    "Why do I have a feeling this is going to be a lot harder than it sounds?" Sammy had a little worry in her voice as she said this. To her, the looks of her three friends were that of wild animals who had just spotted a new and weak prey.


    "Trust me, once you get the hang of it, it is a lot of fun. Come on. Just get in to a stance like this." Asher began his demonstration so that the three could get the basics down. Once they started changing levels the game would begin.

 Chapter 140 - 140. Footwork Tag, Go!

    "That''s better. Once you figure out how to step and move without crossing your legs you can add the bending and crouching to change levels. You are big but that just means your opponent will be very surprised if you lower your level and catch them from underneath their guard." Asher was focusing on helping Jackson while Art had joined up with Lois and Jane with Sammy.


    So far they had taken to the lesson well and were having a quick learning experience. "This is actually a really good way for me to improve upon my body awareness." Jackson was pleasantly surprised with this. He had so much trouble when his body changed in size. He would bump in to things, accidentally use too much force, and often bump his head on doorways.


    "You''ve got that right. I figured you would like it more once you started to get in to it. All three of us have figured out our limits and even surpassed them a few times. There are some high kicks we can do after a lot of training. We wouldn''t be able to do it without the stretching and understanding of where and how our bodies move."


    Jane had heard Jackson from where she was practicing with Sammy and spoken up. To demonstrate further she showed off one of the high kicks she had learned. Her legs were much more flexible than they would have been due to the previous training. This allowed her to put more force in her downwards kick leaving a nice dent in the ground.


    "Wait, If I learn kicks like that after stretching I could one day make a crater in the ground like a meteorite?" Sammy had visions of falling from the sky and causing massive craters to showcase her strength.


    "Don''t get too carried away. If you go doing that all the time you will end up being hurt. The stress still falls on your bones and muscles." Louis was the voice of reason to Sammy''s illogical train of thought.


    "Just you wait. Once I learn everything I will get you back for always raining on my parade." This threat from Sammy made Louis start training harder and Sammy laugh a little.


    "Dude stick with it slow for now. You just crossed your feet twice. If I had pushed you you would be on your butt." Art caught Louis''s mistake and started to watch for the next to make sure he could show him proof.


    "Oh, speaking of falling. You all need to learn to fall. Don''t fall on your butt or catch yourselves with your hands. The best way to fall is not to fall at all. It''s to roll." Jane said this and thoroughly confused them. The only two that followed what she was saying were Art and Asher.


    "Alright, we will show you. Asher come here." Jane picked out Asher and was about to wind up and give him a push, however, Asher acted on instinct from the repetitive training in the past weeks and was already moving to catch her hit.


    His hand grabbed her wrist and started to turn it. His shoulder was under her arm before he could even take another breath and his hips popped upwards. Jane only saw the cloudy sky above before she felt Asher release her wrist.


    Jane rolled away and instantly sprang to her feet ready to push back at Asher. "Whoa! That was awesome. You didn''t even flinch. You just rolled and stood back up in a second." Sammy was amazed by what she had just seen and wanted to do it too.


    Asher was holding a scared expression as Jane looked at him, but when Jane heard Sammy''s amazement she pretended it was exactly their intention. ''Jane is going to kill me later. I moved without even thinking.'' Jane just gave Asher a perfect smile which put him more on edge. He knew he would have a lot of time in the air when it came to the throwing techniques.


    "So when do I learn to throw someone like that?" Sammy was already set on learning throws even though she had not even learned the basics.


    "Throws? No throws, no body locks, no nothing. You need to learn the foot work game of tag first. If you can''t protect yourself on the ground how will you learn in the air?" Jane''s point ended Sammy''s resistance.


    "I don''t think I will be learning throws. But I will learn to fall, I expect to fall a few times before I get accustomed to moving properly." Jackson was being logical. Asher was thanking his lucky stars that he was because he couldn''t imagine trying to show Sammy how to perform any moves. He just had a bad feeling that he would somehow end up thrown by a gust of wind.


    "Now that everyone seems to be getting the hang of everything, let''s start the game." Art was the one to make the call. Asher and Jane immediately fell in to their stances and were moving around.


    Jackson and Louis were looking at them wide eyed, they had thought they would get more time to train and get used to the actions before they were going to actually try anything. "What are the rules," Louis spoke up a little shaken at the sudden start.


    "Who cares, I''m going to win." Sammy had her go with the flow attitude and didn''t even try to figure it all out. She just did the best she could to start playing. "Jackson, you should get in your stance." Asher felt bad but not bad enough to stop his advance towards Jackson who was trying to back away.


    Jackson''s legs were crossed the second he tried to turn. Seeing this Asher movie in and gave him a small tap on the arm. Jackson fell to his butt in a second. "Next time roll with it. Eventually it will be second nature. But you also shouldn''t retreat from a fight. You are larger and can be intimidating. Use that." His advice registered with Jackson but would go against who he was so he was unsure if he would be able to.

 Chapter 141 - 141. Jacksons Desire

    They were all in motion as Jackson Watched. He slowly stood up and say Jane using her footwork to dance around Art. He started to realize that this wasn''t a game of actually taking your opponent down. It had the minor goal of doing so to test stability, but the real goal was to understand the body''s movement.


    Jane was still trying to move in to Arts'' blind spot but he was turning without crossing his legs a single time. This was a strategy that Jane would often use due to her high speed. However, this was easy for Art to predict. He didn''t mind having a lesser speed since he was able to keep up by making tight rotations. The only problem was this made him dizzy.


    Within just a few minutes Art teetered a little and was pushed over by Jane. He had lost his balance and completely lost footing. Jane turned away to find a new target but Asher was there to her surprise. She had been too focused on Art to notice Asher sneaking up.


    Jackosn witnessed this and saw the benefit in taking advantage of a situation. There were many more aspects of this shadow tag game than he had anticipated. Just watching was enough to make him learn, he needed to stand and keep on going even if he fell.


    Jackson''s eyes fell on Louis and Sammy who were going against each other. The two were in a stalemate, one not trying to tag the other because they dodged each others'' moves. Jackson wanted to be the deciding factor and tried to move in slowly. But he was still new to footwork training and he gave away his intentions before he was even close.


    Within a second he had Louis and Sammy on each of his sides. "Tricked you, we''re actually a team." Louis and Sammy tried to lower their level and grab Jackson''s legs. The two pushed up with all their force in an attempt to topple him. However, they did not expect him to be heavy enough to resist them.


    The results were a confused looking Jackson who believed himself to be about to fall and two surprised looking cousins. "You weight like a million pounds! How did you gain so much muscle weight?" Louis only wished he was stronger and could be like Jackson.


    "I got my evo shot and this is what I was like when I woke up. I used to be pretty skinny." Jackson said this as he used one hand to give them both a push away. Not realizing the force he had used the two fell backwards and rolled on to their butt.


    "You two can already roll when you fall? You need to teach me." Jackson thought their rolls to be intentional.


    Samy and Louis both gave each other knowing looks and pretended they had intended to do it. "We just went with how it felt." Sammy''s explanation was lacking.


    "Of course we can roll with it. I felt I was falling so I turned the energy in to a backwards summersault." Louis sounded worse as pretending, But Jackson was too impressed to hear him and process this.


    "Since we are the same beginner kevel please show me how." This was the grave the two had dug. Asher who had overheard them while he tried to challenge Jane again just smirked. He had a feeling this was going to be tough on Sammy and Louis who had thought themselves safe before.


    Sammy and Louis were about to attempt to continue their ruse than to save face when Art burst in. He managed to topple them both in a second. They had just stood up but were on their butts again. "They can''t teach you. Come with me and I will give you a proper lesson."


    Art had dragged Jackson farther away leaving Asher and Laura to take care of Louis and Sammy. Before Jackson knew what was happening he felt Art''s full force on his chest. Att had turned around and tackled him mid-step.


    "You need to be more focused. You couldn''t even start your stance." Jackson was on his butt stunned by the sudden betrayal of Art.


    "Now pull your knees up and roll on your back." Art watched Jackson like a hawk. "Try to roll more and more until you go all the way back and are on your hands and knee. Just remember that feeling because those are the skills that will save you in a fight."


    Art pretended to fall then fell in to a roll he hurtled towards the ground but turned slightly and rolled on to his back. His perfect roll landed him on his feet and not his butt. He was back on his feet before anyone could even notice. "Once you are that good or better then you will be able to take pretty much any hit like Asher. Although he avoids a lot because he has his lucky super power. He has a knack for catching you off guard"


    Jackson had the feeling that Art was helping him more because he thought that he could take down Asher instead of the fact that he wanted to be helpful. The problem with this was that Asher had taken this chance to again sneak up and caught Art around the back. The nearly flawless body lock Asher used completely trapped Art.


    "This is a good body lock for you to learn Sammy." Asher yelled to Sammy who was already approaching him. She circled the two and took note of positioning.


    The two thought Art was done for, but surprisingly he wasn''t even red faced. Ge was calmly breathing and trying to escape. The example he was setting was well beyond what they had expected. "Duck your head to the left and you should be out of it." Asher even started to guide Art which sped up the process. The two worked together even though Art had just been grabbed.


    Jackson couldn''t help but think of how lucky he was to find friends like this. Class one was very lucky. The fact that they helped each other improve and didn''t get angry at something like this was why they could improve so quickly. This sparked Jackson''s inner fire, finally breathing life in to his own desire to be a hero.

 Chapter 142 - 142. Flustered

    "No more! I''m, going to die!" Sammy had started to get more and more dramatic over the last two hours of training. She had quickly found that her legs started to hurt and wanted to be done in that second. "Why can''t I fly yet? Whhhyyyyyy!??"


    "Well if you practiced with your super power more maybe you''d be able to float in place," Louise spoke in a monotone voice but it was enough to antagonize Sammy.


    "Wait, random question." Jane had an idea about Sammy''s power while she was training. "Why don''t you try to always use your power to make your body lighter or speed yourself up with air flow? It would be good practice and you would be able to do things easier."


    "I- umm¡­"


    "Well, she can''t just do that. She will miss out on training and end up just skin and bones. What if she needs to walk and can''t even dot hat because she is too weak." Art countered Jane''s idea, but they were both right.


    "Well, she should do both. Physical training and then the rest of the day use her power to train in daily life." Asher summed things up before Sammy could chime in due to her indecision.


    Sammy was cowering by Lousid as the three went on their hardcore analysis rant about her super power, "I didn''t want to do it because it would make me tired all the time¡­"


    "I know, I know. They just need to get their brains working. They already did this with my power before, but they are right you know." Louis tried to be a nice cousin and comfort his family, but he couldn''t avoid the fact that the three were right about her needing t train her super power more.


    "Ha! Found you guys again, you won''t believe the kid who fell in the- This kid! He fell in the water and fried the whole place! It was awesome." Laura found the group and immediately zeroed in on Louis.


    "Agh, this crazy girl. She tried to get me to race her the second I showed up. Even tried to get me to use my powers but I can''t control that." Louis sounded annoyed by his voice also had some curiosity.


    "That is Laura, she is the third who came with Asher and me to camp early. She has a lot of energy with her super power. To be fair, since your super power is lightning and can zap someone she might be able to hang around you the best. She should be fast enough to avoid some strong zaps in a blink of an eye." Jackson had this theory earlier but had waited for Laura t inevitably show up to share it.


    "Oooo, yeah. I was right next to the water when he fell in. It was cool because I was able to run away really quickly. The lightning isn''t that fast. I would say the regular electricity that is focused is much faster." Laura had been curious about these things and even tested herself against a current in a science class. The teacher had been very open to testing this since they always wanted to help students understand their super powers.


    "Can you see the lightning from my body moving?" Louis moved right in front of Laura full of curiosity. His previous feeling wiped way.


    "Of course I can. My mind is a little slow compared to my body since I need to adjust my processing speed. But my eyes and senses are fast enough. My body reacts instinctually like any human does, just faster." This made perfect sense. Her processing didn''t need to matter if it was her instinct reacting.


    "Can you tell me the shapes they took? How fast you think they moved? Did it arc or was it like a lightning bolt and webbed? I can''t believe your eyes saw that, it''s amazing." Louis had never shown himself to be so excited before. The only one who knew what was going on was Sammy who was smiling like a fool.


    "It was webbed, really cool looking. And definitely slower than normal lightning, maybe a quarter of the speed, it was odd. And well, I''m fine with you looking at my eyes, but you are really close." Louis had moved in much closer than he intended and Laura had not been prepared. He was trying to get a look at her eyes and also get answers and just rushed forward.


    "I-I sorry. I don''t usually get excited that much¡­" Louis trailed off getting back to his normal quiet persona.


    "But when he feels comfortable and won''t zap someone he goes back to his usual self and gets very excited and doesn''t realize he is in someone''s bubble. He used to be a very huggable person before his evo shot. But I would have thought he would be shy around you, guess he likes you." Sammy stuck her tongue out at Louis since she was sharing all kinds of facts she knew that he wouldn''t tell them.


    "How can you already be comfortable with Laura? I''m still getting used to her? Oh wait, do you have a crush?" Jane felt the gossip talk coming and couldn''t resist joining in with Sammy. The two girls could easily have horns and a devil''s tail at the moment.


    "Don''t worry Louis, I won''t judge you on the girls you like. Just make sure you always have snacks if you want to hang out with Laura. She needs to eat a lot and will run off after them." Asher was oblivious to the teasing that was going on and just supported him whole heartedly.


    "I think we broke him...He''s just kinda sitting there zoned out." Art tried to poke Louis but received a small static shock instead. None noticed that Laura was fidgeting and trying to find an excuse to leave out of her own embarrassment.


    "I don''t know about anyone else but I am hungry again. Who wants to go get some more food?" Jackson was the saving grace for the two. He jumped in just to try and get the heat off Louis and Laura who he could perfectly see were flustered.

 Chapter 143 - 143. Wild Food

    "Yes, let''s go find something to eat!" Laura snapped out of her awkwardness which she was lucky enough only Jackson had noticed.


    "I could use some food too. I feel like my legs will be jelly tomorrow if I don''t eat some protein." Sammy knew the benefits of protein and proper diet to repair the muscles she worked. "We also need fruits for electrolytes, I didn''t take nutrition class for nothing!"


    "You''re in nutrition class? You can help me then!" Laura was caught by this since she was constantly thinking about her nutrition.


    "I don''t really know that much¡­" Sammy tried to avoid it since she wasn''t a fan of schoolwork on this kind of trip, but she wasn''t going to win against Laura.


    "Then we should find snacks! Actually, Jackson, do you want to hunt for some edible plants around here? We can look for them while we head towards the camp store." Asher had the brilliant idea to keep up some new learning while on their move for food. He also couldn''t get campfire cookies out of his mind.


    "You really want to know? There are plenty of wild raspberries and even a blueberry bush over there!" Jackson was ecstatic. He hadn''t expected them to actually want to know about the edible wild plants.


    "Did you say blueberries? I love blueberries!" Sammy jumped forward and became much more vigilant. "I didn''t know they grew on bushes. I thought they were a tree."


    "Yeah, they are a bush. They get fairly large but not quite the size of a tree. They can bear a lot of fruit in a season, a very worthwhile bush to grow in your yard if you can take care of it." Jackson was glad to share the knowledge.


    "Do you think it will grow well back home? Our yard is really dry, but not sunny." Sammy was looking very hopeful.


    "What do you mean dry? We have a small stream that cuts through our backyards. And the yard is shady." Louis chimes in to correct Sammy who was too excited to give accurate information.


    "That sounds ideal. Strong sun is bad and they will need the water. So they could grow like a weed." Jackson went with what Louis had said knowing that someone excited could get a little off.


    "The real question is how do I know that this bush here with blue berries and this bush here with blue berries are the same or if they are different?" Art had found two similar bushes with similar sized berries. The problem he had found was that the two bushes were nearly the same.


    "Well, that''s easy. On the top of an edible blueberry, there is a star shape. On these bird berries there isn''t. Instead they have a small seed inside. Just check by looking or cutting it in half. Just remember, the bird berries will wreck your stomach." They all stepped farther back from the bush just in case.


    Jackson was different though, he started to pick the blueberries and even pulled out a little bag from his back pocket. "Next we should dig for some wild root vegetables. They are great for soups. No mushrooms though, the ones that grow here are poisonous."


    The group again stepped back, none of them had grasped the fact that there were so many dangers in wild foods. "Maybe we should avoid picking things without having Jackson check them first." Jane chimed in with a safety tip that they all readily agreed to.


    They noticed that Laura had been pretty quiet lately and turned to look for her but found nothing. "Well, Laura is gone again-"


    "Nope, just went to get some snacks. I eat free remember? If I don''t eat I''m going in to shock and then no more Laura." Laura had shown up right behind Asher faster than he could finish his sentence. She had been so quiet while they started to walk that no one had noticed her slip away. Her sudden return was enough to shock them a little.


    "Are those chocolate covered pretzels? They have them around here?" The first one to lock on to what she was snacking on was Louis. These were his favorite.


    "Yeah, they are in the camp store. But they cost like seven points, that''s crazy. But fruit cups cost half a point, so I guess they want campers to eat healthy. But I need the calories to burn. Here, catch." She pulled a second bag from under her arm and tossed them to him. Louis nearly jumped with happiness. The rest of the group just looked around for theirs but didn''t see any other bags of chocolate covered pretzels. "What? You said you guys were looking for wild stuff."


    With laura''s answer, they all felt a little let down, especially seeing Louis moving his bandages to start eating the pretzels. "These are really good." Louis unintentionally rubbed it in while eating. Laura walked right next to him snacking as well. The entire group felt their energy leave them since they were no longer satisfied by the wild blueberries.


    "I guess we should just head to the camp store directly then?" Jackson saw this but couldn''t blame the others for feeling this way.


    "Yeah sure, The three of us didn''t check it out, well, the two of us didn''t." Asher and Jackson led the way to the cabin store.


    When it came in to view there was a much larger change than they had expected. The entire camp store had come to life. There were items along the outer rails displayed along with multiple staff members rushing about. Many campers were trying to bargain from their stuff back or for items they thought they needed.


    "It''s a lot more fun now right?" Laura stood next to them and took in the sight even though she had already seen it.


    The entire group proceeded forward trying to figure out what they were going to do. There were just too many options for them to chose from. They couldn''t possibly use their points on everything. "Have you guys seen how much it costs for a sleeping bag?"

 Chapter 144 - 144. Big Spender

    Art and Sammy were both stopped in front of the door pointing at the price of a single sleeping bag. "This thing cost fifteen points. This is crazy. How will we afford this if we don''t have a cabin? It''s cheaper for a cabin!" They were both up in arms about the price.


    "Well, I think if you can''t get a cabin and will sleep outside you are supposed to build your own shelter and prepare a fire or something else for warmth." Jackson''s theory sounded the most plausible. In relation to the high price of the chocolate covered pretzels to the low cost of fruit, it made even more sense.


    "What about this survival guide book then? It cost a crazy amount too." Louis had a point here. The small field guide for survival was an entire fifty points. But Asher had already figured this part out.


    "The guide book is nice, but it is better to take the hands on classes for cheap. You can get tricks and tips from people who actually have done it instead of hoping that the book is correct or doesn''t leave something out."


    "Oh, there are wild herbs and tea ingredients here too. They are a little price heavy but they are the same ones I saw around camp growing naturally." Jackson spotted the dried herbs in an outdoor shelving unit. He was tempted to start buying them up when he remembered he should just pick them himself.


    "Wait why are these one point each?" Asher couldn''t understand why there were little wooden puzzles for one point each. "Aren''t these just for entertainment?"


    "No, those are challenges. The wooden puzzles are brainteasers designed to train your mind. Inside there is a random amount of awarded points. You can get a hundred or you could get one point. Just return the puzzle when you give up or finish it." The staff member stopped for a second before moving on to another camper who wanted their stuff back.


    "Laura! I have something that might be good for your training." Laura dashed to Asher''s side extremely curious about what he had found. "These are wooden puzzle boxes. They only cost one point and come with a random amount of points in them if you complete them. I bet you can help increase your brain''s processing speed."


    "Oh, I can crush these puzzles." Laura took this as a challenge to her mental capacity in general. She grabbed five and headed right to the counter inside.


    "Finally found the cooking utensils. Asher, how many points are you willing to spend? We can get the iron skillet, mixing bowl, and the ingredients in one set." Asher heard Art shout from inside and entered the camp store to find that each camper had a cubby locked with their belongings inside.


    He couldn''t see Art right away but marveled at the set up of the store. It was made to showcase the campers'' items in a way that made them want to pay points to get them back. They would need to pay the points at the counter and get the code to unlock the cubby. It was a brutal system but at the end of the day, it wasn''t very necessary for everyone to have a bunch of extra clothing.


    Asher wandered the inside of the store finding that there were shovels, foldable chairs, and even first aid kits. Surprisingly the prices of first aid kits were very cheap, this was most likely to encourage the campers to use the knowledge on first aid they learned in real life.


    After finding there was an aisle dedicated to food completely he found Arty who had grabbed everything he needed, "I figure we can make fire ourselves with some tinder and sticks. Then I don''t need utensils since I have my hands. All that''s left is getting them."


    "No problem I have the points for whatever it is. Plus I need to get one of the night time training tickets. I still wonder what that will be tomorrow night." Asher was very curious but knew the day was almost over and he could quickly kill the time until tomorrow night.


    "Are you really sure you have enough points for all this? I know I don''t have many but I will chip in." Jane felt bad that Asger was taking all this on. But Asher just shook his head. He had more than enough points, even if his friends didn''t know this.


    The three dragged everything to the counter and saw the myriad of tempting junk food. They had huge price tags on them which would drain anyone of their entire point savings. It was truly amazing if anyone wasted the points on it. The only person that could get any of it was Laura, and she needed it for the high calorie count.


    "I would like all of this and a night time training ticket please." Asher was very polite and before his eyes, the staff member working the counter added it all up.


    "That will be a grand total of one hundred and three points please."


    "No problem, my name is Asher Ronan. I should have some points so just take away the cost." He spoke so casually that some of the campers around believed they had misheard the staff member.


    "Oh, I see. The full balance is paid and you have fifty seven points left. Is there anything else you need?" The staff member had been stunned for a moment that a camper had so many points, but on her computer, she saw that this camper had found the golden egg multiple ties and started camp early.


    "If you have any fire starter that would be great. Also, can I get Jane and Art''s bags, please? They had their training gear in them and will need it for the remainder of camp." The staff member looked up the codes to the bags and grabbed a stick that said one time use fire starter.


    "Thank you very much. We will come again." Asher walked out holding what he could while jane and Art followed behind. To they had no words for the point fortune that had just been spent, it was unbelievable.

 Chapter 145 - 145. Fire Wood

    "Asher is totally rich and didn''t tell us!" Art rushed to Jane with the news, naturally, Louis and Sammy heard it too.


    "Well, I''m not rich anymore. I need to build some more points after getting everything. But that''s fine. Tomorrow we are going to get serious with our point building efforts. After that, we can work towards saving up for a feat on the last day." Asher could only imagine what they could all save up for by the last day of camp. Maybe they would even be able to afford a real dessert.


    "You didn''t know Asher was loaded with points? He has found that golden egg every single day so far. He gets fifty points for that. Plus whatever he did today and the best you vcan make with counselors. He probably had the most points in camp." Laura spoke casually as she fiddle with a small wooden puzzle at her fastest speed.


    Everyone looked at him and Laura back and forth. "Did you know too Jackson?" Jane zeroed in the surprisingly quiet Jackson who appeared to be pretending to look at a weed nearby.


    "Well, I figured he did. I just have the feeling that he is always in a good position at the right time to grab something he needs." Jackson was not far off the mark and no one could argue that they also had the feeling. Asher knew wall too well that it was because of his super power.


    "With that said, it''s campfire cookie time! Chef Art let us know what you need!" Asher pointed at Art who was already pushing everything else aside. He was fully focused on the tasks they needed to complete


    "Alright, then Asher you are in charge of fire wood. Jane you can help me measure the ingredients. Sammy you are mixing, Jackson, Fund some wild nuts that can act as a crunchy component. Louis you can help me start the fire. Abd Laura...just you do you."


    Arty was going to ask Laura for help but he saw her struggling with the first wooden puzzle and knew that it was probably not the best idea to disturb her. Asher clapped his hands then rushed off in to the woods, he paid no attention to anything else but looking for the perfect branches to drag back.


    He managed to encounter a few campers who had started to build small shelters and realized that all the good branches had been snapped up for that reason. He was at a loss and would need to go further away. ''I can''t let everyone down. We are going to have the best cookies!''


    With his goal clear he went on to a thicker section of the forest which had many more trees and bushes blocking out the sunlight. He was surprised to find that the entire area was nearly abandoned. The dim lighting made the entire area feel a little eerie but Asher paid it no mind since he was so focused on his goal.


    He was easily able to find some dyer branches that had long fallen and dried out on the ground. With a little effort, he was able to pull them up out of a pile of leaves revealing a mess of colorful mushrooms.


    There were reds, oranges, and even yellows mixed in with the brown colors.


    Looking at them Asher remembered that Jackosn had said something about the mushrooms in the area and gathering food. Unfortunately, he did not remember that he was not supposed to gather them for food.


    He started to grab them up with his bare hands and pile them on top of the branches he was going to drag. With his collection of mushrooms all over the branches, he was bringing back for firewood. By the time he made it back to the group everyone was ready but for him. Asher had started to sweat more than he expected but wrote it off as the result of him dragging the branches.


    "What did you cut down half the forest?" Art saw that there were more than enough branches to start cooking and asked Ashjer to start to break them up in to pieces and start up the fire. In his slightly sweaty and excited state, Asher forgot about his gathered mushrooms and hucked them in to the fire they were preparing.


    When he had built his pile of branches Asher split open the fire starter stick and let the sparks shoot on to the pile. The flames sprang to life with a cracking and sizzling. "Wow, it already smells so tasty and you aren''t even cooking yet." Jane was impressed by the way the first smelled. "The fire almost smells like roasting mushrooms."


    "Oh no! I forgot I grabbed a bunch of mushrooms to cook and share later." Asher smacked himself in the head in frustration. He couldn''t believe he had forgotten them.


    Art had already placed the skillet with the cookie dough in it in to the hot coals and inhaled a large amount of the smoke since he was so close. "Now we just wait for pineapple dance theme day." His confident voice brought nothing but confusion.


    "Umm, what do we wait for?" Sammy was the first to register that gibberish had just come out of Art''s mouth, but when she walked near him she found that she had somehow ended up on the ground looking at all of them sideways.


    "The cookies will sunlight angel wing flambee." Asher sounded like his reply was totally normal to him. His face even showed an approving look. Jackson''s face however had started to twist in to terror. He saw all of his friends but for Laura who was father away start to act strange.


    "Asher, you said you found mushrooms right? What color¡­?" His eyes were playing tricks on him as he asked this, he saw everyone in shades of pink and green.


    "It''s way too hot out here, freaking heat wave." Asher was wiping sweat from his head while Jackson glanced at the ground recognizing the rounded bell shapes.


    "You picked rainbow mushrooms! They cause a ton of different hallucinations when touched and we are burning them!" Jackson saw one turn to ashes in the fire and knew they were all doomed.

 Chapter 146 - 146. Tripping

    Jackson was the only one that had realized the peril they were all in. But for him, it was too late as well. His mouth had become dry and his vision blurred. He tried his best to speak and walk toward Laura who was the only one far enough away to be unaffected, but with his blurred vision, he was traveling in circles.


    "Hee heee heeeeee, everyone looks like they are cats. Asher you''re soo fluffy he heee." Jane was losing herself to a world where everyone was a fluffy cat. The hallucinations making her try and catch them all. Unfortunately, she would never catch any of these cats since she was actually sitting still on the ground saying these things.


    Louis was by far the strangest out of the group. His actions looked normal but upon close inspection, he was actually grabbing little twigs and leaves from the ground and frying them with his electricity. "I am a bug zapper. The almighty bug zapper. I will zap zap you and I will zap zap you."


    Not a single person could have explained this, the only answer was that the earlier teasing about being a human stun gun had devolved in to a full on insanity. The hallucinations he had heard whispering with him told him he had received the lightning body for the reason of insect extermination and that he would be saving the world to do so. The only benefit of this insanity was that he was training his powers as he had never done before.


    While Louis was zapping things here and there Sammy was trying her best to stand up, but her balance had failed her. For every time she attempted to stand she would find herself on the opposite side or somehow becoming upsidedown. Her world had been flipped and everything she saw was at stranger and stranger angles.


    "Watermelon perry magic festival." Art was shaking his head at her trying to do so while he checked the food. He saw that everyone was being strange but to him, the only thing he could focus on was telling the,m that they were acting weird and focus on the food. His campfire cookies were going to be amazing and no one would stop him from finishing them.


    "The world is on fire! How can you all sit like that and be fine? It''s so hot we are swimming in a volcano." Asher had fallen in to a figment of his own torture and was running around like a mad man trying to find somewhere cooler. These actions were burning him down to nothing in his mind, but in reality, was extremely beneficial cardio training.


    "Ha! Finally got ht e first one open!" Laura had finally undone the first puzzle and pulled out the paper from inside. She unfolded it and found it to say something amazing. "Forty points! I got forty points!" Laura jumped in excitement. The puzzles Asher had told her to take were indeed a great investment.


    Laura wanted to hear everyone go crazy over the points she had gotten ut when she looked at all of them she was stunned. She had been so focused on what she was doing that she hadn''t noticed what was going on at all. Now she was hit with the strange ramblings and off things everyone was doing. "What in the world is wrong with you all?"


    Laura tried to poke Jackson and ask him, but the only response she could get from him was his mouth opening and closing like a fish. His tongue had become so dry that he couldn''t even speak a word. "Jumping kangaroo sandwich monkey!" Art shouted at Laura which didn''t help anything at all. The only person she saw that was making any form of sense was Sammy who couldn''t stand up for the life of her.


    "Sammy, what is going on?" Laura tried to help her up but found the girl was struggling to stay balanced at all.


    "Jackson yelled something about mushrooms and the fire. But I can''t stand and everything is sideways and I don''t know what to do." Sammy was starting to tear up due to the stress of being unable to stand straight.


    Laura just held Sammy up looking around and starting to connect the dots. There were some mushrooms that had been left out with the dried branches used for the fire. She decided that the best way to solve this problem was to place Sammy against a tree and rush off dor a staff member.


    Laura rushed at her top speed trying to find someone but realized that they had moved to a fairly abandoned part of the camp to try and make their campfire cookies. It was a small flaw in their plans to have some privacy.


    She needed to jump over some of the larger tree roots and maneuver around the rocks. With her worry for everyone back at their little camp, she moved faster and faster not even stopping to think about how she was moving. She did not stumble in the least, nor did she catch herself on any branches. Her movements were perfect.


    When she saw the familiar shape of Garnet she knew she had found the right person. "Garnet! They are all dying from mushroooms!" Laura had become much more panicked as she ran and was starting to wildly exaggerate now. Her panic reached Garnet''s ears and got her full attention.


    "There were branches and the fire and then they were burning them for the cookies and I was doing puzzles and then I was finishing the puzzle but the burned the mushrooms and then they are acting finny but now I am here and Sammy told me Jackson knew them and and and."


    "CALM DOWN!" Garnet got right in her face and snapped Laura out from her panic. She had never expected this girl to lose herself so much over anything, let alone something that sounded so foolish. "Now take me there and I will see what is happening." Garnet braced herself for the worst but had a good idea of what had happened and what she would walk in to.

 Chapter 147 - 147. Throw Them Out

    Garnet had a huge challenge keeping up with the rushing Laura. She noted that Laura was moving much better now that she was fully focused on making it back to her friends. There was almost no wasted movement and she could react at a much faster speed. She also saw that Laura wasn''t going too fast for her to stop herself when she went to turn or make it around an obstacle.


    Garnet finally managed to make it to the little camp the group had set up and found the same scene that Laura had realized was before her. The only change had been that Asher was now running around without a shirt and that Sammy had somehow made it in to a half upside down position trying to straighten out the world. The lucky part was that Jane and Jackson were more or less stuck in place and that Louis was too focused on zapping leaves to go anywhere.


    "Yup, rainbow mushrooms. Just give it an hour and they will be fine. They will be very thirsty, but fine." Garnet had seen this happen plenty of times when the campers had tried to forage for themselves or accidentally touched the rainbow mushrooms.


    "They will be fine? But they aren''t OK! They need medicine." Laura was still too freaked out to do anything other than freak out.


    Garnet gave her a hard look then realized that Laura had also inhaled some of the smoke while she was there. "Your eyes are bloodshot and you are very paranoid. Trust me, you and them will be fine. Just fin yourself a snack and relax. The fire is pretty much out and you are all healthy enough to work this out of your system without worry. Just drink some water and wait it out. With your metabolism, you should have it gone in a few more minutes."


    Laura was getting more and more paranoid by the second and was soon sitting in a tight ball watching everyone for any possible turn of events. However, after fifteen minutes she started to feel extremely thirsty and the stress started to subside. It was just like Garnet had told her.


    "See, you already look better. Those rainbow mushrooms are a huge pain. My staff is able to clear out the death bells and the purple rot mushrooms. But these rainbow mushrooms just can''t be dealt with. But they are very mild and at worst cause minor dehydration. I just wish that campers wouldn''t pick them so eagerly. First time someone has burned them though."


    "Cloudy rain day on mars!" Art shouted to everyone while pulling away the skillet with the cookies.


    "Art might really have lost his mind¡­" Laura was a little more worried about him since he had been next to the fire the entire time.


    "No, that is a normal side effect. He had no clue what he is saying. To him, he probably shouted something about the cookies being done and cooked. Speaking of cookies, you all should throw them away. They got a full dose of the smoke and will cause the same effects of the mushrooms." Laura heard this and realized just how dangerous the cookies had become.


    "Bur Asher spent so many points to make them. Everyone has been talking about them since the start of the day when I saw them. Probably even before that¡­" Laura had always put on the airs that she was not so caring, but with her newfound friends and she wanted to be a little more real. Not to mention she could only imagine how crushed they would all be.


    "Then go and make some points and start them over. It''s not like the day is over. You still have a few hours before the sun sets and we stop the activities for the night. There isn''t even night training tonight so you don''t have to worry about getting a ticket for that."


    "I have some puzzles¡­" Laura looked at the four puzzles she had left and thought about the forty points she had gotten from the first. Her new goal became clear, she was going to place her best on getting the puzzles open and getting all new ingredients.


    "That''s a good training for you, just keep focused and think about helping your friends." Garnet gave this small hint and watched as Laura grabbed the first wooden puzzle. She looked at the girl as she tried to move the pieces faster and faster exhausting every possible pathway to get it open.


    "Stupid thing, you have this and this to move but you don''t go anywhere." Laura tried again and again but was still stuck, however, she had exhausted the simplest means in just a few moments compared to anyone else who would have taken triple the time. Garnet knew it was not a brilliant method, but it was a very effective one.


    The time passed while Garnet watched and soon Laura had found the trick to popping the wooden puzzle open. "Yes, how many points?...Four! Just four? Ugh, next one." She had wanted a great pay out like the first and was crushed to see such a low number. She grabbed the next puzzle and immediately started in on to it.


    There was no way to stop here, the more she worked the more her focus grew and the third puzzle was open in half the time as the second. "One point! Rip off, you are a rip off." She became furious after seeing this and grabbed the fourth puzzle to tear in to it.


    "Two! Only two points in this one¡­" She thought that the only one that was of any use was the first but she still had the fifth. This was the one Asher had handed her first and she was about to place all her bets on it or nothing. She had no more reservations and started in on the puzzle like there was nothing else in the world to focus on.


    Garnet just smiled while she watched Laura work. It wasn''t that Laura had lacked the mental processing speed, this had been a false assumption. It was that she lacked the drive to focus properly on her actions.

 Chapter 148 - 148. Recovery

    Garnet was amazed by the speed Laura was capable of when she was at full focus. This was the slow start that she often saw in those who were not sued to fighting. Laura was slow to start her speed and focus but when she had a proper driving factor she could reach a much higher realm. Laura was nearly a blur with the speed of her fingers while turning the puzzle and looking for the hidden trick to open it.


    Garnet had no doubt that if Laura learned to harness this speed and focus she could beat the Asher from their first sparring match many times over. However, she still had a feeling that Asher could beat Laura now. It might just be a gut feeling, but to Garnet, it was a very important feeling to put stock in.


    There was a soft wooden click and the puzzle fell apart leaving nothing but a piece of paper. Laura was breathing a little heavy from the effort and excitement she was feeling. She opened the paper and was about t reveal the number when Garbet grabbed it from her hand. "Hey! The paper is from my puzzle, what does it say!?"


    Garnet held the paper knowing exactly what it said on it. She had been the one who wrote that paper when her father built the puzzles. "Oh, it just says something about you getting seventy points. Nothing too amazing. There is one in there with a hundred points as the prize." Garnet just put the paper in her pocket.


    Laura jumped up ecstatic at hearing this, she had netted over a hundred points and was already rushing to the camp store to get what they would need. Lucky for her she had sen the ingredients in the pile before they had started to make things from them. She was going to grab all of them and get back there when everyone would be recovered.


    Garnet headed over to the smoldering fire where Art was resting while waiting for the cookies. "You saw nothing, got it?"


    "Ballons in tree houses." Art nodded while saying this, it was his agreement while he looked in to Garnet''s harsh eyes.


    Garnet unfolded the paper and looked at the large zero written on it. ''It''s not the time for my jokes. I made this years ago and waited for some camper to get hit with it for fun, but of course, it would have ruined her improvement.'' Garnet felt a little sad but also like she had just discovered something valuable. The little paper burned up leaving no evidence whatsoever.


    "The first that had started to recover was Jane who suddenly jumped up confused and a little lost. "I thought you all were, and I was¡­" She trailed off looking at the others who were also struggling. She grabbed her throat and rushed around looking for water. Sammy was soon in the same state and they both went for some water bottles that were next to Laura and Garnet who were smiling like they were witnessing a great show.


    Asher had somehow ended up laying on his back and was mumbling about how cool and nice the winter was. When he opened his eyes and saw that it hadn''t switched from a magma filled landscape to a blizzard paradise he sat up confused. "I um...where is my shirt?" Asher stood feeling the jello that his legs had become. He put on his shirt and saw the water. He joined the others and watched as Art also made his way over.


    "I can''t believe I dolphin danced." His face scrunched up and he tried again, "I can''t believe I said weird stuff." His face relaxed a little but he was still far from normal.


    "I tried to tell you al. But it was too late. Everyone inhaled the smoke from rainbow mushrooms and we were all hallucinating." Jackson was still sitting on the ground since his vision was a little blurry. "The effects hit hard but are short lived. I never want to do that again."


    Louis was standing holding a leaf and trying to zap it. "Yeah, never again. But I think I might need those again sometime." He had realized that he understood the lightning body super power much better. As he spoke he was able to pry the little leaf and stop it from zapping the entire thing to a char. This was much more control than he could perform before. The combination of exhausting his lightning and then practicing was well worth it.


    "What did you all learn today?" Garnet had used this line many times on campers, but this was the most amused she had ever been to say it.


    "That Asher isn''t allowed to gather fire jumping snakes. Ugh! Fire wood." Art now realized the things he was accidentally saying.


    "Oh, well if that''s the reason this happened then Asher is not allowed to get fire wood without supervision." Garnet went with Art''s rules and didn''t see any reason not to.


    "I would feel betrayed...but I just wanted to bring some mushrooms to cook. How did I know that they were evil like that?" Asher looked at everyone but Jackson again spoke up.


    "You could have asked me when you got back before starting a fire. Then you could have been hallucinating while we all ate campfire cookies." His words dripped with frustration.


    "That''s right! The cookies should be cool any second." Art was reminded about his creation and was happy to grab them until Laura spoke up.


    "We are going to throw these away. They got a full dose of the smoke from the rainbow mushrooms, but¡­.I have all the ingredients to start over here!" Laura showed off the pile of stuff including the fire starter and some clean fire wood that she had gathered while waiting for them to recover.


    "Of course, now we are wasting food, but I will get started." Art was slightly crushed but he didn''t feel like having to speak like a fool for another hour or two.


    "Perfect, I will watch what''s going on this time and you can pay me a piece of cookie for supervising." Garnet smiled a little evilly. But it was a fair price to pay after the last incident.

 Chapter 149 - 149. Finally, Cookies!

    The group changed areas so that they were far away from the rainbow mushrooms that were still affecting some of them a little. Louis was almost dead silent the entire time that they were working making Sammy glance at him constantly in worry. The only person that seemed happier than ever was Laura.


    "Since we are just sitting here, why don''t I lay out what I think everyone should be working on these few days? I had some very good insights this past hours or two." Garnet smiled as if she was a kind goddess, but everyone knew there might be torture in their future.


    The mood was a little tense but there was a sense of curiosity. "Asher, Jane, and Art will wait until later. I have more to work on in your training plans. But the rest of you have some very clear goals to work on."


    Jackson could already sense that he knew what he needed to improve on, but had a feeling that there was more to it than he expected. "Can I ask what you would think is the most important thing for me to focus on?"


    "For you it is simple. You need to understand your body more. You are a big lumbering clutz. So try and get moving more. Do the things you would normally sit to do standing up. Go on hikes through the roots and rocky areas. Keep practicing footwork with those three." They were all surprised that Garnet knew about that training but at the same time knew it was her job to keep up with what the campers were doing.


    Jackson had expected this but was glad to hear the suggestions on how to improve. He already had felt the changes to his understanding when he had done the foot work tag game and now with the other methods, he could push for more.


    Garnet turned to Sammy, "I heard about your little floating down the cliff trick. It will be useful when you fall but if you can''t control your power more than that it is not all that good. Work on controlling the air around you and get your bearings early. You might be flat footed on the ground, but in the air you can be sideways, upside down, backwards, any which way. You will need to be comfortable being uncomfortable."


    "I can learn to do that!" Sammy was sure that she could figure out how to be comfortable like this and already had her own theories on how to do that. It sounded easy but would take some time more than anything. Laura was eagerly awaiting what she would need to work on. She had already started on her processing speed with the wooden puzzles and slowing her body.


    "You need to focus. When you had a goal to get points to get more ingredients for those cookies you were more focused than you had been yet. When you increased your speed you were still accurate. How else do you think you ran to find me so far away from your little camp site?" Garnet kept it short and sweet for Laura. What she needed to work on was simply focus.


    Laura was a little put off since she had thought it was a disconnect between the speed her brain processed and the speed that her body moved. Hearing that it was the degree of focus made training seem even harder. "Just try and slow down first and remember your goals to why you are doing something. As you do that you should get more control of your focus over time." Laura was pensive but still fairly upbeat from the smell of the fresh campfire cookies cooling.


    "Louis, you have the biggest potential here. You have no control over a large amount of lightning your body produces. But when it is lower in strength you can easily make it shock people or leaves. Just keep doing little things like that as you recover your lightning and then you should feel you have better control/ One day I expect you to be able to send a lightning bolt flying."


    Louis was more excited than he had expected. He hadn''t thought of ever being able to control it all to that degree. His lightning body had only been a burden so far. But if Garnet really thought that he would be able to control it to such a large degree he would try. Before Garnet even finished speaking he was already trying to zap small little pieces of leaves again. His focus ever increasing as he tried to only zap parts of it.


    "Now Art, pass me a piece of your master piece over there. Asher has already raved about your cooking capabilities all over camp. It''s time to put your money where your mouth is." Garnet had her doubts about how great these were but was enticed by the smell.


    Art grabbed the still warm skillet and cut the chocolate and wild nut cookies in to even servings. The group eagerly grabbed their own pieces and could barely contain themselves while waiting to bite in to them. "Well, don''t wait on my bubble gum. Ugh, my account." Art gestured for them to all take a bite while he sighed in frustration.


    The looks on everyone''s faces showed that they had just found the key to heaven. They had not tasted something so perfect in their lives. The soft and chewy cookie was perfectly balanced by the woodiness of the wild tree nuts that Jackson had provided. Even beyond that the small amount of smoke that came from the campfire reminded them all of the peaceful nights roasting marshmallows. It was an enlightening experience.


    "These came out pretty good. Thanks for letting me work with a new ingredient Jackson." Art was happy to taste the difference in the cookie since he had not known how well the wild tree nuts would blend in to the recipe.


    "I will get them a hundred times for you if you want. Actually no, I will bring them home and grow them for you to use every day if you want." Jackson was realizing that he had the skills to provide Art with a myriad of ingredients. Everyone would have laughed if not for the fact that they were too intent on enjoying their own campfire cookie.

 Chapter 150 - 150. Luxury Training

    "Well, that''s enough of that. Now that everyone is looking and sounding better. I will be off to my usual responsibilities." Garnet gave a last look at Art who was the last to show signs of fully recovering from the rainbow mushrooms. She then headed away and was met by a few staff members who were giving her reports on what had been happening in her absence.


    "I think I am going to go and find a place to drain off some of the building lightning I want to see what I can control and what my limits are. The night is the best time for it since I can see the lightning more clearly instead of just feeling it." Louis looked more driven and was constantly clutching his fists in determination.


    "Oooo, I want to watch the light show. I will go too." She saw that Louis was shaking his head but she was not going to let him brush her off. "I am going to watch and make sure you don''t pass out from over training. I will also be training my wind too so I won''t be doing too much watching." Sammy could only see Louis pushing himself to exhaustion with how motivation being so strong.


    "I need to build a shelter!" Jackson had completely forgotten the fact that he was not planning to sleep in a cabin. He only had an hour or so before the sun would set and if he didn''t work now he would be stuck in the dark.


    "Can I help? I want to make a shelter too!" Laura saw this as a good way for her to work on her own super power training and jumped at the chance. Jackson was a little worried hearing her so excited but he didn''t say no. He knew he would lose to Laura if he even tried t tell her such a thing.


    The group slowly drifted off leaving Asher, Jane, and Art hanging out as the last of the embers on the fire died down. "We should head to the luxury cabin too. It is going to be a lot of work for a while and the sooner we get there the sooner we can start a rotation on who used the elite home gym system first." Asher was ready to show off the unknown greatness of the elite home gym system.


    The three kicked the dirt on to the embers and headed off. The door to the luxury cabin had already been unlocked for them by Garnet as she passed by. When they entered Asher let Jane and Art revel in the sights. They were examining every inch looking for the comfort they had expected to be there, instead, they saw what Asher had seen.


    "That fridge over there has some fruit and protein drinks. I recommend the one that has strawberry protein. It also has tons of electrolytes. The app recommends it over the others for the start of a workout since it helps you keep going." Asher had already opened the fridge and grabbed one while the home gym logged him in.


    "My two friends need to register. Please help them." Asher spoke out loud making Art and Jane question his sanity before they heard another voice.


    "Welcome to the profile creation. Two new users found. Please take turns entering in your data." Art and Jane headed to the monitor and quickly followed the instructions. They were wildly impressed by the sophistication.


    They stood and moved around the room after entering in their data and found that the mirrors were part of the elite home gym system too. It was watching how they moved and already developing training for them. Asher misled smugly as his friends took in the gravity of how amazing the training was going to be.


    "You guys already downloaded the app right? Log in and check things out, we can move on from there since I bet Garnet already set up some things for you two to work on." Asher looked at his own app and found that he was suggested to work on the basics along with muscle training. There was also a short thirty minute stretching tutorial to help him with flexibility.


    At first, he questioned it but when he thought about how he would move in strange ways with his rag doll style he would most certainly need the ability to move fluidly in those strange ways. Stretching was the best way to improve upon this aspect of the style.


    "It says I need to do the weighted cardio set?" Art looked around and did notice there were some light weights in the room. He went and checked them out and even discovered that the app had suggested weights which changed as the two hour session went on.


    "It wants me to try out the high kick training set. I will need to also do a gymnastics stretching tutorial. It is even set up for my body type." Jane gasped at this because it was much more than she expected.


    "Well, it is going to be amazing like that since this is an elite home gym system with the rank of S." Asher dropped this fact on his friends who were thrown for a massive loop. They didn''t know such an awesome training machine was hidden away in the luxury cabin.


    "And the showers have special shampoos and body washes that help your body recover. Not to mention the medicine cabinet has even more that could do so." Asher saw that his friends were even more surprised as they stared around the room with wide eyes.


    "Home gym system, we are going to work out in shifts if that is alright. Rest, work out, and then train powers." The home gym systems screen showed a calculating screen then sent notifications to each of their apps. They saw the timetable and the ask for approval to set alarms for resting. There were even explanations to how the napping would work to provide rest while keeping them from feeling tired.


    "This is so cool. We are going to be able to become s much stronger with this!" Art saw the light at the end of the tunnel and wanted to start immediately.

 Chapter 151 - 151. Janes Acceptance

    "Art, you get to start. I know you want to work on your super power too, but I think you should work out first so that you challenge your mind more." Art wanted to rush right in to training his power now that he had some successes in the sparing with weights. But Asher had a good point.


    "What are we going to do?" Jane was a little lost. There was only one bed. ''Is he going to ask me to sleep in the bed with him?'' Her face turned bright red but soon another thought came to mind, ''But he''ll need to share with Art too. And hen he will want me to share with Art.''


    "I was thinking one of us could rest while the other works on their super power on the opposite side of the room. It''s in the time table but if you need help I can skip my nap." Asher knew that Jane might want help since she had a super power that directly affected other people.


    "Oh, ummm no I think I should work on my body. I don''t have a firm grasp on the strength of my nails and skin just yet, Garnet has a small action on scratching attacks on my app too." Jane acted fidgety and awkward but Asher didn''t even think twice about it.


    "The real question is how do I get to know my power better?" Asher sat down on the end of the bed and started thinking. He fully intended to train as best as he could since he had the chance, but the problem was how to do so.


    "Well, what are lucky things that happen in general? Flip and coin and try and make it land on what you want over and over? We could play rock paper scissors? Oh! You should download a bunch of those gotcha draw games, they are all about luck."


    Hearing Jane''s ideas Asher could only nod happily. There were tons of useless games that were just a waste of time for people to play. But with the in game mechanics, they could be incredibly hard. Some only gave the chance to get a certain in game character at one perfect. This could give Asher an idea of just how strong his lucky jinx skill could be.


    "I am going to download a bunch while I sleep. Good luck on your training too." Asher dove in to the bed and set up ten games to download. Whether he liked it or not he was going to be a gamer today.


    Art and Jane went to their respective corners and started their own training. Art was hard at work trying to learn a new move along with smooth out the ones he was already using. The elite home gym system constantly updated the screen showing the small inconsistencies in his movements. With this he was able to improve by a great margin, however, he was feeling the demand on his body in no time.


    Jane was a little different. She had found a solid metal alloy training dummy in the closet. There were targets painted on it and she had the feeling that it was just the right toughness to handle her solid sharp nails.


    With the flex of her hand, she could feel her nails extend which gave her chills. This was a feature of her body after the evo shot that she didn''t fully appreciate. The scales and purple hair had thrown her off, but the nails were scary.


    Jane took a deep breath and flexed them a few more ties. She needed to be used to this motion if she was going to use it when she was facing a real villain. The thought that they wouldn''t go easy on her was ringing clearly in her mind. Once she had become ready and calm she aimed at the dummy''s chest and slashed out with her nails.


    The sound of screeching metal made Asher and Art turn and focus on her immediately. She hadn''t caused much damage to the dummy but she has left scratches across the entire front. "Sorry, I didn''t know how strong my nails were¡­" She feared her friends would think she was some terrifying monster like the greek mythology said medusa was.


    "That was freaking awesome. You can easily break any armor or defenses a villain has. No one will be able to escape you." Asher was nearly jumping out of the bed but realized if he didn''t nap now he would end up going without proper rest and it would affect his training.


    Art gave two thumbs up before returning to his training and mumbling about a prompt from the elite home gym system about being distracted. Jane looked at the marks and her nails and slowly smiled as she realized that she may have been too hasty to judge the changes in her body.


    Not once had Art or Asjer judged her for her appearance and Asher had even complimented her before. Now the most deadly looking part of her was still complimented and approved by her friends. With the acceptance of what she was now, Jane felt her power truly becoming her own.


    The slashing she practiced was more on instinct but it was enough for her to get a feel. By the time the first alarm went off, she had gained the proper technique to flex her hand to make her nails extend in an instant. This would give her the ability to slash away any bindings on hostages or even cut through long ranged attacks.


    Jane was still apprehensive about using her nails on a person, but if they had tough armor she wasn''t going to just fall back. This was also under the pretense that her ability to freeze someone in place like a stone statue wasn''t working. Feeling happy with her evolving style she stole the bed from Asher who was moving towards the work out area of the Luxury cabin.


    "I am pretty sure there are some of those weights we used at the sparring field in the closet," Asher told Art this while yawning and looking through the elite home gym system for his work out set.

 Chapter 152 - 152. Arts Breakthrough

    "Check it out. I can even use these free metal beads. There is a whole bucket so I can change the weight of this padding as I need." Art was struggling to lift a bucket of shiny metal beads for the body weights.


    "This should be better than the weights, right? You can work on individual control and make sure your super power is really to use all of the metals and not just some." Asher wanted to make sure Art was comfortable with his power now that he knew it was not what he had been told.


    "Oh yeah, I am going to figure this all out before camp is even over. Then I am going to be leveled up and ready to get to the bottom of this." Art was hyping himself up but also showing just how serious he was. He wanted to know what his older brother had gotten in to and the risk his family was at.


    While Asher started to fall in to his own training Art had sat down with the bucket of metal beads. He was running his hands through the bucket finish g that they were various weights and sizes. This was a mix matched bucket of smaller and larger metal beads to add more or less weight to the padding.


    Art started with the smallest bead he could find. He had a feeling that is was more attached to him than he had ever noticed before. This was the signal that he could influence it with his super power. He had first tried to bend and manipulate the lead in the old pencils at school to no avail. The most he managed was to break the tip.


    However, Art had been running high on stress and emotions lately giving him a boost to his adrenalin. The little metal ball easily levitated in his palm and floated there for a few seconds until Art released a held breath. ''I need to stay focused and constantly think about keeping it floating. If I stop even for a blink of an eye I lose it.''


    While talking himself through the motions Art started to make the little metal bead move on his palm. The path it took weaved around his fingers and sat back in his palm. Asher was watching from the corner of his eye silently cheering for Art. He was impressed that his friend had started to embrace the super power he had while ignoring the way he had found out about it.


    Art constantly told himself of his goals as he picked up a slightly larger metal bead. This one was still easy to make float but not so easy to make move around Art''s fingers. The size was similar but Art could feel that the alloy was different. It had less metal and more other material in it.


    He grabbed another bead and another testing as many as possible to prove a theory he had built. ''The more pure the metal the easier it is to control...Does that mean the lead in the pencils was just a minor trace of it?'' The realization that he had been struggling for so long with lead was due to the small amount inside the pencils hit him hard. He had been foolish and trained with something unsuitable for training his super power, not that he knew the truth of his power anyways.


    Knowing this Art found what he felt was the most pure metal in the entire bucket of metal beads. The one he found was the size of a marble and looked to be a dull iron color. There was no shine to it since it was an older weighted ball but Art knew that it was the best one for him to train with.


    Like it had a mind of its own, the iron ball rose from his hand and fluidly moved around Art''s hands. He had complete control of it as long as he maintained his focus. The only problem was that he could feel the strain on his mind. His super power was wearing away at his mental energy to control the iron ball. He had not expected this to be the case and quickly lost focus.


    The iron ball hit the floor with a dull thud making Asher stop his motions and check on Art. "You look a little tire, everything alright?" The worry in his voice was plain.


    "I just didn''t realize the strain that came with using my super power. I have had it all wrong. I might be able to manipulate every metal, but the purity of the metal matters. I couldn''t manipulate the lead in pencils well because it was just trace amounts. I should have known." Art was still kicking himself for this.


    "Well, that sounds like a break through if I ever heard one. You can just make sure you have pure metals with you for a speedy attack and defense then use alloys at worst case. Actually, if you use alloys to trick an opponent in to thinking you''re slow you could surprise them with pure metals later." Asher saw the possibilities spread before Art easily.


    "That sounds super sneaky...I''m going to do it." Art liked the sound of tricking a villain in to thinking they had the other hand then changing metals to trap them in a second. If he could make this part of his fighting style he would stand above many others in the hero world.


    Asher was glad he could help for a minute but was at the beck and call of the elite home gym system. Hearing the alarm that he needed to finish his training he rushed over and continued his stretching tutorial.


    Art returned to the smaller metal beads and attempted to control two of them. Before the second alarm went off for them to switch again he had started to gain the ability to manipulate two of the small metal beads at once. The movements were simple but it was a major improvement over what he could do just a few hours ago. He happily walked to the shower for a recovery period then to nap.

 Chapter 153 - 153. Squad Up

    The night passed in this manner with everyone switching their training and resting schedule every few hours. This was the best way for them all to make rapid improvements. The elite home gym system app even set them up with the best possible recovery diets so they can continue to be at peak form and avoid any long term muscle soreness.


    "This thing even has the weight of the protein I need for every meal." Art was looking through his phone and couldn''t imagine how it was so specific.


    "Did you not notice that there was a tracker in the bottom corner of the screen during your work out sessions? It counted the calories you burned, the percentage of muscle soreness, and even the oxygen levels you had in your body. If you scroll all the way down to the suggestions you can see it there too." Jane had already mastered the app.


    "Whatttt? It says that my breathing is unsteady during my weight training making it less effective?'' Art was floored by how specific it was.


    "Dude, I told you it was S class. We should look for the golden egg again while we are doing our point building today. I can let you guys try the mode I used the first day." Asher flashed a vicious smile making Jane and Art flinch. They had no idea what he was talking about, but the look on his face told them it would not be a good time.


    "Well, I am going to go scan this at the vending machine and get myself food. I am more hungry than I have ever been." Art Made a tactical escape before Asher could convince him of anything potentially dangerous. Jane was quick to follow leaving Asher to rush to catch up.


    Good morning you three!" Sammy was the first to call out to them as they grabbed their food. Laura and Jackson were already seated at the table with Louis and eating.


    "Hey, is Louis alive?'' Asher was worried that Louis was about to fall in to the oatmeal he was supposedly eating.


    "Oh, he''s fine. He was just up most of the night. But check this out." Sammy poked both of his sides and Louis jumped up.


    "What the heck are you all about today? That''s the third time you''ve done that.'' Louis was ready to chase Sammy out of the dining cabin completely.


    "He had used almost all of the lightning in his body. Soooo, he can''t zap people right now." Sammy was smiling triumphantly.


    "That''s great for you Louis. You don''t need to be stressed out all day." Jane was much more supportive than Sammy since she held back on the teasing.


    "Ohh, so I can do this without risk?" Laura copied Sammy''s actions making Louis jump again, but he wasn''t reprimanding her as he had with Sammy.


    Sammy was giggling in her chair as she sat down to eat too. "So what''s the plan today?'' Jackson was looking at Asher, it seemed that to the group he had managed to become the unofficial leader.


    "Well, I was thinking we look round for the golden egg as we walk to the sparring fields. Once we get there we destroy any challenger. Just remember to use your size to intimidate people. You should take it slow and if you feel like you will lose just back out. But I think you will do better than you think." Asher remembered that Jackson wasn''t all about fighting si he wanted to make sure he wasn''t pushing too hard.


    "I am alright with that. I will point out the wild blackberries as we head that way then. They look just like the poisonous thorn berried. But they thorn berried are only poisonous when eaten, otherwise, they are a great disinfectant for small wounds." Jackson was excited to be able to trade some knowledge as well.


    "I feel like I am not really bringing too much to this training yet¡­" Louis was a little disheartened, but his words made Sammy also show sadness.


    "Then just get stronger and challenge us. Once you figure out your powers more you can give us a challenge with a strategy we have never faced. It will make us all better." This would have been great motivational phrasing if Art hadn''t said it with a mouthful of cranberry bran cereal.


    "Wow, I swear I felt the fire in my heart burn for that one." Jane''s sarcasm made the entire table burst out in laughter. It only continued as the milk came out of Art''s nose as he laughed even harder.


    Once they had all regained their breath and finished eating the group headed out while gathering some looks from the other campers. The three that had been offered up as the targets to beat in camp were walking with a group making their presence that much more intimidating.


    "I think we are famous. Look there are even people pointing. Should I go over and offer my signature?" Laura was ready to rush over and offer this before Jackson grabbed her shoulder.


    "I promise you, that is not what they want. I can hear them counting how many points they could get by challenging and beating all three of us. But I doubt they are ready. I haven''t had anyone try me in trivia yet." Jackson could easily read their lips and make out what the campers had been saying.


    "I wonder if I will get challengers today? If I do I want them to be worth the match." Asher was surprisingly energized after following the all night training and resting schedule. His thoughts were completely directed at sparring more today.


    "Really? I had plenty of people challenging me. But they didn''t even get through the first two sets of obstacles because they were afraid of heights or they fell in the mud." Laura was more disappointed than the others due to this. "At least they have my timed run through so I don''t actually have to go there for them to challenge me." She shrugged and looked at the sparring field as it opened up before them.

 Chapter 154 - 154. Speed

    "You and your team finally showed up? I thought you would all be here before anyone else." Garnet was standing at the edge of the field and looking at the large group of paired up campers sparring or waiting to spar.


    "Where did all these people come from?" Asher was looking at them as they noticed him and his friends show up.


    "The campers you sparred with yesterday started passing around the word that you would take on challenges if they taunted you. Now they think you are going to give them a bunch of easy points." Garnet said this like it was the most expected thing in the world.


    "Well, maybe we should go somewhere else¡­" Asher was feeling the pressure of the eyes on him.


    "No backing out now. We have plenty of points sitting out there just waiting for us." Jane was eager to try out some of her new moves. She was still apprehensive of the moves she practiced that used her nails so she had already decided to keep that in her back pocket. But using her ability to freeze someone in their place was fair game.


    Art was already heading to the weights to put some on his wrists and legs. He had found instructions on how to properly apply them for the best use on the app and was going to follow it a tee.


    "I am really low voltage right now. I should get in a few matches before my body charges up." Louis was trying to think of the safest way to spar and learn. Garnet gave him an approving nod since she had also made sure he was at a safe lightning level.


    "Maybe I will try to use some wind. It feels pretty happy today." Sammy was getting some good feelings from the soft breeze coming through the camp.


    "Can you really make the wind strong enough to push someone back already?" Asher''s question made Sammy a little bashful, but her strategy was different than what the others were thinking.


    "I want to try and use it to push me faster. If it can give me a little boost I can hit as hard as you. I don''t have much muscle." Sammy tried to flex her arm bit only proved she was delicate like the air around her.


    "A good idea, let me see it." Garnet had become interested at hearing this and pointed out a group of the more novice fighters around. "They are a little hesitant over there and should be at your level. Good luck." Garnet gave Sammy a nudge and let her find someone to challenge by herself.


    With the sudden push Sammy was showing a little nervousness but she also was showing excitement. This was her first sparring match and she wasn''t sure how it would go. But having Asher, Jane, and Art all help her the day before she had more confidence than she would have had otherwise.


    "How in the world is Laura already over there starting a match?'' Art had noticed that Kaura had disappeared while he was grabbing the ankle and arm weights he wanted to wear. She had made her way across the field and taunted a larger and definitely slower, boy in to a match.


    "Can we all agree that we should call her the hummingbird style?" Louis could only imagine her as a speedy little hummingbird as she seemed to flit around her opponent.


    "That''s a good name for it. You have a knack for this. You can be in charge of naming styles from now on." Garnet''s approval only made Louis a little more embarrassed by this but the others all held their thumbs up in approval. "Actually, I like it so much you can have a point."


    The reason Garnet deemed it worth the point wasn''t the actual naming, but the recognition of a developing style. This showed that Louis had an eye for picking out the tendencies someone would use most often. For Laura, this was the speed she had to confuse her opponent.


    Laura stumbled a few times while moving but it was very minimal and didn''t interrupt her flow of battle. ''She is more focused today than yesterday. I wonder if it is because her friends are here watching.''


    "Come on Laura! You''ve got this!" Asher shouted out while the match went on. This made Laura slide a little as she stopped but her face held a strong smile. Her next movement had almost no flaws and she landed three consecutive hits to the same spot on her opponents'' arm. This might have been a worthless attack if it was one punch, but the three did some decent damage.


    "She can''t hit hard, and most likely won''t be able to with her metabolism burning all her nutrition. But those multiple hits are rough. It''s like getting whiplash from the sudden change in force.'' Garnet''s analysis surprised everyone who was watching the opponent grab at their arm in pain. They had just thought that Laura was stronger than they thought.


    "In theory can''t we just work on speed then and use a lot of different hits from different angles? I could just learn boxing." Jackson was thinking of the strategy that was working for Laura and how it could work with him.


    "I would not recommend that for you. You are larger and slower. If you come up against someone as fast or faster than you, then you will always lose. It will come down to you being too weak to win in a battle of muscle." Garbet was speaking from first hand experience. She had seen too many people focusing on speed meet an equal in speed but lose out in strength.


    "That means we should try to be balanced. I think you could use speed training though, you are more strength right now." Asher was already thinking he would prefer to be more balanced than anything. Jackson couldn''t argue this point. He could easily keep up with people due to his bodys'' stamina, but in a sprint, he easily lost.

 Chapter 155 - 155. Boxing Club

    "Ah!, he hit her!" The large boy had slammed his fist down toward Laura and shocked Louis who was still watching from the sidelines.


    "Look more closely, she dodged." Garnet didn''t even look away from the sparring field while saying this. Louis searched frantically around the area and found that Laura had ducked ad become hidden behind the large boy. She was perfectly fine.


    "She saw him coming, I think her mind is faster than she thinks. She totally reacted in a second to that hit. I couldn''t even see him set it up, it was a wild swing." Jackson had seen it too and was staring at the larger boys'' tactics and stance for inspiration. But the wild swinging and low control were rubbing him the wrong way.


    "It was a wild swing. I believe the profile I received read that he has the super power to transform in to a bear. He is strong and fighting with mostly instincts. So wild is his style. It would be good if he was against someone with even less speed but Laura is too fast. She could have zero experience and still win." Garnet was already disinterested in the sparring match after remembering the boys'' super power.


    "I don''t think I would want to be able to transform in to anything with my super power. I like being human." Asher looked at the large size of the boy and felt that there was no point in wanting to be anything else at this point, he was already a better version of his past self.


    "Yo! You gave my friends a hard time yesterday. Get over here and let me kick you down a level." A smaller kid with slicked back blond hair called Asher out from a few feet away. He had his hands wrapped and looked familiar.


    "Why does the boxing club think they can challenge him?" Art recognized the by immediately. The boxing club had a habit of posting their fight posters around the school the week before to promote their matches.


    "Have you won ten matches yet? If not then you aren''t qualified." Asher shut them right down in a second. He was not looking for an easy match. He wanted to learn something and put the moves he practice in to a really challenging match.


    "Who cares about the ten matches? You fought my friends in the body sculpting club yesterday without that so leave your cowardice behind and let''s go." The kid from the boxing club got more annoyed being told he wasn''t qualified.


    "I would say she cares about the requirements...Mostly because she made them." Asher pointed to Garnet who hard raised a fist and started to threaten the boxing club.


    With Garnet ready to start a sparring match of her own to enforce the rules the boxing club members backed off and shouted a few taunts at them as they looked for a few more opponents. The eyes of many of the others sparring nearby glared at Asher because they felt that their easy points had just hidden away behind a wall.


    "Wait, you''re his friend right? I will take you down then!" The boxer came back and pointed right at Art.


    Art was smiling with vicious intent, "So you couldn''t take on my bro and decided I would be easy to beat huh? The get ready to beg for mercy."


    "A little intense there¡­" Asher wasn''t sure why Art had gotten so fired up but with how he was adjusting the weights on his arms and hands he realized that it was most likely due to the new found control of his super power through training.


    "Ooo Art''s going to fight someone? I want to watch!" Laura popped up in front of them without even a single scratch from her match.


    "Dang, you won your match already? I thought you would be over there forever, the guy looked like a tank." Louis had gotten distracted when the boxing club members came over to harass Asher.


    "He was tough for sure. But the more times I hit him the more he started to try and run away. He didn''t say he gave up until I hit him for like the thirtieth time." If it was anyone else that said they had hit their opponent this many times they would have ignored them. But with Laura''s speed, they knew that this had to be the truth and felt pity for her unfortunate opponent.


    "Why do you all look like that? He is fine. He was able to walk away." She harumphed as she followed their gaze to the boy walking away from the sparring field toward the nurses'' cabin.


    "Stop hatting and get over here. You are going to be match number five so I can go after that kid. He thinks he is better than any of the material arts clubs, he is just dreaming." the boxer started to bounce in pace showing off a traditional boxers'' bounce.


    Art fell in to his stance as well while a staff member rushed over after noticing them. "Begin!" There was not a reason to draw things out and get approval. The two campers had already fallen in to form and were about to start without a signal.


    The boxer side stepped making a circular motion to get to Art''s blind spot. The only problem with that was that Art was more adept in foot work and was able to turn with him. This made the boxing club member get more and more agitated. He was used to his opponent being unable to follow his feet and getting the blind spot jab.


    "That all you can do?'' Art said this which slightly tripped up the boxing club member, He wasn''t used to his opponent''s trash talking in a match, it was against the rules of the ring.


    Art sent out his own jab and followed up with a swift kick. They had a decent for to them and the jab distracted the boxer even more. The kick completely threw him off and caused him to almost fall.

 Chapter 156 - 156. Neil

    "What the heck was that? There are no kicks in a boxing match!'' The boxer was furious at this violation of the rules.


    "Good thing this isn''t a boxing match." Art was thankful for the stretching that had added to his flexibility. He was easily able to bend and set ut a serious of three kicks. They held less power than he put in to the first bit it was enough to make the boxer back off.


    With no momentum, the boxer was at a loss so far leaving Art to push forward even more. He knew that he had been keeping up due to his training and wasn''t going to show any less strength. His next kick swung out in a large predictable arc making the boxer step in to it with his arm ready to block.


    To anyone, watching it was an arrogant mistake by Art, but to Asher and Garet it was a perfect bait. The boxer readied his block but didn''t feel the kick. Instead, he heard Art''s foot slam to the ground and a solid left hook hit his exposed cheek.


    Art had faked the large kick to lure in his opponent, then taken the opportunity to send out a hard blow. Art could feel the strain on his fist as he made contact and told himself he would be buying protective gloves from the camp store as soon as he had enough points. If he could challenge enough people today he would not have a problem doing so.


    Art had expected the boxer to go down with that solid punch but was surprised to see him fix his stance and keep bouncing. The look in his eyes had become much more serious now that he had been hit the first time. This match was going to be longer than he had predicted.


    The boxing club member tried to push Art back with a three punch combo, but Aty pushed forward and blocked every single hit with his arms. He wasn''t the least bit afraid of taking some hits so that he could try the throw he sneakily learned from the elite home gym system the night before.


    Art had been jealous of Asher getting ahead and learning a move he wasn''t able to do and therefore, added it in to the tutorial for the moves he wanted to train. He had yet to throw a real person but this wasn''t the problem. His body knew the feeling and he was confident in his technique.


    The combo had ended and Art was still standing strong. Before the boxer could step back and reset his stance Art lowered his level and reached upwards to grasp the boxers'' wrist. His hand clasped on without any resistance and as Art turned the boxer could only remember the fearful take of how Asger had made his friend fly through the air.


    In just a few moments more Art had the boxer above his head flying through the air as well. There was no hesitation to his throw and it flowed smoothly. "You''re killing it Art!" Asher''s cheer went unheard as Art pinned the boxer down and pushed in to his back. He was still holding the wrist behind his opponent''s back and his knee on the spine.


    "Do you give?" Art said this through a calm breath. The other boxing club had grown silent and solemn seeing their member in such a position.


    "I''m done, whatever." The boxing club member was already down in the match and gave in through a clenched jaw.


    Art stood up and walked back to the group. His eyes met Ashers'', "Like that throw? I practiced it last night when you were napping."


    "It was pretty epic. I didn''t think you had gone ahead and learned it so fast." Asher was impressed but Garnet was a little less impressed.


    "You paused when you got him in the air. If he had any knowledge on defending the through you could have lost and been in a body lock. Use the training dummy in the cabin if you can find the golden egg again. Asher knows the difference." She walked away and stood near Jane who had already started her own match. Asher realized that while Art had battled someone Jane had already finished off another opponent as well.


    "Jane is crushing her opponents. All she had to do is get them focused on charging at her then she raises her mask and they freeze while falling forward. She had pinned two people in a row." Asher was a little more afraid of the words Jackson used. If Jane was using that strategy he would need to use his training and luck to make sure he wasn''t beaten instantly.


    "Stop using your power that way. You are too predictable!'' Garbet yelled this at Jane and kept walking the sparring field. Asher could tell Jane was a little unhappy with this because she wanted to be praised for her wins. But Garnet was right. Jane needed to strengthen her skills before she relied on her super power to win over and over.


    "So, you are the one I can challenge when I have my ten wins right?" The voice came from behind Asher and gave him a surprise. "My name is Neil Roth, we happen to be in the same class but we have not formally met."


    "Oh, I''m sorry for not introducing myself officially yet. I feel like so much has happened and I keep missing the chances to get to know everyone." Asher laughed a little awkward that another one of his classmates was introducing himself.


    "I don''t mind. We all have a busy day to day life. I rarely speak in class anyways, I focus on my meditation and karate. I am a member of the karate club but I have been forced not to participate due to my super power. I spoke to Miss Garnet and she said I am allowed to participate as long as I exhaust my energy, but I don''t need to worry about doing so against you." Neil held himself tall and reached a hand out to shake Ashers''.

 Chapter 157 - 157. Slow Starter

    "I showed up to train here when the sun rose, but other campers were a bit late. Don''t worry, I have already procured the necessary ten wins in a row to face you." Neil was very astute making Asher wonder if he planned out every aspect of his life.


    "Well, I can''t say I am not surprised. I didn''t think anyone would have ten wins just yet." Asher laughed a little while looking around for anyone else who might be close. However, it appeared that there was no one at all ready.


    "You two are about to spar right? Wait for Art to finish up over there and then we can all watch." Jane and Laura had paired up again. Louis was nowhere to be found but if Sammy and he were off sparring it would make sense.


    "No need to wait, hey there Neil. How''s the power control going?" Art walked up and fist bumped Neil.


    "Wait, you already met?"


    "Yeah, I tried to meet everyone. On the first day Neil was packed up and ready to head home exactly at the time the bell rang so I introduced myself. He''s a nice dude, just don''t mess up his schedule." Neil nodded along with Art. It was clear the schedule was the most important thing to him.


    "Speaking of schedule, I would like to get our match on the way if you are ready? I plan to try the hike to the cliff after this. I set aside four hours and nothing more." Neil had a watch he checked constantly. It looked like it had been fitted with rubber so he could wear it while sparring.


    "I think you will want to take some more time for the hike. Those trailers are a little confusing unless you are good at tracking." Asher gave him the heads up but it resulted in Neil becoming more confused than enlightened.


    "I would listen to him. Jane and I haven''t gone that way since we met up with Asher, but he had been here for a few days and tried it out." Art backed Asher up, he was always trying to be the best friend he could.


    "Then I will add an extra hour, and I will carry my scheduled dinner with me." Neil pressed a few buttons on his watch and adjusted his schedule. "Unfortunately, you will be my last sparring match then. Let''s find an open space."


    "Sure thing. Hey Garnet, I have a challenger!" Asher spotted Garnet from across the field and gave a shout. She turned her head immediately and headed over to them.


    "I knew you two would fight soon. Neil, remember that you have been limited before and are not now. If you feel you are putting too much power in to something just drop out and try again. Asher, he is allowed to use his super power against you because your style should counter it well. I also have a feeling your super power won''t let you take a real hit from him."


    The two became much more serious listening to Garbet and stepped a few feet back from each other. Garnet pushed Art and Jane out of the way while Laura had already moved back and sat down to watch the show. She had yet again managed to pull carrot sticks out of nowhere.


    Neil had fallen in to a solid stance with no appearance of being able to be pushed one way or the other. On the contrary, Asher''s stance was much more free. He was even swaying a little on his feet as he tensed and relaxed his muscles. This was a habit he hadn''t even realized he had, but it matched the rag doll style perfectly.


    "Fight!" Garnet gave the shout as soon as the two were in their stances and ready.


    Neil took slow and steady steps forward while not losing his stance at all. He was extremely vigilant of how Asher might react, however, he had already begun to think that Asher would not be able to hit hard. The soft and wobbly looking stance made Asher look more vulnerable than a normal fighter would be with a steady tough stance. This was the misconception Garnet had hoped would surface in Asgher''s style.


    Asher took the same steps forward but lowered his level and whipped his arm up in a swift jab. The sudden move put Neil on edge but was not enough to phase him. He easily blocked the hit and stayed steady in his stance. Asher swore he saw a ripple in Neil''s skin as he made contact but felt it was a trick of the eye.


    Neil retreated slightly and raised a leg to feign a kick. This made Asger focus on a kick as well and mirrored Neil. However, Asher roasted and looked to be falling back baiting Neil in. It made Neil gain a step forward and when Asher looked to be falling there was a sudden change.


    The wheel kick came down in a vicious snap ad Asher used the momentum of the slow fall to twist and attack. Yet Neil still held strong and changed to a block. This time Asher made a careful note of the strange ripple Neil''s skin made as his kick landed.


    "That''s not all!" Asher saw that Neil fully intended to block more so he rained down more hits. The jabs and kicks came together in a combination. Asher had started to flow with sharp falling turns leading to heavier hits. His style had started to show some of its true colors.


    Neil was smiling with harsh breathing when he dodged backward after the last hit Asher got him with. The rippling had continued on Neils skin and Asher knew that it was the result of his super power. The only good part was that Neil was definitely feeling the stress of the attack Asher used and that it was slowing his opponent down.


    "I think it''s time for me to start fighting back. I am sorry I took so long to get going. I am a slow starter." Neils placed his front foot down on the ground and a slight ripple caused the air to snap around him. A small ring of dust kicked up around him.

 Chapter 158 - 158. Healer

    Neils'' every step made the dust on the ground snap up. Asher could tell that there was more force than there should be in his movements. ''His power is going to be tougher than I thought. I can''t get hit by these punches.'' Asher retreated a few steps but was matched by Neils''.


    Neil stepped down making his foot crush the ground. The small hole he dug giving him more grip to push forward with a heavy jab. Asher ducked to the side to dodge the blow but felt the snap of the air and the wind fly through his hair.


    He heard Art and Jane gasp along with Laura''s giggling. They were enjoying the sudden surprise from Neils'' super power. Asher didn''t have time to shout at them for this and instead was forced to push on toward Neil. The only problem was that there was a second jab already on the way.


    Neil''s other fist was coming towards Asher''s shoulder and he had no time to fully dodge. With a swift turn, Asher managed to move enough so that the blow only grazed him. However, before he knew it the force had turned him around and his arm was swinging much faster than he had expected.


    Asher didn''t let this momentum go to waste. He gritted his teeth and let the force take him for a ride. H channeled it in to a massive left hook aimed right at Neils'' face. Neil had not expected this since most of the time his normal hits would cause his opponent to retreat or even call off the match. Having someone turn it against him was a rare experience.


    He wanted to use his super power to defend and absorb the hit but he was unable to do so since he was now releasing the energy pent up within him. Because of this Asher''s punch cracked his jaw and finally made him fall back. He was lucky enough to hold his balance but Asher was not going to give Neil the chance to recover.


    With his hand and arm feeling numb Asher drove on to make the hit worth it. The next series of punches he let fly were not as strong as the first but made a serious dent in Neil''s defenses. Neil had not been ready for another hit and didn''t even block.


    When Neil managed to regain his stability and retreat he felt that he was on the verge of losing the match. His eyes showed a glint of frustration before he took up his stance and pushed forward with all his might. He gave a jump in the air and forced as much of his pent up potential energy towards his fist.


    Asher could only feel that death himself was looking at him as Neil jumped. The punch falling toward him was not one that he could black and his body acted on its own.


    Asher dove away from Neil and rolled without any control. The crack that sounded through the entire training field caused every single sparring match to pause and stare at the source of the noise.


    Asher felt that the ground had shifted around him and he was rolling towards Neil who was kneeling and panting heavily. Asher wasn''t sure one what had occurred overall, but he used his rolling to flick out a backhanded punch. It was not extremely powerful but managed to push Neil over.


    "The match is over! Neil is unable to fight any longer." Garnet moved towards them and checked out Neil directly. "You used all the energy you built up at once and it was the reason you lost. If you had held on to enough to stay standing you could have caught him as he rolled." She was a little harsh but it appeared to be motivated to Neil instead of negativity.


    "You, I think you have fully accepted that you will be using the rag doll style. If you manage to get the golden egg today, which I have a bad feeling you will, then have the elite home gym system analyze your moves in a combo." Garnet motioned for another staff member which a red arm band.


    "Hello head counselor Garnet. Who needs healing?" The staff member was an average looking brown haired woman, but there was a strange energetic air about her.


    "His arm is sprained and most likely had some muscle tears from over exertion. And he has a dislocated jaw. Please treat both." Garnet stood up and started to walk away. "Oh, and you need ten more battles to challenge Asher again, that''s the penalty for losing." and she was gone.


    The staff member started to hum while she poked and prodded Ashers'' arm. The strange thing was that there was no pain. Instead, it felt like he had been dosed with pure adrenaline. The heat spread all over his body and he could feel all of his sore muscles and achy joints from training wash away in to a perfect condition. "There we go, all fixed up. You should go eat something before the backlash hits you, your body used more nutrients than you think."


    She turned to Neil and did the same actions along with giving him the same order. "My healing speeds up the body''s natural healing, but it costs a lot of store nutrition so I can only heal small wounds without causing more damage. Look for me if you ever strain a muscle or dislocate something." The staff member left with a smile and hummed away.


    "Hey Laura, do you have any snacks we can have? I feel like I am starting to get really hungry." Asher had the immediate feeling of emptiness and realized it was only getting more powerful. He had been left completely famished in an instant even though he had eaten before he came to the sparring field.


    "Sure! I have protein bars, some fruit, more carrot sticks, oh I got these word dried vegetable chips¡­" Laura pulled a ton of things from a backpack no one had noticed she was carrying. "What? I got this from the camp store while you were all fighting. I grabbed the highest calorie snacks I could to bring with me from there. These vegetable chips are great, one of them is equal to a serving."

 Chapter 159 - 159. Rotation

    " Wait, I didn''t see these snacks in the camp store. Where did you get them? And where did this bag come from?" Asher was looking at the backpack and the snacks.''Has Laura stolen these from someone?''


    "Why are you looking at me like that? I used my points to get my bag back. I brought these from home." Laura slightly hid the bag behind her. Asher wanted to ask where she got the points from since she had just spent almost all of them on the second batch of cookie ingredients, but he was feeling more and more hungry.


    "You said one of those compressed veggie chips had the servings of one full day right?" Laura smiled like she had won a great victory.


    "I ddiiidddd, and you want one?" She was having way too much fun with this. Unfortunately for Asher he was unable to think of anything wise to say and was going to break.


    "Can I have like five of them? Or wait, just two then I can make it to the dining cabin. Please.'' Neil had burst in after hearing the food was a whole days'' worth of vegetable nutrients.


    Laura looked a little down since she wasn''t able to keep teasing Asher. She handed out three to Neil, "I will pay you back for this. Just let me know when you want me to and I will schedule it!" His shout was already fading in to the distance as he sprinted toward the dining carbon.


    "You can have one too I guess." Laura knew she couldn''t go back now. There was no way she could give one to Neil who she had just met and not Asher who she had already labeled a friend.


    "Don''t worry, I will pay you back too. I can get Art to cook for you." Laura beamed at the promise of payback in this form.


    "What are you doing? I am not a chef for sale, I don''t pay your debts." Art tried to argue but he was giving too much away. The smile on his face said that he would definitely cook for anyone that asked, he just liked it that much.


    "So what do we do next?" Jane wasn''t sure if they should keep taking on matches or try to hunt for the egg.


    "I think we should get more food. I could eat another five of these and a steak and still need more food." Asher wanted to go on with the sparring but the feeling in his stomach screamed for him to eat some real protein.


    "Was that staff members healing that strong?" Art was surprised by this, especially since he saw Laura pulling out more food.


    Laura tossed Asher a protein bar and started snacking on the veggie chips too. "Now you see why I need these super compressed snacks. They have a ton of calories and would usually make someone sick if they are more than one or two. But you look like you are in the same state as me."


    "You always feel this starving? That''s terrible. I feel like my stomach has never been filled at all." Laura was just snapping another chip in to her mouth while nodding along.


    "My power burns so many calories all the time, I eat as often as possible to quench my thirst and sate my hunger." She had heard the line said like that in a book and knew she had shown them her cool side.


    "You should join our philosophy class. You would fit right in." Art felt a little bad about Laura always feeling so hungry, but with her weird attempt to be cool he had felt that feeling fly away.


    "That staff member said her power used our bodies'' stored nutrients to rapidly repair itself. So basically I feel like I haven''t eaten for weeks." Asher was wolfing down one of the protein bars while trying to stuff a chip in his mouth too. Before he could choke to death Laura threw a water bottle at him as well.


    "I''m not sure if that makes me worried or feel better." Art was put on the edge since he knew that it would end up being a problem if she healed them. They would need to stop and rush to eat, it would also cost more points to get enough food.


    "Then just try not to get hurt. Just more motivation for us to train." Jane only saw the positives in this. Jackson, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke up.


    "THat fighting style you have is very hard to predict. It also looks like you are wide open, but that''s not the case at all. I can''t lie but I thought you were going to lose the entire time.." Jackson had been trying his best to dissect Asher''s style and learn something.


    "I actually wish I had a video, I don''t think I have a proper view of what I actually look like." This was one thing that was true. Ashe was always lost to what his movements looked like and if he was pausing unnecessarily.


    "We can help with that!'' Sammy jumped in front o Asher coming from behind. Louis was there to giving Art a fist bump as a greeting. "We were trying to practice and wait for a space to open up, but decided to split up and videotape you match with our phones. Let us send them to you."


    Sammy and Louis both sent the full videos from different angles. "This is perfect! You guys really have my back." Asher couldn''t be more thankful for the friends he had made. "I think we should all start to record each other''s matches. It would be a huge help."


    "Then we will rotate who has what matches. Let''s claim this spot for us and rotate through." This plan suggested by Jane was perfect. They could take turns earning points while the others rested and recorded. This would help them all improve and keep up well rested matches for a long time.


    "We are going to rack up the points. Hear that everyone? This is the best sparring ground there is. Line up and challenge the rotation of the battle master!" Laura jumped up and started advertising. The attention of most of the sparring field fell on them.

 Chapter 160 - 160. Stone Skinned

    "Why did you do that!" Jackson was the one afraid of all the attention they were getting. Laura''s yell had even echoed a little making even more nearby campers move towards the sparring field to take a look.


    The campers that saw the group standing around Asher who had been shown as the person to beat were filled with greed. They knew that if they managed to beat Asher''s friends and get the matches and points they could then take advantage of the rotation and steal away Asher''s position.


    Seeing that many campers were walking toward them Asher felt his energy spike, "I might jump in to the rotation when I see something interesting. I am, low on points anyways."


    "First up we have Jackson, beginner sparring only!" Asher stepped forward while raising Jacksons'' hand. Jackson of course was terrified.


    "Why me? I have no idea what I am doing. They will chew me up and spit me out." His voice was shaky but everyone else looked confident.


    "Dude, you need to go first. The people that jump in right away will be the less experienced people who rush head on in to a match. You can get experience and we can give you critique afterward." Art was a little jealous but let Jackso head in to the ring that the campers had formed around the sparring area.


    "I will record it, Go Jackson!" Laura was very excited for this idea to form. Jackson was still inside but he was happy to hear encouragement. He began to stretch while a grey skinned boy stepped up.


    "You''re big, that''s all." The boy with grey skill slammed his fist in to the palm of his hand. The cracking sound of stones reached everyone''s ears.


    "Ooo, stone skin super power. That is a common one, but tough to hit. Jackson is going t have to trip the kid or get him pinned." Jane had heard of this power and knew of it pretty well. Since she was a speedier person she wanted to make sure she was well researched on the defensive super powers that could make things harder for her.


    "Won''t he struggle though? He is going to need to break through someone with stone skin?'' Sammy was a blank slate when it came to defensive super powers. She had understandably focused on elemental super powers like hers.


    "He could try and use blunt force. But think of this, how heavy is stone skin? What would happen if you recently got a super power this year and needed to quickly adapt to a heavier body? Would your muscles magically catch up?" Louis had seen the answer instantly.


    "He''ll be too heavy to get up if he falls and is held down." Sammy''s jaw dropped as she looked at Jackson, "But does he know?"


    "We will have to find out." Jane pointed at the match which had begun. A staff member had come over since many of the matches had ended and been drawn toward Asher''s group. Even Garnet had found a spot to stand and watch.


    Jackson had been given good advice and easily stepped out of the way of the grey skinned boy. He had charged right at Jackson without even a second thought. The boy didn''t even stop when he missed Jackson, instead, he turned and kept charging. Jackson used this chance to throw a poorly places punch and received some scraped knuckles.


    "I''m too tough, nothing can break me!" The grey skinned boy charged again. This time Jackson dodged and looked for a better strategy. The boy continued his relentless charging but had already started to lose speed. He was tiring out due to the weight of his skin wearing on his stamina.


    Jackson finally seemed to reach an understanding while watching this phenomenon. He dodged a few more times then waited for the next charge. At the last second, he stepped back and left his foot out. The grey skinned boy tripped and fell face first.


    Jackson didn''t even touch him after that. The boy was too tired and couldn''t stand up. The staff member was quick to announce that Jackson was the winner. There wasn''t any need for healing and there wasn''t any need for explanation. It had been a plain batter of attrition.


    "Umm, how did I do?" Jackson was a little worried that he had not done well enough to earn the respect of his friends.


    "Perfect ten out of ten." Louis only said this but everyone felt this too.


    The only thing I think you should have recognized was that you couldn''t punch him because of his stone skin, but you aren''t as versed in powers as Jane. so you still acted perfectly after you learned you couldn''t damage him." Asher explained what Louis meant and why he had said perfect. Jackson was happy and smiled like a goofy idiot.


    "Hey Louis, have you charged enough to zap someone without hurting them?" Art wanted t see the strategy that Louis had been working on.


    "Sure, I went to the river this morning and let off some of the lighting. I coincidentally caught some half cooked fish¡­" Louis admitted this making everyone burst out in laughter.


    "You mean you accidentally electrocuted and half cooked some fish?" Sammy hadn''t known this and was already teasing him.


    "No, it was completely intentional and I gave them to some of the staff for points." Louis got defensive quick and everyone laughed even more.


    "Smart move to get points for them, but maybe we shouldn''t decimate the fish population in the river every day?" Jane was the first to become spurious which received a thankful glance from Louis.


    "We can help you find a good way to burn off the lightning later, but for now¡­ Louis is up next. Anyone with a ground oriented super power would be appreciated!" Asher yelled out making Louis frown under the rubber bandages.


    "Why did you throw away my trump card like that?" He wasn''t sure why Asher would try to make things harder for him. He was going to use the logical strategy and zap his opponent so that he could easily finish him off.

 Chapter 161 - 161. Mud Balls

    Louis was understandably angry that Asher had just shouted for someone that he wouldn''t be able to shock. The others were also a little stunned that it had just happened, but as they thought about it the same idea started to form. "You don''t want Louis to focus on his super power as an advantage. It''s like what Garnet told me about using my power to freeze people on the spot."


    "Exactly, bonus points to Jane." Asher gave her a high five then turned to Louis. "You super power will be your best asset, but what happens if you get fried like the other day at the obstacle course?"


    Louis looked at the ground still unhappy, but he still walked on to the center of the sparring area the group had claimed. "I''ll be back soon." His words were barely audible but it was enough for everyone to hear.


    Let''s go Louis!" Sammy and Laura gave a cheer at the same time trying to get his spirits up. He pulled up the hood to his sweatshirt and ended up trying to hide even more.


    "Ground type super power? You want to go against me and my mud armor?" The boy who stepped forward was hardly recognized as a person. They had mud and dirt all over their body and only small patches of skin were seen as the mud constantly shifted.


    "Is it just me or does that kid look like he has been living in a swamp?" Art didn''t mince words and flat out said what he thought on the spot.


    "I think that is just the mud sticking to him for defense. But it doesn''t really look like armor¡­"


    Jane was glad she wasn''t fighting this kid.


    The match began before any of them had realized. "Don''t go getting mud in your eye!" The mud covered camper whipped his hand outward sending a mud ball toward Louis.


    Louis jumped to the side and watched the mud ball splat on to the ground. "I thought you said that was armor?!"


    "Who said I couldn''t take it off." The mud covered camper moved forward at a much faster pace taking Louis by surprise. His muddy hand reached out for Louis and managed to grab him around the arm. Instead of staying attached to the camper the mud wrapped around Louis.


    "What the heck, get this off!" Louis was panicking and trying to tear the mud away. Unfortunately, he had no control of the mud that was moving to his opponents'' will.


    Louis kicked out as hard as he could and managed to hit his opponents'' side. The mud that had once been there having moved towards his opponent''s hand and left a weakness. The mud stayed stuck to Louis but he was able to break it away from his opponent and back up.


    "Oh, is it too dry for you? If only you could use water then you wouldn''t need to carry this with you." Louis made a show of knocking the mud to the ground. His opponent was visibly annoyed from the hit. He had not been injured by an attack since before he had gotten his evo shot.


    Louis''s opponent reacted to his taunting with a barrage of thrown mud balls. Louis knew this would happen and let them fall around him with ease. He barely needed to try to dodge them using the small amount of foot work skills that h had learned from the others. It made things too easy.


    The fact that Louis had become wise to his attacks and started to dodge made the mud covered opponent much more annoyed. He went to throw another ball of mud but found that he threw nothing. The mud he had on his body was slowly depleted and was now nothing but dusty residue. This is what Louis had wanted.


    Louis sidestepped the mud on the ground and finally shook off the mud from his one hand. His opponent had been too distracted and couldn''t control the mud he threw away from his body. Without the mud to block Louis''s attacks he was a sitting duck. With a quick straight punch, Louis hit the once mud covered camper dead on. The crack of electricity as a large zap left out of Louis''s body filled the onlookers'' ears.


    The opponent jolted away from Louis and fell to the ground completely knocked out. "Pssss sorry¡­" Luis hissed upon realizing he hadn''t dialed back the strength enough now that his opponent wasn''t properly armored by the mud. However, he had successfully won his first match and even used his lightning body super power to do it.


    Louis walked back still trying to hide his face now that those watching were all shouting about how cool his win had been. Not a single one of them knew about his power except for the few who had witnessed him falling in the mud at the obstacle course. It was safe to say that now he was the talk of the camp for having a cool super power instead of frying the water obstacle.


    "Louis, that was greatest! You zapped him even though he could cover himself with mud and insulate himself. It was way better than that kid throwing mud, anyone could do that." Laura was the first to compliment Louis making him shrink further in to his sweatshirt.


    "I swear Louis if you don''t thank my new best friend Laura for her compliment I am going to send everyone here your baby pictures." Sammy wasn''t having it. She and Laura had worked together to cheer for Louis and he was going to be appreciative then he would suffer the consequences.


    Louis heard this threat and took it completely to heart. He wasn''t going t have the embarrassing baby pictured he knew his mother had taken way too many over shown to all his friends. It would ruin any image he''d created. "Yes, thank you for cheering for me and having faith!"


    Asher and Art gave him knowing pats on the back. They knew that the girls in the group were tough cookies and wouldn''t let up. But he had done great and they wanted him to know it.

 Chapter 162 - 162. Reflex

    "I don''t know why she had to take it zero to a hundred so fast." Louis pouted a little while Art and Asher gave him tips on what to do next time.


    "They were cheering in unison without any practice, it was kinda cool." Jackson wasn''t much for analyzing battles yet. He needed to expand his knowledge and was taking notes as Asher and Art spoke to Louis.


    "Dude, forget about your crush on Laura for now. Focus here." Art wasn''t dancing around and just threw it at Louis. It was enough to make him more bashful but also listen more. "You did well when you baited him to throw away all the mud armor he had. But you let him catch you.''


    "Exactly. When he caught you he could have trapped you in the mud and you would have lost without a doubt. You got really lucky to kick him in an exposed sport. I bet that one day he will be able to cover his whole body in mud and your luck will run out. That''s why you need to stay focused on baiting strategies early."


    "Oh, I get it. Just because he said it was armor doesn''t mean he wouldn''t throw his armor or try and put his armor on you." Jackson followed right along with Art and Asher''s breakdown. He felt that he had his perspective expanded.


    "I get it, but I think I could still have zapped him through the mud. I took the meteorology class and when lightning strikes the ground it doesn''t just nullify it completely. The energy has to go somewhere and still super heat the earth. I could have forced the armor to break with enough hits."


    "Now that is what we need, great thinking." Jane had made her own theories and strategy and was blown away by the way Louis thought after the fact. "If you can apply that kind of thinking when you have your moves ingrained in your body you won''t need to worry at all.''"


    Laura and Sammy were talking quietly away from the others and Louis had a bad feeling. Upon creeping up behind them he realized that Sammy was pulling up a folder on her phone called "''for when Louis messes up"". "No way!" Louis snagged the phone and immediately tried to start deleting them.


    Sammy was about to rush him and get the phone back when Jane snagged her hand. "We have our next challenger in rotation here. We need someone speedy and light on their feet." She wanted to get someone who could force Sammy to use her power to speed herself up. By going against a faster person it would act as motivation and pressure to do so.


    "Wait, Jane, my phone¡­" Jane just glared at Louis who felt that he was about to get hit if he didn''t stop his actions. Her glare ended both of their antics and left the now locked phone in the safe hands of Laura who accepted this result. She didn''t want to cause too much trouble.


    "Um, I think I would like to try then." A thin girl with very neat clothing and glasses stepped forward. She didn''t hold any sense of a combatant but for some reason her actions as she walked up put them all on edge. "I don''t have much experience so please go easy on me.''


    "Don''t worry, I am new to this too. They have only taught me the basics, if you are worried about your glasses one of my friends can hold them. I plan to use my wind if I can and I would hate to blow them away or damage them." Sammy felt glad to have a nice opponent, unlike the boys.


    "Oh, thank you so much. I am going to use my hyper reflexes so I should be able to catch them. But I feel better if someone else holds them." The girl gave them to Jane and then stood ready. Her stance was perfectly balanced making them wonder if she had been training this specifically.


    Once Sammy was in her rough beginners'' stance the staff member started up the match. Sammy was the one to start off and tried to get in to close range. With every step, the thin girl had an instant response and change her footing. It was like watching a crab on the top of a rock scuttle about.


    Sammy was thrown off but didn''t have the experience to change her approach. She went for the straight punch she had learned from Jane. Her first punch was quickly dodged by the thin girl leaving Sammy wide open. The only thing was that the thin girl was winding up for her own punch.


    The speedy punch snapped forward and made contact with Sammy. "Ah-oh?" Sammy thought she was about to take a huge painful hit but was instead met with a soft tap. The thin girl retreated looking nervous.


    "Sorry, sorry. I didn''t mean to hurt you. I should have held back." The thin girl was terrified that she had hurt Sammy.


    "No, I''m alright. You can go all out. Don''t worry, if I get a little scraped up I will go to the nurse." Sammy reassured her and tried to hit the thing girl again. But like last time her straight punch was easily dodged and met with a soft tap.


    Sammy felt that she was going against a child instead of another of her own age. The girl was definitely not able to build up any strength behind her hits, but he was easily faster than her.


    "The girl said hyper reflexes right? I bet her weird movements is her body firing her muscles much faster than normal. She reacted to every little movement without thinking about it." Jane had heard what the thin girl had said.


    "Then the best strategy would be for Sammy to feint and get her to walk in to a punch or just straight up out speed her?" Art thought of these two possibilities and was met with nods from Jane and Asher.


    "I think she should be able to do it with her super power right? She said it was wind and that she wants to use it to speed her body up. So she just needs to try that, I haven''t seen it yet and I think it would be a neat power." Jackson had an interest in the elemental powers because he knew that they affected weather and nature. If Sammy had wind he might be able to ask her to help bring rain clouds one day for the garden clubs'' flower beds.


    "Then we need to let her know, she had taken like five of those soft hits and is looking annoyed. Pretty sure she forgot her super power completely." Laura was a little unhappy seeing the slow reactions of Sammy in comparison.

 Chapter 163 - 163. Annoying

    "All together one, two, three, Lets! Go! Sammmy! Use your wind!" Asher counted them off and they all cheered together. This stunned the thin girl who didn''t realize Sammy had a full cheering section.


    Sammy wanted to smack herself for forgetting her goals. She had been so focused o the regular moves that she hadn''t even thought about using her wind to speed her up. "Here I go, I am getting serious now. Please be careful." Sammy warned the thin girl since she was so polite and took a deep breath as she reached out for the wind.


    Sammy stepped forward and pulled back a punch. Her fist seemed too far away to hit the thin girl but for some reason the small swirl of wind around them made the thin girl want to retreat more. When Sammy released her breath the wind gusted from behind her and her forward step double in length. Her fist that had been too far was suddenly right in range.


    The thing girl reacted perfectly and ducked under it, but the one punch was not all Sammy had going for her. Jane had insisted that she learn a basic heel kick and that''s what she was using. The wind had added to her speed with the punch, but the heel kick was at a normal speed.


    The difference in speed threw the thin girl off and she wasn''t able to get out of her own way. The heel of Sammy''s foot landed on the thin girl''s crossed arms and sent her for a tumble. She had almost no weight to her and took a hard hit.


    "That''s it, the match is over!" The staff member ended the match after this hit. They saw that the thin girl was not able to take many hits and deemed it too dangerous.


    "Hey, are you alright? I didn''t get you too bad right?'' Sammy rushed over and held out her hand to the girl.


    "I''m fine. I was more surprised. I didn''t think you would use wind like that. I am just glad I was able to block your hit. If you hit mus stomach I might be the one at the nurse''s office." The thin gurl laughed a little but also showed worry.


    "You were so fast to reach that I wasn''t sure I would ever get a hit. Those reflexes are nothing to joke about." The thin girl cheered up instantly. She had not expected to be praised by her opponent. But Sammy was already entranced by the thin girl''s polite and bubbly attitude.


    "Thank you, I really haven''t been sure what to do with my new power. I usually don''t do well in gym class because of my size. But now I can react way better than anyone else. I have no idea what career fits me now." The girl laughed like it was only a natural part of life. Her positivity had washed away any shyness they had seen before.


    Sammy left the middle of the sparring area still talking to the girl making fast friends. The group just let her go do her things since she looked happier than ever. "I have no idea how she has always made friends so easily. I blink and she can know ten new people." Louis had seen this happen his whole life.


    "Well, now she is distracted so who is up next?" Art was wondering if he was going to have another match or if Jane was jumping in. Laura didn''t look to be anywhere around and everyone knew she was most likely off getting more food.


    "I want to face the sp called battle master!"


    "Isn''t that another kid from the boxing club?" Louis recognized another person from the boxing club posters.


    "Do you have ten wins yet?" Asher threw this out there to make sure he kept with the rules that Garnet had set.


    "Who cares about that? You faced plenty of people without a set win count." The kid wasn''t taking no for an answer. This kind of attitude annoyed Art who wanted to get at an opponent anyways.


    "This one is mine. I need to practice what I trained all night. I need the points too." Asher saw a little glint in Arts'' eyes. He seemed a little more uneasy and angry than he would normally be. It was clear that the matters with his brother and family were weighing on him heavily today.


    "I didn''t want to go against you I want the points from the arrogant kid over there." The boxing club member was all wound up and didn''t want to take any other opponent than Asher.


    "Too bad, you got me. And I am going to put you in the ground." Art reacted with the same ferocity he was facing. He was already in his stance and the slight up and down bounce he had developed with the guidance of the elite home gym system showed his developing foot work.


    "Why does it feel like Art is some predator waiting to spring forward right now?" Jackson was drawing the only conclusion that came to his mind.


    "Because that s exactly what it was. I know he thinks of Asher as a brother already and having someone call out a brother that has actually treated him like a brother made him angry. Art is going to go all in, make sure you record the best angles, this match will be very good for him to learn from." Jane was already starting the recording on her phone.


    Asher headed to the opposite side of the match to get a different angle. ''I hope Art doesn''t get too out of hand. He isn''t the kind to lose his head.'' Asher was worried that the stress would cause Art to become an easy to anger person. If he became a fire cracker waiting to go off then he would always be an easy opponent to beat. It would also spell the end of a super hero career.


    "Fine, I will crush his little friends then take him down. It will hurt more that way." The boxing club member started their boxers'' bounce. It was a lot different from Arts'' movements but enough to signal the staff member to start the match.

 Chapter 164 - 164. Just Now

    "Fight!" The call went out and the two moved in. They circled each other to get a view of their opponents'' weak points. Art had half expected the boxing club member to rush in but now that the match started the members'' personality changed.


    Art stayed back and held himself ready. He was waiting for the right moment to dash forward and use the force he had to end the match in an instant. The first move came in the form of a test jab. The fighting style of the boxing club member was very cautious making Art bite his tongue. He wanted to jump in and end thus but the arrogant kid was better than expected.


    Art didn''t need much effort to dodge these hits and responded with a slow jab and slow sweeping kick. He wanted to bait him in to attack instead of just let him feel out his own style. The boxing club member sped up his hits slowly as if he was slowly starting. It was a style that would make his opponent feel more and more pressured at the risk of using more stamina.


    Art didn''t even flinch at this. He was used to dealing with Janes'' random bursts of speed and Asher''s unpredictability. Nothing an opponent could do other than use their super power would shock him.


    Art responded by speeding up as well. He knew that he had some decent stamina from working out and training his body hard. Soon he had thrown some combos using the kicks which the boxing club member didn''t seem to know what to do with.


    Art wanted to incorporate more kicks but the boxing club member got closer to keep this from happening. The combos Art was blocking were harder than he expected making him start to back away. This was a mistake that told the boxing club member that Art was reaching his limit.


    The boxing club member pushed in harder than before adding some hefty right and left hooks in to the combos. This made Art dodge from side to side but also left the boxing club member open to attack. This was the chance that Art needed.


    Art burst forward with his hands open and grabbed the boxing member around the arm and hip. The boxing club member was shocked and couldn''t get his fists in the right position to land a clean blow. Art had a good rip and continued to sure it up.


    With Art in control, the boxing club member could only struggle. Art tightened his gri[p and lifted with his legs. The boxing club member found himself off the ground and falling backward in Arts'' grip. When Art hit his back he rolled and clasped his hands around his opponent. His grip tightened even more and he pulled his locked hands towards him.


    "Gaaahhh!" The boxing club member was forced out of breath while Art crushed him on the ground.


    "He learned a body lock last night!" Asher was shocked that Art had pulled this off too. He hadn''t seen Art practice this at all and wondered when he had managed it.


    Art was putting more and more force but his opponent still had yet to tap out. The staff member was waiting still looking for a reason to end the match. But it wasn''t yet at a point they needed to. Art continued his pressure.


    Asher could see that Art had yet to use his super power but was feeling that he would need to if he did not win soon. "How is that kid still holding on? I would have tapped out ages ago." Louis was watching the painful body lock in fear.


    "The boxing club members take punches all the time, they had a pain resistance." Jackson gave this explanation which easily summed everything up.


    Art was feeling that his opponent wouldn''t be giving up anytime soon. His gaze hardened and he focused his super power on the metal beads in the wrist weights. He pulled them toward his body and added a slight amount of force to his crushing body lock. The boxing club members'' eyes bulged as he felt the pressure on his ribs.


    "Out, I-m Out-!" The boxing club member barely got the words out before he lost all his breath.


    "Art wins! The match is over!" The staff member rushed to Art after calling it and checked the released boxing club member who was gasping for breath.


    "And you thought you could go against Asher? Next time use something other than close combat punches and maybe you will be a challenge." Art spoke and walked away. This was part annoyance and part taunt at the other boxing club members waiting around the edge.


    Asher watched as the uproar from the other boxing club members grew, "Dude, When did you practice the body lock?"


    "Just now, I watched a video while the last match happened because I was interested and I was really annoyed that he tried to call you out. I just tried it and it worked¡­" Art faded out as he said this since it was a dangerous gamble.


    "So you could have lost just then if it didn''t work?" Jane was looking at him wide eyed, "I swear every time I think you have gotten smarter you do something like this." She walked on to the sparring center herself wanting to take down an opponent. She had been annoyed by the boxing club members'' rowdy behavior too.


    "I''m glad it worked, but are you sure you aren''t secretly a martial art prodigy and have just been fooling us?" Asher teased Art a little and was glad to see his mood relaxing.


    "If I was you would have forced me out at some point. Sparring against you guys is like a professional match." Art was sure that if he had any secrets his friends would have pulled them from him without even trying. They were just that good of rivals.


    "It''s good to hear that you think so Highly of Jane and I, but Jane looks like she is about to have a tough opponent." Asher was glad to hear the positive thoughts of Art but became caught up in the opponent Jane had.

 Chapter 165 - 165. Major Challenger

    The girl that had jumped ahead of another member of the boxing club was anything but normal. She had a very plain looking face up until everyone noticed the four thin tails coming from behind her back. This wouldn''t be odd except for the fact that they all appeared to be from different species of animals.


    One of the tails was clearly an extended tiger tail, the next a lion, the third a house cat, and the fifth was radically different from an alligator''s tail. These tails were all thinner than they would normally be on the animal they were specific to, but that made them more flexible. "Hi there, hero name nine tails here for a match against the battle masters'' squad." The girl saluted and whipped her tails about behind her.


    "Jane, I haven''t come up with a hero name yet." Jane was watching the agile movements of the tails and trying to find the other five that should be there us the girl really had nine tails.


    "You don''t need to count so many times, I need to work on growing the other tails." The girl going by her already decided hero name caressed one of her tails while looking proud. It was obvious that getting to four for her was a major achievement.


    "I see, then when that day comes we can have another match, I have heard a few rumors about you." Jane wasn''t going to hold back in this match. She had heard of the girl who had taken the most recent gymnastics competition by storm. The gossip about he had only increased after she got her evo shot on her birthday.


    Nine tails had received her evo shot at the very start of the school year since she was lucky enough to have her birthday fall on the first of the month. This was a huge head start for anyone since she had the most time in the grade to adapt to her powers. Even before she had received her evo shot she was known as one of the top gymnasts in the country. Now she was thought to make it to the Olympics since her evo shot had improved her body many times over.


    "You have!? I''m so glad, I was worried that I wouldn''t have any fans at this camp since I have been practicing on my own so much." Nine tails was happy to hear this. However, she was happier to hear the students around murmuring about her too. She was loving the attention.


    "I have. But that doesn''t change how seriously I will take this. If you haven''t come through me you won''t touch my Asher." Jane wasn''t going to play around and she made sure that this Nine tailed girl would know.


    "Touchy huh? I won''t touch your boyfriend if you win. But if he sees me win and falls in love I won''t stop him." This was the spark that really lit Janes'' determination. She refused to let anyone else touch Asher as long as she was around.


    "I wonder what they are talking about over there? Jane looks like she is pretty fired up, and that other girl with the tails looks like a cat playing with a toy." Asher was a little too far away to hear the conversation, he silently wished that he had some of his mothers'' super hearing.


    Art was next to him and also wondered what was going on, but he heard a few of the other students talking and realized that he had also heard of the girl Jane was facing. "Bro, that''s the girl who got her evo shot on the first day of school this year. She already has a hero name, Nine tails. She is probably going to be an Olympic gymnast, but she wants to be a role model super hero."


    "That''s pretty lucky. If she can pull it off she won''t need to fight a villain ever. Just her sport and tons of television appearances. She will be filthy rich." Asher knew exactly what a role model super hero was. They were plastered on every billboard and ad around. It was the face of hero corp. And the face of many social movements.


    "You guys need to focus up. Jane is about to wipe the floor with that attention hog." Laura popped up eating some cheese crackers then dashed to Jackson and forced him to record the match for her so she could keep snacking.


    "Shoot, get your phone out." Asher pulled his up and nearly bumped in to Louis who was trying to send the video he took to a group chat he was making.


    "You guys have this one, I am making the group chat so we can all review together." Louis was fully focused on his phone and didn''t even notice that there was an increased interest in Jane''s match.


    Garnet noticed the larger commotion and stepped through the campers from where she was watching. "You all need to calm down now! Stay back and give them room. Move any closer and I will deduct ten points for every second you are in the way!" Garnet was not playing around.


    Jane heard Garnet and looked over, "I will be your referee for this match. The staff member will be keeping back the campers that get a little too excited." Garnets'' harsh glare made everyone step back a few extra steps. They didn''t feel like losing their points to a silly accident.


    Jane stretched a little and felt that he blood was boiling. She had been pushed by this girl and it was getting to her. The weird part was that it was more than that. She could feel that the scales on her skin were hot too. Her hair even felt like it was moving more. Her entire body was fired up.


    "I guess we should start then. Try and hang on as long as possible. I have a lot of points to make after I take over your little rotation here." Nine tails tempted Jane again, but this time it was her mistake to push.

 Chapter 166 - 166. Shift

    "Begin!" Garnet stepped away and let the two girls start the match.


    They both rushed in toward the center and exchaced small jabs. Jane was surprised to see that nine tails had a decent amount of martial arts training. The girl was able to completely keep up with her.


    Nine tails used her tiger tail to whip out as slap Jane on the arm leaving a slight red mark. This only pushed Jane in to a more annoyed state than before. Jane retaliated by using her usual foot work technique to burst forward and get in a combo of jabs. All but one were easily blocked. The one that got through though, was able to cause nine tails to back off for a moment.


    "Did you really just hit my face?" Nine tails was furious now. Everyone knew that it was rude to hit a woman in the face. Beauty was the epitome of a role model hero.


    "What? I thought you didn''t care if you got any uglier?" Jane taunted right back. Her words cutting in to nine tails like a knife.


    The result was a massive kick heading for Jane while the alligator tail whipped around and caught Janes'' other arm like a whip slap. The difference was that this time the alligator tail was used which cut in to Janes'' arm.


    Jane drew a sharp breath and pushed in to the pain. She had angered nine tails and was not gong to let this chance get away. Jane was able to land a heavy right hook on nine tail''s shoulder. The two were forced apart and watched each other carefully.


    Jane felt her fury rising and she couldn''t help but want to fight more and fight harder. This girl had taunted her, threatened to steal away the boy she liked, and even hurt her arm worse than she had ever been hurt in any sparring ever.


    The heat built uo in Janes'' body and started to erupt from her. The purple hair she had been feeling acros her neck and back langthened and moved like slithering snakes trying to escape. Her scales spread to cover her entire body while her nails lengthened in to claws. The look on her face only showed disgust and rage.


    Garnet saw this shift and remembered that Jane had the super power classified as Medusa. This appearance right now fit right in line with the mythology revolving around Medusa. Snake like hair, scales on her body, and vicious nails that could slice through the flesh of men. The only thing missing was the stare that could turn someone to stone if they gazed at her face.


    "What in the heavens just happened? Jane turned in to a full on monster version of herself." Art was freaking out while trying to record every minute of the match.


    "She''s amazing¡­" Asher was stunned. He had never seen such a powerful and intimidating person in his life. His amazement rose more and more as he looked at Jane. His heart beat was ever increasing and all he wanted to do was jump in to the match himself and see what Jane could really do.


    "You can transform a little too? Then I won''t be holding back." Nine tails wasn''t shocked by Janes'' shift in appearance. It was an expected ability of some physical super powers.


    Jane was not thinking as clearly as she could due to her anger. But she still saw that Nine tails started to change as well. The three tails started to shrink while the fourth scaly crocodile tail started to grow. The color of Nine Tail''s skin became a dull green and her teeth became pointed. She even became a little taller.


    "Now let''s see if you can hit as hard now." Nine tails moved more slowly this time than before but the weight of her fists looked heavier as well. Her first punch was blicked by Jane, however, the punch pushed Jane back.


    Jane reacted with a high kick and was able to land it on Nine tails'' shoulder. This time Jane saw that Nine tails didn''t even flinch. Her skin had become tougher from the transformation and made it harder to damage her. She had made this switch because she wanted to protect her face more.


    Jane saw that she wouldn''t be able to do much damage and switched in to the slashing attacks with her claws. Nine tails had already cut her arm and enhanced her own defense. Now Jane could use the slashes without worry that she would seriously injure Nine tails.


    Even though Jane was full of anger due to Nine tail''s taunts, she was still able to think rationally and made sure it was safe to use her nails to attack. This was unexpected for Nine tail''s and the first slash left bright red superficial lines on Nine tail''s arm.


    With a loud hiss Nine tails'' back off and started a low growl. "You cut me! How dare you cut me!" She was full of her own fury but didn''t immediately rush for revenge.


    The two stared at each other down before rushing head on. The alligator tail whipped out and didn''t even cratch the scales that covered Jane now. She would definitely have a bruise, but for now, she didn''t even feel the hit as she kicked then slashed out. The two girls were using their skills and super powers to their max to beat each other.


    Jane felt that she was going to start to tire out and was about to raise her face mask to stop Nine tails in place. Nine tails saw the action and had no idea what was going on. She thought that jane had just been wearing it to protect her face and nothing more.


    Jane was just about to raise the mask when she felt Garnet''s hand holding it in place. "This match is over! The winner is Jane."


    "What do you mean? I was going to crush that girl with my tails and she was going to give up this sparring area!" Nine tails was furious. She didn''t feel that she had lost at all. But Garnet was looking at her with pity.

 Chapter 167 - 167. Cooling Down

    ,"Asher, come over here please." Garnet looked much more serious than she had been before so Asher did not hesitate to sprint to them. "Talk to Jane and calm her down."


    Asher could see that Jane was shaking and looked ready to pounce at Nine tails again. Asher immediately understood that wherever her super power had done when she shifted was pushing her. She was barely in control of herself.


    "Undo your tailed transformation and back down now. If this girl had used the remainder of her power you could be a stone statue in the science museum of powers." Nine tails was shocked. Garnets'' voice held a brutal killing intent.


    " Hey Jane. Think you can relax? Want to stretch out and see what we can find to snack on? I bet ice cream will help cool you off from the match." Asher could see the steam coming off Jane. Her body was running a high temperature that normal people would be struggling with.


    Garnet slowly released the face mask letting Asher take Jane''s full attention. Slowly just surely as Jane realized it was Asher in front of her she released her fighting stance.


    The three watched as the scales started to fade back in to her skin and her hair stopped moving about like slithering snakes. Her nails returned to their normal recessive length and her face was no longer twisted in anger.


    "You already won, now you can enjoy the points you earned. I''ll go next so watch me earn our ice cream." His last comment fully took Jane''s attention causing the remaining scales to revert back to their positioning.


    Jane stood there sweaty and panting. She appeared embarrassed and struggling to speak. "Ss-sorry I got¡­angry."


    "Don''t worry, you are here to learn about your new super power and become better. You''ve learned an important limit today. I saw your friends record it. Go take a rest my staff will see to your bruises and arm. Asher is going to win you some ice cream points now." Garnet was much nicer even though Nine tails was still glaring daggers at her.


    While Jane walked away with the help of Asher Nine tails bombarded Garnet more and more about how she should have won. "Listen here you wannabe model. That girl has a super power classified as Medusa. From the very start, she could have won but challenged herself. If you don''t understand then go take a trip to the library and read something for once."


    Garnet practically dragged the girl to the edge of the sparring area and dropped her on the edge. "Now get going before I ban you from the cabins today!" The watching campers avoided Nine tails for fear they would get the same fate by relation.


    "Fine! I''ll read your stupid books." Nine tails ran away with tears in her eyes. She felt she had been wronged and was going to return for revenge after looking up what Garnet had thrown in her face.


    "Do you feel alright?" Asher saw that Jane was now very pale and still had a high fever.


    "Mhm, I just feel kinda sick. I think I should shower and sleep a little." Jane looked at Laura and Sammy who both heard her and were ready to help. "Wait! I want to see your match first."


    "You can watch his match but you are putting the ice pack the staff member gave me on your neck." Art had a large ice pack and a bottle of flavored water. "This should help you with the light headed feeling you have, Jackson noticed you seemed dizzy."


    Jackson gave a small wave. He was still speaking with a staff member to assure them he would help with Jane until she decided to go and rest properly. He was lucky that he had the most knowledge on first aid out of any camper due to his mother''s profession. He gave a thumbs up to the group as he took a few fever reducing medicines from them.


    "These should make you feel a little better. The flavored water has tons of electrolytes to help your body recover from that match. I am willing to bet you burned a lot of energy there, it is a common occurrence for transformation type super powers." Jackso was sounding very official in his diagnosis.


    "Doctor, are you sure she will be alright?" Art Teased Jackson a little making him turn away from everyone not wanting to admit that he was acting like a doctor.


    "Hey, how''s Jane? I saw the end from the opposite side of the field." Louis had rushed ver worried as well after he had realized that Jane was being helped to the edge by Asher. His creation of the group chat was put on hold.


    "She should be fine in a little bit. Just needs rest." Asher was able to relax everyone including Jane. She was feeling off now that everyone was showing so much worry for her. "Without further ado I am going to give everyone a show. It looks like we have another member of the boxing club to deal with." Asher''s eyes focused on a well built kid that was practicing kicks and punches on the sparring area.


    "It''s Jay, he lives across from us. He isn''t just a boxer, he does kick boxing. He is always out practicing in the front yard. He has weights and a punching bag, and everything." Sammy recognized her and Louis''s neighbor instantly. "He is really nice but very serious, I would bet that the other members said you bullied them and he is here to prove that you shouldn''t look down on the club."


    "Well, at least he isn''t a hot head here to stomp me in to the ground. Here I go." Asher started to walk on to the sparring area he had claimed. "Hey there, feel like going against me this match?"


    Jay stopped his movements and gave Asher a hard look. "I am sorry, but I only have eight wins. I was planning to beat two of your team then challenge you." He was up front and didn''t mince words.

 Chapter 168 - 168. Teaching A Stranger

    "About that, I promised that I would go and get Jane ice cream to help her celebrate her last win. I''m sure you saw her make a breakthrough in her super power. So this would be the last match for us today before we go looking for the golden egg." Jay still looked at Asher with a straight face. Asher couldn''t get a read on him at all.


    "I see. Then I can wait until tomorrow. I won''t push to fight before I meet the proper rules." Jay walked right off the sparring area and back to the club members that got riled up more than before. However, with a few words, they gave up on bothering him more.


    Asher just stood in the sparring area completely alone with a lost looking expression, his opponent had just disappeared. "Umm, can I try this match?" Asher heard the smaller voice from the side and noticed a slightly round girl who had a hand raised.


    "Sure thing. I need one more opponent before we call it a day for sparring. My friends and I are going to straighten out some things after." The round girl looked very happy to be able to face someone.


    "I have tried all day to try a match. But nobody wanted to, I was losing hope." Asher could only imagine it was the girls'' appearance playing a factor. She wasn''t fat so to say, but her size was short and round making her seem like an easy win. Nobody would actively try to go against her for the simple fact that they would appear cruel.


    "Then it''s your lucky hour. I won''t say no to someone having the first match. Let''s learn a lot from each other." Asher thought that it was better to have someone who was less experienced battle him for once. He could possibly inspire others to step up and try their own first matches.


    There were a few onlookers who jeered Asher as they saw the round girl walk on to the sparring area. But Asher completely ignored them. "Is that your stance?"


    "Umm, yes?" The round girl sounded like she was questioning what a stance was.


    "Try to spread your feet out shoulder length apart and bend your knees. If you feel like it is easy to push you over then you are not holding a balanced stance." Asher had no problem giving the girl tips. He thought it was a great change of pace from the hot headed club members from the past days.


    "Like this?" The round looking girl had fallen in to a much more basic stance. It was still rough and easy to see that she was not comfortable but it was enough to start a first match.


    Garnet thought this was an interesting occurrence. She knew that Asher was more than happy to help his friends get stronger, but was surprised that he so readily helped a stranger. "Alright, Asher take it easy and make sure you give a good lesson. Begin!"


    Asher used his foot work to move inwards toward the round girl. Her eyes were wide as she tried to follow his moves. The second she crossed her legs Asher made a dash forward. This caused her to try and step back but she had no way to do so and stumbled. "That''s why you never cross your legs. Now back up and try and keep up with me for a while."


    The campers that had gathered lost all interest and only a few stubborn club members stayed around. The body sculpting and boxing club being the majority. They still wanted to force a match but were too afraid of Garnet''s gaze.


    "Let''s see if you can punch, send one at me." Asher could see the round girl was beginning to feel the flow of Asher''s slower foot work. He decided to bring things to the next step.


    "Yes!" The round girl came forward and threw a soft punch at Asher. He used a single hand to deflect it and knock it away.


    "Again, clench your fist and keep your wrist straight." Garnet nodded hearing this. She was a huge advocate for proper punching techniques.


    The girl heeded Ashers'' directions and threw ten punches which were all easily blocked. But by the last punch, Asher could tell that she was learning the proper flow. "No try and add your super powers in to the mix. If it''s safe then go all out."


    Asher knew that pushing to kicks and more in depth moves would be too much right off the bat. He also wanted to have the girl show off her power in front of Garnet in case there was anything she saw worth her advice.


    "Are you sure? It is a little different." The girl stopped following Asher for a moment and he took the chance to give her a soft tap to the shoulder.


    "Never stop moving. Now bring it on, if you worry about your opponent too much then they will have you beat before you even think of making a move." Asher''s words were a little tough but it spurred the round girl to action.


    The round girl moved forward without any guard up. Asher wasn''t sure what she was playing at or what her super power was so he tried to back up. Unfortunately for him, he was already too close.


    The round girl opened her mouth and a torrent of water burst out. Asher was the perfect target right in front of her and the pressurized water hit him in the chest. He was sent rolling on the ground and came to a stop over five fee away.


    Asher rolled with the falling feeling due to his training but he was still caught off guard by this kind of attack. He was lucky to roll back on to his feet but when he looked forward for his opponent, he found that she was nowhere to be found. "What in the world was that and where did you go! There''s no retreat in a match unless you can''t go on!" He was slightly annoyed being caught by surprised but it was worse than he thought.

 Chapter 169 - 169. Hero Name

    "Guys look! Asher just got spit on." Laura was the first to find her words through her rib splitting laughter. The rest were haunches over unable to even breathe.


    The only person not laughing was Jane, who understandably, was too tired at the moment to laugh. To Asher''s distaste, however, Jane was still smiling and trying to cover her face. Even Garnet had a smirk on her face.


    Asher became much more aggravated and glared about while trying to find his opponent. "why did you spit on me!"


    "No no it''s not spit it was just water that I stored in my body¡­" the person shouting this in nervousness was a very slim girl nearly shaking a few feet from Asher.


    It took Asher a few moments to realize that the girl was the same round looking girl as before. "What I''m the world happened to you. Did you go on some extreme diet?"


    "Um well¡­no. I used my super power and shot pressurized water from my holding stomach. I gained the super power of growing a second organ and being able to withstand high water pressure to fire water at things¡­"


    While the girl was freaking out on the inside Asher was calming himself. ''She didn''t spit on me. She shot pressurized water. She shot pressurized water. She shot pressurized water.''


    After he had repeated the phrase a few times Asher was able to relax more and dashed forwards. "No don''t hurt me I''m sorry!" The girl shouted in fear and covered her face.


    She slowly opened her eyes since nothing had happened to find Asher''s fist waiting in front of her face only an inch away. "Never cower from a fight. You could lose more than just a match." Adheres finger extended and flicked her in the forehead. "That''s for spitting on me." He turned and started to walk away.


    "Teaching match finished. Student Marley awarded five points for courageous learning. Teacher Asher rewarded ten points for recognizing martial arts experience and adapting properly."


    Those around the area watching heard Garnet and couldn''t believe what they had heard. Both people gained points from a match. So far only the winner had gained points.


    "We aren''t here to beat each other!"


    "Where''s the nearest expert club member!"


    "Teach me boxing please!"


    "Take me as your student."


    In only moments the entire sparring field had turned in to shouts and pleading campers. The moment they knew they could get more points by actually learning was the moment the sparring field would become a real challenge.


    "So you just used me to get people here." Asher now saw Garnets'' grand plan.


    "Of course I did. What else do you expect?" Garnet had another few campers rush up to here and capture her attention so Asher went back to his friends.


    "So watch this. I set it on a loop." Louis was showing everyone a video on his phone.


    Asher peeked over his shoulder and saw a five second video on repeat. It was him being hit in the chest by the pressurized water and tumbling backward.


    "Louis, I didn''t know you wanted to die young. It''s sad that we will all need to attend your funeral." Asher''s cold voice brought shivers to Louis''s spine. But he didn''t falter and hit the send button.


    Within a moment everyone in the group was welcomed to the video sharing group Louis had created. The first video posted was Asher being taken out by pressurized water.


    "Always a shame when they die young." Louis ran like his life depended on it. Asher just stood and watched Louis run right in to the trees and disappear. "Guess he won''t be around to find the golden egg or get ice cream."


    The others refused to even press the play bottom again. Asher had crushed the teasing mood in an instant. "So he named it the clover chat? Why clover?"


    "It''s for the four leaf clover. You have a super power related to luck and you kinda influence all of us. Unless one of us beats you in a match doubt we will change the name." Sammy had watched Louis run away but had heard him explain the reasoning he chose the clover theme.


    "He went all in on it too. The background is green like clover and the group emoji is a clover too. This is pretty cool." Art was already posting the videos he took.


    "Is that what I looked like!" Jane saw the video of her shit and was horrified. She knew she had changed in some way but was too caught up in her own emotions to properly examine anything.


    "Yeah, you looked insanely powerful. I would say that you could make just about any villain give up before they even started." Asher wasn''t holding back in his amazement, "I really wanted to be the one against you. I have never seen you go all out like that and it was spectacular."


    Jane blushed so much that her ears even started to turn red. She had at first believed that her friends and Asher would be terrified by her appearance at the moment. "You looked just like the mythology of Medusa, have you seen the beautiful paintings?" Sammy had pulled up many of the older art on her phone.


    "Minus the snakes as hair that could be Jane''s older sister. I thought she said she was an only child but...maybe not." Art was trying to tease a little but it made Jane even happier to be compared to such an elegant looking figure.


    "Then that''s my hero name. When I graduate and head off to university I am registering my hero name as Medusa." Jane was sold. No one would ever be able to convince her to change it.


    "I was wondering what else there could be. It makes a lot of sense to go by that. Your super power is the same and even if you describe your powers to someone then they would think of Medusa when you told them." Jackson also voiced his approval since he was a more logic based person. It just made sense.


    "I am feeling a lot better now. Let''s get looking for that luxury cabin." Jane used Sammy and Laura''s helo to stand up and stretch a bit./ She was still slightly pale and unsteady, but she was ready to go.

 Chapter 170 - 170. Keeping Up

    "Are you sure? I can just go look for it, you can sit here and wait." Asher was still on edge as soon as he saw Jane pushing herself.


    "No, I am going to find it before you and get the points. Then I will get you ice cream." Jane was very confident in her statement and Asher nearly felt bad for saying he was going off to find it.


    "You go Jane! Get your ice cream date!" Sammy pushed the encouragement she could but the result was Jane and Asher becoming much more embarrassed than before.


    "You killed the mooood." Laura nudged Sammy while giggling a little. The two of them started to whisper abut their own gossip while Jane pushed them away and headed toward the camp to search.


    "Bro, go make sure she stays you know, standing up. I will teach these two a little lesson on discretion." Art cracked hi knuckles menacingly and received a few glares from the two girls.


    "You''re right. She could still be light headed." Asher grabbed the water bottle Jane had been drinking from and sprinted to catch up to her.


    "So are they dating or just acting weird all the time? I''m terrible at figuring that sort of thing out." Jackson was a little nervous to ask Art this since he had always failed to see when people liked each other or were flirting. It had caused him to walk in the middle of some awkward situations.


    "Being weird. They really need to just be flat out with each other. But hey, that''s on them and not us, i''m just letting them do them." Art turned to Sammy and Laura, "And if you two decided to play match maker and annoy them then I will make sure that you both learn to walk to school with a fifty point lead ball and chain around your feet."


    "We are ladies, you should speak to us using elegance." Sammy tried to play her own cards against Art but instead that caused him to advance and put pressure on them.


    "Well I guess you want to start with extra training before searching for the luxury cabin egg. I knew you were dedicated. How abut I show you the insane work out that Asher''s sister Cara put me through." The evil look on Art''s face made her back down.


    While the four of them continued this skit Louis found himself farther away in the woods than he had meant to. "Dang man, I thought he was actually going to kill me." He had run from Asher do to his threat after Louis had still posted the video. "So worth it." Louis laughed watching it again.


    The forest was fairly quiet and he found that he was completely alone. The morning had been fairly hot and his running had pushed him a little farther than he wanted. Louis decided to take off his bandages since no one else appeared to be around and it was the best way too cool off.


    His face was much more smooth and clean than anyone else''s since he had been protected from the dust of the sparring field. Since he had been wearing them since he got his super power and only took them off when he bathed for safety reasons his skin had started to take on a more tender appearance.


    The contrast of his blue eyes flashing with electricity and his pale white skin made him look to be some form of specter. "So much better. I should burn off my lighting all the time." He fell back on to the ground and enjoyed the peace. He had no problem being alone and actually enjoyed it. His time with his friends was great too, but having the time t sit and think was dear to his heart.


    "I was able to shock someone without any problem today. I didn''t even zap the entire area around me. Maybe I should find those mushrooms again¡­" Louis had made a lot of progress as he had embraced his super power while under the influence of the accidental mushroom incident with the others.


    "Maybe I am just too afraid of it when I am focused on it." Louis was talking himself through these things slowly but surely and decided to try and create a small electrical current between his fingers.


    He held his fingers an inch apart and tried to make the low amount of lightning in his body react. He was met with a small pop and the smell of burning. ''It didn''t stay, what the heck.'' Louis got a little more annoyed that it hadn''t stayed like a smooth arc. He had seen the way it reacts in science class between two pieces of metal.


    "Why is it when I use it I''m like a Tesla coil shooting off bolts but when I see it everywhere else it is steady and controlled." He sat up and held his two hands an inch apart trying again and again. With no one around to see him or get zapped he had no fear of trying this again and again.


    The loud electrical pops were only heard by him and the animals as his practice became constant. He was exhausting the lightning his body created as soon as it appeared but the more he pushed the more feeling he had. He knew that the lightning in his body was constantly bouncing around his cells without any direction. It was just there moving around like a kid full of sugar.


    "I need to make it more uniform, but when is electricity ever uniform?" He was pushing himself to dig up any small facts he had inside his brain. Every single science class he had had was being replayed over and over. The pictures ion electricity and weather from text books surfacing.


    "Ha! In the electrical circuits!" Louis jumped up and started to try and use his body as its'' own electrical circuit. The process was not easy and he felt that he had just sent his body in to overdrive. But it was a good feeling, he was going to make progress and the next match the looks of amazement his friends had for Jane would be directed at him. "I won''t be left behind."

 Chapter 171 - 171. Doctor Doctor

    "Jackson! You have a challenger. Come over here and show them how to patch up a sprained wrist and minor cut." Garnet''s voice boomed through the sparring field getting Jackson''s attention.


    He turned to see that there were three students laying on the ground with various injuries. Jackson put some energy in to his feet and ran over to where they were. "These three decided that they were going to try some team match whatever and managed to cause a little problem with their super powers."


    Garnet was looking at the three and shook her head again. She thought the idea to try and mix super powers was bad in general when someone couldn''t control them well enough. But here at camp where they were trying to learn in a faux combat situation was already a bad idea.


    Jackson was already looking at the three and aw that one was only a little bruised. "I will fix up my friend here. You can try to fix up the guy that challenged us and prove that you are as smart as the counselor says you are."


    Hearing the smug attitude made Jackson''s face turn sour. But he was still determined to help the boy that was injured. He could see that the boy had sharp metal points coming out of his body. "Sorry about this. I know it''s troubling, but he said he could use his minor telekinesis to make my spikes fly faster¡­"


    From this Jackson was able to gather that the telekinesis super power user had tried to pull the spikes faster than the other boy''s body could create them. This caused a spike to move faster than expected and cut the telekinesis user as well as the boy with spikes to trip and sprain his ankle. There were also some cuts from his own spike getting bent and pricking him.


    "Don''t worry. You will be fin. I can easily wrap your ankle with the bandages I have with me. I thought I should put a compressible bandage wrap in my pocket just in case." Jacksons'' forward thinking made Garbet smile in approval. She had chosen to call on the right person for the minor injuries. This would show the value of field training in first aid skills.


    "Can you roll it around or do you get stuck because of pain in one spot?" Jackson started to ask a series of questions he had long since learned from his mother for when she treated certain injuries. He said a silent thank you to her while working.


    "Yes, but it feels like I stretched it too far and it is out of place." The boy was slowly retracting the sikes but progress was slow due to his high stress level.


    "Alright, then just relax it for me and let me wrap it up. You won''t have too many problems later. Just go to the nurse and have her use some bruise reducing cream then take some anti-inflammatory medicine. After that, just ice for ten minutes on and fifteen off until swelling reduces." Jackson issued the treatment for the ankle easily.


    "That''s easy stuff. I already have my patients'' wrist wrapped." The other boy turned to see that Jackson was carefully wrapping the ankle with perfect skill. It was a flawless wrap.


    "Is this too tight?" Jackson was happy with his work after he received a nod from his own patient.


    "Now you have some cuts from where you fell right? Roll over and let me check them." Jackson wasn''t going to take no for an answer once he took a patient he wouldn''t back away. His mother had been the same way and he had inherited the trait easily.


    Garnet watched as the boy rolled over and revealed some small scratches that didn''t need any attention. However, the one that worried her was a deeper cut that looked like it had gone through to a dangerous depth.


    "You have a decent cut here. No real damage but it will need some stitches or some sealing glue. Either way with proper medicine you are looking at a full healing process of three days." Jackson knew that with the medical technology they had it could be healed faster but would cost a lot more money. He also remembered what the camp had and estimated three days.


    Garnet had beckoned for a staff member. "Since you both need to deal with cuts that need stitches here are some on the go suture kits for wilderness rescues." Garnet had the staff member hand them to each camper. "They come with everything you need for a safe operation. My staff member has a nerve block super power so don''t worry about pain."


    The staff member touched both injured campers and they suddenly lost the pained looks and relaxed by a huge margin. They had all of their pain disappear like it had not even been there in the first place. "Understood. I am going to get you fixed up quickly then you can get to the nurse without worry." Jackson was already in motion.


    The other boy was sitting looking at the wound and the kit. He had not been prepared for this and had only read about it in books. The injury he needed to stitch was too intimidating. He would just end up hurting his friend. "You win¡­"


    "Good, I was worried you would keep pushing. Textbooks are no replacement for actual experience." Garnet had seen through the camper right away. With her signal, the medical staff showed up.


    "I can take over from here kid. Just get back to-" The male staff member came over and was stunned by what he saw. Jackson was skillfully stitching up his patient without any hesitation. The stitches were only describable as perfect and nothing else.


    "Is this camper some doctor prodigy?" This question drew the attention of the two other staff members who were equally impressed with Jackson''s work.


    "Huh? My moms'' a surgeon, if I couldn''t do this I would be disowned." Jackson''s answer just stunned them more.

 Chapter 172 - 172. You Dont Have A Ticket?

    "Do you feel like earning a ton of points today?" The staff member that appeared to be in charge of the medical staff looked at Jackson like he was a potential employee. Garnet just watched along in silence while this happened.


    "Well, I don''t see why not. You just want help with small injuries right? I thought you would have enough staff to handle it all though." Jackson became worried that the staff member was offering him this because they did not have the proper staff to deal with the entire sparring field.


    "Yes, you would be getting first hand experience with real injuries. It would be simulating a real emergency scene. I will give you the points and you would be gaining the experience. I also think you wouldn''t mind this over more matches." The staff member had the feeling that Jackson just wasn''t the fighting type, and he was right.


    Jackson thought about it for a moment while he took some bandages from the other staff members'' first aid pack and cleaned the wounds the boy had. "Sure, I will take it on. I don''t have anything to do until the night time training anyway."


    "Perfect welcome to the team. Put this arm band on and take that first aid pack. If you need help call someone over." The staff member looked like a greedy wolf who had just found a feast. He was rarely able to steal away assistance from the campers because they were too busy learning the basics.


    "You sure went for that fast." Garnet had slightly judging eyes on the staff member but he didn''t seem to care.


    "You always snag up the promising campers with your siblings. I may work under you but that doesn''t mean I can''t try and find some who will learn about disaster medical care. That boy has a lot of talent." The staff member and Garnet went on like this for some time While Jackson happily went injury to injury racking up the points at an incredible pace.


    Meanwhile, Laura, Sammy, and Art found that they were completely ditched. "They all left us here. I thought we would be sticking together." Sammy was the one who felt the west. She was used to Louis disappearing on his own to do the lone wolf drama but now everyone else was leaving.


    "I kind of figured it would happen at some point. I mean we are all different people and need to work on different things. You have the night training ticket thought, right? We will all need to meet up for that later." Art was trying to stay positive since Sammy seemed too unhappy with the situation.


    "Wait, I needed to buy that?" How many points was it? When can I get it until?" Sammy fell in to an even more paranoid state realizing she did not have one.


    "Camp store has them. We can get it easy. I want more snacks anyways." Laura was already snacking on a pack of mini chocolate cookies and was still wanting more.


    "Then let''s go!" Sammy tried to grab the two and drag them with her but she realized they wouldn''t budge.


    "You have enough points thought, right?" Art spoke slowly making Sammy''s face fall.


    "I might have some points¡­" She had not been building points the same as her friends and was actually very low now.


    "Alright then off we go to make points. We can spar here or we can take a shot and ask someone for some points." Art thought that a staff member would be better since Sammy was not as experienced in fighting so she would most likely fail to build a high number of points.


    "Oh! Let''s go ask Dia, she said she needed some help fixing up part of the obstacle course yesterday." Laura was instantly excited since she could not only go back to the obstacle course but also help out Dia who she had decided was her favorite counselor.


    "That sounds pretty easy...what''s the catch?" Sammy had a feeling that there was more to it than just helping clean up the obstacle course. She had already realized that this camp was tricky and full of hidden reasoning and tactics.


    "Maybe she just needs the extra hands. There are a lot of staff members here and there may be less over at the obstacle course." Art was again playing the positive role in the trio.


    "Ok, then we should go." As soon as Sammy said she would go Laura was already dragging them along at a ferocious pace. She was slowing herself down to stay with her two friends but she was still a little too fast.


    Sammy and Art suffered through the voracious pace and made it to the start of the obstacle course. When they went to the first obstacle a staff member approached them immediately. "Hello Laura, back again with some challenges?"


    "Oh no, not this time. These are my friends Art and Sammy. They said they would help me with the task Dia needs to be done?" The staff member had easily recognized Laura and the two wondered if she had been dragging people like this to the obstacle course since other campers got here.


    "That''s great. I know counselor Diamond wants to have the newest obstacle set up as soon as possible. She is very excited and finally received the last of the supplies for it. She might even be able to add it tomorrow." The staff member reached in to her pocket and pulled out a phone. With a few clicks she had sent a message to Dia. "She should be here in just a few minutes."


    The staff member went to speak to some approaching campers to explain the rules and regulations of the obstacle course. "So what is the obstacle we are working on?" Sammy was curious if Laura actually knew or if this was just a blind activity.


    "I don''t really know. I saw a lot of rope and some wooden pillars but that''s really all. It should be fun though. The entire course is a lot of fun." Laura just laughed a little to herself while Art and Sammy looked at her worriedly.

 Chapter 173 - 173. Inching Up

    "Hiya. Back again? My staff said that you want to take on the job I offered for points earlier." Dia was bright and cheery since she had been waiting to finish this new obstacle for weeks. The constant upkeep of the entire course and the preparations for campers had put a pause on her project.


    "Yes, I brought two friends to help me out too. They need some points so you can give them mine. I will crush a few more people who try to challenge the course later." Laura surprised Sammy and Art by giving up her points. However, they were left with the sneaking suspicion that this was just because she wanted to be the first to try the new obstacle.


    "Perfect. Then you will both get twenty points for helping out. Follow me, I will show you the shortcut to the new obstacle. It is a secondary path that I''m making through the forest. I want to have the easy challenge which is the climbing stairs to the zip line and the hard course."


    Dia had long planned this out but needed much more time to develop it. She didn''t think the course was too easy, however, there were always a few campers who got tired of it or wanted something they felt was impossible. Dia also silently hoped that Laura would be unable to complete the course on the hard path, sadly it wouldn''t be finished for another few years.


    "So, what exactly are we helping finish? Wouldn''t hiring someone to finish an obstacle be better?" Sammy was curious why it was campers being asked to help finish this.


    "You are getting points, why are you so worried over the why?" Dia was confused, she thought that any camper offered this would jump at it just to get a lot of points at once and get their stuff back or get in to a cabin.


    "We do want points, but we also want to know what we will be doing." Art tried his luck to get some information as they walked deeper in to the woods away from the main path.


    "This." Dia pointed out the wooden poles that had been securely planted in the ground. Some were within arms reach of a tree while others were fairly far apart. They had wood beams fastened securely to connect them leaving only small eye hooks visible.


    "And this is?" both Sammy and Art said this in unison while they tried to put the puzzle together.


    "This is the hardest rope swing I could manage. You start here and swing rope to rope through the entire path. Then at the end, you will need to jump on to a platform or start over." Dia sounded proud of all of this. But to Art, it sounded like a challenge that would make his arms fall off.


    "The entire course without rest?" Sammy said this like she already knew that the answer would be yes, but she had hope that it might be partially finished.


    "Exactly. If it is going to be a harder version of the course campers will need to use their entire physique to beat it. Now, who is climbing to the top of the post to tie the first rope?" Dia pointed to a pile of measured and knotted ropes.


    "We need to climb up there?" Art was the one questioning things this time.


    "Yeah, who else will the ropes get up there? Can you fly? Then we will climb." Dia was slightly sarcastic. She didn''t think she would need to explain every little part.


    Art looked at Sammy and had hope that she had made a huge breakthrough on her super power training and could now fly. "Don''t even give me that look. I can''t even make myself levitate in place. There''s no way I am going to fly." Sammy shut him down in a moment. She knew that if she climbed, the best she could do was lighten her fall and avoid injury.


    "We can do it a few ways. Someone climbs up and ties a rope then back down while another goes up. We can have one person go up and sit on top of the connecting beams and accept the rope brought to them then ties it while the other two climb up and brings them ropes over and over. Lastly, we could try throwing roped up to someone, but I doubt that will work." Dia gave them the possible strategies out of kindness for Jane who had been excited about the new obstacle.


    "I want to say one of us goes up to stay there and the others bring rope but I don''t think that is the best long term option." Art frowned slightly before he continues. "It is better to each climb up and tie a rope than climb down. We will be able to train our muscles and balance. It will take the same amount of time too."


    "I don''t want to climb through. I want to just sit and tie ropes." Laura was trying to sneak in to the lazy way.


    "Nope, you are going to do the same amount of climbing that we have to do, or I won''t let you steal away the first chance to test it out." Sammy''s threat was enough to bring Laura to full seriousness. She didn''t want the competition to be the first to try the obstacle.


    "Then it''s settled. I will supervise and let you all get on to your training...or ummm the task I have set." Dia laughed a little trying to avoid her slip of the tongue.


    ''I knew this was all a ruse to get us to train more. She wanted us to choose this method and train our muscles and balance.'' Art was silently judging the methods used by the camp to get them all to train more.


    "Ok, fine. But I will go first and try this out." Laura grabbed a rope and headed to the first wooden pole. She used the rope to wrap around the pole and help her hold on and inch up. She was like an inch worm moving little by little to the top beam.

 Chapter 174 - 174. Falling

    Laura was able to inch up the pole and had reached the beam. She held on to it and slowly puller herself up and over it. She was hanging with her hips balanced in the beam while she fed the rope end through the eye ring. She easily tied the rope and made a tight fit so that it wouldn''t come undone.


    The first rope was hanging in place and looked like it would be perfect to swing on. Before Laura had even gotten down Art was already on his ay up. "Go all the way to the next pole. If we wait every time for the person to get up then we will be here all night."


    Laurs didn''t look happy but since Art was already in the way uop and Sammy was right behind him she heeded his words. The flow of connecting ropes went without issue. The only thing they faced was the growing soreness in their muscles.


    Laura and Sammy were not fairing as well as Art. He had much more training than the other two so his body was more adapted to the work of tying the ropes. Before they knew it he was lapping them as they moved to grab another rope.


    "How are you so fast? You just got to the top when I was sliding down." Sammy was being passed for the third time making her feel like Art had been cheating somehow.


    "You climb really slow. I have already caught up before you get to the top. Then as soon as you hit the ground I am there sliding down. It is just a better pace. I am sure you will get better as you go." Art was a little flat when he said this but it was due to his intense focus on the task.


    Sammy looked at him like he was a monster. To her, this was a huge torture that was forcing unnecessary burdens. "I think we should take a beak." Her dramatic and tired voice made Laura chime in with the same phrase.


    "Then I will finish. You two go rest, but I doubt you will get to join everyone at the night training without the ticket." Art knew that playing to the feeling of missing out would motivate Sammy well. She didn''t want Louis to go and do something that would make him stronger than her. She also knew that Louis wouldn''t let her live it down in the least.


    "Fine, but you need to carry two ropes up." She thought this would make Art second guess his attack against her but she was wrong.


    "Really? I didn''t want to hurt your training so I was only carrying one. I could have had two the entire time." Art''s words made Sammy want to curl up and cry. She had not expected him to be holding back.


    "Just take two and show off or whatever. We want to finish up and relax. I feel like my legs are jelly." Laura was not having it. Sje pushed Art to move faster and grabbed a rope to hand to Sammy.


    "Fiinneee." Sammy took the spot behind Art and started climbing. The two ropes wrapped around the pole dangles slightly before he pulled up on the beam and started to tie them.


    "You guys got this. Only five more to go and you will be done!" Dia had been watching the work and doing some small modifications of her own. The obstacle was coming together better than she expected. She had set up sol stepping nails for maintenance in the earlier poles and was watching the last climb of the trio helping her.


    "This is the last one I am doing." Sammy was being extra dramatic while now climbing in front of Art since he caught up behind her again. Laura was behind him with the last rope in her hands. Art had taken three to push himself a little more in the last end.


    There was a slight scuffling sound as Sammy realized that her leg wrapped around the pole had cramped up. In this single moment, her grip on the pole was gone and her butt had smashed Art in the face.


    He had not expected this and was also losing his grip. Like dominoes Laura was also knocked down by Art, The three had nearly reached the top and were falling down much faster than normal. They were in no form to roll and mitigate the damage. Dia dropped the nails in hand and rushed toward them but would not be there in time.


    "Ahhhhhhhhh!" Sammy let out a high scream. She was afraid she was going to crash in to the ground with her two friends and need to go to the hospital. Her life was in danger and her memories started to flash through her mind. She was sure she would not make it out of this.


    The wind whipped around them as a tornado had just passed through them. The three suddenly found themselves slowly drifting down toward the ground. The wind did not let up until Sammy''s feet touched the ground and she stood stably.


    The three sat on the ground with their eyes clenched and hands over their heads. It took them a few moments to realize they were not dead but now on the ground. The subsiding wind made Art and Laura look at Sammy who was breathing heavily.


    "What just happened to us¡­?" Art was lost. He had thought the worst just happened and that they might even all three be dead and in a different world.


    "That was a miniature tornado just now! How could the wind that was still suddenly whipped in to a storm like that and then fade away to nothing? It''s impossible." Dia had seen all of it and was still trying to prove to herself her eyes had seen the real truth.


    "I-I think it was me." Sammy wasn''t sure what had happened either but she could feel the wind slightly blowing around her still. She felt that a massive road block had just been cleared. Her mind was clearer and her body felt lighter.

 Chapter 175 - 175. Finished

    They all knew it was Sammy''s power that had just caused their safe descent to the ground. But seeing how shocked she''d was herself, they didn''t want to push right away.


    "I thought we were all going to fall and get hurt. You both would have fallen on your heads¡­" the breeze shifted slightly as she said this.


    "But we are fine now. That little twister saved us and look," Art tapped the ground softly, "we are on the ground."


    "Art is right, your power came through. You did well." Dia had seen many instances like this. On the obstacle course, it was common for people to fall or get in to dangerous situations. It could push them past a certain mental limit making their powers exasperated.


    "It was also really cool!" Laura chimes in but not a single person could take her seriously.


    Sammy looked like she was still about to cry after the fall but she was having trouble containing a smile. l your hair looks like an ice cream cone."


    The wind had whipped Laura''s hair in to a spiral shape and it had twisted together sticking in that shape.


    Laura hesitantly reached up and felt the damage. Her face dropped from trying to make Sammy feel better to a vengeful glare. "Now don''t go getting angry. I''ve seen your hair after the obstacle course. Your speed kicks up mud, twigs, even little bugs."


    Dia jumped in to defend Sammy while Art tried to feel for anything word in his body. When he realized everything was more or less fine he breathed easy. "So, I don''t think flying will be too far away for you."


    When Art said this Sammy froze and stared directly at the sky. He was right. She had just done something she had always told herself she couldn''t do. This had just been holding her back. Now she could feel the mental block broken and a profound understanding of wind she couldn''t describe.


    She finally smiled properly. "You''re right. I might be able to fly sooner than I think." She moved her hand and a soft breeze brushed by them. "Maybe a month or two but sooner than ever."


    Dia had looked them all over to make sure they had no injuries. Seeing that they were all calmed and in shape ah had no reason to baby them. " let''s get back to it. The job still isn''t done amd you want those points right?"


    There was an instant drop in the mood. All three of them looked at Dia who was standing proudly with her hands in her hips. After a joint groan of annoyance and soreness, the three grabbed ropes again to climb and finish up.


    The three managed to get all of the ropes strung up and were watching Dia hammer in the final maintenance nails. They would act as steps so that someone could easily climb up and perform maintenance. "Wait, why didn''t we help you put those nails in so we could use them to climb up?"


    Sammy had realized this and was now questioning everything they needed to do. If this was so easy then why had they needed to do everything the hard way? There were too many things that could have been done to avoid the risk of them falling. If Sammy hadn''t used her super power to control the wind by accident then all three of them could have been seriously hurt or worse.


    Dia coughed a few times while hammering the last nail, "I have no idea what you mean. These are just decorative. Not meant to be stood on at all." Dia was not very convincing since she was putting her full weight on one as she spoke.


    "Why don''t I believe that at all?" Art said this but realized Dia was already starting to change the subject.


    "So now that it is finished all we need to do is test it. The best way to do that is to take out my favorite pocket stop watch and see who''s the fastest." Dia pulled a stopwatch from her pocket and clicked the stop start button to reset it to zero.


    "Or we could just let you go on it and we could time you." Art tried to play his cards and make the person who had rested arms try to swing on it. Unfortunately for him, he was not in a position to win against Dia or Laura.


    "Yes! I will win and I want an extra five points for it." She was already getting in position to grab the first rope.


    "Wait, didn''t you say you were giving us your points? How can you get an extra five?" Sammy recalled Laura''s previous promise to give them her points for completing the task.


    "Yeah I know, but I want to get more of those puzzles I struck it rich on last time. That luck power that Asher has is too good. He picked out the one that hit big so I am bringing him as my lucky charm.


    "Don''t you dare steal away my lucky charm. Jane and I already have a claim on him. He is going to win us perfect grades on our multiple choice tests forever." Art rushed to the start of the rope swing obstacle and had totally forgotten how sore his arms were.


    "And just like that, I have lost Art¡­" Sammy was left as the only opposition to testing the obstacle and couldn''t resist Dia''s looks. "You could at least test it with us."


    "You''re right, I could. But I will go after all of you do. I want to see how all three of you can hold up after strenuous work. I can make suggestions in future training that way." Dia had admitted the training analysis she had been doing without shame. She officially gave up on pretending this was only a task to help her out.


    "Fine. But when you go we are all timing you and if you get worse than one of us you need to buy us lunch." Sammy walked to the start of the obstacle in a huff. She still was not happy to hear the answer but had no choice but to accept it.

 Chapter 176 - 176. Flawless

    Laura realized very quickly that this obstacle was not about speed. She pushed off the first little platform and swung holding the rope. Her hand was quick to reach out and grasp at the next rope but she missed it due to her speed making her too early.


    "You need to slow down. The ropes aren''t as fast as you." Art shouted his slight encouragement. He wanted to also get the timing down in his head before he tried this himself. If he managed to speedily make it through the course on his first try he would claim himself king of this obstacle.


    Laura struggled to slow herself down but was easily able to make it to the second section of the ropes. This was a diagonal beam connecting two posts near trees. The branches let the leaves just barely fall in line with the ropes making it feel that the one swinging would hit them. In actuality, there was more than enough room.


    Laura was feeling the pressure and after the fifth rope of the second diagonal section she slipped down and rolled on to the ground. "Come on! I should have had that one." She yelled at the ropes while trying to get the leaves out of her hair from her fall.


    "Try and focus more on how slow the ropes are moving. When you swing you are just grabbing out. You need to do this." Art was already swinging and had even made it to the same spot that Laura was prior to her fall.


    He was swinging smoothly and at the very end of his swing from one rope, he would reach out and grab the next. This was when he was nearly weightless and the gravity from his first rope would cause him to swing on the second. He was flawlessly swinging from one to another.


    "Are you counting?" Sammy could hear Art counting the second between each rope. This was his trick to a flawless swing each time.


    His focus couldn''t be broken easily so he had surpassed the diagonal portion with ease. However, that was the last of his luck. "One, two, three, fou-" Art was about to grasp the next rope liken he had been before. But instead of being right in his palm the rope he tried to grasp only grazed his fingers.


    He fell having already released the other rope. There was no way to go but down, the only lucky part was that he instinctually fell in to a roll from all his previous training. "What the heck was that!?" He was stunned that his strategy had failed.


    Dia was smiling evilly while she stopped the stop watch. She had changed the distance slightly to trip up strategies like this one. She was not going to a tough course, she was going to the hardest course she could build. This meant diagonal movement, different speaking, and even slightly different heights.


    "Alight, my arms might fall off but if they do I get to go on a real vacation." Sammy was the least excited to get on the course because she would rather be understanding her super powers or relaxing her sore arms. But since Laura and Art had already given it a try she was not going to back out. She also wanted the extra points for completing it.


    She copied Art''s strategy making him bite his tongue in frustration. He wanted to give it another try but knew that it wouldn''t be fair and that his arms were already too stressed to do well.


    Once Sammy reached the same point as Art she made some test swings, once she felt out the difference in spacing she grabbed the next rope. She needed to do this for the first few before she was able to get back into a rhythm. "Come on make it to the end!" Laura started to cheer Sammy on seeing that she was making great progress.


    "She''s getting to the different length ropes. Should be interesting." Art watched as Sammy grasped at a shorter rope and barely managed to catch the end. It was just slightly too far away for her arm length but with some extra swing, she made it.


    ''The length is a little too short on rope thirty six. I will adjust it.'' Dia was keeping track and typed the note in to her phone. Se became much more focused on how Sammy was swinging since she was the smallest out of the three.


    "Come on!" Sammy used as much force to swing herself to the next rope but still was too short. She had fully released her hands and ended up missing the next rope. It had been just a little too far for her to grab. She fell but managed to swat her hand down and make a slight breeze to slow her fall. Art and Laura both stood on the ground and helped her stay standing. Art had told Laura to help since Sammy hadn''t learned to roll when she fell yet.


    "I was so close!" Sammy looked and only saw that there were six ropes left.


    "Well, no one completed it but Sammy is in the lead for distance. Want to see how you measure up?


    Dia said this while standing at the start of the swinging ropes and had her finger on the start button on the stop watch. The three watched as she pushed the button and went all in on the course.


    Dia didn''t hesitate on any swing. She was more agile than a monkey and moved rope to rope. There were times she held on to nothing but the air in front of her before the rope seemed to meet her hand like an old friend. The first two sections did not stop her at all and the third was being beaten with ease. She had reached the last part with no rouble and was inches away from stepping on the end platform when she dropped down.


    "And from here I have to decide if I want to add some form of tire roll or maybe a balance beam." The three just stared at her like she was an alien. They couldn''t believe how easily she had just gone through the ropes. She wasn''t even breathing heavily.

 Chapter 177 - 177. Dont Worry

    To quickly"I told you not to worry about me." Jane was telling Asher for the third time after she noticed his eyes on her. Jackson and the staff had already treated her arm before and she had taken the medicine for the fever her super power had caused. In just a short time she was nearly back to full health. The only thing lingering was some tiredness that could be fixed by a meal.


    "I know, but that was the first time you have ever done that. I don''t want to look away then look back and find you on the ground." Asher had been worrying and he wasn''t going to be able to help Jane if she wasn''t alright.


    "See I am moving fine and I am even checking more places for the egg than you." Jane knew that she needed to try and get him back on to a goal so he would stop looking at her so much, not that she minded.


    "I see, I see." Asher threw his hands up in surrender but was still left curious about what had happened. "So, what was it like to use your power like that? Do you think it''s like mine and Art''s?" Asher suspected that Jane might actually have two super powers like him and Art did.


    "I don''t think it''s that. The doctor would have no reason to lie to me like they lied to Art. Plus I have a power called Medusa. I did research and the mythology says that she looked a lot different than I do. If I mirror her I am probably the same as other body shifting super powers."


    "So that was what that girl with tails was. She only had four or five or whatever but she called herself Nine tails as a hero name? Sounds like some over used animated cartoon name. I bet she chose it to use its'' popularity." Asher didn''t think much of the girl Jane had sparred against. She had been arrogant and vain to his eyes.


    "She won''t know what hit her next time. I will beat her if she ever tries." Jane''s mood darkened instantly before clearing up when Asher looked at her.


    "Huh" Asher wasn''t sure what he had just heard.


    "She had a physical shift too based on the tails she had on her body. Mine is based on the mythology I guess. So when I shifted I think I was using my full super power and not just in a resting state." Jane brushed the previous phrase away pretending she hadn''t said anything.


    "Oh, so it''s'' like in those vampire movies when the guy looks human but suddenly transforms in to a vampire bat guy." Asher easily found a relation in the movies he had seen before.


    "Umm sure. But Mine was really tough. My blood felt like it was boiling and I was really angry. I didn''t think I could control myself. If the tale of Medusa were true I can easily see why she would be called a monster. If I hadn''t been stopped by Garnet I¡­"


    Jane''s pause combined with her downward glance spoke volumes for Asher. "I remember that she was said to turn people to stone. I saw your scales, hair, and even finger nails became more powerful. If you looked at her instead of freezing her in her tracks she might actually turn to stone. That''s what you are thinking right?"


    Asher had hit the nail on the head without any problem. "Yeah, and what if that was permanent? I could be a villain and not even know it."


    " I studied your power after you told me about it. I read that there were some cases where the whole turning to stone thing was avoided. But I doubt they would actually turn in to stone. They would probably be stuck without moving even after you look away. But you can put in a request to test that out." Asher knew that he wasn''t being very helpful. He wanted to give her some solid answers and comfort but that was tough to do.


    "Test it out? What do they send someone who will be alright with living as a stone for the rest of their life to me? I doubt anyone exists like that." Jane was speaking like Asher was suggesting she go and find a crazy person.


    "Use the lab rats the school provides for this exact reason. I read it in the syllabus. Students with strange powers that could be dangerous are allowed to visit the science wing to test these things." Asher remembered this like he had done it himself. It was one of the memories from this alternate world.


    "But, I can''t even control the shift. I only know that my opponent made me angrier than I have ever been. The next thing I knew I was heating up¡­" Jane didn''t want to admit that Nine tails had been threatening to take Asher away from her. This was too embarrassing to let him know.


    "Are you alright? Your ears are turning red? Are you catching that fever again?" Asher got worried that Jane was starting t feel ill again.


    "No! I mean, I am fine. I am just warming up from searching. We need to find it before anyone else does. I don''t know where we should look."She quickly turned away and faked searching the taller grass patch they were walking past.


    "We haven''t gone towards the normal cabins, right? Maybe it is there. We can even check out the supply area. I know there is a ton of equipment somewhere around there. I had a glimpse during my first tour of the same.


    Asher could recall a large storage cabin that he had passed by. He didn''t focus on it but thought that many campers wouldn''t have gone to get different equipment to train with. This was simply due to the fact that they were just learning to train themselves. Most would take all camp to realize they needed equipment to train some things. This was evident in the throwing dummy Asher had used the other day.

 Chapter 178 - 178. Rescue Vehicles

    The two headed toward the main cabins where the student could purchase a room to rest. They were mostly connected together and divided by sex. The male cabins were on the right and the female cabins on the left with a large storage cabin in the middle. This set up was fairly common for most camps whether they were for training camps or summer camps.


    "When you said there was a storage cabin I didn''t think you meant this massive thing." Jane was amazed by the size of the cabin. She had been thinking it would be a small cabin with some workout equipment of even just a few small games for campers.


    "Well, are you really surprised? Some things are really not as they seem here." Asher was referring to the training and luxury cabin. They were all things that would be slightly twisted for campers to pursue and end up being educational in some form.


    "Do you think they have something crazy in there then?" Jane was starting to let her mind run wild. She could imagine that there was anything from the average gym weights to some insane form of robot that chased a camper around to increase running speed.


    "Only one way to find out. It looks like there is a staff member over there that lets us sign things out." Asher saw a lone staff member by two large open doors. The space was enough to drive a car through and as they approached they noticed just that.


    "Hello hello. I haven''t seen many campers yet. Most don''t come looking for the storage building until the last few days when they realize they might need things to help them train or finish a challenge. What can I do ya for?" The staff member was an older middle age man who seemed happy to see someone so early.


    "We actually came to check things out. I came early to camp and haven''t been inside because I have been caught up with other things. I thought that it would be interesting to take a look." Asher didn''t want to ruin the staff members'' mood by saying he was jyst there to search for the golden egg to get in to the luxury cabin.


    "Well, that is the best time to come and look. When there is nothing else going on and you just have some curiosity you might find something interesting." The staff member put stress on this making Asger wonder why.


    Jane on the other hand was looking at the vehicles at the front in awe, "What are these and what are they for?'' She wanted to know what they were used for around camp.


    "These? This is a rescue vehicle. It is used for some teaching during the search and rescue classes. But we will bring it out when we need to go to the other camps along the mountain. It is equipped with many functions and items for fighting many natural disasters. If you ask me though, the best feature is the highly stable springs so that it always rides smoothly. It is much safer to transport the injured because of that."


    "That does sound very useful. Is it specialized in some way for one disaster or is it always made to be an all around machine?" Asher was surprised by Janes'' sudden interest in the vehicle. He had not expected her to have such desires.


    "This is specialized at the moment for forest fire and mountain rescue. We have many tools and equipment to alter it here but since it is the dry season we need to remain in this set up. In the spring we have it set up for muddy and water terrains due to the river flooding from the melting snow on the mountain." This was becoming more and more enlightening. The two had not thought about such things and could feel their perceptions changing.


    "And what about the small four wheeled vehicles there" Asher spotted the small vehicles with tires that looked like they would bite in to the ground as they moved.


    "This is made for mountain rescues. They have specific treading on the tires to let them grip on to the multiple terrains and high inclines. They are great for getting closer to lost or trapped hikers. Ther are specially designed by hero corp and then specialized by our very own counselor Onyx." The staff member had been lucky enough to ride them once and had been very impressed, this was written all over his face.


    "I think I want one. They sound so useful for any hero." Jane was only thinking about how they would make the best vehicle to get to rescues and other such incidents. They were the best way for her to be a better hero without training herself more. It wasn''t that she didn''t want to train herself it was just that she knew she would become limited by her own body one day.


    "Well, you will need to be a little older. I also recommend you join a group that is specialized in rescues and disaster situations. That is the main kind of group that would be using them after all." The staff member thought that he might be able to push these two to aim to be rescue specialists. It was even better since one of them had already said that she wanted to be a hero.


    "Jackson should come to see these. He is going to be doing this stuff right? I bet he will need to learn how all this works and what to do with them. If we get him a textbook on it he might die and go to heaven." Asher laughed a bit at his joke while wondering if Jackson was actually good at motorized vehicles.


    "Jackson? Is that the boy Garnet said was going to be taking the rescue classes tomorrow? I will be teaching one of those classes so that should be great." The staff member was happy to hear that one of the campers that Garnet had been mentioning was actually already known to like rescue and other such knowledge.

 Chapter 179 - 179. Staff Torture

    "Is it alright for us to explore the inside more?" Jane wanted to see what other interesting things were laying around. After seeing the specialized vehicles for rescue she started to realize that this was much more than a storage cabin. This was a place full of endless teaching material that would only help her become a better hero.


    "Don''t go trying to move anything without my help. There are some dangerous and heavy items in here. But yes, feel free to explore and don''t be afraid to call me for help. My name is Jim and I am the taff member in charge of this area all year round."


    "Nice to meet you, Jim." The two said this in unison while walking inside the storage cabin to explore for more interesting items.


    The two hadn''t even entered toward some of the shelving units when they noticed there was a hang glider strung up on the ceiling. It was made to show that it was a rescue glider having red and white stripes.


    "How would this even be used as a rescue item/" Asher couldn''t find a time when he would realistically need a glider like this for any form of rescue.


    "What do you do when no one with a flying super power or a helicopter isn''t available? Could you just climb a tree and hope that you survey the area well from there? Or would it be better to find a high point and slowly glide over a large area to find anyone who may be in need." The staff member had a good point and was met by a look of amazement from Asher.


    "Scuba gear? This is so cool" Jane had found a set of scuba gear. It was set up on a mannequin so that they functions and gear were all easily displayed.


    "Yes, that is the teaching set for our underwater classes. We hold those on the other camps but will still offer the same class on the basics here. Many people gain super powers that are used within or with water ut they can not breath under the water themselves." The staff member Jim was already giving them the answers to the questions they had. T seemed that he wasn''t content with just waiting around the entrance and was going to walk with them instead.


    "Oh no...It''s the evil chicken." Asher was stopped in his tracks looking at a partially disassembled robotic chicken.


    "You''ve played with Lapis''s little toy I take it?" Jim looked rather unhappy as he said this.


    "This is the one you told us that gave you, Laura, and Jackson so much trouble?" Jane had only been told the story but she was sure that this robotic chicken wasn''t so intimidating.


    "It gives many staff and camper trouble. When she first bought the thing and decided to modify and add a different program to it we were all tormented. Jim was looking more and more stressed by the monte as he remembered everything that he had been through.


    "I feel like you make have dealt with more than chasing it¡­" Asher had a theory that he had been through a small dose of what evil the chicken was actually used for.


    "Yes, it has been years so torture. Lapis designed it and gave it programs that she didn''t always turn off before napping or starting a class. One which was for it to try and steal shoelaces. She was younger then but she thought it would help campers be more vigilant. Instead, it just tormented the staff endlessly." Jim shivered at the memory of always wearing his boots without shoelaces.


    "If I take a part and lose it somewhere would I get in trouble?" Asher said this like it wasn''t going to be a big deal.


    "Unfortunately the last time we tried that Lapis built it so that it wouldn''t need the part we took. Next thing we knew it was going around with an added voice feature squawking at everyone when our back was turned. I''m pretty sure someone had a heart attack." Jim was about to say more but realized it was just going to stress him out.


    "I think we should move on then." Jane noticed the two getting gloomier and decided she wanted to keep the energy up and explore more. "Let''s look at those shelves over there. I think I see some weights." Jane knew that Asher had been wearing the ankle and wrist weights hen training and thought she saw some similar items.


    Asher was glad to be pulled from the evil robotic chicken and followed Jane. He was surprised to see that there were many hanging weighted pieces of clothing. "These are awesome. They are basically shirts but...This says it weighs seventy pounds?!"


    "Wait, what?" Jane and Asher were trying to grab the tags and see if they are correct and found that it was indeed true.


    "Yes, they actually weigh that. We have a very unique contract with a company that produces these weighted pieces of clothing. The shirts they make started off for those with zero gravity powers and eventually became training equipment. The super dense metals they use are made using some super powers and heavy equipment." Jim always found it fin to explain the things made for someone''s specific super power that turned in to some amazing training equipment.


    "If I wear this shirt here it is an added fifty pounds. How many points do I need to spend to use this for a few days?" Asher was not foolish enough to believe that these wouldn''t cost him points to use. He wanted to wear one of the lighter shirts so he could constantly train over the next few days and be much stronger when he left camp.


    "Point? What the heck are you talking about. Just to use equipment here doesn''t cost you points. Most of this stuff is educational and the equipment is adding challenges to the things you already do. We won''t charge you any points. Just use them safely and sign them out with me." Jim had this reaction often. But he made sure that when he told campers this he would remind them there were consequences if he didn''t get them back.

 Chapter 180 - 180. Inflatables

    Asher pulled the shirt from the rack and felt the fifty pounds of weight drag his arm down. "Maybe this will be harder than I thought¡­" Asher put it on and immediately felt the added strain on his chest and legs.


    "Looks like a perfect fit, now come here." Jim reached out a hand and touched the shirt. A white handprint was left and his eyes were cloudy for a moment. "All done. My super power has registered you as the one who took out this item"


    Jane was confused about what had just happened, "Your super power?"


    "Yes, I have the tracking super power called guiding hand. Anything I put my handprint on is locked in to my mind like a beacon. So I do it to everyone and everything borrowed from here. I can follow any of the items anywhere. It is very useful when I was a hero. Now I just hang out here in my retirement." Jim had shocked the two. They did not know he had been a former hero.


    "You are a super hero? What was your power classification? What did you do? What was your hero name?" The two instantly bombarded Jim with questions. This was a rare occurrence nowadays for him but he was still able to remain calm.


    "I was just randed as a d class super power user. My hero name was white hand and I worked with dangerous villain transports. When a dangerous villain was being moved to different prisons or to court I would use my power so that if they escaped or were broken out they could be tracked. I can place about a hundred handprints before getting overloaded."


    Asher and Jane were in awe. This wasn''t the flashy super power they had seen on television, but this was the kind of super power that was highly used and highly sought after by the police. "So due to your super power''s ability you were someone who didn''t need to have a higher ranking super power to become a hero."


    "Exactly. I had an ability that was very useful for the police and since I traveled a lot and needed to help around the world I was given the supe rhero qualification. I met many heroes and traveled to many places. But it was a dangerous job and I could only keep it up for a few years. I still go an assist sometimes." Jim looked both happy and sad while remembering the travels.


    "That is amazing. I wonder if anyone else from our year will be able to do that? I bet there are a lot of super powers that seem like they aren''t powerful but can be used in a way that is extremely helpful to the way heroes work." Asher was sifting through his memory looking for these powers but realized he should keep focused on what he was doing.


    Jim didn''t appear to want to share anymore so the two continue on their exploration of the storage cabin. They had completely forgotten about the golden egg and were instead captivated by the many things there.


    "This looks like it is one of those inflatable liferafts?" Asher had found the inflatable tools area and was looking at all the pictures next to them.


    "You are correct. Many things are hard to travel with if the rescuers are in a dense area. Science has advanced a lot and we invented some very tough flexible fabrics. This means we are able to make inflatable rafts, sleds, tents, and even some small tools." Asher was looking at an inflatable shovel that was only a foot long. However, it was able to break through tough dirt. This was an amazing item for someone who needed to carry lighter equipment.


    "And these are just pool floaties?" Jane had found that there were floaties of all sizes. "This one is a flamingo tube, why would this be here?"


    "For river floating. Not all campers train every day. Some take breaks and float in the river for a while. The good part is that the river curved around half the camp so we are able to start at the top end and float to the rapids where we get off and do it again. It is a great day of activity." Jim sounded like the staff enjoyed this often.


    "Huh, who would have thought that-" Asher tapped the box for an inflatable liferaft and it exploded open causing the boxing to fly everywhere and in turn open themselves. In a matter of minutes, there were fifteen liferafts, ten pink flamingo tubes, a pile of inflatable shovels, and even two inflatable tents clogging the aisle they had been in.


    "I can''t breath!" Jane was thoroughly squished and was trying to pry herself from between two rafts. She was slowly squeezing out from between them as she moved toward asher who had been knocked to the ground.


    "I can help you¡­" Asher was about to reach out and pull Jane out but he realized the position she was in.


    "Come on, I am stuck here. I can''t get myself free." Asher''s eyes were glued to where she was stuck and didn''t know what to say about it. If he pulled her out she would most likely have an overly stretched shirt. This thought made his mind turn steamy and start to fry. He was red faced before she even noticed her own situation.


    "Ha! I''m free." Jane managed to free her arm and leg while gripping the shelf. She pulled herself forward and landed right in front of asher in her hands and knees. "Why didn''t you help me?"


    "I-I umm, I was just dazed from the raft exploding everywhere you know¡­" He was looking at Jane in front of him trying to tear his eyes away. He had a view any man would fight tooth and nail for leaning right in front of him.


    Naturally, Jane was just looking at him confused and lost as to why he was suddenly so red faces and nervous. "Wait, wheres Jim?" Jane realized that there was a certain staff member missing from the little exploration group they had.

 Chapter 181 - 181. Cleaning Up

    "Hmrmmdfff." Jane and Asher looked around for the noise, "hrrRRmmmffffff" They quickly followed the groaning sound to find that Jim was flat against the next shelf. His face was pressed up against a pink flamingo face of a flamingo tube.


    Asher and Jane quickly freed him, "I didn''t expect to be face to face with a flamingo today. I guess that was revenge for all the times I sat on it to float down the river." Jim just laughed at his own joke. "I am glad we are alright though. I knew these things were dangerous, but they have never gone off like that before." He was scratching his head wondering why the safety functions had failed on them.


    "Sorry, that''s just how things tend to go around me." Asher laughed a little awkwardly as he told himself he wouldn''t be touching anything else unless he was sure it wasn''t dangerous. "Do you want some help moving these?"


    Jim looked at the inflatables and just shrugged, "Sure, just move them to the open area at the end of the row I can start to deflate them. I will have some campers come by to fold them later. I can issue some tasks too ya know."


    Jane wasn''t sure why they weren''t getting the offer for the task to get points but decided that she didn''t want to pry in to Jim''s reasoning. Instead, she just grabbed the nearest pink flamingo floatie and dragged it away.


    The two were easily able to unblock the aisle, "Asher, all the things on the bottom shelves fell too. There are parts and tools on the ground here." Jane had found that a large box of odds and ends had fallen over in the chaos of inflatables.


    "Coming!" Asher ran back over and started to pick things up from the pile, he grabbed what he could and realized that there were many things underneath the shelves. "Jane, I am going to get the stuff under the shelves, can you grab them from me so we can get them put away faster?"


    Jane nodded yes and the two got to work. Asher laid down flat in his stomach and stitch his arm under the shelf. He didn''t bother to look since he knew he was grabbing a ton of things. The first item he brought out was a wood nail. The second he grabbed was a small inflatable safety booklet. "Wish this could have saved us from the rafts attacking us." Jane laughed as she took it from Asher''s hands.


    Asher pulled out a round object from under the shelf and moved to hand it to Jane. When her heard Jane gasp he quickly looked at what he had brought out worried that he had taken something gross from underneath the shelf. "What the heck is the egg doing here?" He had just pulled the golden egg from under the shelf.


    Jim had walked up behind them silently laughing. "Every year when it is my turn to hide that egg I overturn a box of tools and nails to make it look like a mess. If a good camper were to clean it up then they would find the egg. If not then I clean it up and forget that year. Congratulations on being the first to find the storage hiding spot." Jim laughed more, he was happy someone had finally done it.


    Asher was stunned by the logic of the staff member that was in charge of the storage cabin. "That''s sop sneaky but brilliant. I never would have expected to fun the egg in that way. I bet anyone that comes just ignores it."


    "They would definitely meet you at the entrance and expect that they don''t need to clean it up since the staff member is already here!" Jane already knew how the majority would think and believed that this was the best way for Jim to make sure that the golden egg would go to someone who he approved of.


    "I don''t have much else that I do in the camp. I only meet those that come to borrow something here. Even with that small pool of campers, I would hate to just give something away that could wildly increase their strength. Someone who wants to improve needs to earn things through more than just their determination. Do you know how many heroes have passed through this camp?''


    This made Jane and Asher think. This was yet another one of the camps'' slightly twisted tactics. It made them show their morality and only that would earn them the chance to improve on this day. "I swear every time something happens here I am amazed by the actuality of it." Asher just shook his head while Jane made her own conclusions.


    "Well, on another note. What else would you two like to look at? I should have some other interesting gear for you two. How about I show you both some of the reflex training equipment we have. They are based on springs and rubber to block small projectiles of different speeds. It is a lot of fun."


    Jim lead them to the far corner of the storage building that appeared to be much cleared than any of the other areas. "I like to spend my lunches here. I have always like to make a game of things and did the exact same to this little reflex machine." Jim pressed a button making a small set of barrels come out of the wall. There were small buttons all over the two walls that met to form the corner they were in.


    "Why do I have the feeling that this is going to be harder than I expect¡­?" Asher Watched as the barrels switched and a while bouncy ball flew from the barrel that clicked in to place. Jim slapped out and knocked the ball away toward the wall.


    "You need to be faster than that if you want to black the first attack. If you are caught looking at the clouds you will be just another statistic on the news." Jim was already watching for the next white bouncy ball to be fired.

 Chapter 182 - 182. Bouncy Balls

    "Wait, so what is the goal of this game?" Jane had tried to jump at the next bouncy ball and was easily beat by Jim, who slapped it away and managed to knock it in to one of the buttons on the wall.


    There was a mechanical buzz and another pone of the barrels clicked in to place. "The goal is to reach the highest level possible. We hit the balls and try to make sure they hit the targets. You don''t know the speed or where they will be aimed so it is up to your instincts and reflexes. On top of that, you need to control them so that they will hit one of the buttons on the walls. Once that is done the difficulty will rise. The highest I have made it is four barrels but the most I have seen is nine."


    "Didn''t you jus-" Asher was responding but the white bouncy ball had been fired right at him. He was just barely able to slap it down and make it roll away.


    "Don''t get distracted now." Jim stepped back leaving Jane and Asher on level two right off the bat. The two of them just watched him walk away as the barrel of the machine clicked back in to place.


    "Asher watch out!" Jane jumped in and swatted the next ball toward the wall. It missed a button but had a nice rebound compared to the one Asher had randomly swatted at.


    "This thing is trying to get me!" Asher looked at the machine with tearful eyes waiting for the next attack. He had a feeling that it was going to be the constant trend, and almost to prove this the click of the barrel sent another bouncy ball heading toward his chest. "I was ready this time!"


    Asher swatted out with his hand and perfectly hit the ball. The bouncy ball flew off his hand and went toward the wall. There was a click as it slammed in to the button triggering the difficulty to rise. His face went from victorious to worried.


    "Asher, you and I aren''t even used to this level yet." Jane sounded like she had just realized she was in a room with a ghost. Asher also felt the intensity in the air as the third barrel made a click and now two balls were fired out at different times.


    If Jane had not been there one ball would have been shot away without any chance of hitting it. She managed to swat one and knocking back at the wall narrowly missing another button. The one that ASsher had focused on managed to bounce off of Asher''s wrist. It didn''t go far but was still a hit.


    "Keep it up you two! You''re getting the hang of it." Jim was very entertained by this because he rarely has anyone that was able to come and play with him but for the other staff or the counselors themselves. "I think this is one of the best training machines here for the fact that you can play this game for hours."


    Asher and Jane bother could not imagine playing this for hours. If they needed to do so they would fall in to defeat almost instantly. They were only on the third level and were already completely outmatched. They could not imagine the chaos of what the ninth level was like.


    This game continued on for many minutes with very few hits. The two were able to sometimes deflect the bouncy balls but could not take any control over their aiming of them. "I think this is impossible." Asher had just managed to hit another one of the bouncy balls back and found that it went very high in to the air without even hitting the wall.


    "Just keep trying. I refuse to give up before we get to level four." Jane had made herself this promise. She wanted to be able to react to any attacks on her with the most speed her body could muster. The more hits she missed the more determined she had become. This was the opposite of Asher who was finding his heart losing spirit.


    "Then let''s get it this time. Right now!" Asher shouted with the last of his adrenalin as the barrels clicked in to place. The first of the three bouncy balls that were fired in succession whizzed by his ear. The speed had been too fast for him to register. However, the second and third were slower and heading toward him and Jane.


    Jane wound up to slap one while Asher stepped away and wound up to hit the other. The two had moved so that they would not collide without even looking at each other. It was like they had a telepathic connection to move in this way. Jim smiled seeing this because he knew that this only came from those who trained many times together.


    The two made contact with their bouncy balls at the same time and they flew forward. The walls were easily reached but just as they were going to come in to contact both of their faces dropped. Asher and Jane had realized that they had both hit the bouncy ball in a way that the two would collide with each other.


    The two were about to look away and curse their luck when the two bouncy balls collided and shot at the walls. They both landed on a button at the same time making the machine click a few times. "Oh wow! You two made a double hit. You jump to level five now." Jim sounded like he was speaking some terrible curse instead of some praise.


    The clicking intensified and the two looked up just as five bouncy balls were fired at them. They had no chance to did or even deflect them. The results were the rubber thudding sound as they found their targets and the reaction of sharp breathing. The two found themselves laying on the floor wincing at the new bruises starting to form.

 Chapter 183 - 183. The New Threads

    "So next time you two play, I would say you should avoid the balls fired at you on level five." Jim was a little sarcastic as he watched the two get up. "Otherwise, not bad. You should tell others to come and give it a try. There are four corners in the building."


    "Should we drag Art here to try this out too?" Asher immediately thought of Art and the fun it would be to send him to the same grave as them.


    "He is one of our rivals, but we can''t forget our other friends as well." Jane looked equally as evil at the moment.


    "I thought you two wanted to be heroes?" Jim mumbled as he wandered back towards the entrance.


    "We will need to come back tomorrow to see the rest. It''s getting late." Asher observed that the sun was close to setting.


    "Oh! We almost lost track of time and didn''t prepare for whatever the night training it." Jane was surprised that they had been in the storage cabin for so long.


    "Night training? That should be fun. Then grab some flashlights or those night vision sunglasses. They are modified for a smaller size and easy carrying. They also adjust for daytime and nighttime." Jim pointed out a section with night survival gear.


    "Those are awesome. How do they work?" Jim looked at Asher for a moment.


    "No idea! Hahaha, that''s too sciency for me." Asher deflated a little but wasn''t too unhappy. He didn''t expect Jim to have all the answers.


    "Why is this thing here?" Jane held up a small square cube.


    "Micro flash bomb. It''s used for night time raids. You throw it and when it hits the ground it bursts in a flash that blinds those that look at it. Feel free to take a package of twenty." Jim looked more excited explaining this that the two could understand.


    "Each or overall?" Asher had a feeling that the reason Jim was excited was that these would be useful for them tonight.


    "Each of course! Do you think you both will be together the whole-¡­sneaky sneaky. Trying to get me to tell you about the training." Jim wagged a finger at them.


    Asher''s eyes widened as he realizes that the two were going to be split up for night training. He nodded at Jim who could only smile. Jane understood this too and grabbed all the items Jim had recommended.


    "I''m very glad to meet you, Jim! Thank you for your help. We will see you tomorrow after we go to the sparring field and obstacle course." Jane and Asher said their farewells and walked out towards the dining cabin.


    "Get food, nap under a tree, then wait to find out about night training." Asher planned out the rest of their day out loud.


    "Sounds good to me. I am checking out the elite home gym app and it is telling me that I need to eat certain things to recover from my fight. Do you think Garnet changed it for me?'' Jane was a little confused but the thought of someone caring so much about them made her pretty happy.


    "I am pretty amazed at how much effort they put in. This really explains why it is considered one of the best camps in the country. I bet if we stayed here more than a week we would become super hero powerhouses in a month." Asher laughed this off as they entered the dining cabin.


    "Bro, over here!" Arty had the same idea to eat before heading off to rest. He was already seated at a table with Laura and Sammy. "What did you two manage to get up to in the last few hours?" His eye brows wiggled a little at Asher promoting Asher to punch Art in the arm.


    "We checked out the storage cabin and met a former hero. Just the usual stuff." Asher''s casual attitude made Jane giggle since she knew he was using it to mess with Art.


    "I knew there wouldn''t be too...former hero you say?" Art had stopped mid sentence and realized that Asher had actually said something pretty cool.


    "His name is Jim and he works here as his retirement job. He has the coolest stuff in storage. Most of it is for classes and training but there are even a few work out machines. You should come tomorrow to grab some things. Asher already borrowed a weighted shirt that''s, wait, how heavy is it?" Jane had forgotten the weight of the shirt that Asher had added to his body.


    "I took the fifty pound one. If I grabbed the seventy five I thought it would be too much. I still don''t know what is going on with the night training and don''t want to overdo it." He acted like he was a fashion model showing off the newest sporing fashion.


    "That''s pretty awesome man, how is it so thin?" Art was already decided that he would get his own and even see about the other weighted objects he could borrow.


    "Jim said that it was some special condensed fabric made for those with zero gravity powers. The camp has it because they were able to use it before the producers made it in to a training item. But this isn''t the coolest thing they have." Jane and Asher regaled them of the experiences in the storage cabin. The three were jealous that they had not gone with and instead had to climb and attach ropes.


    "Well, we all got points today at least." Sammy was still trying to stretch her sore arms. "I think I am going to be sore for my entire life."


    "Make sure you grab some of the fruit salad then. There is some over there and it is perfect for recovering the nutrients you need to repair the muscles. Also, there are fresh roasted peanuts too. Great for protein." Laura chimed in sharing her myriad of health knowledge. She had been forced to learn this stuff pretty fast due to her super power and had no problem sharing it with friends.

 Chapter 184 - 184. Catching Up

    "You two found the egg again!" Laura was devastated as Asher showed it off. She had searched before anyone else had woken up today and even on the way to and from the obstacle course. She thought she was sure to find it before them today.


    "Yeah, Jim had it hidden in a weird way, but it was pretty logical," Asher explained the way they had found the egg making the other three ponder their own mortality.


    "Would you have stopped to clean the box of tools up? Or would you have just been on your way?" Jane posed the question after a few moments making all three of them look at her seriously.


    "I want to say yes but I know that if I am in a rush I would just leave it. I still need to slow down more." Laura was very truthful and didn''t even think to lie. She knew herself and since she had received her super power she had been foregoing many things since she was always moving around at top speed.


    "I would have to clean it up. If my room at home is even a little messy I need to make sure I clean it up as soon as possible. It has been harder with my super power since I make little breezes that seem to always nock the papers on my desk to the floor." Sammy looked a little more pitiful as she said this but they all knew that she could easily solve the problem with a paperweight.


    "I''m pretty sure I would pick it up if I noticed it. I might not realize it is there though. But since I tend to have the kind of luck that makes me trip over things or stub my toe I think I would find it and pick it up then." Asher felt a little guilty hearing this since he thought that he was the cause of Art always tripping or stubbing his toes.


    "We should try and bring this to philosophy class. It might get us some extra credit." Jane had this sudden thought and figured that a certain someone would need the extra credit due to their lack of doing homework.


    "Why is it you look at me when you say that?"m Art was ready to start an argument but realized that they should start thinking about the night training. "I asked around about the night training when we went and got the ticket for Sammy. But the staff there wouldn''t tell us anything."


    "I think they are purposefully about telling us. You remember how Garnet came and just grabbed me at school right? That happened to Jackson and Laura too. I think it is supposed to make us uncomfortable so we can learn to adapt." Asher''s theory sounded plausible.


    "Oh, so I just bought a ticket with my hard earned points so that I can get kidnapped. Great!" She threw her arms up in the air and realized they were still sore causing her to draw a sharp breath.


    "We should just go nap or try and steal the golden egg for Asher." Laura teased a bit which made Asher cover the pocket the gg was in. He wasn''t giving up the only place he and his friends could train alone. He was going to do his best to make sure that Art had the best place to train.


    With their meals finished they group grabbed the protein shakes that they had been suggested in the app. Art and Jane insisted that Sammy and Laura take them too since they were just as sore as Art was. They eventually grabbed them and read the back realizing that they were medical grade and would help them recover faster.


    After they gushed over how great the camp was again they all finally went off towards their own peaceful areas in camp to rest. Art, Jane, and Asher went to the nurses'' cabin that Asher was allowed to use by Garnet. They each took up residence in one of the beds there to nap while Jane also checked her wounds.


    Jane was not surprised to see that she had nearly no trace left of the cut from before. She had learned that those with physical powers often healed faster and would be able to survive deadlier attacks in general. She also knew of the high quality of medical supplies here which would also help her recover faster. Feeling at ease she was able to wrap her arm again and fall asleep easily.


    "All campers with a night training ticket must report to the dining hall in ten minutes or you will lose the opportunity to participate in the future!" The three were awoken by the camp speakers blaring this message. They had taken a solid three hour nap and woken up to the fading rays of sunlight. "What! We slept like rocks for three hours?" Art couldn''t believe they had fallen asleep so easily.


    "What did you expect? We move around constantly. Our bodies need the rest, but the staff here really fixed us up." Asher was stretching out after the nap and found that any soreness or even bruises were pretty much gone. There was only a slight twinge here and there but not enough for him to care about once he got moving.


    "Look at this. My arm is already back to normal." Jane proudly presented her previously injured arm to Asher. She wanted to make sure that he would not be worried the entire training session. It was also to show just how amazing the things the camp gave them access to were.


    "I think I would need to be rich to use these fancy medical supplies and facilities. I wonder how much it costs to come here for the summer training camp." Art was already researching it on his phone as he spoke. When his phone fell from his hands and bounced on the floor the other two couldn''t do anything but wonder what had caused this.


    "Art? Hey Art? Are you alright?" Asher waved his hand in front of Art''s face.

 Chapter 185 - 185. Pricey

    "Fi-fif- FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS." Art finally got it out of his mouth. The summer training camp here cost a massive sum of money. "I could pay it if I was allowed to use my family''s fund but my parents would need me to justify this investment. They are well paid researchers and it is by far not a small sum."


    Asher heard what Art had said and picked up his phone for him. He too looked at the outrageous number and tried to think of a way to argue it. Unfortunately, there were so many good things about the camp that exceeded the price that he didn''t even think he could speak a word against it.


    "I would say my parents would pay that but I would be lying." Asher knew his father made good money as a lawyer but it was not in their family''s lifestyle to throw this kind of money around. They would more likely go on a family vacation or look to better all of their lives than use this much one person. Not to mention they needed to save money for Cara and Sher to go to university.


    "Asher, give me that." Jane grabbed Art''s phone and scrolled farther down the website. "It says the advanced camp cost seventy thousand¡­" they were all on the floor after this.


    "That''s so much. I think my university savings are that much!" Asher couldn''t handle it anymore.


    "My family would never afford this. We need to get serious here and learn what we can." Jane was already looking for the things she might not get to use outside of this moment.


    "I''m closing the website. It hurts to see it any longer. Let''s just say that Asher won the lottery getting to come here a little early." Art was right, Asher had basically won a lottery coming here a few days early.


    The three took their time to accept this and move one but were still full of shock at the price. "We should really take advantage of this training tonight," Asher said this as they walked toward the dining cabin. They could already see Jackson, Laura, Sammy, and Louis waiting for them.


    "I thought we would be meeting you here not the other way around." Laura stuck her tongue out at the three since they were the last there.


    "It''s a miracle we all made it. I got caught up in the sparring field for so long." The others were all surprised at why Jackson had said. He was not a fighter but he spent a long time at the training field?


    "I don''t see any injuries so you weren''t there because you go hurt¡­don''t tell me you somehow beat all challengers without any resistance?!" Art reacted full of drama, Sammy and Laura mirroring him.


    "Huh? No, I did first aid and was given a bunch of points. Not that I really need the points that much." Jackson quickly dashed their hopes that their new friend was a hidden martial arts prodigy.


    "Not sure if that''s better or worse than helping with a new obstacle for the obstacle course. We did get to try it first so we probably had it better." Laura was trying to compare the two. Art and Sammy both held their arms for the fear of soreness, they had been scarred.


    "I went to the woods and relaxed. Much more peaceful without anyone around." Louis was the most out there of all of them. He was just looking about calmly with perfectly cleaned and wrapped bandages.


    "You just sat in the woods? Alone?" Jane was the first to question him out loud. She was trying to figure out if Louis had some hidden talent for plants like Jackson.


    "Exactly. I can really reflect and focus on myself there. No one to hurt or distract while I figured out my super power a little. I can''t say I made a lot of progress, but." He unwrapped one of his hands and reached out to grab the unsuspecting hand of Laura next to him. "No zapping when I grab people at my current state."


    "And you just needed to demonstrate that by holding Lauras'' hand? How suave." Sammy immediately teased Louise since she saw it as her job. The reaction of Louis pulling his hand away and sending up a small spark of lightning made her laugh. Laura on the other hand seemed to fidget a bit more than usual but continued to snack on some sliced apples with the other hand.


    "Not that I didn''t find improvement in my super power too. We kinda fell from a little high up and I used a lot more wind than I meant to. Now I have a feeling I can do more with it. One step closer to flying." Sammy nearly sang the last part out of excitement.


    "They might have done cooler things than us...oh wait, none of them met a former hero, never mind." Asher had been saving this card to brag about and this was his only chance to use it.


    Jackson and Louis reacted much like Art had when he was told. They wanted all the details on who it was and what their super power could do. This conversation was able to last them until Garnet finally showed herself at the front of the group.


    "First thing''s first. Have your tickets at the ready so we can make sure that you are not sneaking in to the training." There were staff members that rushed through and checked every camper not finding a single thing out of place.


    "Looks good. Now tonight we are going to be doing one of our set summer training programs. This is a night course that we will run every night that can only be taken once per camper. You will be challenged and pushed but remember that it will make you better overall." Garnet turned and started to walk away with a few staff members at her side.


    "I guess we follow her?" Someone in the group said this and prompted everyone to start to follow her. In minutes they were all moving through the forest trying to keep up with Garnet. There was no path anywhere to be found.


    The group tried to follow her and the staff members as best as they could, but they were not fast enough. The group of campers appeared to be getting smaller and smaller as they ran through the trees. The visibility became less and less since the bushes and trees closed in on them.


    Asher turned and realized that the staff members along with Garnet were nowhere to be found. "Guys, where is Garnet?" He looked to where Jane had been just a moment ago. "Jane? Art?" He turned around finding that he was completely alone. There wasn''t even the sound of other campers.


    "Anyone!" Asher yelled agon and was realizing that he was totally alone in the dark forest. HGe fiddled through his pockets bringing out the glasses he had gotten from the storage area. He was sure that he would be much more relaxed if he could see where he was going.


    As they slid on to his face he was able to make out the tree roots he was sure that he would have tripped on if he was not wearing them. He was also able to see that there were plenty of scuff marks from the other campers that had tried to run through the area.


    ''Time to learn how to track.'' Asher was self motivating as he looked closely at the scuff marks on the ground. He knew that he had the minimal experience from Onyx and also what he had overheard in camp so far. The lack of knowledge did not deter him however, it was slightly motivating since he was able to learn as he went.


    With his eyes on the ground, he slowly stepped toward the nearest scuff marks. He had hopes that he would eventually find himself face to face with another camper or staff member but knew that they would all be rushing around lost. The only other person that had the night vision glasses was Jane.


    While Asher tracked the scuff marks he realized that this must have been what Jim was about to accidentally tell them earlier. This was the reason he asked if they thought that they would be together the entire time. They were meant to get separated by the first run.


    "Attention all campers in the night training. You have become lost within the wilderness! There is a prison break nearby and the low level criminals are out to capture you as a hostage! Escape back to camp as soon as possible!"


    Asher stopped in his tracks. This wasn''t because of the crazy scenario the camp had come up with for the night time training. Instead, it was because he could make out a figure in front of him. More specifically it was a figure that had a set of handcuffs broken and hanging off of their wrists.

 Chapter 186 - 185. Fried

    "Hehehe you''re my ticket to freedom brat. Just stand there and let me take you for a walk." Asher could tell that the fake criminal was a staff member because they still wore the same armbands that the staff wore. It was a nice touch to add to the costume since some of the less observant campers wouldn''t be able to notice them. This was even harder for those that were not like Jane or Asher who would have better sight in the dark due to the night vision glasses.


    "Yeah, as much as you think you''re gonna scare me, you''re nit. But I will make things a little tough for you if you try anything." The staff member was slightly thrown off by the clam tone of ASsher''s voice.


    "Smart mouth you got there, but won''t change your fate." The staff member in the prison attire jumped at him and managed to find the tree root in front of Asher.


    "As I said, things might be a bit tough for you¡­" Asher watched the staff member trip and fall face first. "In this situation, I have been told you and all the other staff members dressed like prisoners are my enemies. That doesn''t bode well."


    Asher had just said this without thinking. He couldn''t fully understand why he had just blurted it out but now that he was focusing again he decided to run from the staff member at full speed. He knew that the staff member was just doing their job as part of the training so he shouldn''t try and fight against them. Instead it was better to avoid them completely.


    The staff member struggled up and attempted to chase after Asher but found that he had run directly toad the nearby tree in his confusion. There was no chance he would be able to pursue Asher in the least.


    Having run for som,e time Asher realized that every once in a while he could hear a shout of two from nearby. It seemed that the other campers had started to shout for help or to try and find others. This was the wrong move since it just attracted the fake prisoners to them. Asher also moved top avoid these shouts until he heard a familiar voice yell in surprise. The additional blue flash that went with it was all too telling.


    "Louis, I am on the way!" Asher didn''t flinch as he rushed towards the direction of the blue flash. Dodging around trees and jumping roots was nothing to him in his efforts to get to his friend. He had been training long enough to gain the bodily awareness he needed to easily move within the forest now.


    "Mmmmaaaannnaauummmm." The fake prisoner on the ground was having trouble making sentences and had almost completely lost consciousness.


    "Louis, you fried a staff member!" Asher stood over the staff member completely shocked.


    "He grabbed me from behind. It scared me and I couldn''t stop the lightning that shot out." Louis was mortified. He had at first believed that he had killed the man that had grabbed him.


    "Hey, this is a camper. I am going to put something under your head for some rest. Can you respond to me?" Asher started to run through some of the basic first aid he had learned and realized he should get the attention of another staff member.


    "Louis, shot a few times and attract another staff member. They can take care of this man. He was zapped a little too much and needs to get to the nurses'' cabin. I don''t see any real damage but I think he was pushed a little too far." Asher could not see any damage on the skin of the staff members'' hands. If there were any electrical burns of strange lines he would have known that there were worse injuries.


    "Commmmeee over hheerrreee!!! I am hheeerreeee!" Louis was yelling this over and over until a rustling from the bushes caught their attention.


    "Calling me to you is like calling a bear to a free meal." The fake prisoner walked from the bush and punched his fist in his hands before dropping their arms and rushing to the fallen staff members'' side. "What happened here?"


    The accent was dropped and instead replaced by a professional attitude. "Lighting body meats scary staff member. They will need to be brought back for rest." Asher gave a few more details and then stood up.


    "I will assist him back to the camp grounds. Thanks for calling me. I will make note that you two took safety over running." The staff member shooed them away while they checked over the zapped coworker.


    "I didn''t¡­" Louis was still afraid he had done major harm but Asher pulled him away.


    "Come on man, you drained yourself more or less right? Your shock couldn''t have killed him. We also got another staff member right away. So we should focus on the task at hand. Once we are back to camp you can go and apologize in the nurses'' cabin." Asher was able to talk away from the stress from Louis.


    "He''ll be alright?" Louis wanted to hear it before he fully left.


    "Yeah kid. He is already looking better. You zapped him like a stun gun. It''s our fault for not checking our database before sneaking up." The staff member assured Louis and helped his coworker sit up. The zapped staff member gave a weak thumbs up.


    Louis finally started to move away with Asher. He was struggling in the dark but Asher had a tight hold on Louis''s sweatshirt. "How can you tell where you are going?"


    "Oh, Jane and I grabbed some night vision glasses at the storage area today. They are pretty great." Asher wanted to share them with Louis but realized that he only borrowed one pair. He was also glad he had remembered the small flash bombs that he had also been offered by Jim.


    "We need to try and meet up with the others or make out way back to camp. I have a bet that when everyone is back or captured we will get some sort of grade." Asher said this while another sound attracted his attention. He was sure someone else was just on the other side of a tree hiding.

 Chapter 187 - 187. Walk And Train

    Asher could hear someone breathing heavily behind the tree to their right side. Hed knew that it could be a fake prisoner waiting to ambush them. He motioned to Louis to walk around one side of the tree while moving toward the other. Asher could clearly see the confusion on Louis''s face so he leaned in, "there is someone behind the tree, be ready."


    Louis held up his hand and prepared to use a small zap if necessary. He had drained almost all of the lightning within his body after the last run in so he was sure he would not harm anyone. He was still stuck on hurting the staff member but seeing that the staff member was already recovering before put him more at ease.


    Asher circled the tree and saw the silhouette of a persons'' arm. He knew that he needed to be prepared for anything and was already in his stance. The one thing that caught him up and made him relax though was the lack of hand cuff on the wrist.


    "Wait Louis, there are now arm bands or hand cuffs on the wrists. It should be a camper." Asher gave a hushed shout to alert Louis who was about to jump at the figure behind the tree. To Louis, this was just a darker shadow in the night so he would never have known the difference without Asher.


    "Hey, we are campers too, who are you?" Asher was tentative about speaking out but he did so anyway. His calm voice made a noticeable difference in the person''s hectic breathing. With the breathing patterns sounding calmer Asher knew that he would have an answer in a minute.


    "Asher?" The voice was easily recognizable to him and Louis.


    "Sammy! What are you doing hiding behind a tree?" Louis was the first to react. It only made sense because this was his own family and he was always worried to some degree about her.


    "Well, I can''t see anything. Plus I had some guy yell near me and then like four prisoners or whatever they are, ran at us. That''s the last time I saw Jackson. Laura was somewhere but I can''t keep up with her." Sammy sounded like she had just recovered from the verge of tears, this was understandable since she had just become lost in the woods at night, the added chaos just pushed her more.


    "Don''t worry, I can be your eyes. Just grab on to Louis''s sweat shirt and use it as a guide. I want to try to find the others but if not we will follow some opf the tracks left by campers and staff back to the camp." Asher was confident in his ability ti find the way with the night vision glasses.


    "We will also save anyone we find so eventually there will be too many people for the fake prisoners to do anything," Louis added on a little more to Asher''s work load, but his own adrenaline was fueling him.


    "Alright, then let''s go." Sammy bounced in to the mood from Louis''s high energy and was ready to move in a second. Asher noticed that there was a slight breeze as she jumped to grab ahold of Louis''s sweatshirt making him wonder if she was trying to use her super power in some way.


    With the now three person chain, Asher led the way following another set of footprints on the ground. It was much easier in the area to follow them since the dirt was soft and easily took the shape of the shoes people wore.


    "These look like larger shoes, either Jackson was with three twins of himself or we found the trail of some fake prisoners. Want to follow them?" Asher was already leading the two ahead before receiving an answer. He knew that they had no other leads and just had to take the risk.


    "What will we do if we encounter them? I can''t really fight¡­" Sammy was worried that she would be taken. She knew that Asher could see right now and that Lopuyis had his lightning body to defend him. The only weak link was her.


    "You have been using your super power this whole time. We both noticed the wind being extra breezy, right Asher?" Even Louis had noticed the wind acting up since his hair was partially exposed under the hood of his sweatshirt.


    "I-umm, yeah. I just want to figure it out. After today''s fall, I feel like my mind is so much clearer. It''s like someone removed a locked door and I have so much more space to explore." Sammy had been focused on this the most of all while they walked. She had been letting her body operate on autopilot while she practiced.


    "Then you will be fine. If you can use enough to slow three people falling then you can use enough to scare someone enough to let one of us come help. You won''t face someone alone. Look at us, we are a human chain. We are like this so that we can help each other." Asher easily made sense of their situation and plan if they were attacked.


    "Asher has a point, just because he is leading us doesn''t mean that there aren''t any other benefits to walking like this." Louis backed Asher up making Sammy feel even more comfortable.


    "I didn''t realize you two noticed." Sammy''s voice was timid, they could tell she was embarrassed about their noticing since she was trying to be discreet while practicing.


    "Come on, we should finish sooner than later so we can sleep a little extra tonight." Asher had grand ideas that he would get to nap more if he finished earlier, however, no sooner had he let these thoughts come through his mind did he noticed that the number of footprints was growing.


    "I''m not sure if there are just three...or thirty fake prisoners that came through here," Asher said this and instantly heard some noises nearby. These sounds signaled that the three may have just walked in to a deadly situation, the prisoners'' nest.

 Chapter 188 - 188. Confidence

    The three froze in place as they realized there were sounds from all around them. "He he he, looks like we have some more prey falling in to our hands." There was a staff member wearing an orange jumpsuit with the arms cut off walking towards them.


    "He he he, looks like more bad acting staff members that want to get zapped by my friend." Asher decided to try and throw off the fake prisoners with his calm tone. He knew that Sammy was a little on edge since she couldn''t see as well.


    The fake prisoner was caught off guard but he didn''t hesitate much, "Sharp tongue, but that only makes it easier for us to deal with you." There were other fake prisoners that surrounded them numbering only to six total. This was less than Asher had expected but he quickly realized that the others had most likely started here and were now gone to hunt other campers.


    "Asher, what do we do now?" Louis wasn''t sure he could deal with the dark shadows he saw all around them.


    Asher smiled widely and spoke with confidence, "Well, you and Sammy should cover your eyes. Then when I say attack you go all out. I will set them up so they can''t even see you." This stopped the fake prisoners who thought that the camper they had found might have some strange super power.


    The second that both Sammy and Louis had their eyes ciovered Asher reached in to his pocket and pulled out one of then small flash bombs. He closed his eyes and threw it down to the ground with all his strength.


    The small pop that followed caused a light bright enough for him to see through his eyelids. The sound was not even close to the bright light that caused all the fake prisoners to jump back and claw at their eyes.


    "What did that kid do!"


    "My eyes! I am Blind!"


    "I''ll never see the beauty of a woman again. It''s all over for me!"


    "Nooo, my eyessss!!"


    Asher opened his eyes and looked at the pitiful; state of the fake prisoners. "That''s rough buddy, but why are you so worried about the beauty of a woman? Jim didn''t say these were permanent." Asher acted like he was full of confidence, however, he realized he had not at all asked how long these would last.


    Asher''s confidence had been rising dramatically as he was the anchor for his friends who couldn''t see. Now that he had made the fake prisoners unable to see Louis and Sammy dashed toward the shadows they could make out. Soon the three had started a chorus of smacks and kicks along with fake prisoners shouting in defeat.


    "That''s that, now where are those you captured or where is the camp? Either is an acceptable answer. If now then I set zappy zap on you over there." Asher made a dramatic gesture to Louis who made out Asher''s shadow waving at him.


    Even though the fake prisoners couldn''t see what Lois was doing they heard a sharp electrical zapping sound from Louis''s actions. He had held his hands apart and focused as hard as possible to get a short arch of lighting to appear. This sound was enough to make the fake prisoners cower.


    Asher felt a little bad for acting this way, but since this was all part of the strategy the staff should be well prepared to deal with the campers that chose to fight back instead of run away. "Follow the bent branches. We bent branches to lead everyone to the capture tent. There should be a few counselors guarding it but it''s not against the rules to help people escape."


    With the staff members'' information, Asher gave him a pat on the head. "Sorry for causing so much trouble. This was really a surprise. I hope that you all will keep teaching as well." He hoped that his apology was enough to deal with any negative emotions.


    "So, how do you guys feel about causing a prison break? I think it will be fun to cause a little trouble." Asher did not miss the irony in the fact that they were supposed to be running and escaping from these fake prisoners but were actually about to break out the hostages already taken. It was like the roles had been reversed.


    "If you tell us what that bright light is on the way then sure." Louis had no reason to turn Asher down. He had the feeling of invincibility at the moment after the last fight. He had started to realize that this was why the others trained so hard. This feeling was their fuel to become stronger and progress.


    Sammy also had no reservations now. She had been trying to learn her power more and work towards her goal of being able to fly. Since she had met her new friends she had only gotten closer to that goal by leaps and bounds. "I''m in. Let''s go see who else we can link up with. We will be the unbreakable chain."


    "I like the sound of that. We should form our own hero group after we graduate. Universities will take groups of students that way anyways." Asher could only think of the possibility. If he and his friends agreed on this they could work together to get ahead as a heroic group that dealt with specific villain organizations or disasters. It was very common for those in university to form them.


    "If we are going to be the strongest chain in the world why don''t we call it Link. We will be the heroes linked by fate. Nothing will break the chain we form." Asher''s cheesy little speech made Louis and Sammy grimace. They couldn''t say no since the name kind of made sense, but they also thought they would need to form an intervention for him and his naming style.


    "Let''s just talk to the others about it later. But yeah, we will form a group. I think I might want to change my career path." Louis said this without even hesitating. The possibilities seemed to bloom in front of him.

 Chapter 189 - 189. Getting Attention

    Asher continued the lead them in the direction that the fake prisoner had pointed them. There were signs of broken branches that created a path. He had learned that this was a good way to remember where you had been when lost in the wilderness. The staff members had utilized this perfectly.


    "There are a bunch more footprints here, it''s like someone has been going back and forth. I can''t even tell where they were coming from." Asher realized that his tracking ability was just too low. He needed to fully rely on the broken branches.


    "What about the noise?" Asher ha sheen so focused on the footprints that he had missed the sounds of muffled conversation nearby.


    "You''re right Louis. I wasn''t paying attention." Asher focused on his hearing and found that he could hear campers talking about how much longer it would take and complaining about the dark.


    "It''s only natural, we can''t see but we can focus on listening. I''m sure you can hear the person I''m hearing." Sammy had a slight tease in her voice as Asher started to recognize Art and Jane''s voices in conversation.


    "How did Jane get captured? She has the same mini flash bombs as I do. They should have been the key to victory." Asher was about to rush in and demand answers from his two best friends when he realized his actions.


    "If you didn''t tell us to cover our eyes we would have been left there blind. She was probably with too many people." Sammy easily saw the logical reasoning behind why Jane may not have used her ace.


    "Then what about her power to stop people in place?" Louis was wondering this most of all. He knew that Jane had a much better ace than mini flash bombs.


    "It''s dark man, how would the staff see her face?" Asher was a little blunt, but it was an obvious answer.


    "Oh yeah¡­" Louis just looked away not wanting to show that he hadn''t even thought of it being dark as the reason.


    The three were creeping slowly to the noise. When they finally approached the sound had become louder and they could all make out the words that the other campers were saying. Some were complaining that the set up for night training was lame, while others cursed their bad luck to be cornered by multiple fake prisoners.


    "Almost everyone is here. I thought that there would be a ton more campers out in the woods." Asher whispered this to Louis and Sammy. He didn''t think that everyone had been caught so easily in the dark.


    "Well, It makes sense since there were so many that ganged up on students. They traveled in packs." The three nearly jumped out of their skin as Laura showed up behind them with out so much as a sound.


    Asher had an irritated whisper, "Where did you come from and where did you get the night vision glasses?" He was sure that Laura hadn''t been at the storage area and that he had not seen her with a pair when they all started running.


    "Jane gave them to me. They look good, right? She said that they didn''t work well with her mask and that I should lead the way since she might be able to freeze people in their tracks anyways." Laura looked like she was unhappy with this phrase and soon explained why, "But then she tried to freeze one of them in place and nothing, what a way to learn that her power doesn''t work without the right amount of light."


    "I had a feeling it wouldn''t work and I am sure Jane did too, but that''s a rough way to go about proving or disproving the theory." Asher sighed as he knew that Jane needed to test it. The only question he had was why she had tested it this way instead of any other night.


    "Anyways, what are we going to do? There are four staff members guarding the tent and Garnet is there?" Laura continued on like nothing had happened while Louis and Sammy just looked at the shadow they knew was Asher.


    "Well...ummm. We free them?" Asher hadn''t thought of a plan yet and was having trouble making one on the fly. He was a little stuck and just stared at the tent with all the campers under it. He could make out the four fake prisoners and barely make out Garnet''s head from across the group of campers.


    "That''s all you have after bringing us all the way here?" Louis was less than impressed.


    "Just let him think, can''t you see Garnet over there? We will have to get past here and she is tough." Sammy could see that Grabet was standing calmly on the look out for campers escaping. It was her steady gaze that was keeping every camper in check.


    "Alright, let''s get Jane and Art''s attention. We will need to get their help to make this happen." Asher had begun to form a plan and had a pretty solid idea of what he wanted to do, however, it would all bank on a distraction.


    The three were trying to be as sneaky as possible and managed to get their way nearer to the tent. They were crouched within a bush as close to where Jane and Art were as possible. "Psst. Art. Jane." Asher tried his best to make them notice his hard whisper.


    "Let me try." Sammy sent a small gust of wind using her super power. It wasn''t much but on a night where the air was still, it was enough to draw the eyes of a decent amount of campers.


    Most couldn''t figure out where it had come from but Jane and Art had some confused looks. They knew that this wasn''t normal and were trying to find the cause of the disturbance. The two looked out at the edge of the forest from the clearing they could see that there was an unusually dark bush. They soon noticed the small hand like shapes that were waving at them from the bush and knew that it had to be their friends.

 Chapter 190 - 190. Breaking Out

    They could see that the people in the bush were trying to get their attention and were able to guess that it was their friends. "Jane, do you think Asher grew four more hands?" Art sounded a little worried when he was asking this, Jane wanted to smack him.


    "No...He found two more people and is here to rescue us but we need to figure out what he wants to d-" Jane was going to say more but a fake prisoner walked past them. She held her tongue until the fake prisoner had passed and started to edge closer to the forest to try and hear Asher.


    "Psssst. If you can hear me hit Art in the arm twice." Asher''s voice reached Jane and she promptly smacked Art in the arm once, Art managed to dodge the second hit but Asher had already realized that the two could hear them.


    "Dop you still have your mini flash bombs?" Asher''s hushed voice was just barely loud enough to hear but Jane was able to reach in to her pocket and show Asher the top of the package.


    "Then start to get every camper to close their eyes and count to five after they hear the zap of electricity. Once that happens we will throw all of our mini flash bombs and scare the fake prisoners. Garnet will hopefully be blind too. Then everyone runs. We should all have a chance to get to the camp."


    "Got it. We will start." Jane moved back toward the nearest camper and started whispering. Art was doing the same. With the two passing the message on there would be a group of campers ready for their prison break.


    "You think it will work on Garnet?" Louis was more worried than anyone about Garnet catching them.


    "She can''t catch everyone. My bet is she is just here to stand guard in case she is needed. Like a supervisor." Sammy had her own theories as to why Garnet was here. It was only natural that she would be the one that would call and end this after every camper was caught or when all of them had escaped.


    "Alright, now we wait." Asher hid himself better in the bush and watched as the murmuring started to die down. The fake prisoners started to take notice of the quieter campers but brushed it off as them getting bored. They knew that they were just waiting the end out at this point.


    Garnet was the only one that showed no reaction to anything. Asher could see that she was slightly moving side to side in a rhythm. A sudden thought crossed his mind and caused his jaw to drop, "Garnet is sleeping on her feet¡­"


    "What? How can you tell?" Louis and Sammy were both skeptical of his theory but when they looked at her they realized that his idea was not so crazy.


    "She is actually asleep on her feet. I knew she wasn''t some robot that could stay awake all the time." Sammy had been wondering when Garnet had the time to sleep all day. It turned out that all the time she spent at the sparring field wasn''t just helping campers, she was also sleeping on her feet.


    "She must have some insane muscles to remain standing like that even when she is asleep." Louis was more amazed by this than the other two thought necessary, but they didn''t see any problem with it.


    "Don''t horses do the same thing?" Asher realized that the sleeping standing up thing was what horses did and made the other two relate Garnet top horses.


    "I will never be able to look at her the same again." The two were now stuck with the strange image in their heads.


    Asher saw that most of the campers had started to stand straighter and that Art was stretching with his thumb up. "Looks like we are good to go. Louis, can you made a loud zap of lighting right now?"


    "You got it. Just move back a little because I am going to use a lot of my lighting with this one." Louis unwrapped both of his hands and held them farther apart. He had been unsuccessful in creating a steady stream of lightning between his hands or fingers. However, he could easily make a loud zap of lighting between his hands.


    Asher looked away as Louis caused their hair to stand on wend. The electricity in the air was nearly malleable until a sudden burst of light was followed by a sharp crack. It was as if a lightning bolt had somehow shown up on a clear starry night.


    The campers all covered their eyes and were counting in their heads. ASsher threw his remaining mini flash bombs in the air and so did Jane. They two were ankle to look away but the light still was visible through their eyelids. This was the desired effect but they had not expected it to be so strong.


    The shouts of the fake prisoners complaining of their eyes being blind or of their sudden shock was enough to make every single camper react. "Run!!!!!" The shouts to run grew and the stampede of campers began.


    Garnet jerked awake and realized that the campers were already fleeing. She had no idea what had caused this but she knew that the bright light and sounds she heard were more than just some small shout. It was a full on plan to cause a prison break. This hadn''t happened in years at camp and she was extremely excited.


    "Finally, the training has started! Bring it on!" Her shout echoed through the entire forest. The fake prisoners that had been roaming the area took this as a call to return. The campers instead nearly stumbled and fell. This was a shout for their defeat.


    "Then try and get us!" Asher stood up and shouted back. His words made Garnet rush in his direction. Not only had the prison break gotten her blood pumping but it had also given her the chance to finally participate in the night training properly. Now the real night training was beginning.

 Chapter 191 - 191. Freeze Garnet

    Garnet was rushing in to the chaos of campers with Asher in her sights. It was too late for him to realize that she was also wearing the night vision glasses from storage. It only made sense that out of all the staff she would need to see the most so that she could maintain proper rules and safety.


    "Don''t be so confident that you will walk in to a trap. You just found the boss." Her words made Asher tense up, but he was the only person she was after and there was nothing she could do about it.


    "I won''t be backing down!" Asher took all his courage to stand straight and dodge the first kick coming at him. He knew that Garnet would lead with a stronger attack and made sure that he wouldn''t fall victim to it.


    The running campers and the shouts from fake prisoners were increasing by the second since Garnet''s yell had brought the fake prisoners back. This was increasing the confusion making it easier for some to disappear towards the camp or back in to the woods. With this going on Asher had the hope that Garnet would still be distracted and unable to properly attack, he was wrong.


    Another kick came at him and made him jump back as hard as he could. The follow up combination of punches started to put him off balance but he was able to somehow twist and turn to stay upright and in his fighting stance. Asher threw out his own punch but it was a fruitless effort. Garnet barely turned and the punch went past her.


    "Asher!" Jane shouted from somewhere behind Asher making him stop slightly. This hesitation was all Garnet needed to reach out and grab Asher''s arm. She knew that he had been practicing throws, but she had a feeling he had not worked on throw defenses.


    Jane was able to tell that Garnet had a pair of night vision glasses as well. She knew instantly that this put her on a level playing field as Asher and herself. The problem was that they had used their mini flash bombs and couldn''t do anything to try and blind Garnet. She thought that she had been backed in to a corner and was going to see Asher easily captured while everyone else escaped to safety.


    For a moment Jane thought that she should rush in and try to fight Garnet with Asher, but she froze. She had a better idea as she had taken the first step forward. Jane moved towards Garnet who had started to keep an eye on her due to the previous shout.


    "You have the night vision glasses from the storage building like Asher and me. That means you can see what people look like, right?" Jane said this while pulling off the glasses and the mask she wore. Garnet had realized that she was about to be burdened by Jane''s super power but could not act quick enough to block her eyes.


    Garnet saw Jane''s face and was instantly stuck to the spot she was in like glue. She was about to put the force in to flipping Asher but now silently watched as Asher slipped her grip and looked around.


    "Nice thinking Jane. Since she is like us then she can see your face. IU am going to find something to tie her feet so we can run, wait there." Asher rushed to the side of the overhead tent and undid one of the ropes for stability. He was back to Jane and Garnet in just a moment.


    He could feel her glares on the back of his neck as he tides the rope around Garnet''s legs. "These won''t hold forever but it is enough to give us time to escape. I already looked around earlier and found a way to follow a trail back to camp. Let''s hope that The others are heading back too."


    Asher grabbed Jane''s hand and mask so that he could lead her away. The moment Jane moved they heard Garnet fall to the ground. In a moment Jane had the mask and the night vision glasses back on. She was still holding on to Asher''s hand while they ran.


    "If we get separated just follow the broken branches. It is their trick to stay on the trail and keep track of where they have been." Asher shared this with Jane and picked up the pace. He knew that if Garnet got free sooner than he expected, that she would be furious. She was a prideful person and wouldn''t be able to stand being outdone so easily.


    "That was perfect teamwork. We should be able to make it back to camp and show off our achievement. I never thought that they would pretend to be prisoners to get us in to the heat of the moment." Jane was trying to talk while they ran but Walker quickly found that he could not reply and that Jane couldn''t elaborate.


    Jane wanted to keep talking but settled for holding Asher''s hand to run. While she was doing this Asher couldn''t hello but find himself wondering why Jane was still holding his hand. He ended up deciding that the night vision glasses weren''t working too well due to her throwing them off with her mask.


    "Jane, I see the camp entrance. We didn''t even need to pass the river. We went around in a circle." Asher was overjoyed to see that there were many campers already waiting at the archway entrance of the camp. They had all gathered as they escaped to wait for the next event to do. They knew all too well that the night training couldn''t end so quickly.


    "Check it out, the mastermind is back!" The campers could make out the face of Asher and Jane as they ran up. The light that was set up on the wooden archway to display the camp name also was equipped to show where it was at night. The campers all fell in to murmuring about the plan and the prison break. Asher could only find the situation amazing in its'' own right. He had not expected to be known as the master mind.

 Chapter 192 - 192. Now Go Train

    "Why are they all calling me a master mind?" Asher looked at Jane who had slightly red ears and a rough breath.


    "I might have told them that it was your plan to escape the capture." Jane was a little embarrassed when she had gone to help with the plan and found it easier to tell people it was all Asher''s idea. This led to every camper taking Asher''s name to heart.


    With the thought of Asher being a ruthless battle master thrown away and instead replaced with a brilliant master mind that wanted to rescue them, they had all idolized him. They knew that not everyone had escaped but it was a small loss in the grand scheme.


    "Asher, Jane!" Louis called out for the two of them since he was resting nearby. "I found Sammy and Laura. Have you seen Art?" The only one missing that none of them had seen was Art. The last they saw of him was when they were about to start sharing the plan with the others.


    "So, we lost Art...It''s not as sad as I thought it would be." Jane acted a little dramatic but laughed it off.


    "Poor Art, my dear friend lost to the prisoners. I will attend your funeral my friend and lay down flowers." Asher followed her lead only to feel a punch top his shoulder.


    "I''m not dead. I just got here after you. I think this is almost everyone. That little flash bang stunt nearly blinded half the forest I swear." Art was annoyed that his friends so easily gave up on him. But the smile of victory he had overpowered that.


    "Then we all escaped. Wait...Jackson?" Asher was about to say they were all back together when he noticed that the largest of them was still not there.


    "He''s so quiet sometimes I didn''t realize he was missing. How will I go on without Jackson to tell me what I can or can''t eat from the forest?" Laura had realized that she would not be able to safely snack on the wild berries without Jackson''s input on what is safe to eat.


    "Should we hold a funeral for him? If Garnet got him after we left and came here he might actually have died due to over training." The group was ready to admit that they had lost Jackson. There was no way that he had been able to resist any of the fake prisoners, especially Garnet. He was just too gentle and inexperienced.


    "What do you think I do to my campers? They wouldn''t get overworked. They would just be pushed to their extremes to promote positive future growth." Garnet came out of the dark with a small group of campers behind her. There were some fake prisoners who had not been near the captured prisoners and could still see properly.


    "Jackson! You''re alive!" Sammy and Jane shouted out seeing the larger kid behind Garnet.


    "Umm, why wouldn''t I be? I got captured while I was trying to find my way back but then I ended up helping with first aid. There are a ton of the staff members that are temporarily blind or super uncomfortable with bright light. Garnet won''t tell me what happened though."


    Jackson had been clueless about what had happened with the prison break due to him being in the forest alone. He had been found by one of the other fake prisoners and just made it back to the tent the campers had been kept at after Garnet yelled.


    "Oh. yeah...Super weird. I have no idea why they would be like that." Asher tried to avoid the conversation but the campers behind him were all actively speaking about the tactics used to help them escape. Jackson soon started to piece together what had happened just by listening to the talking around him.


    "Now. My staff members are going to be cleaning up. Part one of the night training has been completed. You were all left to your own devices while in the forest at night. All of you should have gained something from this and I will let you decide what it is. Now for the second part of the training. All of you are going to run a lap around the camp and complete one set of the circuit I will display."


    Campers started to whine about wanting to sleep and hope they had already run around the entire time. Others just plain didn''t want to work out at all. Garnet held a serious gaze with the group making them close their mouths and stop complaining. "If you had all been captured it would be five laps and five circuits. You all earned the discounted work out. But that is a loss in my opinion so I will gladly return it to the normal amount if you would like?"


    Garnet''s threat made everyone start running immediately. They refused to be held there longer with five times the work. The only ones that were stopped from doing this were Asher and his friends. Garnet appeared to have more to say to them before she let them head off. "So you went to the storage cabin and found the egg?"


    "Yes we did. Jim was very night and gave us a tour. He even showed us the game he likes to play." Asher responded instantly not wanting to anger Garnet at all. He was worried that Jane and his plan to stop her and escape was enough to make her unhappy for a while. The gals he had been given were enough to make him almost sure of this.


    "No one goes to the storage cabin until the last free days of the camp. It was a smart move to go there now. I am sure that guy couldn''t help but point you in to a better direction." Garnet knew that Jim was always a little help to campers and figured that this was all because of him. "I will have the luxury carbon unlocked for you, just make sure that you leave the egg outside so that we can hide it again in a few hours. I will be hiding those miniature flash bombs for tomorrow night''s group." Garnet left them there and the group was able to move on with their work out.

 Chapter 193 - 193. Lessons Learned

    "I can''t believe we still needed to do a work out after all that." Sammy was not feeling the love at the moment due to the combination of her sore arms and now soon to be sore legs.


    "It could have been worse. We are lucky we didn''t talk our way in to worse." Jackson knew that they had been at Garnet''s whim and that she could have made the entire work out worse if she had so desired.


    "We could still do the whole work out if we wanted. I wouldn''t mind it too much. I am going to work out anyway when I get to the luxury cabin." Asher said this making most of his friends look at him like he was crazy.


    "What? I didn''t run around blind the entire time. I was able to see so I took things slower and made my way to Louis and Sammy easily. If I was like some people we were captured right off the start then maybe I would need even more of a work out." Asher was sure that there were some people that ran around more than the others and didn''t need the work out but those people were already far ahead of the others anyways.


    "Let''s just go and sleep. I am sooo done with running around. I want to sleep and then go back to the obstacle course and beat more people." Laura was not having it for another second. She had already made the decision and was heading toward the cabins.


    "I wouldn''t mind going to the obstacle course in the morning." Art had still not done the obstacles properly and wanted to see what the course was like. He also wanted to give beating Laura a shot, he knew she would be faster but maybe he would get lucky and somehow manage to beat her.


    "Then let''s go and rest a little. Asher, Art, and I will walk with you to the luxury cabin." Jane was trying to make sure that the others wouldn''t figure out that they were all staying in the luxury cabin to train. She felt it would make them feel bad and try to argue it with Garnet and cause drama.


    "See you all later, remember Laura, we are going to crush your record," Asher shouted his challenge at Laura who just yawned and waved at them. She had two goals and wasn''t going to turn around, she needed food and sleep.


    The group split off with Louis heading away with Jackson to try and set up a camp outside. It seemed that Louis wanted to spend more time away from people and practice his super power. Sammy was off with Laura because she wanted to be with someone and split the points of the regular cabins. Art, Asher, and Jane went to the luxury cabin and were soon starting the rotation they had used before. It would take them in to the morning a little but it was fine since the elite home gym system could set up their resting periods to allow their bodies proper sleep.


    Meanwhile Garnet was dealing with the mess of staff members that had been surprised. "You were all caught off guard by so many campers at once. I understand this. But why is it that they were so easily able to find the place we were holding the campers?"


    Garnet was grilling those staff members who had been caught in Asher''s path. She was not surprised to hear that he had told his friend to zap them if they did not cooperate. She knew that this was a decent strategy to get information as long as it was not malicious or to cause harm.


    The staff member that Louis had accidentally zapped was already moving around normally and just had a slight twitch here and there since the muscles were still recovering. She made sure to see what their camp nurses said on the matter so that she could properly warn the other staff of this danger.


    "I''ve added electrical resistant rubber based gear to everyone''s uniform for the next few days. I do not expect us to need it much but if we need to contact Louis again we will be safer. This is almost as bad as the kid with fire dancing as a super power. I thought it was just a dancing skill but the next thing we knew the kid was dancing around making flames that looked like a full ballet with them."


    Garnet was additionally stressed by this development but had so much gear in the storage cabin for exactly these reasons. "Now there is also the problem of not being able to see. I know you will all need rest tomorrow so do not worry about the camp. However, I expect you all to get something done while you are not dealing with campers." Garnet handed out lists and lists of cleaning for indoor cabins. This was the safest thing they could do to rest their eyes out of the light of the sun.


    With the staff taken care of Garnet went towards a smaller cabin that had a few metal receivers on the top. She sat down to a room full of monitors and night vision camera feeds. She had the entire training recorded and was going to be letting the computer program make notes and edits. She just needed to be there to review the actions of the campers and make sure the proper names went with the prosper reports.


    By the time the campers were awake, they would have a detailed report of what they can improve on and what they are strong at already. This was the bonus that they received after doing the night training and it would give them a head start in the hero world. The abilities to react in these situations were major for a hero or any law enforcement, medical, and other similar careers. She would also be able to check out the actions of the staff members as they pretended to be prisoners and capture the campers. It would go to improve the night training over time to push the campers'' mental states more. She clicked on some music and went to work.

 Chapter 194 - 194. Power Chat

    "Art, there are little metal beads everywhere. What have you been trying to do?" Jane had realized that Arty had made a huge mess on the foreigner of the cabin. It was littered with small metal beads he had been training his super power with.


    "I am trying to control multiple at once but I can only make them all do one thing or two do separate things. Whenever I try to do more it falls apart." He had been stuck for the last three hours and felt like he was making absolutely no progress.


    "Why do you want to control so many at once again?" Asher just thought that the hundred or so little beads were just too much to try and control.


    "If I can control more of them then I can do more. It''s like having my own army of metal beads to deal with a lot of villains." Art had the grand image of him standing and control thousands of metal beads to capture criminals who were breaking the law.


    "Why don''t you just get a fused piece of metal and spit it using your power until you can''t control the pieces? Then you could have as many as you want and need. Plus it helps find your limit." Jane easily found a better solution for him to try. It was better than him just aimlessly trying all of the metal beads at once.


    "I can try that. I don''t know if I can make the metal split like that though." Art got to the new strategy and was soon holding a large metal ball in an attempt to break it in to two with his super power.


    "What about you Jane? Have any idea of what to work on with your super power?" Asher was wondering what Jane had thought about when it came to her super power. It was mostly at a resting state at all times but when she shifted she would be left very weak afterward. This was the weakness overall.


    "I want to strengthen my stamina. I 5think that I can be able to shift like that better and longer if I do. The problem is I don''t have any control over the shift. I got really angry and did it by accident the other day." Jane was still not sure how to trigger the shift at will.


    "Well, you said you were angry right? Maybe you should just focus on that feeling and see what happens. Maybe it is adrenaline based?" Asher offered what theory he could come up with.


    Jane turned a little red remembering the taunts coming from Nine tails. She had been very agitated by the girl but the fact that it was all about Asher made it a little awkward to remember at the moment. "I don''t think just thinking about things that made me angry will work. I need to have the right drive too¡­" Jane was acting fairly timid making Asher wonder how she had managed to get the shift to work in the first place.


    "Then what if we looked at the app? The elite home gym system app should have some guides for this right? It can''t just be set up for regular training." Asher''s idea was perfect. Jane opened the app and did a quick search finding plenty of guides that would stimulate a change of physique.


    "Ha, look at this one. It says that when additional adrenalin is needed there are energy drinks that can help. It seems like a way better way than trying to force my emotional state." Jane was ecstatic to see that she wouldn''t need to make herself angry and push her mentality to the limit. She was very worried that she would be burdened by the nearly uncontrollable anger every time she used the shift of her super power.


    Asher was happy to see his friends so focused on gaols. He wished he could have better control over his super power but realized that it was a very touchy thing that always existed and was in use. If he were to turn on or off his super power he could miss many opportunities or make things more complicated. It was just better than he didn''t have much control.


    "What about you Asher, have you noticed anything more with your super powers?" Jane stopped her research and wondered if Asher had gained anything. She knew it was harder on him than the others due to the way his power existed.


    "Actually when the staff was pretending to be prisoners and taunted me I got a little overconfident. They started to say a few things to taunt me and I traunted right back. When they decided to say something else taunting I told them that they were making themselves my enemy. I didn''t really mean to say it but after I did I have a strange feeling." Asher was reflecting on the moment from earlier in the night.


    "Strange feeling how? Did you feel like you were eating their luck?" Art chimed in from his practice. He had managed to bend and flatten the metal ball some but not broken it in to multiple pieces.


    "I don''t eat luck. We''ve been over this." Asher reprimanded Art then started to think of how to put the feeling he had had in to words. "It was more like something around them had changed, like a worse feeling or a foreboding. I still felt confident in my actions like nothing was in my way. But when I looked at them I had the feeling that they were going to keep hitting roadblocks."


    "So maybe that was you using their luck. Maybe the more luck you have the better you feel and then you know that those that are your enemies gave worse luck or something?" Jane had no idea what to tell Asher. It was a strange occurrence but she kind of like the idea of Asher acting more and more confident. "I think you should just keep playing around to see how things go. You have been trying those gotcha games right?" Jane pried a little more and Asher started to show off the things his luck had brought him in the smart phone game world.

 Chapter 195 - 195. Skip A Year

    "See, if I spin this thing it should only have a one percent chance to land on the top reward but I have hit it ten times out of eleven. The eleventh gave me a piece of ultra rare gear for this top reward." Jane was watching Asher abuse a game on the smartphone and was starting to feel bad for the other players.


    "You know you could just be some master video gamer. I''m sure you will make a ton of money instead of being a hero." Jane said this as more of a joke than anything. Asher made a sad face not wanting to be left to the side by his friends.


    "I thought you guys would form a hero group with us. I even have the best name, we would be called link, like chain links in an unbreakable chain. It would be perfect." Jane and Art visibly flinched hearing the cheesy name.


    "Well, as long as you aren''t leaving us to be a gambler or play gotcha games for the rest of your life, then yes we''ll start a group early. I think we can even register it before university too, it will look very good on our applications." Jane was thinking a little farther ahead than the others. She wanted to make sure that she and her friends made it in to the best universities so they could keep advancing and be the best heroes.


    "Oh, if you want good thing to start building for applications we should try and get ahead a grade. There was a group of ten students from south heights high school that worked together and finished a year''s worth of academics ahead of time. They also were able to pass all the physical tests. I want to say they skipped most of the junior year of high school and graduated early their senior year." Art had read about this in the daily news letter most people received in their electronic mail.


    "Could we really finish the academics needed? We wouldn''t just have to memorize them, we would need to be able to use them." Jane was already questioning if this would be possible.


    "I think we could do it. We can get Jackson for help with more of the natural side of academics, Louis might be our hidden ace with sciences since he had been learning them more often to understand lightning. Jane you are a math expert. I can get lucky and find the answers to things that we struggle with. Laura can help us keep our nutrition proper while we push our physical limits. Art, bro I think you will need to help out more¡­" Asher got stuck on Art.


    "I have plenty of knowledge on how school works and what universities we should attend. I have to have these connections due to my family standing. Also what would Sammy do? I know you''re the good luck charm but dude, that''s all?" Art was a little huffy since Asher had partially write him off.


    "Sammy actually has the second best grades in all of our class. I think she even qualified for a creative writing award." Jane was recalling a poster she saw a year back. It was a small award but had made Sammy stand out overall.


    "Well, I also can kick your but in sparing sooo I can be the main training guide." Asher used his trump card and made Art unable to argue.


    "Fine then, but we will need to do more than learn academics and get to physical pique. We will need accomplishments to back us and I can help find them." Art was sure that he would be able to find the right competitions and tests of skill for their group to show the school and the world that they deserve to rise faster.


    "See here, the Ricktor tournament named for the best all around hero before he retired. He was able to copy most people''s super power and help make advancements at the same time. They named a major set of tournaments after him. It costs five thousand dollars to enter in to one so it is very pricey. But it can be worth it, there are tournaments for everything, martial arts, sciences, mathematics, geography, disaster rescue, even cooking." Art had pulled up the website and sent it to project on the larger television.


    "We can make a splash here and then push ourselves to top the academics of put class and out physique as well. It is a good plan. Nice find Art." Jane was impressed with the idea.


    "Thanks, my brother, unfortunately, participated in this and my parents once judge the sciences portion. I am very familiar with it¡­" He was a little down saying this but he quickly rebounded, "It would put us in the spotlight, the only problem is it is two weeks before the finals and yearly school ranking."


    "That would make a tough few weeks." Asher realized that the entire month at the end of the school year would be a massive test of their will. Each of them would be pushed to their extreme by the back to back tests and tournaments. "I think we should do it. If we can from our group when we leave camp we can start our studies."


    "We should apply for additional training time and a space at school. We would be similar to a club and able to use the facilities we need." Art was still pushing for more to prove that he was an intricate part of the group. Asher and Jane never really thought he was going to be a weak link, but seeing him try so hard made them proud to be his friend.


    "This will also be another step to get you strong enough to kick your brothers'' butt. Well, unless I beat you to it." Asher made a light joke which prompted Art to crack his knuckles.


    "I will take the full advantages I can and crush him. Then I will get every answer I need and walk back in to my family home proud." Art voiced his goals making them seem all the more real. His current advancements in his super power had been proof of his determination.

 Chapter 196 - 196. Face Slapping

    While art voiced his strong emotions and committed himself to his goal the metal ball he had been trying to separate split itself in tow. Then three. Then four. Before Art even realized there were eight pieces of round levitating metal.


    "Art, look what you just did!" Asher tried to point the actions of the metal ball to Art who suddenly jerked his head to stare at them. His eyes landed on them just as the balls fell. His emotional state changing and leaving him with shock and curiosity.


    "What was that? Did I just do that? Where is the ball I was trying to break?" Art was cautious to believe he had actually accomplished his goal at all.


    "That was the metal ball. You got all intense and it kept splitting until it hit eight pieces. As soon as you lost your focus it fell. Try it again." Jane was demanding that Art try to do the same thing to another ball and even tossed a similar sized one at him.


    Art managed to catch the ball giving Jane and Asher a sad looks since he wasn''t sure he had actually just caused the ball to split. With the new metal ball in his hand, he tried to focus himself on it and cause it to split. The two watched as Art started to cause the ball to flatten and warp but there was no splitting after five minutes.


    "You need that focus and drive from before. I know you weren''t focused on the metal ball itself but the goals you had. You are trying too hard and let me guess, expecting failure?"Asher had hit the nail on the head. Art was expecting the ball to bend and twist but did not actually believe he could break it. He was his own worst enemy at this moment.


    "I really am trying. It just keeps pushing back at me. I try to use my powers to force it to break and the next thing I know it is bending, then when I try to force it apart it suddenly twists." Art was about to throw the ball away in defeat when Asher opened his hand and unleashed a vicious slap.


    "Do you like that feeling?" Asher had fully slapped Art in the face leaving his best friend completely shocked. "Because that is how it will feel every time your brother beats you. You will never equal him or surpass him and your parents will be unable to do a thing. You think because your parents work and still try to see you outside the house that it still feels like a family? No, you should earn your seat at the table and sit with them. Any trouble and anything your brother is trying to do will have to go through you when you surpass him. If you can''t rise to that point using your own strength then what is the point in trying."


    Asher stormed out of the cabin and sat on the porch outside. "Wait, Asher!" Jane rushed after him and found he was sitting on the front steps. There were a few silent tears falling down his cheek "Why did you just do that?" Jane had taken a softer tone afraid that she would harm Asher more.


    "I am his best friend but that was all I could do. He needed the motivation and I went to the extreme...But I still just hit my best friend¡­" Asher knew that he could have just pushed away his best friend, but he had the hope he had just pushed Art to his limit and would help him improve." Jane immediately understood and decided to stay outside with Asher and wait. She did not like the method, yet she knew that Art needed the harsh touch of reality.


    The three had more than decided on their future goals, however, Art was still trapped in his own head when it came to his family and life in general. He wouldn''t take things with full seriousness and let them slip away too easily. He had frown up with his brother always surpassing him and allowed it to be this way. His mother still babied him due to this and it had only made him hold himself back more.


    Now he was at a crossroads, he could remain as he is and let his brother have the place at the table. His parents would continue to see him outside the house and he could accept the fact that he was not a real member of the family. No matter his achievement, unless he proved he had a place where he would just be the forgotten younger brother who was forced out by his older brother and the unknown future of the family.


    Or, he could throw all that stress to the side and focus on becoming a better version of himself, He could use the position at the table as fuel to push him higher and higher. He could master his power, improve his knowledge, and even more surpass all others in his generation to stand next to those he called friends.


    Art was clenching his fists while thinking about these things. He was paying no attention whatsoever to the metal balls revolving around him. They were bending, splitting, combining, and flattening without his control. His super power was acting off of his emotions and nothing else.


    He Knew Asher didn''t mean any real harm to him and that the slap was meant as a wake up call. He couldn''t feel any hatred in Ashers'' words or actions. All he noticed was a sadness that he too was feeling. It was exactly the kind of thing he needed to clear his mind and force him to make the conscious decision to become better. This was his motivation and his resolve.


    Art relaxed his hands and opened his eyes to see the countless metal balls around him. ''I will not hold my friends back. I will be there when they need me.'' This single thought echoed through his mind. Before Art could say anything else he felt an incredible tiredness over come him. The metal balls fell to the ground and so did he.

 Chapter 197 - 197. Close Call

    Asher and Jane heard the massive clatter of metal and wood. The larger thud that hit the ground though, was the one that worried them. ''Did I go too far and hurt Art!?'' Asher fears this thought and rushed through the door.


    He nearly kicked the door open and narrowly managed to take a step through the cabin. All around him were metal bits in various shapes and sizes. Art had been the cause without realizing it and now rested in the center of the mess.


    "Art!" Asher ignored the metal everywhere and shook Art who was unconscious on the ground. "Art! What happened!?" He was nearly panicking thinking that he had caused his best friend to get hurt.


    "Asher! Stop!" Jane grabbed Asher''s hands and held them still. "He is just asleep. Look at his breathing. He is fine." Her words were clear and strong immediately setting a calming standard for Asher''s unstable emotions.


    "But, I hit him and now he''s¡­" Asher was still struggling with his own chaotic emotions. He was worried he had majorly harmed Art. Jane slowly talked him down while Art slept peacefully on the ground.


    "Now, come grab an arm and help get him in to the bed. I have a feeling that he passed out from using his super power too much." Jane knew that the same could have happened to her just the other day after shifting in to her full super power form.


    "Are you sure he will be fine?" Asher had already asked this about ten times and had begun to get on Jane''s nerves.


    "Yes, and if you ask again just remember this moment." Jane and Asher got Art on to the bed and looked at the room before them. It was a complete mess. "Let''s get this cleaned up and do some more training. I want to go to the school store or the dining cabin and get some of the adrenaline protien shakes to try." Jane was still focused on her own super power development now that she had already confirmed that Art was fine.


    While the two cleaned up Asher decided to finally drop the worry and push on to what he shoulc be training, "I think I am going to try and make my luck work for me today. I acted weird yesterday when I saw people as enemies for the night training so I think I can use that." Asher had this theory earlier and was trying to think of ways he could prove or disprove it.


    Jane stopped for a moment and remembered that they had thought about going to the obstacle course today. "How about we provoke some challengers on our way to the obstacle course today? Laura should be happy to have them too."


    "Then should be easy. All we need to do is find the golden egg again and show it off. They all already know that we have found it multiple days in a row. Finding it again could gte a lot of angry people to try and beat us." Asher said this after seeing the result at the sparring field. If it worked there it could easily work for the obstacle course.


    The two had their daily plan solidified and after they finished gathering the assorted metal bits in to a pile in the corner of the room decided to take a walk to find the golden egg and some adrenaline protein shakes. Their first stop was the dining cabin.


    They had been training for a few hours but the sun was still not rising. However, this was not a problem for them since the camp was well lit. The camp didn''t have any set hours for sleeping but most of the staff would shut down certain areas so they could rest. It was a good way for the campers to learn how to set their own standards for rest. There was also the fact that some campers had super powers that wouldn''t allow them to sleep.


    "Think the egg will be hidden the same way that Jin did it? Or just somewhere random?" Asher was wondering where he should be looking. The fact that he was just idly glancing around the ground as they walked felt pretty half hearted of a search.


    "With your luck, we just need to go with the flow. I think I have learned that it is the best way to do it. Whenever you try something you are successful, but when I see you just go for something on a whim you always end up better off." Jane had already made these connections by observing Asher.


    "Hey, I just had a random thought. You know how you can shift in to a stronger full version of your power and the state you are in now is a weaker version?" Jane nodded her head with the feeling she knew where Asher was going with this. "What if you tried the reveres and calmed yourself completely? Do you think you could revert it all the way back to plain old Jane before your super power?"


    "You think I was plain?" Jane said this as an icy chill ran down his spine.


    "No no, you misunderstood. I was saying that in relation to how you were normally. Even your normal appearance was ten times more beautiful than any woman around you. I just tried to be nice to the thought of them when I spoke. It was my poor word choice." Asher quickly threw out compliments and admitted his failure.


    Hearing that Asher thought she was ten times more beautiful than others made Jane blush a little more than usual. "Well, then I guess it is fine for now." She looked away and tried to hide her face since she knew he could now see it. "But I don''t think I could ever have such perfect control of my emotions and mental state. It could take years."


    "Well, we have years. All of us can take the time we need to become the best. well...I will be the best." Asher smirked as he talked his own trash about being the best hero. This was only met by a soft tap from Jane''s fist. The two ended up arguing about who would be the best hero.

 Chapter 198 - 198. Queen Of Music

    The only sound other than the pairs'' voices that was breaking the sounds of the forest at night was a soft piano tune playing. "Hey, wait? Do you hear a piano?" Asher thought he had started to go mad for a moment.


    "Yup, I can hear it too. We are both crazy or we are both hearings a piano." Jane was looking around and only saw the light of the camp store nearby.


    "Since we are at the camp store and the light is still on I guess it doesn''t close like the other areas." Asher easily made the connection that some of the campers might need to buy important things at night or after they finished training and that was why the camp store would remain open.


    The two walked toward the open door and realized there was an old radio playing a solo piano melody. "It''s Jim. What are you doing here so late?" Asher and Jane were surprised to see Jim who had been in charge of the storage cabin earlier.


    "Oh, the same old same old. I take the night shift here once a week since the younger staff members hate it. I get to make a little extra money and I can listen to my daughter''s piano all night." The two swore Jim had a tear in his eye while he stood up and walked to the counter.


    "Your daughter plates piano?" Asher was curious about this fact. The piano melody was soft and sweet and he could swear he had heard it before.


    Jim''s face grew bright as he grabbed the small portable radio. "My daughter is the queen of melody. She started playing as a child and still plays now. I was always sad that she didn''t want to get her evo shot but she said that it could ruin her dream. I didn''t push her to get it and look what she''s done, she''s on the radio. She travels the world to play." Jim was almost in proud parental tears.


    "Wow, she refused her evo shot? That''s super rare nowadays. But I understand why she might be afraid to lose her music. If she had grown tentacles or doubled in size or some crazy physical mutation as her super power she could become unable to play." Jane saw the exact ways a super power could stop his daughter from playing.


    "Exactly. She made that choice which made her very lonely. Her friends were not as supportive. But once she played in her school recital she made them all regret that. Her music made every single eye in the auditorium full of tears." Jim was more and more proud of this.


    Asher had pulled out his phone and casually searched the term the queen of music. To his surprise it was a title given to the top musical prodigy of a generation. Asher pulled on Jane''s shirt to get her attention. She glanced at the picture of the most recent queen of music and was stunned.


    "Jim, your daughter wouldn''t happen to be eight years old when she got the queen of music title...would she?" Jane''s voice was soft. She was not sure how this had all happened.


    "Ohhh, you looked it up. Then yes that is my little girl when she was recognized. But you know how kids are in school. She hid the title and no child went looking for such things. She didn''t even play for them until she was going to graduate. When she played they all realized the music she played had been used as the schools'' opening theme for their mornings." Jim laughed at the memory.


    "So by eight years old, she had achieved so much and even had the wits to hide it from others. I feel like we have been slacking for years." Asher felt his soul leave his body at this moment.


    "I can''t say someone has ever acted the way you two have. Normally people get very nice to me and try to meet here or get an autograph. You two just think you are slacking off." Jim was laughing even harder now. Once he had calmed himself down he returned to business as usual. "What can I do for my favorite campers tonight?"


    Asher and Jane were surprised that they had been given the title of Jim''s favorite campers. "Well, Jane needs to find one of those adrenalin protein drinks to see if it can cause her to shift in to her full super power form. We need to make sure she can use it without being completely caught up in her anger." Asher didn''t have any reason to lie to Jim.


    "That''s all? It''s an easy thing. Those will cost one point each. Most of the transformation based super power users need them to train. We also make them right here on the mountain. The herbs and fruit we make them from come from this camp in particular. I heard there''s a camper that excels in these things, you knight want to get him to show you the herbs if it works." Jim had a small smirk as he told them this.


    The two knew that the camper that excelled in this was Jackson. There was no way that another camper could earn such praise from any of the staff or counselors. "I will take five please. Even if it doesn''t work we should see if I can use it in a match. It might be a good way to push myself to the limit and understand my own body." Jane was committed and pledge five points for them.


    "What about you Asher, anything you need?" Asher was slowly browsing the protein shakes and found some strange vitamins.


    "What are these here? I have never seen them before." The gummies were shaped like little squares and had slightly differing colors.


    "Those are some pretty great vitamins. They are made with everything the body needs to repair from rigorous work outs and training. They are basically a healing button. They cost twenty points for a pack but are well worth it. Not many people can get them without the proper connections." Jim winked at the two as he said this.

 Chapter 199 - 199. Vitamin

    "Well, does it have any drawbacks?" Asher saw thaT this could be a huge boon to his training. The vitamin gummies could help his body recover at a faster rate because it would have all the necessary building blocks to do so. However, it sounded too good to be true.


    "Eat one a day and np more. I don''t recommend that either thought. It''s best to eat one pack every other day to recover. They give your body a lot of what it needs and people don''t always use all of it. Most will get stored away for later." Hearing this from Jim was a lot more trustworthy. He wasn''t going to try and sell them a miracle solution and was going to tell them the warnings.


    Jane got a little fidgety and looked at Jim slightly embarrassed, her voice came out in a quieter tone, "Does that mean eating them too much will make someone fast?"


    "That''s what I mean by telling you your body will store the nutrients away for later. Our bodies will try and use everything and if they can''t at the moment they like to store it away. By the way, you are friends with the girl named Laura, right?" Jim was reading from a clip board underneath the counter.


    "Yes we are. Why do you ask?" Asher and Jane were both curious how she was fitting in to this conversation.


    "We sent a few electronic mails to her family and doctors. Our staff is very concerned about her caloric intake and decided to put them in touch with the maker of these vitamin packs. She is qualified for a program that allows those with unique super powers like her to get these for free. I want you to bring her one and tell her top com,e here again. We have already shipped a case of a hundred to her home. These thighs last for a year without going bad."


    "That''s amazing! She is always snacking and worrying about her food. She said she is always worried about not eating enough." Jane was ecstatic that Laura would be able to go a few minutes without having to go get a snack. This meant that she would be able to hang out with everyone more.


    "Wait, so they can just give them to her for free?" Asher was finding this too hard to believe again. It was like a roller coaster of good and bad things becoming good again.


    "Of course. There are many super powers that require things like this. It would be inhumane if hero corp couldn''t assist someone they gave an evo shot to. It is part of their non profit groups that pay for these and ships them. The camp always sends troubled youths'' information to such groups. It is part of being a decent human being." Jim proudly stated all of this.


    "You''re right. A real hero doesn''t need to have the flashiest super powers, just the will to reach out." Asher said this more to himself but Jim still smiled and nodded. This was an important lesson for any aspiring hero to learn.


    "Here, take this one and gove it top her for tomorrow. Have her take note of how long it lasts for her before she needs another. Also, remind her she should still eat normal food as well. There are things this does not provide, it is not a perfect replacement for food." Jim gave out the last warnings.


    "Can I have two as well? I should have the points for them." Asher was thinking of one for himself and another for Art, he was still worried his friend wouldn''t be recovering well.


    "Then I will take one too, even though I will be back to zero points." Jane laughed a little at falling so low but she had the idea that Ashgerr and he could push their training to the max before they went to the obstacle course. The combination could make them end up much more powerful before the end of the camp which seemed closer with every breath.


    "Yiu got it. And since I am asking you two to take on this delivery and education mission for me I will be allowing each of you...hmmm...fifteen points." Jim made some notes on the clip board then typed in to his phone.


    "Done and done, now it seems like you two are still low on points. You should get going to your rest to start a proper day in a few hours." Jim handed them a small bad with everything they had used their points on and a separate one for Laura when they saw her. "Now take the bags, Asher. This little lady might be able to carry her own, but being a gentleman is an age old tradition."


    With Jim pushing the bags in to Asher''s hands and Jane giggling Jim made sure they were out of the camp store and heading toward the cabins. "I don''t think we even need to bother going to the dining cabin now." Jane was very happy with their haul and saw no reason to go out anywhere else.


    "Agreed, we should head back and make sure Art doesn''t wake up not realizing where he is. He might still be hurt somewhere if he fell over or something." Jane just rolled her eyes. Asher was like a worried mom. She was impressed though, she had known he was a caring person but not to this degree, it made him all that much better in her eyes.


    Their walk was filled with more conversation on how amazing the vitamin pack was and how the camp was able to provide amazing thing after amazing thing. "I wish I knew how the camp was able to do all of this. Our school really found a treasure to be able to send us here." Asgher could not imagine the amount of money the school paid for this.


    "You guys know that the school and the camp are funded by the same high ranking member of the hero corp prototype science division, right?" Asher and Jane had just walked in the door to find Art sitting up in the bed with a small smirk on his face.

 Chapter 200 - 200. Academics

    "I thought you had died! What the heck did you do when we left the cabin? Do you realize we found you face down on the floor like a rug? Well?! Do you!?" Asher dropped the bags and immediately started to yell at Art who hid himself behind the bed.


    "Mom stop! I''m fine, I''m fine!" Art''s teasing shouts made Asher turn bright red and retreat back to pick up the bags.


    "Psshhh whatever, who cares if you''re alright." Asher tossed the adrenaline protein shakes in the fridge and the bad for Laura on top so he would remember. The vitamin pack for Art flew through the air and hit him in the face while he was still teasing Asher.


    "What did you just throw in my face? Are these fruit snacks? Thanks, but why are we eating snacks now?" Art was lost as to why his friends would have gone and got him snacks while he slept.


    "Actually, why am I in bed? You guys put me here after I passed out? I felt really tired but I think I have some solid goals no" Art had gotten kind of disoriented as he was fully waking up. He could still feel the mental tiredness from pushing his super powers past their limits unintentionally.


    "Well, you made a huge mess of the cabin." Jane pointed at the once round metal pile in the corner of the room. "Then you passed out and Asher thought he had hurt you with his come to reality slap. And finally, we cleaned up put you in bed then went to the camp store." Jane had summed it all up so simply that Asher almost felt that the trip to the school store was so small.


    "Jane is leaving out the fact that the staff member Jim that we met earlier has a piano prodigy daughter, told us these adrenalin protein shakes are made here on the mountain, and that those vitamin packs can help our body recover from extreme training in a day." Asher gave the rest of the details but Jane had expected this and had left them out intentionally.


    "Of course you two went on a mini-date while I was sleeping and found cool stuff." Asher almost didn''t catch what Art had said but luckily he did and was able to throw the empty bag at Art''s face this time.


    "So our plans for tomorrow are to train to the point of exhaustion and then hopefully build points to bring some of these back with us. The more the better since we need to get stronger faster. We should also look at downloading some of the studying apps that the seniors use to study for university exams." Jane had this thought while looking at the elite home gym smartphone app and wanted a studying version.


    "Elite home gym secondary academic app comes free with user registration. The creators of the elite home gym system desire to assist in the growth of all. Knowledge should be free to everyone." The elite home gym was always on in the room and had heard the key words needed to share the app that its creators gave out for free.


    "Awesome! I didn''t know they made a free app for studying too. If I had I would have downloaded it on the first day." Asher was already searching it up.


    "It has to be as amazing as the elite home gym right?" Art was also looking it up.


    Jane was the first to click the download button brimming her to a secondary log in screen. "It asks if I want to link my elite home gym training app to it. I am saying yes." Jane clicked the button and saw that the two apps linked her account information.


    "I just did it too. It looks like we can use it to plan our studies for when we aren''t training and even do some while we train. This is super efficient." Asher was glad to see he could do multiple things at once and improve himself in an equal way. He didn''t want to focus on one thing and end up with a massive weakness.


    "Oh my god...it has penalties if we don''t study. Why did we link our accounts?" Art had realized that linking the accounts also linked the study requirements to the work out goals. If they failed to study or did not perform well they were given additional training or studying to do. It was a huge terror for him.


    "Oh, there is an accelerated learning plan that we can select. It lists goals for us to meet so that we can achieve what we want. I am selecting the senior year knowledge level. If we work at a pace that is nearly two years ahead we should be able to skip our junior year, right?'' Jane was thinking way farther ahead than the other two were.


    "Are you sure we should do this¡­" Art tried to avoid pressing the button so that he could try and survive without being plagued by the homework he knew would only multiply.


    "And that''s that. I set it up too. It is already setting up flash cards based on the information we should know. I can''t believe I have never heard of this free app before." Asher had dashed Art''s hopes and already set his up too. Art had no choice and followed suit.


    "It is a studying app, how many people do you think go out of their way to look through all of them? I bet most students our age just prefer video games or hanging out with friends." Jane was sure that it was due to laziness but was trying to be nicer.


    "Fair point. Then we are all set to move on to the next set of work out. I am going to try and run an evaluation of my rag doll style. Are you testing the adrenalin protein shake?" Jane gave Asher the thumbs up and started to drink the small shake. All the while Art looked at the pillow wondering if he would be able to rest easily ever again.

 Chapter 201 - 201. Calcium

    The three of them continued their rotation with training super powers, working out, then resting. The elite home gym system had already adjusted based on the fact that they added the academics free app and was now asking them study questions from where they should have been in school.


    "The math is definitely the hardest one. Trying to do it in my head while I do squats or kicks is like trying to fly without wings." Art was being a little over dramatic but Jane and Asher had already noticed he was trying harder than ever.


    "Math? Hard? No, it''s the science that is getting to me. I can''t just sit here and explain the characteristics of an element off the top of my head. The only reason I know some of them is because you have been learning about metals for weeks." Asher was equally challenged with this new set up and wanted to take a break. Unfortunately for him, the free academics app was challenging them in increments through the day.


    "Mine says I am a month ahead of the suggested curriculum. That''s what I get for doing a month''s worth of homework from the syllabus." Jane was nearly mocking the two boys since she was so far ahead.


    "Whatever, I am a week ahead and I will take that. I just hope that Jackson, Laura, Louis, and Sammy will download this app too and be completely on board. If they don''t it just won''t feel right to form our own group." Asher was worried that their other friends wouldn''t feel so excited about this as they were.


    "Of course they will. They want to be the best too and when they see hope great I am doing they won''t be able to hold back from challenging us." Art was talking pretty big compared to what they thought he would be acting like after getting the academic app.


    "Oh yeah? Then what are you at in the academic app? Four days behind? A week behind? Don''t tell me it''s over a month behind?" Jane felt that Art couldn''t possibly be anywhere near her or Asher in the academic schedule.


    "I am three days ahead thank you very much. I do study you know. Just not as much as you do." Art stuck his tongue out at Jane as the final alarm for the work out rotation went off.


    "Time for us to head out and find some good challenges. We also need to find the egg, and then crush the obstacle course." Asher listed off their to do list and realized that they were going to be very busy today since these activities could take a lot of time. But it was all in the name of training so he pushed on.


    "Can we just get food first? I bet the others are already eating." Art was holding his stomach as if he had never eaten in his life.


    "I guess we should. It would suck to pass out half way through." Asher looked at Jane who was already nodding her head and agreeing with him.


    While the three walked they dedicated their time to looking for the golden egg along the pathway to the dining cabin. The leaves crunching beneath their feet with every step made it feel like they weren''t anywhere near another building. "We took the left path right?" Asher said this looking behind them for the fork in the path.


    "I think so, but I don''t remember the path being covered in leaves like this. It''s like nobody has been on it in days or weeks." Jane was nudging the leaves on the ground trying to discern if they had been packed down by the campers'' feet. Unfortunately for them, it looked like the leaves had not been stepped on ever and were covering the path completely.


    "Should we just turn around?" Art was about to walk back but realized that with the entire path completely covered in leaves he had no idea if they had come from was completely straight direction. "Or...not."


    "Well, with our luck it makes sense that we would get lost, Asher it is up to you. Pick a random direction and let''s see if we find food or just end up winning some award for dancing." Jane was already laughing at her joke but Art and Asher had a feeling that something so out of the norm could happen if Asher tried hard enough.


    "Fine, let''s go this way. The leaves look more flat here than over there." Asher started off in a direction with fewer trees. Unknown to him, it was the opposite direction of the dining cabin.


    "The trees are farther apart but this doesn''t look like the sparring field, so where are we?" Jane was looking around at an area that seemed to be the sparring fields'' exact copy. The only problem was that it had no campers on it at all.


    "I don''t know...You don''t think we ended up in another dimension or something?" Art was already recalling all of the comics he had read about accidentally switching worlds.


    "Naaa, that''s not a thing¡­"Asher was smiling in a forceful way while a single drop of sweat dripped down his brow.


    "Oh hey, there are signs here." Jane wasn''t paying attention to Art or Asher and had started to investigate the area they were in. "They say camp jewel battle field one."


    "So this used to be one of the sparring fields? I wonder why it was retired? Not enough campers? Or not enough staff maybe?" Asher was already placing his theories on why they might retire an entire training field.


    "Or maybe someone used a really big earth based super power to create bones all in the ground and we should get out of here since they are sharp." Art was pointing at a slightly bare spot in the field which had spiky white bones sticking out.


    "What kind of super power could do that? Calcium control? That is insane." Asher was just in awe at the fact that there was a power that could turn the calcium in the ground in to real bones. Even more so that they were still there.

 Chapter 202 - 202. The Backwards Walk

    "I bet they lost control of their super power and then they made this area too dangerous... I doubt it is easy to get someone to dig all of this out." Jane was thinning that this had been abandoned due to the fact that the campers'' super power had gone too deep in the ground to easily clean up. Instead of risking danger to campers and just deal with the top half the camp just moved to another sparring field.


    "I had my alarms go off and I find you all in one of the most dangerous places in camp. Did you not pay attention to the signs around the perimeter?" Garnet was standing near the trees a few feet away. She was pointing at a yellow and orange sign that said danger stay away.


    "Well, we were walking to the dining cabin and got lost. We also didn''t find the egg either." Asher was a little afraid to move since he didn''t want to risk stepping on the bone spikes hidden beneath the leaves and dirt.


    "Just walk backward over the steps you took to get where you are. Those bone spikes are from a camper that had the ability to use stored nutrients in their body to make poisoned bone spears. If you get cut by one you are knocked out for a full week." Garnet was shaking her head while warning them. She swore that these three were going to be the death of her.


    "Wait! They can knock people out too? Isn''t that the skeleton general superhero''s power? I thought he just had that bone spear for a weapon. Who would have known he made it with his super power." Art remembered the hero soon after Garnet had added the fact that it knocked people out.


    "Art, I am impressed with your fanboy knowledge of heroes but I don''t think that will help usw now." Asher wanted to join him and look this hero up but he was currently worried that if he stepped in the wrong place he would wake up to found that he was a week behind the world.


    "I think I walked here, here, and here." Jane was having an easy time talking herself through the steps she had taken to get to where she was currently. The fact that no one had walked through the area in so long let her see her foot prints clearly.


    "You know, this might be a good way to help you all learn to track someone." Garnet mused to herself as she watched them, "You all got yourselves in to this mess and need to get out. Follow your own steps out and use any tracking skills you have or you will miss the rest of camp." Garnet was proud to found the lesson in all of this.


    "Sounds super easy. Let me just do that then." Asher tried to be nice in his reply but it still ended up being a wise remark. He was too frustrated that they had somehow missed multiple warning signs and ended up in a tough place.


    The three were slowly putting their feet in to their previous foot prints like children who walked through fresh snow and were told to come back. It looked funny from a distance but was surprisingly good for training. The three were learning to balance themselves in different positions from what they were used to. None of them ever went backwards in their daily routine.


    Garnet was tapping away on her phone making training notes for the future. This made them all feel like they had become some strange guinea pigs. "Hey, so what do I do if I realized there is a bone spike right under the old foot print I took and I have already been lucky enough not to have it pierce my foot?"


    Everyone looked at Art and realized that a spot he had previously stepped on had a tiny piece of bone spikes on the ground. His shoes had been cushioned by the leaves but were now forced down. If he stepped there again he would end up with the bone spike piercing the rubber soles of his shoe.


    "Are you sure you aren''t the one with the lucky super power?" Asher could tell that Art had actually cut up his shoes a decent amount walking through the area. He may be the closest to Garnet but he was still not in the safer area.


    "Asher, it looks like we are carrying Art back again." Jane was already signing off on Art''s week long slumber. This naturally made Art slightly agitated.


    "Hey Garnet, If I ruin one of the weights that we used to get out of here will I be fined?" Asher had an idea. He was still wearing wrist and ankle weights with the metal beads in them.


    "If you tear them then yes. But if you just lose the metal beads it is fine since we have tons of those in camp." Garnet was already guessing what Asher wanted to do.


    "Art, I am tossing you my ankle and wrist weights. It''s up to you to shape the metal and make yourself some tougher shoes." Asher had already thrown the first two weights and followed up with the last two.


    Art just stared at the weights that were already unzippered and spilling the metal beads out. He wasn''t sure how well this would work but looked around first. "Here goes nothing!" He made sure no one but the four of them were there so he could keep this a secret, he didn''t think he could lie about his power if someone else saw.


    His hands made a few pulling motions and four of the metal beads came towards him. He was easily able to grasp them in his hands and tried to bend them to his will. They slowly flattened and twisted but did not fuse together right away. He was still struggling with combining and separating intentionally, however, he had a feeling that this time he would be able to do it with a little more energy.

 Chapter 203 - 203. Dangerous Luck

    The three watched as Art fused metal ball after metal ball. He was sweating and started to breathe heavily but had made huge progress covering the two soles of his shoes. "You have been putting the luxury cabin to good use I see. I expect you to be able to use that in combat in the next three days." Garnet gave her encouragement which was slightly scary due to her expectation but also nice to hear.


    "Let''s hope this works." Art took a hesitant step and felt the griding of the old bone spike on his metal shoe bottoms. The slight cracking he heard as he did this made him want to lift his foot up and run back, however, he knew that it was now or never and stepped forward with confidence.


    Before he could even think about it her stepped all the way through the previous footprints and arrived in front of Garnet. "Not bad. You made it over here without a single scratch. Pretty lucky. Now let''s watch the other two handle it."


    Art watched as Jane and Asher walked backwards in to their footsteps while balancing to slowly make their way back. Jane had walked the farthest and was taking the longest with more steps. Asher was the least balanced since he would normally just fall with his momentum due to the rag doll style. This was a good test for him.


    Asher reached the edge where Garnet and Art were to be greeted with a handful of empty ankle and wrist weights. "I''m glad you have been trying to build strength because it really saved my butt this time." The two fist bumped while watching Jane take the last few steps over to them.


    "That''s done. It was not the most fun way to do it but a good learning experience." Asher was amazed as always at Jaen''s positivity. He couldn''t help but praise her in his mind.


    "Normally when someone happens on to these abandoned fields we need to prepare for the worst. Luckily this was not the case. This was caused by a camper who tried to make some ultimate move before they even understood what their power could do. Don''t go trying to copy them." Garnet''s tone was harsh but good advice.


    The three looked out at the retired training field with a whole new feeling for their powers. They could see that the misuse or improper training could lead to major damage and dangers. "You don''t think we are capable of this right?" Art was not very excited to realize that the three of them were in class one for just this reason alone/


    "From what I read in your files as class one students you are all possibly dangerous. Jane has the risk of accidentally freezing someone and causing accidents. After the sparring field, it may be for than that but we should wait until that theory is tested by scientists." Garnet brought up the information she had read and the information she had deduced herself.


    "Then there is Art who apparently doesn''t just control lead. And yes I looked at your training videos and it is much more powerful than you believe. I received a warning last night about the abuse of power to find you were having an emotional break through. You are lucky you did not destroy my training room." Garnet sent daggers in her glares to Art who slowed his steps as she was guiding them back to camp.


    "The biggest wild card is Asher. No records on your power mean that you can have a dangerous power or a do nothing power. However, from what we have witnessed at camp your luck is very high. I would hate to see what the cause of your second power is." Garnet did not hide what she knew at all. She was always blunt and up front.


    "Well, I don''t know the span of my power either. I know I am lucky and sometimes more than others. It was weird the other day cause I felt really confident after I decided the fake prisoners were my enemies. But they all turned out fine." Garnet hesitated for a moment. "They all turned out fine, right?"


    Asher had a feeling that Garnet had not hesitated for no reason. She was holding a firm poker face but her body grew more tense. After letting out a deep sigh Garnet looked at Asher with a meaningful glance, "Every staff member last night received some minor injury. I don''t mean they were injured by campers, but they slipped, tripped on roots, one had a small branch fall on them, and another had a bird defend its'' nest and scratch her. If you decided to jinx them then it may explain it, especially since they all described the injuries as their own bad luck."


    Asher was slightly pale hearing this. He had meant to make the fake prisoner his temporary enemy, but he had not meant to harm them in any way. He just thought that it would make "I didn''t realize¡­: Asher was slow to follow while he thought about what his powers really did and how they could affect others.


    "I will readjust our records. Your power may be the most dangerous at camp or in your school right now. I would hope you work hard to practice it. And no more labeling my staff as enemies. We are just doing our jobs." Garnet brushed the entire matter off since no one was majorly hurt. She also knew that this was a natural part of someone growing in to their powers.


    "You know that after the boy who destroyed that field recovered from his injuries after causing that he went back to school and dedicated himself to improving. He had always skipped anatomy and biology classes. He didn''t know what bones were made of or what they did. After he learned he became ranked in the top three hundred heroes. He is a patrol hero nowadays." Garnet wanted to cheer Asher up a little since he looked like he had just seen a ghost.

 Chapter 204 - 204. Garnets Story

    "Dude, your power could take down an entire evil organization with small slips and falls. Think it would be bad luck for a villain holding all the secret plans to lose it on the train? Boom done. Think that the bad guy would be having bad luck if they missed the timing of the guards patrol and got caught? There are tons of bad luck things like that which could be super useful." Art jumped in to try and make Asher feel a little better. His ideas were all pretty specific for some reason but were indeed bad luck in some form or fashion.


    "Yeah, but what if it''s bad luck that they slip down the stairs and get their head cracked open? Or bad luck that they decided to rob a bank and their weapon malfunctions and they lose a hand? Who says it will always be small things like yours?" Asher had realized that he could be the cause of death if he was not careful about who he considered an enemy.


    "Asher! You know that all too well that Art is trying to be more positive, You snapped him out of his own head yesterday and I swear if you don''t get your head out of the mud I will slap you for him." Jane was not having a single word of this more. She thought that Asher''s super power was something amazing and did not want to hear him bash it.


    "But what if I mess up and someone does get hurt?" Asher couldn''t let it go so easily. He was afraid he would do the wrong thing and accidentally hurt people. He had just seen an entire spot of land that someone had made unusable for a long time.


    "Then you learn how to work around it and control it. Your luck is good, all the time. But it sounds like you need to choose to jinx someone, so learn to live life happier, more fulfilled,m and with less hate." Garnet summed up the only strategy she could think of.


    "Is it really so simple?" Asher mumbled slightly while looking down at his feet. He had stopped just outside the path that Garnet had led them to. He knew that he could easily get to the dining cabin now but wasn''t sure if he should.


    "Not at all. If it was then we would all have mastered out super powers in a few hours. But look at me, even though I have trained for years I still am not sure where my limit lies when it comes to my garnet bones. I could have years before I fully master them or I can finish tomorrow. There is no set time limit, just a goal." Garnet''s words got through to Asher in this moment.


    The three watched him put a determined face on and knew that Asher had set another goal in his future. "Then I will try and understand my luck and the luck I can give and take fully. Even if I can''t make it do what I want I will at least keep it from doing anything I don''t want to to do."


    "And we are going to help you." Art and Jane placed their arms around Asher''s shoulders and walked ahead on the path toward the dining cabin. They had only lost an hour or so lost in the woods but it was enough to bring up some emotional moments and feelings. Garnet on the other hand was already sending notifications to those who needed to know about Asher''s apparent control of bad luck.


    She let out another large sigh, "Why do all the campers I take a liking to end up being a time bomb. At least he seems different than the last few that I helped." Garnet was recalling a previous incident in the camp. One she had hope wouldn''t happen again. She sighed again and hit send on her phone.


    "Garnet, do you want to eat with us? We can show you what we are planning to do today for training and academics." Jane yelled to her and brought a smile to Garnet''s normally cold face. This was already more promising than in the past.


    "I can do with a short break to eat. I haven''t had my own breakfast after all." She went off to join them. With the thoughts of years past and the current days weighing on her, she made the decision to actively change this from happening again. "Actually, we should eat in the staff room. I can tell you a story there, it could give you direction." She was worried that she would end up giving them ideas instead of guidance but this was something she didn''t do in the past that she hoped would be the difference.


    The four grabbed their food and were being watched by many of the campers. No one had expected Garnet to come in and actually be eating with any of the campers. "Follow me, I can show you to the staff room. The lunch rotation doesn''t start for another few hours so we will have it to ourselves."


    The three followed Garnet much to the curiosity of the other campers through the doors to the kitchen and out of sight. There were plenty of whispers and new gossip forming about how they had somehow managed to win a special lunch room and even a meal with the head counselor. Unknown to the three they were now the talk of the camp and would have plenty of competition coming after them for the knowledge on hope to get the special lunch room that didn''t really exist.


    "Here is fine." Garnet had led them to a larger room with roughly the same amenities as the campers'' lunch area. The only difference was coffee machines, couches for relaxing, and a few other things that the staff may need to restock on through the days. "I want to tell you three about some campers we once had. They were a close trio like you but did not have the same enthusiasm for heroics. I learned that too late though."

 Chapter 205 - 205. Negative Path

    The table they all sat down on was pretty average with only a different design setting it apart from the tables the campers used. "I feel like we are about to get talked to by the principal and get suspended." Art was a little afraid since the other campers weren''t around now. He had the feeling that they were about to get in to trouble.


    "I am not going to yell at you for anything. I thought you three would like to know why I have taken an interest in you and your friends." Garnet knew that they had noticed that she had been showing them more attention than other campers by far.


    "Yes! I thought it was just Asher, Jackson, and Laura at first since they came early. But then you were paying attention to me and Art. Then even to Louis and Sammy. I couldn''t figure out why but every once in a while you would be kind of looking off in the distance a little sad¡­" Jane trailed off since she realized she had said a little too much.


    "I did wonder a little, but I didn''t think it was anything I needed to know. I trusted you would say something if you needed us to do something." Asher admitted his trusty in Garnet. He had felt this way since one of the first days a the camp.


    "I see, then maybe my worries are for nothing but I would still like to share the reasoning behind my actions and why other staff members may also be a little harsher or helpful." Garnet took a deep breath and pushed the food away from her since she had no appetite. "This happened about ten years ago. I had just become the head counselor the previous year. My father was on the verge of retirement and my siblings were still getting started."


    "I received three students from a promising school like usual and started them off. The very first day they began their camp experience just like Asher and Laura did. I thought they hadn''t thought it through but they were very skilled. By the time the day was done they had enough points to not only stay in a cabin for the remainder of the week but also get their items back with points to spare." Garnet was looking a little stone faced telling this story. It only went to say that it was a tough one to tell.


    "One went by the nickname red since he could control fire and even make it by his own will. His friend went by blue and controlled water even pulling it out of the air to control it. The third called himself purple, he was quieter and controlled rot and decay. At a single touch, he could cause organic matter to decay. The three were inseparable friends and had been pushing themselves to be stronger. They even told me they wanted to be top heroes one day and I believed them. They were promising talent after all." Garnet flinched a little admitting this.


    "By the time the campers had come they had shown every staff member their extraordinary determination. Not a single camper could measure up to their records and they had made a huge impression. This only grew as they continued to build up points and take the best resources to train themselves. We didn''t think that someone with dangerous powers like theirs would be so controlled and perfect. Our expectations were wildly changed, and we relaxed."


    There was a long pause as Garnet looked at the three debating if this was really the right thing for her to tell them all. In the end, she decided to follow through on her decision and let them hear the past and strive for their own future. "The last day of camp we have a surprise family day. This is to end things on a high note and let campers show off to any family members that are available to come. It should be an inspiring day of family bonding. For the three of them, it was less so."


    The three were the sons of three prominent businessmen who were always in competition. Their fathers were at each others'' throats and speaking about what they would do to overtake the other. The actions they would take with their company and other such matters. It was disgusting to hear how they spoke about people like tools and money farms. But the faces of their children were worse."


    Asher had a feeling this was not going to be a happy ending. His gut was telling him that there was something much worse in the story than he had realized. "The three had a pact, unknown to anyone else. They became stronger at all times and pushed each other. After the day had passed and the parents were leaving ahead of the campers they decided to show their parents one last place in camp. Of course, their fathers followed without thinking, they just wanted to be over with and back to work¡­"


    Garnet bit her tongue before she spoke further. "The brand of heroism I believed them to have was one founded on the close bond they had together. Instead, it was one founded in hatred from their father''s mistreatment and brutal business tactics. Like their fathers'' they inherited a certain kind of negativity. They wanted to be heroes but not in the same way you three seem to. They want a world full of mindless drones who do what they are told and act the way they should. Of course, that is good since people will follow laws, however, the world is not so black and white."


    The three watched Garnet struggle with the final words she was going to say before ending the story. "By the time we realized the three were missing we had already found the fathers. One burned to a charred body. One frozen solid after the water had been manipulated to freeze inside them. And lastly, one that had rotted for what seemed for years. I can still remember it like it happened the day before."

 Chapter 206 - 206. Friends To Guide Me

    Asher was stuck with his hand about to grab a piece of bread from his plate. He had no memory of seeing news about something so horrible. Nor had he ever heard of three super powered people with the nicknames blue, red, and purple.


    "How could they do something so horrible to their family¡­"Jane couldn''t wrap her mind around one person let alone three doing something like that. Family should be the strongest bond in a person''s life.


    "I can understand. If someone is pushed far enough and thinks that things are never going to get better, they can do anything." Asher''s reply brought another round of shock to the table. They were all looking at his glazed over eyes.


    "You could say I once had a nightmare. One were everything I happened upon and everything around me was always turning out for the worst. When someone near me took a chance they would fail and be hit back. This brought it back to me. Eventually either I or another person would break. In this dream another person broke. I am lucky not to be having this dream anymore."


    Asher may have the memories from his first life but they were melded with those of this new life. He had already chosen to accept this new life, but the memories of the other world were strong and would always remain as a nightmare ready to haunt him.


    "Nightmares are fears people have. If you have them about things like that then you might fear your jinx power." Garnet found what she thought to be Asher''s meaning. Unfortunately, she could never truly grasp what he meant.


    "I have a lot of family issues built up right now. I understand things can be hard. Yet, when I think of beating my brother down from his high horse to get answers, I never think of harming him in a way even close to what those three did in your story." Art out of all of them looked to be the one who could potentially follow this darker path.


    "I don''t mean to scare you three. I just want to make sure that you will not use the things we teach here to cause more pain. Those three are still being pursued and have only shown up in whispers. The problem is they are believed to have formed some nasty groups that follow their will." Garnet was now speaking more as a warning.


    "I understand that you are telling us this so that we can learn from the past mistakes of others. But I can promise you this." Asher stood up and looked Garnet right in the eyes. "I will do my best never to let anything like this happen. I will do my best to be the hero that the world needs even if it means that I am giving up my own dignity."


    Jane stood up next to Asher following his lead, "I agree, A human life is not worth losing. Even the most wicked deserves a trial and sentencing. There is no death penalty."


    Art was slower to stand up than the others due to his own feelings about his family and fears that he would need to oppose his brother in a fight. "I will strive to stay on the path I walk now. I know that if I falter even by accident, that my friends will be there to help me stay on path." His words were the seal that Garnet needed to feel that she was not looking at a repeat of history.


    "I am glad to hear these words. If you three want to push yourselves to be the best then I expect you to do so without restrictions. Feel free to visit and borrow what you need from the storage cabin whenever the hours require it." Her eyes looked at Art since he was the one who had damaged the weights for the ankle and wrist weights. "You are programmed in to the door code already. It will see your faces and unlock automatically. You also get a half off discount at the school store on recovery items. Use the apps and be wise."


    Garnet had relaxed significantly and even taken a small bite of an apple. These tense moments were not normal for her and she was not used to them. After giving the three the best care she could she had no idea how to speak to them anymore other than to just sit and eat.


    "So, do you want to see what we are working on in the app and planning for our futures?" Asher said this slowly after they all sat in silence for some time. This seemed to be the domino that needed to be pushed over to start the reaction.


    "Yes, I expect you three have come up with some lofty goals if you have already linked your accounts with the academic app." Garnet had already seen the action from her coaching account that she linked to their accounts. She wanted to be sure that she could properly advise them as time went on. She had taken a liking to them and was willing to invest the time.


    After a large rant from Asher, Art, and Jane Garnet was sitting there with a hand on her chin. "So you three will be forming a group with your friends. All of you will work together to improve by a whole year and skip to senior year. Then you will go to university and officially from a hero group to work yourself in to disaster rescue and villain organization take down?"


    Seeing that all of them nodded at her proper conclusion Garnet smiled. She liked the drive and idea behind all of this. She knew that many had tried to do the same but reaching the goal was a rare occurrence. If they truly wanted to do all of this they would need to follow their plans and routines to the letter. "Oh, wait. Didn''t you just say there is a parents'' day at the end of camp?"

 Chapter 207 - 207. Trapped

    Yup, so don''t tell the other campers. It is supposed to be a day where you show off what you have been learning. What you like to do in camp, and a good chance to use up your points." Garnet had always loved this day but could not help but remember the p[ast. It was a bittersweet day and not just because it was the end of that round of campers.


    "I wonder if my mom and dads will come. They really don''t like the woods. They are city people for sure." Jane was already wondering what he parents would look like in the city clothing while standing in the first.


    "Knowing my parents they will probably send Cara and go on a date day. They could really use it though so I won''t be angry when it happens." In asher''s memories, there were many times this had happened. It was always events that were not extremely important so it was never a problem. If Asher had asked they would be there in a heart beat.


    "Well, we know that my family won''t be here sooo, that''s an easy one." Art said this like it was no big deal, but they all knew it was something that would be eating at him.


    "Then you train harder and make sure that when you tell them about it they know they missed a grand time." Garnet wanted to push Art to use the feelings he had to become stronger. This seemed to reach him since


    Asher and Jane thought that Garnet had chosen a pretty good way to channel Arts'' emotions and gave her thankful glances. Garnet already knew that she had reached him and was happy herself. She would never try and make a camper feel more lost unless it was to get them to where they needed to be. This was not that case and instead, a good way to deal with the more negative emotions he has built up.


    The three continued to eat and finish their food after they had gotten through the subject. No one wanted to push Art any more and they had already reached the main points of their conclusions. "Go make some points and train well. I expect all three of you to be unable to do anything else after today but recover." Garnet tried to encourage them but she knew they were going to be pushing themselves to their breaking points regardless of what she said.


    Asher, Jane, and Art all looked up suddenly. There was a small metallic scratching and soft chirps drawing their attention. "What is that?" Art looked up and only saw a fluffy feather had of a bird pecking at something in the gutter."Guys, do you think it''s stuck?"


    "If it is we should help it." Asher was already jumping in to action and motioning for Art to give him a leg up.


    Jane acted as a spotter while Art pushed Asher up toward the gutter on the cabins'' roof. Unknown to them Garnet was making an incredulous face as her jaw had completely dropped. She could not believe that a bird had managed to get stuck in such a place. The luck of this happening now and in the exact place was too high.


    Once Asher had gotten up and peered over the edge he saw the bird had gotten its talon caught in a pile of leaves stuck in the gutter. "I''ve got you, little fella. I will have this all cleaned out in a few seconds." Hew started to pull down the leaves and drop them to the ground. Jane and Art expertly dodged Them like they were attacks reigning down on them.


    It took only a few handfuls before Asher''s hand wrapped around a round object that had caused the entire clog. As soon as he pulled it away the bird jumped in the to air and flew away in to the trees. Asher just smiled after it while cleaning off the thing that had been caught in the gutter. He was curious about what had caused such a problem.


    "I swear, we might be better off just handing it to you every morning." Garnet was tired of how easily Asher seemed to find the golden egg which was not in his hand.


    "Why was this up there? Did you hide it on the roof and expect us to climb up and find it?" Asher was worried that this was too dangerous a hiding spot before realizing that they could have hidden it partway up the cliff.


    "Asher, they choose these places because they are challenging. You know how hard it would be to find the one at the top of the entrance sign." Jane reminded him of the length that the counselors were will to go to hide the precious golden egg.


    "Toss it down then we can give you a landing area." Art caught the golden egg while he and Jane moved in to place to catch Asher as he slid down the edge of the roof.


    "Why don''t you three just start a detective agency. I am sure that on your morning walk for coffee when you''re older you will find the holy grail or the lost city." Garnet was incredibly sarcastic seeing that another one of the hiding spots had been destroyed.


    "Ehm, Here is the uhh, egg¡­" Asher heard her tone and felt bad for ruining the fun. But he wanted to make sure he would have the luxury cabin again along with the points.


    "Yes yes. Train well later. Just clean up the mess." Her eyes landed on Art who quickly nodded and repeatedly promised to do so.


    "So, we head untoward the obstacle course first to crush Lauras'' record? Should we stop anywhere else?" Asher made sure the two knew the plan and didn''t want to do anything else. Seeing that they were ready he turned to head out before a voice caught him.


    "Who is going to crush Laura?" Jackson was standing behind them just having exited the dining cabin. His face held a quizzical look since he wasn''t sure how they would manage to beat Laura in speed ever.

 Chapter 208 - 208. Gutter

    "Hey Jackson. How''s it going?'' Asher was happy to see Jackson since this was another potential person to hit the obstacle course with.


    "Pretty good. I was just taking a break from my busy morning." He looked much more energetic than someone who had a busy morning though.


    "Well, since you are done with your break want to come and set a record at the obstacle course?" The invite was nice but Jackson was already remembering the fact that he had been covered in mud last time and would prefer to deal with those who challenged his academic wits.


    "I would love to, but I have people waiting to challenge me at the classes. I have been racking up the points today and don''t want people to get bored of learning before I get points from them." To the three it sounded like Jackson was working hard for points. Only Garnet knew that Jackson was trying to avoid the obstacle course. It was written all over his face and easily read by her.


    "We shouldn''t hold you up them, but meet up with us at dinner so we can talk about something we are planning." Jane made sure to let Jackson know before he rushed off toward the other cabins.


    "I knew he would have challengers eventually but it took a while." Asher was glad that Jackson was finally able to thrive in the category he excelled in and make tons of points.


    "Hopefully we bump in to Sammy and Louis before we get to dinner. I know can send them a chat on our phones but it''s easier to explain in person." Jane was worrying that they wouldn''t be able to tell everyone their plans in advance.


    Garnet had wandered away without them baptizing leaving the three alone heading toward the obstacle course. "Oh man, I''m so glad I found the golden egg. No we can go crush the obstacle course. People really don''t try at all here." Asher''s sudden exclamation made Jane and Art hesitate.


    "Oh yeah, we need to try and get challengers for Laura on the way." Art nearly smacked himself remembering their plans to get a bunch more points all around.


    "How else will we attract people to the sparring field afterward? They tore themselves out in the obstacle course trying to compete, then challengers us while exhausted." It could be said that Jane was letting off an evil aura while speaking their plans out loud.


    "Hey, have you guys ever wanted to experience complete and utter weakness? We''ll try and take Laura down at the obstacle course and you''ll understand your level." Art was brutal when they passed people.


    "Dude, I would tell you to stop but those five look like they are out for your soul. They are already heading to the course behind us." Asher thought that the brutal method was a little over the top, yet couldn''t deny the success.


    "Asher! I can''t wait to beat the obstacle course and everyone there. They can''t even find the golden egg like us. They must be blind." Jane''s exclamation only gathered about her three campers to the group currently boiling in annoyance behind them.


    By the time the beginning of the course was in view, there were twenty or so campers behind them all with the goal to crush Laura and them. "Hello, Laura''s friends correct? She just beat someone who lost to the zip line. Are you here to challenge?"


    The staff member at the entrance already guessed the intentions. It was easier to guess since there were multiple campers behind them all saying just this. "Of course we are. We even brought some friends behind us as cannon fodder."


    Asher''s last phrase was the last straw. Now the campers were in a hyped up frenzy to start their runs through the course. "Alright, alright! You may all start when you wish. Take a small watch and press start when you begin. It will stop automatically upon completion or failure." The staff member rushed in to action to avoid any problems.


    "I''m sure Laura will be back in a few minutes. For now, let''s just watch them." Asher was hinting to Jane and Art that they should learn from those who were about to fail and they did not miss the hint. This was their first visit to the obstacle course and they wanted to make sure it was successful.


    "Oh, and we only get points for every three obstacles completed so don''t give up after an increment of two." His warning we''re easily acknowledged as the three witnessed the first annoyed camper attempt the road bridge.


    "Oof, bad ideas. They are only balancing on one side. Watch them flip." Asher could already see the bridge starting to sway as the camper took their hands forward. The shaking only got worse as it leaned to the side.


    Before Jane and Art could say a word the camper had flipped and plunged in to the cool muddy water below. "Annnd down he goes." Asher wasn''t even laughing having known the result.


    "So, we either stay balanced or meet the mud for a nice bath¡­" Art had already seen the key to success.


    "Or you could just run across it like me. Way easier than you think, Asher did it no problem." Laura had shown up next to them without anyone realizing it at all. They would have been shocked if it was anyone else but they had gotten used to her antics.


    "We brought you something interesting along with all these challengers." Asher smiled and pulled out the vitamin pack. After tossing it to Laura he waited for her curiosity to get the best of her before saying what it was.


    She turned it over and over examining it completely before she looked at Asher, "so what''s with the vitamins? Will they give me another super power? Can they give me bonus points? Are they the solution to all the world''s problems?"


    "Naaa nothing that big." Asher paused for dramatic effect. "They just have a ton of nutrients condensed in them so they would normally just help heal a day of hard work, but for you they can help you get vy with less food and stopping to eat."

 Chapter 209 - 209. To The Stairs

    "Oh yeah, and we are harvesting cheese from the moon. Do you really think that I would believe these things can hold me over for more than ten minutes?" Laura had no trust that any form of vitamin could keep her full and safe from passing out.


    "That''s fine. Doubt it if you want. Just make sure that you also doubt the ones that the camp arranged to have sent to your home and the fact that your parents signed off on them." Asher just started to waltz away making Laura question her hasty remark and assumptions.


    "Whatever, I will try it. But if you are tricking me I will make sure I show up to the sparring field and take your title." She opened the pouch of gummy vitamins and swallowed them whole. In seconds her face became flushed and she was standing there stunned.


    The vitamins had lost their compression and formed a full stomach of highly nutritious food. He body began to attack it instantly since she was always starved for some form of nutrient she needed.


    "Hmm, does it look like she just ate her words?" Art came out of nowhere with the spot on joke making Asher and Jane burst out in surprised laughing. Art who had thought of it on the spot couldn''t help but be surprised by the reaction.


    "If you''re going to laugh at me at least wait until I have beaten you three in my beautiful obstacle course!" Laura was not the fan of being a punchline of a joke, even though she had been the one to walk in to it.


    " She''s right. Now that her stomach is full we will definitely beat her time since she won''t be able to keep up." Jane was rising to the challenge since she thought that the idea of an obstacle course as training was incredibly fun. Asher knew that she might begin to rethink these thoughts when she came to the stairs she would need to climb.


    "Laura dashed over and grabbed three of the stopwatch bracelets and tossed them to the three before they could even react. She was sure this would show that her speed had not been affected at all and that she could still easily beat them in any battle of speed.


    "Thanks, but even if we won''t beat you we are still going to do our best to get as far as possible."{ Asher went and found an open spot on the rope ladder bridge. He already had the strategy from last time and even though it looked dangerous he didn''t want to try anything different.


    To Jane and Art''s shock, he placed a foot on top and began to run with all his might. The campers around all held the same jaw dropped shocked face as they saw how he was crossing. With every step, it looked like he would topple over and hit the muddy water below. Yet, when he would start to fall his other foot would spring out and suddenly catch his momentum. This brought him forward again in the odd sprint.


    "I would bet that is another use for his rag doll style. Every time he looks like he will fall he catches himself in a weird but unintentional way. The fact that his foot hits the knots in the rope is pure luck." Jane was analyzing the way Asher rand the course, but Laura was there to prove them a little wrong.


    "If you think that is cool watch me do it. I can be faster." Before she had forgotten their reply she had already darted off after Asher. She slipped by the others waiting for their turn and drew their attention.


    There were multiple shouts about her being the one to beat and that they should let her through so they could learn the proper way to get through the course. "Don''t worry, I will show you the proper way to do it. He is way too sloppy." Asher barely heard Laura as he landed at the other side and raised both hands in the air. The experience was still nerve wracking.


    He watched as Laura copied him and threw the campers watching for another heart wrenching shock. The only difference was that her speedy motions just sent small waves through the rope instead of the massive shaking that Asher had caused. She was too fast touching down and pushing off that the rope wasn''t even going to shift from side to side. The only motion was the up and down motion.


    "See, I got even better than last time after I rand across for the thirtieth time," Laura said this like it was the most normal thing in the world.


    "You''ve run the obstacle thirty times?" Asher was having a hard time believing this since he would need a lot more practice t run so smoothly.


    "No, I ran the entire course thirty times. This is thirty one. I try to be faster or slower each time to practice my body control. I get really distracted though, the course is too much fun. I don''t even realize it''s over." she casually waved off Asher''s amazement and instead focused on Aret who was inching his way across the rope ladder bridge upside down. He was using his gravity to stay stable.


    "He''s no fun. That''s how all the others that make it across do it." Laura was pouting since she expected them to take her lead and do the course the best way. She still didn''t realize that this best way was too unique for many others to even try. Asher was an exemption due to his lucky steps from his lucky jinx power.


    "I''m sure they are just doing their best. If he and Jane ended up in the mud so soon then they wouldn''t give us a challenge. By the way, off I go!" Asher was already running through the next obstacles without anything stopping him. His goal was to push until he got to the trees then wait. He wanted to make sure that all three of them would be able to go down the zipline together.

 Chapter 210 - 210. Down The Zip Line

    By the time that Asher had arrived at the trees and Laura had the two of them were equally dry despite needed to go under and over the logs. The obstacle was not that tough but made challenging by the river water diverted to run over the area. Laura had even ran back to watch the campers get eliminated by this seemingly easy obstacle.


    "It''s'' so frustrating watching them give up after the slip and fall on the logs only seven or eight times. The first time I did it I slipped three times and still kept going." Laura was complaining about this ins a way that Asher felt like she hadn''t even struggled at all.


    "Well, if they are falling they are probably getting bruises. They probably gove up so they can go and wait at the sparring field to try and get direct revenge on me, Jane, and Art. We kinda aggravated them by showing off the golden egg." Asher finally admitted why so many campers had come.


    Again? I haven''t even searched for it yet. I got too distracted." Laura faked sobbing in sadness with the hopes that she would be handed some points out of pity from Asher.


    "I''m not giving you any points. You have this course in the palm of your hand and definitely have over a hundred points by now." Asher had seen right through her act and was not going to budge an inch. He was not so weak.


    "Pfft, cheap. I will just ask Jane. She is nicer and will agree that you are mean to not share." Laura had already seen the way that Jane and Asher looked at each other. She was trying to use their slowly growing feelings for her own gain.


    "What? No, Jane wouldn''t think I am mean. She knows me better than that." Asher said this with a slight crack in his voice showing Laura exactly how her trick was working. Unfortunately for her and luckily for Asher Art and Jane jogged up to them.


    "I thought we were breaking her time? Why are you here?" Art wanted to complain but was actually very happy that his best friend had waited for him.


    "The next part is the best and I wanted to do it with you guys. I would much rather share the moment than worry about the time." Asher was too pure and made the three feel that they had somehow come close to an angel.


    "Asher is right, it means more to do it together. So I am going to get to the top so we can do it together, you know. First to the top." Laura stuck her tongue out and started to run two stairs at a time toward the zipline that Asher had yet to tell his friends about.


    "No way that is happening!" Art was easily goaded on by Laura and followed her while also running two steps at a time. Jane and Asher took a slower pace since they were preparing for the long length of the rest of the obstacle course.


    It was just a few minutes but at the second set of stairs, they found that Art had slowed significantly and was covered in sweat. "Slow and steady wins the race bro." Asher still gave him a punch top the arm and was immediately met with Art''s chase. The two made a much faster pace and reached close to the end in a shorter time than expected. Jane was still a few steps behind but she had been the only one to keep a cool head and stayed close to them by the end of it all.


    "Look, it''s the top. We are finally at the top!"


    Art was afraid to look down since they had finally gotten to the stairs that lead right up to the top of a very tall tree instead of the ones that went right back down.


    "This is the best part." Asher let Jane pass him and waited for them to be amazed by the sight of the trees and the zipline at the top.


    WhenAsher stepped on to the platform he was again shocked by the grand view of the forest spread before him. It was a pleasant surprise for everyone that made it to this part of the course. It was even more pleasant to feel the cool breeze through his hair after the grueling stair climb.


    "Back again? I knew you would be bringing your friends when they got here." Dia was at her favorite post which was the top of the zipline.


    "Dia and I were waiting here forever. I almost tried to run the course again but thought that it would be boring without anyone else." Laura was still mocking them to push them farther and to get them riled up.


    "We decided to take a snack break and relax, but someone said that the vitamins we had wouldn''t fill us up so we had to stop." Asher''s retort made her shut her mouth instantly. She didn''t like that her words were being used against her so easily and Dia laughed seeing laura in this state.


    "I think you all have been having a nice bit of fun. But it''s time to go down!...the zipline." She tried to act all intimidating and full of energy but she was met by blank faces.


    "Come on, that was a good wrestling voice...Kids these days don''t get the intensity of wrestling." She shook her head and started to hand out the necessary equipment for the zipline. Just remember to let go when you see it."


    "See what?" Jane and Art were nearly mimicking each other as they wondered what they would have to see.


    "Just wait until you go on the zipline, Asher and I will go first so we can prepare things for you two." Laura winked at Asher who smiled mischievously. He knew that when Jane and Art went down the zipline that he wanted to witness their attempts at hitting the mark. He knew that Laura had probably tried so many times that she could hit it blindfolded and that his luck could help him. But the other two were on their own.


    "I''ll see you two at the bottom." With a wave, Asher was heading down the zipline after Laura.

 Chapter 211 - 211. Flip

    Laura and Asher had landed without any issue from the zip line. They were even able to get to a good position to watch Art and Jane who were about to come down themselves. "Do you think they will be able to land safely?" Asher was a little worried but Laura was not sharing the sentiment.


    "I can''t wait for them to both end up in the mud. It will be hysterical." She was bouncing with excitement. This was the favorite obstacle all around anyways.


    Asher shook his head wanting to try and tell her not to think that way but he also couldn''t help but hope that the two would hit the mud. He himself knew that the mud was not the most pleasant experience and wanted them to share it.


    The two of them sat there for what seemed to be their entire life. "Why are they taking so long?" Laura was losing patience faster than Asher by far.


    "Safety talk. Don''t you remember we were having one the first time too?" Asher wanted to flick her forehead for not realizing this after being on the zipline over thirty times.


    "Oh yeah, lame." Laura bounced in place trying to not be as bored. This was the worst part for her. She would sit here all day to see the other campers attempt this and knew why Dia had built it.


    "Has anyone finished the course while you have been here?" Asher decided that making conversation was the best way to kill the time since the safety talk was probably the real one that would take longer.


    "I think a pair has. They had a weird mix of super powers but worked really well together. One kid had a big head and was super smart while the other was super buff and didn''t talk." Laura had found them weird because the larger guy carried the smarter one through the entire course while the smarter one directed him.


    "Sounds like a good strategy. The one with the big head probably has some brain based super power so they can solve puzzles and figure out the best path, The not speaking one that is bigger probably got a strength type super power and balanced out the brain kid." Asher easily saw how the two together would equal out to one person.


    "So that''s their trick. I thought the one just was too lazy to walk." Laura had been convinced of this the entire time and was not realizing it. She didn''t have any desire to put more thought in to the situation since she already knew her time was faster making it through the course.


    "Hey Laura, I have something Jane, Art, and I want to propose to you." Asher was going to try and have the conversation about them forming a super power hero group.


    "I will join the group. I think I can do much better that way. Being at camp has given me some insight on it and I made the decision the other day. I also had the feeling that you three would form one anyways so I would just ask to join up with all of you. Now I don''t have to." She smiled and was much more serious than she had been before.


    "I-I Welcome to the group." Asher was slightly stunned but was easily able to accept this. He and the others hadn''t been hiding their goals as of yet and were not planning to hide them at any point.


    Asher took a deep breath and started to speak on their plans, "The first goal is to use the academic app and the elite home gym training app to get up a year ahead. Once we skip to senior year we can take the tournaments by storm and head to university earlier. We will form an official group there and show the world the best heroes ever." His confidence made Laura rise even more.


    "I am going to be there as the fastest member. There is no way we wouldn''t be the best." Laura fed off of Asher''s confidence and let her own ego run unchecked. They were both still talking up their future deeds that the sound of the zip line nearly escaped them.


    "They are coming. Who will be first!" Laura was right at the edge of the mud waiting excitedly for the first of the two to break the greenery and try to land on the target.


    "Jane!" Art and Laura were even more energized to see that Jane was the first one on her way down the zip line. This meant that Art would soon follow but for now, they got to see how she would fair.


    Jane was calm and collected having enjoyed the entire trip down. However, when she saw the target she instantly knew what was happening. If she did not drop there she would end up showing three or four times to get rid of all the mud. This realization alone was the motivation to become deadly focused.


    "You can do it Jane!"


    "Take a mud bath!"


    Asher and Laura had very different cheers but both were ignored as Jane neared the edge of the mud. She was counting out the timing to guess her speed and had let go as soon as she was at her estimated distance.


    The two watched as Jane somehow roled in to a backflip then landed with both feet together and her hands in the air. "What the heck was that? Since when does Jane do gymnastics!?" Asher was shocked to see this skill that ha had no clue that Jane had possessed.


    "That was so much better than mud¡­"Laura was whispering to herself about the amazing dismount from the zip line.


    "AHHHHHHH." The scream that seemed to be getting closer and closer drew every ounce of attention.


    "I think Art is on his way now," Asher spoke with absolutely no emotion. The yell that Art had going was lacking the manly tone a yell should have. All he could do was wait for Art to get there. "He might hit the mud extra hard." Asher had the feeling that things wouldn''t be going well for Art.

 Chapter 212 - 212. Three More

    The screaming from Art got louder and louder until his terrified face came in to view. Asher tried to pretend that he wasn''t about to see Art hit the mud while yelling. He knew that Art would not be happy with the mouthful of mud he would have.


    "He''s totally hitting the mud." Once Asher said this Laura looked at him with stars in her eyes. She had wanted someone to end up in the mud and since Art was yelling she had the assumption that he would not make it to the target and instead hit the end of the line and fall in the mud.


    Art was not as elegant as Jane but caught on to what they were supposed to do at the end. Before he could reach the very end of the zip line he released the handle and fell toward the target. There was no flip but he did manage to land on the target. His momentum was too great though.


    Art skittered to the edge of the flatform with his toes barely hanging off. He tried to bend backward to stop from falling forward but was still moving too fast. "No you don''t." Jane grabbed the back of his shirt and gave a soft tug to fully keep him on the platform.


    "Uuugghhh, so close but no mud." Laura felt defeated. She had wanted to see someone fall in the mud the entire time.


    "I am sure if you wait a little longer those campers that followed us are going to be along." This made Laura cheer up slightly but still not to the same degree as earlier. "Comr over here you guys!" Asher yelled for Jane and Art to head over the platforms to the side quicker.


    "That was the best one yet, totally worth those stairs." Jane had greatly enjoyed the zip line.


    "Oh yeah, it was great until you realize you could die at any second," Art was apparently the opposite.


    "No more zip line for Art got it. So anyways, Laura is in for the group and skipping a year and stuff." Asher made sure to update his friends so that they could properly set things up.


    "I knew she would be. Here let me send the information to your phone." Jane took Laura''s phone and after just a few moments a few soft beeps signaled the downloading was done. "I set it to have the same schedule as us. It will be perfect, once we are back at school with the entire group we can apply to use part of the big gym to train."


    "Why don''t we apply for the out door space that the martial arts clubs use? They get to use all the training dummies and have access to the weight rooms." Laura had been made to clean the weight room and learned that the martial arts spaces were also reservable for groups to train themselves if they desired to pursue certain skills and careers.


    "That''s even better, if we have access to those weight rooms then we are going to be even better off." Art was pretty happy to have access to the larger metal weights. He knew he would be able to secretly train his super power while he lifted.


    "That leaves the right food. We will need to keep track of diet to make sure we are properly repairing our bodies." Asher was worrying about something that they could deal with on an individual basis.


    "If we need produce or fruit we ask Jackson. He said they always have too much right? The school actually has a large garden plot for the gardening club. After they won some prize for lilies there was a whole space set aside." Jane could barely recall seeing the announcement poster.


    "I will be covered with those vitamin things...they might work pretty well," Laura mumbled the last part to avoid them testing her. Asher didn''t let the chance escape him.


    "Then what is working pretty well? You mean the vitamin pack that a certain someone said wasn''t going to fill them up?" unfortunately for Asher, his teasing was met with a solid punch to the shoulder that he couldn''t avoid ad an angry Laura rushing off.


    "So, I think we should do the next three obstacles then call it quits. We can make a run to the sparring field and take on some challengers then go and try some other training. I really want to try the reflex training again in the storage cabin." Asher''s plan was to optimize as many different forms of training that he could in the day.


    "I agree, we have so many things we can do, and focusing on one would not give us the best overall work out." Jane was right there with him seeing the benefit in hitting multiple areas of training.


    "Yeah, I want to see this storage area where you two got those awesome min flash bang things. If they worked so well for the night training it makes me think there are other hidden gems." Art was already going to walk in the direction before Asher caught his shoulder.


    "We need the last three obstacles first. Items can only help us so much. If we aren''t physically and mentally strong then it is a waste to equip a bunch of gadgets." This was a common sense rule but Asher felt the need to relay it.


    "Sure sure, but what if there is a time machine, or a rocket pack, or even-" Jane put her hand over Art''s mouth to silence the childish thoughts for a moment.


    "Obstacles, training field, reflex training." She said this one at a time slowly to make sure Art wouldn''t keep getting ahead of himself. "And we are going to study flash cards while we go between them."


    "Good idea. I almost forgot we should be studying too." Asher opened the app to find that it had already prompted him with a quiz question. "Check your phones it sent me a quiz¡­" His face was not excited but he opened it anyways and proceeded to start doing some math. This function was going to haunt all three of them constantly but pay off in the end.

 Chapter 213 - 213. Hop Hop

    The three walked the trail while reviewing flashcards easily making it to the next obstacle. "Why did it take you so long? I was here forever." Laura was not a huge fan of their slow speed.


    "We are studying. You should start doing it too since we need to get ahead." Asher showed her the app which was recording their progress in studying. The three had managed to get through some math formula flash cards which were at their current level.


    "Well, now you can do the log hop with me." Laura pointed out the obstacle that stretched before them.


    There were many different height logs that could be stepped on. They were surrounded by fluffy dry leaves to catch those that fell since the logs would shift if they were in mud. This gave the camera a challenged to use them as stepping stones. This would have been an easy obstacle but the logs were not only different highest but also different sizes.


    "So it''s all about balance then." Jane made the simple conclusion. She didn''t expect them to have a hard time balancing in general but keeping up with it constantly while moving may be a slight challenge.


    "This is robbery. Asher has the clear advantage with his rag doll style. He could do anything and not fall." Art was the pne most assaulted by this obstacle. He knew that his balance was the least out of everyones and that Asher had no way to fail with this.


    "Bro, just stay with me and we will do it together. We can link up and add a bonus challenge. Girls against guys?" Asher raised an eye to Jane and Laura who were already smiling with vigor.


    "You''re going down. Laura had done this multiple times and knows the best spots. By the way, loser buys dinner." Jane added this on while she and Laura linked arms. They were ready to make it through the course as fast as possible.


    "I have luck on my side." Art linked arms with Asher and looked to him for guidance. "Where are we going to start bro?"


    "Pick a random spot of course. That''s the best method to get where we want to go. Plus all the starts are the same, that is a simple fact of making a course, it needs to be equally challenging from every angle."


    Of course, Asher believed this but it was not the case. Laura and Jane side stepped over to the right side of the obstacles and were ready to start, Laura was intentionally guiding Jane to the easiest area to step on due to the heights of the logs. "Hehehe they don''t know what they signed up for." Laura couldn''t help herself from laughing while looking at the boys trying to pick a starting point.


    "This is the highest pole, are you sure we should take it?" Asher was getting ready to help Art to step on the first and tallest pole at the start of the course.


    "Yes, if we start here it will be like walking down stairs all the way to the end of this obstacle. Then we can finish the last two super fast and head to the sparring area." Asher was getting more and more energized as he felt that this was the right decision.


    "Are you two ready"


    Or do you need more time to decide on who will spend their points buying us dinner?" Laura and Jane were taunting them since they were sure they would win the race they had made.


    "Ready to set up free dinner." Art shouted over and stepped fully on to the first log. He was ready to pull Asher up as soon as the girls made the call. Jane was in the same waiting to pull Laura up to the first log she was on.


    "Go!" Jane shouted this while pulling Laura up and the two were off. Laura was directing Jane to the logs that were lowest to the ground. Her strategy was to follow these until the middle of the obstacle then jump on to the medium height ones. From there she had it easy since she could move diagonally to the end.


    Art was equally pulling up Asher who started to fall right away from the first log. His weight falling forward took his foot to a smaller log which also dragged Art with him. "Just go with the flow Art. We will win this no problem." His shout made Art relax a little but the next unbalanced fall made his worry grow.


    The girls spared the boys a few glances but just smiled. They saw the drunken hopping and falling that came with Asher''s rag doll style and knew that they would be taking forever to get to the end. This only pushed them to move at their own pace.


    Laura was pulling Jane along but she was still not moving as fast as normal. She was purposefully slowing herself as much as she could so she would not pull Jane in to any danger. Jane could tell she was slowing Laura down but was happy to see that Laura was learning to slow herself and focus on her super power control.


    "Wait, stop here. The next one is this one on the left. We have a big hop but once we are there we are in the clear." Laura took the lead and readied herself to jump. However, just as she was about to take the leap a pair of falling boys stepped on the log themselves.


    "Bro to the right,"


    "No, left!"


    The two were arguing while falling opposite ways and ended up moving diagonally in the exact path that Laura wanted to go. "You two cut us off!" Laura was angry about this and suddenly pulled Jane to move forward to catch up.


    The furious pace that Laura set was making Jane slip a little on the logs. However, she was still able to use her own speed to stay with Laura. This let them hop on closer and closer to Asher and Art, but luck was not on their side.

 Chapter 214 - 214. Glaring Daggers

    With Asher and Art taking the path that Laura wanted to take there were only logs that she had not jumped on before. This made her worry that she wouldn''t be able to lead Jane to the end as well as she thought. "I thought we were going diagonally?" Jane remembered what Laura had said and quickly caught on to the change.


    "Those two completely blocked us. We need to change where we go to get to the end." Since the end was in sight Laura was a little overexcited so she did not hesitate to push the pace a little. This was where things started to fail though.


    Laura''s foot came down on one of the least traveled logs making her spin and need to immediately hop again. This action caused the space between her and Jane to become too great. Before they knew it jane and Laura were both stretched out between two logs. Jane was holding herself up with one hand on one log and her feet on the other.


    Laura was less fortunate and was nearly doing a split while trying to gain any momentum possible to push herself to one log or the other completely. Laura was cursing the boys under her breath since they had forced her in to this situation. She knew that if they had not accidentally cut them off that she would still be on the path to victory.


    "And that''s it!" The two boys hopped down from the last log and landed easily. They turned around to see that the girls were stuck in their own predicament and had not managed to catch them in the end. "Hey, so what are you two buying us for dinner?" Asher''s slight taunt was enough to force Jane and Laura to double their efforts. Both of them didn''t want to be stuck the way they were at the moment and could only move forward.


    "I''ll show you dinner when I get over there. I''ll make you eat your words in the next obstacle." Laira was fuming since she had not been beaten at all in any obstacle. The feeling of not being at the top was eating at her enough to make her even angrier.


    After a slight struggle and some now unimpeded movements, the girls reached the end sending glares at the two boys. "Do you get the feeling that we should have let them win?" Asher whispered to Art making him wrinkle his forehead in worry.


    "I didn''t think they would be angry having lost. We were having fun...right?" Art was lost top the complicated ways of a girls'' heart. This only put the two boys farther in their own grave.


    "Let''s just follow them to the next obstacle." Asher didn''t feel like pushing the silence and soon found that the next obstacle looked fairly simple.


    "So it''s a walk through a field?" Art was equally surprised that it seemed to be a straight sprint through a field to the other side. "This has to be wrong, there''s no way something so simple would be an obstacle." Art was refusing to accept it.


    The girls were laughing slightly but quickly hid their faces. It was clear that Laura had told Jane what this was and they were hiding it out of revenge. This was how they were getting back at the boys from beating them in the last obstacle.


    "They know what the secret is and aren''t telling us. There is definitely something wrong with this obstacle." Asher was trying to pick out what the trick to this was. He could see only grass but it all seemed too perfect for a naturally growing field. There is also no name or sign for this obstacle making it even more mysterious.


    "I get there is something on the ground that will trip us up. The grass is too perfect." Asher shared his thoughts with Art who had his eyes closed with intense focus.


    "I think I can feel some metal underground. I''m still not used to going this though so it could just be some rocks." Art was offering his best assistance. He had been able to feel metal around him after his change in focus and determination. This alone was a breakthrough in its'' own right.


    Asher thought harder and harder about it coming up with a few ideas on what would be trying to slow them down. The fact that the girls were waiting for them to go first made it all the better. It only went to add to the fact that they wanted to mess with the boys.


    "It could be some form of tripwire that springs up. It could be walls like the crawling obstacle, or it could be some sort of pit trap." These ideas that Asher had were the best ones that he felt were the most possible.


    "They wouldn''t repeat something with walls like that crawl before. I bet they are tripwires and pits or something similar." Art could tell that they would be something sneaky like that. This entire obstacle was made to be mysterious and tricky.


    "Then we will move ahead slowly and cautiously." Asher turned his head to the girls, "And then we will get across to the other side to beat the girls again." He knew that taunting them was a dangerous move but since they had already hidden the details of the obstacles from them he wanted to get a little even.


    The two boys stepped forward slowly putting weight on their front feet. This strategy kept them in the stances ready to jump back or to the side. This was a safe way to go about things but also a good way to train the muscles that they needed to maintain their stance for longer periods of time. Within a matter of minutes, the two were sweating while they moved across the field.


    They were about to step forward with all their weight when they felt the ground shift and a soft click of metal. Looking at each other they had a feeling that they had definitely discovered the reason that this obstacle was kept mysterious.

 Chapter 215 - 215. Click And Fall

    The little metal click was just loud enough for the two to hear. They were immediately moving away from what they had just stepped on while the ground gave away in front of them. "Holy lord look at that. I knew there was metal under the ground." Art couldn''t help but vocalize his surprise while looking at the pit trap in front of them.


    "We almost fell in that mud. Why is the whole obstacle course made with mud traps!?" ASsher was glad not to have fallen in the mud pit but was also worried that there was some strange obsession with mud going on in Dias'' life.


    "We totally thought you would fall in the first one." Laura was in a huff due to the boys successfully saving themselves from the trap. Jane seemed a little more forgiving but that was just her nature.


    "You forgot that we could figure out that something was going on here. Just look at all this. It screams danger." Art couldn''t believe that Laurea thought they would miss the obvious hints that spoke of danger at every step here.


    "I just thought that the grass was too perfect. The sparring field is way more worn down than this and if there was another field that was perfect why isn''t it another sparring field already?" Asher was thinking much more logically than the others.


    " I would have thought this was strange and backtracked wanting to find the right obstacle. I even asked Laura if this was an obstacle that had yet to be built." Jane pointed to the blank sign. But as they looked at it they realized that the back of the sign labeled the obstacle as the pit fall.


    "Well, now I guess we just need to make it...all the easy over there without falling in the mud."Asher realized the distance which appeared short was not becoming much farther due to the traps they would need to avoid.


    "Do you want a hint? I can tell you all my trick?" Laura wanted them to ask but she didn''t expect Asher to speak out next.


    "You run over it too fast for it to fall right away? We can''t run like that so we need to do it carefully." His words shut Laura down instantly and in response, she ran across the field without tripping a single trap.


    "I wish I had a cheat like that. My super power could probably stop them from falling but I would also break them. I don''t think that is allowed." Art wanted to use his but was limited by the situation and the fact that the camp could get angry with him damaging the obstacle course.


    "We can use this to challenge our footwork and reaction time." Jane was already on the move slowly moving in her stance through the field in front of them. The two boys watched her trigger three traps and expertly jump back to slip around them.


    "I guess we follow Jane''s lead." Asher started to copy her and had the same grace as her. The traps would make the slight click before they dropped and Asher found himself moving faster and faster while he crossed the field.


    Art was taking up the rear and moving carefully as well. He took note of the traps that Asher and Jane set of so that he could move through a safer path. This strategy got him through much more easily than the other two. Before any of them knew it they had crossed the entire field without falling in to any pit fall trap at all.


    "That was an easy one but it is still a ton of fun." Larua had waited for them patiently while they crossed. They had one more obstacle they would hit and she was excited for it since it was a great challenge compared to the other two.


    "I am just glad that we didn''t end up covered in mud. I swear that this is some sort of evil course designed by a mud monster." Art was recalling some novel he had read while the others were already making their way to the next obstacle.


    "This one is way better than the other two. I can''t say it was easy but it was great." Laura started to tell them what the obstacle was but stopped as she realized she would ruin the surprise. Even Jane was in the dark this time.


    The group came up to a walled off area, "I haven''t seen many campers make it this far today. Welcome to the security challenge. The area you are about to enter is roped off with security wires to deter and prevent intrusion. The goal is to reach the door on the other side of the room. Would you like hard mode or beginner mode?" The staff member motioned to a button near the entrance.


    "Should we choose hard mode?" Jane looked at Laura who was refusing to reply. She knew exactly what hard mode meant and didn''t want to tell them just yet.


    "We might as well use hard mode since today is the heavy training day." Asher didn''t see a reason not to. This was only going to challenge them more.


    "Then hard mode it is." Art slammed the button and a large thrum of electricity began to hum from inside the room.


    "Hard mode, wow. No one has chosen that this week. Even our top participant Laura gave up when she tried it and went back to switch modes.'' The staff member looked at Laura who had already backed off.


    "Why didn''t you warn us?" Jane was a little upset but they could see that Laura was smiling slightly.


    "Nobody told me what it meant my first time so I thought you should all have the same opportunity." It was clear that this was just out of spite for also being left in the dark at one point.


    "Well, I''m not too afraid. We selected it and now we are stuck with it. I won''t be changing so let''s go." Asher walked right in the first door to reveal the obstacle before him.

 Chapter 216 - 216. Wires

    As soon as Asher passed through the door he was met with a long passage full of wires. They were stretched at many angles. They were placed in ways that would make anyone trying to pass through duck and twist in strange ways. On top of that, there was a slight hum of electricity from them.


    Asher reached out a finger and gently touched one of the wires, "Dang! They are like those cattle fences. They zap people! Laura, I swear if you go through this on beginner mode I will make sure you have bad luck for life." Asher knew this was an empty threat but the situation was pushing him in to an adrenaline overdrive.


    He heard Jane coming in behind him, "I didn''t see the point in waiting if we were all going in on hard mode. Good luck." Jane had partially wanted Asher to take the lead since she knew he would most likely find a safe way to move through. She also wanted to make sure that she and he would be the first two out.


    "Thanks, hopefully, you won''t be talking to an Asher that has been zapped to ashes." He made a small joke trying to smile as he ducked under the first wire. It was not too hard and about waist height. This was the easy start that every camper would have and then begin to underestimate the rest of the course.


    The next group of wires were crossed in an X shape making him need to choose one of the triangular open areas to sneak through. The only problem was that these areas were directly moving in to the next section of wires. If he chose the wrong one he would end up needing to crawl on the floor or jump over wires.


    ''Crawling on the floor seems easier. If I jump I can''t control my movement.'' This was a common thought for every camper that came to this section. Asher was better off going to the crawling section of wires since he would need to somehow control his in ait movement. The secret he missed though, was the fact that the jumping side was easier farther on.


    Asher slowly slid through the X shaped wires then immediately lowered his level and crawled under the next grouping. He was met with a wire right near his face on the other side. The had been hidden from view due to the angle he had been looking and if he wasn''t careful he could have had a shocking meet and greet.


    Asher looked up and realized he needed to move up to his knees then hop over the wire since there was a net of wires above him. This was a tight fit but luckily he had been stretching often. The flexibility he had developed from his rag doll style also went hand in hand with his movements.


    Asher bent over the wide and slipped to the next sections which was a varying degree of levels. There was no way had could just walk through it without being zapped. Instead, if he wanted to get through he would need to use the highest skill he could in changing levels while in his stance. This made him work his core muscles intensely, "Good thing we didn''t eat right after this." He said this to himself but Jane clearly heard it and watched to get a hint of what to do.


    Jane was having an easier time with things since she had stretched a lot more to develop flexibility. She had wanted to maximize the high kicks as best as she could and found that she was able to do so when she stretched more. The elite home gym system had also encouraged this since she was shown to excel with kicks over other attacks.


    The fluid motions she used made it appear that she was doing some form of interpretive dance. Her hair had been tightly bound in a ponytail so that she wouldn''t get caught on any wires and zapped. Asher caught these movements for just a second and it was enough to make his heart stop.


    "Focus, FOCUS!" He shook his head to keep himself on track. Jane did not miss this and felt her face become red. The two were equally embarrassed and pushed themselves to stay on task.


    The last section that Asher came to looked easy enough. The wires were evenly set up so that he would just need to step over one then under, then over, then under. It was too simple. "This last one seems really suspicious. Any idea Laura!?" Asher knew that Laura wouldn''t reply but he yelled back just to make himself feel a little better.


    "Good luck!" This was what he heard from the other side of the long passage. Asher took this as an acknowledgment that Laura also thought it was a tough area. He sighed before he slowly stepped over the first wire.


    The resounding click and rhythmic hum made him start to sweat. The wires began to move and change positions making them cross and change levels. "Oh come on!"


    "Good Luck!" Laura yelled again hearing that Asher had discovered the evil of the last section. Asher had already realized why this obstacle was fun but also a challenge. Laura wouldn''t have said this if it wasn''t challenging for her as well. This obstacle was a huge trial for anyone that relied on speed.


    Asher bit his lip and flowed with the wires. He found the rhythm he needed by humming to the beat of the motors running to make the wires change level. This trick had come to him without thinking and he was glad to be able to change levels fast enough to dodge the changing wires. The fear of being zapped also made him react faster which he wouldn''t do if it was not as such. The fact that he was on hard mode was actually a blessing to make him train harder and more efficiently.


    The hours of stance and footwork training they had done was clear here and made them all exceed in this obstacle. Laura was the last to enter but couldn''t believe the sight she was seeing. This was the hardest obstacle for her and she was being easily beaten in it. The fire that started in her to become stronger burned bright in this instance.

 Chapter 217 - 217. Taking The Space

    Asher ducked and jumped over the last wires to find that he was standing at the very end of the wire filled hallways. He had successfully made it out without being zapped and could only thank the hours of training he had done. Jane was also showing her strength and experience in training by already being halfway through the moving wire section.


    Unfortunately, Art was not having the same kind of experience. "Stupid Wires, Ah! Again, really!?" Art had been zapped for the tenth time and was only at the second section. He was moving as fast as he could but he didn''t have the same flexibility as Asher and Jane.


    "Stop crying about it and hurry up. I am going to pass-Ah!" Laura was trying to tease Art and push him forward faster when her leg grazed a wire and gained a nice zap. She had eaten her own words and proved why this was the hardest obstacle for her. She was trying to move too fast and was not able to properly adjust her body.


    Leaving the two to their own struggles Jane reached the end and left with Asher. On the other side was the path to the next obstacle but they had decided that they would head to the training field. "Do you think we will have a lot of challenges?" Jane wasn''t sure how well the taunting from earlier would last.


    "Oh yeah, They should be fuming mad since we got so far ahead of them in the course. They will want to take revenge somehow since they couldn''t beat us here." Asher''s theory was sound and made Jane a lot more excited.


    "Then I will get to come after you faster." She had the desire to spar against Asher since she hadn''t been able to yet. She had a feeling that she had gotten farther away from him and needed to catch up.


    "You think you could take me?" Asher did a short boxers bounce like the martial artist club members had been doing the previous day. He thought it looked cool.


    "If that is the stance you take then I will have it easy." Jane kicked out slowly to make Asher jump back. He quickly fell in to a stance and stepped forward catching her leg.


    "Not sure if my stance matters at all." His movement had been smooth and Jane couldn''t contain her shock. Her mouth formed a small O shape while she struggled to find her response.


    "Well aren''t you two getting close." Laura walked out of the obstacle behind Art and couldn''t let the chance to tease them get away from her.


    Asher hurriedly let go of Jane and she stepped back redder than a tomato. "We were training while we waited. You two just took your sweet time." She turned her head trying not to look at them while she calmed her heart.


    "Laura, are you coming to the sparring field with us? We are going to rack up some points on some jealous campers." Asher pretended nothing had happened and forced the conversation to change.


    "What? Why do you have to leave? There are more obstacles left." Laura was visibly sad that they were trying to head out.


    ''We need to get more training in. We have those vitamins you ate for ourselves and plan to make today a packed training day. Then we will eat them to recover. It is a good test of their effectiveness and also of how far we can push ourselves." Jane snapped back to reality and answered flawlessly.


    "You should come. You could use some more training in martial arts if you are staying by our side." Art said it in a way that made Laura feel like she had fallen behind. This made her annoyed and determined all at the same time.


    ''Fine, then we will go to the field and I will start to show off there. What do I need to do to learn to punch stuff right?" Laura was so determined that she grabbed Jane''s arm and had her help her with the training apps on her phone.


    "While they do that we have more math to do," Asher said this much to Art''s dismay but gave in. He knew that he needed to study too but was at least glad that Asher was going to be studying with him.


    The walk to the sparring field was longer than they had hoped due to their studying. Time had felt like it was moving slower than molasses. Art had begun to lose his sanity as the number swam through his mind but when he saw the hustle and bustle of the training field it was washed away. "We have a ton of people here to take on. Let''s go take up our spot."


    Asher refused to be left behind and ran in to the sparring field as well. Many campers locked on to them recognizing one of their targets for sparring. As far as they were concerned Asher was a massive amount of points just waiting to be taken to the bank.


    Art found that there was a match going on in the spot that they had claimed earlier and watched while waiting to take over. Those also watching saw their arrival and began to murmur.


    The moment that the campers sparring finished Ashjer walked up, "Would you mind if we took this area to spar for a while? If you need the space you are welcome to join the rotation/" Asher did his best to be polite to the camper that had just won and was instead met with a shaking head.


    "Just take it, I will work my way up to challenge you.'' The girl walked away and started stretching in a space away from others. Asher could only guess that she had been tired out and needed rest.


    "Asher, did you just scare her away?" Jane was afraid that Asher had started to throw his weight around until she saw him shake his head.


    "Nope, she said she couldn''t challenge me yet and that we could have the space. That being said, "Asher raised his voice, "Come on and take on the rotation. I''m waiting for a real match!"

 Chapter 218 - 218. Jane Vs. Asher

    The challenges flowed freely as many of the campers were energized to try and win enough matches to get to Asher. This was quickly shut down by Jane and Art as they continued to be undefeated. Laura managed to claim a decent amount of victories due to her speed and coaching from Jane. It was impressive how quickly she was improving in just the one day.


    "I challenge Asher!" Jane shouted this as soon as she had won her match. This was her calling out her friend that she had long waited to test her skills against. "I refuse to fall behind and will go all out!" Jane grabbed a bottle of the adrenalin protein shake and chugged the entire thing.


    Asher couldn''t hide his surprise. He had not realized just how strongly Jane felt about going all out. "If you are going to be serious I won''t hold back either. It would be disrespectful." He watched as jane started to shift in to her full super powered form. The scales that expanded and her hair that flowed wildly like snakes drew his eyes.


    Asher knew that there was danger in her movements, especially with her claws. But it was clear that her actions were controlled. The anger that had caused her to first show her super powers full strength was gone. It was replaced by the adrenalin that had acted as the true trigger.


    Asher stretched his arms a few times and fell in to a lazy swinging. His weight falling slightly to one foot then back to the other. This was a stance that he found himself most comfortable in since it was constantly shifting. This made it easier when he fell in to another motion and was whipping back to attack. His moves could easily show their strength this way.


    "I will be judging this match. On your ready!" Garnet made her appearance as if she had been waiting for this the entire day. "Fight!" Asher was the first to move. He knew that he shouldn''t let Jane take the lead if he wanted the match to go in his favor.


    Jane was more of an attacker and less of a defender she ended up a little thrown off seeing that Asher had charged towards her instead of his normal reactive movements.


    Right as Asher was getting close his foot caught on a small pebble in the dirt and he started to fall forward. This was a shock to Jane who immediately tried to reach out to assist him. Unfortunately, Asher did ''t let this go to waste. He rolled with the motion and came down with a surprising high kick. The force knocked Jane back but not off her feet.


    "That was sneaky!" Her voice was slightly ragged but still high pitched and feminine. It was terrifying to those watching since they knew that the voice was connected to an insanely powerful fighter.


    "Sorry, slipped on some pebbles. I will try to be more careful." Asher was honest in this making Jane feel even more frustrated that Asher had obviously gotten ahead of her. ''Even his trips are an attack with his super power. I need to go all in." Jane knew that Asher would be able to dodge her attacks and was not going to leave any hold barred. She slashed pout with her claws toward Asjher making him lean back to dodge.


    As Asher leaned back he saw that Jane had not fully retracted herself. Taking his chance he grabbed her elbow and rotated under her while changing levels. She was suddenly on his shoulder and rolling on to the ground to fall on her back.


    Jane refused to give in and reacted by twisting around and trying to grab Asher''s arm in return. Luckily, Asher released Jane and jumped up putting him face to face with her grin again. "That was a nice save, it won''t happen again." Asher pushed harder and started to spin with his next kick. This build up of momentum as he switched from kicks in to a spinning punch left his back open for a split second, however, it also gave him heavy force.


    The elite home gym system had shown him how to chain moves together in to a combo like this and it was paying off. Due to his increase in speed Jane was unable to get close and interrupt him. This led her to step back which was the next mistake she made.


    Jane was pressured and Asher saw this, he took the opening and switched in to a round house kick making Jane fully fall backward for the first time. Asher had successfully knocked her on her butt. "Well, Aren''t you going to get up?" Asher was looking at Jane knowing that she had more to give. He would not let her admit defeat until she was completely exhausted. "Try taking off your mask. I bet you can''t stop me.


    "Cover your eyes!" Garnet was not able to act fast enough and instead called out an order for everyone to cover their eyes.


    The fear they all held for the wrath of Garnet was strong so every single camper follower her order and some even turned around fully. The only one that was able to see anything was Asher and Jane who were not looking at each other eye to eye.


    "I thought I would be turning to stone or something. Guess it is not all it is cracked up to be." Asher was still able to move but found that Jane was the one stuck in place. "Maybe you shouldn''t look me in the eye when you do this¡­"


    Asher felt bad for a split second but little did he know that Laura was more than happy to remain frozen while she gazed in to Asher''s emerald green eyes. Asher closed his eyes while moving forward which caused Jane to be able to move again. She was thankful that she couldn''t actually turn anyone to stone but realized her body was extremely sluggish. This hadn''t happened the last time she had been stuck in place.

 Chapter 219 - 219. Side Effects

    Jane was victim to Asher''s blind punch unable to block and fell once again. This was the last attack she could handle and used her energy to put her fogged mask on. "I am done. Mask on and I admit defeat!" Jane couldn''t say this fast enough as she struggled to catch her breath.


    "What happened there? You were so slow like you had just woken up.'' Asher was worried that he had pushed Jane too far. However, this couldn''t be the case since she was still in her full super powered form.


    "I don''t know. After I was stuck from reflecting in your eyes everything slowed down. Or at least it was like I was walking through pudding or something.'' Jane was having a hard time describing the feeling since she knew that it was unique to her.


    "Wait, did you just say you are affected by your power if you see your reflection?" Garnet heard this and was struck by many training ideas, "I will adjust your training to counter these things."


    "Hey, since Jane can''t turn anyone to stone can we get a volunteer to help with testing the effects of her super power?" Asher suddenly yelled out attracting one brave boy from the movie club.


    "Sure thing, I love greek mythos and want to feel the real medusas'' glare.'' He sounded nerdy but was courageous enough for them to ignore it.


    "Alright, thank you in advance. I will let you look at me then when you unfreeze tell me what you feel." Jane was slightly worried because she still felt fuzzy and slow.


    "Let''s do thi-" The boy froze in place the moment Jane removed her mask. She quickly placed it back on and the boy started to move again. "I...can...take¡­" His speech became far apart and slow along with his motions being slowed as well.


    "Sio instead of just unfreezing they now act slow and foggy after they stop looking at you. That is pretty great. You won''t need to hold people in your gaze anymore and can just slow them down." Asher found this amazing. He was even slightly jealous of Jane''s full super power being so useful.


    "With this, I can affect multiple enemies at once!" Jane was excited to see this and was already counting the second in her head. The other campers had turned around to find her mask back on but a volunteer acting strange while Asher and Jane watched. They also thought it odd that Garbnet had become so invested in her phone.


    "Five minutes! that is the limit that someone si slow. Thank you again for your help." Jane thanked the boy for the third time.


    "No, that was very informative. I feel like I learned a lot."


    "You deserve points for assisting us. You are allotted an additional fifteen points for helping me see the future training she will need." Garnet had already sent Jane multiple trainings to do with her eyes closed to gain a feeling for her surroundings. She knew that this would be important in case she was in a situation where she could see her own reflection without a mask.


    The boy was ecstatic and rushed off to go buy his items back from the cabin. He had brought a portable DVD player and wanted to watch a movie tonight. This was the best day yet for him since he had only managed to with two matches here. His points had mostly come from hiking and the obstacle course.


    "Yeah, yeah. Jane learned more about her power. Congratulations. But I just beat my last match I needed to challenge you too." Art had waited patiently but knew that if he let Asher rest too long he would lose any advantage he might have.


    "Oh? You think you could take me on when you can''t even lay a finger on Jane?" Asher wasn''t playing around. He had yet to face Art with the metal weights on and knew that Art would be able to knock him off his feet easily. He also remembered that this would add to Art''s speed and make it harder to dodge.


    "We will see what you say when I show you the moves I have been working on." Art took up a stance in the space they had cleared causing the campers around to become excited yet again.


    "Jane, come over here and read the changes in the training I just sent you. I will start their match." Garnet called Jane over who was already reverting to her normal appearance. She had already taken on a slight pale appearance and was met by Laura who had snacks to share with her. She remembered that this shift took a heavy toll on Jane and that she would need to recover for some time.


    "Thank you Garnet. I will read it carefully and work hard later tonight." Garnet was glad to hear this and moved in to start the next match.


    Asher and Art were both rearing to go. Asher was still full of energy from his match with Jane and was not going to lose it easily. Instead, this was like a continuation of his match and would continue to test him. Art on the other hand had rested slightly before he went against Asher and felt that he was refreshed enough to catch him off guard.


    "Begin!" Garnet did not waste any time and sent the two at each other. The reaction was instant and they were both charging forward. Garnet thought that Asher had lost his mind since she knew that Arty had the high ground on strength. Yet, when Asher dropped his level and tried to throw Art she knew he had planned his moves.


    "Can''t catch me that way!" Art rose his led and sent his knee at Asher''s head. This was a move he had picked up while training with the elite home gym system. The system had seen his straightforward and rigid moves which fit perfectly or using elbow and knees to attack.


    Asher had no idea this was going to happen due to the fact that it was the first time Arty had used the move in front of him. It was a complete and unprecedented surprise.

 Chapter 220 - 220. New Moves

    Asher''s body reacted out of pure instinct as he brought an arm over his face. Art''s knee hit it a second later causing Asher to roll back and on ton his feet. "That was new!" Asher couldn''t hide his surprise, He was incredibly proud to have a friend that could bring such a surprise and challenge. He knew that his best friend and rival would never disappoint him in any way.


    Art didn''t stop the pressure, he knew that if he let Asher take the lead as he had with Jane then he would end up in the same situation. His foot stomped on the ground making a loud noise and his fist came forward at a faster than normal speed. The sound distracted Asher making him look down while he instinctually ducked under the fist he saw out of the corner of his eye.


    "Dude, two new moves!?" Art was not holding anything back. He had worked hard to learn these moves and practice them softly while the others trained. This had left him with things to surprise his friends and shock them.


    "Think you want to keep trying me? Or will you give in now?" Art threw some trash talk to keep things rolling while he barreled forward. His level changing as he tried to do a double leg takedown. It was not the most graceful move but it worked well with Art''s strength and style.


    Asher saw this coming and jumped up higher than he thought he could. Art ran right under him and quickly recovered from the miss. Unfortunately, he was too slow to put the pressure back on Asher and was met by an incoming kick.


    Asher took his chance and tried to get his own hit in. He had already defended a heavy knee attack from Art and wanted to pay him back in full. Asher struck out with a straight forward fist which was too fast for Art to dodge. Asher had practiced this basic move so many times that it was one of his fastest and most easily done.


    Art crossed his arms and took the blow without any effort. He had Asher beat when it came to weight and this helped him remain standing without any issue. He did notice that there was a lightly numb feeling in his arms which he attributed to the strength training they had all been doing.


    "Come on! Take him down!" Laura had become incredibly invested in the match after seeing the two blocking and attacking with such intensity. The match between Jane and Asher had been more speedy and intelligent, but the match with Art and Asher was strength and endurance. It was a completely different kind of battle.


    Art heard the cheer and felt that this was the moment he should start to go all out in his fighting style. "Asher, I sure hope these attacks don''t land. I am going to do what I can do." Asher knew this was Art''s warning that he was going to use his super power to manipulate the metal beads in the arm and ankle weights. He knew that if this was the case then it would be better to avoid every single attack. The power would be enough to potentially knock him out for the day.


    Art took up a steady stance that anchored him well to the ground. Asher could tell that with a puck from his legs Art would deliver a terrible punch or a strong kick. This stance was a modified version of what he used to use and made Art even faster in reacting.


    Asher felt the wind by his face as Art punched out first. The punch was nowhere near Asher since Art was still trying to fine tune the use of his super powers. But feeling this wind made Asher even more conscious of how dangerous this was now.


    Asher decided not to give art another chance and charge in himself. This proved to be the correct move since Art did not exp[ect it. Asher released a heel kick at him making Art block. The heel kick hit the same crossed arms making Art flinch. This opened him up for Asher to use the wheel kick with his momentum.


    The campers felt their breath leave their bodies since they thought that Asher had started to fall over for some reason. Yet, when e spoon around and gained momentum their shock turned in to awe. The kick hit the flinching Art right in the shoulder by his neck forcing him down on one knee. This appeared to be the end when Art reached up and grabbed Asher''s leg.


    "Taking that hit was worth the chance." The ragged voice of Art was enough to show that Asher had fallen in to a trap. Art pulled his leg and tried to get Asher in to a body lock.


    "Not on your life!" Asher kicked out as hard as he could three times to break Arts'' grip. The force caused Art''s arms to feel numb even more and he realized that Asher had worn him down with the multiple attacks. "Take this!"


    Asher struck out one last time pushing Art to his back. Through his harsh breathing Art finally spoke his defeat, "Fine, I give...for now." He was grudgingly admitting his defeat but not in any negative form. He just felt that he had been too slow to learn these moves and needed to improve. He hadn''t even gotten the chance to properly add his power in to his style fully.


    "Where did those moves come from!? They were awesome, I can''t believe you learned them without me noticing.'' Asher reached out a hand to help Art up. The applause of an awesome match was all he could hear. The campers around them, couldn''t help themselves. They had not expected anyone to have such a level of skill here.


    "You could say I have been practicing a little more than I let on.'' Art''s face had become red and embarrassed due to the praise from the campers and his best friend.


    "Oh, you''re totally showing me that knee attack and the body lock you tried." Asher was not going to let Art off the hook so easily. He needed to learn these new moves.

 Chapter 221 - 221. Time To Break

    "You want me to give up my advantages? If I do that I won''t be able to keep up." Art wanted to keep the moves hidden away from Asher much longer. If he could there was a slight chance that he could use them again successfully.


    "Ha! I have already seen them. I can just lean them from the elite home gym system tonight." Asher had the perfect plan if Art wouldn''t show him. Unfortunately, this was enough to make Art backtrack on his words.


    "I would rather I show you then. But I get to train first when we get the cabin." Asher knew this was because Art wanted the chance to figure out some new moves so he could catch him off guard in the future.


    "If he gets to train first then I get to sleep first." Jane had been more prepared this time and had already recovered from shifting in to her full super power. She was even stretching and preparing for some normal sparring matches.


    "Fine, Fine. Let''s see who else we can spar against then look to head out and start training our new moves. Well, Laura and Jane still owe Art and I dinner." Asher felt that he had just uttered a taboo and quickly tried to find himself a sparring match.


    The three got in to the matches fairly well. The only person having trouble was Asher who needed to challenge people due to the fact that there were not many who had reached the requirements to spar against him at all. Even Laura couldn''t be goaded in to a match.


    Their sparring went on for another three hours until they finally felt they had exhausted their bodies properly." My stomach says if I don''t eat the world is going to end." Art was laying on his back trying to stretch out his back after being in his stance for so long.


    "Agreed. Food is mandatory." Laura had pooped back up from wherever she had run off to spar not even surprising the three who were half dead on the ground.


    "Did the vitamin pack already wear off? I thought it would last longer for you." Jane was already feeling a little bad that Laura may still need more when it came to food. However, it looked that her worry was unfounded.


    "No, but I do feel a little hungry. It''s slow like when I needed food before my evo shot. I might actually be able to sleep through the night if I eat one before bed." This was great news for Laura since she had been waking up to eat through the night.


    "Oh, then let''s go get food now." This put Jane in a better mood since she wasn''t worried about her friends well being. Instead, they could have their dinner break without any worry other than their evening training session.


    "I have got to say, it looked like that adrenaline protein shake worked [prettyw ell for you Jane." Asher was thinking about the match while they walked to the dining cabin and was stuck on how fast the drink had kicked in.


    "Yes! It was so much smoother than the other time. I feel like the stress on my body afterward is also less. I think the more I get used to using it the better. I don''t think I can manage it again today but after a week of doing it once a day I should be able to do it twice." This was a muscle memory that every human with a shifting super power needed to get used to. Their training was often physical to give them this comfort and manueverability.


    "Only a week? I think that would be insanely fast for someone with a shifting ability. Didn''t that dragon girl in the senior class spend a month so be able to do it twice a day?" Art had not missed the fact that a girl awakened a dragon shifting ability as their super power and had eagerly listened to the gossip through the year so far.


    "Yeah, but wasn''t she the size of, you know, a dragon?" Laura let sarcasm drip from her words since it was obvious that someone who changed size so majorly wouldn''t be able to shift so often. "She probably burns all of her saved calories to become giant."


    "Well, it is still pretty amazing to be able to progress so fast. If it works out then being ahead of our class is one step closer." Asher could only see this as an immensely good thing. The more they worked and improved the closer they got to their goal and the better that was. They were the future world''s best heroes after all.


    "Look who it is!" Sammy and Louis had been walking along the trail that merged with the one the others'' were on to the dining cabin, "We haven''t seen you guys all day. What have you been up to?" Sammy ran to hug Jane and Laura while Louis just silently fell in to step with Art and Asher.


    "You missed some good matches at the sparring fields. Plus we hit the obstacle course and won ourselves dinner." Art started to get cocky but then saw Laura and Janes'' looks. He quickly silenced himself and let it be for now. "Err, how about you two?"


    "Well, I went and trained at the top of that cliff. It only took three tries to get to the top where some counselor was meditating and said I was being too noisy. But I wanted to train in the wind up there so he needed to deal with it." Sammy puffed up her chest in victory. Her hands on her hips trying to make a dominant pose.


    "I went to the storage cabin and found a stun gun. I accidentally overpowered it and now I need to replace a stun gun for the camp¡­" Louis nearly whispered this but it was still loud enough for everyone to hear and stifle their laughter.


    "The human stun gun and their path of destruction and villainy!"m Art made an announcer voice causing everyone to break out laughing anyways.

 Chapter 222 - 222. Go Study!

    The group easily managed to claim a table in the corner for themselves so that they could eat. Asher had already explained their idea behind forming a group and what tools they had at their disposal to make it happen. "With a group training and studying this hard, there is a very high chance we can stand out and skip an entire year to get to the senior classes. If we do well enough we might even be allowed to participate in the tournaments and show off to universities."


    Sammy and Louis were both intrigued by what Asher had just explained to them. Laura already said she was in and showed the two the apps they were using. Even more so, Asher said they could end up showing off to universities sooner. That could mean they pressure the school to let them graduate and go study there. This occurrence was rare but had happened recently enough that the thought was in the front of their minds.


    " I am already in. I need to make sure the boys don''t take over the group." Sammy was convinced the second Asher had begun to speak on it. She also saw this coming in to line with her goal to patrol the air.


    "I might as well go for it too. I''ve been thinking that trying to work in some power plants and stuff could be my retiring job. Being a hero that can deal with dangerous urban electrical disasters might be better." Louis was just using this as an excuse to stay with his friends but the fact that he would be valuable in a city where electricity is everywhere did not escape anyone''s thoughts.


    "Perfect! Then we can set up your apps." Jane stole Louis and Sammy''s phones to quickly set up their apps. "Oh, and we should probably start studying while we eat," Jane said this instantly darkened Arts'' mood. He had thought that meal times would be a study free safe zone.


    "I guess we can¡­" His phone had already buzzed a few times making him wonder what it was trying to force on him this time, "Sweet! It gave me science to study. My best subject." Art was happy as all else to run through more science stuff. This was what he excelled in.


    "Mine is history...You won." Asher felt that he had lost in this round since history was much more dull to study than Science. Mostly because he could only look back and not in the present.


    "So it will just notify us to study through the day? I can do that easily. I have wanted to try and push my test scores higher." Louis was actually excited about all this. He had not heard of the app since it was usually pushed on the juniors or seniors to prepare for exams. Having it now was just a bonus for them.


    "Mine is already offering me some classes that juniors take, is that normal? I just linked it to my school ID number and now it''s here." Sammy held up her phone showing the higher year classes she was already being offered study material on.


    "We can link our student ID!" Jane was stunned that she had missed this crucial fact. They had been studying at their level but they may have been missing some specifics directly related to their day to day classes. "Everyone, go link yours now."


    Hearing the demanding tone for Jane not a single one of them dared to go and place their food tray away. They instead opened their apps again and set up their student ID. "Aaannd the math is back...Thanks Sammy." Art was once again crushed by the study material offered.


    "It is offering me physics three, I don''t even take physics yet, how can it offer me the final year of physics?" Asher was the major outlier to have a senior level class show up.


    "There is no way you are that much ahead of me," Sammy grabbed at Ashers'' phone for proof, finding that there was indeed a year three physics class study material there. "There is a little bubble here saying that it is closely related to your elite home gym training." Sammy understood why instantly. But Jane was faster to say it.


    "Your rag doll style lets you move with the flow, so I bet this level of physics has some explanation of how that all works. If you understand it you might be able to make your style more specific to your body and even change some moves that you use."


    Asher pondered this for a moment, "Then I should study this one in my free time. I can learn more about my movements and style, but it won''t help me get ahead where were stand now." His decision was the correct one for which no one could fault him. But this didn''t mean that they all didn''t feel bad he couldn''t learn it right away and show off more cool moves.


    "What do you think the app means when it says I have study material for home economics cooking class though? I already cook at the master chef level from watching so many of those chef competitions." Food nearly dropped from Art and Jane''s mouths. They knew that Asher had the cooking ability of an evil which out to poison the world, however, they could not tell him.


    "Well, maybe they want you to memorize recipes. I hear it helps your mental strength."


    "Yeah, yeah, it will also help when you travel as a hero. You need to be able to cook in many different places and might not have the right ingredients."


    Jane and Art threw out their explanations faster than Asher could speak again. Louis and Sammy just watched this happening and wondered what had caused the terrified looks and instant replies from the two. "I will explain later," Jane whispered to Sammy who just nodded at Louis who was already forgetting the weird reactions.


    "Anyways, are you two coming to try out the training we found in the storage area? I bet you missed it while you were there earlier Louis." Asher was ready to head out and give the machine a second try. His tiredness had vanished with the food he had eaten.

 Chapter 223 - 223. Group Reflex

    "I am telling you I was just here earlier and I saw nothing like a reflex training machine." Louis was still unable to accept that there was some awesome training machine hidden in the storage cabin that no one else ha had talked to knew about.


    "As I said, there was a staff member named Jim and he showed it to us. We can try it out when we get there and you will have your proof." Jane was not in the mood to argue about these things since she knew that it was true anyway.


    "Try not to burn all your energy. This time we are going to beat a higher level. I think we can play solo in rounds and see who can get farther." Asher was getting focused and excited on their walk over to the storage cabin.


    "I think you need to introduce us to this Jim guy. He sounds like the retired hero we all need in our lives." Laura mentioned this and was instantly seconded by Sammy. They both wanted to meet a retired hero but they also wanted some form of proof that a retired hero was actually here at the camp as a basic staff member.


    "He was the one that told us about the vitamin packs too. He even looked up your name and knew we were friends." Asher explained this yet again but no one but Jane was having it. They wanted proof that a retired hero had done all this.


    "This camp has more to it than you think. They are keeping track of things everywhere and making sure those that are working hard have everything they need. You should be able to catch on how often Garnet showed up when we needed her." Jane said this knowing that Louis, Sammy, and Laura were not following. They were too dependant on proof being held in front of them.


    "Let''s just show them and let them figure it all out on their own. It''s just too bad that Jim isn''t there today. Maybe he is on the night shift at the camp store and that is why he isn''t at the storage cabin today?" Asher knew it would be impossible that Jim could be everywhere at once and all the time. But it would have been very convenient if he happened to be at the storage cabin when they walked in.


    "Hello, is this your first time here...Ah, the camper that likes stun guns is back." The younger staff member instantly recognized Louis and was prepared to hide all of the electronics for safety.


    "It was a mistake. I didn''t think that it would fry itself when I touched it. I thought it would just zap me or something like stun guns are supposed to do." The group ignored Louis as he rambled through his apology yet again.


    "Hello, we are here to use the reflex challenge machine. It fires bouncy balls that we need to slap back at buttons on the wall." Jane replied to the staff member with her best polite voice so that she would forget about Louis and his past mistakes.


    "Of course, that is one of Jim''s favorite toys. He never shows that off to anyone but the staff members he trains. Feel free to go and start a round. I never even got past level two." The staff member waved them all through like it was no big deal at all.


    "Huh. strange that she knew who Jim was too. I wonder if he is actually real?'' Asher teased the three who had doubted him and Jane. He knew that it was a little unfair but their bashful reactions were still too funny.


    It only took a few moments to make it to the corner where the little court for the game was set up. "Oh, the area was cleared even more. There is so much more room now. We can train our moves while we wait our turn for the machine." Jane was happy to see the additional space.


    "Should we guess this is the work of the mystical Jim you speak of?'' Laura had a smart comment ready but Asher also had a rebuttal prepared.


    "So here is the circuit. One person plays a round of the game while the others study on the app and practice the basics of martial arts. Anyone that fails this gets penalized and has to face me in a sparring match." The looks of Sammy, Louis, and Laura were of fear, they knew that Asher could wipe the floor with them.


    "Dang bro. I go to the restroom quick and you are already threatening our friends with harsh sparring matches. You might be a future coach Winters." Art had left the group for only a minute and was considering leaving again for his own safety.


    "Good, you''re here to watch jane demonstrate the game first. Everyone watch carefully because we are staring the rotation now." Jane stepped forward and pushed a button on the wall.


    The group watched as the little cannon set itself up and the clicking sound or the barrels increased. The first level was the easiest but the sound of the game preparing made them all fearful.


    "Once the first ball is fired, you will slap it like-" Jane saw the barrel fire off the first ball and she easily kept up with it. The slapping sound of her hand hitting the bouncy ball at the wall was only matched by the click of the button she had just hit with the ball. "Then you will hit the buttons like that and send yourself to the next level." Jane was incredibly happy to have shown off on the first hit. However, she knew what was coming.


    The group watched her as she pushed herself on to level two and even to level three. Asher knew that things were only getting worse and that their friends were about to see why this was such a brutal training.


    "I hope all of you are ready for this. Because she just got to level four and this is where it gets real." Asher bit his lip in worry as the clicking sound intensified.

 Chapter 224 - 224. Rotating

    Jane was ready for the second the bouncy balls would be released at level four. She knew that this could be any direction so she wanted to make sure she used her burst of speed to slap them as well as she could. She knew that she could get to level five with one well timed hit but that was the problem. She would need to track and attack one of the four about to be fired.


    The clicking ceased and everyones'' attention was on the barrel of the machine. Before they could even blink there was another click and the sound of a bouncy ball was headed right at Janes'' head.


    Her eyes narrowed as she ducked to avoid it but the next three had already been fired and were bouncing away from her. She pushed off the ground with all her might to try and catch one of them but her hand was inches away from it. "Ugghh, I was so close!" She stomped her foot as she stood upright trying to look like she wasn''t completely defeated.


    "And that is how you play the game. The challenge will test your reflexes and make you move faster and faster. I think this will be pretty useful for you Laura." Asher saw that this would greatly help Laura focus on the movements of her body and how well she could make her mind and the speed of her body match up.


    "Why do you look so smug. I will admit you two found something cool but it is just your luck." Laura was too bashful to admit that they had found a perfect training for her. "I guess I will go next then. Ladies are first after all." She stepped up to the playing area while the others got ready to watch.


    Jane gave a hard look to Asher and realized that Art was also looking at him expectantly. "Oh! Now let''s get the circuit started. Foot work training and basic moves for half of us and the rest will study from the app." His words brought a lot of negative looks for Louis and Sammy but this was the way it had to be.


    "I know this is part of the plan, but watching would have been a lot more fun." Louis wanted to see how well everyone faired against the game so that he might have a better understanding when it came to his turn. Unfortunately, there was the academic app that was calling for him to focus on reading and writing.


    The rotation was proving to be successful and an hour easily passed as they all made their way through the game. Not a single one of them was able to get to level five by themselves making it appear that level four was the utmost they could get to right now.


    "I swear, just another shot at it and I will have level five!" Art had been inches away from getting the ball to hit a target that he had let himself believe it was a for sure win. He knew that if he played again he might be able to reach the level faster.


    "Calm down. If you go again then the circuit will be ruined. Just let Asher take his turn and we can focus on that math that you are avoiding." Jane knew the words to easily take the wind out of his sails and change his focus.


    "You know, I am actually feeling pretty good about it. I think the machine is going to see my true strength." Asher had been studying biology and needed to get himself all hyped up to take on the reflex game.


    "Ha! You sound like a little kid getting ready to go down a water slide." Sammy couldn''t help but see the childishness in Asher. It was just too funny for her.


    "He is like that though. But the scary part is he will probably follow up those words." Laura had realized that there were moments that Asher would act slightly more childish than the others. However, these were the moments when something surprising would often happen.


    "Yeah, he does have some weird luck. Let''s just watch and see." Sammy and Laura had already resigned themselves from the punches that they were trying to make muscle memory.


    "You think I didn''t hear you? I won''t let either of you escape training just to watch Asher kick the games high score." Jane had heard what the two girls were talking about and had rushed ion to a furry. She wasn''t going to let the training fall apart. Especially if they wanted to watch Asher when she was focused and couldn''t herself.


    "Oh now, you triggered Janes'' jealousy. Quick run!" Laura was rushing away leaving Sammy standing there alone.


    "My what? What if I was watching Louis do this huh?" Jane was too quick on the rebuttal. She knew that Laura had been acting weird around Louis and that it was definitely the start of something.


    "What are the girls fighting about over there?" Art had barely heard any of what was going on over him and Louis quizzing each other in math.


    "I think they were fighting over who they were cheering for. But we should stay focused since we have more to go over." Louis wasn''t letting himself get distracted just yet. He had just gotten focused and committed to the studying.


    Asher ignored the girls fooling around and focused himself on the game. He quickly started the entire thing and watched as the barrel clicked in to place. He knew that he had been taken for surprise a few times as he had done this the first time. Now it would be different.


    The first bouncy ball was fired and Asher didn''t even need to push himself to slap it back in to a target, Just like Jane the first one easily hit the button on the wall and started him to the next level. His smile held confidence as the barrels clicked again and he fell in to his stance to wait for the second set of bouncy balls to be fired at him.

 Chapter 225 - 225. Level Six

    Asher expertly dodged the first one that was shot towards his shoulder. The second bouncy ball stood no chance against him and was easily swatted toward the targets. Unfortunately, it missed the target but still showed off the skillful reflexes he had been growing.


    The next two were fired before he could fall back in to his stance again making him dive top slap the second bouncy ball. This time it ended up miraculously on target. The clicking of the barrels as the level went up again made Asher scramble to get back in to his stance and ready. He knew that things were heating up now and he would need to try harder than before.


    The next level fired three of the bouncy balls all in the same direction making him hesitate for a moment. He didn''t know if this was lucky or not but he managed to spin and slap them, all at once. The resounding three clicks at once drew everyone''s attention. This had not happened to any of them and the sound was odd.


    "Oh...this won''t be good¡­" Asher had the feeling that something bad was about to happen when the barrels started to click over and over.


    "Did I just hear six clicks? Is he somehow on level six already?" Jane was the first to be able to count the clicks of the barrels and realize that Asher had somehow jumped three levels with the last attack.


    "Should we start setting up the funeral for Asher now or later?" Art already knew they were about to witness the end of their friend since no one had gotten to such a tough level yet.


    "Is there an off button?" Asher''s final plea was met by the game firing two bouncy balls in succession three times. The fact that two of them were aimed at him and the other sets were to opposite sides made it appear that the game was out for his life wherever he had been standing.


    The thwack of them hitting Asher in the ribs was enough to make everyone wince in pain. They knew that there would be some impressive bruises there but also knew that Asher had just topped all of their scores.


    "I am going again. I want to try and get to level five at least." Louis jumped back up and the rotation continued.


    The group continued this way for another two hours before they had all gained their own matching bruises and studied the majority of the flash cards the apps had generated. "I think it is time to head out to rest. I am so done with this evil game!" Sammy had been given four hard shots in the past game and was not the happiest to feel the bruises forming on her arm and shoulder.


    "I agree. We have some strength training and moves top practice before we commit to sleeping." Asher was still dead set on their harsh training plan. He knew that their time at camp was coming to an end and he needed to make the best of the final days.


    The same staff member had watched them for a little while they practiced in the game and was surprised to see them leaving so many hours later. She had not expected the campers to be so dedicated to training in such a way and made sure that she left a note that the game might deserve its own area for training purposes.


    With the group splitting up Jane, Asher, and Art made their way toward the luxury cabin where they had a night of harsh muscle training ahead. They had set themselves up for this and were not going to miss the chance they were given. This was the start of their grand improvement to move forward.


    "So, how do we want to do this? Do we eat the vitamin packs then rotate through training? Should we still do our super power training?" Art was the one confused about how the circuit they normally did would work now. They could be wasting time if they sat and focused on their super powers since they wouldn''t be training their bodies.


    "I think the only one that should work pon their super powers whole we train is you. Your power puts stress on your mind so it could be good to push yourself to the limit again." Jane had this more or less figured out. "Asher and I will add on more studying and strength training."


    "I am fine with that. But we need to try and make sure we rest well in between. If we go too far we will still harm ourselves. The vitamin packs can''t fix everything. I also want to try and get a bunch of them with pour points before we leave. They will be perfect for future hard training days.''


    "That is a good idea. We should use all our points on them to take home. I can''t just go to the average grocery store and buy them." If Art had the ability to access his familys'' fortune then he would not hesitate to purchase a lifetime supply for him and his friends. However, he knew that he shouldn''t abuse money like that even if he did have the access.


    "Exactly, so late tonight we should hit the camp store and grab them. After that, we only have one thing left to look forward to." Jane looked at Asher and Art. "The family day should be happening tomorrow, right"


    "Oh. yeah. We should be able to see what Cara remembers from her time here. By the way, who do you think will come to see you jane?'' Asher had been wondering who from Jane''s family would visit her while she was at camp. Art and Asher had already explained theirs but didn''t have Jane speak too much about it. They were both wondering who they would end up meeting.


    "That''s not really a big deal. We can worry about that tomorrow. Let''s just get training." Jane forced them in to their training without even answering. This made them wonder just why she would be this worried about it.

 Chapter 226 - 226. Proof

    The two boys didn''t want to pry too much since they knew it could anger Jane so they just went on in to their training. Meanwhile, Jane was having her own mental freak out about who would be coming to visit her at camp.


    ''If it is mom everything will be fine. She might even try and get Asher to become a member of the family. But if dad comes then he might throw Asher in tom a volcano. He hates when boys get close to me.'' These fears and thoughts echoed in her head and jane was soon mumbling under her breath that she had hope it would be her mother visiting her.


    "Is Jane cheering herself on? Do you think that will really help us train harder"'' Art was wondering if this was a new way to push past her limits and if it would be worth him and Asher trying.


    "No idea, but if it works then I will go for it." Before Jane knew it Asher and Art were both cheering themselves on to lift heavier things and to punch one more time. Anyone who saw this would be laughing too hard to realize that the three were actually pushing themselves farther than normal. The mental block that said they were too tired had been shattered through their mental strength by doing this.


    The hours passed by as they trained much faster than usual. Before they knew it they had pushed themselves to the limit their bodies could take.


    "I think my arms and legs had become noodles. I feel like if I try and stand up again I will fall right back over." Asher had already said this before but was saying it again after trying to do another ten squats and failing.


    "I think I am lucky to be able to breathe. My abs are on fire and every time I take a deep breath it is like I have been hit in the stomach." Jane had just finished another ab circuit and realized that she may never be able to laugh freely again.


    "At least your brain isn''t melting out your ears. I am pretty sure that is what is going on with mine. I can''t even sense the metal in the room or else I will pass out." Art was convinced that he had done some serious damage to his brain due to the developing headache from constantly manipulating the metal beads.


    "I guess it is time to hit the camp store then. We should be able to finish off the points we have then spend the rest of the night resting and studying." Jane wanted to see if Jim was in the camp store again. She wanted to prove to at least Art that he existed for a fact.


    "Nooo, you can''t make me get up ever" Asher tried to fight it but was easily pulled off the ground by Art and Jane together. His shaky steps only went to show how much training they had all done in the entire day.


    Once they had left the cabin and were walking the path Art couldn''t help but find the entire camp silent. "This is a little creepy. No sounds and only the basic lights to show us the way¡­" he was constantly checking behind them for fear that there might be some machete wielding maniac behind them.


    "I think it is peaceful. There is only the calmness of the forest and the soft crunch of the leaves under our feet." Jane was the exact opposite she was enjoying the quiet of nature compared to the area they lived in.


    "No, you are both a little wrong. The piano in the background of the night is better." He looked at Jane who smiled wide.


    "Jim!" They both said together and used the last of the energy to run off to the camp store. Art trailed behind not realizing why the piano tune and the staff member they had idolized was related.


    "You two really make a habit of coming here late, huh?" Jim was sitting behind the counter fiddling with the radio to make it come out smoother. "And you brought a friend this time. Nice to meet you, I am Jim a friendly staff member." Jim laughed a little while he adjusted the radio to a perfectly clear sound.


    Art started to wrack his brain for facts about this man since he had heard he was a retired hero. But in all his research he had nothing that would connect the staff members'' face to a hero. "I was told you were a retired hero but I can''t put the face to the hero name¡­"


    "Oh, that''s because I wore a mask. I didn''t want some nasty villains trying to come after me, you know?" This made perfect sense and many heroes followed the logic. "I am sure you didn''t come here just to meet a washed up hero. What can I help you kids with?" Jim placed his head in his hands and looked at the three before him.


    "We want to spend all of our points on the vitamin packs to bring home with ut. If we can save them for the hardest training days we will recover much better and be able to grow faster." Asher didn''t even think of lying to Jim. He knew that Jim might even have a better idea and share it with them.


    "That is a wise choice. I can give you all as many as possible and even set them up in a box. Sound good?" Jim watched as all three nodded. "Then I will get to it." He set them all up in a line in the counter filling them with the vitamin packs then closing and taping them shut. "This one is for Art, here is yours Asher, and for the lovely Jane I threw in a package of the adrenaline protein powder."


    "Thank you Jim. You are the best!" Jane grabbed her package.


    "Wait, but how did he know my name?" Art had not introduced himself and was caught up on this.


    "Just don''t worry about it." Asher brushed off Art''s worry, "I hope we can see you again in the future. Good night I hope you get time to go see your daughter in concert!" Asher waved to Jim on their way out leaving him with a happy expression.


    "I will never get to the day when I don''t like seeing the future generation grow. So much potential." Jim started to close up the camp store after the three had left. He decided it was a good night to call it early for a good rest.

 Chapter 227 - 227. Wall

    The three were eager to return and finally rest. They had already eaten one of the vitamin packs and realized it made them feel extremely full. "I''m pretty sure if anyone ever ate two of these they would explode!" Jane was ready to fall in to a food coma from this.


    "No, we can''t just sleep. We need to follow the elite home gym systems steps to stretching and relaxing." Asher didn''t want them to miss the important step which would help their muscles relax and heal. "I''m hitting the shower. If you are both asleep when I get back I''m logging in to tour studying accounts and setting up quizzes."


    This warning was enough for the two to forcefully ignore their current tiredness and focus on some flash cards.


    The elite home gym system lead each of them through a stretching routine then suggested multiple medicinal shampoos and body washed which assisted in repairing from harsh work outs.


    By the time they had all rotated through this routine, neither of them were able to stay awake at all. They had been completely exhausted beyond any normal means. Asher was just glad that a few bed rolls had been added to the cabin so that they could all sleep separately instead of needing to share the one bed in shifts. Naturally, Jane was the winner of the bed but Art and Asherf had no way to argue it.


    "Attention all Campers! The final day event has begun. Please report to the camp entrance to secure your visitors!" This announcement replayed itself three times loud enough to wake up any sleeping capers in the entirety of the camp.


    "I''m up! I swear I wasn''t sleeping in class!" Art was abruptly woken from a dream where he was desperately trying to stay focused in math class. This was a reoccurring nightmare for him since he always had challenges with math.


    "Dude. You need to get ready. We have some people to go meet." Asher had been the first awake and was already dressed and ready to head out. Jane was right behind him and just making up the bed so she would leave it looking well kept.


    Art jumped up and rushed himself together so that he could head out with the other two. He also knew that he needed to clean up the remains of the metal beads before he left and was just finishing throwing them in to a box when he heard Jane and Asher start to head out the door.


    "Guys, you can''t leave me. What if I got lost and never found you all again?" Art was being a little over dramatic when he found that Asher and Jane were waiting right outside the door for him.


    "Come on let''s go get Cara and Janes'' family." The three started down the path with Art mumbling about waiting and getting ready. "Are you sure you don''t want to tell us who you think will be here?" Asher tried one last time and was ignored by Jane. He felt that he would just need to wait and see.


    The sounds of the crowded campers were louder than anyone had expected. The reason quickly came in to view as they realized there was a massive wall in front of the entrance. Garnet was standing on top of the wall with a smug grin on her face.


    "Now that you should all be here I will give you the rules, climb this wall and you get to spend the day with whoever came to visit and take you home. Fail to climb this wall and you need to take the busses home tomorrow after a bonus night training with me." The campers instantly lost it and started to try and climb the flat wall surface.


    "Well, I can''t say it felt too easy. Because it definitely did. But I let this one get by me." Asher had let himself believe it would be simple as walking over and finding Cara. However, he had been too positive and missed the reality of the situation.


    "So, how do we climb a flat wall? We can''t just run and jump to catch the edge. It''s way too high." Art was trying to think of how he could secretly make metal spikes to use to climb the wall. But that would expose his ability to people and possibly get him in to hot water.


    "It''s way easier than you guys think. Everyone else may not have been doing it so far since they have focused on themselves. But our group has been doing it all along. We work together." Jane had already seen the moral of the last challenge and was shaking her head at those trying to climb the wall by themselves.


    "Hey, what is your plan for the obstacle?" Laura showed up behind the three with Sammy, Louis, and Jackson in tow. She had already assembled them to meet the three and make sure they had a plan.


    "We will make a pyramid and bring everyone over the wall together," Jane spoke with confidence since she wanted to take the lead on this.


    "See I told you that this was not a solo event." Louis was about to try and zap Sammy but she was too fast to get out of the way.


    "I already stopped you two from arguing before. If you try again I will throw you two over the wall and you''ll need to hope for a soft landing." Jackson was mostly joking he would never throw anyone like that. However, there was a slight desire since he was a little annoyed at the two arguing like children.


    "Jackon taking the parental role, nice. But I don''t think you will be able to stop them for long. We will just send one over the wall first." Asher was ready to let Jackson toss them over the wall but he knew he couldn''t convince him to do anything of the sort.


    "Let''s move to the edge of the wall so that we don''t give away the strategy. I think this is a lesson better learned the hard way." Jane was being a little more brutal than usual but the entire group agreed and followed her lead.

 Chapter 228 - 228. High Jump

    The group moved themselves to the edge of the wall so that they could stay to themselves. "Please refrain from going any further. This is the edge of the wall and if yu7ou pass this point you will be disqualified." There was a staff member at the edge just for this worry.


    "We just wanted to get some space. Thank you for the warning." Jane stopped where the staff member had told them and looked at their group. Jackson and Art are the biggest so they can make the base. Then it will be me and Asher. From there Louis can help Sammy and Laura up. Once they are good Louis will stay on top of the wall and offer a hand to the pothers."


    Jane had planned this all out in her head flawlessly. She was so confident that even the staff member had nodded their head with her while watching the group. Although the staff member was just happy to see a group getting the lesson of this last challenge so easily.


    "Sounds like a plan. Let''s get to it." Asher had no qualms with being a step[[ping stone for his friends to get up and over. It was the plan for them to be a hero group in the future and this was just the start of them assisting each other.


    "I think I can help those who are coming down. I was able to get a decent amount of force from the wind while practicing yesterday." Sammy charmed in a little nervously with her good news.


    "Then you are in charge of spotting those that come down. Even a little bit of an air cushion will be great." Jane could see the worry and reassured Sammy before she got in to her position.


    "Alright, Sammy coming up!" Louis didn''t waste a second and started Sammy up on top of Asher then Jane''s backs. From this height, it was no problem reaching the wall and sliding over.


    There was a slight breeze and a soft thump as Sammy came down on the other side. "All good here. Send Laura next."


    With the OK from Sammy Laura was hoisted up and easily slid over the wall. There was a similar breeze and thump as Laura came down. "That was perfect! Your power is awesome."


    Laura was convinced that Sammy had one of the best powers since it slowed her descent so much.


    "I am coming over!" Louis was slightly worried that Sammy would let him fall but he also knew that he would end up at odds with her anyways so shrugged it off. However, to his surprise, Sammy sent a nice gust of wind at him almost perfectly floating him to the ground. "Wow, you really have been working on your super power lately. That was great." He even went so far as to pat her head.


    "Awe, now you two look like real brother and sister. It''s cuter this way." Laura was the audience to this touching moment quickly causing the two to look away and pretend they still were arguing.


    "Alright, Jane. Feel free to jump up from my back. I will stay on top since Louis went all the way down." Louis had forgotten to stay at the top of the wall but this wasn''t an issue since Jane and Asher were going to have to both stay and pull Jackson and Art up.


    "Then up I go!" Jane stood on Asher''s back and jumped. The force wasn''t too much strain and she was easily able to grab the edge of the wall. "I am so glad I am, not sore this morning." She grunted this as she pulled herself on to the ledge. "Come on Asher!"


    Asher didn''t waste the time and had Jackson and Art give him a leg up. The two were able to easily push him up to grab Janes'' hand. Asher clasped her hand and grabbed the edge with his other easily pulling himself up. "You''re right. The vitamin packs really did wonders. I even feel stronger today." Asher wanted to flex and test things out but Art was already being given a leg up.


    "Catch me!" Art barely made it to the right height to catch Asher and Jane''s hands.


    "Dude, were you always this heavy? Don''t tell me you are still wearing weights. " Asher swore Art had doubled in weight and expected to see the leg and arm weights on him.


    "Dang bro, that''s mean. I have been muscle training like crazy¡­" Asher tried to ignore the sad look Art had and helped him over the edge. "I''m coming down!" Art fell a little faster and hit the ground a little harder due to his weight but there was still a sizable breeze that pushed him back up to lighten the fall.


    Jackson had backed up a few feet and started sprinting at the wall. Before Jane and Asher realized it he had kicked up off the wall and was heading upwards with his hands open. His face came to the same height as Asher''s causing Asher to fall back in fright.


    "Sorry!" Jackson caught the ledge and didn''t expect to have put so much force in to his jump. He still didn''t have a grasp on his strength yet.


    Asher was falling head first without an air cushion. There were a few shocked gasps from parents watching. Asher flailed his legs and managed to kick the wall on his way down. This made him somersault in the air and hit the ground in a roll. He rolled a total of four times before he stopped and stood in place dazed.


    He raised his hands to all the parents that had been drawn to him "umm ta-da!" He tried his best to look triumphant and was rewarded with a round of awe inspired applause.


    "I am so sorry. I didn''t realize I had to hold back more." Jackson had just hit the ground and immediately ran to Asher''s side.


    "I guess I am fine. But dude, you could have jumped the wall if you wanted!" Asher was more amazed that Jackson had the strength to jump that high with such a small running start. Jackson just became silent and worried that Asher had hurt his head.

 Chapter 229 - 229. Family Members

    "I can''t believe my child has turned from everything I have taught him and become so dangerous." The woman that spoke was a small and short woman with little blue flowers growing in her hair.


    "No mom! It was an accident. I still can''t control my strength yet but I have improved a lot. I swear it wasn''t like that at all. Asher, please tell me mom I didn''t mean to hurt you." Jackson had crumbled like a sand castle in the tides. His mother may not be intimidating or large but her false tears were enough to melt Jackson.


    "I am fit as ever. Don''t worry. If push comes to shove I am the one who can beat up on Jackson. We actually have been showing him a few tricks in martial arts to help him understand his body. They are super basic self defense and foot work but I promise they will help." Asher made a show of flexing and hopping around a little.


    Jackson''s mother laughed slightly. "Then I will take your friend''s word for it. But what is this about you learning martial arts? Will you be fighting? I don''t need a hoodlum in my house." Jackson was grabbed away by his mother and soon found himself being scolded on a picnic blanket some ways from the group.


    " Oof, who would have thought Jackson could be lead around so easily." Art was not sure what to think. But it did make sense that a mother could have such an effect on any child of theirs.


    "Louis, Sammy, come on over here and help this old man meet your friends!" This shout came from a skinny and very elderly man with cloudlike hair. The more Asher looked at it the more he realized that the old man actually did have a beard and head of hair made of real moving clouds.


    "Yes grandfather!" The twin chorus of Sammy and Louis came abruptly as they rushed to the old man''s side. Sammy took his arm while Louis was sure not to touch him. It seemed that he was the only one warry due to his super power.


    "Louis, didn''t you burn off your energy this morning? You can control the small shocks now, you help grandfather." Sammy quickly saw this and pushed Louis to take the lead as he had used to do.


    "Of course!" Louis had forgotten he could do this now and stood confidently while taking his grandfathers'' arm.


    "The boy who was pulled off was Jackson, this is Laura and Asher. They both came early to camp due to special selection. The last two are Jane and Art. They are my classmates as well as friends and study group partners." Louis was much more full of confidence than usual.


    "You and Sammy managed to gain a study group and they have the members of those that were selected due to their above average performance? I am impressed. I am glad you were able to come here. Please treat my little monsters well. They may fight like brother and sister but they are kind at heart."


    The grandfather started to direct the embarrassed Sammy and Louis away to sit down. "Well, that was something. I can see that their family has more than two weather related super powers. That''s pretty amazing." Jane was looking at the old mans'' cloudy hair and beard as he walked away wondering what other weather related powers may have been passed down to them.


    "I guess we won''t be seeing much of them for the rest of the day." Asher realized that his friends being dragged away by family meant that they would most likely be too busy to hang around with them. But that wasn''t necessarily a bad thing.


    "Asher!!!!! Ronan!!!!" The loud boom of Caras'' voice shocked every single adult and even toppled some of the campers on the opposite side of the wall in shock. Asher himself just dropped his head and wished he could forgo the embarrassment that was about to befall him.


    "Why didn''t you come to find me? You''re just over here hanging out with your friends? And how were you the first ones over the wall, don''t tell me you snuck around?" Cara was full of energy and was bombarding Asher with too many questions.


    "Hello Cara, it is nice to see you. Asher told us you would most likely be the one to come so your parents could have a day with each other." Jane was sweet as ever and completely stole the show.


    "Hi Jane, These two didn''t try and snatch your points right? If they held you back even a little I can make the morning work outs much harder." Cara worried that the two boys had left Jane in the dust but after a quick talk Jane had convinced Cara that everything was fine.


    "So, Mom and Dad are off on a date to some movie then dinner. It will just be us. I want you to show me what you guys have been up to. Oh, and I met your mother Jane. She is under the tree over there waiting for you. I told her I would send you her way."


    "Mom is here!" Jane instantly became much more animated than she was before. The weight of her worried was off her shoulders and she knew that she wouldn''t need to worry about her father being over protective and trying to keep her away from boys.


    Without another word, Jane had rushed off to meet her mother. "It''s just us now, I will text Jane that we are going to head to the sparring field since I can''t imagine you want to go anywhere else." Asher accepted the fact that Cara was most likely going to force him and Art to go and show off the results of their week long training. For Asher, the additional three days was even more reason to test him.


    "Then off we go, no reason to wait around." Art was ready to be on the way. Cara knew that his family wouldn''t be coming and chose not to bother about it.


    However, there was a soft whispered voice from behind them, "Not even going to say good morning to your mother?"

 Chapter 230 - 230. Show Me Around

    Asher and Cara hadn''t heard the voice but Art had heard it clear as day. There was no way he wouldn''t recognize his own mothers'' voice, no matter how whispered it was.


    "I snuck away from work without anyone knowing to come and see how you were doing and you just walk away without even saying anything." The woman who was wearing a large white sunhat and clean white sundress looked like she had just lost her favorite candy. Her face puffed up and a little red made it clear that she was hurt by Arts'' ignorance.


    "Mom!" Art rand and nearly tackled her. "You shouldn''t have come. You could get in so much trouble if he didn''t give you permissi-"


    "Be quiet like that. Family tradition may be the base of our strength but it can be bent slightly. If I did not come to check on my son I would be less of a mother. Your father may be trapped in his office but I can escape the lab while I wait on results." Art''s mother stood tall and triumphant at her scheme to escape and visit.


    "Your brother is also too busy with his own, whatever he is doing, to even answer my calls. So here I am, no one the wiser." Art finally released his mother from the hug he had been crushing her with, "Also, when did you get so strong? I am sure you did not have muscles like these when you started school this year."


    "Come over here and meet my best friend Asher. I have been lucky enough to stay with his family. This is his sister Cara, she is one of the top ranked in the school, she''s amazing!'' Art wasn''t holding back in the least which caused both Asher and Cara to become embarrassed. Yet, it was Cara that turned the reddest between the two.


    "Thank you for taking care of my little Arty. He is a little lost sometimes but looking at him now I feel like he has grown many years in just a few weeks." Art''s mother had used her favorite nickname for him making Asher smile devilishly.


    "Yes, Arty has been the best house guest. He wakes up and trains with my sister and me every morning and he even has been studying in our group a lot." Art shot glares of pure ice at Asher after hearing this.


    "He is quite the chef. He made my birthday cake and if he wasn''t so dead set on being a hero he could open his own restaurant." Cara didn''t hesitate to say this at all. It was just too obvious to her that this would be the ideal path for Art to take if he ever gave up on being a hero.


    "He did always learn from his grandmother. She passed all the family recipes down to him. I tried to convince her to teach me but the fourth time I decided to experiment and turned the cookie in to a bubbling pot of chocolate and flour she kicked me from the kitchen. It wasn''t my fault for wondering what would happen." Art''s mother just sighed and looked away remembering the moment.


    "I think Asher and your mother would work well together in the kitchen," Cara whispered to Art who nodded in agreement. He had more than filled Cara in and the one time Asher had made breakfast had proved that he was not the best chef in the world.


    "Now, I have never been to this camp and think a tour is in order. Can that be arranged?" Art''s mother rarely left the lab and wanted the full tour. The last time she had been in the woods was a very poor camping trip in which she had spent her time inside and away from the outdoors due to her husband''s distastes for it. It couldn''t even be called camping in the least.


    "Asher, I will meet up with you two later. I am going to show off the camp to my mother. I bet she will get a kick out of the luxury cabin since she knows the people who design those fancy home gyms." Art grabbed his mother''s arm and was already leading her around the edge of the wall toward the camp entrance. A staff member happily allowed them passed as they had already passed the challenge of climbing the wall.


    "What did he mean show off the luxury cabin? It sounds like you two were actually in there." Cara laughed off the idea knowing that finding the golden egg had been impossible. She had looked for the majority of her first day and come up with nothing at all.


    "That''s because I stayed there every single night. I found the egg in a hole in a tree, in the top of a sign, in the gutter of a roof¡­" Asher explained how he and his friends had found the egg and even shocked Garnet. "We even got permission for all three of us to use it since we had special reasoning. I think it is one of the best things that could have happened because now I have the academic app and the elite home gym app for training."


    Asher had already pulled up the apps on his phone to show the stunned Cara, Her face fell in to more shock and confusion as she saw the training plans outlined for Asher and even his friends. The second that he switched t the academic app she felt as if her heart had stopped completely.


    "How can you be learning junior level-IS THAT A SENIOR YEAR SCIENCE CLASS!" Cara couldn''t hold all of this back any longer. In just a short time Asher had not only done so many things that she had not been able to in the same situation and she had in camp. But he had also jumped leaps and bounds ahead in his academics.


    "We have been training a lot and taking advantage of all the resources available. The academic app has an accelerated program you can select to add to my training plan too. It has been hard but super worth it. Everyone in my group has it set up like this." Asher was explaining things plainly but to Cara, these were hard hits.

 Chapter 231 - 231. Its Great

    "There''s no way you were able to live in the luxury cabin, catch up on academics, and improve your training so much in just nine days!" Cara couldn''t handle all of the things Asher was unloading.


    "But¡­we kinda did." Asher didn''t have any idea what to say. He had not expected his sister to be so shocked.


    "Where is that brutal camp counselor?.." Cara started to look around at every staff member. It was clear she was searching for Garnet to get answers. "Ha! There she is. Let''s get to the bottom of this."


    Cara started off in a straight line to Garnet. If Asher didn''t know that Garnet had a different super power he would have sworn she had a sixth sense because she looked up and zeroed in on Cara immediately.


    "Oh, so the loud girl came huh? Still making your fellow classmates deaf? Or have you decided starting a battle with a roar isn''t the best option?" Garnet''s attitude was much more harsh than with Asher.


    "Did you hand them the key to the luxury cabin or is Asher trying to mess with me? And what''s this about the academic and elite home gym system app? How are they linked and why do they have premium accounts? How can there even be premium accounts?"


    The bombardment made Garnets'' face sour. Cara was not only getting louder in her shaken state but also drawing some attention of nearby campers and parents.


    "Ya done yet?" Garnet was ready to give Cara what for when she realized that it would not be the proper way to handle things. She could also direct things another way.


    "This kid always found that golden egg before half of my siblings. Literally would walk in to it without a thought in the world. The premium came from his high evaluation ranking for potential. He is paid for, for life if he wants. Only the best can get it. And the academic app is something you should have heard about, if you''re jealous about that try and catch up to him."


    The response instantly put Cara down a notch. She had never expected to hear that Asher was catching up to her in this lifetime. Let alone his friends by any means. It was all too out there to believe at first.


    "Asher, it''s always nice to see a camper that has grown. Please make sure your younger sister keeps growing." Garnet let this last stab at Cara by calling her the younger sister fly before walking away. This was a little revenge for the blown ear drums during sparring matches.


    Asher watched as Cara clenched her fist and took a deep breath. Asher felt his blood run cold, "Cara stop. The parents and campers will go deaf too!"


    Worried that she was about to yell and get her own hit back Asher witnessed her make a slight whistle. This small action didn''t make Asher or anyone else ear brims pop. However, Garnet reached for her phone and then turned it back to her pocket.


    Cara did this whistle multiple times soliciting the same response. She had perfectly replicated the small tone that the phone made when it received a notification. It was one thing Cara remembered from camp.


    Before she did this a seventh time Garnet finally gave up and tossed the phone across the way and in to the woods. Asher could even hear her cursing it out for breaking again.


    "Hmpf, that will teach her to call me the younger sister." Cara was standing with her arms crossed


    Looking proud of her actions. Asher had the feeling though, that Cara was even more child like than before.


    "You might be evil. Forget law enforcement you might be straight evil." Asher spoke and was no sooner met with Caras'' glare.


    "I still can''t believe you were able to find that stupid egg. Show me the luxury cabin, no one ever found it and got to see the inside." Cara had swallowed her annoyance and was trying to get a tour since no one she knew until now had actually stepped foot in the luxury cabin.


    "I don''t know what you are expecting. The entire cabin is set up for top notch training. It isn''t for luxury in the relaxing sense...well, the bed is very comfy." Asher started to wander to the luxury cabin and no sooner opened the door and Cara had rushed in first.


    "These weights are top of the line. And this bed is one of the cloud sleeper elite. It costs more than our house! It can adjust to the sleeper and even slowly remove muscle cramps." Cara was rushing about the room looking through every single piece of equipment while Asher watched and slowly became bored.


    ''I might as well start some small training while she figures things out.'' He followed this thought and activated the elite home gym system. The first thing to come up was the prompt to create a new user. "Hey Cara, do you want to make a guest account or link a real account to mine?" Asher immediately felt the weight of this.


    "What do you mean make an account? What for?" Cara was frozen in place looking at the large television with the information on it.


    "The elite home gym. You should be able to make a guest account for here of a regular account linked to mine. I have no idea what it will let you do but it should be better than the normal account." Asher knew that this was like holding a steak in front of a lion and assuming it wouldn''t bite.


    "What''s the point of signing up? I have already tried the app and it offers the basic planning functions but nothing too special." She brushed it off finally making Asher wonder what the free app was like since he had never seen that section before.


    "No, the app is great. It gives you training videos, critique, training plans¡­ Why are you looking at me like I''m crazy?" Cara had opened the app she had long ignored and grabbed Asher''s phone to compare the two. Her face slowly changing to disbelief yet again.

 Chapter 232 - 232. Looking For Entertainment

    "I can''t even access these on the free version. Even the forst section of premium costs a hundred dollars a week. This is crazy. What level...The level you have isn''t even available to someone for purchase!" Cara felt as if her world was upsidedown.


    "Well, I found the golden egg and tried out the elite home gym system. I accidentally tried one of the hell mode work outs and it evaluated me pretty high I guess. The next day Garnet set up a ton of stuff for me¡­" Cara was furiously typing on her and Ashers'' phone.


    "I linked my account to yours. Your friends are all already linked too. I took the last spot. I am not even sorry because¡­" Cara flipped her phone up and showed Asher the results, "I have access to almost everything you do just by being linked on your account."


    He watched as she started to swipe through things and set up her own training plans. Every few seconds she would make surpised gasps or grumbled about diets and resting times. It was like she had been possessed. With her completely occupied Asher clicked a few buttons then announced to the elite home gym system his training decision.


    "Please run my custom rag doll balance training." Asher had slowly put together some balance training in to its'' own playlist so that he could practice just like this.


    "The program will begin within one minute. Please prepare." The elite home gym system responded. Unknown to Asher, Cara behind him was looking at him and the television in awe.


    "Wait, how does it know that you are ready? Does it have voice command and touch screen?" Cara couldn''t hold herself back any longer. Her curiosity was too much.


    "The entire toom is set up to watch your moves. The floor is pressure sensors. The mirrors record but can also project. Everything. It gives the best possible advice for what you did and are trying to do." Asher felt like he was back to the first time explaining this to Jane and Art. It was a little sad since it meant that this was the last time he would be able to use something so awesome as this home gym.


    "No way! That must be way too expensive...it''s really luxury." Cara was at a loss and fell in to a whisper. Meanwhile, all she could do was watch Asher begin his short training while she tried to adjust her own setting within the app. However, she was surprised to find that her measurements such as height, weight, and muscle sizes were already updated.


    "It took my measurements and even had my heart beat monitor. This is too amazing." Asher just ignored her small outbursts of shock whole her worked out. He had long gotten over it and was trying to avoid how much he would miss it.


    The two went on like this for an hour. Cara was geeking out over the entire set up while Asher killed the time with training. Before long they had both exhausted their interest and decided it was best to leave.


    "I don''t know how you could ever work out normally again. That place is heaven. No wonder why that beast of a camp counselor looks even stronger now." Cara was always at odds with Garnet due to her loud outbursts. However, that still had not stopped Garnet from beating every single challenge Cara threw her way.


    "I am trying not to think about it. I will use the app and follow the plans and still make progress. Just try and stay ahead if you can." Asher''s small challenge made Cara much more worried than he knew. She had already seen the massive leap in his ability just from the small time killer training he did. Now with the app to show the progress it was even more forefront in her mind.


    "You think I would let that happen? You and your friends will be left in the dust now that I am linked on your account too. Just wait for the morning workouts¡­ You and Art won''t even stand a chance." Cara was smiling like the evil while she planned out the future pain she would give them.


    "I am sure I will be fine, but maybe don''t hurt Art too much. He might not make that cake again if you are too mean." Asher knew this was playing dirty but he could not resist throwing his own punch back.


    "You shouldn''t talk about such terrible things. I am sure he will make it again if I ask. I''ll just make his work outs easier and you can do the extra." Caras'' voice became cold and dead. Asher knew he had pushed too far by risking the godly cake.


    "I was just joking. No need for any harder workouts, hahaha." Asher trailed off as he saw that Cara''s eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Anyways, why don''t we head somewhere else? There are sure to be things you want to do other than just see the luxury cabin" Asher knew it would be the sparring field but he had to get her distracted.


    "Then we should go and see what is happening in the center of camp near the dining cabin. I always went there to snag some matches or follow an interesting lead." Cara had used this strategy to a great deal of success while at camp and didn''t see why it wouldn''t work now.


    "Sure!" Asher hadn''t expected this answer but had technically used this strategy himself when he walked through camp to try and goad others in to an angry match. It had been a worthwhile tactic to get points.


    The two made their way effortlessly to the dining cabin area and found it completely mobbed by campers trying to use their points on food for their family and themselves.


    "Now all we need to do is get a few of them in to a group battle and we will rake in the points for a fancy meal." Cara was already in point farming mode. Her evil grin terrifying Asher.

 Chapter 233 - 233. Future Son In Law

    "You mean all these weak and pathetic campers can''t even afford the points to feed their families? I thought you said you stayed in the luxury cabin like it was nothing? That must be because of their poor effort. I doubt they can impress their parents at all. Let''s go to the sparring fields and show them the true strength of a camper."


    Cara had said this extremely loudly so that many parents and campers heard tit. This solicited a lot of angry and annoyed responses. Most of which followed her and Asher as they moved toward the sparring fields.


    "Jane, Art, and I did this too. I walked holding the golden egg as if it was a toy I had found. I also rubbed it on their face. I made plenty of points." Asher and Cara were bonding way too well over this.


    "I knew you were my brother for a reason. If you had spent your time without points I would not believe we were even related. By the way, how many points do you have?" Cara had wondered just how many Asher had netted in this time. He had been in the luxury cabin and been goading on the other campers so she assumed he had many points to play with.


    "Oh, I have zero." Caras'' face turned sour at this and she was ready to hit him. Asher quickly explained for this fear. "I spent them all on the vitamin packs that help recover from harsh training. I am bringing them home so that I can get stronger. I wanted to bring them all home."


    Cara relaxed after hearing this. She couldn''t reprimand Asher for doing something that made sense. It was a wise choice and she knew that whoever had guided him toward the item that not many would find within the camp store was even more wise.


    "I wish I had found those sooner. I found them the second to last day and was completely empty on points so I never bought them. The cost too much outside here so I didn''t buy one ever." Cara had always lamented this.


    "Then you can have one of mien when we get home. Just make sure you set up proper training. And by proper, I mean the worst ever." Asher


    "I have the app now so I will use that to do a full day of training. You are your friends can join me but I will run circles around all of you." Cara was already excited about this.


    "I think Jackson will have a better run than you. His super power literally makes his body the peak of humanity. Basically, he is super strong and athletic even though he only cares about flowers. Although, if he got a gardening related super power he might have become a strangely peaceful villain who turned the world in to a  garden."


    This made Asher laugh slightly as he explained Jacksons'' love of plants to her. The guy stood out in the crowd and Cara had seen him when they came over the wall. "I thought he was a jacked work out buff. I can''t believe he isn''t in to combat and muscle training. I think any guy would kill for that super power¡­" Cara couldn''t imagine the large guy she had seen standing heads above others was a soft and fragile flower.


    "He doesn''t want to look like that but it is the super power he gained. He has mentioned a few times that it makes some parts of gardening very easily. So, I guess it is a win." Asher just shrugged it off and looked at the sparring field in front of him.


    There were a decent amount of people already there and even more on their way from Cara and Asher''s teasing. They had perfectly chosen and set up their venue for them to make points. They saw a staff member on the edge of the field constantly explaining rules.


    "Here on parents day points can be earned by anyone. The points will go directly to the camper but those who lose forfeit points as well. Be prepared."


    "So basically if I lose then you lose points. I can live with that." Cara stepped in to the field and looked for someone worth fighting. Asher followed and did the same. However, he managed to find that jane had already beaten them there and apparently had finished a match.


    "Asher, I knew you would come here with Cara. I am farming some points so that my mom and I can get the most expensive meal." Jane motioned to a woman that looked almost identical to her but older and more refined.


    "So you are the little Asher my Jane is smitten with." Asher and Jane turned bright red hearing this and started to shift on their feet. "Oh, no need to act bashful. This is normal. Now, let me look at my future son in law."


    Jane''s mother circled Asher much to Janes'' protest. She had been completely embarrassed by her words and felt as if she was going to lose it at any minute. "I brought you here to show you my training results and now you are going to make my rival run away!" Jane yelled at her mother and tried to drag her away. Unfortunately, Janes'' mother was going nowhere fast.


    "Jane told me you two have been staying in the luxury cabin with your friend Art. You three are thick as thieves. I hope you can take care of Jane until you all graduate." She made sure to shake Caras'' hand before giving in to Jane and being dragged away toward another side of the sparring field.


    "That was interesting. Janes'' mom seems like she is very interesting." Cara couldn''t help but comment as she watched the two head away from them.


    "I thought she was going to tell me I can''t hang out with Jane anymore. I think I made the cut to be her friend though." Asher was breathing a sigh of relief not realizing he had passed more than this as a test.

 Chapter 234 - 234. Five Against One

    Asher thought that interesting may have been an understatement from what Cara said. "Jane was acting weird about her parents coming and I guess it was because her mother is trying to marry her off already." Asher tried to laugh a little but the thought of marrying Jane was making his heart beat faster than a bullet train.


    "I don''t think she is trying to marry her off to just anyone." Cara wanted to take the chance to tease Asher since she could see right through his and Janes'' feelings.


    "Wait! There is a guy somewhere here?" Asher fell in to a red faced anger looking for anyone that Jane''s mother may have been looking at more than others.


    "And here I thought you have started to improve. I guess common sense and academics aren''t hand in hand.'' Cara just shook her head and started to move toward an empty space. "Come one come all. Take on the former queen of the sparring field and her brother. Any who can take us down gets all of our points!"


    Asher was about to yell at Cara for suddenly offering up all their points when he realized that he didn''t have any so it wasn''t a risk at all. "I think everyone in the entire world just heard you shout." Asher thought that the yell may have been slightly over the top since his ears were ringing.


    "Eh, I used to do this whenever I needed a match. Sometimes I would wake people up and they would get super angry." Cara was even happier to say this since those people had given her plenty of points.


    "I swear, you have yet to change after leaving this camp. How did you ever end up with a brother that was so quiet?" Garnet came from the edge of the training field visibly annoyed that Cara had just yelled over the entire camp. "She even used to yell over the announcements so that she could make some of the other campers angry and target her."


    Garnet was just shaking her head while the two looked at her. Cara didn''t look sorry at all. however, the campers heading their way looked even better.


    "Let''s take on as many as we can the first time. What''s the limit? Five against one on a match?"


    Cara was ready to fight and had warmed herself up already. "Yes, five against one." Garnets'' sigh made it sound like she had answered this question a million times.


    "Alright first ten come forward. Five against Ashjer and five against me. Get yourselves organized and we will start." Cara was running the show and before Asher realized it there were five opponents ready to get revenge for him finding the golden egg every time.


    The small shouts from encouraging parents reached their ears and Asher felt like he was the villain in this situation. "This is the last day, give it everything you have and show off what you trained. I expect you to put that headache in to check." Garnet gave Aher a slight encouragement before she shouted to begin.


    Asher couldn''t believe his eyes. The five he was challenging ran at him all at once. There was no plan and no chance for them to organize. Just a straightforward run at him without even using their super powers.


    He couldn''t imagine why they were so stupid in their battle strategy but this didn''t cause him to hesitate. He lowered his level and swept a foot at their ankles. This efficient and strong kick caused every single one of them to trip and fall flat on their face. "You guys should really have to try and plan these things out. I was able to take all of you down with one move."


    Asher knew the five were incredibly embarrassed and broken by this one move. When the first boy stood up and brushed the dirt off his face he charged again in frustration. Asher decided that this was the perfect chance to show off a throw and cause the boy by the arm. The flight was only for a second but the crash and takedown would last the boy a lifetime.


    "Come on! Let''s crush this golden egg stealer!'' Two of the other boys had gotten up and were both p[unching at Asher''s head. They didn''t care about the risk of injury and wanted p[ure revenge for the goating that Asher had been doing.


    This would have worked in their favor but they left themselves wide open. Asher couldn''t help lowering his levels and unleashing multiple jabs toward their ribs. Before the two knew it Asher was standing again and the two were on their knees trying to catch their breath. "Like I said you should try and plan things out. Your two...or your last friend is doing that." Asher realized that one of the boys that had fallen on his face was completely knocked out.


    "You think you''re all that. But you shouldn''t be able to handle my charge." The boy started to turn slightly grey skinned and a large horn sprouted from his head. This was like a wild rhinoceros. The boy charged forward with thudding feet. The strength he had gained by using his super power was much more than he had used before and would easily crush someone who did not expect it.


    "That''s better!" Asher dodged to the side at the moment the horn was about to hit him. He left his foot there to trip up the boy but found that it made no difference. The boy couldn''t slow his progress and charged right in to a tree lodging his horn in to it and struggling to stand back up properly. "I guess I win."


    Asher was a little surprised by the sudden ending but also knew that this was a very easy match. Meanwhile, he was looking at Cara who appeared to be playing with her opponents. She had them all surrounding her and coming in with attacks. However, as soon as they would try and land she would grab the arm or foot coming at her and redirect it. She was basically throwing them around with their own momentum. The strategy was one that Asher had yet to consider a move at all.

 Chapter 235 - 235. 1 Vs. 5 Round Two

    "Stop[ fooling around and end the match!" Garnet was tired of watching Cara fool around with the five trying to attack her. They were making no progress and this was just a game to Cara.


    "Oh no, cover your ears," Asher warned Garnet as he saw Cara make an annoyed face and open her hands wide.


    Cara slapped her hands together and a loud boom echoed through the area. This stunned the five along with many others on the sparring field but luckily didn''t harm any ear drums.


    Cara used this stunning effect to make an opening for herself to use her speed to take them all down. In a matter of seconds, she had used her footwork to get to all five stunned campers and take them down to the ground. They couldn''t even react to defend themselves.


    "So what do we do now? I am pretty sure I won''t get anyone else to go against me since using that move announces my standing at school." Cara was right. There were a decent amount of campers pointing her out as one of the top students currently at their school.


    "I think I still have some interested opponents." Asher pointed to the next group that had already formed in front of him. "So if you want to check out my style, you are more than welcome to watch." Cara wasn''t super happy with this response but it was the best she was going to get with the situation.


    "So you have finally scared off all the competition in your school. What a shame." Garnet was still looking at Cara with a vengeful smile since she was sour that she had been the receiver of movies like Cara had just used many times.


    Asher on the other hand had been very lucky to look through the past memories and always remained able to hear. The medical prowess of the world now was so amazing that a completely deaf person could have surgery to receive perfect hearing. Not to mention the easily healable minor damage.


    The five that stood in front of Asher now appeared to have a little more planning behind them since they weren''t all standing in the same position. There were two pairs on opposite sides and a single larger boy in front of him. Garnet gave a shout to begin again and Asher fell in to his stance.


    "He isn''t even in a stance. What the heck is that? A stretch?" Cara was referring to the slightly slumped over look of Asher. He was letting his arms swing down without any strength in them.


    "Just watch, he learned this style himself. You would be surprised." Garnet knew what this was and that Asher had been working nonstop to develop the rag doll style.


    Cara just looked on as the larger boy took up Asher''s full attention. The other four were walking around him to get behind. The larger boy kicked out and was left stunned when Asher stepped in to the move. Because this had happened the move didn''t reach full force and instead allowed Asher to latch on and pull the boy with him in to a roll.


    Asher let go halfway through the roll causing the boy to fly forward without any control and Asher to roll to his feet.


    The two pairs saw this as their chance and came in closer. Asher was ready and still in his swinging stance. It was almost unnerving watching him sway side to side like a puppet on strings. The first pair to reach him were attacking on different levels so that Asher wouldn''t be able to avoid a blow. Unfortunately for them, they both attacked the same side.


    The two attacks hit in unison and caused Asher to spin around and whip his foot in to a kick. This was too fast to avoid and one of the pair took the full heel to the shoulder. This hit took him out of the fight without any resistance. The remainder of the pair was left worried about themselves but saw the second pair coming in to attack.


    The second pair used the same strategy and attacked, yet the result was the same. Asher used their own force against them and spun in to a wheel kick. This brought a devastating blow to one of the campers leaving both pairs broken. Now only two of the four were left. The bigger camper had recovered though and was coming to reinforce them.


    The two without their partners tried to circle to Asher''s back. This worked for them since Asher was forced to yet again focus on the larger opponent who was coming with a slow but heavy punch.


    Asher used the boys'' weight against him again and brought him in to a single armed through. This attack was too much and the large boy flew in to the remaining two opponents that had tried to come at Ashers'' back. "You guys set yourself up by going for my back. Maybe stick with opposite sides next time."


    Asher walked away after this battle and stood in front of Cara. It is called rag doll style. I slip a lot and end up in weird but good positions so this is how I fought. My super power is definitely to blame but it is perfect for me." He stood tall while telling his sister this. He knew that he had just shown off his best accomplishment in martial arts as of yet.


    "I thought you were just messing around. And you did look like you were falling some of the time. You''ll take a lot of people by surprise doing that. But now it won''t be me surprised." Cara had already decided that she would do some sparring training with Asher when she had time so that she could make sure she was staying ahead.


    "Why do I have the feeling that you are planning to beat me to death?" Asher just looked at the excited Cara. His hopes continued to plummet the more he saw the look of fire within her eyes.

 Chapter 236 - 236. Leaving Camp

    Cara pushed Asher in to three more rounds of sparring matches until no one else dared to challenge him. "Now we can''t get any more points here." Cara was angry that the other campers had long given up and most had even left the area.


    "What did you expect. I didn''t come here every single minute of every single day so that i would have people to spar against the whole ten days I was here." Asher was currently sitting on the ground clutching a bottle of water like it was the last thing he would ever drink in his life.


    "Then we should go climb that wall. I think I remember the path to the cliff." Cara wanted to go for the hike then climb the cliff.


    Asher jumped up to stop her, "No, we shouldn''t I found a secret path to the top, and I am banned from going there." He tried his best to avoid the subject of Onyx wanting to crush him after he and Jackson had accidentally knocked one of his trees off the cliff.


    Garnet listened to this and nodded to show she agreed. Cara slowly accepted this but wondered why such a small detail was the reason for him being banned. "We can''t go to the obstacle course The time spent isn''t efficient for point building unless you can beat the one at the top. Can you?"


    Asher looked at his sister with dead seriousness, "Nope. Laura is a beast when it comes to speed because of her insane metabolism. I can beat her on one obstacle but I can''t make up enough time to do that over and over. Plus I will only get more points the first time that happens. Actually, where has Laura been? Did she find her family or something?"


    Asher couldn''t recall if Laura had met with her family or not. She had simply disappeared again. Luckily Garnet had an answer for him, "Lauras'' family is a unique bunch of super powers. Her older brother came along with her other family members. They are hard to remember without precautions. She will most likely be at school when you return. I put word for her and Jackson to be transferred in to class one with you."


    Garnet had gone above and beyond when it came to things and did so again. Now Asher would be in class with his entire group and they could pursue their grade skipping together. "Are their super powers that dangerous? " Cara wasn''t sure if what little she had seen and heard of their super powers was enough for her to say they were dangerous enough for them to be in class one.


    "I bet Laura should be in my class because her super power needs to be watched so that she won''t fall unconscious if she doesn''t eat enough. That metabolism is insane. Jackson is still learning to use his super power thought. He needs to adjust to the massive jump in strength. He could have jumped the wall by himself if he wanted but held back. Although he still knocked me over."


    Asher described his reasoning to Cara and Garnet fully supported the reasoning. These two facts could cause either the two or others around them to get hurt and that was more than enough reason to be added to class one.


    "Then we go to the camp store and exchange points. The classes were great but I was not the best at them. I had to cram hard when it came to survival knowledge at home. I don''t want to try it again here." Cara was better off studying on her own terms which had always been the case.


    "You want to hit the camp store so that you can get those vitamin packs with the points we earned from the matches¡­" Asher already knew this was Caras'' goal.


    "What else would we do with them? I can skip dinner here and we can go home early. I am sure your friends are already finishing up so they can rest early for school tomorrow." Cara was spot on with her assumption. Asher found that the group chat was full of messages saying exactly these things.


    "Awe, the only one still around is Art and he is spending some time with his mother since the two hadn''t seen each other in a while. But that is good. I am glad he got a surprise. I will send him a message that we will leave soon and will wait for him. But since it is getting so late I am sure that his mother will need to leave so that she doesn''t get in to any drama."


    Asher felt a little bad for Art but it was being drowned out by the fact that they would be working incredibly hard to be strong enough to get what he needed and wanted. Sooner than later they would go to confront his older brother and take the answers Art deserved.


    "Garnet. My sister and I are going to the camp store then home. Thank you for everything you have done. I can''t make it all up top you now but I promise I will one day." Asher made sure that Garnet knew this. He was extremely thankful to her.


    "Just show the world what you can do as a hero. I have a feeling that you will make it there. Also, contact me in the elite home gym app any time you need me. " She paused for a second, "I will also be at the tournament you are planning to participate in before your year end exams and school tournaments. I will be taking revenge after I beat Winters." Garnet looked determined as ever.


    "Then I will have to be extra loud seeing your matches. Thanks for taking care of my brother. I owe you one too." Cara swallowed her pride and was sure to properly thank Garnet as well. Garnet couldn''t help but smile at the future as the two walked away from her.


    "I can''t wait to see what those kids do in a few years. Maybe even sooner¡­" Garnet lost herself in thought as she walked the camp which was steadily becoming empty.

 Chapter 237 - 237. Tournaments

    Cara and Asher made their way to the camp store and fought their way through many campers using the last of their points as well. The staff members were running around doing their best to deal with it all that they were extremely thankful to have Asher who came up and said exactly what he wanted and how many. His order had been the most simple yet.


    "Come on, we can catch the bus they set up to take us back in to the city. Just let Art know that he should meet up at the entrance." Cara was sure to keep them moving on. She wanted to go and explore the camp a little bit to remember her time there but knew that it would be of no help to either of them.


    "Why do I have the feeling that you are pushing to go home so much so that you can keep playing with the home gym app¡­" Asher saw right through Caras'' intentions.


    "No, why would I want that? I know you want to get home and prepare for school. You should also rest early so that you can be ready for the usual routine." Cara looked away while saying all this making Asher know exactly her intentions.


    "Hey! I didn''t want to miss you guys. My mom already headed home, well, to the lab again." Art was already at the entrance waiting for the two.


    "How was spending time with her? I know you have missed your family lately." Asher could tell that Art had become much less stressed after seeing his mother. It was clear in everything he did, even his stride was smoother.


    "Yeah, I got to hear about her research and what my dad is working on. But I also got to hear about the upcoming tournament sponsored by the hero corp. It all sounds pretty cool. I am a little worried though¡­" Art became slightly off kilter.


    "What happened?" Asher wasn''t sure if this would be the worst possible case of his older brother finding out about his mother''s visit.


    "My brother is apparently sitting in as one of the judges...he is still considered one of the newer heroes but mostly works in his own division of hero corp. But he was somehow asked and accepted as a judge. I might be knocked out without a single chance."


    "Then we will just need to be so amazing at this Ricktor tournament that not a single bad thing could stop us from being champions." Asher didn''t hesitate to state this fact and put his arm around his friend. "Now stand up tall and walk beside me to the path of victory."


    "Yeah, victory sounds all well and good but what about the entrance fee for you and your friends? It still cost five thousand dollars per person." Cara was the crushing realism that came down upon the pair. However, Asher was the only one feeling this.


    "Oh, I told my mom about it and that''s how the topic of my brother being a judge came up. She gave me the money for it and just said she would blame it on a failed stock investments. A few thousand is nothing to them since they will assist in many breakthroughs this week alone. The hero corp offices pay them very well." Art said all of this like he was talking about the weather.


    "How could we just take that much money¡­" Asher wasn''t sure if he was saying the right thing, but accepting all this money just seemed like a debt they could never pay back.


    "You have been taking care of me. This is for all you have done and all you will do. It is also my mothers'' way of supporting my dreams. She basically invested in our hero group."


    Cara was frozen on the spot hearing that so much money had just been handed out so easily. "Oh, and Cara is participating too. My mom said that she couldn''t let you be left out." Art turned red saying this and Asher had a feeling there was more to what his mother had said but he couldn''t pry in to it.


    "Ehm, well, if your mom believes in us and you so much then we will have to prove her right. I would feel like a waste if I did not. So next time you see her tell her we will finish in first place in all categories." Cara turned to hide her face since she didn''t want them to see her emotions too much. "We need to get on that bus come on!"


    The three ran and caught the bus leaving. They found their own seats together waiting to reach the station that they could transfer on to any other bus to their destination.


    "Asher, I sent you the tournament list for you to choose what everyone will participate in. There are categories for everything. One of us should be in a tournament, right?" Art knew that if they all joined the same one they would most likely face each other and limit their groups'' achievements.


    "Sweet, I have been thinking about this for a while. Sammy gets sky racing, Laura gets the reflex dodging tournament, Jackson gets disaster rescue, Louis gets storm survival, Jane gets the shifter combat tournament, you can have the traditional martial arts tournament, and I will take-"


    "You will take the random selection tournament. They are any power and any martial arts. The participants are randomly assigned to battle until only one remain. And I will take the stamina tournament. I have been training my running for this reason. Not only my super power improves with my running but so has my body." Cara interrupted Asher and made the final decisions.


    "Alight, sending them out to the group and adding Cara to the group. We will all need to get ready." Asher sent a long message to the group and links to every tournament. Art had control of the account his mother had given him and soon everyone had the funds needed to properly enter their tournament.

 Chapter 238 - 238. Group Chatting

    The messages flooded in from Ashers'' friends in an instant.


    Cara: "hello, I will be in the tournament too. Everyone is welcome at our home for training on the weekends."


    Jane: "Hi Cara, welcome to the chat. We will be the best group ever!" Jane had taken this as Cara joining the group and Cara had no reason to explain that she was not. She had never planned to join a group but was now in a position to do so.


    Jackson: Why am I going to join such an expensive tournament? I know you want us to accomplish things to help us skip a year but this is out of the price range." Jackson was worried over money and had not yet realized they had received funds for it.


    Art: Already taken care of. You will have the money when you sign up with your personal information. If you want Asher said it''s fine for you to take the herbology academic tournament too." They all knew that Jackson could also easily win this.


    Jackson: "I will refund this money to you. The prizes are more than enough to do that. I will start to train my rescue tactics." Jackson felt that he could not throw away the investments his friends had placed on him. He was not one to shy away and let someone down. He may not have the purest control of his super power but that was just a small roadblock in his life.


    Louis: I know I am lightning body and what not, but the storm tournament is a survival free for all in a fake storm. How will I survive the wind?" Louis was sure that Sammy would do better before he realized she couldn''t withstand the lightning in the air from a major storm.


    Asher: "You can take the electrical and mechanical engineering competitions if you want. Although you might fry the things you make." Asher knew that this was the only other place that made sense for Louis.


    Louis:" I can try the elemental power tournament. Lightning is like multiple elements right.'' Louis had seen this and made the connection that Asher and Art had missed.


    Art: "Yes! Go for it. That would make a much bigger splash. Just practice sparring a lot for when you face a ground type super power. Can''t have you getting rocks thrown at you." Art was psyched to see Louis choose this tournament. It was often broadcast to many because of the flashy super powers.


    Jane: " The shifter tournament will be fun. I doubt opponents will expect my super powers to work together with a full shift." Jane was already building a strategy while on the ridge home. She would surprise her opponents and crush them.


    Laura: "Reflex tournament is boring. I don''t want to dodge. I want to do the trap field race. One hundred people against a field of different traps! It is just like the obstacle course but better." No one could argue with Laura. She would flat out deny any attempt to get her to change her mind and all just send thumbs up to her.


    Sammy: " I fall asleep on the ride home and you all make Louis wake me up." Sammy sent many tired and angry faces to the group before she read the tournament lists. "You all know I can''t fly yet, right?''


    Asher: "I believe you will be able to before the tournament. You can already slow everyones'' falls down and that was in less than a week of practice. Imagine reaching the sky and becoming the fastest racer there is in the air." Asher played the perfect card top cause Sammys'' imagination to run wild. He had caught on to her strong emotions when it came to flight and used them to push her farther.


    Sammy: " I will look up some aerodynamics notes. I am muting the chat for now." The group watched as Sammy and then Louis muted the chat for a whole day.


    Art: "I will meet with coach Winters and ask for additional studying and tutoring for the traditional martial arts tournament. It is my strength to have a rigid style." Art had understood this was the best for him. His movements were still and he would use the straightforward and classic moves with precision.


    Asher: "I will be using my luck and challenge the randomness of the unknown." Asher finished things up with this and received a few thumbs up from the others. This was all they needed while everyone started to research their topics. Cara had not said anything making Art and Asher wonder why.


    When they looked to her seat they found she was furiously setting up a training plan for the race she wanted to do. Her super power revolved around sound, which she could constantly make with her voice. This meant that she needed strong lungs which she trained through long distance running. This race was the perfect place to display her hard training.


    "I think we should start to set up our training plans too." Asher had the feeling that if he and Art slacked then they would fall extremely far behind before even getting close to catching Cara in their training. The two spent the remainder of the bus ride doing just this.


    By the time they all arrived home night had more than set in and the three came home to an empty house. "Mom and Dad are still out on their date day. I didn''t think they would be home...we should order takeout."


    "What? Takeout? Who would eat that when I can make us some speedy stir fried rice?" Art had been missing a real kitchen and was already halfway in the kitchen. Before they knew it the entire house was filled with the aroma of heaven.


    Asher and Cara found themselves eating the best stir fried rice they had ever eaten. Meanwhile, Art was eating his third bowl as well. The three were loading up for a return to the normal training routine in the morning and this was the perfect fuel they would need. They made their way to bed soon after to sleep early.

 Chapter 239 - 239. Still Behind

    The next thing Asher knew was that his alarm was blaring, he was slamming a hand down, and he was missing the insanely comfortable bed from the luxury cabin. "Ugh, morning always comes too fast." Asher grabbed his work out clothing and started to feel more and more excited. He was going to show off his training from camp and finally try to catch his sister.


    "Bro, you took forever, I thought I would be waiting here alone for days." Art was already downstairs bur surprisingly there was no Cara.


    "Where is Cara, she always beat us here." Art just pointed at the empty spot where Cara''s shoes would normally be. "I am pretty sure you and I were too slow today." Art sounded a little sad at this but he was also stretching his legs to get in to the feel.


    "I thought we would get the chance to finally beat her in one of the runs. This is lame." Asher said this but also stretched before he and Art headed out.


    The two started off on their usual pace but began to realize that they weren''t feeling very tired at all. It was like they had slowed themselves down to just a fast walk instead of their proper run. "Let''s see what we can do." Asher decided the best way to solve their feelings was to push harder.


    With this notion taking root within their minds the pair began to run faster and faster until they were sprinting next to each other. They didn''t stop or even slow down until they reached the playground where they would usually stop and do circuits.


    "I double the distance of my morning run and I still beat you two on doing circuits? How sad is that? Good thing I have my circuits changed to support my training program." Cara had just finished drinking from the water fountain and was setting herself up to start her own unique circuits.


    "We just went slower so you could feel what it was like to be ahead for one last time." Asher instantly retaliated to his sisters'' words and opened his phone to guide him through his circuits as well.


    Asher was focused on a balance muscle based circuit where Art was using a strength based. Cara had set herself up to do a stamina building circuit. Between the three they were training multiple aspects of the body to improve their desired category.


    Art was the first to finish his circuit. "I will leave you two in the dust for now." His shout as he left the play ground was enough to push Asher and Cara in to overdrive. The two moved even faster to finish their circuits as Art had.


    Unfortunately, the two were not doing the strength training like Art and were destined to stay behind. Asher felt that he was making up time as he counted down the last of the squats on his to do list. "Sorry, Cara but I have a friend to catch." He didn''t wait any longer and was off at a furious pace to catch Art who was nothing but a shadow in the distance.


    Unknown to Asher, this was the final straw. Cara had reached her limit seeing the two be faster than her. She forcer her body to move faster through the stamina circuit and came to the end sooner than the app had predicted. Her annoyance had carried her through.


    In a blink of an eye, she had pushed forward and was gaining ground like she had been running for her life. In just a handful of strides, she caught and passed Asher. In the next few she caught and passed Art. The two could only watch and feel lost while Cara sped by.


    Asher felt that he needed to at least catch Art and used Caras'' sudden speed to encourage him to move even faster. When he reached Art the two were gasping for breath. Once the two reached the front door of Asher''s house and heard the shower already running they felt that they had returned back through time to their first run together again.


    "I swear she is faster than ever." Art was panting while walking to the stairs.


    "She is faster than before. I didn''t think it was possible but do you think she did harsher training while we were away than we did at camp?" Asher was afraid to hear the answer and was only met with Arts'' silence.


    "Youn two should hurry up and get ready. I refuse to let you both be late for the first day back. If you learned anything at camp it should not be to be late to class." Asher''s mother gave them a firm warning. Hearing this spurred them in to changing and speeding through a shower in their own time.


    Cara grabbed her lunch and had rushed out the door to get to school early while Art and Asher still trailed. "I feel like we are running late com plated to Cara¡­" Asher had forgotten just how tough and ahead of them Cara was. He had been dreaming when he thought only a week would be enough to get ahead of her.


    "No, we are going to surpass her." Art had become full of drive. "We have more of the vitamin packs than her. If we push ourselves properly on the weekend we can double our training efficiency." Art was mumbling like a mad man while collecting the lunch bag and walking out the front door.


    "Good morning Art, where is Asher? Did he sleep in?" Janes'' soothing voice was the light that shown through the darkness for Asher.


    "I am here! I was just grabbing lunch. How was your day with your mother at camp?'' Asher had been waiting all morning to ask Jane this.


    "My mom loved camp. She said she really liked seeing my new friends and that we were working so hard. I showed her the places we worked out and trained and we even watched your matches." Jane was rambling while they walked. This to no one''s surprise entranced Asher. Before he knew it they had already stepped in to class and the first bell was ringing.

 Chapter 240 - 240. Back To Class

    "Welcome back from your camp experiences.  Look forward to how you have all bettered yourselves. I won''t hold you all back and jump right in to class. We will start with match page one hundred and eleven." Mr. Smith didn''t waste any time and jumped right in to class. The students were slightly bummed out that they didn''t have the chance to talk about their camp activities.  However, this disappeared when they found that Me. Smith was giving them a free period instead of extracurricular.


    "Well what did you expect? Cara has been training harder for like, a year or two. She also has been pushing herself lately since she feels like you and Art are trying to catch her." Jane said this full of confidence.


    "How do you know? You sound like she said it to you." Art didn''t want to believe that Cara had already been increasing the level of her work outs to stay way ahead of him and Asher.


    "Umm, she did. We message each other a bunch after her birthday. We are the best of friends." Jane took the chance to try and get Art with a soft punch. Art tried to dodge but sadly his shoelace was caught on the desk and he instead leaned in to the hit. It was his punishment for doubting Janes'' word.


    "Huh, I didn''t think you would get along so well with my sister. But I guess that is for the better since you will be around for a long time." Asher meant this in the sense that they were in a hero group together.


    However, Jane took this in a much different way, there were dreams of dating and marriage in her mind and she couldn''t control herself. She became red as  she thought about it more. It was nearly causing steam to blow from her head by the time someone else moved the conversation on.


    "Do you think Coach Winters is going to make things extra tough on us since we went to camp Jewell? Garnet had her test of our skills since Coach Winters was well, our coach." Art had realized that they had Coach Winters''s class today. His fear that she was going to push them to show off all their skills to see how her rival was doing was forefront in his mind.


    "I think we can bet that she will. There is no way that she won''t want to see what we learned and if her rival is able to teach us anything she couldn''t. I don''t know if we should hold back so that he won''t get angry that we learned so much or if we should go all out because she will get angry if we don''t show her everything we have." Asher was pondering the pros and cons of each choice.


    "We should go all out. Coach Winters had plenty of things left to teach us. Garnet just has the resources to get better, but does coach winters have them? I didn''t see an elite home gym system to train with but she is able to somehow rival Garnet." Jane shivered a little afraid of Coach Winters. It was clear she had a much harsher personal training and stronger self discipline.


    ''You know, with that in mind¡­.maybe we should head over early." Art stood up wanting to make sure that he kept coach Winters in the best mood possible. He wanted to avoid any extra laps while was in class today.


    At the bell, the three were already in the gym clothes for Coach Winters'' martial arts class. They were the only three standing in the gym so far because some had dropped the class and others were still getting changed.


    "We have dropped to only seven students after the camps. This is normal since many of you found new things you wish to pursue. But remember, if you leave I will never let you come back here." Coach Winters was not the happiest about seeing her student count decrease.


    "Never! This is the best class!" Art spoke up his instant reply caused Asher to hold back his laughter. He couldn''t believe how afraid Art had gotten from being gone for so long from the harsh but fair coach Winters.


    "You three went to camp Jewell, right? How is that rock brained fool doing? She accidentally sink to the bottom of her little river yet? Or maybe a mud pit?" The sharp glare she gave them said that she wouldn''t accept any answer but the truth.


    "Garnet is doing well. She said that she is very motivated to enter the Ricktor tournament this year at her age division and beat the person that stole the first place from you two." Asher didn''t even consider lying.


    "Stole the first place from me. But I will let it slide for now. She better not have led you all poorly. Let''s see what she taught you. Everyone find a sparring partner and have a match!" The shout went out and the students followed suit.


    Coach Winters approached Asher, Jane, and Art with a look of seriousness. "You three are going to be with me. I expect you to show me the best you have after your week, especially you Asher. You had three extra days." This was more terrifying than anything before since Coach Winters was expressly looking at Asher.


    She first pulled them toward the area with the instructional videos. "I want you all to watch the blocking videos. I know that we will get to that next week but I want you three starting on it now." This was interesting since Asher had expected to start right in to a match. But instead found himself holding a stack of videos on different blocking techniques.  "You will have a week to learn it before they need to be back."


    The three took the videos and ran to place them in their lockers for later. When they returned Coach Winters had cleared a spot on the mats for them to show off their moves. "Now, let''s see what you learned."

 Chapter 241 - 241. Not Bad

    Asher was the first that coach Winters called out to shown her what he had learned. She had wanted to see each of them but she had a feeling that Asher would show her something a bit more unique that would require more focus.


    "I have a new style. It''s called rag doll style. Other than that I have just improved my physique and learned new moves." Asher tried to be as humble as possible because he knew that if he attempted to talk big he might end up worse off.


    "A style, already? Let''s see about that." Coach Winters had a feeling that Asher wasn''t lying by any means however, she wanted to see just how involved he could be that he was able to call what he had a style.


    She watched as he fell in to his stance with a drooped over posture and slightly swinging arms. "That is the stance for the rag doll style you have? I guess that is where it gets the name but don''t expect it to properly block every attack."


    She did not hesitate and fell in to her own stance. Hers was a well trained and stiff stance that would emphasize her speed and reflexes. In comparison, she was most similar to Janes'' stance. This was mainly because of the speed they had over their opponents most of the time.


    Coach Winters decided to attack first since she did not see that Asher was going to make a move. She was already judging his style based on the fact that it appeared to be more reactive than proactive. To her eyes, this meant that he would have a tough time dictating the pace of the matches he had and would require him to wait for a villain to attack him. She clicked her tongue at this because she did not want to see any of her students become a hero only to be toyed with by a villain.


    "You should make yourself the one who controls the pace in a match!" She said this as a heel kick came toward Asgher. Coach Winters was holding back significantly but did not hold back the speed. The force was only enough to push Asher back by her estimate but instead of this happening, she was surprised to see that he let his body fully spin around from the force of the kick.


    She was cursing the weakness he had at this moment. She knew that he should have gotten storing enough to block this or ever counter but seeing him take the kick and be controlled by it was a disappointment. That was until he lifted his leg and used her own momentum against her.


    His own kick came at coach Winters with the same speed and force she had used. She had not expected this but blocked it out of pure instinct. She had the feeling that she had just woken a sleeping bear. Yet, the feeling dissipated as soon as she had blocked the attack and Asher returned to his stance.


    "So the real rag doll style principal is diverting motion back at your opponent. Interesting theory. It''s not bad, but you still didn''t follow through and attack while you had that momentum."


    Asher just smiled as he pushed forward and slipped a little. This threw off coach Winters but she knew better than to let herself get distracted by this fact. Instead, she braced herself to block which proved to be the right move as Ashers'' fist whipped out from the falling motion to hit her arms.


    "So you can even create your own momentum from your fake falling." Coach Winters wanted to go in to more detail but she found that Asher had not stopped with the first hit. He continued to spin and fall and twist in to different elbow, knee, punches, kicks, and finally one large wheel kick.


    "You have found a flow of combinations. Good!" She pushed herself forward to break his flow and caused him to stumble back.


    Asher tried to grab out and lock on to her wrist and arm to turn it in to a throw. But instead of him throwing her, Coach Winters saw his attempt and changed her body position. "I will show you what happens when you try and throw me again!" She turned and rolled with him in her grasp. By the time his back was on the mat he was pinned and held in a cradle hold. He couldn''t kick out to free himself in the least.


    "Well, that is that." She released him and rolled to her feet. "You did manage to obtain your own style but your moves are clear as day. I can easily predict your throws and hits by your body language. It is even easier with your style. You need to learn feints."


    This was something the elite home gym app had suggested but Asher had neglected to practice as of yet. " I will start learning them tonight." He did not hesitate to promise this. He wanted to learn them anyways but now had another person pushing him to learn them.


    "I will learn them with you too. My style is pretty straight forward and lacks any misdirection at all. But I have learned a few things." Art had become pumped up from watching Asher spar first. He pulled out a pair of heavy looking gloves. They were still thin but made Art''s hands look weighed down.


    "Are you that excited to show off? I can go harder if you would like the additional training?" A villainous grin sprouted on coach Winters'' face. She loved knocking a cocky student down a little.


    "I do not...I am just getting myself in the mood to face a tough opponent. That is why I am using my weighted gloves." Art had purchased these for over night delivery. These would be the key to his secret weapon before he could tell others his super power. It was easy to lie and say that he had lead lining in the gloves to use with his super power.

 Chapter 242 - 242. Clean Hit

    "Come on then. Let''s see what you can do now. I can already see you have bulked your muscle up a little." Coach Winters did not miss the fact that the gloves were weighted and that Art appeared to also have a second weighted shirt underneath his gym shirt. She was glad someone was working harder for more strength.


    "Here I come." Art fell in to his stiff and straight stance. He was going to follow the previous advice and attack first to dictate the flow of battle.


    Arty focused on the boxing techniques he had been learning first. He sent out speed jabs even though he had weights on his body. This was already impressive but not at all a challenge for coach Winters. She was too fast and easily able to block any hit, until he changed things up.


    He used his super power to suddenly increase the speed of one hit after the other confusing her at his pace. This was a strategy he had received from many hours of watching his training videos at night when his friends thought he had been asleep.


    Coach Winters easily adjusted to this and focused on to dodging more. She couldn''t imagine how his punches were changing from such a powerful hit to a light jab. Luckily, she remembered his super power and surmised the make up of the gloves.


    "Fancy tools you have there, but those gloves won''t always be on your hands." With her speed coach Winters moved to Arts'' side and unleashed a similar string of punches to match Art''s technique.


    "I can do the same thing without gloves! What about you? Can you control your body that well?" This wasn''t a taunt by any means but a serious question she wanted Art to think about.


    Instead of just sitting there and giving up Art copied the spin of Ashers'' and turned to face her with a hard heel kick. His movements made the sound stiff but very efficient.


    He may have lacked the force needed to take her down but it did force coach Winters to block.


    But when Art tried to retract his leg he found that she had grabbed it and was stepping back and turning herself. This force caused him to lose balance and fall in to his back at her mercy.


    "You have gotten stronger, but you lack control of your own body. Focus on that before you only focus on your super power." The advice was simple enough and something Art could easily work on.


    "Jane, you are next." Coach Winters was not about to stop the momentum. She had one interesting student left and wanted to see what had changed.


    "Can I be excused if I am late for my next class? My super power comes with a drawback I am not accustomed to yet." This question alone made coach Winters question what had changed. She could not recall this drawback in the student record.


    "That is fine. I can give you a slip." At this Jane ran to the side of the gym and pulled out an adrenaline protein drink from a bag she had dropped there earlier. She needed a better method to have this when she needed it in the future.


    "Switch to Adrenalin tablets. They will have a similar effect but no protein to help fix whatever you are about to do to your body." This suggestion was ideal for a super hero moving around in light weight gear. The only downside was the recovery would be slower.


    "Thank you, I will look for some after school today." Jane was thankful for the instant solution to her problem. Truth be told, she had yet to look for anything other than the adrenalin protein shakes. Having another option was going to be much better. "Please prepare yourself." Jane gave the warning as she used her super power to its'' full ability.


    Coach Winters had expected a shifting ability since the adrenaline protein shake showed up. However, this did not diminish the surprise from Janes'' change. " You definitely have more muscle mass like that and a tougher skin. Those nails are also a worry." Coach Winters was talking to herself more than anything so she could make a proper judgment.


    She became stuck on the flowing hair that appeared to be alive like snacks but not actually doing anything. The effect alone would intimidate opponents if it was used correctly. But what really made Coach Winters wonder, was what changed in Janes'' ability to stop people in place?


    Jane did not warn any further and sped forward. She had much faster speed than before she left camp and was able to nearly match Coach Winters. However, the reflexes were not as developed as the veteran martial artist and her kick was easily countered.


    Jane was not done yet though, she slashed out with her nails forcing Coach Winters to back off. This was an attack that Jane was getting more comfortable using and was glad to have an opponent that was so much stronger than her to test on. "Oh, trying to scratch? That may be allowed but is fairly dangerous. You should be prepared for equal reactions."


    Coach Winters pushed forward and dodged the next kick from Jane. She was about to unleash a series of jabs to throw Jane off and tester her skin''s defense, but Jane quickly flipped up her mask and froze Coach Winters in place.


    Jane used this as a chance to kick out. Normally turning her face like this would just free anyone affected by her gaze but with her shifted form it slowed the affected person significantly after they were released. This alone gave Jane the perfect opening to kick Coach Winters in the chest and send her rolling back.


    In a few seconds, coach Winters returned to her normal speed and had stood back up heading back at Jane. "That is an interesting trick, but don''t think I need to see you to take you out." She pushed forward and swept a leg under Jane causing her to hit the ground. In second coach Winters had Jane pinned. No matter what she tried her strength only seemed to cause the grip to become tighter on her.

 Chapter 243 - 243. Class Switch

    "That was a decent surprise. But you waste too much time flipping up that mask. You need a better option. I didn''t feel a thing until those deep purple eyes hit me. I can say that they are the cause of your ability. You should test it though." Coach Winters did not miss a beat after letting Jane free. She had been watching for every small detail during the three small matches.


    "You are also way too focused on what you are doing and miss important body language from your opponent. I was being very open with my moves and you were unable to follow them. Try to let your instincts take over the defense more so you can focus on your surroundings. With a shifter ability as part of your power, it should be easier."


    Jane had started to revert her body back to the normal resting state and was listening intently. She had not realized she was missing such a huge aspect of a match. She wondered what else she had missed and just how much this had held her back so far. "Thank you. I will try and focus on my surroundings more."


    Jane sat down on the floor and picked up a bottle of water. She had started to show the signs of the shift ending. She became much more red and tired looking as her body had heated up while shifting. "Do you need me to get you anything?" Asher was the first to express his worry for her since he knew how bad the first time she had used this aspect of her power was.


    "No, I am alright. I just need to sit for a little bit. But it is a lot easier this time than before. It is like trying a new pair of shoes." Jane made the comparison sound simple, but they all knew it was much more complicated than that.


    "You can rest as long as you need. But I recommend making that shift every single day until you feel you can run a mile after. Once you reach that point make sure you are somewhere safe and do it twice in a row." Coach Winters was making sure that Jane would be able to work on this over time. It would be major to her development and familiarity with her super powers.


    "I will make sure I do that." Jane had no reason not to do this and could only see that she would become stronger by doing so.


    "Now, you three can do what you will with the rest of the class. I expect you to show me each week your improvements. Other than that you can self study every day." Coach Winters surprised them with this statement before walking away to the other student.


    "Why did she say that? Is she done with us as students?" Art was worried that they had somehow become so bad that they were not worth teaching. But having the videos and advice confused him even more.


    "No, I think she realized that we didn''t need anyone to push us. We learned how to self motivate at camp and now we are showing her that we are able to do that. She just wants to guide us." Asher was glad to see that coach Winters had taken the heat off them. It was nice to see her kind side showing.


    "And now she is making them do laps¡­ I guess she is still pretty harsh." Asher saw this happen to the students that had failed a move ten times. They were currently showing every bit of fear for an increased punishment while Coach Winters was yelling at them to get it in gear.


    "I think I want to try and run too." Jane surprised them with her words. "Don''t look at me like I just told you I wanted to walk on hot coals. I Want to run to push my stamina after shifting like that. I am tired now but I want to see if I can get stronger faster by doing this."


    "Then we will run next to you in case you get tired." Asher was not going to let Jane just rush off and possibly get herself hurt. He was going to be right there with her just in case.


    "Bro, do we really have to run?" Art wanted to avoid it but when Jane took a shaky step He jumped to attention. He too was not letting a friend walk alone, even if he wanted to avoid the extra work.


    Coach Winters just glanced at them as they did all this and made sure she kept an eye on them. She had not had such good students in a long time. But before long the bell had rung and they were heading to change out of their gym clothes. The only one staying behind to rest a little longer was Jane. But that was already approved by coach Winters.


    "So, do you think we should switch out of philosophy class? It''s not that it''s hard but I don''t think it will help us skip a year." Art had been thinking on this and found that even though their grades were all high, the class itself was not lending much to their standing.


    "I think keeping it is good for learning morals, but you are right. It might not be helping us gain much for skipping a grade. I will talk to the professor when we get there. Actually, I want to get there early. Let''s run." Asher pushed Art to move faster. He had no clue why Asher wanted to get there early other than to speak about switching the classes.


    Asher reached the class room which was empty but for the old p[hylosophy professor that was shuffling papers at his podium. He looked like he had not a care in the world and all the papers he had were what appeared to be the firsts papers they had handed in. Asher ran up and started explaining an idea he had had. Art was still confused, but listening to Asher he began to understand what Asher was thinking.

 Chapter 244 - 244. Break The Norm

    When the remainder of the class entered the class room slowly but surely there was nothing odd for them to see. Asher and Art were sitting in the front with the professor watching the door.  The students didn''t find this strange and skirted some fallen papers near it. Everyone slowly but surely took their seats until the bell rang again.


    "Jane is going to be late since she needed to rest but if we wait another minute or two I bet she will do it." Asher was placing his bet on Jane.


    "She definitely will. She is better than most people." Art affirmed this.


    "Then if she does I will approve of your passing this class and being able to switch while retaining credit." Their professor was holding a sheet of paper he had never filled out before. It read that the students that signed the document along with the teacher would grant full credit from the class taken. This was normally a paper filled out at the end of a term.


    The three waited while the class was in minor confusion to why the professor was sitting with two students and just watching the door. The second ticked by until a single set of footsteps approaching the class came in to hearing range. Another few seconds and Jane showed up right as expected.


    Her face scrunched in to a slight frown as she bent over and picked up the scattered papers the other students had walked by, on, and over. She was the only one to take the few minutes to clean them up and realize they were classroom documents.


    Her eyes scanned the room and found the professor. "Excuse me. I found these on the ground over there¡­" her face became confused like the other students when she saw Asher and Art smiling like fools.


    "Then that''s it. You three pass my class. I believe you understand the basic morals I enjoy. But please, if you have any other challenges for students stop by my office or email me." The professor gave them all a piece of paper and his faculty card.


    "I told you that it was a moral dilemma. Most people ignore what they think is trash and refuse to touch it. But only those with strong ethical codes swallow that pride and drop to clean it up." Asher had placed this beg they no student would stop and clean it up. And if Jane did they would be proven to have understood the morals taught in this class.


    This was the same thing Jim had done the same kind of thing to test the morals of campers. The reward was, of course, the golden egg for the luxury cabin.


    In this case, Asher had argued that only someone who had understood and developed proper morals from the class would understand that no one is greater than another. Therefore, they would stoop to clean up trash and every return it to someone if it was not trash.


    "Now, you three may leave to stop by the office and give them your paper work." Their professor moved to the podium. "And everyone else will be explaining in a two thousand word essay why they are better than any other and will not lower themselves to do small menial labor to improve life for all man!"


    The groans from the students as they heard this could cause the school to shake. Before Jane could question it further Art and Asher grabbed her arms and dragged her outside toward the main office.


    "We decided that we wouldn''t need that class any longer to shop off properly. So we spoke to the professor and now we have a credit for the class and we can take another. It is pretty great, right?" Asher was worried that Jane might disapprove.


    "Yes! That is amazing. I never would have thought to speak with a professor and ask for the class credit. Is that what the papers were about? That was what Jim did, wasn''t it?" Jane had already understood the reasoning behind what had happened.


    "Yup, and now we can choose another class. The question is what class would really show off that we deserved to skip a year?" Art was caught on this. There were many extra curricular lessons and he just needed to figure out the best for them.


    "Ask in the group chat. We probably won''t need the academic extras since we are focused on studying those with the app and normal classes. So it should be something that focuses on an aspect of heroics we need work on." Jane was also wondering this while she watched Asher add it to their group chat. Naturally, the chat was unresponsive since everyone was in a class but the three would have a few days to choose their class.


    "Well, in the meantime while we think, we can focus on getting ahead more in studies. I kind of like your get ahead one month on home work thing. But if we get really far ahead on our academics we may end up more than a month ahead on home work." Asher was gradually forming a plan to help them get ahead in academics.


    "I know what you are going to say¡­" Art was already mourning the free time he thought he would have after the office.


    "Yup, we are going to do as much home work as possible. What do you think would happen if you brought every piece of homework in and it was all correct. It is the wonder of the syllabus." Asher was grinning like he had just come up with a master plan.


    "We have all the tools in front of us, we should take them. I bet we would get a the fast track for sure if we handed it in and then proved our knowledge with a few tests. If we already know the material they might even give us the finals ahead of time. Not this terms but next term for sure." Jane was excited to push the boundaries of what was normal. They were going to crush the norm.

 Chapter 245 - 245. Retired

    The three dropped their paperwork off at the main office drop box and aimed themselves at the library. Art may have been dragging his feet but he had already opened the academic app and was studying the new set of flash cards they had gained. Their free period passed them by in a blink of an eye and they were soon running off in the opposite directions to their third and final classes of the day.


    The same classroom Asher had remembered was once again sending out the smell of incense to the halls. Asher pushed the door open and introduced himself, "I am back from camp and ready to


    Share what I learned!" He had actually been very excited to get back to this class. He knew that he could share the new experiences with luck and him jinxing his opponents when he declared them enemies.


    Yet, when he pushed the door open he found that the class room was silent and lacked many of the things that had once been there. "Oh, hello Asher. Welcome back." Lin was seated at a desk with a glum expression. She didn''t even have a notebook open at all.


    "Umm, where is madam Weaver and why is it so empty in here?" Asher feared that they had switched class rooms and Lin had waited for him to arrive out of kindness.


    "That crazy old fortuner teller left us! She retired and left me with so many questions that I need to study all on my own." Lin was ready to stand up and stomp about the class room. But instead, she settled for angrily flapping her wings.


    "Wait...does that mean we fail the class? We don''t even have a teacher so there is no way I could pass." Asher was slowly falling in to despair.


    "The school hand book states that at a sudden and unexpected loss of a teacher, no matter the reason, the current students being taught automatically pass the class with full credit¡­" Lin was clenching her fists in annoyance. "I tried so hard to learn all of the mystical arts, strange fortune telling, and even about auras. But here I am. All my hard work for nothing since I would have been handed a passing grade anyways." She slumped on to the desk.


    "Well, look at the bright side. Your grades are intact and you don''t indeed to worry about a new teacher coming to confused you and change learning styles." Asher wanted to freak out too but was instead focused on Lin and how she felt.


    "We need to find another class or else we will be assigned one. I already took the others though. I can only take physical classes and I hate those. I am an academic." Lin was clearly losing it more and more as she thought about what she would now need to do.


    "Then we will find another class. Maybe there are new ones you didn''t take. Or maybe you could take a survival or first aid course? I know those are more academic and help with learning." Lin had already considered this and shook her head.


    "I could never be a doctor or anything like that. I would always worry about a feather from my wings ending up somewhere improper." She wasn''t thinking rationally and this frustrated Asher.


    ''Then you will sign up for one. You aren''t a doctor but what if you get hurt and don''t know what to do? Whjere is your drive for infgormation? Don''t you want to have all the answers and not just a few?" Ashers'' words were hitting her hard.


    "Me? Not knowe something? I would hate that¡­." Lin was consumed with this new fear Asher had thrust upon her. She didn''t want to be a lost person without answers. That was not who she was.


    "Fine! I will go and sign up for the first aid and biology course!" Lin started to grab her things before she realized that she had been letting Asher see her weak side. She had been so emotional that her logic had been lost. "I-I umm, sorry. Thank you." She had no other words for it. She rarely became emotional and this time it really hit home.


    "It''s alright. I am plenty shocked she retired this far in to the year. I would have thought she would wait." Asher just shrugged as he said all this.


    "Oh, the letter on the desk said she was offered a retirement spot in an island tourist area. She will tell fortunes at her leisure for a decent price. It apparently was her dream retirement." Lin summed up the letters'' writings. Asher was just dumbfounded by the obvious money grab by their former teacher.


    Asher quickly read it too and was shocked to find that there was also a personal note to Lin and then him.


    "Asher. I saw light and dark in your aura. The golden light will bring you fortune. The dark glint will bring your enemies and sometimes friends misfortune. But I sense you have begun to grasp it. You no longer need me. Good, and bad luck Madam Weaver."


    "Wow. She really just left. I have lost two teachers in a day. I got the philosophy professor to switch classes and got a passing grade and now this." Lin was confused to hear that Asher was now two classes free and with passing grades already.


    Seeing Lins'' confusion he readily explained what had happened. "So you are now able to choose two classes to switch to. I don''t think anyone without a brain enhancing super power has ever done this. You and your friends are the first I have ever heard." Lin was already telling him about how he would be standing out.


    "So, this is a good thing in disguise. Then I need another class fast! What should I pick?" He asked Lin in the chance that she would have an idea.


    "You should pick something at your level or maybe something new to you." She turned Ashers'' advice in to a better version on to him. His mind began to swim with ideas.

 Chapter 246 - 247. Zoo

    "I think I should look for a class that has to do with learning how to rescue someone. I wonder if we have a class for disaster relief?" Asher looked towards Lin who had already stood up and was about to try and head to register for a new class.


    "Of course we do. Our school is one of the top in the country, we have a ton of variety in classes. Haven''t you wondered why we have three full periods of the day we can choose to do anything we want?" Lin was a little surprised that Asher had missed this since she knew he wanted to be a hero.


    "There wasn''t anything on the sheet we were given to select courses on¡­" Lin opened her eyes wider as she realized the issue.


    "The disaster relief courses are normally for the upper classmen about to leave the school. I recommend you speak to someone in the office for admittance. They usually let those that ask to join but they won''t just let anyone jump in to them. Since you have the desire and the proof of passing two classes already I am sure they will sign off on it." Lin was already heading toward the door.


    "Hey Lin, You are still going to be around for me to ask for help right?" Asher knew that Lin was one of the best upper classmen in the school when it came to academics. She had also helped him gain some insights on his super powers which made him want to see her again.


    "Of course. You already have my phone number from the first class. I also have the school email. We were partners in discovering the craziness of the unknown. Plus I have the feeling that you might be asking me for tutoring soon. I spend my time in the library giving extra tutoring sessions most days. Come visit!" Lin was already out the door driven by her new goal to learn biology and medical knowledge.


    Asher just sat still for a little longer. He was glad to know that Lin would still help him and was even tutoring others after school. This was a great thing to know since he would be able to go and show her the progress he was making and even ask her the tougher questions in the farther ahead subject matter. He also knew that she would always be happy to help someone pursue knowledge due to her own thirst for it.


    "I guess I need to go back to the office then. I can''t believe so much changed after one week of camp¡­" Asher said this out loud to himself as he looked back at the less mystical classroom. He had a twinge of sadness before closing the door fully.


    His walk through the halls was unimpeded due to the other students being in class, but surprisingly there were multiple students at the office when he got there.


    "I can''t stay in the pyrotechnics class. It is too dangerous. Switch me out."


    "How can someone like me take another science class. I already understand the basics so just put me elsewhere."


    "Cooking? Why would I want advanced cooking classes? Is this a joke? I circled geography!"


    The students were all trying to sort out transfers and new classes. This eas making the two main office secretaries run around like crazy. The shouts were starting to push them over the edge. "Wow. I guess I went to the wrong place. I meant to go to the main office but ended up in a zoo full of annoying hyenas."


    Ashers'' voice cut through the other shouts and caused most of the students to fall silent. They had just been verbally assaulted and were turning their frustrations on him. "What the heck ya mean by that kid? Are you trying to start a fight here?" The boy that had wanted geography was ready to start a fight right in the office.


    "Well, the way it looked you all must be from a zoo since you can''t get organized and patiently wait for your turn. A normal human would be able to do that without a single problem." Ashers'' attitude of being more important than all of them made them angrier. But the fact that he was looking down on them for the way they were acting was hitting them hard.


    The main group looked around at each other now in silence and started to frown deeper. "Not to mention even a zoo animal could form an orderly like for food. I have seen monkeys do it. I guess I just insulted the zoo animals. My bad." Asher said this and grabbed one of the nearby booklets labeled extracurricular classes guide and sat down to read through it.


    The last sentence made all of the other students hate him a bit more but also feel embarrassed by their own behavior. The two office secretaries were slack jawed at the way Asher had acted but even more about the results. He had taken all the students'' hostility on them just so that they could have a better experience themselves.


    The student that had tried to pick a fight moved in to a line since most of his anger had been snuffed out by embarrassment. However, he was still glancing at Asher with an annoyed look and mumbling under his breath.


    After a short time, the line began to die down and there was only the two office secretaries and Asher left. "Young man, have you come here to switch or to join another class?" They both were standing at their side of the counter waiting for Asher.


    "Yes! I was just waiting my turn. I want to switch in to a class that deals with disaster relief. I was told I needed to ask since my grad usually can''t join it. But I have already completed two course credits and want to look for a new lesson for my future career goal."


    "We can easily help you with that. Just hand us your student identification and you can sign up today to start it tomorrow." The secretary was all smiles while she and the other secretary started the paperwork.

 Chapter 247 - 247. Lauras Class

    "So you are looking to join the disaster relief training class? It isn''t that popular but it is an important course for the future heroes, firefighters, police officers, and even trauma surgeons. Any that you plan to be?" The secretaries had been prying in to his decisions since the other students had left the room and he had told them the class he was trying to join.


    "Oh, he musty want to be a hero. You saw how selflessly he faced the riled up crowd. Wait, are you aiming to become a gang counter force member?" The secretary had assumed he would be joining one of the most dangerous police force squads. The gang counter  force.


    "No no, My friends and I are trying to be heroes. I would be terrible with the gang counterforce. I am more of a burst in and help than a learn the complicated inner working of gang relations kind of person." Asher was trying to talk his way out of this dangerous assumption.


    "Oooo. heor. Then what should we call you? Have a hero name yet?" The other secretary was intrigued once again whole stamping the paper work that Asher needed.


    "No name yet. I do have friends that formed a group with me. I want to call us link cause we could all be the links of a chain that holds back villains and stuff." Asher said this and received a duet of aaweees from the two secretaries.


    "Now, the computer says that you have another class period free? What would you like to fill it with?" The secretary knew that she was asking this yet again. But it was part of their job to get these things squared away.


    "I am waiting on my friends'' to figure it out. We want to take the same classes so we can work on getting stronger together." This again brought the ooo and awesss once again as they fawned over how cute he was with his friends and how they would make adorable little heroes one day.


    "Well, you are all set up for the final period of the day to join the disaster relief class. Just remember that you should always bring a change of clothing with you to school." The secretary handing him a sheet of paper with the location and the time to be at the class tomorrow. The advice she gave made him confused but he would take it anyways.


    "Thank you both for your help. I will be back soon!" Asher said this and the final bell rang ending the school day.


    "Just in time. Come back and visit us again little hero!" The secretaries shouted out to him as he left the office. Adhere could not be more happy than to be away from them. He had not expected the secretaries to be so much to handle.


    As he opened his phone he saw that the chat had exploded with suggestions. Naturally, Louis was trying to convince them that they should join the science and metrology class with him. He wanted to have another familiar face other than Sammy.


    Jane had already squashed this idea since they didn''t have elemental weather based super powers. Jackson had chimed in wanting them to join a floral and fauna class that he was taking to supplement his gardening club. He made a decent argument that in the wild they would need to know how to survive while doing search and rescue. However, Art had pointed out that this was a too specific of a class to take when it would be better to get more general information.


    Laura had shown up in chat with a surprising option. Not a single one of them had known she was taking a modern technology class. "Asher, did you read the chat?" Art and Jane had been waiting for him at the entrance to the school as usual.


    "You know it. I''m glad you guys were able to hold things down while I was at the office. I think the modern technology class sounds awesome. I can''t stop thinking about the vitamin packs or other medicines that are made to heal injuries so fast. Not to mention all the vehicles used for rescues. The class could be perfect."


    Asher was already connecting the dots. They would need to know many of these things to get through the hero life after they went to university and became real heroes. "I think it would be an awesome class. I think I saw on the news that they have a jet packs that can also turn in to a life raft." Art was buying in tho the infomercials already which made both Asher and Jane shake their heads.


    "I THINK, it will be able to help us learn healing technology so that we can assist in disasters like fires, earth quakes, and floods." Jane was more logical in what she expected from the class.


    "Plus it will also help with the tools we will use every day on the job." Asher looked at Art with the same disapproving stare Jane had.


    "Yeah yeah, but guys, jet packs." Art felt that the stares just intensified and changed his reason, "I bet a lot of the equipment we have used to work out is talked about in that class too¡­"


    "Exactly. We can find new things that could lead us to a better us while also a safer world." Asher was already imagining the things they would be able to do when they added the top of the line technology to their arsenal.


    "We can''t get too dependant on it though. It is a tool but not the end all be all of heroics. If we get too caught up on the tools we use we might be out of options without it." Jane held the voice of reason when it came to this. They had already been warned by some of the people they had met about this thing happening.


    "Well, by any means. Tomorrow we can head to the office and sign up for it. Then go to our final classes of the day." Asher typed in their choice to the group chat making Laura ten times more excited for the coming weeks.

 Chapter 248 - 248. Group Funding

    The three walked towards Asher''s house while raving about what they might learn in the modern technology class and what things they might be able to learn what to do in it. All of them agreed that they would be able to take their basic knowledge and efficiency up. Asher decided that he was going to try and focus on communication while in the class so that he could better lead the team.


    "I am just saying if I am able to fond us some good head sets or ear pieces to communicate we would be better off." Asher had made the argument to them twice but Art and Jane were convinced they should rely on verbal communication than over some form of radio.


    "Yes, but what if we come up against someone who is able to block the signals or we are far apart? It just sounds like a waste of money when we have our phones." Art was the one that was thinking about the find they would need to pool together for the group. He had the most money and even though he was not a fan of math he had a very nice knack for monetary calculations.


    "Then what about this. We get cellphones that are made for hero work and download a communication app on them? I am sure there are ear pieces that can connect and an app made specifically for these situations." Asher found that this might be the correct solution.


    "I forgot we wouldn''t be able to use the phones we have now. I doubt they would withstand the rough treatment of a hero doing their job. They don''t cost too much more than the phones we have but they are still pretty expensive since you have to buy them new." Jane had completely forgotten that they would need to upgrade their phones in general to ones that could take a heavier beating.


    "Since we already need to upgrade them getting the ear pieces as a pair could probably save us money and also allow us to communicate farther and for a longer periods of time. We will also need them if we go to a disaster." Asher was making more and more sense and Art was finally ready to bend.


    "Fine. We will need to factor all of this in but I will set up a plan for ut. I just don''t know how we will make all this kind of money. It is more than we can make from a part time job somewhere." Art wanted to make finds for the group too but he couldn''t even think of where the time would come from for it all.


    "Then we will get it from the Ricktor tournaments. I was reading up on it all last night. There are many prized for those that place even in the top ten. Most prizes for it are money but there are also unique deals, custom gear, mentorship opportunities. I even found an article where someone won a house with all the most modern training equipment." Jane was recounting this and many more of the prizes.


    "I bet that just one of us placing first will be able to provide the entire group with enough funds to stay on track for a while," Asher said this while Jane recounted what she had found in to the group chat. They would all be pushing for the top anyways but now they would have an additional driving factor in the matter.


    "I think we should try and meet as a group on friday, saturday, and sunday. We can do a study session then go on to martial arts, and finally, go do our own power training." Jane made this plan and everyone obediently sent thumbs ups to them.


    "Cara already said that everyone can meet at our house. We don''t have a huge house by the back yard is perfect for us to train. Plus I doubt we should head to the park with these things. Training there could cause some trouble." Art was trying to think of a better place but was left with only Asher''s house as well since he couldn''t offer his own home.


    "Then my house it is, but I think that everyone should try and bring snacks and water. I know my mom will try and feed everyone." Asher said this as a minor requirement but nothing major. He just didn''t want to see his mother working too hard.


    "Then it is a plan. I am going to run ahead to home and get working. Tomorrow we will sign up for the class and then we can head to the library to study with the rest of the period." Jane was very excited and ran off to her house. She was gone before Asher and Art could even invite her to come in.


    "Jane looks like she is pretty energetic. Do you think she will even be able to sleep tonight?" Art was joking mostly but he had a feeling that he might be right.


    "I am sure she will be ready. It is going to be a whole new class. I am just worried that I am starting the disaster relief training class. It should be super useful but I was told to bring extra clothing with me. It might be a second gym class¡­" Asher was worried he would overwork himself in the day if it was like a second gym class.


    "Haven''t you looked at where the class is? It is in the massive training ground behind the school. There is a small forest, a fake mountain, and even a sizable pond. They replicate a bunch of small scale disasters there once a month. The class has first priority but there are also clubs that join during those times for training." Art was surprisingly informational about the class.


    "That''s actually really cool. I could definitely need a change of clothing after that class. For all I know I could end up covered in mud every other day if they try and replicate a mudslide." Asher was being consumed by his imagination, however, this was not far off of what would actually happen.


    "I ready the class description when you first mentioned it. It is really cool. If I can I will take it next year. But there are four class phases. The first is only available the first year. The second two are only allowed to be taken after the first and the fourth is for seniors only, no exceptions." Art was trying to explain this because he knew Asher might go looking for it.


    "Oh, so it is like physics and physics two. They are different levels with the more advanced subject matter." Asher understood exactly why it would be divided this way. "They definitely can''t teach everything about disaster relief in one class.


    "Pretty much. But that is only the surface. I am sure there are so many things that we can''t learn at all in class. We might want to look for some summer internships or something." Art was getting way ahead of the planning. But it was a good idea.


    "Summer is a little far. How about we put that on the back burner for after the exams." Asher received a nod from Art as they walked inside the house.


    "Finally! You two took forever. I didn''t have cub today since we are taking a short break between meets. You two have been looking n to other classes and stuff but you still need to train." Cara was taking over the after school training and forced the two in to the back yard.


    The rest of the night went by in a flurry of training until they felt that they were unable to continue, dinner, and then a large amount of homework to get them ahead. Asher and Art were both surprised at how much they were able to do. Before they were off to sleep. Their apps had recommended that they get six full hours of sleep every night to properly recover from their days.


    Overall Asher had had a pretty active day and was setting himself up for even more success. As he fell asleep he could only dream of the future he would have. But like all dreams, he was awoken brutally by the evil of alarm clocks.


    54r the alarm clock and was ready for the morning work out in record time. He had set his alarm earlier so he could try and catch Cara this time. "Ha! I knew you would be up early to try and sneak out again." Asher saw his sister tying her running shoes.


    "Do you need to be so loud in the morning? I am just doing the extra running I set up in my training schedule. I need to be ready for that tournament. Who else is going to set the winning example? That tournament is held first after all." Cara stretched her legs then walked out the door. Asher just stood there thinking about how he should be doing something more to prepare himself for the tournament he was going to be in.

 Chapter 249 - 249. All Signed Up

    "Dang it. Was that Cara? I tried to wake up earlier so that I could catch her." Art came rushing down the stairs and narrowly missed Cara head out the door.


    "Yeah, she said she needs to go and do her extra running so that she can stay on schedule. Let''s go and start ours." Asher just shook his head and headed out with Art on his heels. The two followed the normal run and finished up in the park.


    "Ha! We beat her to- and she is walking in the entrance." Art let himself get too excited before they had even crossed the entrance of the park.


    "Dude, why do you think we would beat her when she is literally training for a running endurance race? She will always run circles around us even if we surpass her in other things." Asher broke this harsh reality to Art yet again.


    "I know that but she said she had extra running¡­" Art was still struggling with the fact that he had tried to beat her a failed. "Let''s just get to our circuits. I can try and beat her back."


    Asher just went with him and started his own circuit to he stayed to his work out and bided his time. When he had finished he noticed that Art had been the first to finish his yet again and Cara was still a whole set away from Asher who had started his run behind Art.


    The run went as Asher had expected. He slowly caught up to Art and before they realized it Cara had passed them and made it to the house claiming the shower first. On the contrary, Art was at the end of the line nearly exhausted from pushing himself too far on the runs. "You are going to do this every time until you beat her, won''t you?" Asher had no hope that Art would level out anymore.


    "She is the perfect challenge to push me to be faster. When I beat her that will mean I have made a major improvement." Art was looking at Cara as a lofty idol that he could try and reach after training to his pique.


    "Yeah yeah, but at the end of the day, she has more training than us. Let''s just focus on where we are now and what to do to get stronger today." Asher left Art in the front room with this thought and snagged the shower as Cara headed to her room. His sneaky maneuver to beat Art completely went over Arts'' head.


    Jane met them after they had eaten and the three walked to school together. Cara had left before them to go and meet her friends before school. The majority of the day went as usual. They had a small pop quiz in english class making them all a little less energetic, but this was nothing major to hold them up.


    Coach Winters had held true to what she said and didn''t even bother with them so that they could self study during her class. This was the perfect chance for them to work on their own improvement plans while using the app. The three were able to set up their phones so that the camera could track their progress and give them a better evaluation.


    Coach Winters was watching them in passing and saw that they were recording themselves. This was a good moment in her mind since it showed that they cared about where they currently stood and were looking for the faults in their styles. She had already reported to the principal that there were three students she believed would be at the top of their class. But she had also said that they may have a higher potential than expected.


    This is a normal report to send about students so that the future teachers and staff can prepare for what they may need. However, it was not normal to give such a high rating. It was actually above the normal to do so. Not that the three knew this report had been sent in this way. It was a faculty only evaluation.


    "Wait, I just got a notification that I have started to change my style?" Jane was a little worried that the app was warning her of this because it was a bad thing.


    "I think that can be good. I get it all the time. Whenever I learn a new move and add it to my arsenal I will get that notification. But I think that it depends on how much the move influences the way you move." Asher had gotten used to this notification. Every time it happened it would say something about where he improved.


    "Oh, it does say that I have a faster reaction time and a higher chance of counter attacking by using the swiping block." Jane had been practicing a block where she raised a single arm and swiped it to the side to block an attack and deflect it.


    "That sounds right. That block was described as the first step in line to a chain of follow up counters." Art had seen Jane stop and listened too. He had already watched the part of the video that described how to use this block before he found the block he thought he could use.


    "I have never gotten the notification about change in style yet. But it sounds like it is very useful for me to be able to see how I am improving." Jane was excited about this change but before she could resume trying it out she was caught by the bell and forced to head to their next class.


    "Sweet. Let''s head to the office and sign up for the modern technology class. I want to see me some jet packs." Art was full of energy and wanted to head out immediately to get signed up and start the class as soon as possible.


    Asher was partially dreading the trip to the office since he was a little put on edge to see the secretaries. Almost completely proving himself when he opened the door to the empty office waiting side Asher heard the slight squeals of excitement.


    "Hellow there, come to see us again?"


    Are you here to schedule yourself with a new class? You are really serious about becoming a hero. We will have to be your very first fans." The two secretaries giggled at their jokes.


    "Oh, and he brought friends. You two must be part of his hero group. I bet you three are going to sign up for the same class." The secretaries were already grabbing the paper work for all three of them without asking any more.


    "Alright, your identifications please." The three handed over their student identification cards. "Perfect and here you three go. The class is already in session so you can all head there tomorrow. Just remember to show them the paperwork that you have officially joined the class so the teacher will remember to sign off and get access to your grades." The secretaries had finished their side of the paper work after stamping the documents.


    "Thank you again!" Asher was quick to dart out of the office with Art and Jane on his heels. "Phew, I thought we would never get out of there. They are nice and all but they look at me like I am something to snack on." Asher said this making Jane scrunch up her face in annoyance.


    "They seem nice. I guess our group will already have a fan club before we even hit professionals." Aty was letting his imagination run wild with the many fans a super hero could have. It could be even more it was a hero group which had more ability to gather fans.


    Jane was getting more annoyed the more they talked about getting fans. She could only imagine the many female fans throwing themselves at Asher. "I think we should be a group without fans. Or just stay away from the spotlight completely." Asher and Art both picked up on the change in her attitude and tried to change the subject as quickly as possible. They didn''t know what was wrong but were not going to ask.


    "Let''s go to the library and finish the rest of this period. I bet we can get a bunch of extra work sheets done." Asher pushed for them to head to the library.


    "That sounds like a great idea. I really am liking the home work done ahead of time thing." Art whole heartedly supported Asher seeing that Janes'' mood was heading downhill.


    "Oh, yeah. We should get going, I almost forgot that we can''t afford to worry about having fans. We could never have the time for them anyways." This sudden explanation made both Asher and Art look sideways at each other. They were glad that they had not continued the talk about the fans and possible fan clubs their group might get. It was something they would worry about in the future.


    The group studied and managed to get a nice chunk of work done before the bell interrupted them. "I am off to my first class for disaster relief. Wish me luck!" Asher headed out of the library and toward the back of the school.

 Chapter 250 - 250. Sliding To Class

    Asher knew that he was a little far from the back entrance to the school and the vast training area behind the school. He had kicked it in to high gear and sprinted through the halls. Before he realized it he had slid past a wet floor sign and managed to crash in to a set of lockers.


    "I know you might want to get to class faster, but if I see you running through the halls again I will need to write you a detention slip." The speaker of this threat was a tall man who lacked a single hair on his head. His glasses and perfect ironed suit were the only discerning features.


    "I am sorry sir. I was just in a rush to get to the disaster relief course. I was in the library and didn''t want to be late." Asher apologized profusely afraid that the teacher would be writing him a detention slip anyways.


    "You''re heading to my class? Well, you would have been late anyways. Today we are inside and studying the dangers of forest fires. In a way you are lucky to have nearly run in to me." Asgher couldn''t believe that this was the teacher for his new class. "Your paper work please." The man held out a hand and Asher fished out the paper for him.


    "Asher Ronan, super power lucky jinx. Huh, no description, interesting. In any case, it looks like you are heading the same way as I am. I am Reach. No need for sir or Mr. those will lengthen the time it takes to communicate in a disaster situation. Follow me."


    Asher followed his new teacher confused as to why he would be so worried about the fact that their communication would be too long. However, he easily brushed it off since he had not much knowledge on disaster relief and it was most likely something that he had yet to learn.


    "We are meeting in this media room. We will always meet here when the class starts then head out if we need to. There is a place to change in here and store your bag when necessary. There are only two other students right now due to the normal class switch after camp week."


    Reach opened the door to reveal a classroom filled with too much information to comprehend. The walls had various diagrams and how to displays of rescue methods, bandaging methods, and even some basic what to do when lost tips. It was also full of many mannequins wearing different survival and rescue gear.


    "Hey, we got a new kid? I thought we were only going to lose people. Come over here new kid." There was a boy with very spiky hair wearing sunglasses inside, he had his hand raised high above his head while a girl with very long blond and grey streaked hair looked away from him in a frustrated manner.


    "My name is Matt. I saw you totally wipe out and beat awesome lockers for their lunch money. It was hysterical. But luckily Reach was there to scoop you up. If I didn''t read his lips as you two spoke I would have thought he kidnapped you to join the class." Matt laughed as he leaned back in his chair.


    "You are so loud. Reach would never kidnap someone. He would blackmail them in to joining the class so that he had someone to teach." The blonde and grey haired girl looked at Asher and miraculously raised her hair. It took the shape of a grey and blonde shaped hand, "My name is Jess and I can manipulate my steel hair. Welcome to class. I am sure you will learn quick."


    "Ohhh, that is so cool." Asher shook the hand that was made of hair and found it to be solid like steel just as Jess had said. "So the grey streaks in your hair must be the steel characteristics showing through. That is so cool. I bet you can do all sorts of stuff with long hair like yours." Asher had hit on a sensitive subject and was met with Jess turning her head away from him.


    "Don''t mind her. She hates the color of her hair now. But I always tell her that it still looks great. Well, not that I can see it so to speak. Not in the normal way." Matt slid his glasses down to reveal that his eyes were not there at all. "My super power is every sight. I can see everything somehow without eyes. I used to think sound waves but I can still see color, light, dark, shapes. Honestly, it is all just weird because walls don''t stop me from seeing either."


    Matt just laughed more. "That is why he will easily become an important part of any disaster rescue mission. Imagine a building collapses and rescuers need to see what is underneath." Reach had come to stand in front of the three. "Then Jess can act by manipulating her hair to get under debris safely then move it by changing the shape of her hair. It will fit through some of the smallest cracks."


    Asher was impressed by the practical uses of these super powers. He saw how they both would perfectly fit roles in search and rescue. It was clear that Asher was with two experts. "Now how would you fit in to a search and rescue operation?" Reach asked this question to every single student when they joined his class. Their answer would give him insights in to their goals and what made them tick. He would use it to slightly alter the class structure to fit that students'' super powers in to the disaster simulations.


    "Well, I am still figuring out the cut and dry description of how the jinx part of my super power works. I can potentially make enemies unlucky so that doesn''t really apply. But I also kinda affect others around me with bad luck¡­" Asher started with this in a delicate manner before ending on the good part, "But my lucky part seems to make things work out for me. So if I was aiming to get lucky and rescue everyone hurt then I probably will succeed and just hap[pen upon those in need of rescue."


    Reach sighed loudly, "So you could get lucky and save everyone or you could make a victim unlucky and they could die. Well, at least it sounds like you would be able to deal with enemies during a disaster situation." Reach had heard many answers to his question, but this one sounded more complicated than he liked.


    "Wait, why don''t you just go and play the lottery. When you hit it big you can come back here and give us a life of luxury." Matt was wondering why Asher wouldn''t just go somewhere and live the easy life if he was always lucky.


    "Well, I am underage to gamble so there''s that. And my friends want to be heroes and I can''t think of anything better than to strive for a better world. Imagine how lucky I will be to always catch the villain safely if that is my goal? If a villain is my enemy, imagine how their plans will fail? If my super power works think it does I can save so many people."


    "That is some confidence you have there." Jess had raised an eyebrow at this display of confidence in front of them.


    "I have some really good friends holding me up. I can''t just sit around like a lump on a log with therm relying on me." Asher said this with the same confidence he was displaying in his previous words.


    "That''s a good point. Having a strong team in a rescue operation is extremely important. If the team does not have complete trust in each other they could waste time and the burn victim could perish or become trapped before the rescue team can arrive. Now look here and tell me what direction this fire would flow." Reach led them right in to the lesson without even commenting on the conversation further.


    Asher spent the remainder of the class learning about fire dangers in dry areas and how a single spark could lead to many fires that burned at a furious pace. There were multiple videos of how firefighters would stop the fire by cutting the land down to nothing ahead of it or by dropping large amounts of water.


    The rescue methods were also innumerable since there were multiple dangers stoping certain rescue types but allowing others. Helicopters usually couldn''t respond due to smoke but could evacuate ahead of the fire. There were super heroes that were impervious to fire that could charge in to burning buildings while there were water super heroes that could directly put out fires.


    Asher felt that he was seeing a side of super heroes that he had never seen. The possibility to form a group that totally focused on resues was very feasible. The only question that lingered in Ashers'' mind was, is this all we want to do?

 Chapter 251 - 251. Fire Safety

    "Now, when approaching a fire the wind can change at any second making a seemingly safe position exceedingly dangerous. What is the recommended gear for protecting from sparks and smoke blown by the wind?" Reach was already quizzing them on the videos that had watched which shook Asher from his deep thinking.


    "Flame retardant jacket and pants with long legs and sleeves. And a mask thing?" Asher was able to answer the first half but forgot the name for the masks that fire fighters usually wore.


    "Asher, the name is gas mask or filtered respirator. The two versions are on the mannequin over there. I don''t even have eyes and I can see it." Mat found this hysterical and started to laugh so much he nearly fell from his chair.


    "You use that joke all the time. We get it you are blind biologically but can still see. You are so creepy." Jess started to form a small hammer with her hair before Reach cleared his throat and made the two freeze in place.


    "Sorry"


    "Yeah, sorry"


    The two were seriously scared of Reach who had only needed to clear his throat to end their fooling around. "Asher, the proper names will be important in real life. If you ask for the wrong gear for a situation you could become a victim yourself. What do you think would happen if you walked toward a windy fire with your school clothing on?"


    Asher thought for a second then realized that his clothing was all polyester fabrics. "They would definitely burn because of the material."


    "Exactly. But with the proper gear, you can resist the flames and heat to rescue someone or even assist in putting the fire out. Now, let''s move on to why we cut the brush ahead of the fire and dig trenches if time allows." Reach continued on with the lecture while Asher examined all the gear on display within the room.


    He had only looked at it in passing but was now able to see it all clearly. The rock climbing gear was all set up with double the items required. There was a second set of ropes, carabiners, and even a second harness. This would mean that it was made for the rescue of a second person.


    "Reach?" Asher was slightly hesitant not to use Mr. or professor but was able to brush it off when Reach looked at him will his full attention.


    "What questions do you have?" Reach was still straight faced but it was clear he was welcoming questions. Unknown to Asher, not many would ask him questions due to his seriousness and slightly intimidating stature.


    "I see that the climbing mannequin has extra gear for a rescue. Would someone need to carry extra gear for a victim in a forest fire?" Reach looked slightly surprised and went to the closet to grab a large duffle bag.


    "In a forest fire, the gear is very heavy and slows down those who wear it. Carrying a full second set is very dangerous. But it is possible to give the main jacket to a victim and have one of these underneath or to provide a foil blanket that reflects heat." Reach pulled out a thinner jacket made from a silver material.


    "Oh, I have seen firefighters wear those on the news. They are supposed to be just as good as the thick jackets at protecting from sparks and flames but not as good as heat. They are very stylish though." Jess had seen them multiple times and jumped to try it on while looking at herself with her phone camera.


    "This is the blanket. It is made with reflective material and rarely needs any upkeep. It folds very small and is very light. This has been used for many years but still exists as a must carry safety item for dry climates." Reach shared this knowing that the kids would most likely not enjoy this as much as the high tech jacket which was more modern.


    However, Asher walked right up and started to examine the foil blanket. "These should be cheaper and easier to carry multiple. I could help way more people with this than one jacket." It just seemed like common sense to him. If he could assist more people then it was way more worthwhile to get the foil blankets than to get the jacket that he would most likely need to pay more for anyways.


    "Exactly right. That just earned you five points of extra credit. A helicopter could drop a hundred of thee in one trip where they could only drop a few jackets due to price points and manufacturing. This is one size fits all whereas the jackets need to be the right size for someone." Reach was energized by having a student that stuck to the safety standards and also looked to help more than a small number of victims.


    "Wait! He gets extra credit? On his first day? We have never gotten extra credit before?" Matt was beside himself hearing that the newest student to their class had been given extra credit so soon. It was something he had never even had the chance to grasp.


    "He was able to ask a question that improved the quality of today''s lesson. Did you ever do that?" Reach loomed over Matt after saying this, snuffing out any opposition left.


    "In that case, I will strive to ask more appropriate questions." Jess was huffy because she had not asked questions either and did not realize she had been missing out on the possibility of extra credit all year thus far.


    The remainder of the class was filled with various questions and a huge amount of notes. Asher felt that he had learned more in this two hour class period than he had in all of his other classes combined. The sheer volume of knowledge on the specific forest fire rescue protocols was invaluable to him and his friends. He didn''t even hesitate to send a copy of his notes to the group chat when he heard the bell ring.


    His excitement was too high as he was looking forward to the next day of classes and Asher darted out to the front of the building beating Jane and Art there. "You guys are so slow today!" When the two finally made it Asher had barely contained his excitement.


    "Bro, why did you send so many notes on fire safety?" Art had been very confused after seeing what Asher had sent the group.


    "Disaster relief training started today for me. I learned way more than I thought I would. It is all super important for rescues and stuff. Oh, check it out Jackson might be jealous." Asher saw a longer message from Jackson.


    "He did send a long message to the group." Jane started to read it out loud, "That class sounds like it is a required class for me to take if I want to be an expert at search and rescue. Thank you for the notes. I will look in to taking it after I finish my current course. Can you please share more notes so that I can get a head start? I will look forward to them. If you want I will meet you tomorrow at lunch to talk more."


    "Wow, he really got excited. But that''s good, we will be able to all improve more as a group." Asher was very happy that Jackson had shown interest so much. They could both work to improve each other in this aspect making them a way better group for resues.


    "Do you think I should take that class too? I can take it next semester or maybe next year? There are way too many classes to choose though." Art was struggling with what he should take.


    "Naaah it is better fr me to take it and just continue the courses all the way through t the final one. I will share notes and I am sure Jackson will take it too. You should take something else that the group will need and that you can teach us." Art liked the sound of what he was hearing. If they did what Asher was suggesting they would be learning almost eight times what other students were learning.


    "This is cool. We are already making progress in becoming real heroes. We have our classes that directly affect our heroics in the future and we are going to show off our skills in a tournament soon." Jane was getting ahead of Art and Asher as she too realized just how exciting the whole situation was. "Hurry up, we can do some training before I go home. I want to show you the block I was practicing today and how I can use it to stop that wheel kick of yours!"


    Jane pushed Asher on and soon he was chasing after Jane who had started running. Art refused to be left out and followed the two. They were off to another school night of training and dedicated studying. Before any of them knew it the night had already loomed overhead.

 Chapter 252 - 252. Motivation

    The morning routine came and went as Asher, Art, and Jane made their way through the morning academics. They had not done much different than usual, however, they had been surprising their teacher with their spot on answers and by handing in homework that was days ahead of where they currently were.


    "We are really showing them how great we can do." Art was feeling invigorated after seeing Mr. Smiths'' face when they handed in a week''s worth of math packets. It was even better because Mr. Smith knew exactly how challenged Art was by math and had handed in the same homeworks.


    "We are showing them what we can do when we put our mind to it," Jane said this like it was a fact of life. She was also walking slightly taller on her way to lunch than she had previously before. "By the way, I ordered something from the internet. I am following coach Winters'' advice."


    This was a little cryptic but Asher knew it was on purpose to make them remember and guess what she could possibly be ordering. "Don''t tell me you are ordering more martial arts videos" Art had taken it the wrong way and was met with a huff and a return away from Jane.


    Asher was thinking a little more clearly and had recalled what coach Winters had said to each of them the other day. "Are you trying to wear something over your eyes instead of your whole face?" His guess was proved correct when he could see Jane start to smile and stand closer to him as they walked.


    "Yes! I ordered a special set of glasses that should withstand rough situations and also be easy to remove. It cost a bit of my savings but it is worth the cost if it works properly." Jane was walking with an added bounce in her step while sharing this.


    "That is great. You should be able to rest easier and also shop off more of your face." Asher was glad to see Jane so happy with her decisions. He was also looking forward to be able to see her entire face even though her eyes would still be covered.


    "That should be pretty cool, but you do realize you will be wearing sun glasses inside, right?'' Art was already with a joke to tease Jane a little and earned a solid punch to the arm for it.


    "They won''t be sunglasses and you know it." Art just shrugged and rubbed his arm. He knew he deserved it after the poor joke he had made.


    "Asher! Over here." Jackson was already at a table and had texted the group that they should come to the cafeteria to sit with him. "I wanted to chat about the disaster relief class you are taking."


    Asher knew that Jackson was very interested and was surprised that he had not somehow gotten in to the class already.


    "I can share all of my notes in the group chat when I have class. I don''t want them to just be for me. It is better that we all learn more about rescue since it is a major job of a hero." Asher was sure of this and no one else could doubt him.


    "Yes, I agree. But rescue and disasters will be my core focus so I was hoping you could explain things more to me. I want to see if I can drop and switch my class too. But I think that will look poor if we try to skip a grade." The others all nodded. Dropping a class was always frowned upon no matter the reason.


    "Why don''t you see if you can take a week and get ahead in the class you have during the last period of the day. Then you can show the teacher that you can pass it and deserve credit. That is what we did to get out of philosophy." Jane was sharing the trick with Jackson because she knew that he absolutely needed it to get to the class he wanted. It was a much better option than dropping a class.


    "Oh, I was wondering how you guys did it. But I thought that you just dropped at first." He showed a look of understanding compared to confusion before.


    "We are pretty great. But we are also here to help you too. Just lean on us." Art let his ego grow a little too much making Jane consider punching his arm again to keep his head clear.


    "Naa, we had the idea to ask for the transfer but ended up with the passing grade. Then, my other class, had my teacher retire and she passed myself and Lin. It was a weird few days." Asher had to admit that it was more than lucky. It was strange.


    "I see. Well, I will see about getting transferred if my own teacher will let me pass. I really want to study disaster relief early. It would make me stand out as a major rescuer to the universities when we go to apply for them. It is a good way to start my goals." Jackson was much more fired up than Asher believed and it was great to see.


    "At your rate, you are going to stand out for sure. Don''t worry, we will help you if we can." Jane ignored the comment Art had made and was focused again n Jackson.


    "Thank you. I think the group is going to stand on top faster than I can expect. I didn''t really have a plan for my future until recently. My parents even say that I haven''t looked so motivated in my life. My dad went out and started getting books for me to study too." Jackso became bashful sharing this but showed off the rescue gear guide his father had bought him.


    "That is awesome, if we study that we could have a head start on the class. I didn''t know one of the gear answers because I am not familiar but using the time to study it ahead of time¡­" Asher was thinking like a puzzle had just come together before his eyes. He didn''t know what Jackson hadn''t been the first person he spoke to when he decided on this class.


    "Ha! Found you. I cam to grab you three so I can show you where our classroom is for the next class. It''s a lot of fun. We get to see a bunch of new things all the time." Laura had been hunting the cafeteria for them so that she could be the one to show them the way and make sure they all sat together.


    "Hey Laura" The chorus of hellos came out as she sat down snacking on something as usual.


    "Do they had jet packs? I bet they have jet packs." Art was still hung up on the jet pack thing making Asher and Jane shake their heads.


    "I haven''t seen one but there was a gliding suit for jumping off mountains and getting to some remote locations. Oh, and there was a flashlight that went for miles. And, there was a straw that purified river water." Laura was getting more and more energetic as she spoke making it seem like she would bounce off the seat.


    "That sounds like a very valuable survival tool. If I can get a few I should." Jackson caught the possible survival tool instantly. He wasn''t surprised at all that there would be valuable technology like that.


    "I am excited about this class too. I have been taking my sewing and gear class at the end of the day and I think the technology course could really help me mix the best materials and knowledge with the hear and outfits I will make." Jane surprised Asher by making this connection. He didn''t think that her to classes would meld together so well.


    "Does that mean you will be able to adjust my gear for me when there are things that would fit my super power?" Asher used his best smile to ask this of Jane and received a slightly red face and a nod from her. He knew he was not going to be able to learn to adjust his own gear for some time but having a friend who could was perfect.


    "I''ll see what I can do...I am still learning, but I don''t stick my fingers anymore." Jane was happy to be asked and couldn''t find the strength of voice at the moment since Asher was so focused on her.


    "Wait, I want my gear changed too. Jane, we are friends, right? You would alter mine?" Laura was thinking about having even cooler looking gear that wouldn''t get damaged when she ran at her full speed.


    "I could if I know enough." Jane was still in a daze after listening to Asher and immediately agreed causing Laura to jump up in joy. Before the group could continue the bell rang to signal them to head out to the new modern technology class.


    "We will see you later Jackson. Let me know how things go with your class and I will send the notes on mine to the chat later." Asher made this promise while they all walked out.

 Chapter 253 - 253. The Worst Teacher

    "You don''t even know how cool the classroom is. There are tools and stuff everywhere and we can take things apart if we want. The professor doesn''t care what we do as long as we are looking at new technology. We can build stuff if we want. There are a few students that bring in gadgets just to give away!" Laura had started to rant on and on about the class.


    "Wait, then how do you learn if the professor doesn''t do anything?" Jane caught this and felt that there must be some problem or way to change this.


    "What? How could we not learn stuff? There is too much that interests me. I can''t even find something to be bored about. You''ll see when we get there." Laura knew that the three were going to need to see the class to believe the reality of it. The class was much more than they were thinking it would be.


    "I think it sounds a little iffy too. I want to get stronger not play with some cool toys." Art had started to believe this was just an easy A class at this point. However, that still was not necessarily a bad thing since they needed perfect grades.


    "Let''s just give it a shot. It is probably way different than we think...What''s with this garage door in the middle of the wall?" Laura had led them all through a side door making the three believe they were heading to another building. Yet, she had stopped in front of a very large garage door and was bouncing in place.


    "This is it. This is the classroom. Well, it is more of a massive lab." Laura pressed a button and scanned her student identification card. The large door hummed and began to slowly roll up just tall enough for the four to enter.


    "Hey, who are the extras? There are no audiences to my master pieces!" The voice that came from underneath a mini bus was soon place with a face. A very greasy and stubble filled face.


    "This is bolt" Laura leaned in, "Ther other call him professor nuts and bolts." She leaned away googling as she quickly told the greasy man in overalls about Asher, Jane, and Art.


    "Show me the dang paperwork. I don''t need this. More students playing with my creations and sitting around thinking they will build something worthwhile." The attitude of this teacher was despicable. All three were taken back with just how terrible it was.


    Asher took the paper work from his friends and faces the professor that was supposed to be in charge. "This is the paper work for us to join your class. But by the looks of you, it will be a waste of time. Just give us a passing grade, sign a paper and we will be out of that grease you call hair." Asher had felt that he had been slapped when he and his friends were called extras.


    He could care less that he was insulted because he had been through so much worse, but his friends were off limits. If anyone ever dared to lay a hand on them he would gladly lock the offender away in jail for the remainder of their life.


    "Picking a fight? In my territory? " There was a rattle of tools and clattering of metal. From the cracks and crevices, small spider like robots began to walk around and tap their metal legs menacingly.


    "What of it. Apologize to my friends of sign a perfect grade for us to move on from this trash pile." Asher was standing his ground while the others just looked at him with dropped jaws.


    "Pfft, whatever. Laura will show you around." The robots receded and disappeared from sight while Laura returned to her senses.


    "Sure thing. I am going to show them the cool stuff first." Laura grabbed Asher''s arm and dragged him in to the massive lab even more. There was a downward ramp that led to a huge open room filled with work tables, different vehicles, parts, and any manner of strange gadgets. In the very center was a large open space where some students were huddled around showing off things they had made and things they had discovered.


    "I can''t believe you stood face to face with bolts. He is crazy. But he never gets in someone''s face like that either. You must have caught him on a day when his experiments when wrong." Laura had gotten to know the ins and outs of the class fairly quickly but the professor was still a loss to her.


    Jane and Art had mindlessly followed Laura and the fuming mad Asher. After another moment Jane came back to reality, "What were those spider robot things?" She had seen how Asher had acted and didn''t think she should pry in to why he was so angry. It was clear it wasn''t because he was hurt but because he didn''t care for the way the professor had talked about her and Art.


    "The spider bots? Those are things bolts made. He is a technopath, well, that is his super power. He only uses it when he is annoyed though. Most of the time he is making things with his hands." Laura thought his super power had been obvious and brushed off the question.


    "Buty spiders! Why? There were so many of them? How can he control them all? Why is he here when he should be a strong hero with that super power? He could do so much more!" Art burst out slightly surprising Jane and Laura who had not expected the outburst.


    "He could never be a hero with that attitude. He shouldn''t even be a teacher. Professor, Ha!" Asher had finally cooled down a little to say something but it was still directed at professor Bolts who had insulted his friends.


    "He is just like that. Give it time. You will see. Just focus on what is going on around you." Laura was fed up with Ashers'' anger and forcefully grabbed his face to make him look up and view the room. "See, there is more than just a professor here. Explore it." She released Asher who had finally opened his eyes to where he was.


    Jane and Art also looked around with open eyes finding that this was much more than expected.


    "There are so many things...What do they all do?..." Art was stuck on the fact that he had no knowledge of what most of the gadgets here did.


    "That has to be one of the reflex games from camp. But it''s all in pieces. The barrel is there, and here is the storage area for the bouncy balls." Jane found something familiar and zeroed in on it. She thought that it was amazing to see the inside of all the components that had come together to challenge her very being.


    "This is all...too much. He has all this to experiment with and he is still so sour." Asher was stunned. The lab that the students could use and experiment with in this class was so magnificent yet the teacher was not at all. "Is this a student run class?" Asher had the sudden realization.


    "Wel, pretty much. We do what we want and experiment with what we like. I have learned a ton of stuff about new experiments in technology and what new things heroes are using. One of the other students brought the newest hero phone version. His dad worked on it and he had a few just laying around. Now it is part of that television there." Laura pointed at a television that was showing a full view of all the games and applications downloaded on it.


    "Is that...a giant phone screen? Why?" Asher couldn''t understand why anyone would make it.


    "Why not? The other students made it because they could. Apparently it is really hard to change the data or something to format a massively larger screen." Laura was still lost to how it all worked, but it was still more than she had known was possible.


    "So we joined a student run class. If we stay on task and show that we aren''t wasting the time we should pass." This made Jane feel much better. She had some worries over the grades they would receive if the professor was so rude and uncaring.


    "Isn''t this a good thing? We can try and change out gear and maybe understand some tools that would work well with our super powers. It is like a testing facility for ideas." Art saw that there were already students challenging each other to make certain things along with those in heated debates. This meant that they could end up with some fairly powerful gear at the end of the term.


    "Fine, I admit this is way better than I thought. But I won''t be bothering with that guy upstairs." Asher harumphed a few times before picking up the blueprint of the reflex game machine Jane was looking at. He had to admit that this was one of the most in depth facilities in the school so far.

 Chapter 254 - 254. Tools

    "That''s better, now I can get you in to a tour." Laura was glad she had finally managed to budge Asher a little from his poor mood. It wasn''t his fault since she knew that professor Bolts was a problem case when it came to personality. However, she had hoped that he would be in a good mood when he first met her friends.


    Asher put down the blueprints and took another look around. He could tell Art was searching for a jetpack since he was focused on the gliders that were hanging from the ceiling on display. Jane was still browsing the parts that made up the reflex game like she was trying to understand how all the parts came together.


    "This center area is where everyone goes to shop off the newest gadget or brag about the things they made. The kid showing off the skate board with adjustable height is the one who played with the super hero phone and made it display on the television. He is way better at making computer codes. I guess hi super power is math related." Laura wasn''t a huge fan of codes and computers but she still thought it amazing.


    "My father can write code, but he mainly works in the office now doing paperwork and approving other studies. He used to do a lot of physics math too. I see a lot of the same tools around. But still no jet pack." Art was refusing to give up on the jet pack. He was dead set on trying to fly.


    "I think it would be better to see the more practical creations. But maybe there are hidden uses in some thing." Jane was trying to be positive but she was looking at many half made gadgets that didn''t seem to have any reason for existing.


    "Think about all the things that came to be because of someone fooling around or accidentally creating things. You have heard the story of the potato chip right? A customer asked for a thinner french fry then the chef got angry and made them super thin. The customer loved it and it ended up becoming hugely popular." Asher had gained a little of his energy back and was letting the previous annoyance roll off.


    "Exactly, now come and see the pitch circle. They might have something cool to show off." Laura used the term for the circle the students had made to show off. They mostly used it to pitch their ideas or argue theories so they had dubbed it the pitch circle.


    "Sup Laura."


    "Hey"


    "Laura''s back, usually she''s faster than this."


    Laura was recognized by almost every single student in the circle or hanging out at a table nearby. "Who knew you were so popular." Asher just gave her a sideways glance while looking at her.


    "You don''t know the half of it. Every time I start to work on something she is here to ask what it is and what it will do. One of the boys that was holding a half disassembled alarm clock heard Asher and responded instantly.


    "Just because I am curious doesn''t mean I bug you every time." Laura was taken aback by the accusations but was curiously looking at the half taken apart alarm clock waiting to ask what it was.


    The boy shook his head and walked to the center of the circle. "I managed to condense the micro chip and code that runs it in to a smaller version. Now it runs on half the electricity with half the components." There was a blaring alarm sound from it and the boy hit the off button.


    "Can you make it play music instead?"


    "Why leave it at half? Set it up like a watch!"


    "Make it tell you the weather and give a daily report."


    This was the response from those around. The students wanted to push the project in to a different direction or make the boy change it. But instead of saying anything the boy just walked to the nearest table and started to take it apart again.


    "See, they just make things to make things. They change regular stuff in to more efficient versions. It is so cool. Oh, look. There the kid with the frost thrower." Laura was even more excited.


    "Last class I had the unveiling of my frost thrower. I made it the opposite of a flame thrower cause that''s way too cliche. But as you know it broke and we all ended up with hair like icicles. I present, the repaired and improved version!" The boy in the center held up a back pack with a series of tubes leading to what appeared to be a metal and rubber water gun.


    "TThe filtration p[roduces super cooled gasses that will freeze all the surroundings. That was repaired and made even stronger so that it can hold the pressure. The gun itself now incorporates highly dried air that delivers the gases with p[rewssure and adds top direction so that it can do this¡­"


    The boy directed the gun upwards and fired it. There was a humming sound and the gun shot a heavy breeze upward., The roof became icy and frozen looking while small ice droplets fell from it. "I made my own hail, but if this hits something it is an instant freeze and," The boy pointed up, "It will turn white with frost in five seconds."


    The ceiling had turned white and shiny with frost for about ten feet in diameter. "That was actually really cool. I thought it would just shoot ice or snow but it actually froze things." Art was the most excited out of the group. He had only read about such abilities in comic books since making freeze rays was thought to be a wasted endeavor.


    "You should make it wilder range so you can walk across the ocean."


    "No, use it for forest fires"


    "Naaa, have him make an ice castle for the tournaments later this year."


    The students found this much more interesting since they had seen the failure of the previous class and now saw the massive improvement. "I will be improving this and using it along with my super power to participate in the tournaments. Any who wish to form a group with me are welcome.


    "Oh, so this is also a way for the inverter students to gain team mates for the tournaments." Jane realized the real reason they were all showing off their abilities. The boy was already speaking to the one that first spoke about changing micro chips and condensing his back pack unit.


    "Come on, let me show you the tool room and the testing area."


    Laura was pulling them away already. There were more students showing things off but Asher had a feeling that he could be in this room all day and still feel like he was missing something.


    "Laura led them to a caged room full of rows and ropes of hanging shelves. "There are guides next to each one. I already learned to use a saw, tape measure, drills, pretty much anything that sounds useful to a hero." Laura had been trying to learn these things for the jobs that she could end up on.


    "Hewros help repair disaster damaged homes all the time. Learning to use the tools is a great idea!" Jane realized just how valuable the knowledge was and wanted to dig in to the tools right that second.


    "I could learn to use a blow torch. I might need that for metal¡­ Art was mumbling to himself as he looked at a small hand held blow torch.


    "Oh, I saw that one on the news last night. Mom was watching a hero who invented it. Apparently, it is used to underwater car accidents a lot since it still burns well under water." Asher saw this in passing since he had no reason to really watch television, but his mother did while she worked around the house and he had caught this tidbit of information.


    "That would be perfect. I should try and learn how to use it then get one." Art was completely sold on it.


    Jane and Laura were browsing the other tools while Asher decided to wander through the tool cage himself. There were so many different tools he had never seen and many more that he couldn''t even guess the use of. This alone was making him wonder if it was even possible to learn everything within this class.


    "Hey Laura? Is this class just one grade or multiple"'' Asher had a theory that this class was for every year of students just based on the sheer amount of resources the school invested.


    "Every year students can join. You can get credits for every year you are here in the class.!" She responded quickly before she went back in to discussion with Jane. Asher nodded at the answer. He knew that this meant that they could learn how to use every single tool that may become useful in their hero careers. It would be an invaluable knowledge base to have for disasters and rescues which needed specific tools to save someone.

 Chapter 255 - 255. Communication

    "So we can take this class all years in a row and get perfect grades? " Jane was already seeing the plan form. If all of their group was to take this class and work together to learn tools, building, and other engineering skills they would be much more technically sound when they became a real hero group.


    "We could all learn how to use those communicators with head sets you were talking about Asher." Art saw the connection with this class to the communication problem the group would face when they were too far away.


    "Ooo, There are actually tons of things like that around here. I think there is a whole box of things¡­" Laura rushed off out of the tool cage to retrieve the communication devices she had seen before.


    "Well, that would be convenient. We could make them all to our standards. It would put us a step above the rest to get them perfect in the next few months." Asher found himself pleasantly surprised. However, he was starting to think more and more.


    "What if we modified our own phones too? I am sure there are plenty of students here that would want to develop something like that. And what about the gear we have? You guys still haven''t fully equipped it all. I know you are waiting on yours, Art, since you need to be stronger to carry it all."


    "This class was made for us!" Art found Ashers'' proposition to be ideal. If they could do this then he would have exactly what he needed. "Since I know my super power better now I should try and modify the gear I had made by hero corp with the free voucher." He was already making a mental list of what he might want and how he might do it.


    "I could have some changes made too. Especially with what I bought to replace my mask." Jane was fidgeting now that she had become much more excited. "I bet I could get something that would even change with me when I use my shift. I know that my work out clothes get way too tight when I do."


    Asher heard this from Jane and turned beet red. He couldn''t help himself but think unsavory thoughts. He had not actually looked at her that way when she shifted but now that the alluring phrase had been said he was thinking it more than he should.


    "Would you change yours? Or do you not need to?" Jane interrupted his thoughts which was a small blessing for Asher who felt his brain was about to melt down.


    "I think I just need to make my geat tougher. The gloves are tough and worked well but Asher knew that he would come up against tougher enemies in the future. This meant that he would need higher grade gear. "If we work on it now we can have it all ready for the Ricktor tournament. We just need to focus on our gear first then we will work on things for the group."


    Asher had laid the plan out now. Jane and Art immediately jumped on board with it since they had the feeling that they would need to work fairly hard to take the top spots. Having the best gear possible was just a small step to put them ahead.


    "Alright, here is what they have." Laura popped back up holding a box labeled ''for anyone who wants. "These are just laying around collecting dust from last year. But I think they are better than anything else around." Laura had explored the many things left for any student who wanted them. The number of items like this were very high since most were experiments or things students lost interest in after completing.


    "This one is like the size of a blueberry. Are you sure it is a communication device?" Art was skeptical seeing the larger ones compared to a clear plastic charging block with multiple blue berry sized ear buds in them and no visible microphone to pick up their voices.


    "You doubt the coolness of the modern technology class." Laura pulled one out and squeezed it making a small light blink. Then she put one in her ear and another she handed to Art who copied her motions. "The bottom instructions say that we need to tap it once we are set in our ears and it will work as a mid range communication. If we want long range we need to connect a cellular device."


    Laura had read the bottom and found instructions. All in all it was way better than it seemed than anything she had ever seen. Art tapped the little earbud and heard a second set of voices in real time. "Wait, so this is¡­." He said this and heard his own voice amplified. Laura ran outside the room and started to speak. He could hear her every word and even some other students speaking around her crystal clear.


    "This is perfect. I can hear everything without any issue. Why aren''t these invested in and sold?" Art couldn''t figure out how something so great wasn''t on the market.


    Laura popped back in to the room and removed her earbud. "There are so many things made here that things like this sometimes go overlooked. I bet someone made it and decided they could make a better version. Now this one is here and we can take it if we want."


    "I feel like we are reaping the rewards without any work¡­" Jane was feeling slightly bad for taking something like this for free.


    "If that is what it is here for then it is fine. But we should make sure we help out the other students too. Especially if we are going to work on our gear." Asher didn''t want to feel like he was accepting something for nothing. If he could repay the class for a while it would be better in the long run. He was sure he could use his luck to help a few students make great breakthroughs.


    "Then we will help everyone who help us and more." Art had seen the benefits of the class and was ready to invest fully in the class.


    "I can do that. I bet I can help out a ton of them with their math. I am pretty good you know." Jane knew she had good grades in math. Of course it wouldn''t always be the key point when it came to those who were better at math than here, but like the guy with the frost thrower, Jane knew there were people looking for math assistance.


    "Oh, you guys can always help others test their invention. I have been doing that a lot. I am fast enough to get away from any mishaps." This explained to them why Laura was so popular. In a class like this it was all too clear that there would be student that needed help experiments and testing.


    "If I test things I bet I could do the same. I was literally made for this." Asher saw his calling in this class. With his super power he would have the best odds of a students'' invention succeeding or him keeping others from being hurt by a failure.


    "Wait! You can''t take all the glory here." Art was refusing to let Asher take all the help when he needed the assistance with his gear too. If he let Asher run ahead then he would be left in the dust.


    "If I get to them first you will just have to deal with it. But we should do that tomorrow. There is still way more to see." Now any trace of Asher''s sour mood had disappeared, He had been guided to two great things and ways to get stronger.


    "Then let''s go to the shelves. There are parts, past experiments and inventions, and plenty of things to learn about since a lot are new pieces of technology." Laura was ready to move on for the time being since she knew that they would have plenty more time to learn about new tools. She was actually very happy to be a little ahead for once since she had felt behind learning some of the martial arts moves.


    "The parts are from other inventions or provided by the school?" Jane was curious about where they came from and what the rules were for them.


    "They are provided by the school, students, broken inventions, pretty much anything. Anyone can use them if you find it and if you want you can take them too. This class is hugely funded since the school has fostered some major inventions and students that went on to become great inventors in hero corp." Laura explained this and brought another realization.


    "That makes a lot of sense. If the school receives funding for it through the students and hero corp it would mean that there is more freedom. The more freedom the better the inventions." Art was saying his thoughts out loud, but realistically he was also relating it to his parents'' jobs and how they had freedom to work on the things they desired as long as they showed results.

 Chapter 256 - 256. Awkward

    The bell rang stopping all four of them in their tracks. "What? But there is so much still to see. I haven''t shown you where all the spare parts are. Or where the prototypes are tested. Or the students that can help us with our gear."


    Laura was consumed by what she had yet to show her friends while Jane, Art, and Asher were actually a little glad. This class had been a rollercoaster of emotions for the time being and it was nice to end the day.


    "We will be here tomorrow. We can pick up with the gear changes and see if Louis, Sammy, and Jackson have any ideas for theirs." Asher was a little more level headed at the end of the class than Laura. However, he was hoping he wouldn''t see the teacher upstairs again or he might lose himself again.


    "Tomorrow I will find the jetpack too." Art was still stuck on the jetpack.


    "You know that if your gear is as heavy as you were talking then there would be no jet pack that could ever let you fly." Jane was more than annoyed with Art''s new jet pack obsession and tried to logic her way to getting him to stop with it.


    "I will just use my super powers to make my gear lighter, then I will be able to fly as much as I want." Art''s argument still made sense. He could manipulate metal and make it go against gravity.


    "Wait, then why not just make shoes out of lead and use that to fly? Like, you could just have a thin layer of lead all over your body and use that to lift you up too." Laura was still not in the light of what Arts'' real super power was but her argument still applied. If Art wanted this was the better way to fly than a jet pack.


    "I-well-ummm...The jet pack would be cooler so I am sticking with that." Art was too stubborn to just go with what they were saying. He refused to give in a ran ahead to walk alone for a bit.


    "And now Art is sulking. You guys realize that I am the one he''s staying with right?" Asher teased the two girls as they left the school building.


    "Soooo It''s your problem. Sounds good. Bye!" Laura was off in a flash before anyone could say anything else. Asher and Jane just stared in the direction she went wondering what the heck had caused her to rush away so fast.


    "I guess Laura saw that Louis was asking for tutoring help." Jane showed Asher the group chat on the phone and the first one that had replied was Laura to offer to help him.


    "Oohh, Yeah, that would make sense. I wonder if they will actually study or just sit around being awkward. Or maybe Sammy will need to yell at them to get them on the same page." Asher was laughing while imagining these things. It was clear that Laura and Louis were weird around each other and all of the group had already pegged them for liking each other.


    "Hey, just let them do what they want. If everyone intrudes then they might not ever talk about their feelings." Jane was shaking her head at Asher. She had the feeling that he was being a little more childish than usual today.


    "I won''t bother them it''s just a little funny." He felt bad that he had annoyed Jane but he just brushed it off for now since he knew that no one was actually going to bother Louis and Laura and that they had the freedom to do what they wanted.


    "It''s funny? And do you think it''s funny between us?" Jane had turned completely away and was red faced. Asher had been totally caught off guard with her words.


    "Well, we already. I think. We¡­" Asher lost the ability to properly speak a full sentence without any control. Jane was waiting for what she thought he would say but was also frozen in place.


    "You guys really need to just lock yourselves in a room and talk this stuff out." Art had realized his friends were frozen in place and checked back up on them. He may have been a little unhappy but that didn''t change how he cared about them. Yet, when he found them struggling with their own feelings he couldn''t help but say something to snap them out of it.


    "Pshh, what do you even mean. We have to get home to study and train. Jane and I were just taking a break before we walked more." Asher was also turning red while he tried to shake the subject.


    "Yeah, we were taking a break. Let''s go!" Jane started to walk a little ahead making Asher and Art rush forward. However, under his breath Art was already whispering something, "If you two finally said that you like each other things would be a lot less awkward."


    The trio easily made it to Asher''s house parting ways with Jane who rushed home herself. "So do you think we will be able to get everything we want to be done before the tournaments? I think it will be a little much to have it all perfect." Art was thinking about all the changes they could make on top of their training. They would end up working themselves to exhaustion.


    "I am worried that it is too much to handle. We won''t be able to keep up at this rate." Asher couldn''t deny that it was a lot to handle.


    "We will need to work together. I am sure some of us will be ahead in certain places. I don''t think I will focus too heavily on the martial arts side of things since I have my own style that is fairly ironed out. That means I can help with academics and getting gear all set. Jane is the same way but with academics. She is always ahead so I am sure that she will take some lead on other things."


    Art and Asher both thought on these points and felt that there was a lot more wiggle room than expected. "I''m hommeeee!" Cara burst in the door with a yell making Asher and Art we had also just walked in jump. "Perfect, you two are right here. We are going to do some training in the back. I need to blow off some steam."


    Cara made an evil look that sent shivers through the pair''s spines. They knew that they couldn''t equal Cara at all. Even Asher with all his luck was constantly caught unaware when it came to Cara and her fighting styles. She had been training for much longer and was at a huge advantage.


    "Oh come on. We were just about to study our flash cards." Asher tried his best to get them out of Cara''s targeting but he saw that Cara was prepared for such opposition.


    "Then we will work out and study. We can quiz each other. For everything you get wrong you add to your work out. Should be some good motivation." Asher felt that he had dug himself even deeper than where he had been before.


    "Then what do we get if we get it right? Does that mean you will make dessert for us?" Art came out of nowhere with a challenge surprising Asher but also throwing Cara off.


    "That''s fine. But since you will lose you should be the one to make dessert tonight." Cara quickly recovered before she pushed the two towards the back yard.


    The door again opened a short time later, "Honey, I''m home."


    "Welcome back. It''s been an interesting evening so far." Asher and Caras'' mother had been listening in while she worked on dinner in the kitchen.


    "Are they still trying to skip a grade? I think they can do it but they need to rest a little." It wasn''t surprising that Ashers'' mother and father had caught on to this.


    "Yes, they are. And they are even planning out how to deal with the lack of time. It''s very adult. Cara is even all excited about it. She just made a bet with Art to see who will make dessert tonight after dinner. Those two are so cute." Their mother couldn''t help but giggle thinking about her daughter and Asher''s best friend getting in to their bets.


    "Oh, if Arts'' cooking it then it will be great. You think he would realize he is picking a losing battle." their father was a little disappointed to hear that their guest had yet to catch on to this.


    "I think he knows. He did offer to make her cake whenever she wants. But he keeps looking for ways to make dessert and show off. It''s just adorable. I hope that he can figure out his family problems soon so he can focus on other things." The two parents proceeded to work on dinner together while talking about their children and house guest. The three had brightened their life beyond what they had expected and the couple couldn''t wait to see what more would happen.

 Chapter 257 - 257. Reserve Space

    The remainder of the week fell in to an intensely busy schedule of classes and training. Asher was sure to record every single detail of the fire safety focus of the disaster relief course all week. They were preparing for a life testing in the back of the school at the start of the next school week but would first be tested on their knowledge of procedures and other factors.


    The modern technology class proved to be a hidden treasure trove for them. Asher had gathered his friends'' gear and brought them to a larger work station. Of course, the gear on display grabbed attention and before long there were already debates and arguments on improvements that could be made. Asher tried his vets to work out deals with all of them but before he could even get words in the other students had left to start preparing modifications and blue prints. It had left Asher completely in the dark.


    He even knew that Jane and Art tried to bargain with the student but got pushed away as well. It seemed that they were more eager to improve and experiment than they were to get anything in return. It was an uplifting but also an uncomfortable experience. However, Laura brought up the fact that they would most likely be bragging during tournaments that the gear they modified was considered the winner. It was to further their own standings as well.


    Since that was the case Asher didn''t hesitate to get everyone''s names and remember those he would be advertising when they topped the rankings in the Ricktor tournaments and later the school tournaments. It was an interesting twist of events but a welcome one since Asher was sure better things would come of his classmates if they were to receive more spotlight as well.


    With the gear issue out of the way, Asher and the others focused on some of the other things they wanted. Laura was able to dig up many parts of super hero phonemes so they could tinker with them. There were also bluep[rints top the newest version making it easier for them to follow the instructions and basically make themselves customized versions.


    This attracted a whole new set of students while they were in class and before they knew it they had begun to learn the basics of electrical engineering and coding. Jane was exceeding in the coding since it was mostly numbers based and she was good at math. Surprisingly Art was fining that he could easily master any tool put in his hands. It was like watching an expert who had always used it.


    Asher on the other hand had been fumbling around with things and ended up looking for the prototype testing area. He had made deals with multiple students to test their inventions come the start of the week and even had a printed schedule for who he was meeting what day and when. It was the main thing he could do to properly give back to the class and learn more about the new inventions being created.


    "We aren''t spending our entire weekend training and studying, right?" Art was worried that they were all going to burn themselves out. It was already Saturday morning and they had completed their morning work out with some additional cardio and circuits since it was the weekend.


    "I was thinking that we should go all out today or tomorrow then use the vitamin packs. It would make things harder but we could get ahead even more." Asher had the idea a while ago but wasn''t sure if Jane and Art would be on board with it.


    "You guys should just rent out the gym space and have group training. My friends do it all the time. Sometimes it is mostly fooling around but it would be good for you all to study and train martial arts." Cara walked in to the room with her own input which made Asher and Art light up.


    "I didn''t even think to book the gym, quick, look and see if it is available on the student website." Asher was too slow to grab his phone and let Art take the lead.


    "It says that it is available this weekend on Sunday. No one booked it for the whole entire day!" Art was surprised to find that no one would book it on a Sunday when there were so many students that needed to improve.


    "No one ever books sundays. Students use that day for the library usually. Check the library room booking. It is completely locked up on sunday. But Saturdays they are free." Cara said this like it was the most common knowledge in the entire school, and to be fair it mostly was when it came to those who wished to use these spaces.


    "Just sign us up for six hours on Sunday in the gym. We can study here at the house for academics after. Maybe everyone can bring some food after we clean up from working out and we can have a friends studying dinner." Asher felt that he had just found one of the greatest ideas yet. They could all work harder than ever together in the proper spaces then come to study and relax after. It was the ideal day for them to improve and assist each other where they needed.


    "I just put it in, we should be all set sunday for the gym. I also sent it to the group chat too so we should be even more set. I don''t think anyone will miss it." Art glanced at Cara next wondering if she would be coming.


    "I''m in the group too, I will be there to kick everyones'' butts and make sure you don''t slack off." Her cheeks were a little red seeing that Art was looking for her approval but she didn''t say anything else.


    With their sunday plans all settled Asher texted Jane to see if she was coming over top train, before he could even finish sending the message there was a knock at the door. " Oh, that should be Jane. She asked me to spar with her since she said she wanted to work on her basics with another girl." Cara was excited to be asked for help like this and hopped up to get the door faster than the two boys could even respond.


    "Hey Jane, I was just going to see if you wanted to come over and train, but I guess I am a little late." Asher laughed a little at this but saw that Jane smiled none the less. "Those are some nice sunglasses too."


    Asher noticed the switch from mask to sunglasses and was fairly impressed to see the high grade that she wore. They were classic design known to be used by professional heroes for their durability and clarity. They also had a slight purple line on them matching her eyes which he knew was on purpose.


    "These are brand new. I listened to coach Winters and finally tried out the sunglesses idea. I guess people are really only frozen by my eyes and not my entire face." Jane smiled even wider s she spoke.


    "It will be nice to see more of your face all the time," Asher said this without even thinking.


    "This is what I get for inviting another girl over to train with me. My brother hits on her. Gross." Cara grabbed Janes'' arm while she shook her head The two headed to the back yard where Cara was sure to pick things up to spar even harder than before. Meanwhile, Asher was barely in a functional state after realizing he had actually hit on Jane right when she walked in.


    "That was pretty smooth, I''ll have to use that some time." Art was taking notes while also teasing Asher, it was enough to snap him back to reality.


    "We should probably study and get some extra homework done before we head out to train more." Asher was able to easily convince Art in to this and after a solid three hours they were looking at a pile of homework they had managed to finish.


    "We need to stop before our brains turn to jelly. Even the academic app is recommending we take a break." Art had reached his limit and wanted to get on with training. His body had been idle and he needed to burn off real energy.


    "Then we should jog to Sammy and Louis''s house. It is a good run and we can see if we can surprise them." Asher''s suggestion sounded like the most fun and Art couldn''t find any reason not to go along with it.


    "Think they will be home? I know they live right next to each other so they could be at one anothers'' house." He was slightly worried they would miss them.


    "That''s fine, we can knock on both doors and if they try to escape we can capture them and drag them training with us." Asher wasn''t going to let anyone fall behind. He knew that Jackson and Laura were fully invested but had the feeling that Louis and Sammy may get distracted and fall behind. It was just a feeling he had after seeing them argue like brother and sister a few times.

 Chapter 258 - 258. Construction Race

    The two got themselves all set up with their work out gear. Asher grabbed the gloves he had been wearing with his gear. They were proving to be a very useful addition for him when he trained since it was harsh on his knuckles. "I think I should look at getting some reinforced gear, I put some strain on my joints from my style and it will probably be smarter to start reinforcing things now than later." He said this out loud to Art who he knew had been considering similar things.


    "I think it''s a good idea. We can match and have some reinforced gear." Art was just glad that he would end up having some matching gear with his best friend. Even if it was a different build elsewhere.


    "I think Jane will get to ignore any reinforced gear. When she shifts to her full power she is already stronger and doesn''t need it. Jackson probably doesn''t either." Asher was thinking of who else may need any reinforcements to their gear when he got back to class on Monday.


    "Bro, save it for later. If Louis and Sammy need it we can figure it out today and tomorrow. And Laura is in the class with us, anything she needs we already know she probably asked. I think I heard her talking about some fabric that won''t wear out from extreme wear and tear." Art made sure Asher wasn''t going to be stuck in his own head all morning.


    Asher shrugged off his lack of focus and stretched his legs for their run to SWammy and Louis''s house. "You want to race there?" Asher thought that this was probably a bad idea since they would both tired themselves out. But he wanted to have a little fun instead of being bored with another run.


    "You think you can beat me? That''s cute." Art was all in on a race. He started to stretch too so he could start out stronger than Asher.


    "Oh, it will be cute when I am the one knocking on their door first and you are keeled over in a too tired to even take another step mood." Asher was right back at Art with the banter. Before they could even stretch anymore they had fallen in to an all out brawl of words and trash talking.


    "And that is why I didn''t want to spar with those two today." Cara could hear the two yelling their trash talk in the front yard before they ran off. Jane just laughed at Cara and the two before they continued their own sparring.


    "Ready! Set! Go!" Asher and Art were off on their run toward their friends'' houses. They were naturally, starting


    Art started off in the lead since Asher knew that he would tire himself out. Asher had purposefully pushed Art more and more so that this would happen. It was a snaky trick that he had realized worked way too well on Art.


    What they both didn''t expect though was that the road to Sammy and Louis''s house was currently under construction. The normal road and sidewalk were currently being remodeled so that they were crack free. This led to a daring and mischievous grin between the two as they stopped at the construction sign.


    "Did someone set up an obstacle course?" Art was looking at the materials that were set up like hurdles and ramps.


    "It doesn''t say that people can''t run through it so I think we can take on the challenge." Asher looked carefully for any danger signs and saw that there was nothing that would stop them from running free.


    With the consensus that their race was about to become much more interesting, they hoped the barrier and ran through the construction site. The workers were all on lunch and there was no one around to say a word or to cause any danger. This made them run free more so than they would have in any other case.


    Asher was jumping every barrier and sets of boards like hurdles while Art was dodging around equipment like he was weaving through an enemy''s punches. The two were displaying the many hours of hard training while trying to get ahead of each other. However, they were about to face a major enemy.


    Art took a step too far and met with a slightly sticky and partially cooled rubber crack sealer. This anchored his shoe in place while Asher turned to laugh at him. But instead of taking the lead Asher found himself equally stuck. The two had waltzed right in to a trap of their own making.


    "Maybe...we shouldn''t have run through here." Art was the first to admit it, but he saw Asher shaking his feet free of his running shoes.


    "Maybe we shouldn''t have, but I am still winning." Asher pulled his feet free and tore his shoes from the ground with his hands. He smiled at Art and started running again.


    Art refused to be abandoned like that and followed Ashers'' lead. They were both running through the street like it was a minefield. Their weird hops and jumps giving anyone who was watching the impression that they were playing a form of hopscotch or interpretive dances.


    "You''ll never catch up!" Asher taunted Art as he hopped over the barrier at the end of the construction site and sprinted ahead. He knew that just around the corner was Sammy and Louis''s house and he was about to win.


    Just as he was rounding the corner he saw a shadow falling to the ground. When Asher looked up he could only gawk as Art was hopping the fence of the yard next door to Sammy and Louis. He had cut from the construction site through the neighbors'' yard to beat Asher.


    "No! You! Don''t!" Asher flew in to a full sprint. He was not going to lose when he was so close. The two were headed right for the doors of the two houses sitting side by side. They ran right past two familiar looking people in the front to both knock on one of the doors.


    "I bet Sammy and Louis are at Sammys'' house. If they are I am the winner!" Art was shouting from one door to Asher who had just knocked on the other.


    "Yeah right! I am the winner since they are both at Louis''s house!" Asher was not letting Art have the glory.


    "Ooo, what if Louis and Sammy are both not home and actually just got back from their own cardio work out" The familiar female voice made both Art and Aher turn around with a frozen look on their faces.


    "I''m pretty sure that means Louis and Sammy win. They should get some sort of prize." Louis was the one to speak this time while smirking with Sammy.


    "I thought I was supposed to be lucky. How could I fail to catch you at the house I chose!" Asher slumped down to sit on the front step defeated. Art soon followed and sat next to him equally defeated.


    "So, you guys want to train with us?" Art spoke with a slightly slow and beaten tone, but they had come for this purpose.


    "Sure, but since Louis and I won you two need to show us those blocks you mentioned in the chat the other day." Sammy knew how to bargain and was after the moves she had not yet learned.


    "Oh, good one. I would have made them hold a hand stand for ten minutes and do hand stand push ups." Louis was much more brutal than Sammy. He wanted a little revenge for the training Asher and Art had already put them through.


    "That would have been funny. But we would still be far behind. At least learning the blocks will help us catch up." Sammy made a good point as she pulled Art back up.


    "Sorry Asher, I would help you up but I haven''t discharged my lightning yet. I did find a good way to do it though." Louis was excited to share the solution and pointed them toward the back yard where they could train too. "That is my lightning rod. My parents had it hammered deep in to the ground and now I can get rid of any extra lightning so it is easier to train. I don''t want to brag but I can control ten percent of my lightning now." He stood tall with his hands on his hips.


    "Too bad that is the same as those prank pens that zap people. Every time he increases it to a stun gun it arcs off and he loses it. He needs to be really close to use it fully." Sammy was giggling while making fun of Louis which prompted him to retort.


    " At least I didn''t blow the laundry away with the wind. Her underwear ended up in the neighbors'' pool." Louis was standing even taller as he preached this embarrassing fact. However, he was feeling less victorious when he saw Sammy preparing her strongest gust of wind in his direction. For the next ten minutes, Asher and Art were witnesses to Louis and Sammy trying to either shock each other or blow the other away with wind. It was a somewhat strange fight between the elements.

 Chapter 259 - 259. Water Resistance

    "Oh! I have an idea. You two should come to the back yard. Since we live next to each other out families share one and we have a pool!" Sammy was much more excited to show this off than it seemed she was about training.


    "You should probably tell them that you want them to check it out because that is how you do your resistance training." Louis teased Sammy and earned another gust of wind for his words.


    "That''s actually really cool. Is it in the app or did you just do it before?" Art was sure that he had not seen water resistance training but he had also never search for it in the app as an applicable work out. Mostly because he didn''t have a pool to go to so that he could swim, much less train.


    "Well, I use it to practice what I think flying would be like and I thought it was a good way to stay in shape. Then when you guys had us download the app I kinda seared water exercises and...Yeah, I have a bunch of water resistance circuits." Sammy was slightly embarrassed to see Art and Asher so focused on her. But She was also glad to see them starting to show excitement.


    "Yeah, they should come over to my house first. My dad and I have some extra swim, suits you can borrow. I''m pretty sure they don''t want to run home in soaking wet gym clothes." Louis was on the ball with this suggestion and kept the two from having to run home.


    "If it isn''t any trouble that would be great. I haven''t done any water exercises. I just took basic swimming lessons when I was a kid." Asher could remember that in this life he had done the same swim lessons almost every child did in school and nothing more.


    "That''s fine. The pool is shallow since it was made for laps. So you can touch. And if you want it higher or lover we can adjust it." Louis said this making Art and Asher both wonder how this was possible, but they didn''t question it since they were too excited to get to a new workout and swim.


    "Yeah yeah, I am going ahead then. Hurry up." Sammy stuck her tongue out at Louis before she ran to her house to change herself.


    "I didn''t know you guys had a pool. That is awesome. I bet you can party it up a lot." Art was pretty energized hearing about the pool. Even his parents'' mansion didn''t have a pool since their super powers were mostly metal based and they would end up sinking most of the time.


    "Well, I used to swim a lot. But now...not so much." Louis was banned from the pool since he would shock everyone inside of it. This was just a side effect of his lighting body super power.


    "Can''t you discharge all of your lightings in the lightning rod you told us about then get it?" Asher was wondering why this wasn''t possible.


    "It would be super uncomfortable for you guys. Every time my body generated a little lighting to replace what I burn off it would be a small zap. Like static electricity." Louis had his head down completely dejected. He knew that none of them would want him to swim too so he would have to do his own work outs alone at the side of the pool.


    "That''s fine. We need to toughen our bodies too. How many times will we get hit and flinch leaving us open to another hit? We need to toughen up and small zaps will work." Art and Asher both flexed and made small punching actions while agreeing on this. It left Louis completely blindsided since he had thought the opposite reaction would occur.


    "Are...you sure? It isn''t pleasant. Sammy got really angry when she hopped in one day while I was using it." Louis was still unsure but when he saw the two nodding and giving the thumbs up he had become much more excited.


    "If Sammy is unhappy then just put it on us. We want you to train with us and it will help us out with out flinching reflex." Asher was sold on the surprising training methods they had discovered by coming here. He could only imagine it would end up putting them farther ahead.


    The three rushed inside and were changed quicker than one could imagine. Before they even found the pool the three were surprised to see Louis without any of the normal rubber bandages to block the lightning.


    Louis was still skinnier but had started to develop muscles from training. The only problem was his blinding paleness due to keeping himself covered for others'' safety. But the cool part was the fact that small arcs of lightning constantly arced on his skin making him look like a walking special effect.


    "Just hang on while I use the lightning rod quick." Louis reached out and grasped a metal pole in the ground. "We drove it down twenty feet so that it wouldn''t affect any underground wiring." With a sudden burst Art and Asher witnessed a blinding flash as the lightning arced around Louis and in to the ground. It only took a few flashes before Louis was slightly tired but the lighting on his body had disappeared.


    "That was way cooler than I thought it would be. I think you and Sammy have the flashiest super powers in the group. Mine seems pretty lame in comparison." Asher was a little jealous since he couldn''t really show off much with his power.


    "You know you are a walking luck magnet right? You probably could do anything you wanted and come out on top." Louis was laughing at Asher since he felt the same jealousy but for Asher''s super power.


    "Yeah yeah, that''s cool. But like my own power and I want to show off how much better I am at these water resistance circuits you''re going to teach us. Only...where''s the pool?" Ar was ready to get in to training but realized there was only a long wooden deck in the back yard other than the lightning rod.


    "Oh, you''re going to love this. You see how the deck stretches from one side to the other completely flat and without railings? Watch this." Louis went to a small panel near the houses and pressed a button. After turning a dial the deck started to shake then lower in to the ground. "I set it to four feet deep so that we can still run in it for the first half."


    The water was bubbling up over the fake wooden boards. The deck was just an automatic covering for the pool. "This is epic! I thought that it would be something like this but not this fancy." Asher had never seen a pool like this and was sure that it was an engineering wonder.


    "What!? You already showed them? I wanted to see their faces- Oh wait, Art is still stunned." Sammy giggled a little at Art who was frozen in amazement. He wanted one of these lap pools for himself.


    "Let''s get this party started!" Art suddenly came back to reality and grabbed Louis over his shoulder. He felt a slight zap but his adrenaline was pumping and preventing any notice as the two fell in to the water.


    "You heard him, Let''s party!" Asher dashed at Sammy and tackled her in to the pool too. The four fell in to brutal arm seeps and fist slaps splashing each other until they were completely out of breath.


    "This is not¡­ the resistance...training I had¡­ in mind." Sammy struggled to get the words out before leaning on the edge of the pool. "Dang it! Those zaps keep making me twitch." She had been twitching every so often at the same time Asher and Art felt the slightest of zaps.


    "Sorry...I can get out." Louis had been watching for it too and was feeling worse and worse about it.


    "No, how are we going to toughen up? You can get out when you can beat me in a race from one end to the other. Until then you are stuck here!" Art refused to let Louis out and Sammy just shrugged it off.


    "Sammy, if you flinch like that against a villain they are going to kick your butt and do terrible things. Haven''t you seen the news? Villans will do the worst things to heroes when they defeat them." Asher knew this was playing dirty but his strategy worked, Sammy showed slight fear for a moment before her gaze steeled and she stood taller.


    "Fine. Then I will be the toughest in the group. Who cares about a distracting zap anyways. It barely hurts." She pretended not to care about the next zap that made her flinch. However, Asher was impressed to see she recovered much faster than easier.


    "Then show off these resistance training exercises you told us about. After that, we can practice some blocks." Asher knew it was time to get serious and train for real.

 Chapter 260 - 260. Louis And Sammys Grandfather

    "Come on! You can make another lap! What are you a quitter?" Asher was currently shouting at Art who had run his last lap back and forth from one side of the lap pool to the other. Sammy had set them up to run through the shallow water. It had proved to be much tougher than they had expected since the water resistance was great at challenging their leg muscles.


    "Asher, don''t get distracted from your high knees. If I have to come over there I swear!" Sammy had gone full drill instructor after the second set of circuits. She was currently practicing one of the sweeping arm blocks that Asher had shown her in the water so that she could gain resistance with the movements.


    Louis had it the hardest though. He was constantly lifting himself in and out of the water from the edge so that he could build more arm muscles. He wasn''t allowed to kick off at all which made it even harder on him. It was obvious that his arms were becoming weak as the water that weighed his body down felt heavier and heavier each time.


    "I will not stoooopppp!!" Art pushed past Asher and slammed his hand on the end of the pool.


    "You took forever, I doubt I should have down that again." Louis slipped back in the to pool with exhaustion written all over his face


    "It''s not my fault Sammy said to do an extra lap." Art was doing his best to maintain an upright position. He knew if he gave in and bent over he would cramp up and not get the oxygen he needed. The elite home gym app had taught him proper breathing and stretching for these situations.


    "What? I just thought you would want to get stronger. I have been doing this every day since we got back from camp." Sammy shrugged off their tiredness and looked as if she was ready to go another round of training.


    "Are you secretly super strong?" Asher couldn''t believe that Sammy wasn''t showing she was tired at all.


    "Eh, she''s super tired trying to keep up with you two. Watch this." Louis poked Sammy in the side and she completely lost balance and fell beneath the water while attempting to grab ahold of something.


    "She was almost shaking from her muscles being worked too much." Louis laughed a little while grabbing Sammy''s hand and pulling her up.


    "Who needs a brother like you! You''re evil!!!!" Sammy tried her best to hit Louis but her arm was like a wet noodle hitting a soft pillow. There was no damage. However, Louis still feigned a stumble since he knew if she was not successful she would get even angrier.


    "Hmmpf, next time you do that I will set your alarm for midnight, then one , then two, then three, and all the way until school starts." Sammy had done this once before to Louis but it had gone unsuccessful. But now, his super powers made it very tough for him to turn the alarm off or change the timers without zapping it to death. It was a very real threat to his sleep.


    "On another note, you guys want a snack after stretching? I know you should rest before you jog home. Plus, I need to go over my history flash cards¡­" Louis was behind compared to everyone else since he had been spending the majority of his time learning to control his super power better.


    "If I ever say no to food you should expect a body snatcher has stolen me away." Art was never going to turn down a snack. Especially after burning off a ton of calories while being ordered to do exercises in the water.


    "Not it!" Sammy was quick on the draw leaving Louis to get out of the pool and have to rush to the kitchen.


    "So lame...My arms are too weak to even lift anything." Asher gave him a hand up after jumping out of the pool himself.


    "I can grab it with you." Louis looked thankful and the two headed inside Louis''s house.


    "I thought Sammy would lose it when she got zapped before but she got over it so fast. Now I know that she can deal with it so I won''t let her convince me to get out of the pool." Louis felt that he had discovered a hidden prize.


    "It will only help her if she is able to handle it. That makes me think though, how you will deal with your flinch reflex. If we all train with you we will have the advantage." Asher was sure that Louis hadn''t thought of this.


    "Oh, it won''t be a problem. I have been getting used to stuff like that since the random arches of lighting always surprise me depending on where and how strong they are on my body." Asher hadn''t expected this but realized it made sense.


    "Ah, you''re one of the boys from camp. You must live nearby. I''m glad this one and his sister are getting along and making other friends. They rarely invite anyone over you know." Louis''s grandfather that had visited at camp came in to the kitchen.


    "Hello sir, I''m sorry I didn''t introduce myself earlier. I am Asher Ronan. Louis, Sammy, and I are in the same class." Asher was surprised to see that the clouds that made up Louis''s grandfathers'' beard and hair were drifting around a little more freely than he saw previously.


    "My grandfather used to be a weather man, he has a super power called cloud shift. His hair is always clouds but he can completely change form to clouds if he wants. It is pretty cool because his clouds change with the weather. If there is lightning he even fires off lightning bolts like me!" Louis rarely got to introduce his grandfather like this and jumped at the chance.


    "That''s actually really cool. I didn''t realize there were super powers that could be so useful for telling the weather. I bet you were really popular." Asher wasn''t holding back at all. He genuinely found that the super power would work very well with the job.


    "Hahaha, you flatter me too much. It wasn''t always so grand you know. When I first got my super power I was a little older than necessary for the shot but I risked it. I ended up with a very dangerous power since on rough weather days I am just as dangerous as a storm." Asher could see how this would be a risk. If it was lightning and thunder outside the clouds on the grandfather''s beard and head could zap a passerby.


    "But I learned to keep it controlled, I am pretty lucky to have a grandson with a similar super power. I will never regret adopting his father and aunt." The smile on his face was brighter than any sun Asher had seen.


    "Don''t tell me you are going to tell that story again. Dad and aunt always get so embarrassed when you tell it...but they aren''t around." It was funny seeing Louis act a little more childish and innocent around his grandfather than the normal serious and quiet attitude.


    "Of course I will tell it. We are the golden example of weather based and elemental super powers living safely. I will tell you Asher, my son and daughter were brother and sister both born with elemental powers and you know what their parents did when things go hard? They gave up! They had no steel in their bones to stand with their children since they were not super powered people." Louis looked a little sad but he had an eagerness in his eyes.


    "But how could I turn a blind eye to two children that were just like me? I took the risk and gained a power I was learning to live with, so what were two others that could walk with me and join my family? I''ll tell you, Louis''s father was a handful but that is what you get with someone who finds it so funny to make the whole back yard all foggy and hide from his chores."


    "Add his sister to the mix and the next thing you know it is a snowy mist and you have two kids telling you the weather is too bad to go to school." Louis''s grandfather was laughing loudly as he said this. He remembered the sneaky tricks he had been able to prove false with his clouds.


    "I never thought about how things were when kids were getting super powers and parents had to figure it out¡­" Asher spoke more out loud while thinking than meaning to actually say it.


    "Oh it was a common story on the news. But there were plenty of gamblers like me who stepped up to take them in. My neighbor was five years older than me and risked getting the evo shot. He gained some minor telekinesis but it was a world of help with his adopted son who could run super fast." Asher felt that he could listen to these stories all day. It looked like Louis could too. Before they could even start grabbing snacks Art and Sammy came in the back door looking for the missing pair.

 Chapter 261 - 261. Caras Powers

    "Oh, there you are Sammy. I was wondering why you hadn''t come inside too. And you are the other boy In saw with them at camp." Louis and Sammy''s grandfather waved to them to come over to the kitchen counter where he had taken a seat.


    "Hello, My name is Art. Sorry for not introducing myself properly when we saw each other previously." Art was a little surprised to see the grandfather since he had not expected him to be so energetic.


    "It''s good that there is another around to keep these two in check. They can get pretty rambunxious at times." He laughed while Sammy turned her head away acting much quieter than usual. This was another funny change that the two had while being around their grandfather.


    "Have you trapped them with your stories?" Sammy managed to get this out in a much quieter tone than usual. Asher and Art were having trouble keeping their laughter contained seeing it.


    "How could I not tell your friends some stories. I just told them about your parents, but I can go on forever." The grandfather just continued with hearty laughter while opening the fridge and taking out bottles of water. "You four looked like you were having a lot of fun training. I bet you''ll be top heroes in no time."


    "I didn''t realize you were watching. I hope we didn''t wake you up from a nap¡­" Louis started to feel bad if this was the case since he knew his grandfather was restless in the night due to his old age and bad back.


    "No no, it was nice to see you kids having a little fun. I think it is very studious to see all of you pursuing your dreams. When super powers were still newer and things were a mess many people rose to create order from it all and I can''t wait to see you stand among them." This spurred all of their hearts in to more action. They had many reasons to push for improvement and this was yet another.


    "Now, It looks like you two need to get going. There are some clouds coming in and they are rather dark." Louis and Sammy''s grandfather pointed to some small patches of darker grey clouds on his beard. When Asher glanced outside he could see similar colored clouds coming toward them.


    "Oh! Thanks, I don''t want to get caught in the rain. Louis, Art, and I will wash and return the swimsuits tomorrow. Just remember the training session at the school gym!" Asher and Art ran out of the house as the wind was picking up. They wanted to beat the rain home so they wouldn''t get wet.


    "I think you two have found some very good friends in school. Make sure you stay close." Louis and Sammy''s grandfather said this as he walked out of the kitchen and back towards his bedroom. Sammy and Louis just smiled smugly as they went to close the pool for the day.


    Art and Asher rushed the entire way back to Asher''s house. As soon as they touched the door handle the darkening clouds opened up and a torrential downpour began. "Safe! We made it!" Asher fell on to the entry way and tried to catch his breath.


    "If I knew you two would shout as soon as you got back I would have locked the door." Cara was annoyed that Asher and Art had burst in to the house and interrupted Jane and her study session.


    "You guys are just in time for some self quizzing. Cara has been helping me catch up to her in a few subjects. Your sister is really smart Asher." Jane had grown a very high sense of respect for Cara in the days events. Not only had they sparred together improving Janes'' skills but Cara had also helped Jane get through some tough mental blocks when it came to academics.


    "Yup, Asher can start studying. I just have to shower first." Art dashed up the stair leaving the three behind.


    "Dang, he''s trying to sneak out of studying right away." Asher recognized that Art was trying to be sneaky. "We need to set up a special pop quiz for him. Math on steroids." Asher grew an evil grin as he sat down and opened Jane''s math text book.


    "So what were you two up to the whole day?" Jane was curious where they had gone while Cara and her were training. It had been some hours since the two boys were back home and based on how Asher looked she knew they had been training.


    "I bet they went to the public pools. But I didn''t see you take your wallet so I hope you two didn''t steal those swim suits." Asher knew that Cara was just messing with him because she had a slight smile and held a lot of curiosity in her eyes.


    "We went to Sammy and Louis''s houses. They have a pool in the back yard. But it''s a deck that lowers in to the ground and is actually a pool. It is super cool. Louis let us borrow some swim suite so that we could learn some resistance training." Asher let this all spill out in a flurry due to his own excitement.


    "What!? They have a pool. You should have called me and we would have come." Jane was a little sore from being left out since it sounded like they had a lot of fun.


    "Water resistance training is pretty good. I heard a few of the martial arts club members do some in the school pools when the swim team isn''t using them." Cara was nodding as she said this. She knew how well the training could work when done properly.


    "Sammy said that she started to do it when she got home from camp. It seems like it will be a great way to get stronger since it tires us out and also forces us to use a lot more muscles at once. Plus Louis can''t help but discharge small zaps while he is in the pool and it forces us to remain focused even though we are being annoyed by the zaps." Asher sat a little taller to show off his toughness.


    "Oh, so it is the same as the meditation in rain or surrounded by loud music and people in the park training that some of the students with mental super powers do. Sounds pretty useful since it kills two birds with one stone." Cara again came out of nowhere with a good comparison.


    "I feel like you are so far ahead. Academics, martial arts, super power development, and even training techniques. You are only a year ahead of us and you are so much farther along." Jane was yet again in awe of Ashers'' older sister.


    "I have been focusing on these things for a while. It is only natural that I would be a little ahead. But you guys are catching up more than I want so I will have to go off and train by myself sometimes. Plus I am one of the few students who books the sound proof room in school, that is the only place I can train my super power without causing a lot of damage."


    "I think I can remember when you got your power. You whispered for like a month." Asher could recall vague memories of Cara whispering everywhere she went because she would not be able to control her super power and would nearly deafen everyone in the house. This was an interesting memory for Asher since he knew it was from this world for sure.


    "Are you really sure you want to make fun of me for whispering? I have already learned to make frequencies that will cause certain things to shatter. Like glass, some stones, and maybe even some smart phones." Cara was radiating a threatening aura as she glared at Asher.


    He quickly realized that she was not joking at all and would totally cause him trouble if he continued this teasing. Luckily Jane jumped in to change the subject, "It must be super cool to be able to manipulate sound. Can you sing really well too? Or play instruments better than anyone else?" Jane could only imagine that the power to control sound waves would give Cara these abilities.


    "Nope, not a musical bone in my body." Cara shrugged and explained, "I can manipulate the sound waves, yes, but making them in to music is way different. If I make them in to music the frequencies I hit in between cause damage to others and items. If I have a natural singing voice then it would be different because I could tweak it. But since I don''t then it causes problems."


    Jane thought for a moment before showing a look of understanding. "That would be like me trying to only stop one person in place even though everyone else around could look in to my eyes still. It would just never work." Jane was a little off the mark but it was close enough for Cara to just agree with it.


    "That was so much better. I feel like a new man." Art came down the stairs clean and in fresh clothing. However, when he saw Asher grinning from ear to ear he knew there was nothing good waiting for him.

 Chapter 262 - 262. Betting

    Art felt his blood run cold as Asher set the paper filled with math problems in front of him and left to shower. "I should have just stayed in the shaper all night and I would have been safe." Art could only accept his fate at this point.


    "Just do the problems. It''s only one page. Are you saying you aren''t smart enough?" Cara was teasing Art, but this made him grow a little more intense.


    "Oh yeah? Think I''m not smart enough? Then watch this." Art started to scribble furiously on the paper to come up with the answers.


    "Why can you get him t study sp easily but when Asher and I do it we need to fight with him more? He hates math¡­" Jane felt that she had just been beaten. Art always gave her and Asher a lot of resistance when it came to studying math and it had always been a chore to get him to do it. However, Cara had teased him once and Art was instantly being studious and trying to show that he wasn''t useless.


    "I think it''s just because he wants to get better. Just need to push him the right way." Cara leaned back and noticed that Art had glanced at her a few times. She bushed slightly before grabbing her own textbook and covering her face with it while reading. "Jane, you need to learn this paragraph here if you want to stay ahead. We both know that Asher is listening to the study guide videos while he showers. He did it every day this week."


    Cara had noticed that Asher had taken to listing to the lectures the academic app offered for free in all the subjects. This was something that most students who used the app ignored unless their teacher offered extra credit or played it themselves in class. Since Asher had made it a habit they had all noticed his speed in learning academics increased. Not a single moment of his time had been wasted this past week.


    "Asher has been training like a mad man too. He thinks that I don''t notice that he stays up an extra hour trying to learn a new move or practice some form of meditation so he can better use his body. I even catch him mumbling about how he wants to rely on himself instead of just his luck." Art jumped in to the conversation while putting the pencil down. "And, I finished the problems."


    Art had known he would be able to finish the math because he too had been staying up an extra hour at night. That is how he knew that Asher was also staying up and training more. The two had been hiding it from each other but completely failing at hiding it at all. Art also didn''t have any other time to work on his super power development than when he was alone. His other time was full of academics and group training.


    "How are you done already? You only were at ii for a few minutes." Jane grabbed the paper and was grading it with incredible focus.


    "I know you two have been awake late. It has been pretty annoying since it''s the only time I have to myself. Why do you think I have been getting up earlier to run instead of doing it on the treadmill at night?" Cara trend away showing how annoying it was to her that Art and Asher had spent the night awake later, however, it was clear that she wasn''t really annoyed since she too was normally awake then.


    "You got them all right...How have you managed to catch up this fast? Have you just been hiding your academic prowess the whole time? I swear if you try and take my ranking in academics." Jane felt that she had been lied to and started to write out problems that were ten times harder for Art to solve.


    AfteAsher showered he came back downstairs to find that Art had fallen in to a state of complete defeat. "Sooo, why does Art look like his brain has already melted out of his ears?" Asher leaned in towards Art as he sat down, "I tried to give you easy problems, maybe you should study more." Art just mumbled even more defeated.


    "Cara, are you coming to meet with everyone tomorrow to train together? We booked a space like you said and it should be pretty fin. I was thinking you would be able to coach all of us since you have the most experience next to everyone else." Asher knew that asking Cara to help was going to be a small risk since she might need to work on her own things. They were in different grades afterall and Cara needed to think about university exams.


    Cara sat up in her seat and gave Asher a hard look. She hadn''t expected Asgher to ask directly for her to join them in the training. She had thought that she had been added to the group as another member that could help them out and not directly because she could help them train and genuinely catch up.


    "I could come. But things will be much harder if you put me in charge." Cara had many training plans in mind, some that she had recently learned and wanted to test out because of the elite home gym app.


    "Then tomorrow will be a day we use the vitamin packs to help us heal up over night. Sound good everyone?'' Asher looked at Art and Jane who were still stuck in their own battle of mathematics.


    "Bro, I thought we were going to be doing that every weekend anyway? We need to get stronger to beat everyone in the tournaments." Art popped back up like he had energy for days.


    "I agree, we should be using the things we have more and more to push us ahead. I don''t want to go at this half way. If we are going to become a top hero group then we should act like it now." Jane closed her text book looking at the three. She was ready to make the leap now and not look back for a second.


    "Then we will be up early to run to the school as warm up. Jane, you can sleep in my room. Your parents are out of town to visit family right? You can stay here." Cara had spoken with Jane and was told that she was going to be home alone making for a pretty lonely weekend. It was one reason Jane had so readily joined Cara for training today.


    "Yes! I really don''t like walking home in the dark anyways. The rain stopped but it is still dreary and dark. I can''t believe we are going to have the whole gym for ourselves tomorrow." Jane and Cara left Art and Asher in a daze as they started to fawn over having the gym booked for the next day.


    "I didn''t realize Jane was home alone all weekend. She didn''t even tell us...well, we didn''t ask did we?" Asher felt that they Had not been as open to Jane as they should be. Instead, he and Art had been focusing on each other and working on their strengths without looking at the others.


    "I think she doesn''t mind it. She seems to be having a good time bonding with Cara. The two look like they are getting pretty close. It kinda makes sense though. The whole you and Jane thing." Art just shrugged while saying this making Asher start to turn red faced.


    "What do you mean the whole jane and I thing?" Asher didn''t want to admit that he had feelings for Jane but t was just too plain to see.


    "Yeah, let''s not lie top each other here bro. You like Jane and she likes you. But you need to make a real move and just say it. I won''t make any moves on anyone that I like until I have dealt with my family problems. But once I have rested my heart from that, I will go after what I feel." Art was surprisingly passionate about all this.


    "Then I will hurry up and get you to the place you need to be to have your family matters sorted out. Don''t expect me to back down." Asher sidestepped the conversation about him confessing to Jane and opted to support Art more.


    "I didn''t hear you say that you were going to say something to Jane." Art glared at Asher wanting to push his friend over the edge. It was because it was so painfully obvious that the two liked each other n his eyes.


    "Fine, you know what? If you can beat me in a sparring match tomorrow then I will tell Jane how I feel. I will yell it to the sky." Asher knew he could beat Art and chose this as the way to get Art off his back.


    "Good, I will beat you and you will go and confess what is in your heart." Art smiled knowing that he would be able to at least put up a decent fight. He thought there weren''t any guarantees that he would win, but he knew there was a possibility.


    " But if you lose then you need to do the same. Confess to the girl that has your heart on her hand." Asher wasn''t going to let Art escape with no penalty.

 Chapter 263 - 263. Snack Making

    After Asher and Art had shaken on their bet they took the duty of cleaning up the study materials and snacks they had all had while studying. The two ended up going to sleep a little earlier than expected since they could tell that the girls had already done so most likely because the training was going to be much harder the next day.


    Asher wanted to stay in his bed all morning but the brutality of the alarm woke him up as always. If there was anything that could be considered his enemy it would be the sound of the alarm. Unfortunately for him, his super power didn''t seem to affect the sound of his alarm as a real enemy and give it bad luck.


    Asher got himself up and put on his best work out gear along with grabbing the vitamin packs they would need for after their work outs. "Asher, do you think I should bring some snacks for everyone? I can use the recipes that the apps suggest for everyone to snack on throughout the work out. They should help everyone stay on the ball."


    Art had already been up for a little while before everyone else and heard Ashers'' alarm, he had been preparing breakfast and a few fruit smoothies which he knew would be ideal for them to stay energized and repair their bodies from the harsh work out ahead of them. The idea to bring snacks had occurred to him and he decided to check with Asher before he did so.


    "That sounds great. I will come help pack them up when I am done getting my stuff together." Asher thought that it was a great idea to bring snacks and knew that everyone would be very excited when they were told.


    He could hear Jane and Cara awake as well and knew that he was the one behind when it came to getting ready. This put Asher in to over drive as he packed his bag with some of the homework he wanted to get done in the downtime they would schedule between training exercises. This was their plan since they couldn''t stay in motion the entire time without possibly harming themselves.


    Asher headed down to the kitchen and found that Art was quickly cutting some of the vegetables and fruits in to bite sized pieces. "This should be perfect to pack in to the snack containers. I will grab a cooler and some ice so they stay cool." Asher pulled the cooler and some of the ice from the freezer to prepare to package them.


    "We can help too." Jane came in to the kitchen with her own work out gear on. She had brought a change of clothing for the reason that she might end up staying overnight. Mostly because Cara had suggested it in the first place before the two had actually met.


    "Sounds good, Asher is going to pack the cooler so if you want to start filling the things I have cut in to the containers that would be perfect." Art was in full chef mode and directed Jane to the pile of waiting vegetables and fruits.


    "I guess I can help too, but what is the other thing you''re making for?" Cara had noticed that Art had two snack boxes set aside and he was cutting specially shaped fruit in to them.


    "Oh, this is for your parents. They do so much for me so I have been trying to make some things for them too. I can''t just take from your family and not give back." Art had been doing this for a little while now and was constantly told by Asher and Cara''s mother that it wasn''t needed. However, their father had told Art many times now that he looked forward to bringing the snacks to work since he could easily eat them while he worked on the cases he had in the office.


    "I didn''t even realize you were doing that¡­" Cara felt that she had been missing a huge portion of what Art did for their family. She hadn''t wanted him to be there in the first place since she was a little hard headed, but the more Art did the more she had begun to realize what she had thought of him was wrong.


    "I will pack the fruit and you can grab the vegetables."Jane passed Cara some of the containers and the group got to work packing the snacks. In no time flat, they had caught up with Arts'' speedy knife work.


    "Done and done." Asher closed the cooler and looked at everyone realizing that he was definitely the one stuck carrying it. All he could think was that it was lucky that the cooler had back pack straps so it would at least be easy for him to carry while running.


    "So, we are taking the long way to the school right?" Cara was smiling with a slight amount of mischief since she knew that they were going to have a little trouble keeping up on the long run.


    "I want to say no but it will be better for us to take the long way." Jane knew that it would turn in to a race to keep up with Cara. She had been in the same situation the previous day where her entire goal was to keep Cara in view while they ran the route to the park and back.


    "I think I can do this today. I slept well, I had some food already, and I am wide awake." Art was giving himself a pep talk so that he would stay on pace with everyone and possibly Cara. He at the very least wanted to beat Asher to start off the day on a proper note.


    "Yeah...I am not trying to keep up with you. You can rush off ahead but I will try and keep my own pace today." Asher was dismissing the idea of keeping up with Cara on the first second. He knew that she was about to go all out today and that keeping up with her would just tire them out before they got to the main training. It was not worth the strain on their bodies.


    "I am going to try and keep her in sight. That''s what I did yesterday. You should at least try and keep up with me." Jane was challenging Art and Asher who were looking at her like she had just insulted their pride.


    "You think you can stay ahead of us?" Art may have a bet with Asher but he decided in that moment that it could wait until later like they had said. Jane had just issued a heavy challenge to them.


    "She is just dreaming. Don''t worry, she will be behind us by the time we get to the school." Asher was right there next to Art with the challenge. He wasn''t going to let Jane beat them.


    The rivalry had been ignored as they each grabbed their backpacks with study and work out gear. They knew that they were in for a long day but it was going to be very worth while. "Well, have fun looking at my back." Cara stuck her tongue out as she darted off ahead of them. Her starting pace was much faster than they had expected and all three knew that they had begun a harder challenge than expected.


    Jane was the first to realize that Cara''s pace would be faster than the day before and darted off herself. The initial burst of speed shocked Asher and Art who were still stretching a little. Jane was clearly ready to get ahead of them early before falling in to her own pace.


    "Dang it, they are going to be way ahead. Let''s go!" Art followed after pushing Asher to start moving too. They were both refusing to fall behind and be beaten so easily.


    The route they were going to follow was one that they could easily manage but would take them all the way around to the side of the school instead of the front. It would add on a whole two miles to their run since they needed to cross certain streets and avoid different areas that had heavy traffic.


    The pair was right in Janes'' heels but held back together as they ran. They had completely ignored their normal rivalry to keep up with Jane and Cara. Jane on the other hand could feel them right behind her and was tempted to push forward more but was holding herself back because she knew as soon as she did she would lose the energy she needed to keep up her p[ace.


    This was a constant battle as the three held their pace for the first half of the run. They had long lost Cara due to her increasing pace making the three feel like they had started to slow. But they maintained pace until they had rounded the corner and saw the straight shot to the school. This pushed them in to an all out sprint to beat each other there.

 Chapter 264 - 264. Love Of Animals

    Jane was the fastest out of the three and was using all the energy she had to stay ahead of the other two. She could feel them right behind her and she knew she could not let up her speed. However, Art and Asher had looked at each other and felt the challenge arise.


    They had been holding back and ignoring their own rivalry with each other to focus on Jane who was ahead of them. But with the end goal in sought and nothing to stop them they had their own rivalry ignite. No longer did they hold themselves to their own pace. The two burned their energy and sprinted with all their might.


    In the matter of a few steps, they came equal to Jane and didn''t even allow themselves a moment''s glance at her or each other. They needed to reach the school and show off their strength. This feeling reverberated through Jane as well and she attempted to run faster, yet when she did, Asher and Art also did.


    The school loomed in front of them as they pushed their limits to make it there faster, however, they didn''t realize that the side gate would only allow one of them through and not all three of them side by side. This meant that they either allowed one to get through the gate or the three got stuck together.


    Their sprinting intensified as they were only a few steps away. Asher had taken the middle trying to be the first through the gate with Jane and Art at his sides. The two elbowed and pushed as Asher did the same.


    They were about to crash in to the gate with their full force when Cara stood in front of them and opened her mouth. "Stop!" this single word echoes through the neighborhood and forced the three to slow and skid to a stop covering their ears.


    None of them understood what Cara had just yelled at them so loudly and suddenly. They were stunned by the ringing in their ears while Cara had turned around to look at a cardboard box on the ground. This made the three curious and they moved to look at what she had found.


    "You three would have run right over these kittens. Someone was cold hearted enough to ditch them out here in a box on a day I am sure would have been too hot for them. Look at how cute they are? Why would someone abandoned them?" Cara was nearly in tears saying this.


    "I didn''t know you cared so strongly for animals...We can call a vert or a shelter?" Jane tried her best to comfort Cara who was obviously angry and sad to see such a thing.


    "Cara has always hated those who hurt animals. I can remember that she refused to eat fish for months because she thought we were eating people''s goldfish too." Asher recalled this from very early on in their childhood.


    "That''s kinda cute..." Art said this under his breath but still earned a vicious glare from Cara who heard it clearly.


    "We need t make sure they are taken care of. The training is off until we find someone." Cara was putting her foot down while trying to pet the three black kittens in the box. They were just big enough to move around themselves but not able to leave the box just yet. "They must have abandoned since black cats are bad luck."


    "Hey guys, what are you all playing with?" Jackson was the first to make it there other than the rest of their group. He had come up behind everyone who was so distracted by the kittens that they had not heard him.


    "Some evil heartless wicked despicable trashy terrible evil person left kittens in this box to die here in front of the school. The school is even closed today so no one would have found them until tomorrow IF THEY WERE ALIVE." Cara lost her cool again for a moment and got too loud in her anger.


    "Oh, are you guys going to take care of them?" Jackson remained calm since he was used to such things. "If not then I will drop them off at my neighbors'' house. She has the power to shift in to any animal once a day. So she''s kinda perfect for training animals and also helps find them homes. Since she changes n to them she can also talk to them. It''s really cool since she taught the crows to clean up trash for food rewards." Jackson just laughed at the sight of crows cleaning up trash around their block.


    "Really? You can? How long until they have a home? Will they be split up? Can she help us find the evil that left them here? We need to capture them and bring them to justice." This was the most dramatic and passionate any of them had seen Cara. This wild change left every single one of them speechless.


    "Let me call my mom. She will come over and grab them to bring to our neighbor." Jackson walked away and called his mother while the four sat looking at the kittens sleeping soundly.


    "We can check with the school if they have any footage on who left them here. The school could even press charges since they were left n the property to be found by others." Jane was sure that there would at least be some form of ticket and fine attached to leaving the kittens here.


    "Perfect! After they leave with Jackson we will go ask the school security office to deal with it. I have a friend who works there as a student assistant." Cara knew that this would solve the problem for them. She had full confidence in the security office.


    "I''m pretty glad we didn''t trample the kittens. I have never had a pet but if I was home I would make sure they got to come too. It would be nice to have someone waiting for me to get home." Art tried to pet the kittens and was swatted away since the waking kitten saw him as a toy to play with.


    "What do you mean no one waits for you to get home? You live with us now. Everyone in my house would wait for you to get home." Asher was sure Art had said these things since his parents were always busy with work and wouldn''t be home often. Meaning he would eat alone then go to bed alone.


    "Huh, you''re right. But even still, if I could I would take these little guys home with me. The house would seem so much more full." Art stared at the kittens with tenderness since he had always wanted a pet.


    "No, wait...Asher and I could ask mom...maybe we could keep them."Cara was looking at Art with puppy dog eyes knowing that he wouldn''t be able to resist her.


    "And what do we tell dad when he gets home? Hey dad, we brought a cat home without asking and you have to just deal with it? Mom also will want a phone call asking first though." Asher had not expected to be the voice of reason here. He felt that his sisters'' respectability was disappearing the longer she made the pleading face to keep a kitten.


    "You could call them the three mewoskateers...just saying," Jane spoke up while looking at the box too.


    "Jane, not you too. Do these kittens have some sort of charming super power? Don''t look in their eyes and allow them to capture you Art, they might get your soul next." Asher was watching as Jane too knelt down to try and play with the kittens and become completely infatuated.


    "There are kittens here! I can''t believe you guy brought kittens to our practice!" Laura showed up out of nowhere and dropped her back to look at them too. "You guys really threw me off. I thought we would be training like some boring losers. But kittens are way better."


    "We are going to be training...like future heroes...and the kittens should be going to a shelter to be adopted since we found them here." Asher attempted to argue against Laura but felt that he was speaking in his own world far away from his friends.


    "Hey everyone, I thought you would all be inside?" Louis was the next to arrive completely confused until he walked closer with Sammy behind him. "Oh, they''re cute, wish I could touch them but they are so small that even a small accidental zap could hurt them. Cute things." Asher was glad to hear a little sense come from Louis.


    "Screw that, I''m petting the kittens!" Sammy was right there with the others trying to pet the kittens. Asher watched as Art also fell victim to them and was trying to pet them.


    "Mom, I have a great proposition for you." Cara had called her and Ashers'' mother. Asher had completely lost control over anything going on and could only feel the time tick by as they all focused on the three kittens they had found. Today was already full of unexpected surprises.

 Chapter 265 - 265. Soccer Club

    Asher was embarrassed by the many ways that Cara pleaded with their mother. He knew that his friends were all witnessing this as they tried t entertain the kitten that Cara had found. The entire situation had fallen way out of his control. Jackson had long finished his hone call and they were waiting for his neighbor to show up.


    "She is really nice, I bet she will bring plenty of things for the kittens to get them happy and cozy for the car ride back to her place." Jackson sounded very happy to share these things about his neighbor friend.


    "It seems like you are very close with your neighbors." Asher was glad to hear that one of his friends was this way.It spoke to how welcome of a hero Jackson would be.


    "Well, I try and share the vegetables I get from the garden with everyone nearby. She usually has me save her some tomatoes since she feeds them to some of the animals she shelters. Plus she also brings we the waste from the animals for me to use as fertilizer. It is a fair trade." Jackson knew it sounded weird but it was part of gardening that made his plants grow better and he had long gotten over it.


    "I want to say that''s gross, but it means you have better quality ingredients and I want the best of the best for the meals I make." Art had found a secret connection between him and Jackson. "You definitely need to share some vegetables with me so I can set them up for a meet. I bet you have plenty of things I can use for garlic and soy sauce grilled vegetables." Art was already running through recipes in his head.


    "Sure thing, but what do you have to trade?" Jackson was sly and knew that he didn''t want to gove without receiving as well. It was the deal he had long had going for his garden.


    "You said you have blueberry bushes right? I can make blueberry jam and pies from them so you can preserve them. I have a great spice mixture that makes the blueberry pop." Art had already felt this coming and wanted to use this as another chance to make more recipes he enjoyed cooking.


    "Blueberry jam? That sounds super cool. You need to let me taste it too." Sammy overheard that Art would be making blueberry jam and decided that she needed to be the official taste tester.


    "Oh yeah? And according to the deals we are setting up you will need something to trade with us." Art and Jackson were teaming up with their own business venture completely taking the group off topic again.


    "Do kittens eat blueberries? Maybe we can make the homemade cat food." Jane was falling in love with the kittens more and more too.


    "Ah, there you are Jackson. I''m glad you are s easy to see now that you''ve grown so much." A woman with poofy bling hair and a large weather stopped her bicycle right in front of the group. "I was on my shopping trip so I have the bike instead of the car. But I have the little wagon attached to give the kittens a ride."


    "Oh, so you are the neighbor that is going to rescue the kittens my sister found. Thank you so much for coming." Asher saw that the group could finally make their way to training.


    "So your sister found them. It''s a good thing. These little ones still need milk to drink. They can''t eat anything else yet. I know black cats are a bad omen but that is no reason to abandon them." Jacksons'' neighbor had already moved t the kittens and was carefully checking them over.


    "You three will need a bath, some shots for protection, and collars with trekkers so that the new families I find for you can rest easy. If I can fin families...black cats are so hard to adopt." The sadness etched on her face spoke volumes to her feelings for all animals.


    "That won''t be a problem, they will be joining our family! My mother just said yes to them becoming official members." Cara stood triumphantly as she hung up the phone.


    "What? How? I thought mom and dad would never let us have pets in the house?" Asher was stunned.


    "She said that we should learn to take care of another animal and properly do so for some time before we go out and try to be law enforcement and heroes. She said there were many lessons the kittens could teach us." Cara stood even more proud at the reasoning.


    "Ooo, that is perfect. Listen here you three. You already have a family I can bring you to in a few weeks once you can eat solid food. No com oolong for a little ride with me." Jacksons'' neighbor was swift and got the kittens in to a small cage in the little wagon attached to her bike.


    "Jackson honey, Your snap peas were excellent this year. I will be sure to feed some to the iguana later." And with that Jacksons'' neighbor was gone. She had been sweet and efficient, she had more than lived up to what Jackson had spoken of her.


    "Well, now that the kittens have a home and Asher is going to be thinking about his new family members all day, want to go inside?" Louis had been watching Ashers'' face change through many different emotions in the last few minutes and decided it was best to end the suffering.


    "I wanted to play with the kittens more, but that just means we should all go and hang out at Asher and Caras'' house more," Laura said this and brought more terror to Ashers'' face. He realized that everyone that came over to train of study would just end up playing with the kittens and that they wouldn''t get anything done.


    "I am going to have to book the gym and library together¡­" He mumbled this just loud enough to Cara to hear.


    "Yup or else everyone will come and take away the attention of the three meowskateers." Cara was already fawning over the picture she also took on her phone. Asher was yet again shocked by this. His sister was so different today.


    The group made their way in to the school and through to the gym where they were required to scan their student identifications because it was the day off. They passed a few students who were going to other parts of the building for similar reasons as them. Many of the clubs would have activities in the classrooms or science rooms.


    "Asher, I thought you booked the gym for us to use?" Jane aw a group of students already in the gym playing with a soccer ball. They appeared to have been there for a little while.


    "I did, I have the confirmation email right here. I pulled I up on my phone just in case we needed to show it to a teacher or security." Asher showed his friends the email reassuring them that it was them who had the gym booked.


    "No, it''s not anything wrong with you guys. It''s the soccer club. They do this all the time and any of the other clubs that book the gym have to deal with it, Want me to take care of it?" Cara had half expected something like this to happen since it had before.


    "No, we should take care of it ourselves. You are a grade above us and we can''t rely on you to always be here to deal with the problems for us. What if we don''t skip a grade to try and catch up to you?" Art stepped up and started to walk toward the group of soccer players with everyone else following. It was an impressive moment of confidence that no one expected from him.


    "Hey, we have the gym booked. We need to use the space, can you leave?" He was fairly nice at first since it was the first time the soccer club had gotten in their way and there was no reason to start things off with an argument.


    "Naaah we want to play here so go find somewhere else today." One of the taller and older kids spoke up without even looking at them.


    "No, we booked the gym. You will be leaving. Next time you can book the gym before us." Art stood his ground while Asher moved to stand next to him.


    "Kid, I said we weren''t leaving so run along. What are you a freshman or something?" The same kid just gave Art an attitude again.


    "Hey Art, their ball looks like it might be going flat. What a shame since they won''t be able to play without it." Asher said this and drew the attention of all the soccer players in front of them. Threatening their equipment seemed to be the way to get their attention. "Like my friend said. We have this booked and if you want to make an enemy of me you can stay. If you don''t, which I recommend, then leave." Asher smiled ever so slightly causing a few to shiver as they recognized him from the last week of camp.

 Chapter 266 - 266. Deterrents

    The soccer club members that recognized Asher and Art also noticed that Jane, Laura and Jackson were the ones that had been with them at camp too. They were pulling at their other soccer club members and whispering warnings but the older students were brushing them off and not listening.


    "We aren''t going to leave because some kid says we would be enemies. What do you take us for?" The kid that had been speaking the entire time spoke with steel in his voice but he was a little caught off guard to see that some of his team mates were looking worried.


    "Then enemies it is. Poor guys. I thought they had a few brain cells in their heads." Asher''s smile was still the same but it was even more intimidating now.


    "Asher, don''t scare them too much. Look at them. Some of them can''t even move they are so afraid." Jane stepped forward with her sunglasses off making more than half of the soccer club freeze in place while some were looking elsewhere or focused on Asher and Art.


    "Sorry, I just really thought they would make the right decision. I don''t want to have enemies if I can prevent it." Asher scratched his head while he looked at the soccer ball lying on the ground in front of him.


    Maybe we should play a little soccer? Or would you prefer to practice what we were going to practice in the gym that WE booked; sparring." Asher started a traditional boxer''s bounce and he moved forward.


    He kicked the soccer ball with all his force and sent it flying in to the wall. Most of those that could move from the soccer club followed its movements and didn''t see the small plug that kept the air in fall out. When the ball hit the wall it flopped making a sad sound echo through the gym., This sound repeated as it hit the ground.


    "Asher, You forget I am the one that gained the more strength in my super power. If I had kicked it the ball could pop, but have you been doing some extra work outs?" Jackson wanted in on the attempt to get the soccer club to leave.


    Jane turned away and looked at her friends who were straight forward and showing their unbeatable stances. "You guys don''t need to fight. I feel like they are about to leave." Jane kept her eyes on the ground until she put her sun glasses back on. The members that had become unfrozen were gasping for breath.


    "Can we hurry up? My brother booked this place and you guys are wasting our time." Cara had become annoyed at the soccer club that was in mental turmoil over the soccer ball ""popping"" and Jane freezing them in place.


    "Your the deafening younger brother!? You must be a monster too." The older student made a motion for everyone to clean up pronto. They knew better than to pick a fight with one of the top in class.


    "Why did you guys get to have all the fun. I could have zapped them. I have gotten good at controlling my lighting lately, watch." Louis had both hands apart and a foot long arc of lighting jumped from one hand to the other causing a loud electrical vibration in the room. The soccer club appeared to move in to over drive.


    "Your lighting is too much. We could use the wind I make to send their trash to one corner of the room." Sammy felt left out and took a deep breath before whipping her hand down with as much force as she could causing a wave of wind that stumbled everyone around her slightly.


    "No no no, that''s not the way to do it. Just tell each of them to leave as fast as possible." Laura proceeded to dart from member to member of the soccer club with a hand up to wave goodbye to them. It was an astonishing display of speed and control of her body that finished things off for the soccer club.


    The group watches as the soccer club that had been so arrogant just a few minutes earlier darted from the gym and toward the outside fields where they should have been anyways. "That was hysterical!" Art nearly fell down laughing. He had been unhappy that the club was trying to steal their booked space but when his friends joined it had almost been a game.


    "I think that was some very good practice. If we use similar strategies when we are full fledged heroes then we can prevent some minor crimes just from being there." Jane had thought of it as great practice for the future.


    "That''s a good point. I just wanted to back up Art. I thought the enemy thing would kinda scare them a little since a few of them recognized us from the sparring field in camp. Although, I may have just added to the rumors people might be spreading about us now." Asher laughed it off since he wasn''t one to care too much about rumors.


    "If they haven''t started rumors about you yet you are insanely lucky. I thought there would be plenty the second that they realized you were my younger brother since they talk about me all the time." Cara had long gotten used to the fact that everyone gossiped about her. They would sometimes hide from her when she walked by because of her nickname.


    "Ohh, I have heard some gossip about everyone here. Most of it is from camp. Apparently, Asher is some king taking over territory, Jackson is a peaceful giant, I''m some foodie, Louis is that kid that zaps himself, Sammy is a dove, and Jane is well, medusa...but that is kinda easy to explain." Laura had always been able to pick up on the gossip because she was able to get around and speak to a ton of people in the day. It was just part of her personality to do so.


    "Why do I have to be the kid that zaps himself? It wasn''t that bad." Louis was slightly off put by this however, Art was the one that spoke up first.


    "What about me? You didn''t mention me." Art was sure he would have some epic nickname or title that would be perfect for a future hero name.


    "I started yours! You''re the campfire cook!" Laura had her hands on her hips to proudly announce the nickname she had given Art.


    "Ha! That''s pretty spot on though. Art should just go and be a world class chef somewhere to be honest." Asher felt that this was a much better path than the hero route for Art since the food Art made was always better.


    "I can''t make that my hero name...lame." Art kicked at the gym floor. However, he had a small smile since he was pretty glad to have it as a nickname. He could imagine himself using his super powers to make many different kitchen tools and cook many different things at once.


    "Hey it''s better than some things, at least it''s true. Mine isn''t even creative. They just used my power." Jane was unhappy with the gossipers'' nickname for her, however, she did not take in to account that this was just the way she looked when she fully shifted too.


    "Hey, I have an idea. Jane, you are the second fastest here, I would ask Laura this but you have a lot better control of your body on average and more combat experience. Want to play tag? We can all try and stay away from your touch and you can attempt to hold your shift as long as possible." Asher had the idea after Jane had mentioned her super power.


    "She can''t catch me. I am too fast." Laura was trying to act tough but it was clear she was worried.


    "Jane will totally fake you out. She has a lot more sneaky moves I''m sure." Sammy knew that she would need to think outside the box to stay away from Jane in such a game.


    "It could be a nice warm up. I lost it from our run here. But first we should stretch. I don''t want to hurt myself." Art could already feel the tension in his body from cooling down too much and wanted to stretch out to get in to the swing of the training.


    "Asher booked it for six hours, right? First hour is foot work and body awareness. Second is move training. Third is the first set of muscle work outs. Fourth is sparring and analysis matches. Fifth is stamina and cardio circuits. And sixth is super power and more sparring along with a final run home." Cara already had the hours planned and pushed everyone in to a stretching circle.


    "There, I just sent it to everyone''s app. We should be all set up to start now." Cara was way ahead of everyone else. But they were all thankful for her taking the lead. This was the first group work out session and it was going to pay off, in the long run, to have the most experienced member lead it.

 Chapter 267 - 267. Shifting Tag

    Jane had attempted to activate her shift ability without an outside adrenaline source but had failed to do so. She still required more control over her super power as a whole. However, the adrenaline tablets that had been suggested to her were easy to find and affordable.


    Jane had also bought some basic recovery protein powders to pair with the tablets to make her recovery easier. "Alright, I''m ready. Let''s get to it." Her eyes grew cold as she began to feel the adrenaline coursing through her.


    The shift to her full super power was still amazing to her friends. The changes were intimidating but to Asher, they were beautiful and powerful.


    Jane''s scales had been something she had hated at first but the more she trained the more she found they were all too useful. In certain places she would normally have scraped herself or cut herself she found the scales easily defended. Furthermore, when she shifted they became tougher so even if her opponent was stronger than her she wouldn''t easily get harmed.


    "Ah! Why me first!" Art ducked as a kick came towards his head. The game of tag was not going to be so simple.


    "Your punches are harder with those stupid weighted gloves!" Jane was very much in control of herself but her logic was sound. She knew that Art could pack a heavier punch with the weighted gloves by controlling the metal inside them.


    "Ha! Did you see Art''s face? He looked like he was going to cry." Laura was enjoying the sudden attempt to tag Artby Jane but this wasn''t the best plan.


    Jane turned in a heel and with a burst of speed was headed toward Laura. She heard her words and refused to go without tagging Laura now. She was still a little controlled by her own emotions in this state but that''s one reason they were training this way.


    "I told you I was too fast for you." Laura stuck her tongue out as she backed away effortlessly from Jane. Yet, Jane just smiled because Laura wasn''t even paying attention to where she was going.


    "Hey! Watch it!" Jackson was right behind her trying to stay away from Jane as well. Laura hadn''t been paying attention and bumped right in to him causing both of them to stop.


    "Two for the price of one!" Jane pushed off the ground and was in front of the two in the blink of an eye. Her outstretched hands badly brushed Laura and ended up in a full tackle against Jackson.


    Jackson had learned a few things from his friends and the app, one that he believed to be very useful was, how to fall. Jackson rolled back and Jane''s momentum, she fell forward full of surprise.


    Jackson rolled on his back letting Jane fly forward on her own in to her own forward roll. Jackson still lacked the fineness to get right back up but Kane had practiced longer. "Nice job Jackson, that''s a great improvement. Next time I''m sure you''ll be on your feet at the end."


    Jane had to praise Jackson since he had zero combat ability before he had begun to train with the group. Jackson just looked at her in amazement, he wasn''t sure how she had so easily landed on her feet at the end of all this.


    Jane''s eyes landed on Asher next, "this isn''t the time to be practicing your straight punches!" Asher had been in his stance throwing straight punches over and over to get the feeling in to perfect muscle memory.


    On the other hand, Jane had swiped at Asher with her long sharp nails because she believed Asher was one of the only ones that could safely end up dodging them. Asher suddenly smiled and arched his back. He bent over in to a perfect back bend without any flaw or resistance before jerking his arm to the side to end up facing the ground. He easily pushed up and retreated from Jane.


    "I could also have been baiting you so that I could test that new dodge I added to my style." Asher was full of arrogance at this moment since he had practiced this while stretching too. It was a flashy move but was easy to pull off on a short notice. On top of this, he also knew that not many people would expect a boy to be able to bend so easily in this way, stretching was paying off.


    This action pushed Jane a little too much and She sprinted at Asher who had expected this. He had intentionally looked to annoy her so that she too could work on her control of emotions while in her shifted state.


    Jane easily reached Asher who was resting in his stance and slashed out over and over with her nails until she suddenly kicked upwards in to the preparation for a high kick. She had worked on chaining her moves together and found that there was an upwards toe kick that let her end in the proper preparation for a high kick. It was enough to cause Asher to stop trying to dodge and fully retreated while Jane kicked downwards.


    "That was awesome! I want you to teach me that kick!" Sammy broke her silence and attracted Janes'' attention. Unfortunately, this also meant that Jane was now after Sammy who grew a little pale with her mistake.


    Feeling the pressure of Janes'' approach Sammy tried her best to use her wind to get away. There was a slight burst of wind in the gym giving everyone a plenty of breeze to cool them off and also pushing Sammy forward more. She was unable to fly but knew that she could slow someone''s fall with wind. She applied this logic to speeding herself up.


    Jane found that Sammy was much faster than she had been before and pushed herself more. The unexpected challenge made Jane take Sammy much more seriously. The interaction between the two was mostly Sammy trying to evade Jane which was where her strengths appeared to be. Her wind allowed her to make her speed more flexible and also change angles in a more fluid and dramatic way than most others.


    Jane was easily impressed and had to get a little more serious, however, when Sammy realized that Jane was about to push forward and catch her she changed direction wish a devilish smirk. She aimed herself at Louis who was standing near Cara sharing some details about his super powers so he could get guidance from someone else with an unintentionally destructive super power.


    The two were keeping an eye on the game of tag while holding a standing squat to maintain a work out and proper stance strengthening. Their conversation ended abruptly as Sammy ran past Louis, "Good luck with this." Sammy was off in the opposite direction while Jane was headed right for him. When he looked to where Cara had just been he found that she had also started moving away. He had been ditched!.


    Jane had expected Louis to try and run from here, yet when he powered his level she found he had chosen to fight instead. This caught her off her guard and he easily managed to grab both her legs in a tackle. The only problem was that Louis had not done enough training to handle the power Jane had and he ended up toppling backwards instead.


    "You can have that one. I didn''t expect it." Jane left Louis on the ground a little stunned. However, it was a surprise to everyone since they had mostly been running and not thinking on the spot. The only other person that Jane would expect something like this from was Cara who was constantly adjusting her position so that she was always the least convenient person to try and tag.


    "This is boring, I''m going to be it too." Cara stopped and said this like it was a simple change to the game for the last ten minutes. The only problem was that they all knew she was much more of a challenge than Jane would be.


    "Perfect, this is what we trained together for." Jane and Cara had trained together and gotten some teamwork skills together. Now they could put their work together and defeat everyone in an instant.


    Jackson was the closest to Cara and didn''t even have a chance to move before she had jumped in to him. She wrapped a leg around his arm and twisted her body in to a throw. She knew she needed the momentum to make the attack work and perfectly executed it. Jackson hit the ground with a massive thud. While Jackson tried to understand what happened Cara released him and started to go after Art who was being chased by Jane.


    The two came at either side of him causing Art to panic a little. He had not been cornered in such a way and was now at a complete loss for what to do. In just a second he was tripped by Cara and pushed by Jane leaving him also on his back in defeat like Jackson.

 Chapter 268 - 268. Throws

    "Louis, want to team up?" Asher found himself closer to Louis and knew that he would need a little help to take on the Cara and Jane team that was eyeing them at the moment.


    "You got it, Should I try and zap them or just stick with that move you sent me the other day?" Louis had asked Asher for some of the throws they used and Asher had sent the videos over without a single question. He wanted everyone to learn them at some point so they could all have them as their basic move pool.


    "Sound good, we can both try and use them. I just wish they went after Sammy and Laura first since the two are just over there chatting." Asher was a little annoyed because he felt that he had been targeted a little. Although he was sure that he couldn''t argue too much because he was definitely a bigger threat than the others.


    "It''s a fine that they are leaving them be. I think they want to watch how we do anyways." Louis was slightly shaky when he said this because he caught Lauras'' gaze on him a few times.


    "Yeah yeah. They want to watch and learn." Asher teased Louis a little and earned a sharp glare since Louis knew he could easily tease Asher right back about Jane but chose not to for now. "Alright here we go, we will work in unison."


    Asher saw that Cara and Jane were using the same strategy as when they took down Art. However, this time, Cara was headed towards Asher and Jane towards Louis at the same time.


    The pair was already in their stances waiting for the two girls to get close. Cara and Jane were coming at full speed and were looking to bring the boys down with a back trip so that they could then go and claim a full victory against the group.


    Cara was within a step of Asher and was already turning her body to get one foot behind his heel. She was a little surprised that Asher hadn''t reacted but chalked it up to nerves since she was a little more of an intimidating force compared to the people he most likely had trained against before. Louis was in the same state with Jane equally turning to trip him. Jane just assumed that Luis wasn''t moving because he had much less battle experience than Asher and her.


    "Now!" Asher was waiting for the very last second. He and Louis both grabbed Cara and Janes'' arms and leaned back. Their used the Girls'' momentums caused them to fall forward since they couldn''t stop their own twisting motions. Asher and Louis gave a hard pull to their arms and rolled back on to their own feet while the girl flipped through the air and rolled on to their backs.


    "That was perfect Louis. I didn''t know that you learned the throw so perfectly." Asher was already high fiving Louis since he had been so surprised that he learned the throw so fast.


    "I practiced it like a hundred times. I didn''t want you to be able to throw me with it so I learned it as much as I could so I can recognize when it happened." Louis was a bit shy since Asher had praised him so strongly.


    "Maybe you two shouldn''t celebrate when your opponent isn''t beat!" Cara had popped right back up and went after Louis since he was the least ready to defend himself. She was going fo a simple tackle but at that moment the phone alarm ending the hour started to blare.


    "Damn, I thought I would have more time. Looks like we are starting the next hour. Let''s get to or muscle training!" Cara wasn''t going to even rest. She made everyone get together without any rest. This wasn''t a problem for most of them but it was a sign that they were in for some harsh training.


    "Wait I thought we were doing move training?" Sammy was surprised at the change but Cara just shrugged.


    "This feels right since some of us need to bolster our strength plus move training might let us cool down, it is better to do muscle training when you''re nice and warmed up." Cara didn''t really need the logic to change the plan since they were still doing the same things anyways.


    The next hour of hardcore muscle training was over in the blink of an eye. They had many circuits that they had focused on specific muscle groups. Cara had set them up to work on the lower back and core muscles since she thought they were the best for balancing the larger muscle groups in their bodies. It was also because the elite home gym app suggested this muscle group to balance out their flexibility and stances.


    "Are we finally going to rest?" Louis could feel his muscles trying to fight back against him.


    "No, we have moves to practice. Show me that throw you and Asher did before. It was wicked cool how you two did it at the same time. Have you been practicing together?" Sammy was extremely impressed when Asher and Louis worked together to counter Jane and Cara. Her and Laura had both watched and saw that they were in perfect sync.


    "Well, I just send Louis the video on how to do the move recently. I was pretty impressed that he picked it up so fast. But I think we can all learn it pretty easily because it relies on falling to work. Actually, Jackson might get the hang of it since he had been practicing rolling to his feet instead of falling flat."


    Jackson was slightly surprised that Asher thought this, "Bur wouldn''t I ned top first know how to pop to my feet after a back roll so the throw would work?" He couldn''t see how it would remain a fluid motion if he couldn''t.


    "No, you should be able to pull that throw off fine. The pop up to your feet is just an advanced part to add on to the move. But you can still throw and roll over to face an opponent. Just remember that if they knew it is coming they can forward roll and pop up before you." Cara chimed in with advice that even Asher who practiced the move first didn''t realize.


    "Show me that then. I want to see how fast I would need to react to avoid an opponent. That knows what I am about to do or is just naturally quick." Asher could tell that the only one who would be able to properly show him this was his sister until everyone else was more adept at using the throw itself.


    Meanwhile, Art had already set up his phone and was going through a punch and kick boxing combo he had seen. He was trying to get to the same level as Jane and Asher when it came to their combinations of attacks. He was finding that he was able to follow the straight and clean boxing styles much more easily than the more unique moves that Jane and Asher used.


    After Jackson watched and learned a little about the throw that Cara and Asher were practicing he decided to practice with Art. "The moves you are using seem a lot more simple. I think I am better of with simple basics so I can use them better with my body." The main reason was that Jackson was still learning about his larger body and needed basics to set a strong foundation.


    Syre thing. I am following a lot of kick boxing and boxing moves. The stance and boxers bounce will probably work better for you anyways since a crouched stance is harder the bigger you are." Art had read these inferences a while ago and taken them to heart.


    "I have seen some boxing and they are super fast. I think it is because they practice the simple moves more because they are simple and they can react much more efficiently." Jackson had heard the television announces say things like this and fully believed it.


    "I didn''t think you were a boxing fan. I thought you would only be interested in plant and animal shows on television." Art found himself pretty surprised to hear these new things about Jackson.


    "Well, I listen to them mostly. The garden is peaceful but sometimes it is nice to turn on the radio and listen to something to keep me from falling asleep." Jackson seemed embarrassed but Art knew exactly what he was talking about.


    "I listen to some energetic music when I cook so that I won''t get distracted and let something burn. Sometimes things take forever to get to the right temperature." Art and Jackson were binding pretty well while Jackson learned to throw Art''s core move; straight punch.


    "Sammy had started to learn the throw that Louis, Cara, and Asher were working on. This left Jane and Laura together to work on their own moves.

 Chapter 269 - 269. New Moves

    "Do you want to work on throws too?" Jane wasn''t sure what Laura was thinking since Laura was unusually quiet for a change.


    "I was actually thinking that I want to learn to move as you do. I am fast and it made it hard for you to even catch me. But you can face me out and make we go where you want and I hated that." Laura was brutally honest with herself and Jane. She had felt too weak when Jane was able to fake her out even though she escaped during the stage training.


    "So you want to learn feints and footwork. That''s fine by me. I have been learning feints so I can use them even when in the sifted state from earlier." Jane had shifted back after the first hour and felt extremely drained. She had not expected to have pushed herself so much so fast.


    "When I get in to the shift it is way easier to lose my emotions than usual. So I can''t use the same degree of complicated moves. If I practice feints and my foot work it will be easier to use them in that shifted state." Jane had been thinking about this for some time and found that the more she practiced a move the better she was at it when it came to shifting.


    "When you feint you need to be aware of what your opponent is thinking. If they are watching my feet then I need to point my toes the opposite way I am going to twist and my body. My opponent will be watching my feet so that they can guess where I will attack. If they are looking for your eyes look the opposite way that you will run."


    Jane explained the basics and then showed Laura what she was talking about. "I point my right foot toward your left side so you think that I am going to head that way, but." Jane twisted her body and brought her leg up attacking Lauras'' right side. "I was going to kick your right side."


    Laura had easily dodged since she had the necessary speed and Jane was moving in slow demonstration. "So I should do the opposite of what is expected. I can move fast enough to confuse some people easily. But actually feinting them and attacking an unexpected area would be better."Laura was trying to figure out the proper fit for the foot work she had been doing.


    "You have a habit of popping up behind us without noticing you because you are so fast. I would say you should attack the back of someone''s legs so that they are brought down in an instant. Here I will show you." Jane had seen this take down and few times and could see how well it would work for Laura who was too fast to stop from sneak attacking or dodging around others to attack.


    Jane used a burst of speedy to slip past the standing Laura then arched her foot back while grabbing her shoulder. Laura was forced to bend a knee then Janes'' hand on her shoulder pulled her back so she couldn''t push back up and away.


    "Oh, That was fast. I can''t even step forward without somehow stopping you." Laura was pretty amazed that Jane had been learning these things on her own and wanted to know more tactics like this. "I think I will be best at learning moves like this. They are way better and faster. If I stop to punch and kick then I will lose my speed. Then I will get caught."


    Laura was anything but stupid. She knew that her speed was something that caused her to have fewer developed muscles and put her at a disadvantage when it came to a head on battle. She would always need to think of strategies that would rely on her speed. However, if she was able to improve her mental processing she could do that better and better to the point where she might be able to confuse opponents to indecision.


    "Bro! You have power but you keep standing still." Art distracted them temporarily as he was coaching Jackson through the boxers'' bounce. It only took the girls attention for a few seconds.


    "I am trying to do both but I am not used to constantly bouncing in place." Jackson felt bad that he wasn''t catching on to the proper flow of attacks.


    "It''s a habit. But every time you stop is when I will attack. I doubt you will feel it much since I am pretty sure you are denser than a brick wall with your super power but you will know what I mean." Art had realized that Jackson would need a more forceful approach to get the habit down.


    Jackon had been trying to put the bouncing stance that Asher had taught him together with a straight punch then right back in to the bounce and attack. "If you can keep the two at the same time you can put jabs and hooks together for a combo."


    Art bounced on the balls of his feet and started to punch straight ahead. Then he suddenly jabbed out then straight punched and immediately right hooked to make a combo. "My feet still paused slightly with the punches but I was never standing still. It was a constant motion so that I was ready for my opponent to counter."


    This reinforced Jacksons'' will to keep moving while he started to try and practice the two. Art took his gloves off and circled Jackson who tried to rotate with him as he moved. Jackson set his feet and punched leaving Art open to punch his side making Jacksons'' jaw drop in surprise.


    "Can''t just stand there like that. I am your opponent here." Art picked up his speed always trying to get to Jackson''s blind spot. The sudden attack hadn''t been hard but it was a shock to Jackson who thought they would just easily train. "If you keep going easy on yourself because your super power is physical then you will end up a meathead. Slow and all muscles without any active thinking."


    Art knew very well that Jackson had very good grades and a great deal of knowledge. Yet, this insult and worry was enough to spur Jackson in to a much harder pace.The two started to boxers bounce around each other when Jackson tried his best not to stop at all. He had the stamina to keep moving for a long time but did not have the experience to keep it up. His mental determination had not been trained to do the same activity for a long period of time.


    "Your muscles are new and they lack any muscle memory. You are a blank canvas for these moves. Keep it up and push the pace!" Art came in with a straight punch that knocked Jackson off balance. He had not expected the strength that Art had demonstrated. Jackson had not noticed that he had been letting himself just relax more around others because of his new physical strength. He had the unintentional idea that he couldn''t easily get hurt.


    With this coming to Jackson''s mind, Art saw an immediate change in how he moved. Jackson changed his stance slightly and became more serious out moving around and dodging. This was the best time for Jackson to learn this lesson and see that he was still weak to some respect. If he had not and made it all the way to the tournaments he could have been knocked out instantly.


    "Now are you going to try and actually hit me?" Art challenged Jackson since he saw the change. They two became much more active and the hour burned away more quickly than expected. When the alarm went off to change the work outs everyone knew that was coming next.


    "Now we are going to do some sparring matches without super powers. Everyone else will analyze those sparring so we can work on ur mental understanding. It is the same as when we watch fights." Cara stopped everything she was doing to make this announcement along with grab her phone to record everything.


    Asher looked at Art and they both nodded. They were not going to use their bet in this hour. They were going to use theirs later for the last hour of sparring and super power practice. Both of them couldn''t really practice their powers so openly. Asher because his was hard to control in a viable way and Art because he was keeping the fact that he knew his full super power hidden. There was no telling how his older brother could find out and possibly get the lead on Art trying to return home.


    "Who should go first then? Should we draw straws or try and pair up against our worst match ups?" Jane was trying to set everything up since Cara was taking the lead in keeping them on track. However, Cara already opened up the elite home gym app with a rotation of matches. It was all already prepared.

 Chapter 270 - 270. Block Block Block

    "Bring it on Laura. I saw that you moved fast and I need to test my reflexes." Cara had been set up to spar with Laura. The match up had been based on speed. If Cara could improve her reactions and pair that with her stamina then it would be better for her overall development.


    "That''s so not fair. That''s like putting a baby against a professional boxer in a fight." Laura knew that Cara was going to crush her in a sparring match but she did have a feeling that continuing the weak approach would be best.


    Cara had seen lauras'' speed and knew that she was learning how to use it from Jane so she did not believe that her personality had changed from up front and loud to quiet so fast. "Let''s take the center. Everyone else will record and analyze our match so we have some tips to improve on." Cara was sure that with so many eyes there would be a lot of things to improve on.


    Laura thought she had gotten Cara off guard a little and continues to hold herself back until the two were ready to battle it out in their match. "So, I know we aren''t supposed to use our powers but we all know that Jackson and Laura can''t really avoid theirs. Not to mention Lois who needs to exhaust his before he can act normally right?" Asher was the one to speak to everyone who was watching the two get ready.


    "I think Cara wants us to try and focus on thinking that we don''t have the super powers so that we can better think in any situation. You might have your luck but if you just went unprepared in to a dangerous situation then wouldn''t you just be walking in and walking out unable to accomplish anything?" Jane made a good point.


    There was not much someone without any training could do. If Asher didn''t have training he could only accomplish something small. But with training, he could pull off much more. Not to mention applying the super powers with the training and it would start to show massive improvement to the things he could do in a disaster.


    "Hey, should we try and pay attention to the fact that Laura thinks she can be all slow and innocent acting? Cara definitely sees through that." Art was the one to bring this out in the open. No one else had really said it flatly.


    "I think Laura wants to try the feints from before. We practiced using foot work to fake each other pout which was a lot of fun. She had the speed for it.'' Jane enlightened everyone on what had been happening.


    "Oh, makes sense. So that''s why she is letting Cara rush in first." Louis could see how this would go at a glance. He watched as Cara ran forward. "She might be running right at Laura but I feel like it is bait for Laura to make a move. Laura would be better off attacking the front which Cara won''t see happening." Louis was right and Asher agreed.


    "How do you know that Cara knows this? Wouldn''t Cara expect an attack from the front in this case then?" Sammy found it a little more challenging to wrap her head around these things. She preferred things to be straight forward and in the open than a large mind game.


    "You should work on feints too you know. If you can fly you can do what Laura is trying but in many more ways since gravity won''t fully hold you down." Jackson was able to understand that someone like Sammy would be able to pretend she couldn''t fly then suddenly surprise an opponent from the sky.


    "Ohhh, so I should use the air to get someone down. Wait, what did Cara just do?" Sammy was caught by the sparring match.


    Laura had waited for Cara to get close and then tried to use her speed to dart to the side. Yet, when Laura did this she was suddenly on her back. Cara had spread her arms and used them to trip Laura up. Lauras'' chest had hit Caras'' arm and she was knocked back by her own momentum. It was a rough but true reality when having her moves predicted.


    "Next time assume I know what you will do in advance. I already know your speed so how would I miss the fact that you weren''t using it?" Cara posed this question to Laura. The match had been short and not much to analyze, however, it was a nice start to get everyone thinking properly.


    "Alright, you got to analyze the failure of a feint and whatever. Art against Sammy next." Cara wasn''t going to let everyone rest. She wanted everyone to keep the flow of their training and continue to move forward. The next portion of training may be cardio and stamina but this hour and the final super power and sparring hour would directly relate to this analysis hour.


    "I bet Art won''t know what to do against Sammy. She is smaller and a little more agile than him so he will need to catch her off guard." Louis was pretty sure Sammy would end up with the advantage.


    "You forget that Art trains against me a lot. I am faster to and he is able to counter me a lot of the time now." Jane brought this to Louis''s attention and caused him to realize that Sammy may be way in over her head.


    "Art won''t go too hard on her. He had been trying to work on basics. I bet he will spend the time defending. He wants to have those blocks down so well that he could do them in his sleep." Asher knew that Art had constantly been practicing basics since they were his strongest moves already.


    "Oh, Sammy is already rushing in." Jackson was surprised to see Sammy showing so much fire at the start. She was being much more forceful and rushing Art right away. It was very different from her normal personality.


    "I told her to do that. She might end up dodging all the time if she is using her super power. If she can fly she would use it and become much weaker overall with a huge weakness to physical attacks." Cara had whispered this to Sammy as they passed each other.


    "Ah! I was wondering why you stopped for a second. I tried to listen too but you were so quiet." Laura had felt left out.


    "No, I changed the direction of the sound waves so that they would only be heard by Sammy. It''s something I have been trying to learn for a while and can barely do without focus." Cara had long worked on this skill so that she could communicate with everyone without the worry that someone will be able to hear her. The only problem was that she wouldn''t be able to change the frequency or it would make her words unable to be understood by anyone.


    "Nice, that''s the block you were teaching Sammy and me in the pool the other day. Art just swiped and left Sammy stumbling." Louis was excited to see the move he had just started to learn in action.


    Art had let Sammy throw her first punch. He swiped his arm across his body and pushed her punch to the side and left her open to an attack and stumbling. This was the ideal situation for him to counter but instead, Art stepped back and retreated. He wanted to get the most out of the match along with train himself on the defensive with the new moves.


    "He could have taken Sammy out. She is a little too inexperienced compared to him. But it is better for her and him to let it keep going." Cara praised Art''s decision. It also gave them more to watch and learn from.


    "Sammy looks a little annoyed¡­" Louis noticed that after Art had blocked Sammy for the fifth time she had the same annoyed look that she got when Louis would interrupt her.


    Sammy reacted just how Louis thought she would. She gave up on tactics and started to kick and punch wildly at Art. This was exactly what Art needed to really test the blocks he could use. When Sammys'' leg would rise for a kick Art would step back and slap it down. When her fists would come he would redirect or brace himself and block it with a solid stance.


    "Wow, Art has some serious blocking skills. I didn''t know he was that good." Laura was pretty amazed. His was a style of fighting she wouldn''t be able to use with her thinner and weaker stature. However, the change in direction of attacks might be something she could pair with a feint as a counter.


    "Just watch until he counters. He has Sammy right in the palm of his hand." Asher could already foresee the next move Art would make. It was the same he would make.

 Chapter 271 - 271. Muscle Memory

    "Didn''t Sammy watch and learn the throws a little? It would be perfect to catch Art''s hand and throw him when he tires oi block." Jackson had remembered Sammy watching the throws and also knew that Asher and Art had shown her some before.


    "Yeah, but when she gets annoyed all logic is out the window. Art blocked her over and over and at this point, she is just frustrated she can''t land a hit on him." Louis just tossed his hands in the air exasperated. He hated when Sammy got this way.


    Art suddenly lowered his level instead of blocking and caught Sammy''s arm. He lifted her easily and flipped her through the air. The only difference he made to the throw was that he slowed her down as she was about to hit the ground. Sammy had been too flustered and shocked with the sudden throw that she had not been able to use her super power to soften her fall.


    "And that is that. I knew Art would win. But using the throw that Sammy has been learning is rough¡­" Louis was ready for the next match and sent the recording of the sparring match to their group.


    "Jackson and Louis are next." Cara listed this off while looking at the two. She wanted to see how this one would go in particular. Jackson was new just like Louis but Louis was a little more sneaky when it came to strategy. However, Jackson had the size and reflexes to counter any trickiness that Louis attempted.


    "What? Louis might zap me¡­ Can we reconsider?" Jackson realized that he was at a great risk for being zapped by Louis in this battle.


    "I double wrapped my hands today. Unless you really try to get a shock you should be fine." Louis was slightly frustrated that Jackson was so afraid of this. "I also burned off a lot of my lighting before I came so you should be fine."


    "I think this will be a weird match. Jackson might crush Louis if he goes all out but he is too timid. Louis can''t help if any lightning escapes his control so he could accidentally shock Jackson. But the real question is who has the better control over their body weight?" Asher had the idea that it would come down to balance.


    "Do you think that it will end up with who can knock who down in a throw competition?" Jane wasn''t sure if this was exactly what Asher was saying but she could see that the two were not very comfortable in their stances and that the match would be slightly sloppy.


    "Louis will win for sure. Jackson is always saying he can''t get a handle on his body. And he is bigger so Louis can just push him over and watch him fall." Laura was a staunch supporter of Louis in this match which made more sense than anything else.


    "Phew, that was a good blocking practice." Art was using a small towel to wipe the sweat from his head, "I bet that Jackson will use what I showed him today and that Louis will easily dodge most of the time until they both just ignore thinking and try and throw each other. They only have so many moves and we have focused on throws lately."


    "I agree with Art. The two look very much like they are nervous and that means they will do whatever is on their mind the most." Cara nodded along as she spoke.


    "Guess you''re right, there Jackson goes with a straight punch and a boxers'' stance." Asher watched as Jackson started to move in in the same stance that Art had been showing him. The straight punch was a little poorly timed since Jackson was too far from Louis to make contact but this was expected since he was new to the moves.


    Louis on the other hand was focusing on dodging. He was a little skeptical of Jacksons'' larger stature and knew that if he rushed in he could take a big hit knocking him out before the match even started.


    Jackson attempted another straight punch but followed it up with a jab, "Oh! He learned my jab too. I didn''t mean to teach him that." Art was surprised to see that Jackson had picked up the way he jabbed in a combo.


    "Well, you have used it a lot in those combos. I feel like he must have seen it enough to copy it. I guess Jackson will be a pretty decent boxer if he keeps this up." Asher was not expecting Jackson to start picking up others'' moves so soon. It usually would take more time to get used to the basics before they could learn things from just watching.


    "It would be better if he practiced it. Louis is still dodging." Sammy was sure that Louis was going to dodge the next move and was proven right.


    Louis ducked under the straight punch and kicked out at Jacksons'' legs. The hit was not very strong since Louise retreated immediately and lost some power. However, it hit the side of the knee and Jackson moved back a little off balance. Louis saw this and rushed in to try and take advantage of the situation.


    Jackson started to panic and forgot about the stance. Instead, he did his best to stabilize himself and sent out a rushed punch to Louis. The only problem with this was that Louis was still more aware of the situation.


    Louis dodged the punch and gave Jackson a hard tackle completely knocking him down. With Jackson on the ground and Louis trying to figure out how to pin him the match ended. "Louis needs to learn some hold huh?" Asher looked at Cara and Jane who he knew had learned a few more than even he had.


    "Yes, if Louis had some he could subdue an opponent more easily. He has the strategy to think on his feet. I''m not sure everyone would have been able to take Jackson down when he was in a rush like that." Cara responded matter of factly before announcing the next match, "Asher and Jane, good luck."


    The two were the best out of everyone other than Cara at martial arts. They had been the two that seemed to train the most. The only reason Art wasn''t on the exact same level as them was the fact that he had been focusing on more body training than martial arts lately. However, Art would need it come his super powers further development.


    "Don''t think I am going easy on you. I will crush you with one hand." Jane was psyched up from watching the others and wanted to test herself again.


    "On hand? You think I will let you even use your hands? I will take you down before you lift them." Asher wasn''t a spoil sport and rebutted her trash talking in an instant. The two stared at each other while falling in to their stances.


    Asher looked at Jane who was crouch almost like a sprinter but similar to an animal. It was intimidating knowing that in a second she could burst forward with a huge amount of force and speed.


    On the other hand, Jane was looking at Asher and his strange slack armed sway that came with his rag doll style. She knew that every hit she landed could come back to get hir since he used momentum to attack. She also knew that he would have more luck no matter what and could slip in to the perfect counter to any move she used, it was simply due to his super power he couldn''t turn off.


    The two didn''t wait long. Jane darted off to the side trying to get close and take Asher''s blind side down. However, Asher was able to easily twist and follow her with his foot work. The two had constantly battled it out in foot work tag and there was no way he would let her get him so easily.


    Even when Jane would try her feints Asher would see right through them. The two were so used to their tricks that it would come down to moves and skills. Asher decided that being passive would not get him anywhere and decided to through out a tentative punch.


    The right hook was easily ducked under by Jane and let her have a chance to throw an equal punch. This one did manage to hit but Asher used it as momentum to turn on his heels and kick at the back of Janes'' legs. The move would normally have taken out someone but Jane had seen it before and jumped at the last second to dodge it.


    The two ended up face to face waiting for the next move. Neither wanted to get too close since they were both able to use many throws to take each other down. The tension was building as they dodged and blocked constant kicks and punches like they were nothing. Asher was standing his ground more than usual instead of spinning with the hits and attempting to send the attacks back at Jane. The others were all trying to figure out why.

 Chapter 272 - 272. Constant Combo

    "Shouldn''t Asher be truing Janes'' punches against her? What is he doing?" Sammy was the first to ask this out loud. The only two that had any real theory as to why Asher wasn''t were Art and Cara.


    "I bet he is too evenly matched with Jane." Louis sounded sure that this was it. The two they were watching were the undisputed tops in the group. It would only make sense if they were strong enough to pin each other down in a way.


    "I feel like Asher may have just been lucky and now he can''t use the style. What if he never knew the style?" Laura was afraid of this possibility because that would mean Asher wasn''t as over powered as she had assumed. It was just a difference in experience between him and her.


    " Any other ideas?" Art looked around and landed on Jackson.


    "Is Asher trying to draw the match out like you did?" Jackson''s theory wasn''t bad and made sense. However, Art shook his head to signal no.


    "Asher wouldn''t draw out the fight with Jane since she had similar stamina to him. The three of us have been training together and under Cara so we have similar stamina due to that." Art pointed this out and also took note that the pair had been sparring for nearly ten minutes already making it the longest match yet.


    "Why isn''t Asher using throws? He should be able to, right? They are like his signature." Louis was sure that there was something holding Asher back and was desperately searching for the key detail to find the reason.


    "They both are but they know that the other can counter every throw they know so if they use it they are basically giving up. None of you have learned counters to counters yet. It''s like being stuck halfway through and giving up because you assume you know it all when there is a major secret around the next corner." Cara was quick to cover this point.


    Yet this was still not the reason that Asher was not using Jane''s punches against her. "Should we tell them?" Art looked at Cara for approval since he knew it might be better for them all to think on their own.


    "You can, I explained the last point. It''s only fair that you get one too." Cara conceded to Art who smiled wider than usual.


    "The reasons Asger isn''t using the momentum against her is simple. Jane is hitting him too softly." Art let these words rest in the air for a few moments until Louis broke the silence.


    "Wait, so she is moving that fast but barely hitting him?" He was stunned. This looked like an all out battle of martial arts moves but in realism, Jane wasn''t even hitting Asher.


    "It''s not like Asher is hitting Jane either. Can''t you see that her clothes barely even ruffle after he strikes?" Cara pointed out yet another supporting detail.


    "Why aren''t they sparring for real then? Shouldn''t they be going full force?" Laura was trying to figure this out and wanted the answer as soon as possible.


    "If they go all out and Asher starts to slip and fall in to the rag doll style, won''t he hurt Jane and also end up using his powers more unintentionally?" Sammy had caught on to the reasoning.


    "Exactly, Asher can''t go all out, or else he will lose the variable experience of testing the moves on a tough opponent. Jane on the other hand knows if she goes all out then she will be subject to Asher''s luck completely and fail in beating him. This is a match of move proficiency over physique." Art summed it up perfectly.


    "Hey, shouldn''t we watch this more carefully? Asher and Jane are combining combos we haven''t even thought about yet." Jackson was the only one completely focused on the match instead of conversing too much.


    "When did you learn to deflect and counter punches? I thought it was only Art and I practicing that until Louis Ana Sammy wanted to learn." Asher wasn''t surprised at all since he knew Jane would easily catch up even if she didn''t know a move.


    "Cara taught me and said I needed to know how or I would get beat in seconds. You should try asking her for more. You know she says you never rely on her and barely talk to her most of the time. But she said you do that to your mom too."


    Asher knew Jane was right and that he had been pushing them off a lot. It was an effect from his previous memories that just wouldn''t shake just yet. But it was something he could actively work on. Jane released herself a little seeing Asher nod before jumping back in to their exchange.


    " You think you can beat me though?" Jane had a feeling she could beat Asher since she had even practicing her moves more and more. However, she did not know that Asher had been practicing more than just moves.


    "No, I know I can beat you." Asher dropped his level and whipped his arm around in to a right hook. Jabe easily dodged the slow move and was ready to counter but Asher had a kick coming in his rotation.


    Asher had practiced his combinations constantly while doing footwork shadow tag. Now he could show off the strength he was building.


    His moves had almost no pause and flowed which his rag doll style. If any who had not experienced this saw what was happening they would think he was falling and tripping in to moves. His power was still reserved but he wasn''t stopping.


    Jane felt the pressure build from constant attacks and could t help but feel cornered. Every time she would try to attack she would face another punch or an elbow. When she would try to block or counter Asher would already be turning and kicking or sending a knee at her. She had no room.


    After many steps back Jane found herself nearly up against the wall to the gym. She had started in the middle and been constantly forced backwards. The constant moves could have kept her on her toes but she hadn''t been able to think clearly and change the direction of her footwork.


    Asher lashed out with a punch and softly tapped the wall behind Jane''s head. "Great match. I had a lot of trouble with those blocks at first." Jane wanted to feel bad that she lost but seeing Ashers'' sincere smile broke away any frustration.


    "The last combination you used was really cool too!" Jane couldn''t help but react on instinct and lean in leaving them just an inch apart. The two realized their positions and jumped back.


    Unfortunately, Jane was blocked by the wall and ended up with her back flat to it while Asher rushed away.


    "Bro! What was that just now?! It was epic!" Art ran over to get the details since he had yet to see Asher use his insane combo until today.


    "It''s just a constant combo using the momentum I generate. It''s one of those conservation of energy things I guess? Basically, I start it off and keep letting my body whip around with me to force me to move to the next attack without any stops. It is tough on my joints from the twisting but super effective." Asher had thought of better ways to do this but when he made the combo too stiff it became very slow.


    "You used the combo Art taught me but attend an upper cut too. I think that was exactly what I needed to see." Jackson was glad to see the boxing style influencing Ashers'' moves as well since he was trying to learn it.


    "Oh yeah, Art and I practice together so I need to know that. Honestly, my moves are a weird combination of everyones'' I have ever trained with. It''s weird how it all came together." Asher realized he was slowly losing the chance to have a specialty set of moves and was instead getting a very broad selection.


    "Having a lot of moves is better than a few if you learn them all properly. You can counter anyone who focuses on a particular move as a core." Cara had seen this many times. Someone who focused on only punches would end up beaten by another who focused on only kicks. It was all too common.


    "You can check out the video later. I bet you two will learn a lot since you both went through every move you know other than throws. In the meantime, we have some cardio to do before we have the super power practice along with sparring." Cara knew that everyone would keep talking through the alarm that had just begun to sound. However, she was not going to let them escape the cardio training.


    "Art, we will do more super power training later so don''t burn yourself out on the last hour." Asher was sure to let Art know that he would help train more later since Art was limited for now. This was a public area and they would be foolish to believe that the fact Art had a different super power than lead control wouldn''t be shared around by onlookers.

 Chapter 273 - 273. Last Hour

    "If I run another lap or sprint another step I will die!" Art had lost all focus on super power training at all after the cardio session. Cara had set them up to do many basic jogging laps. Sprints were sprinkled throughout the entire thing along with speedy knew raises. Jumping jacks and many more fast paced exercises.


    "I agree, no more laps. I think my sweat is sweating." Asher was the second to agree that cardio was too brutal. He had thought that it would just be simple cardio work outs but instead, they were in constant motion. Cara''s work out was effective but exhausting.


    "Why do you guys look so tired? Did you not eat well?" Jackson was the only one not affected at all by the work out.


    "Your super power is too much. You have that top human body and after all that you aren''t even sweating at all?" Sammy was fairly impressed that Jackson out of everyone was the one that was fine. It didn''t make sense since he had been the kid who gardened and didn''t even think about working ut. But now, he was super fit and ready for all kinds of physical hardships.


    "Ah, sorry. I forget that others aren''t the same way as my body is. I really don''t know how different it is since I didn''t work out or do much before. Honestly I still accidentally pull things up that I shouldn''t in the garden because of my strength." Jackson had been embarrassed by the differences since thus had started to happen.


    "I never thought that some underclassmen would ever be able to out run me. The only people in my grade have super powers that speed them up temporarily. But yours are all the time." Cara had been confident that she could even beat Laura because Laura needed to stop to eat and replenish he energy. It only made sense that Cara would be able to get ahead.


    "Hey, I know we should be trying to spar with super powers but I have a lot of lightning built up from this last hour and I think it''s too dangerous. I also want to try and tests making electrical currents so I figure I can go on my own." Louis didn''t want to interrupt but he wanted to make his case to train his own super power.


    "Oh, I want to watch. I saw you frying some leaves earlier to try to control it better." Sammy had caught Louis practicing while he waited for her to get ready to leave.


    "I was just trying that to see how it would work. I can make it only zap little parts now. The more I practice the better." Louis was embarrassed as well but not so much that he would refute it.


    "Why not get some little circuit board with light bulbs and try and manipulate the lightning to light them up. If you are too strong you will break the light bulb or fry the board. I bet you can even get really tough conduction wire and move to more sensitive." Jane thought that this would be the easiest option. The modern technology class they were taking could have a ton of inventions or students that would live to create an invention for this. It was an ideal challenge for them.


    "Yeah man, just let us figure it out. We will have something good for you in a few days." Art was on the same page and Louis couldn''t explain how blessed he felt to have friends willing to help him out like this.


    "What about you guys? What will, you work on?" Louis didn''t want to take up all the attention and knew others might be considering other ways to train their powers.


    "I want to try shifting again. I did it earlier because I wanted to have the time to rest so to speak before trying it again." Jane had been waiting for this and knew it could be a very harsh second attempt.


    "Are you sure you should? What if you''re too tired? We can set mores tuff up so you can rest after?" Jane was instantly blushing seeing that Asher jumped right in to worrying. It made the rest of the group roll their eyes.


    "If Jane can''t handle it you get to carry her on your back all the way home. That''s that." Cara ended it there without any effort. Asher and Jane had no response and just accepted it because they knew that Cara would jump in again.


    I want Jackson to help me get high in the air. He can work on his muscle control and I can get higher in the air to try and fly." Sammy had the grand idea that if Jackson threw her as high as he could she would be able to fly in the air or at the very least be able to learn to float down better.


    "I can do that for you. If you fall I can do my best to catch you too." Sammy was very excited to try and immediately started to bounce in place. Small breezes radiated from her with every bounce.


    "Huh, do you think if you are in a better mood you would have a better chance flying? You''re making a little breeze in excitement soo, maybe you''ll actually fly today." Louis was encouraging since he had noticed that the larger breezes or gusts of wind would always come when she was affected emotionally. Not to mention he spent the most time around her out of everyone.


    "Yes! Then I will fly today!? The breeze was slightly stronger and Jackson decided that they should move to a more open area so that there was no one in the way or danger while Sammy tried this.


    "What are you planning Cara?" Asher wasn''t sure what his sister was planning to do. She had been training with her super power more than anyone else because she was older.


    "I will sit in the middle of the gym and whisper. If you hear what I say, shout back. I need to improve my fine control over the sound waves to add distance. I can influence frequency and decibels but range is harder." Cara wanted to be in a situation where she could secretly whisper to someone from very far away. Since her goal was law enforcement that would mean she could send messages to her coworkers while in situations that required absolute silence.


    "That just leaves Art, what will you practice?" Cara didn''t want to see anyone that was slacking and when she looked at Art who had yet to tell them what he was doing she knew that she might need to give him a push.


    "Well¡­" Art looked around and knew that Jane and Asher would most likely be together because Jane was going to attempt to shift again which would possibly take her out of the game for a little while. But he needed something to answer with. "I will help Asher out. He is going to practice with Jane if she can handle it, but after he can spar with me. We filled these gloves with lead you know so the inside can speed up my punches."


    Art was slightly awkward while saying this which made Cara squint her eyes but she didn''t say anything. Art was glad there were no questions since he didn''t have any other ways to spin his tale. "Yup, that''s perfect. I will need a little more help. I doubt Jane will have the energy for the full hour."


    "You''re right. I will need time to rest and if I want to be able to jog or walk home. I don''t want to force Asher to carry me if I don''t have to."  Jane caught on and supported Asher and Art making everyone stop their curiosity.


    "Then let''s get to it. We have an hour to use then everyone is left to their own personal training." Cara was losing the feeling of being warmed up from standing still. She knew that she could focus and do squats while trying to send her voice farther.


    "Thanks for the back up. I wasn''t sure how to say I was going to be doing word tricks with my gloves." Art was a little off after having to lie a little.


    "Don''t worry, I actually think it will be better to have more help since I don''t know how long I will be able to hold my shift. My super power is harder to deal with than I thought lately. I tried shifting for a second time the other day but I woke up after falling on my bed. I think I wasn''t prepared enough." Jane knew that she needed to be in the best possible condition to shift and if she didn''t have the proper energy she would pass out.


    "Just trust us. We will be here the entire time and make sure you have something to snack on right after. It might be the best time to take the vitamin pack after you switch back to not using your super power fully." Asher and Art gave her big thumbs up to try and get Jane more relaxed. They would make sure she didn''t fall at all.

 Chapter 274 - 274. Super Power Hour

    Jane began her stretch and other preparations to try and shift again. She needed to make sure she would be in optimal condition so she wouldn''t risk hurting herself. Art and Asher were taking the chance to spar a little while Art manipulated the speed of his hands using his gloves.


    "Jackson, how high exactly can you throw me do you thing?" Sammy had realized that Jackson was the strongest out of all of them and that she was one of the lightest. It was very real for here to be thrown all the way to the high crow longs of the gym.


    "Honesty? I have no idea. I don''t want to to be like the wall at camp where I could have jumped over it but didn''t know my limits." Jackson had that on his mind constantly since camp.


    He had thought for a second that if he had been in another situation he could have hurt his friends. He knew very well he was inexperienced in controlling his body. But even more, he didn''t know his strength at all. For all he knew he could throw Sammy through the ceiling.


    "Then maybe only¡­is a little strength." Sammy didn''t feel as confident. However, she did trust her friends and Jackson was very careful. She knew he dealt with delicate plants all the time and that he would be able to hold himself back.


    Sammy let Jackson pick her up. He had one hand under her foot and another on her lower back. "Ok, I''m going to throw you now, be ready." To Jackson, Sammys'' weight was nothing which didn''t surprise her at all.


    He slowly squared and took a deep breath. With a decent amount of force her pushed off the ground and pushed Sammy in the air. I''m just a second she was ten feet above Jackson''s head.


    "Wwhoooooooooo!" She couldn''t help but yell out. It was like a roller coaster. She had been shot in the air like a bullet. The only thing was, that it was over too soon and she was falling. She desperately remembered she was supposed to fly and instead was just sending a gust of wind down to slow herself.


    She drifted down like a falling flower petal right in to Jackson''s open arms. "That. Was. Perfect!" Jackson breathed a sigh of relief as he was told he hadn''t overdone it.


    "Then, I can throw you again. But I''ll try an extra foot higher¡­if that''s alright?" Sammy just nodded vigorously wanting to get in the air again.


    "I don''t know why you are so afraid to train your super power with me. I''ve dodged your lightning sparks before. And we will get you something to train control better from modern technology class." Laura couldn''t help but feel annoyed seeing how Louis was acting so timid about training his power with her.


    "I know, but what if you do get hit and it zaps you? You could get lightning burns, your heart could stop, or you could get sent to the hospital. These are all just a few bad things." Louis was exasperated since Laura appeared not to be listening to him at all.


    "Then you zap me again to start my heart. I go to the nurses'' office to have the burns treated. Or I go to the hospital and just deal with it. I am not afraid of the risks. It makes me work harder. I need to focus on my movements and keeping myself in the right mindset to use my super power. You need to safely use your lighting to attack. Perfect combination. I will dodge you will attack." Laura put her foot down making Louis instantly feel that he had lost the battle.


    "That''s better, now get in a stance and try and shoot some lighting. I bet if you leave all but one hand wrapped up it will help you guide it." Laura had thought of this when the group was talking about making a wired device for him to practice direction and controlling his lighting. If he could use external items to assist his training, then he would eventually be able to lessen the safety precautions over time.


    Louis thought on this for just a few moments before he nodded and started to unwrap one of his hands. "I have no idea where the lightning will go but I will try and make it smaller controlled bolts. The problem is that it can branch out to whatever it wants. Once it leaves I have no way to stop it." This was where his main worry came from, however, Laura was already bouncing in place waiting.


    "Focus on the muscle...use...small...movements¡­" The slightly whispery voice of Cara came in to Louis''s ear. He knew she was working on a similar power control aspect and thought that the advice was good. He quickly raised his hand. "Thanks¡­" Cara had been watching and thought that Louis could use her techniques to help his own powers. It was also [part of her training.


    Having the advice from Cara made Louis gain even more confidence than before. With this, he closed his eyes and focused on the electricity in his core. He could feel that it always tried to lash out and escape even though it was part of him. It was a wild beast that he didn''t think he could control. Lightning was used to the freedom of the clouds and sky.


    He did exactly as Cara had advised and felt his stomach tighten to push the lightning through his body. Net he flexes his muscles to make the lightning head towards his arm where he began to feel the lightning fight back. The larger muscle groups had been able to push it here and there giving him control to a degree. However, the lightning was now compressed in a smaller place with smaller muscles.


    His arm was only letting some flow which made a small sparking at his palm. This was not what he needed. Laura was still watching him waiting for the right moment to move. Annoyed that he wasn''t able to get the lightning to cooperate slowly Louis relaxed then flexed all the muscles again. The lightning that had been slowly trapped and resistant was forced forward and out on one quick burst.


    The sharp crack made everyone looked toward him and the newly blackened piece of the floor where Laura had been standing. "And you thought you would hit me." Laura was full of confidence while Louis was sitting in awe at what he had just done.


    He had not controlled the power but he had made it do the direction he wanted using brute force. The next challenge was to refine this move further. He knew that there was a lot of work to do and he would be using up all the lighting his body had generated.


    "Nice job Louis!" Asher yelled over after his attention was drawn to the lightning Louis made.


    He''s really making a lot of progress. He hasn''t ruined anything in the classroom in a little while." Jane had kept an eye on the classroom electronics and noticed that there were no longer newer and newer ones being sent to them. They had gone over a week without anything disappearing and showing up brand new.


    "Good for him. I bet Laura is having fun. She has a portable random obstacle generator now." Art thought it was hysterical since Laura had hated the electrified wires obstacle. But now she was over the moon to dodge lightning.


    "Really, not paying me any attention?" Asher threw a fist straight at Art who barely reacted in time and ducked to the side.


    "You two were both distracted though. And it is my turn." Jane had just drunk down another of the adrenalin protein shakes since she had finished stretching and was ready to go.


    "Are you sure you''re ready to go? Asher was still worried but when he saw the determination on Janes'' face he had his answer.


    The two watched as Jane started to shift in to her full super powered form. Her medusa super power was insanely strong when it was fully in use. Jane looked like she was in full form as she moved toward Asher and Art. "I guess it is one against two here." Asher was a little worried now that Jane was going all out again, but this did not mean he would be holding back in any way.


    "Wh said it was one against two? It is every man for themselves!" Art dashed at Asher and tried to tackle him. Jane also rand forward and tried to land a kick on Art before he escaped. The three fell in to a mess of dodging and attacking trying to catch each other off guard. It was the perfect practice to sharpen their awareness and keep them moving.


    Art was using his super powers on his gloves so that the metal inside would slow down when he pulled his punched back so that he was ready to punch out again. It was proving to be an excellent test of strength.

 Chapter 275 - 275. Accomplished

    The three chase each other dodging and ducking while attempting to land a single hit. Asher was the wild card put of the three since he would let himself fall in to any move that he could. It made Art change direction and break his stiff stance more often. Jane on the other hand was forced to think more before she moved which was a challenge since she was in her shifted state.


    Jane was very consumed with her emotions and the high energy of her shifted state. Every time that she found Art and Asher dodging she would become more annoyed but was learning to hold it back. This was great training since she was more exhausted than usual due to this being her second shift of the day. If she hadn''t spaced it out she would have certainly passed out or been unable to properly think through her emotions.


    "Art! Stop changing your level!" Jane charged at Art suddenly which completely threw him off. Unfortunately for Jane, Asher chose that moment to use his own attack. He knew that he would be able to eventually catch Jane when she slipped up and fully take her down.


    Asher lashed out with a kick toward her legs. Jane was still too fast and reacted quickly to block. This threw her in to a stumble which Art was going to take advantage himself. However, he was attacked by Asher next. Asher was not discriminating at all since he was in a one against two battle.


    Jane and Art may not have been against each other but they were both still in this battle against Asher too. So when Art went to jump over the stumbling Jane she allowed him to do so. This continued on as they all tried to gain an upper hand in their mess of moves. Eventually, it devolved so much that they weren''t even using the moves properly.


    The three had thoroughly exhausted themselves much more than they expected. "Asher, Jane is tired. Time to stop." Cara''s voice suddenly rang in Asher''s ear and he stopped in place to see that Art was trying to stand up from the ground where he had done a partial roll and Jane had started to shift back to normal through no choice of her own.


    "Jane! You pushed yourself too much." He grabbed a water bottle and one of the protein bars bringing it to her as she sat hard on the ground.


    "No...noo, I''m fine. Just a little tired and need a breather." Jane attempted to talk Asher down but when she stopped to catch her breath she had shown her weakness fully. Asher wasn''t going to be letting her back up until she rested more.


    "Bro, my head feels like I haven''t slept in a month." Art was feeling the backlash of his super power too. He had been doing his best to control the movement of his hands using the metal in the gloves. It had been successful but the constant changing and manipulation had taken its toll.


    "You both need to sit and just rest. Jane, your body is way past where it should be and you need the vitamin pack to work its'' magic. Art, you need to work on mental strength more so that you won''t get such devastating headaches after constant super power use. Maybe you can meditate and it will subside." Asher was in full mom mode with his friends.


    Jane didn''t argue after hearing the strength Asher put in to the words. It was clear that he would not be taking no for an answer in the least. Art on the other hand just smirked while laying on his back and slowing his breathing while covering his eyes to block the light.


    "You should rest too." Cara was still working on her super power training. She had started to get a break through in her ability to throw her voice and was very happy with the progress. She had mostly been speaking to Jackson so that she could spot Sammy as she fell.


    Cara would watch where Sammy was falling and direct Jackson on where to move and how fast. This was her way of also practicing communication and directions while Jackson was using it as a teamwork training on top of learning his body.


    Jackson had learned that he was able to throw Sammy half way to the ceiling with his full strength. It had taken him almost the entire hour to get to this point and comfortably attempt it. Sammy on the other hand had made her own progress.


    She had been using the bursts of wind every single time to slow her fall and was annoyed that she wasn''t able to float in the air. Yet, when she let her annoyance take her she found that she didn''t need to consciously slap her hand down to make a burst of air. It was all controlled by her mind and not her body. This lead to her trying to remain unmoved while she manipulated the wind and she found she could consistently generate gusts to change how she fell.


    This was another reason why Cara joined in to help Jackson catch Sammy. Sammy had been changing direction in the air as she fell. After this had gone on for some time Sammy caught on to another aspect of the wind. She had just been pushing it to move in straight lines. She had never made it twist or curve before.


    After that, she found her first success in trying to fly. She forced the wind to twist under her and for just a few seconds before she was too tired managed to float in the air without falling. This would have looked like nothing to someone watching, but to those who knew what Sammy had been practicing and working toward it was a reason to celebrate.


    While everyone trained they had become used to the slight booms and cracks from the lightning that Louis was generating. He and Laura had not stopped moving for the entire hour. Louis was using smaller and smaller amounts of lightning as it was not generated in his body as fast as he used it.


    This worked out to him being able to better control it since he was able to influence smaller amounts better with his will and muscles. The smaller shocks were also harder for Laura to see making it more of a challenge for her to didge them.


    Louis could feel his muscles sore and tormented from the constant twisting and flexing to force the lightning to his will. It was a huge strain on his body but a worthwhile one since it would lead to him better controlling it. He had found that between his hands he was able to arc the lightning from both sending out two zaps. This meant that he was using more muscles and pushing his mental strength further.


    Laura found this the toughest since she was looking for two smaller zaps at once. The lightning bolts left many marks on the ground that she had dodged and she wasn''t going to let them touch her. She was getting used to processing the information around her faster and faster as Louis released the lightning more and more.


    She had the body to avoid the attacks but her mind was still too slow in comparison. This irritated her and pushed her to train her focus more and more until she felt herself enter a state of meditation. This was not even noticed by her since she was just doing the same thing over and over.


    But, to someone watching, she looked like a fully focused fighter waiting for the next move. Unknown to her, her subconscious was processing smaller details and allowing her to move better and control her body in optimum ways. This was an accumulation of all the training she had been doing to better understand her body.


    The alarm from Cara''s phone blared through the gym stopping everyone that was still in motion, "That''s it! We are done. Now we can stop and have a snack before we stretch and head home." Cara opened the snacks that Art had prepared and sat down in the middle of the gym.


    "I was really afraid I was going to zap you. But your idea to only unwrap part of my arms was great. I feel like I understand how my body influences the lightning much better." Louis was raving about his breath through just like Sammy was about hers to Jackson. The two were on a small adrenaline high so they didn''t notice just how tired they were yet.


    "You guys were all organized, well, Asher, Art, and Jane looked like a chaotic mess. But it was pretty interesting seeing how much it took for you three to fall out of your stances. For people who just began to train a little while ago, you three are top notch." None of them expected the compliment from Cara. It brought them all a second burst of energy while they snacked. Every single one of them had hit a decent accomplishment today and would only go to show they should train like this again.

 Chapter 276 - 276. Amusement

    "Alright, everyone has their academic studying set up and their training set up for the week?" Cara had taken the time to set everyones'' training schedules up for the week. They were planning on doing the same group training session again next weekend. Their goals were al to improve before then and be able to show off what they could do.


    "We''ve got it all set up. I will try and do some of the extra balance exercises too." Jackson had gained a lot of confidence through the last hour of training and was much more dedicated to learning how his body worked. Instead of a mysterious annoyance, he was now looking at the situation like he was discovering himself all over again.


    "You guys don''t even know. I had a major breakthrough today. I bet next week I will be flying around better than a bird." Unfortunately, Sammy had the same boost in confidence, but she was a little more forward with it prompting Louis to roll his eyes.


    "Oh yeah, and I will be creating thunderstorms and powering the entire city with my lightning." His sarcastic tone was enough to earn not one but two punches to the arm from Sammy. She knew all too well that he had used a lot of his lightning and would need a substantial amount of time to generate any more.


    "No one made as much progress as me. I saw even lightning in slow motion." Laura didn''t miss the chance to join in to some of the fun teasing Louis and Sammy.


    "That''s just because I was slowing it down so it was easier for you. You wouldn''t be able to tell the difference." Louis thought turning away would hide his smirk even though he was still wearing most of the runner bandages to protect against lighting escaping which hid his face.


    "Oh yeah?" Laura used her speed to keep getting in Louis''s face over and over to tease him. Louise tried to turn away but continuously found Laura in front of him. He was much too slow to escape her and this made the group laugh at his obvious teasing fail.


    "Pfft, whatever, I still learned to control lightning a lot better with my body. So I am way ahead." Louis wasn''t taking it as a loss and was secretly red faced from the attention he was getting from Laura.


    "Jane, are you sure you can run back? I know Asher and Art are staying with you all the way to your house but I can stay too if you want." Cara was a little on edge since Jane was more pale since she had reverted back after her second shift.


    "I think I am fine. Asher will need to carry me if things get tough but I''m fine with that. He can use the extra training. Plus, I have prepared for this properly and the side effects aren''t too bad today." Jane definitely felt light headed but it wasn''t enough to top her. She was feeling better after eating the snacks and hydrating. It was the forethought to bring these that made her in a much better condition.


    "By the way, Art, thank you for the snacks." She couldn''t just ignore that they were so helpful and thanked him which surprised everyone since he hadn''t really thought Art had prepared it all and that it was all three of them that had.


    "Alight alright, if we are going to get so hung up on this then we will need to book the gym for another hour next time." Art pushed the attention away since it was embarrassing but did bring up a good point.


    "Art''s right, we are over our time and need to head out so the school employees can clean it." The group said their goodbyes and split up on their own jogs toward their homes. Cara was too fast and disappeared from Art, Asher, and Janes'' view in just a minute.


    "I swear, she is way too fast compared to everyone else." Asher looked ahead while comparing his sisters'' insane pace and their slow jog.


    "She has trained for way longer already. She tries to make up for the fact that she doesn''t have a physical super power. You guys know that she might have an A rank super power, but it is a communication based super power. Normally she won''t be considered for missions that require physical points." Art had researched some of the law enforcement requirements and found that super powers like Cara''s would normally end up in an office or away from dangers.


    "But she has shown over and over that she can defend and attack with sound. How could she end up not on the front lines?" Jane was trying to maintain the pace but chose to slow down to pose her question.


    "It''s just the way things work. That''s why my family usually ends up in science work with metal controlling super powers. Asher would most likely end up in some unique team that deals with threat analysis because he can be lucky to find solutions." Art had looked in to this a lot and found that there were plenty of cases of this kind of stuff happening. "You would be the only one to actually go in the field since you have a physical super power."


    Jane connected the dots, "This is why you want to be a super hero instead. They can do all of what law enforcement does and be in the action. You want to take hold of what you do." This was too plain to see now. It was the bog reason for Art to truly pursue being a super hero.


    " Well, it''s good to know that we will have more control over our lives. That''s what I want too. I don''t want to be some puppet on a string. No pun intended with my rag doll style." Asher thought that it was a great idea. Law enforcement would only limit them but being a hero would give them the proper connections to do and be more.


    "Guys, I agree...but I need to stop." Jane started to collapse but was caught on either side by Art and Asher. ¡­" Thanks"


    "We figured you wouldn''t make it back. Whenever you get too tired you don''t walk or run straight." Asher explained this with a strong mhm from Art. The two walked with her arms around their shoulders back to her house where they found her mother in the front small flower bed weeding.


    "I swear, she does this all the time now. She is pushing herself too hard. I expect you two to yell at her the next time she gets out of her limits." She was understandably furious as she helped Jane to her room.


    "Her mothers'' right, Jane does push herself a lot." Art said this as they watched the front door to Janes'' house close. The two accepted that they wouldn''t be seeing her again until school and that she would be resting. Asher sent a quick message to Jane reminding her to take the vitamin pack so she could recover better and that he hoped she would feel better.


    "I know, we will need to talk to her. I think we all need to look at how we have been balancing lately. Set aside some time to rest and destress properly." Asher was now a little concerned about his group and began to make plans in his mind on how he could get everyone some fun relaxation in the future.


    "You know, we do have that three day weekend coming up. We could all take an extra day to go and check out the new water park and theme park that opened up the next town over?" Art had wanted a break too. Asher wasn''t sure if this was because he wanted to avoid his math home work or if it was because Art really was tired.


    "We can ask my mom and dad about it. I have some savings and I wouldn''t mind treating everyone." Asher thought as the groups'' main leader he should shoulder this burden.


    "Bro, it''s free admission since it just opened. The food and games still cost money but rides and water park are free for the first week. We can just go and have fun. I don''t need to play games." Art had already read the information on the web site as he told Asher about ut.


    "Then send the link to the group chat. We will plan it out now." Asher thought this was the perfect situation and watched as everyone slowly replied with excitement. "I haven''t been to an amusement park or water park since¡­" Asher got stuck for a moment. Searching his two memories he realized, "I have never been to one. It never interested Cara or me. This will be the first time."


    "Bro! Seriously?! We have to go now. I am telling everyone!" Art jumped in to the group chat with fury, he refused to let Asher and Cara go their lives without visiting a water park or an amusement park.

 Chapter 277 - 277. The Mall

    Asher and Art spent an hour planning it all out and were even welcomed back by Cara who was also fairly excited for this. She had not expected a group trip to pop up like this and couldn''t knock the chance to go to an amusement park and water park. The group was also excited for it making lists of what to bring and shopping trips to grab bathing suits since they hadn''t gotten any yet this year.


    The next day at school flashed by in a blink of an eye and everyone had decided that they were jogging to the mall for their after school work out and also to get their shopping done in preparation for their trip.


    "I think I nearly gave our teacher a heart attack when I handed in homework for the entire month." Art was worried that he had caused some mental trauma to their teacher since he had suddenly handed in a month''s worth of homework instead of asking for an extension or assistance.


    "Well, you were the only one in the class not to hand anything in. even Stanley who sleeps through class gets his home work done." Asher made a good point but it was still not enough to shock their teacher so much.


    "I think it was actually the fact that when Art handed it in he looked at the grading paper and caught a mistake Mr. Smith made." Jane giggled since she had seen this happen right as she walked out of the classroom ahead of Art.


    "No way! You corrected a teacher? That''s super dangerous. Who knew we had a soon to be daredevil in the group." Laura was the one speaking causing everyone to look at her questioningly.


    "Of all the people to say that to me, why is it you? You know you literally lived at the obstacle course while at camp right?" Arts'' point was clear but Laura didn''t let it affect her in the least.


    "You could have all started out before me. I was just meeting with the school counselor about my plans to enter the tournaments and compete for a scholarship." Cara had been the last one there due to her meeting and no one wanted to start off without her.


    ''We are going to do line running all the way there to keep the same pace and work on teamwork. We couldn''t head out without you." Jane spoke for the entire group who nodded along with them.


    "Hm, well, I guess I should thank you then. But when I am in the lead, you will all need to keep up." Every single one of them realized that they had just signed up for a much harder run than they expected.


    From that point on the run was the most brutal attempt to keep up with Cara that any of them ever had. Whenever the person in the back of the line ran up they would set the pace when they became the lead runner. The only problem was that when Cara took the lead everyone became sprinters behind the speedy Cara.


    This entire experience led to them spending most of their mental energy to hold each other and themselves back so they could survive the sprint from Cara. Unfortunately, Art was the one who needed to overtake Cara and he happened to be the slowest. This was a deliberate order that Cara set up to push everyone just a little more. The result would be good but at the moment they were all in front of the mall panting.


    After they stretched and recovered everyone was excited to head out and find what they needed and wanted for the planned trip to the amusement park. "I am planning to go and use the birthday gift from Asher to get my gear for the tournament t all settled. I have my stuff already but it is better to have it all upgraded and prepared."


    Cara had been saving it for the right moment and knew that this was the perfect time to get her gear. She had been looking for ways to get better at manipulating the sound around her and decided that having a suit that could assist that would put her that much ahead in the upcoming tournaments. Especially the school tournament to win scholarships.


    "But first, you are coming with us to get a bathing suit!" Sammy latched on to one arm of Cara while Laura gabbed the other. Jane pushed from behind.


    "Boys aren''t allowed, go and figure out your own stuff." Jane called back to them as the four boys watched as the girls straight up ditched them.


    "Well, I can''t say I didn''t see that coming. Sammy was whispering about it with Laura for a while there." Louis had caught on and just accepted it while the other three were a little stunned at the sudden abandonment.


    "I''m fine with this though. I actually need help since none of my clothes even fit anymore. I need to buy a lot more than just a bathing suit and I don''t have anything that I can wear for the tournaments either. I was thinking of getting the survival suits that people have. It''s similar to the materials of Asher''s gloves and shirt."


    Jackson threw another surprise at them when he admitted he didn''t have many clothes. "I kinda wondered why your style was like an old mans''. Those are hand me downs since you didn''t have anything that fits." Asher hit the nail on the head as he watched Jackson turn a little red with embarrassment. It was clear that he wasn''t happy with what he had at the moment.


    "Wait, Asher''s gear is already survival oriented?" Art caught this and was curious how Jackson knew.


    "I searched the brand and the guy that designs all of it is a designer that specializes in the all resist fabrics. He makes them so they can resist cuts, blunt hits, water, cold, heat, and a lot of other environmental dangers. He won multiple awards for it and was a big star until he went in to seclusion to make a new design like ten months ago." Jackson had found so much out and was glad to share it. "Now his gear is super rare and people are waiting for him to release more of it. But no one knows when."


    "That explains why I didn''t find the entire set together. I was lucky to find the gloves under a fallen shelf. Man, I didn''t know how lucky. These were on sale." Jackson nearly fell over at Asher''s words.


    "Sale? They put a fashion and design stars'' items on sale? The store lost out!'' The group laughed about Ashers'' insane luck as they entered the mall themselves.


    "Hey, do you think that the girls know there is only one summer wear store in the mall?" Louis remembered this and tried harder to keep himself from laughing since it was going to make the girls feel a little dumb.


    "I bet they will get angry at us if we go there though. Why else did they rush Cara along?" Art had already figured this out making Louis fall silent again. "Come on, let''s go see what we can find for Jackson. Maybe we will find something cool for everyone. We need sunglasses, suntan lotion, maybe some hats." Art listed off a few things they needed and it made them a lot more dedicated to hunting things down.


    "Hey Louis, what would happen if you wore gloves with metal wire in them? Do you think you would be able to control your lightning better?" Asher had stopped in front of a large window showing a rock climbing themed display.


    "Not sure. Metal is a very good conductor for lightning so I would assume it would make it easier for me to guide it." Louis looked at the same display and started to notice that the gloves on display had metal wires running through to strengthen them against tough rock faces.


    "Then I guess we are finding something for you before Jackson. Actually, look. There are plenty of outdoor clothing options for rugged use. That sounds like someone like Jackson could put some stress on them since his body is stronger than normal people." Asher had just happened to look up and catch the gloves, but now thought he had found the perfect store.


    "Look, the shorts are made from the same stuff used in bullet proof bests but the new thinner version. I wouldn''t be able to wear those out when we worked out." Jackson was ecstatic to see that they had found something he needed. He had worn through multiple old pairs of shorts due to his wear and tear.


    "See, all we needed was to have Asher lead the way and he found something great for both of you." Art had his arms crossed in confidence.


    Asher took the chance to whisper to Ary while the other two went in the store, "They would be perfect gloves for you too since you can manipulate the metal and they look like they don''t have metal in them. It would make it seem like you are just using your own body strength." Art nodded as he went toward the store entrance. Asher had found him something amazing too.

 Chapter 278 - 278. Mall Finds

    "Wait, but I need to go to the other shop to use my gift to get new modified gear." Cara had been trying to argue her way to her freedom. However, the other girls had teamed up and dragged her all the way to the summer wear store without any room for her to escape.


    "Just face it, we are getting bathing suits first." Jane wasn''t letting Cara argue either.


    "Just come with us. If you run off on your own then all of us will need to pick out a bathing suit for you." Sammy threw this dangerous idea at Cara who wouldn''t let this happen in a million years. She knew all too well that if she allowed it she would either end up in some dive suit or with something she could never wear in public.


    "It''s better to just go with it. We have plenty of time and if you have been ahead on homework like everyone else we shouldn''t have anything to worry about. Unless you have a date or something." Laura couldn''t see what Cara was so averse to doing this first.


    "No, I don''t have anyone like that." Cara was instantly ten times more annoyed making Laura want to push in on it more.


    "Oh, so there''s someone you do like then? Hmmmm? HMMMMMMM?" There was no way to escape Laura as the four of them walked through the mall.


    "Oh look there is the perfect set of sandals for the beach!" Cara used the distraction to rush in to what summer wear store ahead of everyone else escaping the question and saving herself.


    "Aweeee. I wanted to hear who she liked." Laura was understandably disappointed that her attempt had failed. It wasn''t often that she had hung out with the girls alone and wanted to make the most of it by talking with them about everything that they would be uncomfortable saying around the boys.


    "You should have known she would run away, I''m pretty sure we all would have...well, not Jane. we all know her and Asher are probably secretly dating now." Sammy said this nonchalantly as she walked in to the store too.


    Jane was left frozen outside without any ability to respond. "Sammy has a point, you two should just be open with it. It would make dates easier for you two." Laura supported the belief that the two had been secretly dating this whole time.


    As Laura walked in to the store too she couldn''t hear Janes'' response. "But we haven''t gone on a first date yet." Her voice was quiet making it seem sad but looking closer someone would have realized she was embarrassed and excited for the possibilities.


    "Jane! We need help, Cara is trying to get an athletic one piece so she can swim laps at the pool the whole day whole time we are at the water park." Jane rushed in to combat Cara''s decision with the other girls.


    "I''m telling you, bro, if you get those Teflon climbing gloves for Jane she would love them. You''ve seen her shift. Her nails get longer and sharper but the skin on her hands stays soft without scales. It will be a perfect gift for her training and gear." Art had seen Asher contemplating on buying some womens'' fingerless Teflon climbing gloves. He had known that he was thinking of buying them for Jane in an instant.


    "You really think she will like them? I know her birthday is next week. She hasn''t told anyone because she doesn''t want to distract us from the day off but we ended up planning it on the same day." Art was shocked and grabbed Ashers'' shoulders.


    "If you do not buy them for her as a gift I will encase you in metal and sink you to the bottom of the ocean. Get the girl you like a gift that will help her become a better hero. You know she will love them and use them every day even if they were flimsy and cheap. So just do it." Art was making sure Asher wasn''t going to turn around and dismiss the idea.


    "Yes, yes, I will." Asher grabbed the green pair quickly not realizing it was the same shade as his eyes. Art caught this fact and nodded in approval. He thought it was the ideal choice and internally applauded Asher.


    "Alright, so I know that I didn''t just hear that Jane was hiding her birthday from everyone." Louis was not about to let it slide by either. " We are definitely going to celebrate. Art is making the cake though. I have heard that you can make an epic birthday cake." Louis had heard this from Jane and Asher one day at lunch and had been trying to think of an excuse to get Art to cook again.


    "I think this is a great idea. I have plenty of vegetables I can use to make lunch and then Art can bring the dessert." Jackson was already sold on the idea and was thinking about the best vegetables he could pick from his garden for the occasion. "The real question is if Asher wants to have some space from everyone else that day?" Jackson brought a quizzical look to Ashers'' face.


    "True, I''m sure that he will want to be alone to celebrate her birthday with a few hours of date time." Louis supported the and understood exactly.


    "Date time? He hasn''t even told her out loud how he feels. The two have been dancing around their feelings forever." Art broke the news to the other two while Asher was stuck in a daze.


    "But Sammy said she was sure that you two had been dating the entire time. I even heard her whispering about it with Laura. Wow, who knew they were so wrong. Sorry for believing them." Louis felt a little bad for blindly believing something that he hadn''t even heard from Asher or Jane themselves.


    The four boys stood idly in awkward silence for a moment before Afrt jumped to change the subject. "You already paid for those right Jackson?"


    "Yes, we can head to another store now!'' Jackson picked up on Arts'' goal and proceeded to push the daze Asher forward toward the register to pay for Janes'' gift.


    After they had all paid for their things and Asher was looking a little more responsive they aimed themselves at the next nearby store. "I don''t know why we are looking at the super phones. None of us can afford them yet." Art had dragged them to look at the super durable super phones. He was obsessed with the new features and how they could be adjusted based on the user.


    "Think about it, we are already modifying our gear in the modern technology class. There are tons of parts t the older super phones. If we use our existing phones and the parts to super phones then we could have a custom built one. Plus look, there are sales parts here for the new model that already has customizable options." Art made a good point drawing everyone''s attention to the new shiny phone models.


    "That''s actually pretty great. We can keep what we have and just make it better. I bet it can even be made more durable with the right parts and effort." Asher had already seen a few of the students in class modifying their own phone and had the feeling that making their own super phones was a much easier task than it sounded.


    "Sounds good to me. I have some savings so I will buy the upgrade kit over there. Then we can use it on my phone. I don''t use it for anything but studying and the gym app now." Jackson had no qualms about handing over his phone for a day or so.


    "Just meet me in the front of school tomorrow and I can bring it to class." Asher was excited about this additional project. He and the others had already brought a large group of students from the modern technology class together to work on projects. They had been receiving some very good leadership and communication skills without realizing it.


    "I want one that can handle my stronger zaps. I feel like it could be possible with the right materials." Louis was also on board and wanted to see what he would end up with. The modern technology class that Laura had introduced Asher, Art, and Jane to was paying off in mountains.


    "I''ll need to thank Laura again for recommending the class. It is filled with so many hidden gems."Asher had begun to forget about the teacher of the class since there were so many positives in comparison. The more they attended and spoke to the students the more they realized just how much they could and would learn just by being there.


    They began to dig through the parts and upgrade kits finding a myriad of on sale items that they could grab to have even more options. They couldn''t wait to meet up with the girls for food later and tell them about their finds. However, there was still plenty of time to explore until then.

 Chapter 279 - 279. Peaceful?

    The boys were consumed by their dig for good cellphone parts and the girls were in the middle of trying on different bathing suits and swimwear. Things were moving along smoothly. Cara was thinking about what she would do for gear and how it would be modified. Laura and Sammy were trying to convince Jane that she should wear something a little more open to attract more attention from Asher.


    Louis was surprisingly in control of his lightning since he had realized it was based on his muscle control. He could make sure even more that he wouldn''t fry any electronics. Art and Asher were fighting over a set of blue parts that were the same as another pack but they were blue. Of course, Jackson was attempting to mediate but was not doing as well as he hoped because his personality had not grown in to the intimidating bulk of his body yet.


    Everything was going well since they had jogged over. The group had plenty of time to explore before they would jog back to Ashers'' house for a group study dinner. It was their plan all along. Unfortunately, the man walking in the hall accompanied by his five compatriots were not planning to allow anyone to move on with their normal day.


    The burst of gunfire and a small explosion shook the mall causing every single patron to freeze or begin running. The sound of the mall speaker drowned out anyone that was trying to shout or question what was going on. "Hello sheep, this is your new king speaking. My associates will be visiting every single store to collect your taxes today. Stay where you are and you won''t get a bullet or a fireball to the face. Signing off, king Boom."


    "That was a prank...right?" Jackson''s nervous voice broke the silence. The cellphone store attendant immediately ran to the back of the store to find that the security locks on the back doors had all be forcefully activated.


    "They have us locked in. They must be in the security office!" The panic in the attendants'' voice was clear as the blue sky.


    "So not a joke. What do you guys think we should do?" Louis was looking at Asher and soon everyone was. They trusted his judgment.


    "We are just high school students. There isn''t a what should we do. It''s a, sit and wait in safety thing. Just wait." Asher knew that they wanted to do something to help but there was nothing they could do. If they acted out and got hurt or got others hurt it would be in them for the rest of their lives.


    "I didn''t think this would happen. I know crime happens but I haven''t ever thought that it would happen to me." Art wasn''t sure if he was afraid or if he was excited. It was a strange mix of adrenaline at the moment.


    "Well, technically I was mugged, not that I knew. But that''s not the point. There are a bunch of people all afraid around us. We shouldn''t do anything dangerous, but we can help everyone remain calm and safe." Asher had made a decision. Sitting safe was the plan. Yet, that did not mean they couldn''t help others do the same.


    "Art, you stand by the door and get anyone that comes by the hall inside so they can sit against the wall with us. If someone comes by no one is allowed to move they are after money and we have nothing to stop them from it."


    "Louis, Chack with the attendant. See if the back door entrance can be zapped and may be unlocked. If it doesn''t work then no big deal. If it does then calmly walk back here and whisper to me. Make sure to keep the attendant calm. I think they are hyperventilating."


    "Jackson, You are intimidating and will make people feel safe. Use that bulky body and walk around assuring people that if they stay calm and in one place they will be safer than if they run around trying doors." Asher saw one such person bolt out of the cellphone store and in to the hallway already. It was a dangerous attempt right now since they didn''t know who, how many, or what the super powers were of the robbers.


    Asher watched as his friends moved in to action. He on the other hand pulled out his cellphone and sent a message to the group explaining their actions. He only had hope that the girls were taking things as calmly.


    "Jane. If any of them walks in you get them frozen in place. I don''t want them taking a step toward anyone." Cara had taken charge and was dealing with the large group of people who rushed to hide within the summer wear store. They had all had the idea to hide in dressing rooms and between clothing racks.


    "Laura, you''re fast. So check everyone and make sure there are not injured. If someone is yell for me since I have the most first aid training." Cara knew that they might have some trouble with so many people rushing in. Panic could cause anyone to sprain an ankle or fall and hit their head.


    "Sammy, text the boys. I want to know where they are. I need to see what I can do with the store staff since they are flustered." Cara moved to the counter while Sammy was right behind her. "What are your protocols for this? If you dn[''t have anything can you let us take the lead? My friends and I have some training that could be useful. We will not be escalating any situations."


    Cara had already been through some emergency training classes. She knew that the other girls and the boys had also learned some things but mostly focused on disaster training s and close combat. They had yet to delve in to the world of rescuing and managing people completely. She needed to act as a leader for them to keep things smooth and safe.


    "I don''t know, this is our first day and the manager went on lunch and we are just trying to make sure that the money is in the safe but it''s locked." The woman at the counter was struggling to get a breath and Cara placed a hand on her shoulder.


    "Just stop and sit down in the far aisle. We will take things from here. If you need to do something make sure that the people in the dressing rooms are breathing slowly and sitting in one spot. No one needs to be loud or panicking. People are already in their way to help us. Heroes and law enforcement should be here at any time." Caras'' calm voice was an unmoving stone in a rough sea. The attendant calmed down in a blink of an eye after hearing Cara''s words.


    "Cara, Asher said they are in the cellphone store and they are working on trying to open the back door with Louis''s lightning. But He also said they are calming some people and getting them to sit on the side walls away from the register to sit and wait it put." Sammy was glad to see that things were going smoothly.


    "Good, if they get the door open they can use the back hallways to come and open ours. If not then we will sit and wait it out too. It is the smart move." Cara wanted to just keep this plan the same. Bur that was not how it was going to go for them.


    "Alright sheep! My king said I need to come on over here with my partner and collect taxes! If you don''t pitch money or jewelry in then you can pay us in other ways!" The store doors were kicked open and a man with thick grey skin and tusks led the way for another with weird round hands. The fingers were long and thin like the barrels of a gun.


    "Text Asher that they need to stay away from the swim wear store, now." Cara managed to say this as the two stomped up to the counter where Cara was.


    "Little girlie, are you the one with our taxes." The man with the gun like hands smirked at her and reach over to the register to find the bills from the days'' sales. "Good good, now empty those pockets." Cara was frozen. She didn''t want to escalate the situation and knew that Sammy was hiding behind her texting Asher. However, Cara didn''t have any money and knew exactly what these two could do to her.


    Asher was fairly confident since they had pulled seven more people from the hallway. They had been running but seeing Jackson and Art they rushed in to sit and hide with those already in the store. His face became unreadable as he saw that Sammy had replied to him. His blood ran cold and he realized just how much he cared for his friends and most of all his sister in this new world with better memories. There was only one thought that was echoing in his head. Save them.

 Chapter 280 - 280. Brotherly Love

    "Art...take over here for me. I need to go do something." Asher walked past Art and right in to the hallways. Art struggles with this surprise and wasn''t sure if he needed to run after Asher. However, if he did that then the could that was running toward them wouldn''t be called in to the cellphone store to sit in a group and hopefully be safe.


    Art called them in and by the time he had turned around Asher was gone. He hurriedly told Louis who had failed with the door but rushed back to try it again. Jackson was even more worried but knew that he couldn''t rush off to find out what was going on. The two checked the group chat and read the message from Sammy.


    "Two of the villains walked in to the summer wear store. I know it''s one of the biggest seasonal stores here but...What are the odds?" Jackson was now worried for the girls'' safety since Sammy had followed up saying that they were targeting Cara.


    "At least we know where Asher is going. I didn''t think he was that emotional. He never just goes and acts out like this. He must be worried that Cara is in danger." Art knew that he would rush off if his parents and even his older brother were in danger.


    "We should hold things down here. I won''t tell the girls he is on the way. If they know they might act out and it''s better if Asher has a chance to see the situation and slow himself down." Art wasn''t sure if this was the right call. But there were people relying on them at that moment and he was not going to leave them to panic.


    Asher knew exactly where the summer wear store was. It was the only store that changed its'' theme and owners every season to sell different things. He had been there many times and could remember it clearly. Every once in a while someone would run past him in panic or someone hiding would try and whisper to him to hide as well. However, Asher was blind and deaf to this.


    There was a look on his face that would have stopped anyone in their tracks. Never had Asher felt this worried and angry. Every negative emotion he had repressed in his other life when looking on the positive side was being pushed to the front of his mind. The kindness of this new world he had been pushed in could be taken from bim and he would not allow it.


    He was going to be a hero. He would protect those that valued the goodness in the world and there was no one that would break this while he still breathed. This was the resolve echoing within him as he moved toward the summer wear store.


    "Oooh, no wallet there girlie? How sad. But don''t worry. We are kind. We can let a girlie like you pay in other ways." The robber with fingers like gun barrels had a disgusting smirk ion his face while the grey skinned man with him was tearing open cash registers and placing all the money in the bags with him.


    The grey skinned man seemed to be the muscle of the pair while the man with gun barrel fingers was the deterrent. Cara knew she couldn''t move since Sammy was hidden behind her and moving would expose her under the counter.


    Cara was about to say that she didn''t have her wallet and just hope for the best when there was a feeling on her leg behind her. Sammy was pushing her own wallet in to her back pocket slowly and with extreme care.


    When Cara realized this she made the act of pulling her wallet out while shaking slightly. That was to give them the impression she was too afraid to move before. She had learned this psychology technique in one of her law enforcement classes. It was one way to blend in if ever trapped in a dangerous situation. Apparently, people were less likely to attack someone afraid of them than someone defiant toward them.


    As Cara handed the man Sammy''s wallet he looked a little less interested. "Shouldn''t you be running away by now? Or are you too scared little girlie?" The cackling the man followed with was enough t make Cara feel sick. She wanted nothing more than to use her super power to deafen him then use every move possible to knock him out. But that would hurt everyone else.


    Sammy in the other hand was covering her mouth the best she could to keep her voice down. Laura and Jane had met together and watched from the opposite side of the room. They had found two siblings that had been separated from their parents and had been busy comforting them before the two robbers had shown up.


    "We could use another good hostage like you for later. Just come with us and we will be paid in full." The man with gun barrels as fingers was about to reach out to grab Cara and take her away when Asher stepped in side of the summer wear store.


    "I feel like my enemies should know not to touch my family like that." He spoke in a frigid tone. There was nothing but pure ice in his words. His face was a mask of calm and coolness but inside he was writing in rage.


    The grey skinned robber dropped the bag of money and valuables to deal with the kid he thought had walked in to try and be a hero. Against the wall or I make you. There is no choice kid." It was a simple order but before the robber could do anything he tripped on the clothing rack next to him. His fall was short but devastating.


    The crack that resounded through the room spoke of a fractured skull and major concussion. The entire room of customers held their breath while looking at the dumbfounded robber. The other robber had lost the muscle that protected him. He may have his own super power but he couldn''t deal with close combat attacks. This made him panic. All the taunts gone with the wind.


    "What did you do kid!? Want these bullets pointed at you!?" The panic turned in tp a greater fear and the man with gun barrel fingers pointed them at Asher. Asher had drawn the full attention of this crazy Robber and only him. He was at the door and there was no one else around him.


    "You know it would be very bad luck if you tried to attack and missed every shot with that weird power of yours. It would be even worse luck if you were knocked out too." Asher gave a meaningful glance to his sister who was still trying to understand why he was there.


    "You asked for this brat. I will just add you to my tally!" The robber had a unique super power to make bullets in his body and fire them through his fingers. Each one fired a single bullet in Asher''s direction. Yet, when he formed there was a single piece of dust that happened to be blown by the ventilation in the store.


    The dust got in the robbers'' eyes and caused his shots to run wild toward Asher. Since there was no one else around the only person that could have been hurt was Asher. But every single bullet hit the floor in front of him. They had missed by a decent margin and now the robber was trying to prepare another attack.


    Cara and Sammy didn''t allow this though. Sammy passed the broken drawer to the cash register to Cara. Carra lifted it and with all her might, slammed it on to the back of the robber''s head. Without anything but a thud, the robber hit the ground. Not only were the customers stunned that the one robber had fallen to the ground tripping. Now they were stunned the other had been foolish enough to get knocked out while ignoring someone behind him.


    "Cara, are you alright? Sammy texted saying that they were bothering you and I had to come over and make sure. I left Art in charge." she was walking around and making sure his sister wasn''t harmed at all. Cara was just stunned by her brothers'' reaction and reasoning for coming over.


    "You know, you''re an idiot for coming over¡­."Cara brushed off Asher''s hand and hugged him. "But an idiot that knows when to take a risk."m She wanted to reprimand him but knew that much worse could have happened if he didn''t intervene.


    "If I just left you here alone to get attacked by some villain, would I even be a good person let alone brother?" Asher knew that this wasn''t the right answer but at this moment it spoke of how he felt.


    "I know you guys are having a moment. But we need ti to tie them up somehow since there are still more around." Jane had rushed over and bit her tongue n Ashers'' actions. She would scold him later. At the moment here attention was on the two unconscious villains.

 Chapter 281 - 281. "Hero"

    Art, Jackson, and Louis were extremely tense until they saw another text from Sammy. Once it showed up the three finally released held breaths. "I can''t believe he just left like that! He could have been hurt or killed." Art was the angriest with the situation.


    "I thought that he was just trying to get someone from the next store over. But heading all the way to the girls was crazy." Jackson had tried to convince himself of the best but had realized that Asher had risked everything.


    "I just wish we could have gone. Would we have been terrified? Yes. But at least we could have all gone down together if the worst happened." Louis was sure that having three extra people would have been better, however, with Ashers'' luck, that he had survived alone.


    "The girls say they have the two tied up. What do they do now? Do you think Cara will know?" Art was reading the reaction when a shadow caught his eye. "Shhhh, one of them is passing by." Art signaled everyone. Louis snuck back to the back door to continue his attempts. He didn''t want to be anywhere near a villain when they came for money. The girls had just sent them a text of the dangers.


    While struggling with the electric lock he heard Art directing everyone to the back as well. There was always the hope that rescue showed up and opened the door too.


    "Will you be able to open it this time? You tried before?" The attendant was terrified hearing that the villains were nearby. In a panic, they bothered Louis for the tenth time.


    Feeling this irritation Louis gathered a sizable amount of his lighting and flexed his muscles to direct it toward the locking mechanism of the door. The door was designed not to gove away to electrical super powers and even electronic controlling powers. Yet, the high voltage of lighting was not something that could be resisted like normal electricity. It was untamed.


    The clicking and burning of the lock caused the attendant and Louis to jump and nearly shout. But they clamped their hands over their mouths and Louis slowly crept back to the front to find Art.


    "I managed to force the door lock open so we can head out. I bet we can do the same with the summer wear back door." Louis was proud of his success but kept his voice low so it wouldn''t cause additional panic.


    "Nice job. Jackson and I will guide people back slowly. When everyone is leaving the exit we will g to the summer wear store. I will text the girls." They preceded with the plan and the trapped customers slowly filtered out under the nose of the nearby villain.


    "Art just texted that they cot the escape door open. We need to get ready for Louis to fry the door." Jane glared at Asher but gave him a quick tap on the shoulder to show that she was glad he was alright.


    Asher didn''t miss this but remained in a calm position without reacting. He knew he could cause chaos. "Should we take those two with us? I don''t think we should but if we don''t they could tell their boss where we went." Laura had one another chack of the room and already told everyone to slowly start to move toward the back in silence.


    "Of course. We need to make sure they are in the hands of law enforcement. I won''t be letting them get released." Cara would not let the two get away. They were creeps who tried to prey on her and the others in the store. There was no way they would not end up in a jail cell.


    "Then we take them with us. I think that will help the trauma these people will have too. Seeing the villains captured will help them rest easy." Asher supported the idea and began to drag the heavier grey skinned man behind him to the emergency door.


    "I texted Louis that we are waiting. Good thing the stores are nearby. The only question I have is why help isn''t here just yet? Is there something wrong?" Jane wasn''t sure what was going on. The upper floors are hero corps. Property and at the very least their guards should be acting to defend the mall and hero corp research floors.


    "They probably locked down to protect their research. It is worth a lot in the wrong hands." Cara already knew what the deal was. There was no way that hero corp. Would be able to send their basic security staff on rescue missions. If they did the dangerous information in their labs could be taken and used for much worse than a basic robbery.


    They were going to keep talking about their ideas when a knock on the glass caught them. "Louis. Finally. Everyone get away from the door." Sammy knew what was coming and watched as Louis twist and send a bolt of his lighting frying the electrical door lock with a terrible meting and burning smell.


    "I found their bag but where are those two idiots? Don''t tell me they ditched us!" They froze as they let the customers rush out silently. They knew that these voices were the partners of the two unconscious villains with them.


    Asher motioned for everyone to move faster. Soon the entire store had been emptied and the two that had walked in were searching for their partners. U fortunately for the other two villains, Asher closed the door after dragging the grey skinned villan through right as they came around the corner.


    "Uhg, smells terrible back there. That''s why no one should smoke. You smell like that all the time. Freaking disgusting." The villain joked with his partner and grabbed the money. "Who cares if they ditched. More money for us. Let''s go tell boss." The two left as the group rushed toward the outside.


    "I thought you were a goner bro. Never again." Art said this while taking control of dragging the man with gun barrel like fingers. He had wanted to give Asher a piece of his mind but they had a mission to escape this mall.


    The exit was spotted by the light streaming in to the employee area. Every single customer had burst out in to the light of the setting sun to find officers set up around the mall. The officers were understandably confused but rushed forward to assist.


    There was a man that came up to Art and Asher. He moved his hands and two hunks of metal formed cuffs around the legs and hands of the captured villains. "You two managed to catch these and escape? There are unlocked doors, right? I am going in. Children with weak powers shouldn''t take risks. You were too lucky."


    "Hey, Art...that guy looked like¡­" Asher saw Arts'' angry expression.


    "Yeah, that bastard is my older brother. He didn''t even ask if we were safe or harmed or anything." Art trembled with anger as an officer came and took away one of the villains. Soon the second was taken too and the two friends were asked to report everything that happened.


    Art was fairly quiet but gave a detailed explanation. Asher did the same as he cast worried glances at his friend who seemingly retreated in to some form of shell after seeing his brother. The others giving their explanations often pointed t the group as they gave their own explanations. It seemed that the group was being given a lot of credit here.


    "An hour passed and suddenly the mall doors opened and many customers flooded out in to the waiting officers. Arts'' brother also appeared with the remainder of the villains cuffed and knocked out. Art just glared.


    Even after that, there were some wearing more official uniforms coming out. They were from the higher floors and had been locked down. Now they were all free to head home as they normally would. Once everyone was fully evacuated and all their stories had been recorded the officers started to send them off.


    "That was too much." Cara hadn''t gotten everything she wanted done but felt that the entire experience has shown her too many things the group lacked just now. They needed to train much harder and learn much more t become proper heroes that could handle a situation like this alone.


    Asher watched Art often and was going to make sure they had privacy to speak. Unfortunately, that would not be for some time as everyones'' parents began to arrive and take them home. Art just glanced toward the researchers from hero corp who had exited. He could see his mother and father who were being held back by his brother. Art desperately wanted to go over but settled for a thumbs up before leaving with Art and Cara.


    "Don''t worry. We will figure this stuff out." Asher reassured Art. This was all he could do for now. But his words still rang in Arts'' mind. He had many friends and a good home to sleep in the night. Eventually, he would be the one protecting his family.

 Chapter 282 - 282. Grasping The Situations

    The three were taken home as soon as Asher and Caras'' parents arrived. The officers wouldn''t let any of them leave without their parents. Art was able to sneak by after pointing out that his parents were researchers for hero corp on the upper floors. After some discussion, the officers did some searching and returned letting him on his way. The two officers had gained a much more business like approach.


    "Dude, they looked like they were a little afraid of you. That was weird." Asher had noticed the officer''s mannerisms and wanted to see what Art thought of it.


    "I feel like they went and asked my brother about me. He definitely told them that they weren''t to bother me or whatever." Art knew that his brother had used their family standing to send the officers away and most likely given them some form of deterrence so that they wouldn''t get further involved with their family.


    "Your brother was more or less an older version of you. But skinner. I think you''re already bigger than him." Cara said this in hopes that Art would feel a little more confident. It was all too clear that Art was acting defeated already since his brother had always loomed over him.


    "Thanks...I think after the tournaments I will ask you guys to back me up against him so I can finally give you two a tour of the house." Art was finally over the edge.


    "After that incident, I think that''s a good idea. With what he did with the paperwork, and now that he completely ignored you when you could have been hurt from the villains robbing the mal. I don''t have any respect for him. He will need to prove that he can be a good brother." Asher had already made up his mind some time ago to back up Art. But reaffirming it after this experience was able to set it all in stone.


    Art and Asher shared a fist bump. As far as the two were concerned they were real brothers and nothing was going to change that for the world. They didn''t need to share parents and they didn''t need to share blood.


    "So, I know you three have your own secrets. But if you need help remember that I am a lawyer and that your mother has a very good ear for things people whisper behind closed doors." The three had been talking while Asher''s father drove them back while his mother was in the passenger seat.


    "Mom, dad, Thank you. But we won''t ask for help unless we really need it. Art has already taken this on himself. He told me and Jane about it but I am sure our whole group will be there for him when the time comes." Asher explained this and received knowing nods from his parents. They knew that he was committed to his friends and was not going to abandon them.


    "We understand. Now, everyone can explain what happened another day. But Cara already told us what you did and how you most likely kept her from having some undesirable memories. But, you are still very very VERY grounded." Asher had already accepted this from his mother and settled in to his one silent thoughts like everyone else.


    Everyone was able to call in sick for the next day of school. The school had received the incident report from the officers and accepted that their students would need some time to deal with the incident. There were also a few other students from the school that had hidden in the mall elsewhere that had not gone with Ashers'' group.


    All together the media had a field day. But the worst part about everything was that the news report spoke of important documents missing from the hero corp research floors. Specifically revolving around an improved version of the evo shot thought to give multiple super powers.


    "See, I told you that the double dose was legit. I have two different powers. Technically Jane has a super strong power." Asher looked at Art and bit his tongue.


    "And I have two super powers too. I can manipulate all metals and am resistant to any poisoning effects they have. This was hidden by my brother who is the head of the family because of his super power. He kicked me out and had the paperwork hidden and forged. I need to find out why. My mother doesn''t know why and says that my older brother has been doing some weird things."


    Art finished Ashers'' explanation, "I thought it was time to tell everyone out in the open." Art had been the one to invite everyone over to properly talk about the day before. It was a surprise that everyone was allowed and that even Cara had rushed downstairs when she saw the group chat. Asher and Cara''s parents had decided to leave them alone and went out to lunch to let the group process what had happened together. It was something that made everyone very impressed and appreciative since having the adults around would put them on edge a little.


    "Yeah, we kinda guessed. Like, who would sell gloves with lead in them?" Louis spoke as if it was just too obvious.


    "I thought that it was weird too. But I thought that you and ashers'' family was just really close or something. But this makes more sense." Jackson looked a little ashamed since he had mostly been assuming the best. However, no one in the group thought poorly of him since having the silver lining state of mind was a bad thing.


    "Well, I think that it is a great motivator to move forward. I wish I had the same drive." Sammy was proud to see how much their group was coming together over the incident at the mall and now hearing the story Art was sharing.


    "It is great and all, but if they just had the same evo shot stolen that Arts'' parents are working on in theory. That his brother lied and hid about his powers...isn''t this all a little¡­.sketchy?" Laura was trying to connect all these doits but realized that it was messy.


    "If we had a choice I would say we should avoid it all. But Art is involved and we all know that leaving it be would be out of our realm of curiosity." Cara spoke up and looked at everyone as the oldest of the group. She had long been accepted as part of it and now everyone looked to her for some guidance.


    "Exactly, so what we know is that Art''s mother and probably father are helping research this double dose evo shot which some of us received. It worked and Art''s brother took over the household kicking him out. Then we all became friends and stuff which is great. Now we have a break in where all the robbers were caught yet there are still missing documents revolving around the double does evo shot. On top of that Art''s brother who is acting strange was the hero that came there to assist in the capture and we saw Art''s parents leaving the building empty handed. The officers also acted strangely after they knew Arts'' name and probably spoke to his brother."


    Asher said all this in one breath impressing everyone. It was a lot but it was what they knew. "How did we end up in a mystery. I get that my situation was already weird, but now...it''s complicated weird." Art wiped his face while talking. It was all too much to handle.


    "On another note, can we talk about Asher and his minor insanity? We can''t do much about the other stuff now but we can make sure Asher has at least one working brain cell." Louis realized there was not much left to talk about when it came to Arts'' situation and that they would need more time to understand things.


    "I was pretty happy that you showed up but I also wanted to scream at you. Do you k ow what mom and dad would have thought and felt if you got hurt?" Cara jumped in reprimanding him immediately. But Asher could see her smile saying that she was glad. It was something he had never seen on her face before.


    "Sammy and I tried to hold back. I was frozen when I saw that grey skinned guy threaten you. But he tripped and fell. You were lucky- it was your stupid super power! Why did I worry?" Jane realized that it was all luck that Asher had survived and would have been surviving the entire time.


    "He was definitely dumb when he just walked by me and left." Art nodded along.


    "Yup dumb"


    "Super dumb"


    "Dumb"


    "Duummmbb"


    Everyone chimed in saying the same. "Yes, it was dumb. But it worked and I won''t change it even if a time traveler shows up here to take me back and change it. I accept what happened." Asher was holding steady which made everyone shake their heads then shrug. They couldn''t fight him on it.

 Chapter 283 - 283. Week Of Training

    The grounding that came for the week along with the required counseling sessions the school made the group go through had them fully booked. Their training and school work took up the rest of their time but led to them gaining a huge change in their super powers and training.


    Jackson had found a few training methods that allowed him to better understand his strength. He also began to book hours at the school weight room to find his upper limits with strength. He found that he could easily break many records that were set by average humans. This was just another benefit of his super power.


    Between this and the training with the group, he found that he was no longer too afraid to use his full strength. On the contrary, he used his abilities much more and started to outpace everyone in the group physically. However, this didn''t help him against the others in their sparring since he still ended up losing most of the time. This was mostly because he didn''t like to battle against anyone.


    Sammy has started to be able to hover in one place for a few moments. She had been trying to make the air more controlled. This was a challenge but she had started to get a better idea by watching videos on natural weather phenomenon. When she saw a tornado videos she saw that it wasn''t just the wind making a vortex but hot air chasing the cold air.


    Sammy had many realizations and was able to manipulate the different temperature minds to move around her. These two coming together got her closer than she had ever been to flying in the sky. Even if it was just floating, for now, it was a major difference.


    Louis had been the odd ball out of the group over the last week. He had been doing a lot of meditation so that he could work on understanding the muscles in his body. He would flex and twist each one along with using new stretching and muscle focused weight lifting. This combination had helped him understand just how to make the lightning move in the way he wanted it to.


    This all came together to show that he was able to control the lighting as long as it was in his body. Something that really surprised him was when he learned that the lightning could enhance his physical strength slightly by making his muscles tighten and expel more force. It was a tough trick to use but it was one that he would be able to use as a trump card in the future.


    The foot work skills that Layra had been learning along with the many mental strengthening games she had been playing at all times were paying off. She was big in to the styles of fighting that let someone dance around their opponent.


    With this motivation and learning, Laura was soon able to somewhat replicate this. She was able to see her opponent moving and attempt to predict what they would do. From there she was faster than just about everyone and would dodge. She had become the biggest challenge to land a blow on while sparring. Yet, she could still be caught by surprise and beaten in that moment. It was her next goal to improve upon.


    Art still trained his super power in secret since it was better that there were fewer people that knew about it. No one pushed him to show it off but in Asher''s house, he would train his super power. He was finding that he was able to cha[e and ben metal easier every day. However, he found his strength still lacking because the harder metals would make him exhausted much faster.


    He accidentally tried to manipulate gold one day thinking it was bronze due to the old coloring. Instead of the normal mental resistance, he would fin, he found that it molded like clay. This pushed him to find many different soft metals and begin to experiment. He ended up collecting a ton of tin and aluminum cans so that he could use them freely.


    Asher and Jane were surprised the day he started to do this because Art first started by making pieces of defensive armor and shields. It was a brilliant use of his power so that he could make sure civilians were protected when fleeing a dangerous situation. This showed every of his strength even though he was supposed to be focused on his familial issues.


    Jane had the hardest time making progress. She had to boost her stamina and strength while not overdoing it. Her shifting would always take a lot of her energy and body''s stored nutrients. This being the case she had begun to add much more vegetables and fruits to her diet along with a massive calorie increase. This started to cause fewer side effects after shifting.


    From there she started to have her friends taunt her or say things to glean an emotional response from her. This wasn''t to torment her but when she was in her shifted form from even an accidental joke could send her in to a rage. She had to control herself as best as possible and this form of training seemed to be the best and was helping her make massive improvements every single day.


    Cara had not realized just how stagnant she had become. She had become recognized as one one the top students in the school and that was it. She had not pushed herself to go above that and somehow become complacent. She had the potential to be the top but why did she stop? She had asked herself this multiple times and had been amazed at herself for stopping.


    Now with the push of the group she was able to test her control over sound instead of how she used to alone. Not only this, but Cara also was able to spar against all of their developing styles causing her to tighten her own movements and push her physical training. She was getting closer and closer to the pique of endurance running every day. It was safe to say that almost no one could compare to her endurance.


    Asher was the most limited in the group. He couldn''t just work on improving his use of his super power. It was just always on and influencing the others, himself, or everyone. He had no idea on what range it had or how to turn it off even if he wanted. This led him to focus on martial arts and his sparring along with school work.


    He had been able to push all of his knowledge to the farthest it had ever been. In class he had moved on from forest fires and slowly begun to learn about flash flooding. He was told that after the next week that the students would have a live test to see how they were able to handle a forest fire rescue. Of course, this was a mock forest fire and would be done in the back training grounds of the school.


    Asher wasn''t sure how he felt about this but made sure he studied and practiced what he needed. He had no idea how valuable this training would be but could easily say that it would be a great benefit to any growing hero. On top of this, there was also the fact that the modern technology class was paying off.


    The class itself had been focused a lot more on the upcoming end of term tests in other classes. Yet, when Asher asked around for help he only found more and more of the students accepting whatever he asked. This was mostly because he had been testing many of their inventions and it put them in a position where they felt they owed him.


    The day before the Riktor tournaments were going to happen was the most stressful day for everyone. They all felt that they were not strong enough to properly compete because in their training they continued to find things to improve. The only problem with this was that none of them had realized that they were well beyond their classmates.


    Many of the students in the school had begun to gossip about them. It wasn''t in any malicious way. The students had seen the rapid pace at which the group was improving along with the fact that they even seemed ahead of their teachers when it came to the classroom subjects. This brought many students asking questions and such to only be turned away because the group didn''t have the time due to their packed schedules.


    The group alone had become well known as an unapproachable top group in the school. Their fame even spread a little outside of the school to some nearby high schools who were also going to be participating in the local Riktor tournaments since it was a great way to get more exposure. Naturally, the gossip painted a huge target in the groups'' backs.


    The tournament was going to be their first official step in to the public world of young heroes on the rise. It would also be their first practice in tournaments before the school sanctioned ones.

 Chapter 284 - 284. Geared Up

    "I swear to god that if we are late because you are over sleeping I am going to tell your friends all about how you ran out of the house naked when you were there!" Asher was awoken by this threat from Cara traveling up the stairs. He looked at his alarm clock which was supposed to go off only to find that it had lost its battery in the night and was currently dim.


    "I''m just getting ready! I swear I am just getting ready!'' Asher started to stumble about the toom throwing on his gear and shoving a change of clothing in to a back pack as fast as possible. He grabbed the last of the vitamin packs since he knew that they would be valuable for everyone who pushed themselves too far to recover.


    "I know you guys won''t want all of us parents cheering too much. But that''s just too bad. All of us got together to make banners and we will rotate to have people at every single one of your tournaments." Ashers'' father had decided to be the driver and was explained that the rest of their parents had already left for the venue.


    Asher''s father leaned in to Arts'' ear, "We even managed to steal your mother and father away to make a banner while they were on lunch. I pretended it was for work documents since I am a well known lawyer you know." Art wanted to hug Asher''s father but settled for a handshake and a knowing look while Asgher nearly fell down the stairs.


    "See, I was completely ready." Asher stood in front of his friends and father while everyone just looked at him with a smirk.


    "You know, it would be much easier to believable if you weren''t wearing your shirt backwards and your shoes on the wrong feet." Cara just gave him a judging look while Asher scrambled to fix things.


    When he looked up he saw that Art was dining a new jumpsuit with pieces of metal attached to it everywhere. "Like the gear, I had modified? I never showed it off but it is pretty nice. The suit is magnetic so I can attach pieces of metal as I need." Art was going to unveil his powers today. His [arents and brother would be in the audience and he was going to make a splash.


    "Mine is still way better. Especially my gloves." Asher had sneakily given these to Jane as they all recovered from the mall incident. No one had dared to bring up her birthday since they would just make her feel worse that her birthday had been such a mess of a day.


    Instead, everyone had tried to secretly give her gifts the next day and wish her a happy birthday pretending they had mixed up the days.  Of course, Jane knew this wasn''t true but it gave her a lot more respect for her friends. It was even better because Asher had snuck to her house and given her his gift when he knew she was free.


    Now Jane wore a very rugged and stretchable jumpsuit with an attached belt full of vitamins and adrenalin pills. She had an adrenalin protein shake but would only use it if she needed to. The pills would work faster anyways.


    Laura had a very light materials but had brought a series of wires with hooks. Apparently, she had been training on her own to latch them on to things and use her wind to move her place to place. It was her middle ground to flying.


    Laura had bugged everyone for the durable fabrics and now had an entire set of close fitting jogging clothes. They were extremely light weight and durable. They were even flame retardant so that any heat she were to build while using her maximum speed would be contained and keep from ruining her outfit.


    Jackson was the most basic of all. He had a close fitting backpack over some durable hiking clothes and boots. The pack was full of resume equipment and medical gear. He had the notion that he would be better off with it at all times. No one argued with him since he was going to be a rescue focused hero.


    Asher had stuck with the same old shirt he had bought with matching gear. The blue and white color scheme made him seem like a background character. Something he thought was better since it would make him stand out more when he surprised everyone.


    Louis was by far the most different. He had let the rubber bandages at home and instead was wearing a very high rubber and metal infused jumpsuit. It was made so that he could change the way he directed and contained his lightning. In theory, it would keep the lighting from arcing out unwantedly. However, when Louis was explaining it he mentioned that if he used it right he could send the arcs an additional ten feet away. He was going to be a scary opponent to face.


    "Cara, you still haven''t told us what your gear is. We couldn''t go and see you set it all up last week so you went by yourself. We want to know."Jane had been tired of being in the dark. The only noticeable difference was the fact that Cara had a new pair of noise canceling headphones since her loud voice still affected her when she used it.


    "I wanted it to be a surprise but since all of our tournaments would be going on at the same time I might as well tell you since it won''t actually play a part in the stamina race." Cara was a little unhappy that she wouldn''t be able to use her powers to the full extent while participating in it. However, she had researched the rules and discovered a way to use her super powers while in the race anyways. Not that they were the most reputable, but they worked.


    "I have small speakers all over this suit. They are those ultra flex ones that can even be rolled up that was invented last year. Without that coupon that Asher gave me I wouldn''t be able to have them. I also asked them o add in a voice activated connection to my phone so I can play set up sounds for me to adjust." Cara spread the hooded jacket open showing the layers of speakers on the inside along with some survival gear and medical gear.


    "That''s freaking awesome. I never thought you would use your power like that. Since you have a bunch of saved sounds I bet they are at different frequencies you can manipulate to cause different effects. I read that sound can even crumble stone if at the right frequency." Art reacted a little too energetically making everyone give him questioning looks and his face to turn red with embarrassment.


    Cara didn''t seem to mind the outburst and nodded in reaction whole looking out the window. "I should be able to use it just like that and more. Imagine having someone whispering in your ear that someone is gaining or that you are too slow. I can play some mind games while running." Her strategy bordered on brilliance but also made her sound like a villain.


    "Wow and here I am just going to proclaim any who face me to be my enemy and try to give them bad luck." Ashers''s scared everyone a little more than Cara. They knew just how strong luck was and the lack of luck was now. They had all experienced the small trips and falls from his bad luck but also experienced the awesomeness of good luck bringing things to their finger tips.


    "Hey, you should all start to get ready. Once I drop you off at the participants'' entrance it is up to you. Everyone has their paperwork since we checked before we left. All of you have been training. All of us parents are cheering. You will all do great. I can''t wait to see how much we can brag about our children after today." Ashers'' father ended his small speech while pulling up to the participant drop off.


    Everyone thanked his father for the ride and turned to face the line of participants. There were people with varying shapes and sizes along with gear that was applicable to their powers. There were a few that were obviously there just for show since they were posting constantly on social media. This wasn''t about winning for them but about making a splash to get attention.


    The others that appeared to be more serious were the ones that the group was wary of. Only those who were serious were actually aiming to place in the top[ and compete for the number one positions. There were many like this but only some stood out.


    "I know we have only been training for a few months. But look at what we have done since then. We have risen much higher than we have ever been and we have only just started. It''s time to make our start here today." Asher walked forward with everyone behind him toward the entrance.

 Chapter 285 - 285. First Venue

    "We are all going to get split up and brought to our respective tournament grounds. This is a huge venue. They can hold like twenty different sports matches here and house close to eight hundred thousand spectators." Asher had looked this up in the car since he wanted everyone to feel a little more confident. He thought that knowing some facts about it might help.


    "And, now I just want to curl in to a ball and turn invisible." Sammy had heard Asher and thought that many people would be watching her all at once.


    "Chill out. That''s all together. I bet your flying race is only going to get a few hundred since it is at the same time as my tournament. The elemental demonstration is all about control and showing off. People love it." Louis had been practicing some flashy moves just for this. As far as he knew he was the only lightning elemental power participating.


    "You''ll both do great. No need to argue like bratty siblings before the tournament." Cara snapped them before they could argue and exhaust their energy. "Also, remember that we can watch the tournaments from our waiting area. Just pay attention to the announcements since we might get called out at different times while each other participates." Cara was nervous but didn''t show it even a little.


    "If anyone taunts you, you are a saint. Remember that showing off your power before hand and giving in to anyone that tries to sneak information and figure out your power." Art had been warned of this strategy when browning some online forums analyzing the battle videos from the year before. It was one strategy someone had used to win the random selection battles the year before as well since they saw everyone''s power within the waiting time to prepare themselves.


    "Alright, everyone to your lines!" Asher split the group with a fist bump to everyone. The group was ready to go and fell in to separate directions. Asher was the one that fou d himself farthest from everyone else.


    "Hello, please present your pass and state your name or any nick name you would like to compete under." Asher heard the woman at the booth ask this and wondered why he had never thought of a nickname yet.


    He tried to think of something off the top of his head and said the first thing that came to mind, "The lucky Jinx." He immediately wanted to kick himself because he straight up said his own super power.


    "Alright. Your ticket is scanned. Please pass by and get on the bus to the venue you will be participating in. Remember, there is no fighting or testing super powers on the bus or the waiting room. If you are found to be doing so then you will be disqualified." The woman had to repeat this constantly to everyone so that they would know the rules and prevent any unnecessary fights.


    Asher was still mentally kicking himself as he realized that it didn''t really matter as he moved forward. If he had the powers as his nicknames that would only throw people off. Noone would believe that he had two powers because it was too new of a development and the news only said that there was research ongoing. Even more, people wouldn''t realize that those were his super power. Who would even think that someone had luck as a super power?''


    The bus was only a short walk and parked next to a few others. They all had the same number on them as their printed tickets. The group that was on the bus Asher had stepped in to was unique to say the least.


    Asher had expected all kinds of super powers to be featured in his tournament since it was more or less an anything goes fight with martial arts and super powers. However, he was not prepared to see the lizard man taking up two seats with his size. Or the girl with an additional skeleton as armor over her body. It was strange seeing eyes under the bone white skull.


    "Keep your eyes to yourself kid. Or else I''ll bump you and you might need to withdraw." The lizard man wasn''t as friendly as anyone could have expected. Not that his looks painted him as a happy and talkative person.


    "Leave the kid alone. You probably won''t even make it through the first round. Let alone all five." The woman backed Asher up but sent a judging gaze at him to size him up.


    "Huh, I thought it would be more rounds. Not that many chose to enter this year then." Asher was comfortable enough to ask this single question bringing surprise to the womans'' face.


    "You didn''t hear? Normally there are ten rounds but a ton of people bailed because that ice blade maniac entered. Haven''t you heard of ice blade?" The shock was more than clear and even drew the lizard mans'' eyes.


    "Nope, not a clue. I bet he uses ice as blades though. But it''s warm out so it should be fine." Asher just shrugged it off but was again spoken to by the woman.


    "Look kid, I feel bad. The ice blade is notorious in tournaments for causing unnecessary damage to opponents within the rules. But I have my bone armor and the lizard man looks like his scales are tough. But you, don''t look like you can block an ice blade." There was genuine concern in her voice which was a surprise. Asher had expected everyone to be tough and wanting to fight it out right away.


    " Just head home and pretend you never heard of this tournament. Maybe they will refund the entry fee." The lizard man changed his attitude realizing that Asher was a newbie.


    "I think I will be fine. I really appreciate the advice and I will focus more. But just keep an eye out for the lucky jinx to take first place." Asher tried his best to look tough but felt like he was just being cheesy.


    "Luck is nice but whatever your power is, it better be good kid." The lizard man spoke and pushed the bus in to silence. The three were still in silence when the bis left and brought them to the tournament building.


    The building itself was shaped like any other sports arena. Many seats with a round organization to allow spectators the best possible view. However, this was different in one way. The entire fighting area was rounded by a massive dome of incredibly resistant glass. This was further enhanced by multiple barrier type super power users to protect the spectators.


    Ashers'' inward amazement was hidden by a practiced poker face as he followed posted arrows inside and toward the waiting rooms. The buzz of conversation surprised him since many of the participants were chatting while waiting. There were even a coach or two around hying up their participants. He could make out some popular training gym logos along with a few sponsored participants.


    "Finally, the last bus got here. We still have some time until we start but we haven''t been allowed to turn on the other televisions showing the other tournaments until everyone was here. Something about fairness and whatever."A man with long hair down to the ground moved and flicked on a line of televisions taking up an entire wall.


    The screens blazed to life showing every different venue. The one that stood out the most was a television that was broadcasting the survival tactics arena. There was a broadcaster explaining the opening.


    "Here in the survival tactics tournament it is do or die. The participants number over a hundred and only one will win. The goal is to quickly evaluate our conditions and adapt to survive. Making shelters, finding a suitable food source, and even dealing with the injury cards they are given to enhance their trials."


    The announcer was wearing a heavy winter jacket and as the screen zoomed out the television showed the audience why. "Can they survive the bitter cold snowy forest in a white out blizzard? We will find out in ten minutes. Be ready for the very first tournament kick off here at the Rikerton tournament venue."


    "Wow, last year was a super hot beach set up. Now it''s a blizzard forest? They must have doubled the size of the arena." The exclamations like this one were happening all through the room.


    Asher watched as the television showed the unique environment that Jackson was about to be dropped in to. He wasn''t sure how well trained Jackson was in the snow. Yet, he couldn''t feel that this would be an issue. He knew that no matter what Jackson had a stronger body than the average human. So this could at least give him the advantage over the cold.


    Watching the broadcast Asher started to pick out the smaller details he thought he could use. He knew if he was dropped near the trees he would use them as a start for a shelter. He just wasn''t sure what the best move from there would be. He would be learning a lot from watching Jacksons'' match.

 Chapter 286 - 286. Blizzard!

    "We are just seconds away from the start of our first tournament. The survival tactics tournament! We have our friend the transport king here. He''s well known for his one way teleportation super power which took over the industry and lead the world in shopping since his company was founded fifteen years ago." This broadcast was being played on speakers to the large room of contestants.


    Jackson was looking around at the many who were entered along with him. He knew the rules already but was glad that they were being repeated. Hearing them again was calming his nerves.


    "A reminder. Each participant has a small necklace with a button that allows them to surrender and be taken from the venue by our volunteer heroes! They will attempt to stay in as long as possible while our environmental controllers ramp up the conditions, there could be any means of sneaky weather related changes! If a participant fails to press their button but loses safe body conditions, they will be automatically taken from the running."


    This was what put Jackson at ease the most. He worried he would fall in to a bad position and end up unable to even attempt to survive. Knowing that someone would resume him if he was or was not conscious was very comforting.


    "The participants can fight for supplies or territory, however, that will come at great risk. Will it be worth it? Well, as you can see it is time. The participants have already started to get teleported to the arena one at a time. Let''s watch and see how they handle the conditions!"


    Jackson saw a small blue portal encompass a woman next to him and suddenly there was only an empty space. He hadn''t known why they were standing on little dots but now it seemed that it was a way for the transport kings'' super power to work.


    "You''ve got this. Everyone knows you are made for this tournament. No one can hold you back. Take it slow and you will win." Jackson was giving himself a final pep talk. A few contestants heard him and smiled like they were watching a newbie that was for sure to lose. They may have been right, Jackson was a newbie participant. But, they did not know how good Jackson was when it came to survival knowledge and first aid.


    Jackson was holding the card he had been given that said what injury he would have but he wasn''t allowed to read it until he was teleported in to the arena. He looked around and began to think he might be the last one to be teleported in when he blinked.


    What met him was the harsh cold wind and white. What looked like an endless canvass of white stretched before him. "Blizzard!" he couldn''t help but shout in surprise. He immediately read his cats and found that it said left eye blind.


    "Alright, bandage one eye." He pulled out a bandage from his slip backpack and stuck it over his left eye. He knew he had gotten very lucky since losing one eye was not a debilitating unjust to have in these conditions. If he had damaged movement ability he could be severely limited in what he could do.


    "Trees, I can use them to make a fire and shelter up." He saw the trees standing out slightly against the snow. He had a thermal blanket to protect from heat and to keep warmth in so he wrapped himself in that. His slow movements through the snow seemed like he was not ready for it, however, it was intentional.


    If he made big movements he could sweat. He knew that if he did this his sweat would freeze and open him to frostbite and hypothermia. These were the two biggest killers in a blizzard survival situation. He didn''t worry about food or for water since those would come second.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen, it''s been ten minutes and we have already seen half our participants drop out. The snow and ice are daunting but some were smart enough to see that their injuries would not allow them to continue. Now to mention the few that ran right in to the small streams we have placed under the snow." The announcer laughed heartily while he played some footage for the audience from thee instances.


    "We already have some favorites taking the lead. We have a crowd favorite, the snowwoman. Her body is as cool as she looks. She was graced with the super power to regulate her body temperature and operate normally no matter the cold she faces. She has taken four others out of the tournament and only has a broken finger as her injury."


    "The shifter, teddy. He may look chubby and kind. But when he shifts he is a massive grizzly. The cold is nothing to him as he already dug a burrow and is napping away the competition. Let''s just hope another competitor doesn''t find him."


    "Don''t forget our noticeable mentions. One is a first time entrant who seems to have a multitude of survival knowledge and gear in his back pack. Sporting a thermal blanket and currently digging a shelter at the base of a tree. This boy aptly nicknames, survivalist, has a stack of hidden branches ready for a fire!"


    The announcer was having a field day while showing off the different contestants. Of course, the contestants didn''t know what the others were doing but the input was being eaten up by everyone watching and listening.


    "Now, we have a basic blizzard. But what happens when it becomes a real emergency? Who ever said that blizzards couldn''t have thunder and lightning?"


    The announcer spoke and there was a rumble of thunder. Jackson was the very first to react since he had read about thunder and lightning in thunderstorms. He had been prompted to by Louis who was studying all kinds of lightning to hold a better understanding of his lightning body super power.


    The moment that the rumble of thunder happened Jackson used all his strength in his legs to jump from the trees. The trees were the highest points and would be struck forest. He instead forced his legs through the snow which barely held him down. After clearing the trees he dug down in the snow and covered the top with the thermal blanket leaving a small hole for breathing.


    The lightning was flashing above and there were distant cries as opponents were eliminated. "Remember folks. The lightning is strong enough to incapacitate anyone. But it can not cause fatal injuries and our staff is on patrol. Now, for the best reaction, the survivalist lept like a frog as soon as thunder rumbled. The knowledge being demonstrated puts him as the dark horse of the competition. The lightning has cut us down to ten. So fast, we are only four hours in to the tournament!"


    Jackson considered trying to move around but knew it was too dangerous. Instead, he widened his small snowy bunker and decided to wait. In his digging, he managed to find some frozen berries near the ground. He analyzed them and cautiously used snow to pinch them and see their color. "Huh, these are plain old blue berries. I was worried they were bird berries." With his stress gone he snacked on the frozen berries.


    Unknown to him the announcer had just shown the shifter fall to unconsciousness from eating the bird berries Jackson had been wary of. The last participants were in similar cases to Jackson. The most dangerous and top participants had been taken out by the weather twist of snow lightning. All that was left was for him to wait out the cold and win. He had his strategy and that was what he would stick to.


    "I''m glad I grabbed those sticks." He looked at the sticks tied with rope to his waist. "I can''t believe no one else had a survival pack with them." Jackson knew it was an achievement to survive with just their body. But this was an intense competition, he would never risk something like that. Especially since it could lead to real life. He wasn''t sure if he should wait to start a small fire or not since he wasn''t too cold just yet.


    "And here comes our final twist. Now more snow. Bring on the hail. The last of the four will be the winners." The announcer said this gluing everyone''s faces to the four displayed participants.


    Jackson heard the first ting of ice on the thermal blanket. He reached up and felt that the temperature was colder than before and that there were small beads of ice on top of the snow. His internal voice screamed at him as it suddenly increased in strength.


    Jackson burrowed himself to the ground letting the thermal blanket get pierced by falling hail. He had his head barely out of the snow of the wall in his little dug out shelter. He watched as golfball sized pieces of hail filled it. For every second that passed, he hoped that there would be no more.


    When the weather suddenly ceased and warmth radiated through the arena he believed that things were just taking another challenge. He slowly crawled from the snow.

 Chapter 287 - 287. Hooked

    Asher was smiling as he saw the subtitles welcoming Jackson out in to the open as the victor. He was standing in the massive area of snow. The trees were a little ways away from him because he had unintentionally jumped and ran in to the clearing in the snowy forest arena.


    While many watched the snow evaporated and the announcer started to show the highlights of the tournament. Jackson was the first in three years to win without a single encounter with another participant. Ironically, he had run right over the top of the shifter grizzly bear before he dove in to make his own snow burrow.


    "Nice Job Jackson!" Asher couldn''t help but jump and cheer drawing a bunch of attention. The murmurs that he was friends with a winner of another tournament made them much more wary of him. Before Asher could realize and become embarrassed he noticed that Cara and Sammy''s tournaments were starting at the same time.


    "Hello, here. Welcome to arena eight where we will be holding the stamina race. This has been my favorite tournament since I was just a little girl. I am honored to be here today to announce for it and tell you the inside tricks to taking the top prize just like I did."


    The woman that was announcing was exceptionally bubbly since she had participated and won the tournament she was announcing. "The best part about this tournament is that super powers are allowed, but people like myself and others in the past do not need their super powers to win. The stamina you have is determined by hard work. Remember kids, no matter what super power you get, you can still rise to the top!"


    The positive message caused a resounding applause, "This year we have had to expand the race track to allow the entire two hundred and fifteen participants. It is the most popular tournament this year yet again!" The number of participants was huge and Asher couldn''t even see Cara in the coed.


    "Each participant has an anklet tracking time and distance. The combination of the two will determine the winner. Naturally those who run fast and far with a low time can easily be beaten by a slow runner who runs for a long time. The best way to take the top spot is to run far and for a long time."


    "Now, there is not much else to say. Direct contact with super powers is forbidden. However, that does not mean there are not ways for them to be used so keep that in mind. Many participants will use theirs in very unique ways."


    "Oh, and here''s the count down, three...two...one¡­.Go! They are off. We already see a few taking the slow and steady route. We will be back with constant updates so stay tuned."


    Asher only had hopes that Cara would remain in pace and hopefully win the race without any effort. However, he did see a few shifter type super powers activating to take advantage and try t beat the others out. The cheetah shifter was a strange choice since Asher knew they lacked stamina. But he just tore his eyes from Cara''s match to see the start of Sammy''s tournament.


    "Hey there folks. This is your average jet man, the current head of the sky protection division at hero corp. It is my honor to be the announcer this year for the flying race. Flight type super powers increase every year and play a major role in our society. I just can''t wait to see what surprises we have this year!"


    The older man announcing had what looked to be jet engines as part of his body. Asher could only shudder at the speeds the man must be able to fly. "The only rules here today are to cross the finish line after going through the course. Normally out of the fifty participants only five on average make it to the end. This tournament takes wit and determination. You never know what you will see, so keep your eye out!"


    Asher didn''t even need to look at Sammy to know that she was nervous. However, he had a feeling that Sammy was going to do very well. It was the same feeling he had when he would slip and somehow fall in to a position to catch himself. He just knew.


    "It will be fine. It will be fine. The wind is happy today. It will be fine." Sammy had been muttering this to herself while she watched those with wings, attachments, and other super powers line up. She had some fears that she would lose after being knocked out.


    "You look new here. I would have remembered a kid like you last year. I go by the nickname dragon wings. Mostly because of well, the wings." The woman that was slotted next to Sammy seemed cheerful. "Don''t try and keep up with me right away, These wings are prideful like a dragon and won''t let anyone else in the front." The woman laughed which managed to make Sammy relax a little.


    "Yeah, I''m new. But I think I can do this. I won''t just give up. My friends are watching and waiting for good news." Sammy knew she was in one of the fastest to end tournaments due to the speed at which people would fly. This did not deter her though. She had thought of a strategy to get through the tournament whil hovering and changing directions. She knew flight was not really her thing yet. But even if she just made it across the finish line and had experience with others flying, she would be closer to flying herself.


    "Alrighty, I don''t want to leave the eager crowd waiting. The rules are simple. If you touch the ground you are out. You must fly around the markers and be the first to touch the final gold marker. The one who does so wins! A little advice, speed can be a curse here. Watch your turns." The announcer gave a wink as he raised a cap gun in to the sky. "Heeeerrrreee! we Gooooo!" The loud bang prompted every single one of the participants to jump in the air. This included Sammy who started to rotate the air beneath her.


    The woman who had bragged about her dragon wings and helped Sammy relax a little was in the air in just one flap. The power pushed her forward and caused others around to spin out back to the ground. "Whhhoooooohooooo. I live this feeling." The dragon wing woman was already in the lead using her full power to speed through the course.


    "Ugh, these turns are harsh!" She was having trouble with the turn and felt that she was dragging. "I need to push harder!" Thinking that she would lose if she allowed herself to slow down and give in to the dragging feeling. She thought this was her body trying to resist her pushing past her limits to beat everyone.


    The crowd was totally phased out as she pushed faster. However, as she went around the turns and passed the markers the dragon winged women would have learned something important from the yelling crowd. Even from the yelling participants that were trailing further and further behind her.


    Sammy had floated up with everyone else, and she had believed the dragon winged woman about her speed. Since Sammy hadn''t fully figured out how to fly she had devised a sneaky plan. She had set up hooks with strong wire on her gear. As soon as the gun had gone off to start she had swung a hook at the belt on the dragon winged woman.  Sammy was currently using the wind to keep herself as aerodynamic and balanced as possible.


    The other participants were cursing Sammy while she managed to use the dragon winged woman as her speed. The race was known as the fastest to finish for the respect reason that some flying super powers were just too fast. The dragon wings were one of them.


    After taking a sharp turn and feeling the massive pull back the dragon wing woman finally glanced back and saw the hook attached to her. "What are you doing! Get off of me. I am not carrying you to second place." The flight didn''t stop but all Sammy did was smile.


    "That''s fine, you carried me to first instead. Thank you!" Sammy unleashed a massive gust of wind to shoot herself forward as she released the hook. The speed she used at that moment was the biggest burst of win she had made yet. It was all thanks to her training withJackopsn.


    The gold marker was right in front of her face and she slapped it as she sped by. She eventually used another big gust of wind to stop her momentum and fell to the ground barely managing to land.


    "What a massive upset this year! This is going down in history as the sneakiest and most dramatic win in the history of the flying race! There are sure to be new rules next year because of this. You witnessed it live today folks. The new winner of the flying tournament; Gale!" Sammy''s nickname she had entered echoed through the crowd.

 Chapter 288 - 288. Keep The Beat

    The woman with dragon like wings landed right in front of Sammy. Her face was a serious mask without any emotion showing. Her wings folded themselves and the silence between the two grew stronger. Sammy was about to ask what was wrong when the woman grabbed her hands and jumped.


    "That was so smart! I never even felt you hooked on me because my wings were strong enough to pull your light body with me. I can''t believe that just happened. I thought I was just dragging a little because I was nervous so I ignored it and focused up!"


    The reaction was not what Sammy or the audience had expected and it was met with many cheers of joy. They were enamored by the positive reaction and were instantly starting to pair the two together as the best friends that had met at the tournament.


    After the woman calmed herself, Sammy finally got a word in. "Thank you, but if I tell you the reason you might laugh¡­"


    "Reason? You have to tell me!" The woman was right in her face at this point.


    Sa,m,y grew a little embarrassed and tried to keep her voice as low as possible, "


    I can''t fly yet. I can only hover and kind of direct myself before falling."


    "You can''t even fly yet!!!" The shouts and general shock echoed through the entire arena. The audience slowly started to murmur before it became an uproar of shock and awestruck cheering.


    "We just found out that our winner can not even fly yet! It seems she had not mastered her super power and thought up the sneaky strategy to win even without fully flying! What an amazing youth. Looking in to this we have found that she has registered with multiple other youths all in different tournaments. They are all still in high school!" The broadcast gained a huge following in the next minutes and Asher started to laugh while watching it.


    "Hey man, I know that girl just did something amazing but don''t let it get to your head." One of the kinder participants nearby in the waiting room thought Asher was having a mental breakdown and tried to help. It was only kindness for a newbie.


    "Oh no, sorry. I just can''t help it. Sammy gave away so much about my friends and me. But I''m really happy she won." Asher was barely able to hold back his laughter as he stopped the nearest people in their tracks as they realized that he was one of the group that had just been mentioned. The room was soon a buzz that marked him as a bog fish to target and defeat in the random pairing matches.


    Meanwhile, Cara was on her tenth lap and still holding pace. She had not used any of her strategies yet but had intentionally set herself up in the back of the group tp watch what the others did and conserve her energy.


    At the very start, she had witnessed many super powers being used to get ahead and slow the other competitors. The biggest being someone whose every step put off flames. This wasn''t a violation of the rules because they weren''t physically touching their competitors. It was a dirty move that took out a full forty people instantly.


    Cara also saw a few using super powers related to air and even someone that caused the earth to vibrate and put someone off balance constantly. The most dangerous though was a woman running with blue and pink smoke around her. Every time someone got close they would fall asleep or become wide awake and run until they passed out. Her super power pushed people to extremes of sleep or wakefulness and was hard to counter.


    Luckily, this woman had a very poor pace and Cara could tell she would not pose a threat unless she came near. At the start, she had seen a shifter with a cheetah super power who had rushed many laps ahead. The man was now panting and the farthest behind, However, Cara was impressed that he was still moving even though it was barely faster than a walking pace.


    Seeing that there were only about sixty participants left Cara decided that it was time for her to start using her super power. She had devised some plans that would help her put people off and help her win in the end.


    The spectators were confused when she took off and reversed her sweat shirt to expose the speakers. Cara put it back on in that form and put the hood up adjusting her noise canceling head phones. With a few taps of a button, the speakers blared to life in to a fast paced beat. It was her heart beat being played louder for everyone to hear.


    The nearby runners were slightly surprised but nothing changed. However, they noticed the rhythm changing and becoming frantic as Cara moved around them. It wasn''t that Cara''s heart was beating faster, but she was manipulating the sound to appear this way. No one knew why the beat was increasing but Cara noticed that the pace around her increased and some runners passed the others.


    Before they realized anything the pace had become much faster and the runners were far ahead  competing with each other. Cara had tricked them in to increasing their pace and competing with each other. The results showed in just three more laps as the runners she had tricked fell out of the race due to exhausting themselves.


    Her next task was one she had practiced constantly while running. She switched the speakers from her heart to a microphone that projected her voice. She began to talk while running. Only those who she wanted, heard it thought.


    "Hey, I''m going to catch you."


    "Your shoe is untied."


    "Ha, you really thought you would win?"


    "The crowd is booing you. Good luck with that."


    "Why are you so slow? Is that all you have?"


    Cara projected and directed her voice to choice competitors causing them to have a multitude of reactions. Some thought another participant was picking a fight causing the nearby participants to use their powers and force each other out of the race. Others buckled under her mental barrage and fell out of the race themselves. By the time Cara had decided she had done enough, there were only three competitors left. The woman with the two different smokes coming off her and the cheetah shifter.


    "To all the spectators. I am about to use my trump card. Be warned. Cover your ears" Cara said this allowed while keeping the sounds from traveling to her competitors. She was able to d this but her next move she had a lot less control over due to the high pitch it would hit.


    She started to slow her pace slightly and take deeper breaths. She clicked the volume on the speakers higher and higher until they were at max. When this was ready she breathed in even more and let out a silent shout. The audience didn''t notice anything for a moment before a very high pitched and annoying ringing began to grow in their ears.


    Cara had to adjust herself slowly to hit the right pitch but as she got near it the audience and her two opponents began to feel the stabbing ain in their ars. The high pitched sound was slowly growing causing them to cup their hands over their ears.


    Cara still had more breathy and pushed herself further. The cheetah shifter fell and stopped running with tears down his face. The woman was still ahead but Cara watched her sway as iof she was barely able to stand anymore.


    Feeling that she was reaching the end of her breath Cara gave it a final push and saw her competitor crumble to the ground song with some of the audience who had not heeded her warning. Cara continued to run as she adjusted her pace. Just because she knocked them out did not mean the race was over. She needed to get as much distance and time as possible before she stopped. The judges needed to know for sure that she was the best runner out there.


    After seventeen more laps Cara found her legs had turned to jello and she slipped. Her shoulder hit the ground and she rolled to a stop. The audience burst in to cheering even though some of them were still being treated by some of the medical staff. They totally ignored her power since the announcer had explained that she had warned them and that it was a risk they had taken by signing the waivers when buying tickets.


    "That''s my daughter! MY DAUGHTER! She runs every day! And she just WON!" Cara and Ashers'' father was not deafened at all. He was used to Caras'' power after these years and had covered his ears when he heard her warning. But he knew others were harmed and had to yell to make sure they knew just how amazing she was. Hearing this made Cara smile before realizing that all eyes were on her. She had officially made a splash and could feel that she might not want to be law enforcement anymore. This feeling was intoxicating.

 Chapter 289 - 289. Lightning Moves

    "These years upset in the stamina run has been taken by an already locally renowned student. This young and upcoming star has chosen the nickname echo. We have heard her sneaky and ingenious uses of sound to take down opponents. Her physical prowess is top of the line. And folks, I hope you have been following, but we also have found out that she has registered with the other two winners so far in the tournaments! The survivalist and Gale are her teammates."


    The cheers Cara received increased and she felt that she was going to be stuck there for her whole life. She was too exhausted to stand and walk away. Luckily there were staff members there to attend to her and she stood up to wave her arms at the crowd. She knew she needed to milk the recognition to push herself and the group further.


    Her actions did not go unnoticed by Asher while he watched her act. He had not expected her to realize the benefits of getting recognition so soon. She was the first in the group to intentionally garner more. It was additionally surprising since Asher could tell that she was too tired and really didn''t like all the attention.


    The others saw his attention on the screen again and the contestant from earlier looked over and built up the courage to ask, "Should I even guess that you know that girl too?"


    "Oh, that''s my sister. She is one of the top students in the school. "I will pass her though so don''t worry." Asher was already imagining his rivalry with his sister while the other competitors started t think even more about how they would need to take this kid down. A few quit right on the spot realizing that they may be set for failure.


    "Hell yes! It''s time for the elemental super power tournament. last year that kid made sculptures of the entire audience out of stone. They were perfectly to scale. The control was amazing!" Asher heard this and was directed at a television showing some of the previous winners of the tournament that Louis was about to start in.


    "Seriously, how many water super powers are there this year? I can''t be the same as you four!"


    The girl yelling as the single most annoying person Louis had ever heard. She found out that she had not been the only water typer super power to show up and was losing it immediately.


    "Ya know yellin like that ain''t gonna win you nuthin." There was a man with earth covering his arms and legs shaking his head every time the girl spoke. He was obviously from out of town and had shown up just for the tournament.


    "Sayas the guy covered in dirt who can''t even speak proper english. What a farce this entire tournament is. It should be about elegance and awes inspiring power usage." The girl manipulated the water around her to twist in to streamers and shine with rainbow light.


    "There is only so much that will get you. And remember that the use of super powers is now allowed in her." Another contestant with fire rolling around his hands constantly stepped up to try and stop the potential fight.


    Louis wasn''t sure what was really going on. They had the smallest group out of all the tournaments yet they seemed to be the most dramatic and temperamental. He was a little afraid that he was also like this and decided it was best to just hold back. "Just watch who is the best one here. I will crush any attempt you have to rise." The girl who could make water in to ribbons that refracted light stormed on the stage.


    Chewy all watched as the girl started to dance. It would have been a simple ballet if the ribbons of water did not extend from her. The slow tone of the music was refined and her actions matched it perfectly. Every twist and leap would cause more rainbow light to flash through the stage she was on. In all genuine thought, Louis thought that it was beautiful. He just couldn''t ignore how someone capable of all that was so mean to others.


    "She has the elegant part down, but she needs to make everyone remember her performance. Ther''s nothing that is really hooking people." The man that had his fire rolling in his hands was next ad it was clear that he was just as showy as his supe power was. He had just been holding back since it was the rules.


    Louis shook his own head this time. He couldn''t imagine just why these people were so weird. He decided it was best to just ignore the rest of their performances while he thought about how to best make his own show of super power control the most effective.


    The thing that continued nagging at him was that every single competitor was treating this like it was some show off stage show. They weren''t really using their super powers with string manipulation. They were just letting it out and taking advantage of the side effects while moving their bodies. It was much less of a hard earned skill but more of a drama student trying to get attention.


    "Competitor number seventeen is up!" The shout from a staff member brought Louis to the realization that he was the last to go. In the smallest tournament, he had somehow managed to become the last to go. He wasn''t sure if this was good or bad but he had come up with a plan. He was sure that he could do something amazing.


    As he stepped on to the stage that had been set up for him he noticed that there was still plenty of water. It was on the ground. In the air. And even dripping from the protective glass around the entire arena that was set up to protect the audience.


    "This all looks perfect...but it''s too loud." Louis watched and listened as the crowd cheered. They were too excited from watching everything else and were now shouting for him to start. However, he stubbornly stayed perfectly still waiting for them to silence themselves. He would not start until they were silent.


    While he waited he began to slightly flex his muscles and relax to prepare himself for what was to come. After about five minutes of not starting the crowd had died to just a few voices here and there that died down quickly.


    Once the silence was complete Louis opened his eyes and flexed all his muscles at once bringing his hands together. The move he had developed caused electricity to spread from each finger tip. This sent out ten small lightning bolts accompanied by a massive thunder. The entire arena echoed in the silence shocking everyone. Not a single super power had been close to lighting.


    The audience had seen wind dance, fire stomping, fire art in the form of dragons, water dancing, snow making, and even a returning champion to make more stone sculptures. Now they were seeing multiple controlled bolts of lightning. Yet, this was not enough. Louis had more. He had been trying to prepare for this and learn to direct his lightning the last week more than anything.


    He flexed his muscles and brought out another lightning bolt. However, something strange happened. The water in the room started to react. The lightning eas causing it to warm up and begin to evaporate. The steam rose up from the ground and began to form a white fog.


    Louis did not stop and continued to target the puddles of water around him. This was his plan from the realization that none of the water was being cleaned up after the water based super powers were being used. This would be a disadvantage to some because it would affect how their super power worked. To others, this was an advantage because they would be able to use it to add to their super power. For Louis, it was both a good and bad thing.


    When in reaction to water Louis would lose his lightning faster because the water is very conductive. Yet, he could also super heat a little bit of it and make it evaporate. But the fog had no where to go. It just condensed like it did in nature. It became clouds.


    Louis was hidden in these clouds causing more and more of the water to join it. He used lightning bolts from his body to create a thunderstorm in a glass dome. It was an amazing scene that kept the audience and those watching on television silent. They had no words for how amazing it was to see someone creating a thunderstorm in a battle.


    However, Louis had been saving the biggest move for last. He had wondered what would happen if he flexed every possible muscle at once to release all the pent up lightning he had not released all day. If it all left his body at once what would happen? This was the question he had asked himself and was about to demonstrate now.

 Chapter 290 - 290. Rings

    Louis had practiced this move only a few times. The only reason being that it took all the lightning he had in his body at once. This meant that afterward he would have nothing left and would be extremely exhausted.


    When he had done this the first time he had reserved the gym by himself for an extra hour after the group had already done their new work out routine. He found a staff member of the school and requested the room to have its stronger security activated. After that, he went all out. The result was a little pricy for the school, but it was what they had built the room for.


    The entire arena was silent. The lightning that was currently bursting from Louis was brighter than any that they had ever seen. It bounced through the dome and the clouds that had formed in the arena causing a spectacular light show.


    The bang that followed the massive lighting explosion was enough to rumble the entire arena. There were even some of the spectators that shouted about an earth quake. They had not expected such a show of power and control.


    Louis had made the lighting affect the water around and even how it would or would not bounce through the arena. The fact that he could control the size of these wild lightning bolts and when they would appear was something that put the spectators in awe. The judges themselves even found that they were stunned and were almost late in filling out the score cards.


    Louis was on his knees panting as the clouds began to cool and the rain fell. He had managed to make his own storm within the protective glass dome of the arena. He took some time whole looking up and realized that the spectators were all still silent. Some were even crying while looking at him panting in exhaustion.


    "Here in the elemental power demonstrations, we have found a hidden gem. The nicknamed participant, zap, has struck us with his lightning. The display of lighting coming from him and becoming a storm ending in a magical symphony of flashing bolts has caused a silence to come over the world here. The sounds of thunder only became understandable when we saw the final burst of lightning and the massive boom. We found Zap on his knees looking up at a rainy sky. The touching pain of young life clear to all here. This metaphorical performance has gone beyond just demonstrating the super power this youth possesses. It has made a world wide statement."


    Unknown to Louis the announcer was taking his performance as a completely different direction than Louis had intended. The audience and the spectators in the arena had taken this contest as a flashy drama showing off super powers. This being the case, they all drew their own conclusions for what the performance meant.


    "That''s priceless!" Art was in his own waiting room. He was nearly crying himself at how the announcer and many of the surrounding participants were taking the powers that Louis had demonstrated.


    "Are you laughing at that upstanding young man''s performance? He had touched the hearts of many people by showing us his pain. That storm. The meaning it has. How could you laugh." One of the competitors in Arts'' waiting room was angry because of what he had decided was Art disrespecting Louis and the performance.


    "Oh my god. You''re serious." Art burst in to laughter again. "He-he...hahahaha, he was just demonstrating his power. You people all made up your own thoughts. He just wanted to show off his control of literal lightning. Ahahaha" Art couldn''t contain himself. This was just too funny.


    "You speak as if you know him. Any reason why?" A woman who was asking looked like she spent more time at the gym than any mand Art had ever seen. However, her entire personality and action exuded a cool and calm demeanor.


    "Yeah, he''s my friend. Same with a few of the other winners. We are going to be a hero group one day. But first, we will make an impact here and hopefully be able to skip a grade soon." Art finally wiped the tears from his eyes after the display had changed away from Louis''s tournament.


    "I see, so you are one of the group sweeping the tournaments. How many are there of you in this tournament?" The woman seemed as if she was worried this time. She had been preparing for this tournament for a while but seeing that those who no one would have ever picked out as the winners had taken the first place she was on edge.


    "We all did our own. I am here and my other friend is in the random draw tournament. He is relying on me to come out on top while I am going to wait for him to come out on top. I just wish our tournaments weren''t at the same time. Well, he might be able to see the last match here. He will most likely end his tournament early. He''s a lucky guy."


    The participants who heard didn''t believe him at first but after realizing that they were in the same room as one of the student underdogs sweeping the tournaments they walked right out and decided that they would participate another year. Who were they to risk injury in this tournament if they were set up for failure?


    "I understand. Then I hope we do not fight until the very end." The woman gave a nod then moved to start stretching. The man that had picked the fight, in the beginning, was now slumped on a bench. He felt that he had just poked a hornets'' nest with a stick.


    "First batch is up. Proceed to your platforms!" Art jumped up and went t the number four platform he had been assigned. He was ready for anything that came at him. He watched as a referee come up and looked around for his opponent.


    "Another drop out. That will be eight no shows. What happened in that waiting room this year?" The referee sighed as he send a notification to his superior and raised Arts'' hand as the winner of the first round.


    "Wow, Art got a lucky first round." Asher wasn''t even holding back any longer. He was openly saying what he thought of the matches. The other competitors had a mix of fear for when they would face him and also a desire to take him down.


    "The first drawing is ready. Every participant will come to their designated arena and pull lots. There will only be twelve who make it to the next round." Asher was a little shaken to hear the dramatic cut down of competitors. However, he was sure that it would make things much faster and that was why they did it this way.


    When he exited the room in to the massive arena he saw that it was split in to multiple risen circles. These were multiple arenas to have multiple battles at once. The only problem was that when Asher looked at the participants and at the circles he knew that there were to few arenas compared to the participants.


    "Welcome to my favorite and I hope yours as well, the random selection tournament. I am your friendly copy cat super hero, reflection! I am here to see how these participants react to the randomness that can come at any moment in real life. This year we had a brilliant idea to change things up. This is random selections after all. The participants will choose their lot. They will go to the specified circle and the last participant remaining within will move on to the one on one matches. Goood luck and Bring it on!!!!"


    The popular hero announcing this tournament had made his splash here and gave full credit to the Riktor tournament for him becoming a hero and getting the educational scholarships he needed.


    Asher was fairly surprised but had set himself up to accept that there would be many surprises with this tournament. That was mostly going to be about those he faced, but the style of battle was now one of the surprises. He watched as the other contestants were shaken a little. Some even left on the spot seeing that they would not have an advantage. They thought it better to return another year than risk losing due to poor super power match ups.


    On the other hand, Asher watched a few with different super powers get excited. One man that had rocks floating around him was nearly pumping his fist in the air in victory. Asher could tell that he was able to somehow manipulate stones in the very least and he would be able to easily knock multiple opponents out of a ring at once. "Ring four, remember. If you don''t want to lose in style come my way!" He sent this challenge to everyone as Asher reached his hand in to the box of lots.


    "And...I just pulled ring number four. Whoever said I was lucky might have lied." Asher walked toward the same ring the guy had just entered.

 Chapter 291 - 291. Full Throw

    While Asher walked to ring number four, Art was finding himself face to face with his first opponent.


    "Kid, are you sure you want to be here? This isn''t some easy tournament. You need to be a real martial artist to take this on." The man who spoke was fairly older than Art and was clearly stronger in many ways.


    "You know. I have asked myself that a lot. But I have friends that are waiting for me to win. A brother judging from up there in that tower who needs to see me crush my opponents. And parents in the audience waiting to see just what I''ve become. I more than want to be here." Art spoke with steel in his voice. He had exchanged his gloves for basic hand wraps since there was no metal in them. So he couldn''t be called out for using a super power.


    "Then I won''t hold back and spit on your resolve." The man had much more respect for the kid in front of him after hearing this. He had at first thought that Art was some kid who decided he would have an easy win to show off to his rich friends. Now he thoiught that there was more to it and that Art would not just roll over.


    "Match start!" The referee shouted and blew a whistle prompting Art to fall in to his boxers bounce.


    The man saw this and was surprised to see such a developed boxing style stance at such a young age. He too had done some boxing to expand his arsenal of moves only to barely manage to ass the boxing bounce to his stance. Instead, he had opted for a slower style stance that moved in and around the opponent.


    Art was watching his opponent use the exact stance and round to his side. He knew that just like Jane this man was trying to use speed and foot work to gain an angle. When the man dashed forward Art could only think that his movements were slower than Janes''.


    With an incoming punch, Art did what he had carved in to his muscles. He sidestepped the punch and pulled. The forward momentum caught under the opponent''s shoulder and flipped him in the air. However, instead of just letting his opponent fall, Art pushed more. He and his friends never used the other half of the throw when with each other so that they wouldn''t get too hurt. Now was not the time.


    In the air he used his other hand to punch downward. This made contact with his opponent''s chest and pushed him toward the ground faster and harder. The force when the man hit the ground was enough to not only cause him to lose his breath but also cause a symphony of slight cracking as his ribs started to give way to the force.


    "Match End! Medics! One hit finish! Winner, ummm, nicknamed...you really thought I wouldn''t realize my power wasn''t just lead manipulation?" The crowd was amazed by Art''s use of a single throw to take down his first opponent. But the nickname the judge yelled and hesitated on was just strange. However,m Art swore ha saw the metal frame on the judges'' booth warp a little. He knew he had just dealt a blow to his brother that he had not expected.


    Art raised a fist in the air while the medic team assisted his opponent. "Hey man, I''m sorry I went a little too intense. I really need to show off my strength here. I hope you don''t have any hard feelings." Art managed to speak to his opponent before he was taken away.


    Just before his opponent left the ring on a stretched Art saw a smile break the mans'' face. "You got some piss and vinegar in ya, huh kid?" This was all the man said but Art knew he had just won a real martial artist''s respect. There was no more underestimating happening in the future matches.


    While Art walked to the waiting room to prepare for his next match Asher was standing in a ring with twenty five different participants. "Listen here. I am your referee today. You can use any means of martial arts and super powers to knock an opponent out of the ring. The last participant standing gets the right to move on. Understand? I will intervene if any lethal force is used. When I give the shout you will be allowed to begin."


    The referee had explained all he needed to and used a super power to float in to the air. Asher had a feeling it was telekinesis since the referee was also controlling his whistle to move toward his mouth.


    Asher watched the man with the floating rocks preparing to rush to the middle and unleash a move to push everyone out of the ring. The other participants had also heard the mans'' proclamation of victory. Some were looking like they regretted coming while others were preparing to rush the guy and take him out. Not a single person was focused on Asher at all.


    The referee was expecting the match to be over fast so he was quick to blow the whistle and shout. The participants had been bouncing in place waiting for this. Almost every single one but Asher charged the man that had said he would take them all out.


    The man that said he would take them all out jumped farther than expected and slammed a fist down on the raised arena. The vibration caused a wave of earth to surge up and push everyone back. No one was exempt for this blow and the stone pushed all the way back to the edge of the ring and everyone was forced out. Some were injured and medics rushed to them. Others had blocked the rock but were still pushed back.


    "Ha! Like I said. Come to arena four if you want to lose!" The man raised both hands in the air to start a victorious walk around the arena as the stones returned to the earth flattening out the stage again.


    "Huh, and here I thought you were saying we would all lose. But you were really talking about you yourself coming to lose in arena number four. Thanks for the easy win." Asher had been on the edge of the circle and not moved at all. When the stones had risen and pushed back they hadn''t broken the circle so Asher was left standing with the stones right in front of him. Then the stone receded leaving the distracted opponent in front of him just waiting to be beaten.


    "What!?" The man didn''t even have time to use his super powers again as Asher ran and jumped in the air. Both his legs landed on the man''s side and power kicked him out of the arena. Asher stood up and brushed some stone dust off his shoulder.


    "Well, that was...weird. But fun." Asher wasn''t really sure what had happened but thought that it was an interesting match. He had avoided an area of effect super power just by standing still and not moving at all. It was a risk that paid off immensely.


    "Victor in ring number four! Nicknamed, the lucky jinx!" The crowd was looking on at the situation and had already pegged Asher as the lucky kid who shouldn''t have survived. The replayed him standing in place as the tones stopped before him. Some argued that he was just stunned and lucky. Others argued that he was watching and planning since the man was obviously going to stop the attack at the edge of the ring. Asher earned himself fans and enemies.


    "Proceed to the benches to watch the other matches or to the waiting room. You will be given a fifteen minute break before the next selection ." The referee pointed to Asher who hopped of the risen circle and proceeded out of the arena. He wanted to check the waiting room monitors to see how Art was doing. He was just in time to see the replay of Ary brutally throwing his opponent.


    "Hell yeah! That''s my brother there! Nice smash...Ha! That''s the nickname you went with?" Asher was almost on the ground laughing while they showed Art pointing up at the judges'' room. It was hysterical that Art had thrown all caution to the wind to directly taunt his brother.


    The television returned to show the winners so far and Asher was surprised to see a few other students from the camp participating in the underwater scavenger tournament. There were also some that were participating in the trap race. The same one that Laura was going to be participating in.


    "Don''t you recognize that girl? I told you she was at camp cruel!" One boy had recognized Laura instantly. There was no way that he would forget her.


    "Holy crap. You''re right. She''s the one that dominated the obstacle course. How will we survive this?" The other boy was ready to admit defeat. He knew just how hard it would be to win now.


    "Hey! I remember you guys. You both challenged me every morning at the obstacle course. I can''t wait to race again!" Laura on the other hand was just excited to see a familiar face. "Let''s see if you can keep up here." Her smile made the two boys shiver.

 Chapter 292 - 292. Blink

    Hello ladies and gentlemen. This is your friendly hero, trap master. You know me by my ingenious and innovative trapping methods I use to trap poachers in the wild! Due to my abilities, the kind staff has welcomed me to create and announce for this year''s trap race! I have set up an extremely dangerous course to maneuver. Unknown to the participants this course is actually strewn with over a hundred hidden traps. Now, let''s bring them to the starting line to hear the rules!" The man with a myriad of tools on his belt hit a button and a large gate opened.


    Seventy participants walked up to the starting line. Those that Laura had recognized hesitantly hung back behind her. They knew at the very least that if they followed her they might get second or third place.


    "Hello, hello, hello. Welcome to the trap race. Today you will run through this trap invested course. The goal is simply to get to the farthest point possible. If you can, you should get to the other side! You may use your powers to dodge, break, and even use traps on others. But you can not directly attack another participant. If you do you will be automatically expelled from the premises by our kind referees!" The man gestured to twenty referees with various tools and protective gear. They all saluted in response making the crowd realize they were volunteers from the hero corporation bomb and trap diffusion brigade.


    "I would hate to delay you any longer. I know some want to rush off in to your prison. On your marks! Get set! Get trapped!" There was a loud bang and many of the less experienced participants ran off.


    Before they even knew what hit them, many fell in to trap holes and became stuck in a quicksand like substance. "That''s right folks, we just cut the numbers down by twenty in the first minute!'' The crowd cheered wildly seeing the newbies lose so quickly.


    Laura on the other hand was holding back. She had learned to slow herself down and was not so stupid to rush in to the unknown and fail. The two boys behind her were looking at her for guidance.


    "You two really want to stick to me for a good ranking huh? What do you guys have riding on this?" Laura wasn''t sure what inspired them to join this race too. She had her reasons but wasn''t sure why others would.


    "My father said that if I can''t show him I can do this like a real future game keeper would, he would make me go in to the family business. I really don''t want to go in to marketing." One of the boys was fighting for his future.


    "I plan to bring back some endangered species to safety when I grow up, Us two will work together. I need to prove that I am with investing as my best friend''s business partner. I can''t just leave him hanging." The other boy wanted to pursue his dreams with his best friend but had been blocked as a bad influence by the others'' father.


    "I see." Laura thought for a second. "Then stick with me as close as you can. But I will take first place." The two boys knew that even thinking of keeping up was impossible. But they could watch the path she took and copy it.


    "Understood." The two spoke at the same time like soldiers ready to follow a commander in to battle.


    "Then we will run!" Laura dashed off. She knew that the first set of traps on the flat course was simply pit falls. That was until she saw a wire spring up. Luckily, she had been training her mental and physical synching time and reacted with ease. She hopped and jumped over the wire while also moving over another pitfall trap that she had seen someone else fall in.


    The shouts of contestants ahead of her grew and she saw that there were more wires and sticky green balls being fired at them from the sides of the course. The green dodge balls were coated in a substance used to capture dangerous criminals from a distance. They were only able to be removed by a special chemical only known to law enforcement.


    The participants that had been struck were stuck to the ground, each other, and even to themselves. Laura knew that dodging the wires was the best chance because if she stopped she would be hit by the sticky green dodgeball.


    Her fluid movements began to draw the crowds'' attention. They were amazed that she was moving so well and with great speed. Laura quickly overtook most of the participants who had fallen or were trying to carefully move through the wires that could trip them. Laura continued and found that she had completely missed a detail of the course.


    From the starting point, it was impossible to tell there was a slight dip in the course and that there were small trenches of water running through it. This would be nothing if they didn''t house jets of water powerful enough to knock someone over like a fire hose.


    Witnessing the power, Laura saw a participant knicked back almost all the way to the start. This put her in to high gear. Laura rushed forward dodging the spouts of water and the participants around her becoming caught in them.


    Shen risked a glance back to see that the two boys were following her footsteps exactly, slowly, but exactly. It was impressive and she felt that she was doing more good by letting them watch and learn than by actually standing beside them and pushing them along. She focused on her forward movement to catch the slight shine of another wire at her head level. With a duck, she missed it by a hair and heard the shock and surprise of a contestant near her get zapped.


    "Danm. I can''t believe there are zapping wires here." She was reminded of her least favorite obstacle in the camps obstacle course. If she were to proceed here without caution she would fail. Reaffirming her resolve, Laura pushed on. She weaved in and out and under the wires without letting them near her. When she found that some of them moved she was ready for it.


    Laura jumped through the last of them as they crossed each other and was on the other side when a snapping sound caused her to look to the side. A food trap had snapped hear her since she was too close to it. They were so sensitive that just getting near them would trigger them. However, when she started to move carefully a slight fog developed on the ground. It was hiding the signs of traps from her view!


    Laura wasn''t sure how to deal with this. ''Whatever! I will win anywyays. I will just run!" She became annoyed and decided that she might as well just push herself to the limit of her speed and hope that she was too quick to get caught. It was the only way since she couldn''t see the traps in any way.


    Ash Laura sprinted across the grass almost faster than the eye could follow, there were continuous clicks and clangs behind her as the traps were set off. She could clearly feel one starting to move around her leg as she narrowly slipped out of it. She didn''t even realize she was the only one this far ahead and that there were less than six participants left.


    She didn''t stop running at all. Her speed even increased. Laura moved so fast that her feet began to sleeve significant scuff marks on the track that was developed for the trap run. In a few blinks of the eye, she had surpassed even the next two obstacles. There were portions of the track that were supposed to change the height and make the participants jump over them. But Laura was too fast to trigger them.


    The drones that flew out to try and wrap wires around her to stop here couldn''t even keep up. She reached the opposite wall and looked for the next trap only to find nothing. The announcer was silent while staring at her with his jaw dropped.


    After the crowds cheering shook him to reality he spoke, "My spectacular trap run course has been demolished by this year''s underdog. Yet another student from the previous winners'' groups in other tournaments. The first and irrefutable first place goes to nicknamed, well this makes sense if you had blinked you would have missed her clear the course. The winner is nicknamed Blink!" The crow erupted even louder.


    "How unexpected! We have two tying for second place! Nicknamed game savior and game guardian crossed the finish line hand in hand. These two partners followed in our winners'' steps and helped each other every step of the way. I can see a bright future here today! I might even offer my mentorship!" The crowd lost it as the trap master moved from his announcing stand to the three at the finish line.

 Chapter 293 - 293. Soft Shell

    "Well? Do you three want to come under my mentorship? That''s the reason I wanted to announce and help design this tournament this year. I think it''s about time I start to take some future heroes and give them the tools I have to become the top of the worlds'' poaching and animal protectors." Trap master really had a dream and wanted to share it. His goals couldn''t end with him and like many heroes, he was looking to pass on everything he had learned.


    The two boys looked like they had just been told they won the lottery and would never need to work in their lives again. They were understandably in awe. The crowd had caught on to what was going on but luckily, could not hear the conversation.


    Laura was very excited about the offer. It would be a huge benefit for anyone who was passionate in this aspect of heroism. "I would say yes under other situations. But I have a promise with my friends to make our own hero group. I hope I can still ask for guidance when my hero group needs it though."


    The response shocked both the boys and Trap master. None of them had expected such an offer to be turned down in a million years. But trap master soon understood. He had been watching the other tournaments as well and knew just who Laura was in relation to the other winners.


    "I hope that when your group takes the top in the hero team accomplishments that you will look to invite me and my students to partner with you when needed." He knew that he was missing out on a valuable student. However, he knew more than anything that a group of highly driven students like Laura and her friends would push higher than someone alone ever could.


    "Um, we would love to. We both want to protect endangered animals."


    "My father wants me to go in to the family business. But I want to protect animals from poachers too. It''s why I entered this tournament with my best friend. We will be the best duo there is!" The two boys fist bumped and stood in front of Trap master excitedly.


    "I see, then you two will be able to learn a lot with that attitude. And trust me. I will have a long conversation with your parents on the future dangers and safeties that come with this. Your dreams are important, but so is your family. I will not throw you to the wolves." Trap master made this promise which both the boys took to heart.


    "On that note, we should get you three to the podium over there for your medals and photo opportunities. I never thought that three of you would make it. Did you plan that strategy?" Trap master started to chat with them idly while Laura began to wonder how the others were doing.


    "This is it! The tournament for the strangest, coolest, monstrous, adorable, you name it! The shifter tournament! One on one matches with our mysterious shifter type super power users is sure to shock the world. Last year I am sure everyone remembers the tentacle entangle winner with his Kraken shift super power. This year we have a smaller participant list but it comes at a higher quality!"


    The woman announcing this was standing in the middle of a much more reinforced stage. The area needed to be made for those with powerful shifting super powers that could cause destruction. Some would even double or triple in size or gain immense strength. This of course came at a cost but that was the same with every shifting type super power.


    "The rules are simple, use any means you have to take down your opponent. The referees will announce winners and as long as you stop you will win. If you go against a referee ruling you will automatically be kicked from the tournament. Safety is still key! Medics and advanced medical staff are ready to assist with any drawbacks from shifting, but that doesn''t mean you have to shift at all times. Just remember to have fun and show off what you can do!"


    The announcer showed off by shifting in to her own super power. Rabbit ears and massive rabbit legs took shape. She jumped in to the air almost touching the protective ceiling dome separating the audience and the participants. "Head to your assigned rings and let''s see what you can do!" The audience cheered. They were excited to see their favorite shifter hero once again announcing the shifter tournament.


    Jane was going through one last check of her gear. She had the fingerless gloves Asher had handed her for her birthday. She had her adrenaline tablets for when she needed to shift. And most importantly she had her reinforced sunglasses. She was planning to use her medusa shift only when she absolutely needed to. This would protect her from exhaustion.


    She also knew that if she used her sight to freeze people in place immediately she would lose out in the end. People would know how to counter her or develop ways to beat her before becoming frozen in place. On top of this, she also wanted to see what she could do with her martial arts and training. It was a true test of where she stood as a developing student.


    "Ha! I lucked out. I have some lizard shifter trying to beat my tough shell? I pretty much get to walk in to the second round without an issue." The man that was laughing at Jane already was red skinned and has oddly pointed hands. He was more arrogant than Jane had expected her first opponent to be.


    Keeping her cool she replied, "I''m sorry I did not bring anything to help you with your sun burn. In the future, I will remember a first aid kit." This turned the man''s face in to one of fury. Apparently, Jane had just hit a sore spot.


    "Well kid, I was going to offer to let you-"


    "Yeah I know what you''re getting at, but please either forfeit or wait for the match to start." Jane cut him off further angering him which was just helping her in her goals to stay calm and win easily. It was too lucky for her to have an easily angered arrogant opponent. The referee was growing since this was a common trend in the shifter tournament. Those who thought themselves too tough or powerful often lost easily and harshly.


    "Are you two prepared? You are allowed to shift if you need to before the match." The referee no sooner said this than a red shell started to form around janes'' opponent.


    "Ah, you have the shell of a crab. That''s what you meant. But that''s alright. I can handle that." Jane fell in to a stance without shifting. The referee and her opponent just assumed she was already in a shifted form. The referee raised a hand and blew his whistle.


    Jane saw that the crab shifter was not even planning to move. He had an arrogant look on his face which she could make out even though his skin had turned to hard shell. This was perfect for her since she wouldn''t even need to use her speed and could attack straight forward.


    The crab shifter swing a claw hand at her and snapped only to catch air. His attacks were much too slow for her to even need to worry about. With a twist of her hips, Jane whipped her heel in to the crab shifters'' chest. The sickening cracking revealed a soft pink skin underneath the shell and brought a sharp hiss from the crab shifter''s lips.


    Jane knew better than to let up. However, she needed to doge the surprised and panicked swings from the pained crap shifter. She could feel she had shocked her leg muscles with a hard hit but knew that it would fade. The shell was only slightly harder than she expected but easily breakable.


    Rushing him again and ducking under his clawed swings, Jane managed to land a punch this time. The feeling of hitting the same spot she had kicked was enough to make her skin crawl. It was soft, very soft.


    The screech her opponent made caused him to fall and scramble out of the ring in pain. All majesty and arrogance had left the ring only to leave his cowering as he shouted for medic staff to help him.


    "Just a soft shell crab. But a win is a win." The referee looked at Janes'' opponent. It was not a hard match to guess based on the crab shifters'' attitude. But it was still sad to see. But he did have the feeling that the next match Jane had would end in the same result; her winning. After years of watching and refereeing these matches, he had gained an eye for who would win. He silently noted down the victory on his phone to send to the leaderboard. The crowd, however, had not focused on her match. They were focused on a golden mane lion shifter.

 Chapter 294 - 294. Housefly

    The audience was totally focused on the shifter with the golden lion mane. The man was brutally striking his opponent and forcing him back out of the ring. His opponent was some form of grey skinned shifter. Jane wanted to guess elephant but the strength looked uncontrolled and slow. Hence the reason the lion shifter was able to show off and win.


    For just a second Jane thought that not having the attention was a bad thing. However, as she thought ahead she realized that this was perfect. She would be able to jump in and beat the big opponents later and make a huge showing. This would put her on top and make the world notice her more. Perfectly achieving one of the groups'' goals.


    Since there would be a break no matter what at the end of the matches Jane took the chance to go check up on everyone else. She was just in time ti see Laura getting her medal and Art walk in to the ring with his next opponent.


    "Hey, random question. What''s with that nickname you chose? I chose slither because I focus on a style of fighting I derived from a snake''s strike. But ummm, yours is a bit more out there." The skinny man that was facing Art couldn''t contain his curiosity.


    "Oh, you know how it goes. Brother lies to you. Then he kicks you out of the house. Then he ends up as a judge for the tournament you''re in. So of course, you need to get some revenge in by winning and taunting him the entire time." Art just laughed while saying this. His shoulders shrugged the entire time.


    The skinny man just grew more puzzled because he didn''t think this was a normal situation at all. It was too strange. "Uhh, well, good luck kid. I hope you win if you beat me." overall Aty gained a positive opinion of the man. But that didn''t mean he would hold back.


    "I hope we have a good match." Art fell in to his stance. He had been graciously given a hint of his opponent''s style when the skinny man introduced himself. He knew that a snake strike would be fast and harsh. This meant that he would need to react as if he was fighting Jane at her fastest pace. Or even worse, fighting Laura''s speed with Jane''s accuracy. This made him focus much more than usual.


    The referee blew his whistle prompting the skinny opponent to dash forward with a swaying movement. It was as if his running was the same as a snake slithering. If Art had not prepared himself the curled palm strike coming at his neck would have ended the match in the blink of an eye. He knew this was how his opponent much have won the first round.


    Art wasn''t a fool. Since he had prepared himself he used the same strategy he had started to use against Laura and Jaen when they were faster than him. He started to fake a right hook. This left the opposite side of his body open and vulnerable to an attack. Or at least that was what it would look like to the opponent.


    When the slight shift of the skinny opponent foot work happened Art started to jab with his other hand. This was what he had baited the skinny man in to. The jab was right in the opponents'' path and was completely unavoidable. The hit wasn''t too hard but it landed square on the nose.


    This stunned Slither and sent him reeling back. Art knew if he allowed even a moment to recover that he would be under heavy attack. Laura and Jane had taught him not to hesitate ever.


    Moving swiftly, Art unleashed a combo of jabs and hooks to his opponent''s body. When he realized his opponent was staggering and about to hall he used a single straight punch to the temple and turned around to walk away. The only sound was his opponent hitting the ground and the referee announcing his win again. The Announcer had sidestepped Art''s chosen nickname this time.


    "You''ve seen it again! The freestyle boxer has claimed the second round without a single scratch! His nerves and determination are unfazed. Look at him as he lets the judges know that he will be the one they hand the medal to. That is the confidence of a man on a mission to victory!" The audience ate this up but didn''t realize that Art was really calling out his brother.


    Asher was still laughing about this as he also walked toward the ring. He had expected Art to win but not to keep up the taunting of his brother. It was just too funny for him and he was having a hard time holding back his laughter.


    When he made it back to ring number four he found it empty. "Hey, am I late or something?" Asher got the attention of the referee. The referee looked at him slightly shocked but then looked around as well.


    "Ehm, no participant. The participant has the ability to shrink in to the size of the common housefly. He is right in front of you." Asher felt like he had definitely just angered his opponent. "I am required to say this since the last opponent left the ring not even seeing his opponent. The judges deemed it an unfair loss since the power was activated before the match with the intention to trick the opponent and not properly duel."


    Asher understood that this was most likely because of the audience and broadcast. If they saw someone win without fighting at all then it was just too poor of a showing. No one would cheer or want to pay. Odds were there would be too many who even wanted their money back.


    Suddenly a man started to grow and appear in front of Asher. He was surprised that the man had a skin tight jump suit on. It must be some miracle fabric from hero corp. If the man hadn''t had it then he would have flashed the entire audience. "Since you are both done, then let''s get to the match! " The referee wasn''t going to sit and wait any longer. He blew his whistle and the match as on.


    Before Asher could move to attack the man shrunk again and Asher lost sight. He was not sure where the man had gone but he was preparing for a harsh punch or attack out of nowhere. Not knowing where the opponent was, was just too dangerous.


    Asher wasn''t sure what to do but decided to slowly rotate around and use his foot work to search for the housefly sized opponent. The referee was watching carefully and was soon staring at Asher with a slack jawed expression. "Dang it, where is he!?" Asher was getting frustrated when the referee walked over to him and placed his nads on his shoulders.


    Asher had been completely focused on the match. He had not noticed the medics running towards and ion to the stage. They stopped on the ground and activated a super power. When the man Asher was supposed to face grew to his normal size he was unconscious and bruised. "What happened to him?"


    It was clear that his opponent had been beaten brutally. The only question was, how? "Son, it was an accident. I could barely see him too. Your foot landed on him while you searched. He should have grown larger but chose not to. He will be fine. The medics have him." The referee expected Asher to be mortified.


    He wasn''t sure what to think though. Asher looked at the hurt opponent and then down at his feet. He hadn''t even felt it. He wouldn''t have known if the referee hadn''t told him. "I guess...I will just go back to the waiting room." The referee watched as Asher retreated, He thought Asher must have been crushed. But in reality, Asher was just trying to figure out how he hadn''t even managed to notice his opponent at all. Even when he stepped on him.


    The audience and the announcer on the other hand were having a good time of it, "The lucky jinx has just crushed the record for fastest victory. You saw it today. It was less than ten seconds. Even the speediest super power we have ever had took fifteen seconds. This is a day that will go in to the Riktor tournament history books regardless of victory or loss!"


    The audience was recording the replay on their phones and sharing it around. Unknown to Asher, he was becoming know as the stomper or the crusher. The fastest match of every tournament was going to him and his internet fame was on the rise beyond what anyone would have expected. The others of the group all found this just like Asher.


    He had gotten lucky to find things so much in the past that a win like this was very possible. They all felt bad for the unlucky opponent but knew he would recover with the best medical care. Asher''s match was just what Jane needed to go in to the next round.

 Chapter 295 - 295. Strangely Colored

    "So...you are always in your shifted form huh? That makes me feel a little better about mine." The man standing in front of Jane was shifting already and was clearly embarrassed by the form he took. However, the man was still confident to come and battle in a tournament so Jane knew that he was dangerous to a degree.


    As the man shifted he received sharper teeth, a tail, and a strangely colored, "Butt? Your a baboon typer shifter?" Jane had seen these on television programs. They were always in the jungle and had amazing mobility. But they were also known for the vibrant blue colorations on their bodies. Not to mention their ability to be extremely brutal when faced with a threat.


    The man let loose a slight growl as he spoke now. "I canaan''t help thissss stupid form. It riiipps my clothesss." He started to scratch at the ground and become more agitated. Jane began to wonder if the man was going to tear her apart. The sharp teeth the baboon shifter had were only one of the terrifying facts.


    "I wanted to keep this under wraps but I will need to be careful here." Jane closed her eyes and removed her sunglasses. With her eyes closed, she put them in her pocket and waited.


    The referee was a little nervous about this match. The baboon shifter was timid before shifting but showed the ferocity that came with baboons in the jungle as soon as he shifted. If this match went like the last this new opponent would be sent to the medic just as fast as the first. The baboon shifter was dangerous.


    "Are you ready?" The referee was a little hesitant but saw Jane nod. This was his last chance to let her forfeit but it appeared she was going to lose. Mumbling under his breath as he brought the whistle to his lips, "This poor lizard shifter." He blew the whistle while still believing Jane was a lizard type shifter.


    "You know, they haven''t said my nickname yet. It''s Medusa." Jane opened her eyes as she spoke and the baboon shifter froze in place. The audience watched in awe as they saw Jane take slow and terrifying steps towards the baboon shifter.


    When Jane got near she spoke softly, "You were too dangerous and made me show off my power too early. But don''t worry. I never shifted so it''s alright. I will just let you get a good nap in." Jane was understandably annoyed but she knew that the baboon shifter would not just go down unless she knocked him out.


    Without breaking eye contact she brought a leg up and used her full forced to push her heel down. The crack that echoed for a second through the arena was followed by the colla[psing body of the baboon shifter. The referee blew his whistle and Jane put her sunglasses back on to leave.


    The audience was lost. They couldn''t understand what Janes super power was in the least. "Hello hello! My friends all look lost. Well, we just witnessed a very strange match. But I promise, to any that know Greek mythology, you will see things clearly. The nickname of our winner in this round is, Medusa!!!" The announcer decided that it was best to let the audience figure it out. The assumption was correct as the audience started to pass around the information and even the blogs online took up the strange shifter super power of Medusa.


    "Dang Jane! That was intense!" Art had nothing to do but jump up as he saw on the television that Jane had just crushed her opponent by using her power. It was just too much for anyone to watch and not shout out even though Art had seen her practice this move.


    Art looked up and saw a blinking light and heard a bell. It was the signal for the next match and he rushed from the room. He had caught a glimpse of the winner from a nearby match and was interested to see if he would actually be fighting who he thought.


    When he entered the ring he saw the person he had expected. It was a very shapely woman wearing skin tight clothing. However, what made her stand out was the fact that the last time he had seen her she was choking out her opponent with a very strong hold. One that only someone who trained their flexibility to the max could use.


    "You''re last match was interesting. I never thought someone could bend in that way and choke someone out with their legs. I bet you are pretty good at dodging." Art had done his best to slowly walk to the waiting room so he would gather as much information as possible. It was his best chance to get a step ahead of his opponent while also making sure his friends were doing alright.


    "Why thank you. I am very flexible. I think going against someone who is very straightforward like you is a bad match though. You will have a hard time of it." The woman looked genuinely concerned. Yet, Art had the feeling it was because she would win too easily and not because she would lose at all.


    "I might surprise you, you know." Art was bouncing in place waiting. He was mimicking what he had been doing and what the other opponents had definitely taken as his style.


    The woman looked like she would speak again but held her tongue and watched the referee blow the whistle. Her motions were swift and she cartwheeled in to a kick at Art.


    Art attempted to deflect and punch but the woman bent under his arm and was already behind him. He felt her attempt to wrap an arm around him but he changed level and gained some space. "Quicker than I thought you would be. But I can deal with that." The woman licked her lips and moved in again at an even faster rate.


    Art was still bouncing and waiting for his chance. It came when she kicked and tried to warp her arm around Art. She expected him to move and avoid it but instead, Art just stood there. When she successfully wrapped around his arm and began to pull it out of its socket she thought she had broken him already.


    "My muscle training is harder than this." Art flexed and used brute force to slam the woman on the ground. He repeated this three times before she managed to release herself and stagger back. "Wow, I thought you would have been knocked out. But I doubt you can dodge me now. Your head is bleeding."


    Art rushed in copying some of Janes'' moves. He had been able t somewhat copy her burst forward in to a kick. It was less elegant and flexible but still powerful. The woman tried to bend back and dodge but Art wasn''t side kicking. He was coming from the top.


    His heel kick mirrored Janes, and the woman felt the full force of his kick on her shoulder. The hit did exactly what she had tried to do to him. It dislocated her shoulder. Unlike Janes'' opponent, the woman was still conscious. However, she was on the ground writhing in pain and the referee was shouting for the medics. It was clear the was down for the count.


    "Do you need a medic as well? That arm of yours is turning purple." The referee noticed that the top of Art''s shoulder was slightly exposed and showed a quickly changing bruise.


    "Yes please, but first let me do something." Art pointed two fingers at the judges'' platform, "Like what you see big brother? Or should I just call you, former family head?!" The reaction was instant and Art saw the metal parts of the platform shiver. He had let a pretty hard hit at his brother and there was still more to come. The second that the judges came down to drop the winning medal on his neck he would show off his real super power and make sure his brother was put in his place.


    While Art showed off, Asher had already entered the ring again. He knew that Art was fighting too and didn''t want to lose. He believed that Art would come out on top no matter what and he could only do the same. A glance up at the stands showed his parents and Cara had made it to the stands for his match. He saw the medal around Caras'' neck and waved to show his congratulations. Unfortunately, his family was wearing reactions of fear and terror.


    When Asher looked to where his opponent was entering the ring he knew why. The man entering was massive. Not only that but he had four arms. A head that was more of a rounded dome. And muscles that bulged in unusual ways around his body. The only thing more terrifying was that when the man took a step the ground cracked slightly from the weight and force. The man was tough, very tough, and strong. Asher wasn''t sure if he had gotten lucky last match or if he had used all his luck.

 Chapter 296 - 296. Accuracy

    "That''s an...interesting power you have¡­" Asher wasn''t really sure what to say to the man with the looks of a monster in front of him.


    "I might be ugly. But I can crush just about everything." The monster like man in front of Asher started to laugh. Or at least that was what Asher thought was laughing since the expression on the things face didn''t change.


    "The quarter finals match is about to begin. At the whistle, you two will have your match. Remember that you must stop at my command. If this rule is broken the offender will face the law and disqualification from this tournament forever." The referee was looking the monster like man.


    "War god! War god! War god!"


    The chanting caught Ashers'' ears. "I guess I know the nickname you go by then." The overbearing nickname with the appearance of the man was a little over the top. "But I refuse to let that make me lose."


    "Puny words from a puny pebble." The nick named War god thumped two of his fists in to the other two of his hands.


    "Haven''t you ever heard that a single grain of sand can start a rockslide? What do you think a pebble can do?" No sooner had Asher spoken did the whistle blow and the audience lost itself in shouts and cheers.


    The previous brutal matches had War god a massive following. The audience was here to see matches. And they were getting some of the most intense and brutal matches ever. The referees had forcefully stopped War god last time and now they were even more prepared. They only hoped that the kid that was facing War god would survive.


    "I heard that you are one of those school kids that think you can fight with adults. Don''t worry. When I beat you I will teach the other kids a lesson too." This was not a wise move by Wat god. Asher was not someone that would let his friends be threatened in any way.


    "You really wanted to be my enemy? Huh?" Asher fell in to his rag doll stance fully. It was the first time in the tournament he had done so and the audience thought he was giving up and waiting for War god to beat him.


    "Weak mind. I knew a kid wouldn''t be able to handle my might. I will end this." War god gloated as he moved forward to strike Asher. Art, who was watching the match after rushing from his own match, focused on the television. He wasn''t sure how Asher''s tournament was able to progress so fast but he knew that Asher was getting serious finally.


    Jane shivered as she saw the perfectly calm and serious look at came in to Ashers'' eyes. She couldn''t hear that War god had threatened all of Ashers'' friends. However, she knew that whatever had been said was enough to warrant Ashers'' full attention. It was the same look Asher got when he focused on his goals to become a powerful hero alongside his friends.


    War god wound up a single punch to end Asher and take the victory from his already given up opponent. However, when he made contact he found that none of the force seemed to affect his opponent. Instead, he found that Asher had spun and a terrifying kick was whipping towards his rounded and sunken head.


    The sudden movement was too surprising for War god to understand and he felt a force equal to his punch hit his rounded head. "You brat! You hit me? You actually hit me?" The kick appeared to have had almost no effect on War god But Asher could feel the bruise forming in his leg where it made contact.


    Asher bounced in place for a meant letting his limp arms swing. The movements made some in the crowd wonder just what style this was and if Asher was somehow trying to use his super power. Most were just confused but still expected War god to crush him. And so did Wat god.


    War god rushed forward annoyed and sent multiple thrashing punches at Asher. Asher fell side to side and twisted dodging the punches at strange angles making the entire audience feel as if they were watching an unsteady marionette fall to a frow in an odd dance. All the while Asher was constantly landing small hits on the exact same spot on top of War gods'' head. The damage was building up but not enough yet.


    "It just tickles! Do yourself a favor and... And give...gi-ve up!" War got had a strange feeling that he was not used to eating away at his head. It was not normal and confused him even more than before when Asher had actually landed a hit on him.


    War god finally reach a hand up to his head where the strange feeling was coming from and found that a small bit of red coated his fingertips. "I''m bleeding!" War god fell in to fury and his entire body turned slightly red. His rage was pointed at Asher and the referees all prepared themselves to restrain War god.


    "Huh, you really chose to be a generic enemy. Whatever." Asher''s voice was the only calm thin in the arena. His movements shifted and the barreling War god missed him.


    Asher was still moving though, he was falling backward but suddenly twisted with his leg and hips. The resulting kick aimed at War god''s already damaged head shocked every single audience member.


    The crack that echoed and silenced the entire arena was mirrored by the limping of Asher. The referees screamed for the medics to come. They had just witnessed a gruesome attack at full force against an opponent. But this attack wasn''t from War god!


    Asher ad managed to fully crack the skull of War god by continually hitting the same spot. The blood coated War gods'' face and Asher just wobbled off with his leg while War god collapsed. The medic that came to Asher immediately started to use a healing super power. Asher felt warmth overcome his bruises as they faded away.


    The referee finally understood what had happened and announced that Asher had won. The announcer was also stunned but managed to report what had happened and show the cut video of each hit Asher landed. The count ended up hitting fifty three hits with the fifty fourth knocking War god out completely.


    Asher''s showing had radically shaken up the entire tournament bracket. Now one of the top contenders was crushed and unable to even stand. Many bets and predictions were failing because Asher had revealed himself as a hidden beast in the tournament.


    "That was awesome!" Jane was the only one in her waiting room and shouted in joy as she saw Asher winning and letting the medics heal him without any arguments. Jane knew that Asher could have been stubborn and tried to work it out himself since he wanted to win. But the medics were there to make sure he could keep going and she remembered that he was prioritizing winning for everyone.


    "Alright. I can go for my next match!" Jane splashed water on her face and moved toward the arena after splashing water on her face and focusing. She was ready to show off her full power if she needed to. At the very least she would get more serious.


    As she entered the arena again he noticed a few other participants had procured sunglasses thinking they were the perfect way to block Jane from using her super power. But Jane knew that she had the speed and technique to knock off th average pair of unfitted sunglasses. This didn''t phase her at all.


    What did phase her was the fact that there was a familiar golden mane lion shifter standing in her ring. It was her next opponent and they were already in their full form ready to fight. "Took a nice slow walk to make it here. These are the quarter finals. You should take this more seriously. Your pride is on the line." The pun was definitely unintentional but Jane still struggled not to laugh.


    "Sorry, was just looking at everyones'' new shades. You don''t seem to have them though. Any reason?" Jane was curious why the lion shifter might not see her super powers as a threat.


    "Who needs armor or sunglasses? I will win with my strength and ferocity. Some small power will not stop me." Jane wondered if the lion shifter was reading directly from a video game. It was too edgy and generic that Jane knew for sure that it had to be an act.


    The referee was even shaking his head and folding his arms while waiting for the two to finish their dialogue. "This is the quarter finals match. You two will fight according to the rules. Please prepare yourselves." The lion shifter growled slightly and started to shift fully. The mane grew in strength and claws became sharper. Jane realized she would need to be much more serious than before. Her opponent was brutal and one hit could take her out of the tournament.

 Chapter 297 - 297. Stretchy

    The referee had barely blown the whistle when the lion shifter sprang forward. Jane had completely expected this. It was normal for a feline predator to leap forward and pounce on prey. It was one simple thing she had seen on many wildlife shows and even read in school.


    Jane rolled forward and sprang to her feet just in time to bend backwards and dodge the swipe of the lion shifters'' claws. He was refusing to let up the pressure and Jane was starting to think that she should have shifted herself.


    The next swipe was near her face and scraped her sunglasses. The reinforced material help up but a slight scratch was left. If it had been any closer she would have a new scar on her face along with a lost match.


    With a sharp intake of breath, Jane prepared herself to push forward. She couldn''t let the lion shifter take full control of the match. But she also knew that he couldn''t land a hit on her or else she would be down for the count. However, she was tougher now than she used to be and if she was fast enough she might be able to deflect the damage.


    The next swipe of the lion shifters'' claws were her chance. Jane lifted her arm making sure the part with scales on it was what she used to deflect the blow.


    The claws were sharp enough to cut her, but not deep. Janes'' scales were enough to mitigate most of the damage. The lion shifter did not expect the attack against him. He had fought so far with multiple opponents just laying on the attacks constantly.


    Jane used the stunned shock that the lion shifter was affected by and struck back. She swiped out with her own sharper nails and slashed his nose. The sensitive lion snout that formed from his shifting caused his eyes to water and vision to become blurry.


    This move was why Jane was able to skirt around the next blind slash from the lion shifter. She was able to get to the back of the shifter and kick the back of his knee. This forcefully lowered his level and caused him to swing his claws blindly in every direction.


    The chaotic attacks only gave Jane the opening s to unload her combinations. Her kicks flowed between dodges and in to punches. Soon the lion shifter was losing strength and started to shift back to the normal human form. The man left on his knees panting was half the size of the previous danger.


    "You know, the females in the pride are usually stronger than the lion." Janes'' words were completely unheard as the referee blew the whistle loudly to signal the match ending. The audience started to cheer at the upset. They had all expected her to lose against the brutal onslaught of attacks or use her super power to stop him in his tracks like the last opponent and potentially take him down that way.


    Asher was smiling like a fool as another staff member yelled for him to get to his next match. He was pretty happy that Jane had managed to get so far without using her shift. It meant that when she finally did it would make a blogger splash and surprise her opponent. But for now, it was his turn again. He just needed to hope that he would be done with his next matches before Art was reaching the finals.


    "Awe man. I need to go against the kid that beat War god? Really?" The woman that was on the ring waiting for Asher looked normal. However, she seemed pretty annoyed that she was about to face Asher. "You look scrawny but I''m sure you have some super beefed up super power. That has to be how you beat War god. He was just too big."


    The confused look on Ashers'' face must have thrown the woman off because she also grew confused. "I hit him. A lot in the same spot. Like, over and over until he passed out." His shoulders rose in a shrugging motion and the woman turned her head to the side.


    "Seriously? That''s all it took? Wasn''t he supposed to win though? Wow. So he was all bark and no bite. Maybe I get to win now." The referee was looking tired of the additional banter and Asher wished he could somehow get the woman to reveal her super power.


    The whistle blew and the woman started to strut towards Asher. "Let''s get this on. I have a medal to show off to the gym later!" She suddenly dropped in to a fighting stance and kicked out.


    Asher didn''t even move. Her fist was too far away and he thought she had misinterpreted the distance. Unfortunately, he was wrong. Her arm extended and hit Asher right in the face causing him to fall back.


    Luckily he had practiced falling and instinctually rolled on his back and popped up to his feet. "You have stretchy limbs!" Asher shouted as he realized the super power that he had heard about before.


    "Well, yeah. Just catching on?" The woman laughed as she threw another punch. "I would have lost against a meat head like War god. But here? I can easily win." The punch extended and forced Asher to jump to the side as the woman whipped her extended rubbery arm to the side.


    Asher was sure that he wouldn''t be able to get in close. She had a farther reach than he did and it would keep him from coming in rage. Especially since it seemed like she could instantly pull the extended limbs back in to her body.


    With his mind rushing a mile a minute, Asher moved side to side getting close to the edge of the ring. This was perfect to let the woman think that she was cornering him. With the womans'' next punch Asher dodged but stayed close to the edge of the ring.


    A sly smile spread on Ashers'' face, "You think you will win easily? You haven''t landed a hit since you used that dirty trick before!" He knew that a little taunting could help so when her next punch came at him he was ready.


    The force of the punch was heavier since the woman thought that she was about to land the winning blow. Yet, when Asher fell back in to his back bridge her fist kept going. She couldn''t stop the momentum against her rubber body. Her fist landed right outside the circle causing a loud whistle to pierce the air.


    "The match is over. The winner by disqualification is the Lucky Jinx." The referee shouted this to the announcer.


    "What? How? I was tryin hard to push him out." The woman was losing her mind seeing that she was the loser for such a stupid reason. Her accent was standing out without her self control.


    "I knew that you wouldn''t be able to handle it. I thought you would be harder to beat but your punch was a little too soft to knock me out at the start." Asher was smirking even more as he stepped off the stage. "Try not to rush in to things next time." He gave a wave before he heard the referee shout again.


    "Lucky jinx, please remain here. The next match will begin in fifteen minutes and there is no time to go back to the waiting room." Asher had expected there to be less and less time between matches as the rounds became fewer. He was already in the finals match with his last and now most recent match.


    Asher wandered the area as the main ring was set up for the end of the tournament. He saw out of the corner of his eye a group of employees moving a large amount of ice. They were all pointed pieces. It was definitely a lot more ice than he would have expected if he were to guess the super power of the person known as ice blade.


    Jane found herself in a similar experience as Asher. She had been asked to move to the edge of the man area so that the employees could set up the final stage. They were cleaning and running about along with setting up new cameras to get better angles. She managed to overhear a few of the conversations from employees wandering about. They were talking about the past matches they had gotten to watch while waiting to change the rings.


    "I can''t believe that guy grew a second head. It was like he was some sort of master shifter."


    "Two heads? Really? I thought I heard that there was a shifter that was like a dragon and breathed fire?"


    "You''ll never believe it. You two are both right. The guy grew a second head and a tail then breathed fire. He can shift in to a dragon with two heads. It''s crazy. Apparently, he works with stage shows and even in some movies. But his passion is tournaments and fighting. Go figure right?"


    The gossip was just what Jane needed to make sure that she would be shifting for the final match.

 Chapter 298 - 298. Familiar Kicks

    Art was trying to make sense of how Asher and Janes''s tournaments were moving so much faster. Upon inspection of the bracket, he found that there was one match in Ashers'' tournament that had ended up in a double disqualification when the referee realized that it was a person with a clone super power taking part. They were both the winning and losing side of a match and had broken the rules by entering twice in the same tournament.


    Jane had the more unique situation where two shifters had gone at each other in the match with everything they had. Two had charged at each other and come out looking fine. That was until one of them was revealed to have poison that paralyzed the opponent and the other was found to have a major concussion knocking them out no matter how well they were healed.


    It was a strange set of circumstances but had sped of their tournaments by an entire round leaving both at the finals already. Art would have stayed and watched but while the finals for his friends prepared he was being called out for the semi finals.


    The Frustration of being called out and being unable to see what was going on with his friend''s match only lasted a moment. Art didn''t have time to worry since the person on the stage was a familiar face in the martial arts world. It was the woman that the three of them had copied the kicks from in their videos games. The same woman that was known for her kicks and became famous for crushing opponents with them.


    Art was slowing his breath at the sight. He would need to take this match as seriously as possible. This was not just some opponent. It was a recognized martial artist! This woman had shown her strength before and made it known to the world.


    Unfortunately, Art had forgotten her name. He had even forgotten the name of the kicks she used in the game. He had been learning so many moves and techniques that his brain had misplaced the names but remembered the feelings of the move. "Umm, hey video game lady. Thanks for being my opponent in advance." Art sounded like a scared fan as he made his introduction.


    "Ugh, another fan boy. I swear that video game was worthless. If it wasn''t in my contract I wouldn''t have done it." The woman stomped a foot in annoyance. She had been dealing with wannabe martial artists and fans since the videogame premiered.


    "No, no. I''m not some fan. I just happened to use the video game to learn your kicks with my friends. It helped us when we started to seriously pursue martial arts a few months ago." Art felt like the woman was taking offense to him and he wanted to make sure that she knew how thankful he was for her appearance in the game. Yet, she did not take his words for what they were.


    "You think you are some martial arts master from playing a video game? I don''t care if you used that cheap robbery of a feature. It doesn''t actually teach you how to kick like me. It is a rip off that lets you think you can do the moves. At least I can teach you a lesson here so you don''t go around saying you can kick like me." Her anger was clear and Art felt that he had only managed to push her buttons more.


    "I really learned a lot from the game. But if you don''t believe me I will just need to take this as seriously as possible." Art found he was getting more annoyed than he expected. His blood was heating up and he was beginning to recall all of the moves that had been copied from this woman to the game. Every twist, high kick, and shin block. He had played the game constantly and watched the how to portion for fun and learning. He had all the tools to predict her moves and she had none to predict him. He was a surprise for her.


    "Alright, you two. A reminder. Do not leave the ring or you are disqualified from the match. If you have a clone super power and are found to be using it you are disqualified. If you use deadly force you are disqualified." The referee was required to make these points since he had heard of the other tournament''s rules breakers. Now that he had he pulled the whistle to his lips and blew.


    The piercing whistle sent the two in to their stances. The woman had the same stance as the video game and it made Art feel like he had somehow woken up inside the video game itself. She had one leg slightly raised to whip out in a front kick or shin block while the other was firmly planted in the ground. Anyone without any experience would believe that all one needed to, to beat her would be to take out her other firmly planted leg. However, she was so fast that she could switch legs in the blink of an eye. Tripping her in this way was impossible due to her training.


    Art took the initiative to step in to the woman. Her legs were longer than his punches so he would need to catch one or somehow get under her guard. The only thing was, just because she had kicks as a specialty, didn''t mean she couldn''t punch. The game had her using three punches like any boxer.


    His forward movement was met with a testing kick from the woman who used it to test if Art would react to her too far away kick. Art let the kick stop short without any reaction. He knew if he moved back he would be under an onslaught of combos. If he moved in he would be met with a sweeping leg that would put him on the ground.


    The woman had an annoyed look and moved in. She wasn''t going to let some newbies'' intuition beat her. The next kick was heading right for Art''s shoulder but looked to be going for his head. Yet, when Art turned sideways to make himself perpendicular to the kick, it went right by not making contact at all. The kick ended up in his hand and was hooked by one of Art''s arms.


    He had used this to guard against Jane''s kicks. It was a hard learned counter that he and his friends had learned just to beat the high kicks in the video game. Following through, Art pulled the leg and the woman towards him. He was met by a solid jab to the cheek but forced himself forward. His quick footwork forcing the other leg up slightly letting him use a double leg takedown.


    Art knew better than to let the woman control any pacing of the match and to let her legs free. This wasn''t a standing match any longer. This was a wrestling match of body locks to keep a dangerous opponent from using the best moves they had.


    Because of Asher, Art had leaned some body locks and floor movement. This would be unusual for most martial artists because they would focus on the moves and techniques they specialized in. But for Art and his friends, this was just one part of becoming an all rounder without a real specialization.


    Art hooked the woman''s leg and felt her trying to kick out of his grasp. He felt her letting loose jab after jab but found that the strength in her fists was much lighter than the extreme force in her legs that threatened to dislocate his hip.


    He managed to wrap an arm around her head and one arm to put her on a hooked head lock. With his heavier body weight Art had pinned her to the ground and was using force to try and subdue her. The reaction of the woman was to kick and struggle uncontrollably. Her mind screamed to get up and use her kicks to crush Art. She had never been predicted so easily then forced in to a battle on the mat. It was not her strong suit and not where she specialized.


    The referee had not heard the woman gove up and saw that the match was still ongoing. Art was still holding on and pushing harder and harder. Every time the woman would kick out to try and escape he would tighten the body lock. He felt that his face was starting to bruise from the constant jabs.


    The risks of losing due to being knocked out were too great but Art didn''t let up even when he saw the drops of blood hit the mat. He just tightened his grip more until he felt the woman stiffen. Her arm dropped away and he realized she had started to turn blue. His immediate reaction was to release her and back away.


    The whistle blew and the woman lay on the ground gasping. She struggled for air and barely managed tp gasp out one question, "How...h-how did...you know?" She needed to know how Art predicted and countered her so easily. She couldn''t leave the stage with the medical staff until she heard it. This was as if she had faced an opponent perfectly suited to counter her. It was too unbelievable.

 Chapter 299 - 299. Two Headed

    Art wasn''t really sure how to answer. He had already mentioned that he had played the video game and learned some kicks but it was clear she had not believed him. "Umm, I played the game. Memorized all the attack patterns and combos. I also learned the kicks." Art demonstrated the high kick even though he couldn''t execute it perfectly.


    When he copied the combos of kicks he had seen and even her few punches the woman was just speechless. The medics were holding her up while healing the minor injuries and making sure that there was no major damage from the hold Art had had her in.


    "I even looked up some footage of you and the other characters in the game fighting in real life. It really helped my friends and I learn how to use the moves and adapt our styles." Art had started to realize that it sounded like he was some form of martial arts fanatic.


    "You really learned it all from the game? I need to sue that game company." The woman looked like she had just been robbed. She knew that anyone could have looked up her past matches and tournament appearances. It would have been easy for a real pro to have seen her videos and prepared if they knew they would face her. But this kid had just said he memorized a video game and gotten lucky to face her.


    "Well, good luck in suing the game company. But I think they won''t give up anything since your style can still evolve and change. What if you added some body locks and more advanced leg sweeps?" Art wanted to try and be uplifting since he felt like he had just rained on his opponents'' parade.


    "Ha! Maybe I''ll do that. Come help me up. I have never been countered so easily like that. You sure are something kid." Art helped his opponent up and the announcer lost it as the two shook hands and conversed more.


    "Oh wait, let me do something before we head off the ring for the others to fight for the other spot in the finals." Art turned and looked right at the judges'' platform. "One more and I get to come for you!" He turned back promptly and continued to a set of benches while the medics rushed after the two.


    "You really have something against that brother of yours huh?" The woman was very confused but respected Art''s privacy.


    "You know how family drama is. But I will finish it after the finals. My friends should be in the finals right now. I wish there was a television out here so I could watch them win." Art frowned as he waited for the other two opponents to fight and the final match to be decided.


    Jane found herself standing on the center ring face to face to face with a man with two heads wearing only a pair of pants that was much too large for him.


    "Sorry if we look a bit odd. We get a little bigger when we shift. Please forgive us." The two heads spoke in unison causing Jane to shiver slightly. The odd synchronized voices put her on edge.


    "Please prepare yourselves. The match will begin shortly." The referee was looking to the judges and the cameras which were set up to capture every angle of the final match.


    "Don''t think you can freeze us in place. Two heads are better than one." The cliche phrase made too much sense. Jane knew that she could stop one head in its'' tracks while the other controlled the body and attacked with its'' eyes closed. This became more evident as the man began to shift.


    The necks elongated and the body became green and large. His hands fell in to claws and so did the feet becoming hind legs. The faces twisted in to sharp pointed snouts with teeth and green scales. Harns protruded from the heads of the once man. Now the two had become the closest to a fairy tale two headed dragon Jane had ever seen. It wasn''t quite perfect but it was very close.


    Jane couldn''t help but feel intimidated. It wasn''t that the dragon shifter towered over her but more so the heat that radiated from the double headed dragon shifters'' body. There was smoke pouring from one head while the other appeared to be breathing in constantly.


    "I guess it''s my turn," Jane smirked and removed her sunglasses while popping an adrenalin tablet in her mouth. "I am going all out. It will be nice not to hold back." The dragon shifter could only hiss in response after the shift. The bodily change was too great.


    Feeling her heart speed up, Jane began to watch the scales spread on her own arms. Her nails grew in to sharper claws and her hair started to move wildly. Her eyes became piercing causing many in the audience who met her gaze to fell victim to the slowing effect they had after being frozen for a moment. Jane even noticed her teeth had become sharper which was more than it had when she had shifted in the past.


    With the growth of her body and the strength she was gaining every day, Jane knew that there were aspects of her shifted form that she had yet to fully unlock. But that would all come in time. Now she felt the familiar buzz of adrenalin and could hear the shock of the crowd that believed she was already in her shifted form.


    "What a surprise ladies and gentleman. Of all the things to happen, we find that Medusa has been hiding her true strength. Even the audience is finding themselves frozen in place if they meet her eyes. I can feel the shivers as the dragons prepared to fight the one who turns their enemies to stone!" The audience jumped in to a full on wave as they cheered for their favorite participant.


    Jane and the dragon shifter heard the whistle blow and all Jane could do to didge the wall of flames that came at her was jumping as far to the side as possible. Her roll was barely enough to skirt the flames and lock eyes with the dragon head that had just breathed it. However, the smoke wasn''t stopping. The other head controlled the body and a heavy slash came towards her.


    Jane was not afraid though, she knew her scales had toughened with her shift. She used her crossed arms to deflect the dragon shifter''s claws and all that was left was a small scratch on the surface. It wasn''t even enough to draw blood.


    "You scratch me! I scratch you!" Jane used the chance to rush and scrape her sharp nails along the dragon shifters'' side. The perks of his size growing made him able to attack with more force. Bit the negatives were that the dragon shifter was a bigger target. This let Jane carve four scratches in to his side causing more damage than he had just done with his claws.


    Jane felt as if the scales were plastic wrapping over a cardboard box. She was able to scrape it away and make a decent dent but not cut all the way through. However, the dragon shifter reared up in pain and stomped down at Jane.


    The speed she had honed paid off and Jane managed to dodge again and again as the attacks repeated. When they stopped another wall of flames came at her. However, they were slow and the head spewing them at her was not able to follow her movement.


    The head breathing in air was worried since it did not expect this, however, Jane had caught on to how the dragon shifter worked. One head was pulling in the oxygen for the fire inside of it and the other could breathe out the flames. That was why she had only seen the one breath in without breathing out at all.


    Jane locked eyes with the one breathing in and saw that the panic in both of the dragon heads'' eyes became exponentially more. They both could tell there was not enough oxygen and thair fire would go out. The smoke coming from the one dragon''s head became dark and slow. The flame was being snuffed out slowly.


    Using this chance Jane continued to lock eyes with the one head while the other head tried its best to slowly move the body and even snap its'' teeth at her. However, Jane had used her vision on it and it was still suffering the consequences of slower movements and a foggy mind.


    While she watched the eyes become bloodshot she knew that the dragon shifter was running out of oxygen. The fire was consuming what was left in its'' body and to demonstrate this the dragon shifter stumbled. Jane rushed in losing the locked eyes and proceeded to unleash a fury of swipes. The follow up was a series of punches and kicks to the legs until the entire dragon shifter collapsed only able to look up at Jane weekly.

 Chapter 300 - 300. Not A Scratch

    "One head breathes fire. The other head brings in oxygen to fuel the fire. If I didn''t realize that I was sure to be burned. But if you cut some weight and got faster you would be able to shred me to pieces. Thank you for the match. I have finally been able to test myself properly." Jane spoke as the dragon shifter reverted back to the two headed male form he had before the match.


    "You''re one tough gal. I thought my claws would break on your scales. Next time we will win though." The man fell unconscious due to the heavy exertion from shifting to twice his size. His dragon form burned through stored energy like there was no tomorrow.


    Jane could see the taut skin over the two heads on the mans'' body. He had used a lot of the stored nutrients in his body to come to the second place in the tournament. "That''s all there is! That''s the end! Nick name Medusa has claimed the first place. The shock of her shift, the super powers she has, and another high school student taking the first place! What a day! What a match!"


    The announcer was loving every second of the announcement. The audience was going wild but Jane wasn''t hearing a single bit of it. She was shifting back and discovering the massive bruises on her arms along with the cuts from the dragon shifters'' claws. She had deflected most of the damage but she now knew that it was the wrong move to block the attack. This was a major lesson for her as she started to stumble back in to the hands of a medic.


    "We''ve got you. Just relax and let the healing start. We have supplementary drinks to assist you in recovery. If you need to rest there''s plenty of time before the medal ceremony." When Jane heard this she felt panicked. She couldn''t just lay around and get healed by the medics with healing super powers. She needed to get up get the medal and rush to Art''s tournament.


    "I need to get to my friends'' final match. He should be in the martial arts tournament. I can stand. Just help me stand!" Jane wasn''t giving any room for the medics to hold her back. She gritted her teeth grabbed the supplemental shake and gulped it down. "We are going to that medal stand now!"


    While the medics tried to talk sense in to Jane and the announcer prattles on about her determination, Asher was walking on to the stage with a dead serious face. The audience was silent while he stepped in to the ring first.


    The rumors of the competitor ice blade that Asher had heard earlier were ringing in his mind. The pile of ice that he had seen the staff clearing from a ring was also on his mind. He had been warned that the super power to make ice blades was dangerous, however, he had already begun to strategize.


    The cool breeze that came across the stage was mirrored by a skinny man wearing nearly nothing. He was visibly sweating and was constantly moving an ice pack from one spot to another on his body. Asher couldn''t help but to wonder if this was really the man known as ice blade that everyone was so afraid of.


    One thing that really stood out was the fact that he had multiple towels around his waist that all appeared to be dripping with his sweat. Asher couldn''t help but cringe slightly at seeing this. "Yeah, everyone acts that way when I show up. At first, they think I''m just some sort of over heated weirdo. But then they remember the name ice blade and cringe. That''s how it should be." The man that went by ice blade had seriously misunderstood the situation.


    "Uhhh, sure man." Asher wasn''t really sure what to say. He could see the drops of sweat falling on the ring as they spoke even though it wasn''t that hot there. "Let''s just have a good match." Asher gave a thumbs up and could swear he heard Cara screaming to crush his opponent from behind him.


    "This is the final match. Remember that deadly force is a cause for disqualification. Leaving the ring will cause a loss. I expect a good clean match. Ready yourself!" The referee blew his whistle and the two stood eye to eye.


    "Soo, you want to start or should I?" Ice blad just mopped up some sweat with a towel before sighing. "Yeah, I''ll start. You''re right." He whipped his towel at Asher and a spike of ice flew at him.


    "Whoah! What the-" Asher hadn''t expected that ice blades'' sweat would turn in to ice. The fact that ice blade could use it in this way was a super power that Asher could not underestimate.


    Asher moved in after narrowly ducking the ice blade that had come for him. Unfortunately, there were more. Ice blade had wound the towel up and was whipping small beads of ice at him as he ran in a circle.


    Ice blade appeared to be moving more so that he could sweat more. Asher would have been a fool to miss this because all the while Ice blade was using his other hands to mop up sweat. It was a gross super power but a versatile one.


    The small beads of ice were too fast and hit Asher on his arms. "Huh? That was nothing." Asher had expected them to be sharp or pack a bigger punch. But they didn''t hurt at all. "Wait!" Asher exclaimed his surpise as he realized this was a trap. The larger ice blade coming at him was the real attack. The smaller ice beads were just to throw him off.


    "Ugh, why couldn''t you just let that hit you?" Ice blade sent another whip of the towel. This time, the entire towel came with. When Asher saw this he jumped and rolled without even thinking. He knew that the entire towel coming at him could not be good.


    Asher was proven right when he heard the cracking of ice behind him. He saw out of the corner of his eye a large cluster of ice blades spring from the towel and take up a decent chunk of the stage. "I have more where that came from if you want to chill out kid." Ice blade was not joking around. He had moved in to a serious use of his super power to freeze his sweat and was throwing three more sweat soaked towels at Asher.


    Rolling was the only way for Asher to survive. He jumped and rolled over and over without even looking since he knew that there were more towels being thrown. Before he knew what had happened there was only half the ring left for him to maneuver in. There was really only a straight shot to ice blade. He couldn''t roll any more without hitting the sharp pieces of ice around him.


    "I really thought I would have to throw the last one. But you look like you could give up here and avoid the injury right? You''re smart enough at least?" Ice blade may have been skinny and appeared easy to beat, yet that just left a smart strategy and a tough situation.


    "You know what? Every single bit of practice I have done in martial arts and even in school has told me I should never ever do one thing. Of course, since I don''t want to give up and I want to make it to the end so I can win just like my friends, I''m willing to take a risk. So, here it goes." Asher shrugged and wished on his lucky stars.


    Before Ice blade could even retaliate with a comeback, Asher had burst in to a full on sprint aiming to tackle ice blade to the ground. Asher was tossing aside the strategy he had worked on to risk everything. He was going against the hours of foot work and banking everything on his luck.


    Never had Ice blade had an opponent so stupid as to charge at him. He had not once in his entire career in fighting dealt with someone so stupid. But this was the key, because Ice blade had never had this happen he was panicking. Ice blade threw the towel as fast as he could at Asher and watched as it sailed over Ashers'' head. He hadn''t aimed!


    Ashers'' hands wrapped Ice blades'' legs and lifted in the tackle. With a shout, Asher had hoisted his opponent up and tossed him out of the ring and in to the air. The falling feeling Ice bade had was too new to him and the foreign feeling of hitting the floor shocked him. His breath left him as he realized the audience was cheering for Asher and not for him. The medics showed up above him speaking words he could not understand due to his shock.


    "You saw it here! The notorious Ice blade has been dethroned once and for all. The Lucky jinx has bravely faced the ice and tackled it out of the ring. He doesn''t even have a scratch on him! Single handedly defeating the trickiest super power on the stage for all to see! What a win!" The crowd burst in to even more shouting and applause as Asher looked around for the podium to accept the medal. He needed to get to Art''s match.

 Chapter 301 - 301. Internet Sensations

    Asher could feel his heart pounding out of his chest. He couldn''t believe that the last attack had just worked. He thought that he was going to lose and that he should just go for it. The fact that it had worked was too hard to understand with all the adrenalin pumping through his bloodstream. "That was something, I''m pretty sure that ice blade fella never had someone charge at him in his life. You can head to the podium whenever you want. One of my fellow referees just watched the winner of the shifter tournament punch a medic and make him carry her to the next stadium over. I have a feeling you would do the same."


    The referee was looking at a phone laughing to himself while Asher knew exactly who he was speaking of. He knew that Jane would rush over to Art as soon as possible but not in such a violent way. "Don''t look so worried. They played it off like she was still recovering from the match and was still thinking she was fighting to win. But if you are going to that martial arts tournament you may want to run." The referee had picked up on what most of the audience had. They now all knew that the high school group was together and sweeping the tournament.


    Even more, the audience had taken note of the act that Art had been doing at the end of each match and pointing to the judges. Someone with a lot of technology skills managed to find out that the judge was Arts'' brother and that they were a very old family that had been with hero corp since its'' founding.


    On top of this, they also learned of the fact that Arts'' family respected old traditions. They had a head of household that would make their rules and decisions. Naturally, when siblings were born they would fall under the head of household and if they did not they were sent away. This sob story became public knowledge and put Art in the spotlight.


    There was now a harrowing tale circulating the internet and news broadcasts about the group that came together to rise up and help their friend. They were all coming together as the youngest hero group to form unofficially and attempt to make names for themselves.


    This was all unknown to the group since they were too focused on what was going on now. However, the referee expedited the medal process and allowed Asher to rush away without an interview just as Jane had.


    The reaction from the announcer was better than expected, "You saw it here folks, our winner is already off to the martial arts tournament finals. The officials around have been notified and there is aid on its'' way. He will make it there with his team and family who have been given VIP floor seats. Watch the martial arts tournament finals to see his surprise!" The announcer signed off and watched as the audience rushed out to also try and get somewhere to see the martial arts tournament broadcast.


    "And as a special favor, the big screens here in this stadium will be showing the martial arts tournament as well." The audience cheered and sat down again while the announcer flashed a thumbs up to the tech staff. They had won some major pull over the audience this year for the next year and could expect a massive boost in attendance.


    When Asher burst out of the back entrance to the stadium he found his family on a large gocart waiting for him, "Hurry up! Art should be entering the ring any second. The staff got us a ride!" Cara was practically carrying Asher on to the cart.


    "The referee said that Jane punched a medic, did you see it?" Asher was concerned that Jane wouldn''t make it even though the referee said that they had explained it away.


    "She''ll be there even if she needs to break out of prison. You forget I have gotten to know her just as well as you." Cara rolled her eyes while she watched her mother hug Asher and kiss his cheeks.


    The foreign love he was feeling filled his heart more than he ever knew was possible. The first set of memories he had could be thought of as some past nightmare instead of a whole other life. He was living his best dream now and working toward greater heights. All the missing pieces were filled in and he felt a few tears roll down his face.


    "We will make it there, don''t worry." Asher''s father went in to full dad mode and was bugging the driver to speed up. They all barely managed to hold on to their seats as the driver floored it.


    "Sorry, I''m just really happy. I can''t wait to see Art win. By the way, did anyone hear who his opponent is?" Asher hadn''t managed to see many of the other opponents Art might face.


    "It''s funny seeing a student that went to that camp and that school. Both of my previous opponents have been teaching at those locations for some time. They were fairly easy to beat even with their super powers being allowed. I hope you manage to be better than them." Art knew exactly what the man in front of him was saying. This was the man that had come out of nowhere and beaten both coach Winters and Garnet.


    Art was taking in his opponent and trying to get any possible information to prepare himself. The man was fairly plain. He was fit but nothing outstanding. Yet, there was a look in his eyes that said that he was dangerous. A feeling of strength that went deeper than skin and bones.


    "Most opponents look at me like that. Don''t worry. I refused that evo shot when I came of age. I always won my fights with my own mind and not some super power given by science. That''s why I will beat you too." Art was surprised and let it show on his face.


    "Well, then this will be pretty fair. I can control metal so if I use my super power it will be obvious to everyone. We will be two men battling it out. I won''t be trying to win for them. Just for me, my friends, and to throw it in my brothers'' face." Art stretched his shoulder out and waited to see when they would start.


    "Crush him brother!" The shout couldn''t be anyone but Asher. Art heard the cheer as clear as day. Asher had taken a deep breath and used all his energy to make sure it echoed through the stadium above the dull roar of the audience. In response, the audience went somewhat silent and Asher managed to see the seats set up for his friends.


    "Well, I can''t see any reason to wait any longer ladies and gentleman. The other tournaments that have completed are now podcasting this event fully. We have the special VIP guests. The judges are ready to watch over the match. On the referees'' mark, we will begin!" The tension in the arena was tangible. Asher couldn''t even turn to ask Jane how she was even though she was still being treated by the medics for the now, minor wounds left from her match.


    Everyone was fully focused on Art and his opponent, "Asher," Laura whispered to Asher, "We heard Art and that guy talking. He''s the one that apparently beat Garnet and coach Winters." Laura snapped herself out of her daze to make sure Asher was up to date on what was going on.


    "Our two finalists! On this side, we have Art, the crowd favorite. On the other, we have the powerless king! On the whistle." The referee had already spoken about the rules again and just did the basic finals announcement he had been told to do last minute.


    Art would have been surprised by the nickname that the man had gone with but after being told that he had deliberately never had the evo shot the name powerless king made sense. Especially since he had seemed to be able to beat many people with super powers in tournaments.


    The group held their breath as Art and powerless king circled each other. Neither was going to jump in without taking stock of their opponent just yet.


    Art was the first to start his boxers'' bounce. However, compared to his earlier stances, it had changed again. He was going all in and was acting like it. He had taken some of Asher and some of Janes''s stance and adapted it to his own. He may not be the same as his friends but there were things he could take and use as his own. The more relaxed sway of his arms like Asher and the quick footwork with twisting motions from Jane.


    Adding all this to his boxer''s bounce made him look like he was always switching styles and possible moves. The announcer was already starting his play by play and coined the style as; mirage boxing.

 Chapter 302 - 302. Mirage Boxing Style

    The group watched as Art started to move in to his style. They had known he was adjusting things constantly and noticed it when they were sparring. However, none of them had seen the full focused version of Art''s style. When the announcer said that Art looked like he was preparing multiple moves at once like an ever changing mirage in the desert they couldn''t help but agree.


    The powerless king didn''t have such an evolved stance. Instead, the lines on his forehead furrowed as he started to watch Art''s movements. He was not as adept in fighting as everyone was led to believe. His key was his mind. He was able to process and see the connections in the movements of another persons'' body and stop them with his own actions. He was a genius in his own right that didn''t need the evo shot to show off the strength he had built.


    When Art moved in it was clear that the powerless king had not caught on to the style Art was using. Instead, he ended up taking three testing jabs that showed Art that his opponent was not some weak bodied pushover. His opponent was well trained and had slim but dense muscles from constant training. It spoke volumes to the dedication powerless king had.


    The reaction to this came when Art stepped to the side. Like lightning, a leg sweep came out of nowhere from powerless king. This had appeared to be a level change to Art but instead was a sideways attack. Without the realization, Art stumbles slightly and opened up to a series of hits from powerless king.


    The trouble that the powerless king brought were very precise and hard hits to vital points. The three strike combo hit Art in the side and caused him to gasp in pain. He was lucky he had been strengthening his muscles because they had been the main reason he had not broken a rib and would only have some bruises.


    However, this was the chance to use what Art had learned from Asher. He used the force of the punches to turn and whip out a solid kick. This was not expected by anyone in the audience causing multiple gasps and a few shouts of surprise.


    Powerless king did not expect an attack from this angle and if he had ever seen Asher fight he would have expected this kind of attack. Yet, even if he had seen Asher fight he could still have been surprised by Art using the style.


    The kick landed right in the powerless kings'' jaw. The sickening pop told him that he had just had his jaw dislocated and bruised. Unfortunately for Art, the powerless king had felt much worse. This was nothing in his pursuit to be the best martial artists ever and to stand above those with super powers while not having one.


    The response was instant. Powerless king moved close and used a knee to attack Art again. The attack would have landed if Art had not mimicked Jane and pushed hard with his legs and feet. He burst to the side with speed that was not befitting of his bulkier stature. This put him on the exposed side of powerless king and able to use his elbow to return the favor of bruised ribs.


    The grind of bine and flesh was met by a sharp exhale of breath and a solid spinning right hook to Art''s shoulder. The two fell a few steps back from each other causing the audience and Art''s friends to stand in shock. The series of attacks had only lasted seconds but it had been intense. They two had not stopped their attacks or flow of battle making everyone feel as if they were more than just martial artists. Many thought that they had to have super powers related to martial arts but knew it to be false.


    "Let''s go! You are tougher than that!" Cara shouted out sounding annoyed. Her voice was boosted loud enough for most in the stadium to hear even though there was the roar of the audience cheering. The words seemed to spark an additional fore in art. "What? He didn''t have the look he does when he is focused on his super powers. He always gets more intense and now he looks it." Cara had not shared that she had noticed this but Asher just nodded in agreement.


    The rest of the group let it be as it was. They all knew that Cara had been living in the same house too and worked out every single day with Asher and Cara. The two had seen Art act at his most serious and also at his weakest after a hard day. The two would most certainly be able to tell when Art was properly motivated and in the zone.


    Powerless king felt a pressure he had not felt even from the veteran martial artists he had faced. It wasn''t so much a mental pressure that said he was facing an opponent smarter than him. This was a feeling that he was facing someone more driven than him. He had never felt like this before. It was almost as if the person before him was pushing for a goal above his own. Like an ant that realized they shouldn''t aim to be human but to be god instead.


    Art''s style changed slightly and Cara saw the sprinting position she would use. Art used it in relation to Jane''s burst of speed to show up in front of powerless king as soon as possible. Meeting his opponent with a harsh right hook caused powerless king to struggle to block. Art had put his full weight behind the hit and could feel that he had dislocated two fingers.


    The damage was worth it. Powerless king had an arm hanging limply to his side. The attack had causing his elbow to bend unnaturally and become useless. The infuriated him but he remained his calm and cool outward appearance. He was facing a real opponent, not some veteran martial artist that had washed up or given up on becoming more.


    This pusher powerless king to use his serious moves. He had managed to connect many moves in what he would call a game ending combi. Something that some video gamer players would use as a cheat. The kicks and spinning punches trailed together similar to how Asher constantly used his on centripetal force to keep up a combo of attack.


    Art found himself being pushed back more and more. He was not taking heavy hits but he was gaining bruises and cuts everywhere. He felt the blood run from his nose and felt oppressed. It was just too much. However, his mind went to how solid his friends had stood behind him every step of the way and how they were waiting for him to claim victory.


    Art stomped a foot down and slammed his head forward. It was a ridiculous move that powerless king had completely put from his mind. He always thought, ''who would be stupid enough to use their head? That would end a match by knicking yourself out. The brain is the biggest benefit anyone could have.''


    The crack that rang out caused fearful gasps and even a few weak willed audience members to faint. They thought that there would be ambulances and surgeries to piece skulls back together. Instead, powerless king crumpled to the ground completely unconscious. Art took small steps and raised up a hand. He was full of adrenaline and would not be passing out on his life. He was not so weak!.


    A small thought in the back of his mind screamed that Garnet and coach Winters would be after him now but that didn''t matter. All that mattered were the medics attending to his opponent. The referee holding his hand up. The announcer yelling about the victory. And the metal twisting around the judge''s platform.


    Art held a hand to the nearby announcer who realized he wanted the microphone. "My so called brother has played his games. Now, come down here and give me my medal. Face me and allow me to show you who the head of the family is!" The words brought a deathly silence to the arena.


    Without even a blink, Laura was on the arena next to Art. Jackson lumbered up. Louis put his hood up and stood there waiting. Sammy couldn''t help but let the wind ruffle her hair while moving in as well. Cara stood to Art''s left. Asher and Jane stood to his right. Asher patted Art on the back, "I would expect nothing less from my family."


    The group watched as the door to the judge''s platform finally opened. Two men moved out and exited the room. The third was Art''s brother. He looked the same as the previous week at the mall. Nothing had changed. He had obviously concealed his true feelings so he could act as the ideal hero. But there was an air of rage around him. He had been directly challenged and mocked all day and now, someone was going to answer for it.

 Chapter 303 - 303. The Week To Come

    Like stepping stones, metal plates moved to allow Art''s brother to walk down to the stage instead of the stairs. It was an intimidation move and everyone knew it. However, halfway through there was a tremble.


    The plates started to vibrate and everyone watched as Art''s older brother slipped slightly. This was not an accident at all. The plates had started to shift and bend catching his brother''s foot. Feeling the metal being pulled from his control Art''s brother showed a slight twitch. The cool exterior was shaken before the metal was forcefully bent back to his steps.


    "Huh, I just needed to think about it a little." Art was visibly hurting and Asher knew that this was no time for Art to take down his brother. Fighting all out would lead to Art''s defeat and a blow to his ego.


    "You''re the judge along with those two. Put the medal on him and we''ll be on the way. But he is strong and you need to admit that. We will expect your reasons soon. But for now, we will celebrate." Asher knew that his words were not what Art wanted to hear but they were necessary.


    "What I did was for good reason." The tone of voice held a lot more weight than any of them imagined. Yet, in the next instant, the cool exterior morphed in to a smile full of bravado and charisma.


    The shocking change in Art''s brother just went to show how well he had trained himself to be a hero and the head of the family. Even though his few words left them all wondering what was going on and what the good reason was. Art didn''t even have the energy to asl anymore as the adrenalin was wearing off and his brother was starting to speak.


    "My younger brother has finally shown the world his true self. He is a man of the family and he has passed through our family tradition even stronger than ever. I feel pride in this moment. Little does everyone else know, but before he found his fire his grades were low. He didn''t have friends. And he didn''t even know how to fight let alone control a super power. Today you see my brother, a full fledged meber of the family and a one day super hero. A member of a growing hero group. And the winner of a martial arts tournament. Please give your round of applause for the future heroes!"


    All of them knew this was a massive amount of bravado to save what the audience would think and to push them to like their group. The brother would look like a teacher instead of some evil villain. This was a way to turn the public opinion in to power. But it was going to work for all of their favor and not just for Art''s brother.


    A medal with gold and a symbol of a punching martial artist fell around Arts'' neck as the audience cheered and medics finally managed to push their way to Art. Jane and Asher took his arms and gave him something to hold on to as Art''s brother left with the other judges. Today had been a day that the news would not stop talking about for some time.


    By the time everyone had been properly healed and calmed down they were realizing they were exhausted. With the parents around every single one of them were forced home to rest. After a full day of sleep, a lot of food, and some internet browsing, Asher had called everyone and asked them to meet up at his house.


    Art was still staying with Asher, but his parents had already stopped by to officially speak with Asher''s parents. The conversation had been long and they had all went out to dinner. The parents had kicked it up and become fast friends. Not a single one of the group thought that this would end well but accepted that the parents would all be friends now. They would have to deal with what came from this in the future.


    "You guys have seen the news...and the internet...and literally anyone walking through the neighborhoods¡­" Sammy had walked over with Louis and found that they were the center of attention everywhere. Appenertyl the story about their group had gotten way out.


    "Someone actually asked me for an autograph this morning. To be honest I think it was one of my middle school classmates." Jackson was the most confused by everything. He had been a quiet kid who liked to garden and just do his own thing. He received his evo shot and became completely different and now was partially famous. It was a lot to handle in comparison.


    "I don''t know. Since I got my super power people have always looked at me. I thin k it''s alright." Everyone just stared at Laura for a minute. They all knew that the reason that people stared at her was because she was super fast and would pop up randomly.


    "We have left the house only for work outs but we have still had all the people on morning commutes wave. It''s kind of nice but also super distracting." Art was the most uncomfortable with it. Mostly because he had seen that his family history was put all over the news and rubbed in everyone''s face. He felt that he had no privacy and just wanted to be able to hide away for a little while.


    "Again, people just keep watching us everywhere we go. I feel like we need to move somewhere else" Louis was the most extreme. He wanted to just up and move but it was just drama.


    "I don''t know why everyone is all up in arms about this. It was exactly what we wanted and more. Yes, your family drama is out in the open, and yes we don''t have answers. But your brother did tell you it was for good reason. That means you should be able to get those reasons. Your answers. Not to mention we have a name now. Asher may have given us the cheesiest dumb name ever but people know us as the link hero group. They liked some of our nicknames and even gave us some. Mirage boxer. Gale. Medusa. Survivalist. Dancing lightning, way better than zap by the way. Blink. Echo. Lucky jinx. We all are out and about and people are waiting for us to become real heroes."


    Not a single one of them could argue with Jane. She made good points and it was all true. "Jane is right you know. Thighs may be tough since we are the new thing on the news but look at this. There is a massive storm front moving in down south. The news will forget us in a few hours and we will be yesterday''s news. What''s left is us and our goals. We can still pursue them." Cara was waiting to make her point and was very impressed by Janes'' evaluation.


    "We still have the prize money too. We can officially start to plan for university and the school is sure to want to advertise that their students are all future heroes or law enforcement. But more importantly¡­"Asher trailed off after mentioning school¡­"We have the end of year exams and the tournaments. Cara, you are fighting for scholarships and even mentorships." Asgher wasn''t going to beat around the bush. He knew just how important it was for Cara to do her best.


    "I''m not so dumb to turn down a mentorship." She gave Laura a glare but then smirked a little since she was just teasing. "But I wouldn''t mind waiting for all of you to catch up." The group was touched. They had started to train with Cara and genuinely felt she was a part of their group no matter what she did.


    "Speaking of school. What do you all think will happen when we show up and crush the exams along with the tournament? It''s only students in our school. We might scare off all our opponents." Art was thinking that they wouldn''t have anyone that would dare to challenge them in a tournament. Academics may be what they were battling by themselves. But tournaments had obstacles that could beat them.


    "About that. You all have some pretty big targets on your back now. If they beat you guys that means they are better than the group that trains the hardest. Which in turn means that they will receive more recognition." Cara was warning them more than anything. She had already built her reputation and even if she were to fight many more people it was expected that she came out on top. Asher and the rest were limited by the lack of reputation.


    "Ha! That doesn''t matter. The more that come at me the more I will take down." Laura was surprisingly excited. However, this was the same attitude she had toward the obstacle course. Hearing it put everyone at ease. They would face the week of exams head on and then the tournaments as well. After that, they were free for an entire month of vacation.

 Chapter 304 - 304. Tour?

    "Can someone remind me why we hate ourselves again?" Art had his head down on the table. He was losing his mind while they were recapping all of their subjects to prepare for the academic finals.


    "Stop being so dramatic. We are all nearly a month ahead on our school work now. You should have this stuff memorized already. Not to mention we also need to work on some sparring since everyone in school saw what we can do when it comes to fighting. The news showed off our tournaments like crazy." Jane was not letting Art get away from studying. She had already forced him back twice.


    "Honestly, I think the group as a whole will do great. Those of us that didn''t actually fight will surprise everyone and those of us that did we scare them away." Asher was looking on the bright side.


    The three had gotten together to study one last time before they had their exams. The rest of the group had locked themselves away in their own homes t do exactly the same. Out of everyone, Cara had been the worst. Sje had locked herself away after the group had last spoken and been studying non stop. The only time Asher, Art, and Jane had seen her was the morning work outs they did. Jane made a point to join them so that she could push her stamina. It was mostly just running for her though.


    "Are you sure Cara will be alright?" Jane was the most worried. Cara had even shut off her phone for the entire week. Mostly because her friends had been too distracting and only wanted to talk about the group she was now in. Along with the tournaments and how they had managed to get in and participate.


    "Yes. She does this kind of thing a lot when there is a test or a pop quiz. It''s how she handles it. But I think she will do even better this time. She got a ninety three last exam season. But since everyone has said they are aiming for perfects she will most likely do the same. But she will probably get it." Asher was not going to doubt his sister for a second. It was clear that he believed she would come out on top like always of not even push past the limits that were in place.


    "I''m more worried that she is opening a china shop in her room. None of the plates or bowls, or even silverware come out. She has an entire week''s worth. I served lunch on paper plates." Art ceased the chance to avoid studying the math equations again. This was the seventh time going through it and he hated it more than anything. He would much rather talk about the shocking hoarding of dishes Cara was doing right now.


    "I already said this was normal. But why haven''t you asked my mom for the spare dish set? We use it whenever Cara takes them to her room. It happens sometimes but only when she is really stressed out. I would say she''s the perfect shut in under stress.'' Asher was imagining what would happen if Cara decided to stay in her room forever. He would need to deliver food and get her to clean things. It would be a terrible babysitting job.


    "I believe there are some shut ins that do amazing things." Jane became a little offended and pouted with puffed up cheeks.


    "Umm, yeah?" Art was confused about why Jane would sound so annoyed.


    "My uncle hasn''t been outside for five years. But he works online. He makes a lot of money and lives a very minimalistic life. It''s not that he''s afraid of the outside or anything. But all he needs to do is finalize tax reports and send them away. He hasn''t needed to leave for some time." Jane made it sound like this was nothing.


    "He should go outside at some point. He needs the sun to absorb nutrients and stuff.'' Asher sounded worried that jane might follow in her uncles'' footsteps.


    Jane noticed this and was quick to shake her head in denial. She would not become a shut in because she had different goals in life and too much to explore in the world. "He will go outside if he needs to. But he avoids it if it is out of the way. He still dates and stuff too. It sounds weird but the more you learn the more it''s proven he is a functional person." Jane was not about to lie to them about the situation.


    "Huh, well, if you say so." Art just shrugged and started to scribble on the scrap papers.


    "That''s good for him. Unfortunately, we won''t be able to follow in his footsteps. We will need to stay popular to keep showing the word that we are the best future heroes." Asher was still motivated. The group had noticed his constant positive attitude at all times lately. It was a lot to handle but it made sense since he had watched every single person win their matches.


    "Hey, you guys watched the videos of the tournaments right?" Asher realized that they all had recorded at home the matches and could watch them. "I was wondering if there was anything that stood out for us three to talk about? I know that we are the most experienced other than Cara in the group and I want to make sure that we can put some things out of our minds before tomorrow." Asher had the worry that someone may become too worried and stressed before they get to the tournaments.


    "I watched every one. To be honest, I think Sammy needs to learn to fly. Or maybe condense wind in to some sort of attack. She could copy me and move metal around or something around with wind." Art had thought of this only because the two of them could use their super powers to manipulate something. Louis technically fell in to this but he also had a much harder power to control.


    "Oh! You should have checked the group chat. Louis and Sammy were training the other day and now Sammy can levitate and even push herself up higher. It''s a great improvement. Apparently, that woman with dragon wings and her have been talking and Sammy got a lot of inspiration." Jane was slightly arrogant since she had caught this before the two boys.


    "That''s great. I mentioned to Louis too that he needed more control over his lightning. But when he told me he was working on that I asked how. He told me he is starting a controlled muscle group workout. Apparently, he is going to isolate certain smaller muscle groups and train them. This will let him manipulate his body better and use the lightning." Asher was very happy to hear that Louis had found a suitable training technique.


    "That sounds way better than what Jane is doing. She had been setting video games to different speeds and trying to make her mind move as fast as her hands. She just showed up one day and was asking for video games. She even asked if I had more back at my parent''s house and wanted me to get them. But I gave her the fighting one and told her to have good luck." The casual mention of the mansion that Art could be living in made Jane and Asher finally ready to ask him.


    "You are going to take us for a tour of the mansion right?" Asher beat Jane to asking. The two had strange smiles that made Art worry that showing them the mansion would go poorly.


    "You have to show us. We have been friends for like a million years. We haven''t seen your house yet." Jane was putting it on thick. Art knew he wouldn''t be able to resist and that he would need to take his friends to see the interior of the mansion.


    "First, if we go now, will I need to keep doing math?" Art wanted to get something out of this too. If he could ditch math he was on the top of the world.


    "That''s fine. We can take a breath from the math subject today." Asher purposefully said thus so he could switch to another subject after, They needed world history lessons again.


    "Second, if my older brother is there we head back here." This was met with a nod from Asher and Jane. They would have suggested the exact same rule.


    "Third, please don''t freak out too much. We all know that we can''t really stay there. My brother only gave in because we directly confronted him in front of a ton of people. EWe have not won yet." Art was much more serious about this, He still needed to find out what the good reasons were that his brother had hidden away and lied to Art about his super power. Not to mention kick him from the house when it wasn''t fully necessary.


    "Agreed." The two agreed without a single question. As soon as they did, Art stood up and grabbed his jacket.


    "Coming?"

 Chapter 305 - 305. Books, Books, Books

    "Honestly, I''m pretty surprised that you actually let us come for a tour. I thought you would have found a way to get out of it." Jane was pretty surprised. It was written on her face.


    "I would have lost that fight. You two would have ended up dragging me all the way here to my place and giving yourselves a tour." Art wasn''t stupid enough t believe that Jane and Asher would have let him get away. He would give them a tour one way or another.


    "True, we would need someone to at least unlock the door," Asher smirked as Art unlocked the gate and headed in. When he had gotten back to Asher''s and the parents had all finished speaking with each other his mother and father had left him a key to the gate and a paper with the new access codes to the security system.


    The massive front yard and well kept garden was already enough to keep Jane and Asher entertained for some time. But it was late in the day and they knew that the inside would hold many more secrets than they would find outside. "Anyways, welcome to the family mansion I grew up in and my whole family has lived for close to a hundred years."


    The main entry way was, to say the least, extravagant. The entire stairway that leads to the second and third floors was made of pure white marble. The ceiling was a work of literal art. It rivaled any painting from any museum they had ever been to on school field trips. There were many pieces of ornate furniture for guests to rest in while waiting for a family member or for the staff to guide them.


    "Welcome home master Arther. Please allow me to take you and your friend''s shoes and coats." A simply dressed butler was at their side before they even knew it.


    "This is R, he''s the family butler and body guard. He is very polite as long as you don''t do anything to ruin the gladiolas. He has crossbred them for about sixty years now and has claimed the species he bred in a few housekeeping and gardening magazines. They really are something else." The introduction was a little more than what they expected. It sounded like the butler that went by a single letter as a name was more accomplished than an average person.


    "Thank you for taking care of our best friend. He is a bit of a mess at times but he is family now." Asher held out a hand and shook the butler''s hand. It was not the usual people the butler met and he took note.


    "Yes! Thank you for taking care of Art for us all these years. It''s thanks to you he was able to come to school and barge in to our lives." Jane stuck her tongue out at Art making Asher laugh.


    "You guys talk like I''m some walking disaster. But Asher is the one with the bad and good uck super power thing. I just move metal." Art mumbled under his breath as he left his shoes and wandered toward the stairs. "We can work our way down from the top."


    "Sounds good to me!" Asher and Jane ran after him to keep up the [pace since Art was taking the stairs two at a time.


    "Hmm, much better friends than the other young master has. I hope they will stay with him for life." The butler took the group''s shoes to be polished up while they toured the mansion. He was genuinely glad that Art had broken free from the timid and sad attitude he had always had while being alone in the mansion.


    "The third floor is mostly bedrooms. My mom and dad have the entire side of the house so we won''t go in there. Plus, if they are home they would kill me. My brother...he stays on the other side. I have a room here." Art''s room was nearly at the top of the stairs. It was the first door while the other two doors in the hallway were farther away.


    Asher and Jane nearly burst through the door hearing this. As Art watched he reminded himself that this was the best way. Just to get it over with fast. They would need to see his room at some point.


    "Holy cow! How do you have so many cook books? Is this a library of every cook book in the world?" Jane found that there were shelves along every single wall of Art''s room. They each did not have a single free space on them. They were full of cook books from all genres and cultures. Some were even marked up with personal notes made by two different hand writings.


    "Are these the ones you experimented with when cooking with your grandmother? It looks like you two got through most of them." Asher recalled when Art mentioned he would cook with his grandmother all the time and that she was the reason he knew so much.


    "Yeah, she started to gift me the ones she had and then buy new ones every month so we could cook different things. We got through almost all of them before she passed away. It was the best time of my childhood. She retired early from working at hero corp. She helped make one of the healing fluids they use for broken bones and it set her up for life. When she retired she had nothing she wanted to do until she found some weird ingredients and decided to learn to cook them." Art didn''t sound sad that his grandmother was no longer in this world. He truly cherished every moment he had been with her and nothing would ever change that.


    "That''s pretty great. I always wondered why it seemed that you could cook just about anything." Asher found that the rest of the room was fairly normal. Other than the cook books there were a few stacks of video games and a game system.


    "Do you only have fighting games? That''s insane. I thought you would be more in to strategy." Jane wanted to see what Art had since he had been the one most set on getting the video game that helped them learn some of their strongest moves.


    "I used to be but I was always losing those to my brother when I was little and he was still normal. I switched to fighting games after I saw one from the car window. It seemed cool." Art shrugged and checked through them. "None of these are as good as the one we won though. It would be better if their moves were realistic and we could learn them." Art shuffled through them more.


    "What about that one? It''s some fantasy gods of the world theme right? Maybe Louis and Sammy could get inspired." Asher''s idea was spot on. It was a great way for their friends to take their powers even further.


    "That''s a perfect idea. I bet it will help them a bunch. They only look at natural weather and not at more imaginative sources." Jane started to think in that instant that she should be doing the same. She might find she had more abilities that go along with Medusa mythology.


    "Alright, let''s leave my room alone now. The second floor is kind of fun since it''s the entertainment area for my family partys''." Art was watching as Asher and Jane got closer to his manga and anime collection. He didn''t want them to end up being played with since he had some signed by authors and artists. They were his little hobby.


    "Oh, I bet it will bet ten times fancier than the rest of the house." Jane was sold since she was expecting diamonds and crystals at every turn.


    After Jane left the room Asher couldn''t help but smirk, "You know, that looks very similar to that mang novel you needed to stop for when we were shopping." Art punched him in the shoulder and the two got in to a small scuffle as they headed down the stairs.


    "This floor is Huge!" Jane had found the massive dancefloor and entertainment area that took up all of the second floor. Besides the staff kitchens and storage, the shiny wooden ballroom was ideal for lavished events and dancing. There was even a massive crystal chandelier in the middle of the high ceilings. The walls and ceiling had been made to appear taller and more ornate even though it was the second floor and the third was above it.


    "As I said, this is just for entertainment. It''s not much when it comes to places to look but it is a pretty great room to stand in when you feel like the walls are closing in on you." Art spoke as if this was normal. But Asher and Jane picked up on the feeling.


    "You''re right.. There''s so much space here I would feel like I have the whole world to explore if I lay down in the middle." Asher wrapped a hand around Art''s shoulder, "So what''s next? The kitchen?"

 Chapter 306 - 306. How The Rich Live

    "Well, we could look at the kitchen but it is pretty average" Art was shrugging and opened a door revealing the kitchen he had just called average.


    There was endless stainless steel. The fridge could fit enough food to feed a family of five for a month. There was even a walk in freezer humming in the corner. The countertops spread wall to wall except for where there was a massive mixer.


    "You said this was average!?" Jane was about to pick her jaw from the floor since she had dropped it as soon as they walked in.


    "Well, yeah. This is where most of the food for entertaining is prepared. It''s pretty average when compared to commercial kitchens." Art had cooked in Asher''s kitchen and seen a normal family kitchen. Comparing the two he had come to believe that the average may be different but that was just because of what they were used for.


    "Dude, they are totally different than an average kitchen. Even the tools and machines are high end. What commercial kitchen has a bread slicer in it? Last I saw the staff cut bread at the restaurants I went to." Asher was floored just like Jane. He couldn''t meet Art in the middle by calling this average.


    "Pfft, whatever. Let me grab some snacks from the freezer. My macaroons should still be there. We can afford them since it''s moderation and they are made with real fruits and home ground almond flour." This sounded too expensive and As Art opened a box he had pulled from the freezer Jane and Asher thought they had found gems.


    "I swear if you say you made these I will lose it." Jane was trying to accept that Art was some master chef in disguise but it was just too much. She and Asher were always shocked by his ability.


    "The blue one is blueberry and lemon. We have a garden out back with a blueberry bush and lemon tree. The orange is orange and vanilla cream. My play on the orange cream popsicle." Art just went on with an introduction of the flavors.


    "Yesh man, you need to teach me to make these. If Cara ever finds out she will hound you for them for life." Asher was partly joking when he realized that Art was now wrapping up the box to take back to Asher''s when they left. Jane and Asher just smirked at each other a little before they finished their snack and followed Art out to the hallway.


    "This is the training area. My brother used to use it a lot before he started to stay at the hero corp offices. Now it is pretty much just here. It''s not as amazing as the elite home gym system but it has some similar features. It can record movements and allow us to watch them back. Plus there are plenty of dummies and equipment. Most of it is old though." Asher was glad to finally see something worn and well used instead of polished a shiny.


    "This looks like it got a lot of use. I think this is the most normal room so far." Breathing a sigh of relief Asher checked it all out and found that some of the weights were twisted in odd ways from the metal controlling super powers Art''s brother had. He kept it to himself not wanting to bring up anything else that could put Art off.


    Jane, however, but her tongue and spoke. "You know, lifting heavier and heavier weights with your super power would probably be smart training. You should also get some mercury of liquid metals to train with." Jane had been thinking about everyone''s training programs and wanted to help.


    "That''s a good idea. I have been slacking off when it comes to figuring out how to train with liquid metals. I was going to ask you guys if I shroud start heating up tin in a fire pit or something." Art was laughing while Asgher gave him thumbs up. Jane couldn''t hello but think about how all boys were dumber than bricks sometimes. "You guys can definitely come to use this gym though. Everyone can. But I don''t think I am ready to be around here a lot yet¡­" Art trailed off.


    Asher tossed an arm around Art''s shoulder, "You know we will abuse the heck out of your gym, right?" The two laughed and Art dragged Asher from the gym with Jane behind them. Jane smiled since she was glad Asher had been so quick to make sure the atmosphere didn''t get too depressing for Art.


    "The storage room is down there so all thats'' left s the last wing of the house." The group followed Art to the opposite end of the first floor. This looked a lot cleaner and more organized than the other areas. "These are mom and dad''s personal labs. No one is allowed inside and they have the only key cards to the doors. Even my brother isn''t allowed. That is one very big rule. Everyone is allowed their own research area if they so desire it. It''s a big deal since everyone has been some researcher or such in hero corp. That''s one thing my brother and I both have in common, we aren''t researchers nor will we be."


    "Oh, I would not want to test ab evo shot you made." Jane pretended to be afraid and hid behind Asher. Art reacted with an evil expression and pretend to be flicking a syringe to inject an imaginary evo shot. The skit went on as Asher explored a little to the end of the hallways.


    "That''s the greenhouse entrance. My grandmother and grandfather chose to combine their labs and made a greenhouse instead. They decided as they got older that work and home were separate and they made a massive garden in the back yard and greenhouse. My grandmother unkempt is when my grandfather passed on and then I helped her. Eventually, it became too much and we hired an expert with the super power to control plants to a small degree. Come on in."


    The warm damp air hit them full in the face and the scent of damp earth filled their noses. The color of green was the only thing they noticed before the large greenhouse fully took shape in their eyes. "There are so many plants in here that  can''t even see a trail." Asher was feeling lost in a forest.


    "What do you mean? Look at your feet." Art pointed out a trail of pebbles set up to stop plants from growing and took the lead.


    "The flowers are amazing. Some of them even have petals that are multiple colors." Jane was falling in love with the exotic flowers that were in the greenhouse because they were unable to grow outside.


    "Believe I or not, my grandfather crossbred them so that he could change their medicinal properties. He used to make a bunch of tea with them and some medical salves. He said they were old school but would make you feel better since you had a hand in making them." Art could barely remember these words but they had stuck with him since he could barely walk.


    Explain to me why you want to be a hero again? You could be an epic farm to table chef. It''s way different than I am. I have no idea what I would do other than be a hero now. Well, other than a gambler." Asher couldn''t help but make the joke. He knew that his super power would make it illegal for him to gamble because it was the same as cheating.


    "Asher, you can do literally anything with your super power and I''m pretty sure it will work out."Jane was crossing her arms and shaking her head while Art held back a smile. He knew that Asher was asking to be lectured since his super power was literally luck related. He would be able to go and find success pretty much everywhere to some degree, even if it was an accident.


    Asher shook his head and continued on the pebble path until they three came to a large set of glass doors. "This is where the real garden starts. My dad still jogs through it a few times every morning to work out." Art opened the door to display multiple paths through a massive garden that could rival any privately owned floral park. There were different fruit trees and berry bushes along with many herb patches. Art just smiled wider since this was his favorite place other than the kitchen.


    "Yeah, we need to come to jog here with your dad. It would be way better. Plus there are snacks everywhere. The elite home gym system is going to love this for healthy eating." Asher moved to the large blueberry bush and pulled a few off.


    "Art, are you sure you aren''t ready to move back? Asher and I can just live with you." Jane was joking but she looked like she might consider it since Art could live such a luxurious lifestyle. However, Jane and Asher were both glad that their friend wasn''t some rich corrupted jerk.. Art had managed to grow up pretty well so far.

 Chapter 307 - 307. Be Ready

    After the three had thoroughly wandered the large garden finding some fountains and even a koi fish pond Art convinced them to go back and finish studying. Art asking them to go and study was strange until they realized that a car had just pulled in to the driveway and it was most likely Art''s brother. They weren''t there for more answers just yet and they did not want to risk fighting and throwing themselves in to turmoil before finals.


    The three had decided it was best to get their own rest early before the finals the next day and went to do so. The academics were the only classes held so that the students could fully focus on the hour and a half test periods with breaks in betweenn. This also led to them having an early day and being given the rest of the day before the tournaments happened.


    "Alright, I know you all want to go home and do final prep for the tournaments to show off. But I wanted to make sure we touched base. Especially since this is your guys first time with the tournaments and having super powers." Cara had taken the lead and called everyone together. Most of them were feeling like they had brains made of mush from the harsh tests but surprisingly they had all found the questions easy.


    "You all have signed up for the combat tournament since you want to be heroes. That means we have to actually demonstrate that we can control our super powers. We can use them to safely take down an opponent. And we can act with critical thinking. The engineering students get to show off their minds and same with the other academic course. There are even the athletics tournaments where the student get put in to makeshift teams to compete or solo matches in wrestling or martial arts." Cara was making sure they all understood the major differences.


    The other tournaments required specific skill sets and were changed to display those skill sets and their quality of them. The tournament that was created for those who wished to pursue law enforcement often became confused with those that were made to show off laws and such since both dealt with laws. But a legal tournament revolved around how laws work and often took the form of a mock trial.


    The future agent and hero tournament was a mix of many things mostly related to capturing the villain which was the opponent. The school had once used a rescue scenario but found that it encroached on the university education too much. Now the students were too young and just needed control of their super power and proof that they had the mind to use them well.


    "You can win the battle and incapacitate your opponent but if you just punch them and hurt them a lot then the judges can fail you and let your opponent move on which lowers your score. The best method is safely and skillfully beating your opponent. The judges will rate you higher." Cara had seen many recorded matches where someone would run and punch their opponent a few times to win but end up being names the loser. It was all about how someone battled.


    "So If I rush in with my speed and kick my opponent I could lose? That''s so lame." Laura was not the most excited to what that her major speed advantage would not come to use here.


    "Laura, you have been practicing the control of your speed and body. The judges will want to see you do that. Confuse your opponent with speed then surprise attack and cuff them before they can use their own super powers."Louis caught on instantly. "It''s the same reason why I can''t just release all my lightning and zap everything. They want to see me use it safely and in a controlled manner."


    "Louis has it right. If we saw a hero rush in and just pummel someone, would you idolize them?" Jane chimed causing everyone to think of any time they had possibly seen a hero do this. Not a single one of them came to a conclusion where it had happened. "Then I should absolutely use my super power and stop my opponent in their tracks. I would be able to avoid shifting and remain ready for any other attacks." Jane also posed her own question.


    "No wait, if you did you would be occupied with one person. If you shift you could slow multiple down for a team to rush in and deal with." Sammy was grasping the ideas and moved in with her ideas. "It''s the same with how I should use my wind to knock my opponent off balance and then fly in instead of just attacking while in the air. I can''t just be predictable." Sammy was already patting herself on her shoulder.


    "I think that puts me at a loss for the tournament. How am I going to demonstrate anything good if my power is all physical?" Jackson felt the most at a loss. So what if he was strong? If he hurt his opponent he would lose. So what if he could jump high? If he did he would lose mobility. So what if he was big and intimidating? He would scare any citizens around.


    "That''s all about how you look while using your powers and knowledge. If you manage to pull off a strong protector vibe then you will be safe. There''s that hero with a shifter to a shark that looks completely terrifying. But he made that annoying shark son and dances t it for little kids. They love him and he educates people with swimming safety facts while fighting. Super weird at first but very smart and informative for everyone. It makes his public image skyrocket." Art showed the video causing everyone to cringe and try to ignore the music.


    "I see, I could do the rugged mountain man look and show off my survival knowledge too. I would rather do that than be a brutal fighter." Jackson was surprisingly in to it and was already thinking about investing in more flannel to pull off the look.


    "Hmm, my ragdoll style, my luck, and whatever randomness comes from the bad luck aspect. Yeah, I will figure it out." Asher was just willing to wing it. None of them were happy to see this as Asher''s answer but he just went with it and they couldn''t break it to him that he would have to switch things up sometimes. However, before anyone said it they realized that he was always unpredictable and would take down an opponent no matter what.


    "I can just bend the metal or manipulate the handcuffs to capture my opponent. That will be best." Art just went with that plan. He could best restrain people due to his ability to manipulate metal.


    "Yeah, you kind of have a cheat. I used my super power to deafen people the last time but I only deafened my opponent. The reason I didn''t get first overall was the fact that it was seen as inhumane to deafen people even though it could be healed. So now I will confuse them with sound and throw my voice. Throw off their balance. And potentially make sound waves that cause the air to heat up and cause miniature air explosions to push people back." Jane just smiled as she said all this.


    "Wait, that last one sounds kind of...evil," Louis spoke slowly with a little worry that Cara was developing some super messed up secret moves,


    "Naa, I can''t actually do it yet. I can''t hit the proper frequencies in moving air yet. It will be great when I can though. How many super villains do you think will be able to survive a weak punch from me? I don''t have a physical super power so I need to have other means of attacks when my body is too weak." Cara was thinking about these things and basing it off of studies with sonic booms and other experiments. It would work one day but she had a great deal of training to do.


    "I guess you''re right. But maybe make it sound a little less destructive if you do figure it out." Sammy made a small pleading gesture toward Cara and the group all nodded too. Cara just shrugged and nodded to so make sure that they knew she was going to make it sound better.


    "Is everyone else as ready as I am? I feel like I know everything I need to now." Art stood up from their sitting circle and started to stretch. He was ready to go for the tournament in the morning.


    "Actually...What do we do if we face each other in the tournament?" Cara didn''t need to worry about Jacksons'' question. The rest of them did though.


    "Well that''s easy, we go all out and show off our skills after stating that we are training partners and will form a hero group." Asher knew this might not be the answer the judges would want but they wouldn''t be able to fault them since it was the true case. They couldn''t take points of they were using the situation for the ideal training.

 Chapter 308 - 308. Surprise Judge

    The group met in front of the school much earlier than any of the other students. They wanted to make sure each of them was ready for their starts and have a few moments to wish each other luck. The odds of them facing each other were very high, especially since they knew they were miles ahead of everyone else.


    "Well look who''s here already. Did you come to greet me?" Of all people to walk through the entrance to the school, the group was looking at Garnet.


    "Garnet? What brings you here?'' Jane was the first to ask curiously. She wasn''t sure why Garnet would ever leave the camp since there had to be a lot going on due to other schools sending their own campers over at different times.


    "Well, since I have worked with the students at camp they extended a guest evaluator position for the tets. I am basically your judge. That means this one right here to beat that brat before me in a certain martial arts'' tournamnet, "Garnet clapped Art on the shoulder, "Should be very worried." The wicked smile made all of them shiver.


    "Well I ummm, he was a very tough opponent and I must have won with sheer luck. Gumb luck . Exactly that, you can ask Asher. He knows all about luck. You know, his super power and All." The quick thinking was Art''s attempt to shake of Garbnet but when he looked back in her eyes he was surprised to see a different look.


    "You did pretty great. Without a super power you managed to push much further than anyone else. But when that..hmm what''s his name? Powerless king? Whatever, when he comes back he will remember your moves. He is tricky." Garnet warned Art before looking at everyone else.


    "I''m pretty sure you are not the kids that were at my camp a while ago. Are you sure you are all still in high school?" Garnet joked a little. Little did they know that she had watched every single match and was already labeling them as the best heroes in their generation and possibly the century.


    "Have you seen my brother? Onyx should be around here somewhere. He came earlier to explore the survival area. Apparently, there is a spot that replicates a landslide he wants to tets out. Since he is another guest judge elsewhere he is allowed." Garnet rolled her eyes since she thought it was stupid that he had rushed there so fast without her.


    Jackson and Asher grew slightly on edge hearing that Onyx was around. They were both afraid they would somehow hurt another tree he had cared for and end up on the bad side of Onyx even more. "Ehm, no. None of us have seen him." Jackson threw on his best smile to greet Garbet.


    "Pretty sure you grew another inch. Sure you won''t come and train under me to be a martial arts master? I can make it worth your while." Garnet rubbed her fingers as if there was money between them making Jackson quickly but politely decline.


    "I have other commitments. Please still look after me in the future." He didn''t want Garnet to feel like he was completely tossing the possibility aside. He was actually considering applying to work at the camp in the summer for a part time job. It would be the best place to get better at survival and also teach others what he knew.


    "Well, before I go to meet the principal. Remember to use your brains if you have them. I''m sure your teachers already said it, but it is good to be reminded." Garnet headed in to the school with a backward wave.


    "Wow, they even brought Garnet to evaluate the tournament this year. They never bring in outside evaluators to judge and give us scores." Louis was pretty impressed.


    "I think that might be because of us. I''m reading the statement the principal posted online, '''''' due to the extreme progress our students have been having, we have invited multiple experienced judges to grade the tournaments this year. Look forward to strong explanations and evaluations from experts in our parental broadcast of this years tests"" looks like he planned all this out pretty well.'' Sammy closed her phone and pouted slightly knowing that a perfect grade would be much harder now.


    "It doesn''t matter who judges. All of us are going to do well. Although, you all have to deal with each other." Cara snickers a little knowing that they were all stuck competing for the best possible ranking.


    "At least we know that the grade we get won''t be based on the place we finish. I have been worried they might fail us if we lose." Asher had the small nightmare the previous night that they would get first but end up being failed for a wrong move.


    "True, even if we lose the first round because of a bad super power match up we might still get a perfect hundred points," Jane reassured Asher and herself that they will do well no matter what.


    "I think we all know what we will do and how we can show off our unique ability to use our super powers. Just remember, if you guys come against me, admit defeat." Art started the trash talking and in a second everyone was trash talking each other in some way or another. Not a single person was actually listening to the others.


    After this loud bot of yelling and joking they finally split up and headed to prepare themselves. The next time they would meet would be the large gym where their tournament was taking place.


    The science and engineering tournament was already underway and claimed a major portion of the academic buildings. The athletic tournaments were being prepared and every single field was in use for the day. There were many chairs and bleachers set up for parents who would come and watch. This was nearly another field day for the students but instead, there were college and university scouts.


    Somehow Jane and Asher ended up alone together wandering the halls watching as some of the engineering and science focused students prepared their demonstrations and experiments.


    "So, do you think you will stand a chance against me when we meet at the last match of the tournament?'' Jane was just trying to tease Asher a little but his reaction was a little more than she expected.


    "If you want I can let you win. Our grade won''t be affected if we forfeit for a good reason." Asher was thinking about this a little since he didn''t want to push Jane to shift multiple times in a day. He was too worried she would overdo it.


    "I''m not so weak that you would have to give up." Jane huffed and turned away from him.


    "Oh trust me. I know you aren''t weak. You forget you have hit me before." He laughed a little, making her relax more.


    "You should face me full on. That''s one reason I respect you." She nearly whispered the end but Asher managed to hear the entire thing.


    "Then we will test each other to the best of our abilities. But please promise me you won''t shift more than twice today." Asher held out a hand to pinky promise with Jane. She paused and thought for a moment before accepting that it was her friend expressing worry. She wouldn''t throw his worry away.


    "I promise. I don''t think I can even shift a third time at all to be honest." Jane also knew that she had some serious limits when it came to shifting and was not willing to push herself too far as to hurt herself.


    "Good." Asher nodded accepting the promise but still didn''t release Jane''s finger. The two wandered the hall with the pinky fingers locked tight not saying a word until they got to the locker rooms. "I''ll see you in a little while. Don''t go too easy." Asher smirked and headed in to the male side.


    Jane shouted back, "Don''t go thinking you can win!" She left to the female locker rooms.


    "Was that Jane I heard yelling at you from outside?" Art was at a locker changing in to his gear and had been waiting for Asher to get there. "I figured you two would be late since you two are all dross and lovey dovey." Art was given a solid tackle from Asger after he said this prompting the two to start rough housing before they were even getting in to the matches.


    "You guys know that we can get in trouble for this right?" Louis was shaking his head while watching the scene go down.


    "I think they don''t care...But it''s their failed grade." Jackson  just kept changing without looking at the two.m


    The loud speaker chimed in interrupting all the students, "The tournament for those who wish to pursue law enforcement and hero work in their career options is beginning in ten minutes. Every student will need to be in the large gym and in line to register. The doors will be locked afterwards.." Asher and Art rushed back to changing.

 Chapter 309 - 308. Opponents To Watch

    "Asher Ronan, you are checked in and ready for the first match. You will be placed in the first group. Congratulations. The first group is always the most watched." The staff that had been brought in was from a well known agency that was often called in to many tournaments. The woman had worked the school tournaments and knew just how much the students valued them. She did not hesitate to drop hints and tricks for everyone so they may perform better.


    Asher watched the woman help six more students and couldn''t help but believe he was watching a genuinely kind human being. Not everyone would go above and beyond what was asked of them. "Excuse me, but before I go, can you point me to the manager here?" Asher wanted to make sure he reported this woman for doing her jobs above and beyond.


    "Actually it is me, is there an issue with your identification bracelet we issued?" Asher''s smirk and small laugh confused the staff manager.


    "I was just about to tell them that you needed a raise since you are setting the perfect example for all the other staff members. But I guess you already have it." Asher had felt the need to make sure the kindness was returned. He wanted to see more people who would help everyone just out of general kindness.


    "Well, thank you very much. It has been a long time since someone said something like that to me. I hope that you manage to graduate and become a hero that follows your current actions." Asher was impressed all over again. "Before you go, remember to stretch and conserve energy. You have multiple matches here." The woman winked and watch him head off.


    Asher started to stretch and found that the other staff members nearby heard the entire encounter. They were shocked that their manager had received such a compliment and begun to act the same way. They were hinting and helping the students as well. Asher only had hope that this would become normal for every tournament or group competition.


    "Was your identification broken? You were over there for a while." Att was the first through the line after Asher and was worried that Asher had somehow managed to have the bad luck for the change.


    "No, I was just thanking her. She gave me some advice. Come on, stretch with me too. It will help you relax your nerves." The pair was stretched and by the time half the line was though registering the entire group was back together.


    "So. just a question. Why are we the only group stretching before? Everyone else is warming up and running around." Laura wanted to start to run and warm up to but knew that the group had to be doing something wiser than that.


    "I was chatting with the manager who I was lucky enough to check in with. She told me that stretching and energy conservation was the most important thing in all of this." Asher didn''t say anymore.


    "That makes sense. I only have so many snacks before I would run low on energy. Then I would get slow. I don''t see any vending machines around here." Laura accepted it as soon as she heard it. This was a good way for her to live life in general but now it was on clear display for everyone to live.


    "I get it too. I see a bunch of people burning away their energy and even practicing their super powers. They know we can see them right?" Sammy already understood that their groups'' super powers were easy to look up online after the tournaments. But it was lucky that it was only one interaction in a tournament. People would only expect the one thing from them and relax too much when they fought.


    "It would be the same in the wilderness. People need to budget their energy with the tasks they take on. There is never a promise that someone will be rescued and found instantly." Jackson easily related this to the lessons he had learned based on survival and rescues.


    "So we save energy and stay ready. But the real question we should be asking is, who do we watch out for?" Louis was trying to pick anyone out of their class that could pose a threat of any kind at all. So far he had only seen foolish dreamers and those that were there for fame.


    "That tailed girl that I dought in camp. I managed to win since there was the worry that my gaze could actually turn someone to stone. But at the end of the day, I just stop them in place and greatly slow them down. She could shift in to different animals based on her tail and the tails were as strong as the animal even when she was not shifted." Jane remembered the girl that had infuriated her in to shifting for the first time.


    That girl that refuses to respond to her name and goes by nine tails? She knows that the name is used way too much in fantasy and mythology for fox monsters and goddesses right?" Art was rolling his eyes because he remembered the encounter and had thought the name was bad no matter how appropriate.


    "You said four tails, but she had five now. She was showing off that she has the tail of a stegosaurus in the cafeteria the other day. She said that she can even shit her skin in to dinosaur skin like them. If I remember right she also grows spikes out of her back too. Honestly, she just was really loud and it was kinda lame." Laura had been rushing to get a snack and saw this happening. She had written it off as some girl bragging but now it seemed to be a lucky break.


    "Alright, that is one person we will worry about. And there''s also those in that mixed martial arts club. They are all over there and have been glaring at us for a while." Asher had noticed the glares since the club got together. They took this test for the respective right to battle Asher again. They didn''t want to be heroes and they didn''t want to enforce the law. At the moment they wanted to build back the pride they felt that they had lost at camp, jewel.


    "I should have known they would be around." Art was sure that they had made some enemies but to have an entire club against them was too much.


    "That''s actually a good thing." Samy and Louis were sharing this opinion and both spoke at the same time.


    "And, I''m lost. I understood that we were scouting people out that would be tough to beat. But now you are saying that having multiple opponents who all only want to beat us is a good thing?" Jackson felt as if he was missing something major.


    Jane slapped her hand in to her palm, Louis and Sammy let her take the lead. "Unlike that tail girl or whatever she likes to be called, if we beat a group it looks better. Even in one on one matches that don''t required us to come in first. Not to mention that we already know most of the techniques they will use. Firstly because we saw most of their moves at camp. Secondly, because they think that they can still beat us after training a little. Third, because they are just the kind of people everyone expects to win. We can easily take them down due to that."


    The group continued their conversation as they stood there stretching and using the least amount of energy to plan every thing out. They did not want the lines to end and first matches to start unless they felt that they were perfectly ready. Naturally, Asher decided to wander about after they had spoken because he had the feeling that he was being watched too much.


    Asher found a few familiar cases of students that he had passed ln before. They glared and glanced at him as he walked through the students. The main reason for it was to see if there were any tough opponents that he could take care of before it happened.


    Those that glared were remembering camp where Asger and the group owned the sparring field. The glances were those who watched the tournament and knew their strength. Any other was just some fan or clueless student.


    When Asher noticed a person he had not seen before he walked by slower. The girl was wearing very flashy clothing yet everyone walked by her as if there was nobody there. It was very odd because Asher knew that any bully would target her clothing choices for jokes easily.


    "Are you actually looking at me?" She picked out Asher''s gaze in a second. Asher nodded his head slowly.


    "Well, that''s a first. Usually, my super power stops anyone from seeing me. It takes a very unique power to see me. Even like this." The girl gave a full spin showing off her handiwork.

 Chapter 310 - 309. Easy Easy Easy

    "So, what''s with the outfit? Are you...alright?" Asher was pretty sure that the girl he was talking to was crazy. He may have been checking out his opponents while the rest of the students checked in and registered for the testing tournament. But he had not expected to find some girl dressed in the craziest clothing.


    "Yeah. I''m fine. I just wear this because it''s fin when people don''t notice it. My power is oblivious. People are completely oblivious of me most of the time. My family isn''t affected and neither will anyone else who is close to me. But for some reason, random people can see me sometimes. I didn''t touch you or call out to you so you''re a random person." The girl just giggled a little at the strange happenstance that brought her another person that could see her.


    "Well, I tend to be lucky. So, I can assume that''s why I saw you." Asher wasn''t sure where Art and Jane had moved to while scouting out their opponents. The rest of the group was doing their own thing and scouting out people too. Asher couldn''t even call out to someone to have them join up with the weird conversation.


    "Hmm, lucky. That might do it. Are you going to be taking the test? I Already took mine earlier. I did communication and information gathering tests with the business students. Not that that is what I will use it for." Asher was surprised. This girl was openly admitting she was learning to be some kind of spy!


    "That''s why I''m here. I plan to get the top grade." Asher wasn''t sure if this girl had told him she was already done with her test as the truth or potentially a lie. The biggest reason he thought this was some for of trick was the fact that she was sneaking through looking at all the participants. It would make sense if she was here to gather information and use it to get a better grade herself.


    "Well, nice to see you. If you see me again I will give you my name. I already have yours though, Asher." She rushed away in to a group of students and when Asher tried to follow her he found that her figure was blurry. When he blinked she was gone completely. Yet, he swore he saw a flash of bright yellow and orange clothing passing by one of the stairs to the evaluation booth.


    "Attention students. The bracelet you wear will display your first match starting point. Please proceed to your ring and remember that you are being evaluated. Good luck!" The announcement caused everyone to move. Asher hadn''t even noticed that there was no longer a line of students and instead just people walking around or chatting.


    Before he could take a step he noticed that he was already standing in the ring he needed to be. The other student shad moved to evenly spread out across the gym. Just as a skinny boy came in to the circle a super power was used that covered them in a small transparent dome.


    "Per the rules, the domes will protect from outside interference. Thank you to the hard working barrier projectors for volunteering their time today." The announcer chimed in again before the two boys began to circle each other. There was no starting mark here. Life would not be kind enough to warn the other that a villain was going to strike or that a crime was going to happen. Those things only happened in the movies.


    "Sorry, but I need to take you in to custody now." The skinny boy was growing what looked like long hairs from his body. He had some super power related to hair and tangling up opponets.


    "Likewise, but it will be you that is taken down today. It''s a shame though, your super power is great for this." Asher jumped as a braided hair came at him. The skinny boys'' whipped his hair a few times before he realized that he was not successful and that Asher was in front of him.


    Asher wanted to just kick or punch out. However, since he was being evaluated on his wisdom he decided to use a through which he could control better and move in to a pinning position to hold the skinny boy until he could be declared the winner.


    Asher caught the skinny boys'' arm and was surprised by just how light he was. The skinny boy flipped in air and was instantly on his face while Asher was flipping his hands and handcuffing him in a way.


    The skinny boy was attempting to use his hair to move and bind Asher but every time he attempted it Asher would add a little more weight and force. After a short time, he heard a soft ding from a speaker in the floor. "Asher is the victory. The evaluation has passed. Asher will move on to the next round." Asher released his opponent instantly. All the hair the sunny boy had made was pulled back to his body bringing back a normal appearance.


    Asher looked around to see many of the students in victory or despair. Some were even furious since it looked like they had easily crushed their opponent but had been told they lost. Asher could only speculate that it was because they had not done so using strategy and instead just rushed in and beat their opponent.


    "The next match will begin in ten minutes. Please leave if you have not been named a victor. Those who have won please remain and wait for the next instruction." The transparent dome disappeared and the skinny boy slowly left. Asher almost felt bad since the super power and strategy was good. However, it came down to training and the ability to utilize super powers.


    "How did yours go? I had some kind who had bendy bones. He used them like springs. Super gross but cool." Laura popped up right next to Asher surprising him.


    After regaining his wits Asger managed to reply, "I had someone who caused their hair as a weapon to try and tie me up. He had a good strategy but a weak base." Laura nodded along while scanning the area for everyone else.


    "I don''t see Louis anywhere. He had to have passed, right" Laura was worried that Louis had failed the first round of the tests and was now out of the running completely.


    "Sp worried about him, huh?" Asher wanted to tease her a little but he didn''t have the chance since Louis was walking up to them from her opposite side and she would see him anyways.


    "That''s it, you''re the last one. Everyone passed the first round." Laura looked happier than ever but she also visibly relaxed.


    "That''s great. I knew the whole group would make it. The guy I faced just had really sensitive eyes. I just made a little flash of lightning and he was blinded. I moved behind him and boom. He was down. If it was anyone by me." Louise knew his opponent had been extremely unlucky.


    "That sounds like you really lucked out. I had to actually pin my opponent for real." Asher wanted the others to come over but the gym was huge and there was no chance that they would easily be able to find their way through the mass of students in time.


    "The second match should be better right? I think the hero wannabes are gone now and we have those who actually want to go after the law enforcement and super hero jobs." Laura was sure of it. When her bracelet vibrated she started to move away.


    "The second round will begin shortly. Please prepare." The voice cut them all off and forced them back to their respective areas. Another opponent took the space with Asher.


    "I''ve wanted a rematch with you for some time. This won''t be like camp was." Asher looked at the kid from the martial arts and boxing club. He had dragged two friends with him before but now he was totally alone and slightly more built.


    "Huh, I didn''t think you would be so unlucky to face me again. I see you have been training but is it really enough? You had to have seen the tournament that just happened and how my group literally swept every single one." Asher tried his best to talk the kid out of it but it was futile.


    "I won''t back down. I know you used all your luck. I asked around and your luck makes other people have bad luck. But once you use up your like it''s all gone. You are just a normal person without luck. Just like now. You used it all at the tournament."


    Asher had no idea where such a crazy rumor had come from. He hadn''t seen it pop up on the comments of the ideas for the tournaments or anywhere else.. He was at a complete loss as to what to say to this accusation.

 Chapter 311 - 310. Familiar Opponents

    The match had already started but as Asger dodged the boy''s first few punches he didn''t attack back. He was completely caught in the fact that the rumors going around were about him eating luck. He had no idea how that started.


    "Ah! Dang it Art. Didn''t you ask that when I first told you about my super power?" Asher remembered that Art had that same idea. "Stupid people must have overheard and that''s how it started." Asher had stopped for just a second as he recalled this.


    This stop was enough for the boy to attack and start a combo of five punches. Unfortunately, Asher was too well trained to let a hit land. He had been practicing footwork too much to just let anything hit.


    "How!? You aren''t even taking me seriously. You are just mumbling to yourself like a crazy person and dodging. This makes no sense! I trained for a week straight at the gym with the seniors teaching me. I should be able to wipe the floor with you!" The boy had trained a lot in the past weeks after the camp. Asher had sparked a desire to become stronger in him.


    "Huh? Sorry, I was annoyed because there are some rumors going around about my super power. I guess it''s good to think that my luck runs out but that''s not true. Not that I need it in this match and you aren''t an enemy so I won''t be putting you in to any super bad luck. Although I will kt guarantee that you won''t fall or get hurt somehow, I don''t really have control over all of it." Asher laughed it off a little infuriating his opponent even more.


    The reaction caused Asher to shake his head and let the boy punch more and more. After a full five minutes of this, he saw his opponent begin to stumble and sweat. He had lost his adrenaline and used a lot of energy only to miss every chance he had to hit Asher.


    "I''m sorry this isn''t what you thought it would be but I didn''t want to make a bad impression and just beat you up. Now that you are tired out," Asher ducked under his opponent and used a leg to trip him. With a quick motion, he pulled an arm behind the boy''s back and held it tight. "I can stop you safely without harm to myself or you."


    "Ugh..come on. I trained hard and this is where I am?" The boy lamented the hours he spent. They felt like a waste.


    "You''re definitely way better than before, don''t get that wrong. But I have been training too. I just have a group behind me that trains furiously too. I bet you will have a pretty great grade if you get control of your one track revenge thing. You could easily stand equal to some of the best." Asher wasn''t making it up. His opponent was like night and day compared to the kid at camp that came mocking him.


    "Asher is deemed the winner. Extra credit has been awarded. Supplementary lessons are recommended for the loser of this match. Please proceed to the evaluation room to meet a potential mentor."


    The announcement surprised Asher''s opponent. A potential mentor wanted to speak to him? "I bet that''s Garnet. She is looking for people who want to use martial arts to make a living. You kind of fit her type of student. Good luck." Asher gave him a wave and looked around to find that Jane was close to him during this break.


    "Asher, did you win too?" She was excited to make it through the second round without even using her super powers at all.


    "I did, and I got extra credit. Apparently offering some guidance to my opponent was a good idea. Not that I wanted the extra credit, I just thought that that kid that challenged us from the martial arts club could become more with a little mental strengthening." Asher shrugged a little trying to brush it off but Jane was already smiling in awe. She had not heard of anyone getting extra credit this way.


    "It''s amazing that they are also listening to our matches. I thought it was just a video. I wonder how much more in depth they are going?" Jane suddenly became more pensive. The evaluations were not some small thing. This was the way the school would grade them and guide their classes in the future. Their senior years did allow them to have some choices but the decisions they made after this first evaluation would shape those years that came later. That''s why it was done earlier.


    "By the way, how have your matches gone so far? Have you seen anyone else get moved to a circle near you yet? I managed to talk with Laura and Louis for a bit on the last break." Asher wanted to make sure that everyone was still doing well.


    "Oh, mine were easy. I went against a kid who was able to manifest turtle shell shields. It was cool and really good for protecting people. Then this last match I went against another girl who could control wind. But compared to Sammy she controls a sneeze where Sammy controls a typhoon." Jane was not worried at all when it had come to these opponents. The matches had been child''s play.


    "I saw Art but no one else. He said the first match his opponent basically gave up. It was sad but after all of us were televised and plastered on the internet he didn''t want to get hurt. So Art won. I don''t know where he went now." Jane shrugged and put her hands up at a loss.


    "Well, at least Art shouldn''t lose points for that. But it''s rough he didn''t have a chance to show off yet. I''m surprised it hasn''t happened more often though. Apparently, there is a rumor about me eating luck like a snack." Asher chuckled as Jane tried t hold her own laughter back a little.


    "My first opponent said they were afraid my hair would turn in to snakes and try to eat him. That''s why he started the match by hiding behind a turtle shell shield." Jane was also the victim of some of the rumors. The wild things that poeple were coming up with had no end.


    "If your hair ever turns in to snakes and starts to eat people just give me a call so I can hide too. I feel like they would try and eat me right away." Asher was joking but when he noticed Jane check her hair just in case he became worried.


    "They would never eat you. I like you too much." She more mumbled this to herself, but Asher was able to hear it clearly. He was thrown for a loop and turned redder than a tomato for the first time in a while. For the remainder of the break, they ended up just standing in silence since Jane had noticed Asher had heard her.


    When the announcement sounded for them to return to the rings specified Jane rushed off a little faster than usual. Asher also headed off but he managed to look back to see Jane heading to the far side of the gym. When he found the ring he needed to be in he also found a familiar face.


    "Well, this is just not fair." Louis stood in the ring with his hood up. He had thought that he would need to face one of his friends much later. This was just not fair to him since he had seen Asher fight too many times and knew just how outmatched he was.


    "Well, at least I know I will have to be serious this match. I''m glad we are getting to face someone we train with. It will be a good warm up for us to really get in to the matches." Asher started to bunch around before falling in to his rag doll style stance.


    "I know, but do we really need to fight if we know each other so well? Bah, whatever. Be ready to get zapped. I have charged up a little." Louis was swearing his gear as he should but had modifies a few pieces. The gloves in particular had sections of metal added so he could use them better as a stun gun effect. The lighting was dancing on them showing off the control Louis had been fighting for.


    "Bring it on, maybe you will zap yourself." Asher teased and the two took steps toward each other. Louis had mostly practiced the basics. This was giving him the disadvantage because he knew them best. However, when Louis punched out a small zap of lightning also shot out. It was the style he was slowly evolving and creating. It made his close combat attacks slightly ranged. It was perfect for his super powers.


    "Ha! Nice try. But I know how tricky your strategy is. I will have to exhaust that lighting of yours. Sorry, not sorry!" Asher started to move around Louis forcing him to punch over and over.. He knew that if he made contact with Louis he would get zapped and it could all be over. The plan to tire Louis out and claim victory was underway!

 Chapter 312 - 312. Lightning Flow

    Louis knew that Asher would have a plan in case he faced anyone. All of them had been analyzing each other since they started training together. It was part of the reason they all improved so much. They had different perspectives that allied them to be able to come up with many weaknesses and strengths. Not to mention the amazing techniques and hidden methods to use their super powers.


    This was how Louis knew that Asher was the worst opponent for anyone to face. It wasn''t the luck or the fact that there was some form of bad luck around Asher. It was the fact that Asher was able to go with the flow in any situation. Even if it looked impossible and hard to do Asher would push through it or just flow with it.


    Louis had marked this early on in their friendship. He had watched Asher put himself through harsh training and just move as one with it. He had seen him just shrug off the mental stress and let it be part of him rather than oppose it.


    Seeing all of this, Louis was unsure of how Asger could manage it. He had a good life with his family and he had never been through great tragedy to force his mind to become strong enough to adapt to these things. It was a loss for Louis.


    Naturally, Louis didn''t know that Asher had been tempered in this way. He had been through the worst and learned to flow with the worst and not let it shake his soul. Now, Asher could flow through anything and had the super powers that would allow him to do just that.


    "Come on! You think that puny lightning can do anything to me?" Asher was taunting Louis. He knew that when Louis was teased he would subconsciously let more lightning go. He was rewarded with a larger bolt hitting the floor and dispersing.


    "Just stay still for a second and you will know just how puny my lightning is!" Louis fell victim to it a little too much and started to use his fastest foot work to try and catch up.


    Can''t catch me!" Asher knew exactly what Louis was trying to do. He knew that if he let Louis keep using his lightning and footwork he would find Louis with a hand on his back any second to shock him and take him down.


    Asher started to push himself a little as well to compy what he knew of Janes'' footwork. She had the fastest and most accurate so she could dodge the best. The only person that rivaled her in controlled speed was Asher. Laura would have the title but she still lacked control the faster she got.


    "I will catch you!" Louis began to push himself more. Every step made a little lightning arc from his feet even though he was not trying to direct it there. His lightning was being moved through the body naturally instead of by force. His muscles were tightening as he moved and the greater force he was putting in to it caused the lightning to react.


    Asher turned to spin and dodge the outstretched hand only to see the lightning arcing and dancing around Louis''s body. This was much more than normal. "Louis, keep it up. Try and come and get me if you can!" Louis didn''t even catch the more serious tone that Asher had taken on.


    While the two moved they ignored the time of the match. Asher would call to Louis here and there instruct him of where he was and to turn. Louis found himself bending and twisting more than he ever had. The movements were straining but he was still feeling the flow of energy and desire not to gove in and let Asher win.


    "Come on! You have more than that. Show me the real power of that lightning body!" This comment was the first that Louis managed to hear. It was also the lack of real taunting that caught him as well. He spared a single glance to his own body and realized that he had completely forgotten his lightning. "No! Keep it up. You are using your super power just fine! This is your breakthrough!"


    Louis opened his eyes wider and started to chase after Asher with renewed vigor. He felt the changes in his body and realized that Asher had been leading him from edge to edge of the ring for a reason. The twisting and ducking he had been doing was training his body which was evenly distributing his lightning for the first time ever.


    "Ha! I got yo-" Louis fell flat on his face, the last lightning arc falling away and dissipating.


    "Nice job. That was a heck of a time to show off your super powers'' break through." Asher set a hand on Louis''s back and looked up toward the evaluation room, "Please send a nurse over. My friend exhausted himself during his break through. He has been trying to figure this kind of thing out for a while. Please don''t judge us too hard for making the best of the situation." Asher didn''t receive a response. However, there was a nurse who made it over in a short time and helped take Louis away. All Asher could do was watch as the sleeping Louis was taken away.


    "Asher! You just beat up Louis until he couldn''t stand anymore!" Sammy was rushing at Asher after seeing Louis on the stretcher and headed away with a nurse.


    "Hey-Wait!" Asher dodged a punch and a kick while trying to explain things. "He broke through. He made a great- ah! Stop that! He is fine just tired!" Asher stopped and yelled for a second as Sammy landed a soft hit on his chest. She had realized his words as she punched and pulled back enough to just make the punch a tap.


    "I thought...sorry. I do trust you. But Louis is family." Sammy felt bad for the over reaction but to her, Louis was the brother she would fight to the end for. Any family member was the same.


    "I get it, I know you two grew up together like real brother and sister. Heck, if you two looked more like you could be called twins." The two laughed a little but Asher knew he had used a lot of energy to battle against Louis. His mind was in slight disarray because of this. He still had more matches to weather.


    "Soo, you''ve been winning huh? And Louis..had an enlightening match?" Sammy finally broke the tension while they waited for the next instruction.


    "Yeah, been making it through. Louis must have started to ignore the harsh control and just let the lightning flow. Or at least that is what I assume happened. He had it all over his body and was much faster. I''m glad he didn''t touch me. I doubt I would survive the shock." Asher was very impressed. The massive boost to Louis''s physical prowess using the lighting in that was was well worth the time to learn how it happened.


    "Then that means he will be on the back yard training like a crazy person again. I will have to tell grandpa so he makes sure he closes the window at night. The other day Louis was outside until midnight trying to learn to shoot smaller lighting arcs." Sammy said this like she was trying to teach a child something, but Asher could see on her face that she was impressed with how hard Louis had been working.


    "What about you? Been making progress lately? I heard that you are still in contact with that woman with the dragon wings." Asher wasn''t trying to pry too much but Sammy had already told everyone that she had made a friend in her tournament and that she was flying with her to practice how it felt.


    "Of course I am. She took me up really high the other day. I had no idea how strong the winds were up at the top of all the buildings. I was able to feel the currents and how they mix. I haven''t changed my style yet, but I need to. Just wait. I will make you all help me." Asher couldn''t help but feel a lot of his energy return after hearing the determination in Sammy''s voice.


    "Then we will put you through the wringer to get you where you need to be. Just remember that you asked for the help." Asher stuck his tongue out as he heard the speaker come back to life directing them to their rings yet again. This time Asher didn''t recognize his opponent.


    Someone who did recognize their opponent was Jane. She was looking at the girl who called herself nine tails but actually now had five tails. "Should I call you five tails now instead of four tails? I heard you got some dinosaur tail now. Stegasaurus?" Jane made her tone as friendly as possible. However, this just made her opponent more agitated.. The rivalry had been sparked during their match in camp and now it was time for their rematch.

 Chapter 313 - 313. Brains For Brawn

    " Awe, that''s cute. You have jokes now. But those won''t help you win. You already know what my other tails do, but now, I have another." nine tails was still arrogant. However, she had marked Jane as her shifter rival in the school. The simple fact was that Jane and nine tails were some of the only shifters that were pursuing hero work.


    "Oh, I heard. I have kept an ear out for gossip and annoyances. It makes sense that you would unlock some dinosaur tail. It fits your personality." Nine tails wasn''t sure if this was really insulting or not. It did feel like she had just been slapped though.


    "Whatever, I saw your match and I know your super power. I won''t be beaten at all this time. Nothing can stop me." Nine tails was already starting to shift. "I am going all out and I don''t even care if it gets me a bad grade."


    The shift that was taking over and nine tails was losing her feminine charm. The ancient looking lizard like skin was not just plain colored like any lizard in a zoo. It was bright orange with green and brown striations along it. There were sharp looking scaled that protruded from her back and she had lost the founders she had before. They had been replaced by heavy looking elephant legs.


    However, Nine tails still stood. The tails she had came together in to one longer lizard tail. The same scaled spikes protruding from it until it reached the end. The end had a heavy bone and scale like hammer shape on it that Jane knew could crush stone in one slam. The only other thing to note were the fact that nine tails had gained large yellow eyes that looked ideal for taking in large areas.


    There was a problem though, like some lizards there were two sets of eye lids on the large yellow eyes. One set that fully closed and another clear set. These clear eyelids were enough to block some light and make things blurry. They were nothing in place to keep eyes out for predators and also keep the eye balls hydrated. Jane knew immediately from basic biology classes that this was bad news for her super power. She couldn''t stop nine tails in place like other opponents.


    Jane knew that she wouldn''t be able to handle this but she also knew that if she shifted now she would be at a severe disadvantage the rest of the tournament. Especially when she had to face someone from her group.


    The growl that came from nine tails was the prelude to her charge. Jane was barely able to dodge her and the swipe of a tail that followed. The thud of the tail hitting the ground was enough t shake the floor and attract looks from nearby students. Their matches may have been important but they couldn''t help but watch the shifters battle it out.


    Jane was sure that the hard lizard skin would not be easy to damage and that the best method to beat Nine tails was to wear her down. She appeared to have lost intelligence when she shifted in to this form in exchange for raw power and defense. "You gave up your voice just to get uglier? Ha!" Jane was taunting her on purpose and received the response she wanted.


    Nine tails lashed out over and over causing the ground to shake even more. This had to be burning a lot of energy besides the fact that it was causing many people to stumble and fall during their own matches. The only reason Jane was able to endure it without faulting was the fact that she often slipped and tripped during training. She knew it was a hazard of being around Asher but accepted it with grace. She would never abandon someone for such a petty reason.


    "Keep it coming! If you weren''t so slow I might actually feel you trying to hit me!" Jane was taunting Nine tails so much that she was constantly running side to side along the ring. Nine tails was occasionally slamming in to the barrier which pushed her back and drained even more energy.


    Jane rand and slid on her knees to avoid the larger slings because they would aim for her head every single time. It was a cruel attack but one that was easy to see coming. She had not realized that Nine tails held such cruel intentions towards her after the camp sparring match incident where Jane almost lost herself completely during her shift. This was the opposite instance.


    As they battled against each other more, Jane was able to keep her speed up while Nine tails was slowing down. It was an obvious sign of the massive amount of energy being burned to maintain such a powerful physical shift.


    Seeing the proper opportunity, Jane began to land palm hits on Nine tails as she dodged. These weren''t enough to do a lot of damage but if Jane were to punch she would risk hurting her hand too much. Therefore, her goal was to use the palm strikes to cause discomfort and bruising. This would hasten the bringing of energy and leave her as the victor.


    To this end, Jane moved in and increased her taunting. She dodged at the last moment letting Nine tails slam in to the barrier one last time. This was the hardest hit yet and it caused Nine tails to stumble back. "So, five tails. Think you can still go?" Jane knew all too well that the answer was no. Nine tails was shrinking back in to her normal five tailed form. She was completely knocked out and panting heavily.


    "Please send over a nurse. My opponent is exhausted." Jane felt unsteady as she said this but knew that she needed to slow her own breathing and stretch her aching legs. Se felt as if she had just run a marathon. As she looked at the clock she realized that she had been dodging and running side to side for twenty minutes. She was the only one left still in a match and a great number of students had come over to watch. One being Asher who had been nearby yet again.


    When the nurse came and the barrier came down Asher moved quickly to Janes'' side. "I can''t help you but I can let you lean on my shoulder." He smirked a little as Jane obliged and leaned on him to scratch, He had been impressed with the strategy Jane had used and would tell her later. Dor now, he was just going to be there when he was needed.


    "There was no announcement, do you think I did alright?" Jane was a little worried that there had not been an announcement of her victory. She looked at Asher for support which he readily gave.


    "I don''t think they do when it is so obvious. You were strategically wearing her down until she was unconscious. It was the only strategy and you even added to it by taunting and baiting her against the barrier. Not many people have been smart enough to use the barrier like that, I have had an eye out." Asher was sure that this had gotten Jane a huge amount of bonus points. He would have given them to her as soon as she had successfully used the barrier as her strategy.


    "Good. I wouldn''t know what to do if I went through all that effort not to use my shifted form only to lose right there." Jane was wiping sweat from her brow now that she was relaxed enough to realize just how much she had worked herself.


    "Guys...Sammy might kill me after the test." Jackson was pale and looked mortified. Asher and Jane could only wonder what had happened.


    "She was put against me and I was afraid to attack her. So she attacked first and she used her wind against me but it was too weak to move me. So I just powered through and used the leg sweep you showed me after blocking a punch. Then I pinned her using the head lock Art showed me. Amnd then she told me she would crush me next match at training¡­" Jackson knew that he had won because he had been practicing the basics religiously while studying his flash cards. However, that did not mean he was any less afraid of Sammy.


    "Dude, you''re totally dead." Asher pretended to mourn Jacksons'' future loss.


    Jane couldn''t help but play along and tease Jackson as well. "Oh no, the last time she said something like that...well. You wouldn''t know about the member of the group that didn''t make it¡­" Jane looked away pretending to let a tear fall down her face. She was taking perfect use of the sweat falling from her face.


    "What? No wait, I don''t want to leave the group. Don''t let her throw me away in a tornado! Please!" Jackson took what they said hook line and sinker making the two burst in to laughter and nearly fall to the floor.. They couldn''t resist the look of disbelief on Jackson''s face after and laughed even harder.

 Chapter 314 - 314. Signature Moves

    Jane and Asher couldn''t help but laugh after hearing Jackson''s fear of Sammy. They all knew she couldn''t make a tornado. "You already know Sammy would never hurt anyone. You should be more worried that Louis might zap you. Although, I''m the one that beat him." Asher chuckled a little but realized that Louis was definitely going to challenge him again soon.


    "Wait, you beat Louis? I''m not the only one getting kicked out." Jackson felt a little better but remembered the point of his conversation and worried. "You don''t get it though. She got really angry that she couldn''t push me back in the end when I pinned her. After the match was announced the wind didn''t die down at all. The barrier was put back up and she made a huge gust of wind before she finally stopped. It was enough to make the barrier crack and push me back in to it."


    "Really? I knew Sammy was stronger than she allowed herself to be but that is a surprise." Jane had her own theories about Sammy.


    "You think she unintentionally holds back?" Asher could see this as being the simple truth.


    "Sammy is super nice and sweet. She might argue with Louis but both of them are always concerned for everyone and each other. But I think they are a lot like nature that way. They are peaceful and nice until they get pushed. Then they show their real power." Jane had always known this was the case with Louis''s lightning body super power. But the theory that Sammy had the same with her win was now clear as well.


    "That makes so much more sense. Louis had his break through while we fought and he definitely wielded the whole power of lightning thing." Asher could only imagine the stories and mythology about lightning gods that could now be related to Louis.


    "So they are like me! They try and hold back but really don''t know their true strength." Jackson had been training with Sammy a lot and was easily related to her. This was another reason that he was so afraid that she was going to hate him now. They had been working to well and closely together for some time.


    "I''m pretty sure you won''t lose your training partner even if Sammy is angry at you. Just make sure you go and check up on her after the tournament. If you don''t then you will really be kicked out." Asher said this casually while starting to stretch a little. He had a feeling that the next matches were where things got serious.


    "By the way, where is Art? I haven''t seen him at all. Laura at least pops up here or there talking to people." Jane was curious. This was the only person none of them had really spoken to.


    "Not sure, I did see that he brought all the ankle and arm weights with the small metal beads in them though. I figure he is going to use his super power for the first time in a sparring match. He had me tape his hands twice this morning to make sure they were properly done." Asher sounded annoyed because he had undone and taped them again. However, it was clear that he was glad Art was more relaxed having them just right.


    "Do you mean he is doing those super weired slow then fast punch combos? Or do you mean the bead storm thing?" Jackson had bad memories of Art''s new killer move he had deemed bead storm.


    Just as the bracelets they were given signaled them to leave to their next match circle, Art had found himself already in it. He had unfortunately ended up on the far corner of the gym without any of his friends in sight. He had also been paired with the boxing club captain and now the martial arts club captain.


    "I might be the junior varsity captain, but I am still a force to be reckoned with. I was given the position early because they see my potential." The boy wasn''t much bigger than Art but it was clear that he had worked himself to the bone. He had almost no body fat which caused his muscles to be well defined.


    "And you know you''re facing me, right? The mirage boxer? Did you even see the tournament?" Art had grown to love the nickname he had been given. It made him feel mysterious and showed that his super power was not what made him strong. This also was a constant insult to his brother that had tried to hide away his super power against him.


    "This is the only tournament that matters. Plus, who cares about others. I can''t punch stuff if I spend all my time watching pointless television shows. They will one day chase me to record me but I won''t watch a single one." The boy was arrogant, to say the least. However, Art could not look down on the fact that the boy spent the time training instead of other things. It was very similar to what he and the group did on a daily basis.


    "Punching things...yeah sure. That''s the point to life buddy." Art couldn''t help the instinctual response. It was just too easy to let roll off his tongue.


    "Whatever. I will crush you now. Then I will have more reason for the coach to put me on varsity. I''m going to be the youngest member of the varsity and go to states!" The boy rushed forward with a strange sound of stretching coming over the ring.


    Art watched as the boys'' muscles seemed to be under pressure. The sound of stretching only increased until the punch shot out at incredible speeds. Art could only compare it to a bullet hitting him on his arm which he was barely able to move in to place to block the punch.


    "Oho, been a while since someone that wasn''t a junior or senior was able to block my super power. How does a bullet punch taste? I can compress all my muscles and fore them like bullets." This made Art narrow his eyes and focus up. He was watching at the oy was starting t slowly tighten and compress his leg muscles which trying to hide it from Art.


    The moment he saw the boys'' eyelid twitch Art dove to the side and watched as the punch hit only the air. "You didn''t think that I would miss the fact that you were about to use that super power of yours to jump forward and punch me? Did you?" Art taunted his opponent a little and saw that it didn''t tempt a movement at all. On the contrary, the boy was seemingly frozen with a slightly pained expression on his face.


    Art began to realize that this was the cost of compressing his muscles. The boy would not be able to move right away with whatever muscles he had just used. The muscles would naturally be titled or damaged from being forced to compress in this way. Especially if the release missed the target it was aimed at.


    Art flexed his hands and moved in. He was able to get off a jab before the by moved away with his cheek not reddened from Art''s hit. Art watched the next punch wind up and used his arm to deflect it as soon as it came. He had no chance of completely dodging it but he could easily deflect it.


    This unfortunately broke the arm weight that was hanging from his wrist. Art had planned to use the metal beads to speed up his next punch. Yet, when they spilled on to the floor he was too tempted to use his new move.


    "You just had to go and break my training weights. I was trying to keep them perfect so I could keep working out while we battle. I guess I will have to show off my super power too now." Art shrugged and motioned for the metal beads to rise.


    The boy was stunned. He had not expected that Art would come out of nowhere with such a controlled and precise super power. Every single metal bead was shining in the light. Art smirked and waved a hand while pushing forward himself. His stance was the same weird mix of others'' styles but it was even harder to predict with the metal bids hitting the boy constantly. They were not hitting him hard ut stung none the less.


    Art was in front of him in the blink of an eye and unloaded a solid combo using his weightless hand to jab and his weighted hand to deliver heavy and speed punches. The boy couldn''t stand it in the least and fell to his knees under the assault. "I give, You win. I give. You are better than me for now!" Art heard this and saw no reason not to hold out a hand to offer the boy some help up.


    "You come off as pretty arrogant, but if you can admit your loss you are pretty smart. That and your legs kicking off with a punch almost got me. I''m lucky I noticed you slowly preparing." Art didn''t even need to lie. It was all true.. He had been impressed.

 Chapter 315 - 315. Speed Or Strength?

    The boy that had been overly arrogant and crumpled before him, just looked at Art''s outstretched hand as if it was a joke. The announcement of Art winning had already been played. However, the boy was still afraid that the beads Art controlled would move again.


    "Sorry again, I was trying to hold that move for later but you kind of set it up and I needed to make the most of the situation." The more Art realized he had really scared the boy the worse he felt.


    As if someone was shaking him awake, the boy finally grasped Art''s hand. "I was fine. Just thinking. Your move was...a lot." He wanted to come off as strong but ended up just looking mote lost at the end.


    "That''s kind of the goal. I wanted to push myself to control as many mall beads to take down an opponent slowly. It might wear in to their mind more than their body. You only have a few small bruises after all." The boy started to check his body and found that Art was right. "The small pricks of pain cause your body to think you are being hurt worse than you are. It''s the same as paper cuts. One of my friends'' sister thought of it. I need to pay her back for the idea."


    Art wasn''t lying. Cara had given him the idea when he was practicing making his spoon feed him cereal the other day at the breakfast table. She had taken the day off to prepare for the tournament and Art had already practiced in front of the family all week after the Ricktor tournament.


    Cara had first asked him to get her silverware from the drawer since she wanted to be a little lazy. When he brought each every one to one it led to her asking why. After some deliberation, he started moving multiple at once then was asked again about how many her could move.


    Asher had joined in at that point and pushed him to move all of the large metal marbles he had from a magnetic toy as a kid. This better demonstrated the limits that Art had. After playing with it for some time Asher and Art had figured out that if they give the metal momentum and then remove control Art could get an endless cycle of flying metal marbles.


    Applying this to the paper cut theory and smaller metal beats in the weights gave Art his new signature move. "I just call my signature move bullet punch but it''s pretty much all of my punches." The boy was controlling his breathing and getting more relaxed now that he knew he was not seriously hurt. A nurse still came over anyways to give him a check over and make him leave for the nurse''s station. However, the boy still managed to shout a future challenge back to Art.


    "That was awesome. I saw your match from mine and honestly. Cool. I think you should ask for the video after the tournament is done." Laura had popped up from nearby. She was still going strong as well which was not a surprise since landing a hit on her was harder and harder every single day.


    "My last opponent recognized me and decided that they didn''t want to challenge the fastest person they had ever see. The match was over before even I could move." Laura was annoyed and was munching on a cracker in her frustration.


    "Of all the people to have passed it''s you because of speed and not Jackson because of the insane strength. Although, I haven''t seen him yet." Art was worried his friends would be knocked out before they ever gt to the finals.


    "I have seen them a few times. Only talked once though. I have the speed to get from one side to the other so it really helps." Laura was speaking a matter of factly. Art couldn''t argue since it was true that in ten minutes the only person that could search any of them out was Laura.


    "Oh, and here I go again. Good Luck Art." Laura was gone again. This time she saw her own familiar face.


    "Jackson! Let''s give it our all. If you can catch me I will share my snacks." Laura was trying to tempt Jackson already and throw him off.


    "If you can win I will bring some of my stuffed jalapenos from home for you." The promise of food temped Laura more than she had temped Jackson. It was an unfair advantage he had since he literally grew his own food.


    The two looked at each other with extreme seriousness. They were not the most versed in the group when it came to martial arts. Unlink Jane, Asher, or Art they were too new to martial arts to be called geniuses or quick learners. They also were not making major breakthroughs with their super powers like Sammy and Louis. This left them with a half and half set up between martial arts and super powers.


    All of this did not mean they were weaker at all. They just had different specializations than the others did and would be able to work on both sides in the future. For now, though, they were going to test their will against each other.


    Jackson was too slow to make the first move. They both knew it so he just fell in to a stance similar to Art''s but closer to a normal boxers''. This let him have a chance to guess where Laura would come from and possibly take her down if he could get a hand on her. The real trick was catching her.


    Laura knew that Jackson was strong. Break bones with his bare hands strong. She also knew that she was small and light compared to him so that meant that she would need to try and get Jackson in the more vital points of his body to take him down.M it would be tough bit with her speed she was confident.


    Starting off, Laura rushed in and showed up right in front of Jackson. This prompted him to swipe out trying to jab and catch her at the same time. His hand came away with nothing but air as he felt a somewhat soft punch to his side. Unfortunately,. He still felt the sharp pain. Laura had aimed for his kidneys.


    "You are playing dirty." Jackson knew that she had to but was still a little shaken by the fact.


    "I kind of have to. Sorry not sorry, but I plan to win. Now catch me if you can." Her taunt was followed by Laughter as she rushed Jackson again. This time he had his arms further down.


    When she punched out, Laura found Jackson''s forearm in the spot she was aiming for. She could not hit the weaker side he left open before. Hos forearm was too tough and she could feel the bruise in her fist beginning to form.


    "What are you made of? Your arm was like punching a wall." Laura wined a little but was forced to retreat when Jackson tried to grab her. He had hesitated slightly but managed to recover and push himself to move faster and try to get her.


    Jackson had his body extremely enhanced and it would be many times over more powerful than the average human body. This meant that he could somewhat perceive Laura''s movements but could not catch her because his body was not the perfect machine working together just yet. He had to get used to the fact that his eyes would see something and he would have to push his heavier body to move at the proper speed without putting excessive force in to it.


    Laura on the other hand had made huge leaps. She had taken up stretching in the last week to better understand how she moves. It also helped her control her heart beat and the speed of her body at all times. It was a relaxing activity that would allow her to also think more clearly.


    Everything she had done led her to be able to move at the faster speeds she wanted. However, what id did the most was that it gave her the ability to pop up around people. The general idea was to use her speed and the failed attempts at her opponent following her movements to get them confused. This would leave them wide open to attack.


    Laura''s'' strategy was a failure here. Jackson had trained with her when she began making this only a way for her to bait him in to moving and giving her an opening. It was the soft hitting speed against the big hitting brute. The only falsity was that Jackson was not just a brute. He was clever and caring and could take care of anything just to see it grow.


    "I think you are starting to underestimate me," Jackson said this while swiping out and barely grazing Laura''s arm. It was enough to push her to retreat and hold his smirking Gaze. She had played around too much and had to act like a real match instead of some training they did.

 Chapter 316 - 316. Slowing Down

    Jackson was not a complete fool. He had long started to memorize the patterns that Laura used when she moved around to attack. She had a bad habit of falling in to the same ones every angle day at practice. This was so much so that the others had started to purposefully move at random to force her to change.


    When Laura moved again he swiped out with a jab narrowly missing Laura again. "I get closer every single time." He couldn''t help but to smile. He was having a lot of fun and could not help but feel the energy and excitement building.


    With his heart pounding, Jackson pushed onwards. He went on the offensive and tried to lash out with a few kicks and punches. They were all misses but he felt that he was throwing Laura off. When she would stop he saw that there was a very annoyed expression all over her face. This meant that when he pushed her enough she would lose her focus and be open to a good hit.


    Laura could not help but show her face as annoyed. She knew that Jackosn was trying to throw her off and she was playing right in to her hands. However, she had been working by herself to be in better control of her body. She was not the same speedy mess as she was when she first received her super power or even when she was at camp. She had learned too much.


    Through the slowing of her speed and the focus she developed from the yoga stretches, Laura was able to control her body much better. However, the true strength she had developed was was shown when she would slow down rather than speed up.


    Laura was dashing around Jackson and stopping just at the corners of his eyes. When she suddenly stopped a few feet in front of him Jackson took a moment to realize she was right there. He immediately readied himself for the strong frontal attack that he could counter and possibly even throw her to win the match.


    Jackson had prepared himself and learned some throws. He had tried to use them on jane before since she was fast but failed. So when he decided to try it against Laura now part of him was telling him he was crazy. Yet, after seeing Asher fight he decided that a little crazy might be required in life.


    Laura on the other hand moved in a way that shocked Jackson. She walked as if every step took her a minute. For Jackson, it was a very slow and painful opposite to what he had been going against. He was so used to her speed taking small hits that he was waiting for her to attack at her fastest speed any second.


    Every step that Laura took made Jackson flinch and become more and more on edge. This was the weakness of him becoming used to her insanely fast speed. When she slowed down the adrenaline and nerves of her opponent would skyrocket. It was incredibly hard for her to force her body to slow down like thins but it was also very worth the effort.


    Jackson had not even noticed that Laura had come in so close to him. He was trying to [repare for the sudden attack that he was lost to what she was planning. The next thing he knew a regular speed punch was coming at his head. He forced himself to move to block but was too early. He had left the other side of his head wide open for attack.


    Laura took full advantage and release a solid hit to his right temple. Jackson looked at her bewildered before falling on to all fours and struggling to keep his mind in the world of the waking. He had just suffered a shock that he didn''t expect. The speed Laura had used was even faster than what she had been using to dance around him before.


    "I have been working on my speed. I asked Jane to name this strategy and she called it inconsistent strikes. I think it is like Art''s power behind his punches bit for my it''s speed." Laura laughed as Jackson tried to calm his mind. The ringing in his head was too much and he called for surrender.


    The nurse that rushed over was able to identify a small concussion. It was not normally enough to beat someone but it had been enough to bet Jackosn who had incredibly low pain tolerance. This was something that would be hard for him to work on with his powerful body. However, he knew at this moment that it was much more important than he had ever known.


    Lara stood still worried for her friend until she saw him give her the thumbs up. Jackson may have been led away by the nurse to a resting area but he had made sure Laura knew he was alright and didn''t hold a grudge against her. "Now I just need to take down everyone else and I will have the top spot." Laura flitted away looking to watch anyone else still in a match.


    While Laura looked for a match to watch, Asher found himself right in front of the biggest kid he had ever seen. Jackson was a bog person because of his super power. Yet, this kid was nearly double his size. "Call me Ton. I have the strength to lift Tons." It was a cheesy and bad nickname but Asher couldn''t judge too much since his friends had long made fin of the name he gave his own future hero group.


    "Umm, Asher othLucky jinx. It''s up to you. Should I guess the body building club?" Asher was completely sure that the large person in front of him was just powerful or had some kind of tricks up their sleeves that had gotten them here.. It wasn''t so much something that Asher had proof of, but he could feel that his opponent wasn''t the average person he would go against in a sparring match.

 Chapter 317 - 317. Buff

    "You look afraid. That is normal. Against me, many people run in fear. I am powerful." The bulky boy from the body building club couldn''t get enough of himself. Asher rolled his eyes wondering if the entire match would just be this boy complimenting himself and his muscles. It was gross to say the least. However. Asher also knew that he would be able to take him down more easily since the boy was arrogant.


    "Come at me with all your strength. I will teach you how much you need to learn when lifting." The flexing was even more over the top as the body building club member showed off his arms.


    "Dude, you really need to just stop for a few minutes and think about what you are saying." Asher just frowned more as he believed that he was looking at someone with only muscles for brains.


    "You will see soon." The flexing intensified and Asher visibly cringed.


    "Alright whatever, let''s just fight." Asher had reached his limit and he started to fall in to his stance. He knew that if Ton was actually ankle to life a Ton and was strong enough to match the massive ego he had, that he would hit hard.


    Asher made the decision not to let any direct hits to land but only attack the weak points. Since he decided this he moved forward and started to move side to side. Ton did not react at All. There was just the slow turn of his head as Asjer moved out of view and to the side.


    When Asher jabbed out at him and hit the solid wall of muscle that was Ton''s side, he realized that the muscles were hard as steel. "Ha ha ha, do you feel how weak your hits are? I have muscles of steel so I hone them every day. I thought they were nice before but my passion had only been improved by my super power." Asher couldn''t believe how lucky this kid was. His super power had matched his passion so perfectly.


    It was very rare for anyones super power to match their desires and passions in life. Mostly because it was sometimes based on genes. This meant that the super power could be the same as a parents or revolve around them in similar ways. Often there would be a mutation that came from the two parents'' genes mixing and give birth to a new or different super power completely. Asher''s case was the same as this since it was completely different.


    Cara was similar to her mother''s because it dealt with the senses in a way but was loosely related to sound instead of completely similar. The use of it was also different since Cara couldn''t hear as well without consciously trying to manipulate sound she could already hear., However, she could hear other frequencies if she put enough effort in to it.


    Meanwhile, Ton was making his first move. Since he thought that Asher would be completely stunned by the pain of coming in contact with his muscles, he tried to slap out. This proved to be a mistake. The slow movement was easy for Asher to read and he was able to counter easily. Unfortunately for Asher, his opponent was too heavy to throw and instead ended up just being forced off balance and falling forward temporarily.


    Asher had not hit hard enough to damage his own hand but instead just shocked himself. The vibration had been the same as hitting his funny bone or landing flat footed on the ground. It was not pleasant but it was tolerable after experiencing training such as his.


    Ths chock came to Ton''s face as he found he had not won the match instantly like before. He had been underestimated by his opponents since they all expected him to be slow and easy to beat. Now that he had been surprised and underestimated his own opponent he came to the mental conclusion that he would actually have to fight a real match. Something he had never had to do before.


    Asher was not blind to how his opponent acted. The slow tantrum like swings of a flat hand showed everything. He knew that Ton had never truly fought a battle and that he was going to continue this until he was stopped or Asher was able to tire him out.


    This was not the match he expected and when he started to use Ton''s momentum against him he found that ton was spending most of the tike falling on the ground. "You know, those heavy muscles make you really unbalanced. Maybe you should change your training and maybe slim down." The comment was enough to make Ton charge at him and directly trip falling forward. Asher took the chance to put a knee on his back and trap Ton.


    The match was decided just like that and Ton didn''t even say a word as he trudged out of the gym. Asher could almost feel bad for bruising the body builders'' ego so much ut knew that it was a necessary step in the boys'' life. If it never happened one day it would be the ultimate downfal. It was better now than then.


    The break was another ten minutes but that was the most interesting ten minutes. He was able to find that Art and Jane had been paired up and were facing each other. Their match was at a stalemate.


    "I told you that I was going to win this. I have been training much more lately." Art had never really beaten Jane. She had always had speed and a knack for martial arts over him. Her shifted form was much worse. She increased her power and her speed much more so that he was unable to keep up. That was until now.


    He had trained and shown his strength at the Ricktor tournament. Now he also added his super power in to the mix. Along with his well thought out plan to counter her stare. The looks that would freeze and later slow down an opponent wouldn''t work when he used the flattened and warped metal beads as a reflective mirror.


    Art had taken the time to study everyones'' super power to a degree. Especially the ones related to weather and myths. There was just too much information available online or even in the school library.


    This had led him to find that a mythical hero had fought against the mythical medusa using a polished bronze shield to combat her stone causing stare. This method had led to the hero cutting off medusas'' head. Naturally, Art was not planning to cut Janes'' head but instead used the reflection of warped metal to fight in. He knew that he would be seeing a mirror reflection and spent his training sessions at night mimicking a mirror. It was strange at first, but now Art could fight a mirrored opponent or a regular opponent.


    Jane had made sure to shift right in the beginning. She knew now that Art used his super power that she needed to use her full strength. Her scales on her arms were not strong enough to block the metal but after shifting, they could block most of the damage. She also knew that if Art caused any of the metal to become sharp he would be disqualified. Lethal force was against what a hero was.


    This only got rid of a small number of her worries. She had to fight against his constantly evolving mirage boxing style. She hated that Art had mimicked some of her footwork along with everyone else''s moves. It was a strange mix that made her feel as if she was going against everyone in the group. The only person that Art seemed to have trouble taking moves from was Asher.


    The main reason for this was because Art couldn''t pull of Ashers'' strange positions. Asher was able to move and fall but catch himself at the last moment. Art couldn''t do this because he was not lucky to just fall in to it instinctually.


    With this in mind, Jane treated Art as if she were sparring with Asher. They would go all out to some degree but Asher would always be forced to go with his flow and reveres her hits on her again. Art could not easily do this.


    The result was that every time Jane slashed out with nails she found Art making the metal block it or hi attempting to deflect it. The two continued to just push each other back over and over without doing any real damage to one another. The match sounded like it was pathetic to a degree but in reality, it was intense and balanced. The two could not surpass one another just yet.


    This was the perfect opportunity either had to truly push beyond their limits. Their matches while training had always been filled with teaching and critique. Now it was filled with steel will to push on t the next round and take the top spot. They were already sure of their good grade but now they wanted to surpass a good grade with the best possible grade.


    Asher could only watch as his two best friends began the real match.

 Chapter 318 - 318. Jane Vs. Art

    Jane no longer just let Art move about as he wanted. She made an effort to kick at the metal he had warped to avoid looking at her eyes. This led to Art missing a few hits and dodging slightly off. It was nothing serious but after a minutes Jane had managed t land enough hits t put Art at a disadvantage.


    Unfortunately for Jane, Art had been slowly manipulating metal behind him and was forming a pair of handcuffs to move at her. The resulting attack was a quick counter of jabs and punches. On punch managed to catch Jane off guard and she bare;y saw the silver shone of metal leave his hand and latch to her wrist.


    Jane reacted fast enough o keep the other writs from being latch on to and bound but having one under Art''s control was not the ideal situation. She could already feel him pulling at the metal to throw off her attacks and even slow her speed down. Luckily, she was stronger than him in her shifted form.


    Jane was still managing to outspeed Art and dodge most of his attacks. This left him only able to give hard tugs on the metal to let her hang back and take the grazing blows here and there.. Not all of them were able to do much damage but one of them was in a place her sales did not guard as well; her side.


    The attack threw her off balance and Jane fell. In the split second that she fell and tried to boost up from her position she felt the other wrist become clamped in to position. She had her arms complete bound leaving only her legs to attack. "You don''t think this is stopping me? Do you?"


    Jane was not so weak to give up and Art knew it. "If you gave up that easily I wouldn''t train with you every day." Art pushed in taking advantage of the advantage he had. However, he was not expecting Jane to arch her back and use an upwards kick to his chin. It was a move he had not seen her use before and she knew it.


    "I was holding on to that one to catch Asher by surprise in the finals but I can''t use it then if I don''t make it there." Jane felt prideful in her attack and was rewarded seeing Art stumbling and confused. He had not expected a strong kick that was so fast but he was sure that the body position Jane was in was not the best. It left her open to attack to her single standing leg and he would take advantage of it if the chance arose.


    Jane attempted to head in for another attack but readjusting her position back to a partial stance took too long and Art had already recovered. She was about to move forward when Art pushed off the ground copying her burst of speed. He ended up right in front of her with a straight punch.


    Throwing her linked arms up in the air, Jane managed to block the punch but was left shocked by the strength it held. She was pushed back and nearly fell off balance. Art felt a slight numbness in his gloved fist but pushed on. He had used the remaining wrist weight to speed his punch and hit harder. The metal inside had been condensed to a near solid ring which made it easier for Art to control and add or subtract momentum from.


    Asher watched as Jane finally became annoyed enough with Art and pushed forward again. This time though, she left everything out of control. Her full powered kick made the wind whistle as it sailed towards Art''s head. Yet, when it was going to hit him there was only the vibrating sound of metal. "I have to have something left up my sleeves for when I was going to face Asher." This was the same thing that Jane had been doing.


    In this case, Art had been hiding a small chunk of metal to use as an emergency blocking method. The movement was fast and precise but once the hit landed he had to use a major amount of his mental strength to keep the metal in place. This left him weakened with the metal falling to the ground.


    Jane felt the bruise already forming on her leg and she could feel her exhaustion coming in waves. The adrenalin was wearing off and she was starting to shift back. The two used the last of their energy to rush forward and kick out at each other.


    With the kicks heading true they would have hit each other in their heads possibly claiming a real winner. But they were too exhausted from their previous matches and their own match. The two lost their energy halfway through this kick and fell to the floor panting and exhausted.


    "In the event of a tie, the evaluation will be determined by the judges." The robotic voice rang out and the two had to hope that either of them had a point ahead of the other.


    "The points are an exact tie. The judges have decided that both will claim the third ranked position for the tournament. You will both be asked to leave the gym."


    The announcement crushed their dreams of facing Asher in the finals and taking the first spot. However, this also left them confused and wondering just who else was left to face Asher in the first place. Neither of them had even been able to notice that the gym had cleared out from the students losing constantly.


    "Looks like those two went a little too far huh?" Laura was suddenly behind Asher surprising him a little.


    "It was a great match though. They had tricks that would have thrown me off hardcore if I had faced them. I can''t believe I miss all these cool moves that everyone is learning on their own time. I''m so jealous." Asher couldn''t help but speak honestly. His friends kept getting better and even though he was still there right beside them he felt that they were getting ahead of him. Unknown to him, they felt the same about him.


    "It was, I think the best match today. I think they should get some reward but I doubt there will be anything. This is just a test at the end of the day. We don''t even get an audience like the juniors and seniors do for their college scouting tournaments." Laura was definitely jealous of the older students but this made sense. The older students were showing off for scouts and parents while the younger students were showing their potential for future class placement.


    "It''s just how it all works. We will get videos and it will be passed on to those who need to see them. I want to hear what coach Winters has to say after watching. I doubt it will be good but she is experienced." Asher was still fairly afraid of coach Winters but knew that she could analyze the matches the best out of everyone and point the group in the right direction.


    "Garnet is up there too. I bet she will come down to talk after I beat you." Laura was bouncing playfully side to side.


    "You? Beat me? That''s a nice dream to have. But you do remember what happened the other day when you tried to use speed to confuse me, right?" Asher was still trading Laura and bringing up the fact that she had run right in to a wall.


    "There aren''t any walls here. You are the only thing I will tackle." Laura stomped her foot and drew his attention. The ring had been widened for the last match and a stranger barrier set up. It was done due to other participants cracking the barriers before in previous final matches. The students tended to go all out with the last of their energy to truly show off what they could do.


    "Looks like Art and Jane are pretending they can''t get up and walk to watch the match. We should hurry up before the nurses get angry and force them to move on." Asher could see the pair at the corner of his eye and knew exactly what his friends were playing at.


    "At this point, I don''t see why they wouldn''t be allowed to watch. They need to come back down here to have their scores announced anyways. I wish they would hide the scores but I get that it gives people a rival to chase." Laura rolled her eyes. She had always had good grades and been the target for rivalry in academics.


    "That will just motivate the group to do better. The more people trying to catch us the farther ahead we will get." Asher fell in to his stance and smiled wickedly. He wanted the pressure of everyone trying to catch his group. The more people that tried the better. It would shape them in to better and stronger heroes in the future.


    "It will motivate me to kick your butt." Laura fell in to her own stance while waiting for the robotic voice to tell them to begin.

 Chapter 319 - 319. Only Silence

    There was a golden moment where Asher felt as if time had stopped. The voice had not said it was the start and all he and Laura could do was stare at each other. Neither of them thought they would face the other in the end. One moment there had been a room full of other students and now there was just them. Neither had realized just how much they had been stuck in their own heads to miss so many students leaving.


    Yet, this was not what either was truly thinking about. Asher was preparing himself to deal with Lauras'' insane speed. Laura was preparing herself to deal with Asher''s strange methods of countering and throwing. However, there was way more about Asher that Laura was worried about than things Asher was worried about when it came to Laura.


    "Final match, Begin!" The robotic voice announced the start. However, at the first letter, they had already started to battle it out.


    It was an instant before Laura got to Asher.. He had no way to block her first hit. It was straight forward and easy to read but Asher was not ready. It was a nearly fatal mistake if Asher had not been in his stance and was currently spinning from his shoulder to a kick. The speed that Laura had used had been completely transferred and Asher could barely control the strength his foot flying toward Laura.


    When the kick made contact Laura had managed to move back just enough so only her shoulder was hit. This caused her to fly backward and lose the breath in her lunches while Asher fell back the same after his spin.


    Both were disoriented and struggled back up. "Just had to go right for the face? I''m lucky you hit my shoulder instead." Asher was glad he had dodged enough. If he had not then he would have been down no matter what.


    "Oh, right. And your kick back to my shoulder was all the same in the grand scheme." Laura had a hand held to her shoulder and knew it was a hard hit. But she could see that Asher was holding his too. "I guess it''s time to show off a little," Laura smirked as she stepped forward.


    This was the instant that Asher swore he could see five Lauras'' around him. She was moving so quickly that she was leaving after images. It was the fastest that she had ever pushed herself and he knew that the result would be a complete and utter collapse afterwards. She had saved this trump card for the final match.


    Watching this Asher knew the true feeling of confusion. He had never been able to fully keep up with Laura''s speed. But now, there was not even a hope. The more he tried to turn his head or move his eyes the less he was able to see and the more he felt dizzy.


    "Damn! You''re fast!" Asher yelled and stomped a foot in annoyance. He forced his eyes shut to get rid of his unsteady mind and found that the steps he heard were in a rhythm around him. It was like a musical beat. It didn''t stop.


    The only time ti would falter was when Laura would hesitate to create the after image effect. However, when it stopped slightly longer behind him, Asher could feel the hit coming.


    Feeling the hit coming at the back of his head, Asher threw himself to the ground. The surprised screech from Laura as she flew over his head and on to her face. Asher''s eyes burst open and he crouched like a tiger. His leap was full of sheer will and determination. His hands grasped at Lauras'' wrists and pulled them behind her back completely arresting her.


    "The final victor is is Asher! Please allow for the medical staff t examine first place and second place. The evaluation grade will be left in a written report and a video analysis for the top thirty students. The remainder will be given other evaluations. Please leave the gym now."


    That was it. Laura pushed herself up and showed off the nice bruise she had from falling face first. ''You just needed to duck. How did you eve know?" Laura had no idea how Asher had pulled it off.


    "I noticed that it was like a super fast techno beat when you ran. Every time you stopped it was like a beat. When I heard it stop longer from behind I just dropped." Asher wasn''t sure if this was luck or skill. It was a grey area between the two.


    "I didn''t even think of that. I was always practicing that trump card while listening to music. Cara would have crushed me too that way. Ugh, I''m freaking hungry." Laura had used a ton of her energy and one of the nurses that came over gave her a protein shake immediately. The staff had been briefed on the needs of every student participating and they were at the ready with anything for any possible issue.


    "Honestly, I can''t believe I noticed it. I was just lucky. Well...I don''t know." Asher walked out when Laura had gained the assistance from the nurses. He wasn''t just going to walk out alone. The group would come back together at the same time.


    The exit to the gym led them in to a large room, "Congratulations!" The room was filled with thirty other students, multiple television monitors, and other staff members assisting the students still in need of healing.


    "What''s all this? I thought we would just be sent home or something?" Asher wasn''t sure what was going on at all.


    "They won''t tell us. But looking at Laura and watching your fight, you totally won. That was so smart ducking at the last minute!" Jane was the first to get to Asher. The others of their group came up. There was a slightly red faced Jackson and Sammy who were trying their best not to look at each other. Louis, who was leaning on a chair from his own elemental exhaustion. Art was standing behind Jane sporting some nice bruises just like Jane.


    "You are the top thirty of the class when it comes tp those whpo wish to pursue heroic jobs or law enforcment. This is a respectove right of the top thirty. If you all wish to proceed then please remain here. If you wish to leave then you may exist. This is the only chance. If you stay you will be switched to different classes. The top students will receive mentors or special training." It was none other than Garnet who stood in fron t of the room with coach Winters and the principal.


    "I don''t see anyone leaving. Good. I would expect my students to have a strong drive. Firstly, this is to be kept secret. Learning this would defeat the purpose of our tests and grades. Now that you have passed the evaluations you have been determined to be ideal candidates for the heroic courses. Your curriculum will change after you are presented the option and you may even skip grades to match the skills and talents you have. Congratulations. Each of you has received a unique scholarship." The principal clapped his hands together.


    Coach Winters stepped forward, "Asher, Laura, Jane, Art, Jackson, Louis, and Sammy. You seven are the top seven students. Normally only five would gain additional benefits but since you are all part of the same group along with Cara who gained these benefits we made an exception. This is also due to the performance in the Ricktor tournament. It won the school additional funding just for you seven, well, eight including Cara. Please leave through this side door and await your own meeting."


    The group followed their instructions in awe. They had no idea Cara had been holding this a secret. "I guess we know why Cara always pushed us so hard at times. She once woke me up when my alarm didn''t go off and dragged me downstairs saying that I could never miss a day of workout." Art had shrugged this off but it made much more sense now.


    The group could hear a slight commotion behind them about how it wasn''t fair that they received additional resources but Garnets'' harsh voice stopped them instantly. The principal began to explain the details just as the door closed and the group found themselves in a comfy waiting room with a single monitor and multiple handbooks.


    "Looks like we will be having a class now. I guess things are going to get a little more complicated." Art hung his head. He had already forced his way forward in math and now he would need to learn more.


    Coch Winters burst in tp the room and looked at all of them. "Now that you all have your handbooks it''s time for you to know why we have this meeting. In the simplest terms, we are fighting a war. There are three villains that have currently been growing an army. But so have the heroes. We estimate that there is only a short while before they act. Due to this and your achievements. Every single one of you is now a junior, will lose summer vacation for additional school, and will move to senior year with the rest of the junior class. That leaves you with two mores quarters to learn what you need as a junior." There was only silence in the room.

 Chapter 320 - 320. Big Steps

    "I know this is what we wanted for our group...but did we really just do this?" Jackson was too stunned to properly process what he had heard. The group had made the goal a while ago to get to this point and they were just handed more than what they were after and told a big secret.


    "Before you start to talk about this and that, sign these papers. You need to accept the changes and the fact that this information will remain between those in this room and the others that are specified by the principal, myself, and other staff you are introduced to. It is not limited to just staff at this school. There are members elsewhere that will come to assist in the special classes you and the others who have received these benefits as well."


    Asher was having an enlightenment moment, "That''s why Cara has so many retreats! I thought she just went on extra credit field trips. It makes so much sense now!" Asher had thought his sister was in a club or spent a lot of time with her friends but really, she had been learning more advanced knowledge to be a hero or in the law enforcement positions available.


    "There are many trips that will be available and guests instructors.. I made not that there would be three of you that would fit this position but it is very unexpected for a hero group to form so early. But those who had formed groups early have gone on to make a big impression on the world." Coach Winters was very serious but also showed a lot more emotion than usual. It was very different than her normal teaching style.


    "If we sign will we lose anything? I understand keeping things under wraps but I don''t want to lose any opportunity." Jane wasn''t sure if this would be something that locked her in to a future job or career later. There was no telling what could happen in life.


    "You are still students. This is strictly secrecy and the agreement to change grades and classes. You are not forced in to anything else. Feel free to read the agreement. I will leave you to it." Coach Winters left the room and headed toward where the other evaluators were. They would each speak to them in turn later.


    "This is just crazy. I can''t believe there is a villain group growing so rapidly that they are getting students to advance faster." Sammy was still not over it because every time she looked at the paper in front of them she would say that she couldn''t believe it.


    "Well, if we are the ones being moved ahead it means that we are considered geniuses now, right? I feel like this makes a lot of sense. We are the best of the class now and we are being pushed ahead. I wonder why we get to skip all the way to junior year though, think it''s because of Cara in the group?" Louis had already worked out the suggestion.


    "She is definitely way ahead of us, but my sister is definitely the reason they didn''t stop at just giving us extra classes. Having a group with her would be much better than having her alone. We will need to play catch up though. Plus it might put us in a position for a lot of other students to chase." Asher made a good point. The group together would improve better but it would also make a lot of annoyed students try to catch them. If the group could do it, why couldn''t they?"


    "I think we are missing a huge part of this. Garnet mentioned to Jane, Asher, and I at camp that there was an incident involving three campers that killed their parents. And there just happens to be three villains focused on the group that coach Winyters mentioned." Art had not been the only one to catch this. Jane and Asher also had but were not sure how to bring it up.


    "Wait. You mean the group they are trying to fight because it is growing has real murderers? I really had hope it was some smuggling or robbery thing." Laura was a lot more worried now. She couldn''t sit still and started to nibble on the fruit leather the nurse had left her with as a snack.


    "We have a long way to go before we get anywhere near that. I think short term it will put a spotlight on us and bring us a lot of attention. We need to avoid companies trying to endorse us and people trying to get close for the benefits we have. Art will also have a little more going on with his family too so we will need to keep an eye open." Jane took a very logical approach to what immediately would happen.


    "I know my brother won''t be happy with me stealing more of the limelight but I think it will further solidify our group and get me answers. As long as everyone is here we don''t need anything. Also, I didn''t want to ay much by my mother unlocked my bank account so that means I can fund the group. I just wish I was rich enough to build one of those elite home gym systems for us to use. That thing is crazy expensive." Art looked sad but the group shot daggers at him with their eyes.


    "We don''t need any monetary endorsements or money from our friends. We have all gotten this far by working for what we got. Yes, there are things that were given to us in some form but, we had reason to receive them." Louis was sure that the elite home gym system could have been ignored. However, Asher had found that path himself. And helped the group. Otherwise, they had all studied and trained together using what they had available.


    "Louis is right, we don''t need a pool of money. They are about to hand us a ton of resources to keep getting better and if we keep up our current pace we will be able to excel. Not to mention, we do have Cara who is still able to guide us to her level. Even if it takes time." Sammy was feeling a positive energy and starting to see an even higher pique to reach.


    "I don''t know about all of you, but I just signed it. The retreats have to be to those other camps that the mountain had. They were for older students but I found that they have very little information online when I looked them up. I know because I found signs that turned me around while I was hiking at camp." Jackson wanted to look in to the camps for more survival knowledge and discovered he couldn''t apply for them or even attend. They were invite only.


    "Then we will be able to go to those most likely. I bet there are other benefits too. I''m willing to bet that Garnet is one of the instructors that they offer for courses." Laura had cleared her mind and realized that Garnet could only be an instructor if she had been called in as an evaluator.


    "Well, I''m signing."


    "Same"


    "I just did."


    The group began to sign and agree, leaving none of them out. They were all going in to this together. They would be the greatest hero group out there.


    "Have you all signed? I know it''s a lot to take in." The principal walked in quieter than a mouse. None of them had even noticed the door open.


    "Yes. We all signed. What''s next?" Asher was the one that had spoken. He was still taking the lead role most of the time and was not going to just drop it now.


    "Well, you have all received the special handbook and we hope that you can take the time to read through it. I know your group has another member who is about to participate in a match. If you would like to go watch we can postpone the additional transitional talks for later."


    The principal already knew the answer and was opening another door. Everyone had snatched up their handbooks and stuffed them in pockets while grabbing anything they nurses had given them. Before the principal could say another word the group and rushed toward the secondary gym where the juniors were having their matches for scouts and parents.


    "If we run fast enough we can see the other juniors battle it out too. We can learn what we will be going against at the end of the year!" Asher was the first to sprint across the green grass of the front lawn toward the secondary gym. He wanted to see his sister fight but also take in as much knowledge as possible. He couldn''t believe how lucky it was that he would be done with his tournament in time to see the juniors.


    "Ha! I might be tired from our match, but I''m still faster than you all!" Laura challenged them all as they ran making everyone push even faster. They had taken a huge step but it wasn''t over yet.

 Chapter 321 - 321. Whips

    The roar of the crowd was the same as the Riktor tournament. But instead of random paying audiences, it was parents and other students. The senior tournament the next day may have been the largest attraction for parents and students but since the students that were not involved elsewhere were able to attend the junior tournament was packed.


    The group tried to push their way through until one of the staff members spotted them and pulled them toward a set of stairs. "This is the principles viewing balcony. He sent along a notification to find you and bring you all here. Feel free to take advantage. There may be other staff members along shortly but there is no need to worry. The principal also says to wink with that¡­" The staff member looked like they were slightly tired of the job but added the wink on anyway.


    "That poor guy looks like he has to run around everywhere with the principles antics. I bet he gets paid a lot." Laura was sure the staff member made the most out of all the staff members and for a second thought about working at the school. She realized she would need to teach at some point and decided against it..


    "Huh? Oh yeah, sure. But look. We are just in time to see Cara fight her first match. There are two rounds of student groups so she gets a longer break but she is going to crush that kid." Asher wanted to pay attention to others but he was too excited to watch Cara fight. It was the first time he would be seeing his sister go all out in a match to show off her skills. He had managed to learn a lot about her super powers but she had never been pushed to her extremes yet.


    "This year yu are going down. You got lucky last year when we sparred but I watched that little running tournament and I can beat you this year." The boy Cara was going against had a strange super power. One that made him ideal for infiltrating buildings and rescuing people trapped in rubble.


    "Yeah yeah, just try to hold yourself together. You are just a ball of slime at the end of the day." Cara was not taking the boy seriously. She had easily beaten him before and now would be no different"


    "You don''t get it. I found a way to stabilize my body. I won''t just fall in to a puddle of slime this time." The boy had the unique super power where his body was made of slime. His organs and such had become breakable slime that could dissolve and become solid when he needed them. His brain functioned even when in a slime state. It was one of the strangest but highly researched super powers due to the ramifications it had on the study of the human body.


    "Alright, well let me test you. This is the same pitch as a dog whistle. If you can withstand it I will spar a round with you to show off my martial arts improvements." Cara put her lips together and began to whistle. Soon the pitch went higher and no one could hear it but for a few people with animal ears or animal shifter abilities.


    There was a gelatin like shiver that went through the boys'' body but he remained standing. The shockwaves reverberated with the frequency Cara was making but she found that the boy was still standing. "I told you. I have trained. I sat for hours in front of the best speakers training my super power. I sat for hours in front of peakers to hold myself together. I won''t fall." Cara stopped instantly and smirked while she rushed at him.


    The response was instantaneous. The boy whipped out an arm that extended in to a slime whip. Cara expertly ducked and dodged the movements even as the whip was joined by a hardened slime blade. Both attacks would have been devastating except for the fact that they weren''t even able to touch a hair on Cara''s head.


    While moving, Cara was purposefully challenging herself to dodge at the last moment. The average spectator could not notice this but the scouts and trained martial artists saw it as someone reserving their energy. The group on the balcony caught on to it because they had seen her do it to them during training many times.


    Cara arched her back and made a sharp toe kick at the base of the slime whip. It split in two and fell apart from the boy''s body. Instead of just melting it was pulled back as if it was on strings. The slime boys'' body created the slime whip again ad the battle continued. However, Cara was starting to move a little faster which brought panic to the boy she was facing.


    "Am I going to quick for you? I train with people a lot faster than this. I bet they would beat you and they are much younger." This was a heavy insult for an upper classman who had been training their super power constantly.


    "Then take this! My special move!" The boy had one very tough to pull off special move. He would create as many slime whips at the same time as he could even if his body shrank to create them. Then he aimed them at his target and continued to attack until he was exhausted.


    The first time Cara saw the over forty slime whips she had the regret anyone would having antagonized their opponent. Yet, when they all attacked they were n synch. Cara found it even easier to dodge than before while using less energy because she wasn''t analyzing her opponent as much as she had been.


    "Alright, thanks for that. But not I need you to be a puddle.'' Cara didn''t even give the boy a chance to respond before she started t whistle again. However, she went well above the pitch she had before and watched as the slime boys'' body shook violently and melted in to a vibrating puddle. "Sorry, but I plan to win this year. I want to be THE top student instead of just one of the top students."


    "Whoooooo!!! You crushed him, Cara!" Everyone would have thought the booming cheer came from Asher who was standing next to the one who had just done it. Every angle eye was on Art as he watched the large television screen replay the final dodges before the slime boy fell to a puddle. Art was oblivious of this since he was still entranced by Cara''s fight.


    No one teased him because as soon as Art''s cheer got to the ground which none of them thought they could have done. Cara looked up and waved at them with a huge smile.


    "You know, I think she had beet control of frequency than she realizes. It might not be exact but I have the feeling that there was a higher frequency than a normal speaker system gets to and that''s why the slime became unsteady." Louis had already found the answer from his science classes. It made sense that the vibrations from the directed sound would throw off the slow and water heavy body.


    " Cara''s super power is a lot more versatile than we give it credit for. She told me some of the things it can do but I still can''t see how many more there are." Jane was in awe. She had sparred one on one with Cara and been told more than one or two things that Cara could do with her super power. However, Jane still wasn''t sure how Cara was able to manipulate all the sounds so well. She could easily make a whisper in to a shout. Not to mention control the distance and frequencies. It was a very complicated super power.


    "I paid more attention to the dodging. I want to be able to smoothly dodge like that when I can fully fly!" Sammy was more enamored with the foot work and technique. It had been too perfect compared to what they had been training.


    "That''s the best she had gotten in years of training now. If we keep up I net we will be faster than that." Jackson was already counting his estimated time to get that good at footwork in his head. He had seen the strength of it was wanted to have it as an achievable goal sooner than later.


    "Well, we can all set that as a group goal by the time we move on to our new class. We know that they won''t toss us right in to the firs just yet." Asher hoped that he was telling the truth with this but honestly was not sure.


    "Asher''s right. We will all be that good soon. But the real question is, how anyone will beat me by then?" Art was quick to tease and challenge everyone before they all started to pick out people to watch and explain strategy and super powers to each other. This was an ideal show to watch and grow.

 Chapter 322 - 322. Icy Stare

    "I can''t believe she could have ended it the entire time. But she used him to show off her other skills." Jackson was amazed by Caras'' show of strength.


    Haven''t you seen her watching all of the training videos when we take breaks? She analyzes everything and tries to learn from it." Art had picked up on Caras'' habit a while ago. He would watch his own videos but he had been slow to learn that watching everyones'' was a better way to learn and learn and grow.


    "I even found her asleep on the couch the other day with them playing. She has actually been watching the ones where Louis practices a lot. I think she is trying to find ways to bet faster than lightning." Asher wanted to do the same but felt that he still needed to train more before he was able to do something like dodging lightning consistently.


    "Wait, she watches my training videos....I can never fight her." Louis knew that if Cara was paying attention to his training video to learn how to combat lightning that he was doomed. If she tried to spar with him then he would be taken down in an instant. Cara was just too good.


    "Hey, have any of you seen that guy over there? He literally looks like those gold statues at movies theaters." Sammy had found a guy fighting a match in the next round who had seemingly turned his body to gold.


    "That;''s crazy. Gold is super soft but it looks like he can take a solid hit. Even those dents on him are buffing themselves out." Art was impressed by how well the guy recovered.


    "I bet he has a super power to become made of gold and manipulate his body. He might be invincible to some degree since he can''t be hurt the same way another person could." Jane was carefully starting to put the pieces together.


    "So what? Cara can still beat him. Gold is a metal and metals can vibrate. Cara can make him lose shape like the slime boy. It''s the same thing but different super powers." Laura was not impressed at all. Even though the golden guy was winning he would be a terrible match for Cara who would easily win again. "She needs a real challenge."


    "You mean like the girl over there that is making the earth move in to little rats and spiders?" Asher had watched with awe as the girl used a terra-kinesis power to create little earth golems to block attacks and attack. She was perfectly in control of the battle and was constantly making more and more complicated shapes and creatures out of the earth.


    "Whoa...that''s intense. How will Cara beat her? I know she''ll win but how?" Art was sure of one thing, Cara would win. But he lacked the knowledge on how she would manage it.


    "Umm, I hate to say it but I am pretty sure that is the top student in her class." Jane had seen the girl before and finally remembered why she looked so familiar.


    "She''s making an entire zoo of animals. Why does she even need to be a hero or law enforcement? She could just do whatever she wants in the entertainment industry." Jackson was trying to figure out the motivation behind someone with such a useful super power.


    "I am watching how all of her movements and little animals are made and I have a few interesting facts." Since he had been given the analysis target, Louis was not just sitting there doing nothing. He was watching intently. "The details and shapes might be changing on those little dirt animals but they are staying the same size. She isn''t adding any more soil and she isn''t making them larger."


    "I see what you''re saying. If she is doing that then maybe she can only control so much dirt at once and the fact that she is changing the designs is so that she can show off the way she can use the power she had now instead of a large spectacle like an earthquake." Jane was right on the same page as Louis.


    "Well, I for one think she is a terrible actor and will lose to Cara in an instant. Cara just needs to wait a few minutes longer than that kid who lost." Laura looked like she had figured out a great mystery.


    "Alright, I know it''s not just me and Srt that are looking and waiting for you to say what you mean. Even if they already know." Sammy puffed up her cheeks in annoyance since Lara was so slow to reveal what she had figured out.


    "That girl is mentally exhausted. I am watching her feet and she never moved the entire time she used her super power. She couldn''t move. Now that she is walking though, she can''t walk a straight line." Laura was right, everyone could watch how the girls'' steps were side to side and uneven.


    "Then it will be an easy win for Cara, and speaking of Cara, she is back out again. This time it looks like some guy with...ten eye balls?" Asher had seen some strange mutations caused by super powers but having ten eyeballs was a top tier one for sure.


    "Let me rephrase that, ten eyeb alls that fire some sort of ice beam thing¡­" Art had fixed the sentence for Asher while everyone else was shocked to see the stage freezing slightly.


    " I don''t even know how that is possible but it is crazy. Everywhere that Cara is dodging is being hit with ice." Sammy was amazed by the control of the ice but was more interested in the speedy movements Cara was using.


    Back on the stage, Cara was focused on the quickly changing terrain. "I can see you everywhere you go. It is a matter of time until you mess up and I have my opening." The guy with ten eye balls was not arrogant but just stating a fact. He could move each one individually and fire multiple ice beams from his eyes. The only downside was the slow build up of frost over the time he used the super power.


    "You forget that I know you are forced to close your eyes when they get too cold. I will beat you without my super power at all." Cara knew it was a dangerous taunt but also knew her opponent. They had practiced together in class before and she was not about to just let things fall apart. Plus she wanted to make sure she showed off her prowess in martial arts before she went in to her super power every battle. It also saved energy.


    The battle was causing the air around them to become colder and colder causing some of the other participants to see their breath. This caused Cara''s match to become more and more watched until most of the audience was focused on her. "Now that we have most peoples'' attention, should we get serious?" Cara asked and her opponent nodded.


    "It took them long enough. I tried to be flashy." The guy with ten eye balls lowered his stance and immediately shot a concentrated ice beam from every single eye at Cara. The stage was completely frozen and Cara was left shivering. The attack had not been at her to freeze her but instead mess with her and cause her to be too scared or cold to attack.


    "Nice, you have a terrain style skill. But I know how to ice skate and I practice outside in the winter." Cara of course wanted the top spot so that she could use the additional weight she had from it to get access to more of the gym in her free time and even a few of the additional school facilities.


    The audience and group watched as Cara slid side to side and even managed to stop herself where she wanted to be. Unknow to everyone else, Cara still touched the solid ground. The ice was too thin because the eyes balls had mot focused and changed the strength. They just flashed over all of the area.


    The friction melted the ice and then Cara was able to get along without any issue. The confusion on the face of the guy with ten eye balls was all too clear even when Cara was launching a solid fist in tp his face.


    The thud of her opponent nearly echoed through the entire arena. "Huh, not even a little frost on my hand. I thought least four hits would knock you down." Cara walked off the stage and to the resting area. She had accomplished her goal to win without using her super power at all.


    "That was so much cooler than the last match! She didn''t even need a super power!" Sammy was entranced by the way the match had ended. She wanted to be able to to the same in a battle. If she could then she knew that she would easily cover her weaknesses. "I need to ask Cara to train me more!"

 Chapter 323 - 323. Rage

    "Critical thinking. That is the key." Asher spoke in almost a whisper but everyone in the group heard him.


    "What do you mean? We have already been thinking hard on how we do things and how we can use our super powers." Louis was the one who had changed his thinking the most to manipulate the lighting.


    "Exactly, we have also changed the way we train constantly to adapt and learn more." Art was also thinking the same as Louis but related it to the physical training they did on top of sparring constantly with each other.


    "We also study like it''s going out of style." Laura was the one that studied the least but her grades were already pretty high compared to everyone else and she had never really needed to study more.


    "No, I''m not saying we need to change anything. But we need to think differently while under pressure.. Cara was able to figure out how to change the way she moved when the ice changed the terrain. We can''t do something like that yet. If I had been down there, even with my luck, I would have been at a massive disadvantage. If we can learn to adapt that fast to things then it will truly put us ahead. We were just handed even more tools to do that."


    "Asher is right, I would have lost even if I used my super power to stop that guy in his place, he would have been able to look at me with other eyes and probably freeze me. I can''t move and focus on freezing someone in place at the same time. I just figured that out watching but I needed to do that while fighting? I have no idea of I could have learned that." Jane was backing up Asher and was also beginning to realize just how true it all was.


    "How would we even train that?" Jackson and Sammy spoke almost in unison causing the two to instantly become silent and look off in separate directions.


    "Well, from what I can see, pressure. Cara didn''t change and adapt until she was in a situation where she was going to get beaten. She didn''t use her super power but I am pretty sure it was to show exactly what happened. She wanted people to see that she could adapt. Also, if I remember right, she had to use her super power to beat that kid last year. She directly showed off her growth to everyone she will compete against." Asher knew that his sister had just made a huge statement to everyone.


    "Well, let''s hope that girl that''s top of the class heard the statement because she just won her match over there." Louis had seen the referee raising the girl''s hand in victory.


    "Cara should be able to beat her. Especially if she used similar tactics to the running race. You all saw it or watched the video right?" Art had made sure that everyone had sent their videos of the Ricktor tournaments.


    "Think she can confuse and torment her like she did the other runners?" Sammy remembered the tactic clearly.


    "She could. If she does then it will really mess up concentration. But she could just do that by making a loud noise¡­" Jackson wasn''t catching on to what was going to be the best strategy to use.


    "We can see what she does now. The round looks like it combined and Cara is one of the last four out there. I''m pretty sure the kid she is fighting is that one that can shift in to a red skinned minotaur bull thing. It''s from Greek mythology too. But less cool and just normal shifter without the powers like Jane." This was something that Laura had seen around school and found interesting. The main reason she had memorized it was because she related it to this mythology and she thought Jane might find it interesting.


    "So is his power actually minotaur of the maze or something like mine is Medusa?" Jane felt like she might have found someone similar to her before Laura answered.


    "No, he is just raging bull transformation. Not the same but a lot of people nick named him minotaur and Taurus." Laura knew this was not what Jane wanted to hear but it was the truth.


    "Hey, it''s another shifter to watch. I bet you can still learn something. Especially if his super power is called raging bull transformation. If he becomes raging then I bet he has issues controlling emotions when he shifts. It would be the same for you so we can see how he flights and adapts." Asher made sure he put the silver lining in the air for Jane. He wanted everyone to focus up as the match began.


    "If I knew I would be fighting you I would have brought a hammer to knock you out or something. That hard head of yours will be annoying." Cara knew that the opponent in front of her would be physically tough.


    "Just because my head is harder than yours and I have the defense to take a hit doesn''t mean I can''t roll in a fight, Cara. And please, just keep things tame. The last time you got me all angry I broke seven walls and four of the shackles they used in the gym."


    "I know, but you are way to nice right now. You are supposed to be fighting you know? Even if I call you those nicknames I know you aren''t the raging bull. But since we need to show off a little...Bring it on Billy Bull." Cara knew Billy hated being called this and it would put him in to his angry state.


    "You did this to yourself." Steam came from Billy''s nose as a reaction to his most hated nick name that had caused him endless torment before he gained control of his super powers.


    The horns that had shown up labeling him as a shifter began to shift and become sharp, Red fur overtook his skin and his muscles hardened. The shift was heating his body and steam continued to come from every breath. When Cara saw all of this she felt like she had made a huge mistake. But she knew that this was the only way for one of the nicest people in her class and herself to properly show off their super powers and the ways they were used.


    Only those that had properly met Billy and spoken to him knew that the rage unfused monster he turned in to was a completely different being. He was strong and had learned a lot to become a hero that was dedicated to rescuing and healing. The super power he received had been just barely enough for him to pass as super strength.


    However, that was all it had done in regards to the normal state. He had horns, yes, but that was all that separated him. Other than the first day he got bullied and the few times those who didn''t know of him bullied him he was the average shifter. But when he shifted his rage rook form and he became the worst aspect of himself.


    Yet, for some reason his desire to heal and rescue leaked through showing it was the strongest of emotions he had. This was still not enough, he was still radically different. He would power through with ten times the strength he had before and crush anything in his path. His body could take hits from even the strongest opponents and pain was nothing. Instead of just rescuing people he would rule a situation. He would also lose most of his ability to communicate in exchange for a massive boost to his instincts.


    Cara knew that she needed to use her speed to dodge at all costs. The strength that Billy had in the shifted form was insane. The fact that he had calmly defended and taken down opponents until this point was a testament to this. Now that he had his boosted strength Cara was sure that she could suffer an instant knock out.


    Billy''s fist moved like a wrecking ball toward her. The rumble of the ground and the entire gym was enough to put all eyes on the pair. Even though Billy was in a rage state he had managed to hold back somewhat.


    "You think I don''t know that you are still holding your shift back? You are usually a whole foot taller than that. Maybe we should start to spar again so you can make another improvement. You are one of my biggest rivals." Cara joked a little but saw that her joke was nothing to Billy in his shifted form. He just lowered his head and charged at her.


    Cara slid on her knees to dodge the horns but was bumped by Billy''s knee and pushed back to the edge of their ring. She took a deep breath in to stand again and fell in to her stance. However, Asher noticed one slight change in her stance from the usual. Cara was letting her hands stay by her jacket zippers. She had a plan and he knew it.

 Chapter 324 - 324. That Base

    "What''s with her stance? She usually has her arms up to defend." Jackson was quick to pick up on what Cara was doing differently. He had been pushed to ficus and analyze more so that he could learn how to do things like adapting better in a fight. His idea was that if he could figure out Cara''s plans then he would be able to analyze his opponent''s plans better.


    "It''s not like she could block a hit full on from him. He literally made the entire place shake like it was nothing." Louis was sure that Jackson was losing his mind if he thought that Cara should block her opponent''s hits.


    "She could deflect them though. We have learned a lot of those types of moves. But I think that is not exactly her plan."


    "Sammy is right but I have a pretty good idea what her plan is." Asher was already starting to smile as Cara unzipped her jacket to expose more of the sewn in speakers..


    Billy was still trying his best to slam his fists in to Cara in the arena. The match was showing off the power Billy had and Cars'' ability to dodge and predict her opponents'' movements. Yet, when she unzipped her jacket and exposed multiple speakers everyone was curious about what she was doing.


    "I''m sorry about this one but I have to get a little serious this time. You are pretty strong." Cara hit a button and the sound of a musical base line played loud enough to make everyone in the area hear it. To them, it was just some strange music that was being played. However, it soo began to get deeper and more powerful.


    The changing of the beat was caused by Cara. The pace stayed the same but the frequency was changing and becoming more erratic. One of the referees ran over and erected an additional barrier completely removing the sound from the area even though the beat didn''t seem to be doing anything. For those watching there was an announcement that the sound was dampened just in case.


    Cara on the other hand was still causing the base to become more erratic. Billy could feel his chest tightening with each and every beat of the base and had no idea where the weakness was coming from in his body. "You should revert and forfeit. I am about to match the same rhythm as your heart and it will not be pretty." Cara was using a tactic she had learned in one of her classes. Apparently, scientists had done experimentations where they matched the exact beat of the music with a person''s unique heartbeat.


    This was nothing amazing until they sped up the beat after matching it. They found that the heart beat would match the beat of the music and cause the person affected to be pushed in to an unhealthy state usually causing them to pass out and sometimes cause them significant stress.


    Cara had seen an experiment doing the opposite to slow the heart. The experiment had actually made someone pass out from lack of oxygen and once made someones'' heart stop. This was something she would never do. However, causing a panic and pushing her opponent to gove up by speeding a heart beat wasn''t as dangerous.


    The reaction of the speeding beat was instant. Billy began to breathe faster and more heavily. His eyes became bloodshot and his attacks increased as if someone had just shot him with adrenalin. Cara used this to push herself to dodge more and begin to taunt Billy to attack more and more to tire him out. She was not a fool and knew that his shift cost him a lot of energy so the more he became tired the more likely he was to give up.


    Billy stopped for a second and Cara believed this was the moment he was going to give up. She was very wrong. Very very wrong. Billy had been pushed to true rage and his body finished the shift he had been holding back.


    His fur turned a deep blood red and so did his eyes. The steam that came from his mouth and nose was now enhanced by the sharper teeth he had grown in the shift. The most terrifying thought was that he had gained an extra foot of height and his muscles had grown again. Those watching were shocked. They believed they were watching a second shift since they did not know that Nilly had been intentionally holding back.


    "Billy! Hold on to yourself!" Cara had to switch tactics. She had just made things much worse by accident and the attacks were increasing more than before. Billy was not also leaving small craters in the ground when his punches missed and his steps were digging in to the stage. The destructive quality had become much more than before.


    After dodging Billy''s large hands trying to gran and crush her, Cara was done. She hit another button and began to play a high pitched sound that instantly stopped Billy in his tracks. It was insanely high pitched and caused Billys'' nose to believe.


    Cara was not escaping unscathed. She may have had her noize canceling headphones on but it was not enough to avoid the damage her attack was doing. The normal high pitched sound was being amplified by her super power and she was forcing it to reach higher.


    With the constant bombardment of sound, both Cara and Billy couldn''t even walk straight and try to hit. Billy fell to his knees and started to revert from his shift while Carta was trying to hold herself up so she would be declared the winner.


    "My daughter is too strong to fall!" Asher had not yet seen his phone to see that his parents had long arrived to watch Cara battle it out for attention and possible scholarships. Her father had not seen any rules that he could not cheer and used his deepest breath to scream his cheer for her.


    The result was better than anyone expected and Cara was back to her feet and steady in a moment. She copied the normal boxers'' bounce that Art used and rushed Billy who was almost back to his normal form.


    Her fist was coming toward him as he fell forward and escaped the hit that was sure to knock Billy out if he wasn''t already unconscious. Cara hurriedly smashed the button to end the sound and slumped to the ground as well. When the referee grabbed her hand she was still sitting on the ground feeling like her head had been hit by a train.


    "In the end, you ran yourself out of energy. I can''t wait until you have full control over your shift so I can have a real match." Cara had also thought that Billy proved to be the most challenging opponent for her because he could power through just about any sound based attack she did. It was the bane of her super power and every time the two sparred she knew she was leaving the match with a great deal of improvement.


    "That was a little crazy. Cara almost knocked herself out if that bull guy didn''t pass out first." Art was convinced that the sound based attack had done Cara''s opponent in at the end.


    "That guy ran out of energy. He became very pale and lost his shift before passing out. It''s similar to what happens to me¡­" Laura appeared to be a little frightened because she had been where Caras'' opponent was and it was not a good feeling or an easy recovery.


    "I''m just worried she won''t be able to fight the next match. She needs to take down that girl who makes earth puppets with her terra- kinesis." The worry that Jane had was not unfounded. Cara would be in for a very hard fight next.


    "Se will be fine. That girl has some pretty rough bruises from fighting that guy with the detachable floating arms. No idea how his super power works but somehow she managed to trap that kid''s arms with earth and then beat his main body. I stopped paying attention since I was focused on Cara''s match too much." Asher was slightly kicking himself for not seeing it but knew that a video would definitely be posted onlline somewhere to watch later.


    "I missed that too but that doesn''t matter. End of the day Cara just showed off how tough she is and how far she will push herself to protect someone or win a battle. That''s exactly what the scouts want." Art had realized this and saw the multiple official looking people taking notes and talking amongst themselves.


    "I feel like we will need to work a lot harder to catch Cara." The steel in Sammys'' voice was plain for everyone to hear. She had begun to think about the ways for her to get from where she sat now to the point that Cara had reached. Jane and Laura were doing the same but Asher was the one that was most concerned. He would need to be able to have the same strength of will to push himself as Cara had now. Then he would need more.

 Chapter 325 - 325. Final Round

    Asher was just staring at the place where Cara had just battled it out with an opponent he was sure his group would struggle with together. If Cara was with them he was sure that the fight wouldn''t have been easier at all. She would have most likely lost because she would have to take care of them.


    As much as any of them could argue that they were the perfect team because they were always training together, it would be a sham. The group may know each other and they may train together. But they have not worked on their teamwork because they have been doing things to get individually stronger.


    "What do you think Cara would do against her last opponent? Do you think we will win?" The tremor in Sammys'' voice made the worry that they all felt too real.


    "I know she will win. I have no idea how, but she will." Art had an unrelenting belief that Cara would win but still showed a slight bit of worry when it came to how.


    "I think it will all depend on how well she can break the earth animals the girl makes.. I know most of us would be exhausted and slowly overpowered while the earth animals attacked us. The earth girl could just stand around and wait. But if Cara can use her sound to somehow affect the earth¡­" While continuing to stare at the arena, Asher was more or less talking to himself.


    "We will see now, they are finally coming back out for the last match. The healing must have taken more time because they both had pushed themselves a lot. I know that Cara will hold it in, but she had to have hurt herself with her own sound trying to beat the bull shifter."


    "Janes'' right, we just need to watch now." Louis pointed at the two walking out.


    "Go for it Cara!" Jackson and Laura cheered first in unison causing Cara to look up slightly and give a nid.


    "She will win." There was no longer any doubt in Ashers'' mind.


    "Here to try and take the top spot in the whole entire class? I wasn''t sure if you and Billy would be able to make it to the last round. We both know that Billy only participates to make sure he can become a rescue hero."


    "I know Kim. I know. But if Billy didn''t get to be a hero it would be a waste of who he is as a person." The earth controlling girl, Kim, nodded along with Cara.


    "So, are we showing off still or should we just go all out at the start? It''s been a few months since we have had to spar in class." Kim was not the biggest fan of showing off since she had been doing that all day and now just wanted to have a real match.


    "We should just get it over with. I know you have been waiting to use your trump card all day. It''s pretty obvious with the face you make when you win. You look a little annoyed." The smirk Cara had was a little too obvious that she found this fact a little more than just amusing.


    "I do, but I really thought I was hiding it. I guess that means you have something you have been hiding too?" Kim''s eyes narrowed as she spoke. She knew that Cara could easily deafen her in this match.


    "I do, so let''s get to it." Cara steadied herself and moved in to her stance. Kim followed suit and was moved in to a stance. However, Kims'' stance was with her hands dug in to the floor as much as possible. The closer she was to the ground the better for how she would be fighting.


    The referee motioned and shouted for the match to start and everyone watching was in the edge of their seat. No one dared yell and ruin the focus the two had. But when the entire arena started to vibrate again there were a few yelps of surprise.


    The earth was moving and Cara had a feeling she knew what was having. "You see, normally I can''t make the earth puppets I make with my terra- kinesis protect me too closely because they might hurt me if I am not meticulous in my control. So that''s what I trained." Kim was being wrapped in the earth and her limbs extended with it.


    The earth that covered Kims'' head formed in to a helmet but the rest of the earth body was over ten feet tall. Cara knew that for months and months Kim had been training her control of the earth. This was the pay off of all that training, and it was major.


    With the rumbling figure that had enveloped Kim rushing her, Cara was forced to jump and roll to dodge a heavy kick. It was enough to send her out of the match in the first few seconds. "That''s just crazy!" Cara couldn''t help but shout at Kim who didn''t even giggle. She was putting extreme mental pressure on herself and couldn''t even hear what Cara was saying.


    "Fine, You want all out, then I will give you all out." Cara had still thought she would be able to hold off a little. But now, it was all over.


    Cara opened up her jacket and hit another button. The entire audience thought that they were about to be victims to the girl known commonly as the deafener. However, they heard nothing. Not a single one of them heard a single thing.


    Kim struck out again at Cara with one of the earth fists and managed to slightly graze her knocking her over. When Cara stood up and dodged the second hit she was noticeably slower making everyone believe that Cara had taken a heavy hit and was going to be missing out now.


    The thing that really caught the groups'' attention was that Cara was not reacting to attack in counter. She instead held the same extremely focused face that she had whenever they were learning a new move or tactic.


    The earth encased Kim struck out again with an earth fist slamming on to the ground after Cara sidestepped it. Strangely there was a shattering sound and parts of the earth first fell away. Kim tried to make it take another step more of the earth fell away.


    Kim tried to pull it back and fix the earth armor she had created but the more time that passed the more the earth crumbled away. Cara slowly moved forward and directed the speakers on her jacket toward Kim.


    With the earth crumbling away and Cara holding herself in the direction, Kim was fully exposed and Cara dropped her jacket. There was no chance for Cara to miss and no chance for Kim to move and dodge. Kim was mentally exhausted and the earth was not moving as she wanted.


    Caras'' fist knocked Kim down and she moved in to a pinning position locking her arms until the referee finally called the match to an end. Kim lay oned the ground panting trying to understand why she had lots. "My super power has never failed like that. How?" She wanted to be stubborn and not ask Cara but if she did she could think about it for days on end without the answer.


    Cara finally hit the pff button on her speaker and dropped to her knees. "That was not fun. Look at the ground around us. There''s only one kind of mixture of earth. I changed the frequency until it vibrated and stopped the earth from melding with the other pieces. It was a lot. If I had to wait any longer I would have been done for." Cara was sure that she would have passed out before she beat Kim if the earth did not crumble when it did.


    The two looked at each other for a minute before they both laughed a little, "I guess the top student and the second student both need to deal with their headaches now." The laughter was a welcome change from the seriousness of the match. But at the end of the day, it all depended on what the scouts thought of them right now.


    "That was awesome! I have no idea how she made the earth fall apart but that earth girl turned in to a whole earth golem knight thing." Laura was exaggerating but it was the same with all of the group. They couldn''t understand what had just happened and how it had worked.


    "Do you guys think Cara will want to teach us how that worked after her match?" The question was the same with everyone. Just because Sammy had asked if they knew that Cara would prefer to rest so they would have to wait for an answer.


    "Well, I would say no, but she has to meet with us since she is part of the group. I''m sure that Garnet and coach Winters will grab her and bring her up here. Well, that is if we can sneak out before they get here?" Asher was feeling mischievous and wanted to just relax instead of feeling the weight of their change in grade and training.

 Chapter 326 - 326. Lets Celebrate

    The group may have needed to start getting in to the details of their new classes and the changes they needed to make. But today was a big day. They had all done amazingly in their school sanctioned tournament. Done well to achieve part of their overall goal of becoming the best herpes ever. And Cara had made herself the top of her class. How could they sit around and go over rules and paper work and classes? It was just not what any of the group wanted to do.


    "Alright, we are going to catch Cara before she is caught by the teachers. Follow me." Asher snuck out of the room only to find the hallways completely empty. "Well, maybe we don''t need to sneak." The group just followed while shaking their head at Asher who they thought was acting way too suspicious.


    "We just need to take the stairs instead of the elevator. No one takes the stairs anymore." Jane thought she had the perfect answer, however, as soon as the door was open she realized there were already steps coming up them.


    "As I said, we can fight later. We need to beat that powerless king guy. He has no super power but has beaten us after studying our moves for a bit in videos." Garnet was arguing loudly while coming up the steps.


    "Yeah, whatever, but I want to beat your smug face first. I haven''t been able to fight anyone full strength and I can at least use you as a punching bag while you''re here." And coach Winters was rebutting like it was nothing. The powerful rivalry the two had was stronger and stronger over the years.


    "Fine, we will deal with this later. So, regretting the whole teaching things after retiring from being a police officer? You could have stayed and become a captain." The group wanted to leave but when they heard Garnet and coach Winters'' conversation their curiosity was winning over them.


    "It''s better than you think. Those three showed up in my class first day of class and already had a head on their shoulders. If they hadn''t I would have had to go back to tournaments full time since teaching wouldn''t be worth it." It was a surprise from coach Winters. They had not known she felt so strongly about them. "And that camp your family runs? Think it will survive a little longer?"


    "Ha! We have five locations on the mountain now all for different levels of future heroes. The rush for string heroes and law enforcement has really helped us expand. I was sure that things would go well until those three problem children showed up. But to think, a while later three more show up and do exactly the opposite of the problems I had. I don''t know if it''s fate but I gave them a lot of tools to use."


    The steps got closer and closer causing all of them to be pulled away by Jackson who was the last one holding the door open. "Are we still trying to leave? They seem like they really want to help us." Jackson couldn''t help but feel bad that they were trying to sneak out.


    "Huh? Of course, we are. If we don''t we won''t have any time to ourselves. Today is the celebration and break we need. We are heading to the elevator. Cara wasn''t with them so she must still be cleaning up and being healed. Let''s go!" Art didn''t hesitate to run to the elevator and push the button. They needed to get in and head out before Garnet and coach Winters reached their floor.


    The elevator opened up and the door to the stairs did at the same time. "Hey! Where are all of you going? You have a meeting with us!" Coach Winters noticed them immediately as the doors of the elevator closed.


    "We are going to congratulate Cara on her awesome matches. We will see you tomorrow!" Laura was the only one courageous enough to mock the two. Hopefully, they could play it off as her playful personality but they all knew that Laura had just made their future a little harder.


    The slight sound of running steps echoed as the door closed all the way. "Yeah, we are so dead tomorrow. But for now, let''s go find Cara." Louis was not a fool. He knew that things would be tough, however, he was more excited to celebrate and enjoy the stress free feeling after all their matches and new understandings.


    The first floor was a mess of people and students moving about. There were a few newspaper staff members trying to get interviews to fill out surveys. They wanted to be the person who interviewed a future hero before they were famous. It was very common for the first journalist that did a report on a hero to follow the career for their own career length.


    "Look! The waiting area over there!" Sammy was able to spot a familiar hoodie wearing figure. Because of the low pulled hood, Cara was able to hide away from the crowd while standing on the edge of the waiting area.


    With as much speed as he could muster, Art dashed forward and grabbed Caras'' arm, "Come on. We are all going to celebrate our wins today." The look of surprise was replaced by a smile wider than Asher had ever seen on his sisters'' face. Art dragged her out the front door where the rest of the group had also run out of.


    "You all won too? I knew you would. Did Jane clean the floor and take first?" Cara seemed very dead set on Jane having taken the first spot.


    "Really? You doubt your own brother that much? Pffft, I snagged the first place." The slightly annoyed tone Asher had was shrugged off as she looked at Jane.


    "If my brother did anything rude to knock you to second place let me know. I will make sure he is punished properly." Cara was pushing her fist in to her empty palm but realized that Art was still holding her and she was holding him. With a realization, the two released each other and looked away.


    "Actually, Laura took second place. She had some very speedy tactics. And Art and I decided to get a little out of control." Jane wanted to show her the videos she knew had been taken but now was not the time.


    "None of that matters, we are heading out to celebrate!" Sammy was so excited that she jumped and caused a small burst of wind to sweep through the outer field.


    "We should go to that new buffet down the street. They have the best food and there is even a farm to table vegetable section." The group had not expected this answer from Jackson of all people.


    "Yeah sure. I was just going to force Art in to the kitchen to make us cookies and cake but we can g to a restaurant first." Cara''s answer would have made Art worried if it had come from anyone but here. Yet, when everyone looked at him he actually appeared to be excited by the notion of going to someone''s house and just cooking for everyone.


    "What? When you make food for someone else it always tastes better than when you make food just for yourself." His grandmother had always said this and now Artvtook it to heart.


    "Then we go to the buffet and back to my place to cook up some cookies. I think the cake can wait for another day. It is faster to make the heavenly cookies." Asher knew that no matter what he did the group would enjoy Arts'' cookies better. It was just a difference in recipes. He had no idea that everyone was breathing a slight sigh of relief when he was not the one cooking or helping out in the kitchen.


    " Wait, I need to ask. That last match. How did you win?" Laura was too impatient and had to ask the question that was on everyone''s mind."


    "That? Simple. I spent a few weeks learning how to make certain rocks and pieces of earth vibrate. Once I had done that I tuned the speakers and tried to change the frequency to match that. The increased vibration interfered with how the terra- kinesis super power works and the earth crumbled leaving a perfect opening." Cara shrugged as if this was some common and easy conclusion to reach.


    "Right, Cara just casually memorizes and uses frequencies from, well, how many different things that could have made up the earth?" It was clear that Asher did not see it as such a simple small action.


    "I only memorized a hundred and twenty three frequencies. It was really not much. We have way more things memorized than that in our heads." Again, Cara shrugged it all off.


    " I understand that I was wrong to ask. I should have just done my own research." Laura felt immediately outdone and decided that she would just focus on the food they were heading towards.


    Jackson spoke to everyone with the menu items he somehow knew from the top of his head. The night came quickly and the group didn''t even end up heading home. They celebrated and promptly passed out in Asher''s living room knowing that they were going to watch the senior tournament and face their sneaky exit consequences the next day.

 Chapter 327 - 327. Hooky

    The morning went as expected. Asher and Caras'' mother and father woke everyone up who had fallen asleep in various places of the living room. Some of them were found curled on the floor with one of the blankest while Asher and Cara had claimed the coach as their territory since they lived there and were siblings.


    The night had been a little longer than usual but Their parents didn''t mind since it had been a big day full of improvement and the fruits of their hard work. They knew that if they had stifled their children''s freedom to celebrate once in a while then they would have ignored them and rebelled more often.


    Unfortunately, Louis and Sammy had gotten in to an argument leading to Louis accidentally frying his cellphone ad Sammy blowing away some of her notecards out the window. But this was written off easily since Sammy had done this multiple times and Louis had back up phones for when this happened. It was a testament to how well they were prepared to deal with their super powers and the consequences of them.


    "I have strawberry and cream cheese stuffed french toast! Get it now or never again!" Art had already hoarded pieces for himself and watched as everyone was fighting over it. The only person that was missing the food was Cara.


    "What! Nooooooo! How could you betray me like this!? I go to shower quick and I come down to you monsters eating the worlds'' greatest french toast.." Cara was crushed until Art pushed a late toward her stacked with six pieces. It was more than he had even had to eat let alone anyone else.


    "If I could eat this every day I would be in heaven." The group had discovered that Sammy''s favorite flavor was strawberry. The french toast that Art had made as soon after he woke up was the key tp this new information and would one day lead to the mess of strawberries given to her when her birthday rolled around.


    "So, we have to go to the senior tournament and watch it now? I feel like it will be kind of lame since we don''t know anyone and we can''t practice and analyze things while we watch it." Laura was the one who didn''t want to go the most.


    "You just don''t want to face coach Winters and Garnet because they will reprimand you." Louis had a good point until Jackson spoke up.


    "You do remember that all of us left without stopping to talk to them, right? We will all get a talking to. Well, Cara might get away if she says she was too tired from her matches and was unable to properly focus so she went home."


    "I would have been stuck there anyways and you would have to explain it all back to me again when I had slept a little. Plus, I had plenty of energy to celebrate. Do I feel that way now? Nope, I''m a little tired still. But nothing starting our vacation early can''t help." Cara seemed to have a devilish smile starting.


    "Are you serious? Won''t we get in trouble if we don''t go meet them?" Jane was the one to object this time. She was afraid that they would lose out on something or even get in serious trouble. They were not required to go to the senior tournament but it was common for everyone who participated in the other to attend it. It was even more important that they go since they had won theirs or placed higher in the ranks.


    While Cara looked at Asher he realized what her plan was. "I think that is a great idea." Cara and Asher were sharing knowing looks and waiting for someone else to react.


    "Alright, we get it. You two are siblings. So what are we going to do?" Art lost his patience first out of everyone. Asher had thought it would be Laura but she was too interested in snacking on the remains of her french toast.


    "I guess Asher can tell you where we are all going." Cara left the announcement to Asher.


    After holding his breath for a moment and letting the suspense build, Asher spoke. "We are going to the amusement park and the water park. We will ride every ride and go down every water slide. My friends, we are skipping a non mandatory class so that we can celebrate even more." Asher sprinted right to his room and grabbed every swim suit he had. When he returned he found that Cara had taken the girls upstairs and that the guys were waiting for him.


    "I only have these. I don''t think any will fit you, Jackson¡­" The feeling was not good. Asher really wished he could help out.


    "Oh, no problem. I have my survival bag with me. I have a pair of swim trunks."


    "What else do you have in there? The meaning of life? The entire mall? The secret to world peace?" The teasing remarks cracked everyone up. Louis couldn''t contain himself and asked the craziest things he could get from his mind at the last minute.


    "Alright, so we need to hit the big rides first. The roller coasters. Salt and pepper shakers. The extra high water slide. Oh, and the bumper cars. They will have the longest lines and hitting them earlier in the morning is better since we would have to wait over an hour to get to the front." The intense planning was led by Jackson which was a surprise to everyone.


    "What? I have been to many amusement parks with my family. We go at least once a month. My mother is obsessed with roller coasters. She said that the ones that go upside down are best since they make it feel like the world is something or other. I don''t know. She just likes them a lot."


    "I didn''t take anyone in your family to be a thrill seeker, but it would explain why you have been able to keep up with all of us this whole time." This did explain a lot when it came down to everything. Jackson may have been a nice and calm person who wanted to rescue others, but he was able to handle the chaos that the group in general had. Asher easily caught on to this fact.


    "Wait, do they have a haunted house? I think I saw on television that they have a haunted house." Art was quick to start to search it up and soon found a walk through video of the entire haunted house.


    "Wow, even won an award last Halloween. I think we will need to avoid that or else we might get a heart attack." Asher was not having anything to do with it. He wasn''t scared by he was afraid that if someone jumped out he would punch them by accident.


    "The boys are afraid of the haunted house?" Laura came down the stairs first after changing to get ready and immediately taunted them. Unfortunately, she had back up.


    "If they are afraid then they should avoid it. If they aren''t, then they should have a little bet with us." Cara was the one to suggest it and she managed to get back up from Laura and Jane in an instant. The only one that wasn''t pushing for it was Sammy who clearly was not a fan of the haunted house at all.


    "Oho, you think we can''t get through it? If you can get through it faster than one of us we will buy the lunch. If we get through faster than us, you will buy the lunch!" Art and Louis came together to create their bet and held a steely gaze.


    "Deal! But when you lose make sure you have extra pants. You know, when you are scared silly from the ghosts and goblins and what ever else is in there." The intense one was Laura, which was not a surprise. However, the back up from Cara was a little surprising since Asher had not known how competitive his sister was about these things.


    "Hey, I got the passes online already. We can take the train down the block there and it only takes twenty minutes," Jackson had been quick to ignore the betting and talks of who would buy who what. He was not going to get sucked in to the big competition over something he was not fully vested in.


    "Perfect! Thanks man. We should do a last check before we leave. Cellphone? Jacket? Sunscreen? Back pack? The heart of the strong that will put us ahead of the girls!?" And Louis had joined the taunting as well. It left Jackson and Asher just shaking their heads as Cara, Laura, and Jane joined back in to the game of betting.


    By the time the group actually made it to the train they barely managed to hop in and head out. They were on the way to the water and amusement park full of thrills. Not a single one of them could say they were not excited, even if they were skipping out of the senior tournament.

 Chapter 328 - 328. Loops

    The train ride went by much faster than what they had expected. They all gathered around Asher''s phone and watched some of the battles live on the school website. Some of them tried to look at the engineering competition but it felt pointless since most of the logistical terms were too advanced for them.


    When the train stopped at the station the group headed up on to the main road to find the towering amusement park and water park combination in front of them. The station was full of ads and food stalls that tried to tackle advantage of the crowd that came to the station for the park itself. It was just a smart business move.


    "There it is. The stomach turning chaos of an amusement park known to have the best upside down loop filled rollercoaster in the city." Sammy pointed it out with clear excitement. She had searched it up and found that the world record for times ridden it were only five in a row without losing the lunch in someones'' stomach. It was an impressive title to boast for any rollercoaster and the amusement park was sure to use it to its advantage.


    "You''re saying that that little thing is what will win me the free lifetime pass? I just need to ride it more than five times?" Laura was not one to shy away from a challenge.. It was true. From the far end of the entrance, the roller coaster did appear to be smaller than it really was.


    The only one to catch on that it was actually dangerous to ride was Jackson, "Can''t you remember one thing from physics class? Look at the loops. It is made so that it messes with equilibrium. It will throw you off just like the astronaut tests we see on television shows." Of course, Jackson was never this rude but at the moment everyone had just learned that Jackson was not a fan of underground trains at all. He had become very on edge and was still releasing some stress.


    "Well, if you want to worry about physics then, I will worry about getting in line first!" Art was off faster than most of them had seen him run before. This was as much a challenge as the roller coaster was since they all wanted to get the front seat as well.


    Unfortunately for everyone, they were racing against Laura. Her speed was nothing to joke about especially since the pathways that led to the major rides were all straight lines. This was the perfect way for Laura to get to the line leading to the roller coaster first. "All of you are so slow. I think you need to start sprint training again." The small laughter that Laura had while saying this did not amuse any of them.


    "We get all the way here and there is still a line of twenty people. We need to wait for two whole rounds." The realization was a little hard for Louis to handle since he had imagined they were early enough to jump right on to any ride.


    "We aren''t the only ones that came super early. Didn''t you see the people that were carrying around tent bags? Some people sleep here overnight to get in first and get the coupon books that they give to the first twenty guests of the day." Cara had not shared this fact with any of them since they would have missed it no matter what. The line to get in when the park first opens is always overt twenty and often near seventy or eighty people long.


    "What do the coupon books do? Just for food or something?" Jane and Asher had both asked at the same time making most of the groups'' smirk and look at them with mischief in their eyes. They would definitely be teased about it later.


    The only one that was not thinking of ways to tease them was Jackson who had already pulled up the coupon book explanation on his cellphone. "It says that other than food coupons it has things like a free pass to the rollercoaster, a ticket to the haunted house, and even some offers for the hotel that is in the dragon guarded castle. It all sounds pretty cool if you want to append the day or even week here. There are even discount coupons for the gift shop."


    This was all making a lot of sense and helped them kill time as they prepared to get on the first set. Laura had taken the first spot on the rollercoaster and found that it was a buddy situation. Without even flinching Louis moved and took the spot next to her. He refused to even look at anyone making it fairly clear that he had just made a move. None of the group dared to tease him until after the rollercoaster ride.


    Jane and Asher took the second, followed by Art and Cara after they dashed in to setal it away from Sammy and Jackson who were the only two that did not mind so much that they were not in the front. "I thought you would be rushing for the front like Louis. You could have a first hand feeling of intense wind on your face so you are better acclimated to the wind." Jackson''s analysis was not a bad idea to say the least. But Sammy just gave him a shake of the head and turned away as they brought the seat bar down to hold them in place.


    "Now, listen up listen up. This rollercoaster is the best, the top, the number one in the world. Those wishing to attempt the world record may stay on as long as you can handle it. But be warned. You will have to pay for any clothing or damaged items due to your attempt."" The employee smiled all too sweetly at them while saying this.


    "Now that you are safely trap- I mean buckled in. You can know that the top of the line harnesses and safety measures will stop the ride at any time there is an emergency. We have hired heroes to properly police the park and always be on standby. Please rest easy and enjoyyyyyy the ride!"


    The roller coaster took up building speed as it went up the first massive hill. Everyone heard Laura start to admit to Louis that this was just a little higher than what she had thought. It was a refreshing sound as they all watched the entire park become small and populated by small dots the size of ants.


    There was a pause that filled them all with fear and anticipation before the sudden feeling of antigravity. They were weightless while their cars sped down the track. The jerk that came with the three small loops was enough to throw their sense and shake their grips. The screams they all let out had no source since they were lost to the wind in mere seconds.


    The series of side loops and the second large hill was enough to cause all of their faces to go pale and even a little green. The only one that actually seemed to be faring well was Sammy. She was getting more and more energetic and by the largest of the upside down loops, she had her hands up giggling like a fool.


    None of them were able to even stand up right away as the cars came to a stop at the exit. Employees helped them get off until it got to Jackson and Sammy. "Are you staying?" The employee that asked was stunned since no one had yet to get through the first round that day.


    "Of course we are! Jackson and I will break the record." The fear in Jacksons'' eyes as he was nominated for such a task was not missed. Asher made sure to give him a wave. The look on his face and the other walking away said that they would be attending his funeral.


    "He won''t give up, will he? Sammy is going to drag him through all five and maybe even six runs." The worry in Janes'' voice was matched by a slight amount of awe. She couldn''t believe how much Sammy seemed to like the roller coaster. She appeared happier and happier every single time around.


    "Well, they are only on the third but I am pretty sure one of us needs to go Rescue Jackson. He will need it." Art took a step up and the employee recognized him as one of the friends easily letting him toward the cars as they stopped.


    "I''m supposed to have a super power that makes my body super tough and the best of humanity. But I feel like someone just shook me like a can of soda¡­" Jacksons'' small groans and colorless face made everyone keep a good distance.


    "I just don''t know how she does it. She might want to aim for a spaceship next." Cara was beginning to think that they were pushing Sammy toward the wrong career.

 Chapter 329 - 329. Legs Like Jelly

    "But I don''t understand. How is she doing it? That is the seventh time on the coaster and she looks even more comfortable?!" The manager had arrived after hearing that someone was challenging the record.


    The manager had leisurely walked from his office thinking that as usual, by the time he arrived, the challenger would have failed or given up. Yet, when he arrived, he found that the record was broken. No, the record had been crushed to pieces and was still being slammed on the ground like it was nothing.


    "Sir, I know. She looked a little uncomfortable on the fourth round ut now she is relaxed. She might even be trying to take a nap." The employees were just as shocked until Asher wandered up and tapped them on the shoulder.


    "She has a wind manipulation type super power. We joked about her using it as training and then this happened. I think she is using it to train what it might feel like to fly really fast.. She should have a natural disposition for this kind of thing." Asher glanced at the roller coaster which was about to head off again. "To be honest, she looks bored now."


    "That''s it! Stop the coaster and reward her with her free pass and a coupon book for all her friends. If she doesn''t want to stop she can continue but I''m calling the news. I want her statement to say that she found it easier than it sounded and that anyone can do fine but only a real challenger can hit ten and beat her." The manager felt a wave of desperation and inspiration. He would use this for publicity and increase the park''s guest count again.


    Sammy smiled when the employee told her and took the silver and gold free pass for a lifetime membership. The employees handed out the special coupon books and a few guests waiting in line cheered for Sammy as she walked off the ride.


    When Sammy neared the others she leaned on Jackson, "Hey, help me walk. My legs are like jelly." The group was stunned at her loss of toughness. She had been so solid the entire time and it turned out to be just an act in front of the employees.


    "That was amazing. How did you do it?" LAura had waited until Sammy was sitting on a bench and had drank some water to finally ask the question everyone was dying to know.


    "Well, it was a lot of fun and after the first one, the adrenaline kept me there. But the third one my legs didn''t want to move and I couldn''t get off. The fourth was tougher and then I kind of got numb to it but was still not ready to get up. I''m just glad I didn''t eat a lot of the stuffed french toast this morning."


    "I think we can all agree that we are done with roller coasters?" Cara was the one who made the final decision here. She wanted to make sure that they all had had their fill of the stomach twisting ride.


    "I agree with that, but we are still going on the twister over there? Right?" Art was the only one to speak out against Cara a little. He was pointing to a spinning ride and also went upside down twisting here and there.


    "Are you trying to get us to lose the food you made? You are evil. Make us eat something that tastes good they get us to lose it one a ride so you can force us to eat more." The image of Art in Louis''s mind was becoming that of a devil bent on torturing them in a strange and unusual way.


    Asher had a better idea looking at the water park sign nearby, "Why don''t we go to the lazy river that circles the entire park? It takes half an hour to get around and we can relax and get back to a solid base. Then we can go on more rides when the water park gets busy because of the heat. It would also be the best time for us to eat a little."


    The group seemed to like this idea better than any of the other possibilities. It was clear that they would take advantage of the coupons when it came to food and the haunted house later in the day. They all knew a real haunted house was best done in the evening anyway. The food was very popular in the park since it was a carnival style theme. Finnel cakes, fried dough, donuts, corn dogs, cotton candy, even fried tacos!


    "Asher, I know you are just suggesting that because you want to grab the food already. I already looked at the coupon book and saw the fried tacos." Jane was not a fool. She knew exactly what Ashers'' motivation was to get to the lazy river which would be slow and take a lot of time. It would mean they all walked by the fried taco stand that he had been eyeing.


    "Bro! That fried taco coupon is buy one get one free. Those things cost like ten dollars. I will get one too." Asher knew that Art was his best friend for a reason. The two of them were not on a mission to try the best bad for you food they could.


    "I''m alright to go, but Jackson is carrying me on his shoulders there. My legs are still a little wobbly." Sammy used this an an excuse to be a little lazy and Jackson had no ability to argue against her. She was too set on it and his strength fell away when he was asked for help. It was a downfall but also a huge positive to who he was.


    " Alright, but what if we aren''t a taco obsessed lucky jinx?" Louis was flipping through the booklet full of coupons and landed on a normal looking section. "Perfect, we will pass a normal sandwich shop that has turkey on wheat. I normal healthy meal is all I want."


    While they walked, Asher and Art bartered with their friends for the other taco coupons. Soon they had every single one in their possession at just the cost of the fried ice cream and slushie coupons. The others had decided to go with Asher''s plan and were soon taking pictures while eating and walking the part.


    The fried taco proved to be double the size of a normal taco and Asher challenged Art to an eating contest leaving the group with a very comical new videos to laugh at later. The slushie Jane bought was the size of her head and she was sure to have a blue dyed tongue from the blue raspberry flavoring for the rest of the day.  Louis got his sandwhich only to find that it was a foot long monster that he was sure never to finish in their time at the park. It was more than he had expected to buy but he relished in it nonetheless.


    By the time they had reached the lazy river, they found that the staff had opened and were waiting. They would be the first people to brave the slightly cooler waters to take the long relaxing trip. Once their backpacks were stored in a nearby locker the fight for tubes began. They may all have been the same but that didn''t stop the boys from fighting over them which brought a slight amusement to the girls as they acted like a cheering section and grabbed their tubes.


    As the boys hopped in to the tunes and started to push off they all became dead silent. The girls were showing off the bathing suits they had received. Not only were they all matching to some degree with different color polka dot patterns, but they also had gained an incredibly athletic and fit body from the training sessions.


    Once the boys found the will to shut their jaws they realized the girls were looking at them the same way. The boys were all similarly fit and athletic. They had lost a lot of their body fat and replaced it in to muscle without any of them realizing it. The dropped jaws slowly returned to their positions after a little bit of effort. However, the two groups knew that they had all seen and felt the same things.


    As fast as he could, Asger tried to change the subject while the girls got in and pushed off the side. "He Louis, I don''t feel any zaps. You must have really improved your super power control."


    "Oh yeah, I have been practicing a lot in the pool at night before bed. I can keep it all in without letting it fry me or anyone else in the water. I already passed the need for the rubber bandages but now I can even touch metal and water. I still have trouble with electronics though. Something about them having electricity in the too."


    The robotic sounding conversation would be odd to anyone else but to the group, it broke the tension and brought them back to reality to enjoy the lazy river.

 Chapter 330 - 330. Splash

    "So, I was thinking¡­" Jane was floating in her tube with the group who had all geld on to one handle to create a chain and not lose each other. " Why don''t we look in to do some intense training on top of the plans they have for us for the summer. They already said it would be the catch up courses to equal us to the rest of the juniors who are moving on to senior year. We might as well also set up a plan to push ourselves physically higher."


    "Hmmmm, that''s great and all, but what if we did team work as the main focus? We can make each other stronger at the same time but one thing that will set us aside is true team work. We all saw the kid Cara fought, the bull shifter-


    Cara interrupted, "His name is Billy and he is basically an angel. He''s even nicer than Jackson. But he has the flipside of a super power that he spends all his time learning to properly control." The look Cara had said that she would not budge on this.


    Art looked as if he had just been kicked but quickly recovered, "We would have lost that match since we would have been unable to work together. Louis and Sammy have super powers that can affect the entire area. Jackson and Laura have the lowest experience and need to learn to control strength and speed.. Then Asher brings the bad luck challenge and Jane might freeze someone in place by accident. There''s also the chance I will not be able to stop metal or Cara could use too much sound." Art rambled this off then returned to his leaned back position not saying a word.


    "It was a blunt run down but it''s all true. We can probably work together as a pair or even trios at times but as a whole group, we can''t yet. We may know how we all work and what the strengths and weaknesses we have are which is a great start. Next, we need to figure out how that all fits together." Asher was already putting ideas together but didn''t want to go in to too much detail at the moment.


    "Then we get to brainstorm for tomorrow?" Laura didn''t want to focus on the fact that they needed to start to work on their teamwork. If they did they might miss out on some of the rides around.


    "I agree, tomorrow," Jackson spoke up with a groggy voice making everyone realize that he may have been falling asleep in his tube.


    "Ummm, how much longer on this? We have ti have been through the entire lazy river already, right?" The question from Sammy hung in the air while everyone looked around. They eventually came upon a staff member at a fork in the river.


    "Left or right, right or right? Take a choice and relax or head for a thrill!" The staff member started to push everyone e to the left fork and they had the feeling that they should have been faster to make a choice. The only reason for their panic was the sudden increase in the speed of the water.


    "We didn''t even answer!!!!" Louis''s shout went unanswered as he focused himself so that he would not allow any of the lightning to leave his body while he was jostled around by the now downward slope of rough water.


    The sides of the river became bumpy and twisted as they all tried to hold on to the handles of the tubes they had. There was no chance to speak just curse and spin. The first one to speed up faster than all the others was Jackson since he was the heaviest. This was a foreshadowing to everyone else who saw him disappear then reappear in the air way ahead of them.


    "There''s so e sort of jump ahead!" Asher tried to warn Art who was the next heaviest one flying ahead but he was already in the air in front of them. Asher followed and soon everyone else did. The weightless feeling was immediately followed by the cold water encompassing them was the end of the ride. Their tubes had floated away and they found they had been directed in to a large pool that was in the center of the water park.


    Staff members gathered their tubes and helped those to shore that needed it but at the end of the ride they were all laughing and enjoying the shocked expressions of those who chose the path. They had no idea that their colleague was just surprising people by pushing them down this way.


    "That was one way to dunk in the water." Cara had reached the group last and found the spot they had claimed with pool chairs and a table.


    "I would ask what we should do next but I think we just went on the best water slide ever. Actually, that might be scarier than the haunted house later." Jackson was not at all amused and had just recovered from the sudden change of pace. Unfortunately for him, ha had been drowzing a little which was most likely the cause of the staff member ushing them down the rougher path.


    "I think we should all race down the tall one." Laura was looking toward the far end of the water park. She was staring right at the ten rainbow slides that left the same platform and went through a series of twists and loops. The end came down in to the main pool that was attached to the wave pool.


    "How fast would we do down that?" The voice crack that Louis had was enough to show that he had been through a lot of added stress to hold in the lightning that was building up in his body. The thought that he would need to go through it again if not worse, was a hard pill to swallow.


    "I actually think that one looks awesome. I will totally be down that first as long as Jackson gives us all a three second head start." Cara was already trying to even the playing field as she grabbed on to Sammy and Jane to pull them up. From the looks of it, no one had any chance to say no. They were going and that was that.


    "Well, I guess I am following Cara." Asher was up leaving Louis, Art, and Jackson just looking at each other wondering if they should actually go. Laura, of course, had already headed off and was jogging backwards in front of Cara picking a small challenge and trying to make a bet on who would buy who ice cream when they win.


    "Since the girls are betting on the first one down, then why don''t we?" Asher''s smug grin said that he was the one that would reach the bottom first no matter what. " The last one down has to pay for everyones'' ice cream just like Laura is saying. The first one down is the proclaimed the king of the water park."


    "Oho? You think yourself a king little one? Fear me for you will find I am just the kind of king you wish to be." Art took on a snooty tone and tried his best to act taller than he really is.


    "Even with the three second hold back I will be the first. These things favor those with more muscle." Jackson couldn''t help but get in to the mood. He started to flex a little which sent all of them trying to flex a little and show off their muscles.


    "Why are boys so weird? We mention a small bet and now all of them are acting like fools. At least Louis is being normal."


    "Sammy, we all know that Louis isn''t doing that because he would zap someone by flexing weird. He keeps looking like he wants to try and do it too." Laura was pointing a little and giggling at the face Louis was making.


    "Ooohhhh yeah, riiiggghhhttt. That''s why you are focusing on him not flexing." Jane tried to tease and bump Laura only to hit air where Laura was. Cara just barely managed t catch her before he fell over.


    "And if all of you could stop copying the boys and fooling around we would be fine. It''s going to be me first at the bottom and I look forward to one of you buying my ice cream." Cara sped up toward the tower that led to the top of the slides and heard the footsteps of everyone rushing up behind her.


    Halfway up they found the view was the same as the roller coaster. But the time they were near the top they all needed to stop to take a picture. As soon as it was done Cara put her water proof cellphone back in the armband she had it stored in and rushed up the stairs. "I''m going to go ahead and pick my slide first!" Everyone jumped in to action as well.

 Chapter 331 - 331. Arcade!

    The group was very lucky that there were not many people ahead of them and they had arrived just in time for them to all take an empty slide. "Remember the bets!" Asher was sure that he was going to win but everyone else knew that this was not about luck. They all had slides that twisted and turned and it would come down to whoever was the quickest when they said go.


    "Oh, you kids are tracing? That''s pretty normal for us. But based off of experience the muscly one should win." The staff member had seen this many times. The heaviest person would always win because they would gain more speed.


    "We know that, we gave him a three second wait before he is allowed to go down." The staff member heard Laura and smirked. He was sure that this was going to be a good race and he would be amused to see who would come out on top after it all. It was the small fin he could have before the park became crowded and he would have to deal with the myriad of trouble makers.


    "Alrighty, then let me start you all off.. Three...two¡­.one¡­.Go!" The group jumped in to action. Unfortunately, most of them slipped or ended up backwards in their rush, Asher included. "And Go!" The secondary go was for Jackson who slid down normally with his hands safely tucked in. "Oh...I never explained the rules. Eh, Whatever. I bet that muscly kid will still win." The staff member was not even phased.


    Sammy and Laura were screaming in unison as they had the identical but different color slides. Their twists and turns caused them to spin in a loop almost making Sammy who was just barely recovered from the roller coaster have to start all over again with the process.


    Louis could feel the speed at which he was going and was doing his best to focus on his lightning. The slide was plastic and even though there was a lot of water rushing down the slide with him he could feel the static in the air. "Hold on just hold on. You can do this. Just wait. It''s over in a blink." There was no more reason for him to want to win. He just didn''t want to zap everyone else since this had been the ideal training so far in the detailed control of his super power.


    Jane and Art were similar to Sammy and Laura. But their slide was much more of a challenge. They flipped upside down multiple times while going incredibly fast. Art was regretting going up to the top to race since it was the longest and highest water slide ever. In the midst of these loops Jane was grasping at her sunglasses even though her senses had been thrown off too much already. There was no telling f she would have them y the time she reached the bottom.


    Meanwhile, Jackson was just sliding down gaining speed and speed and even more speed. He lacked the loops and instead had the straight shot to the bottom. This was not a good thing. He was the heaviest and the fastest. Meaning when he got to the bottom it would be the worst result.


    "Is this even a slide!?" Asher''s yell echoes all the way back up to the top where the staff member was laughing hysterically. He always knew that those who got stuck with the green slide would yell or wine. It was the slide for the children. Now, this didn''t mean it wasn''t a good slide. However, this did mean that it was made to be slower on purpose and also so that it would not scare them during the experience.


    Asger was slowly heading down the slide at a leisurely pace, "This is worse than the lazy river!"


    The first one down the slide was technically Jackson. But when everyone else got down they found that they had ties and the only people missing were Jackson and Asger. The two seemed as if they had vanished in thin air. The slide Jackson had gone down was empty and not even the sound of someone getting ready at the top was made.


    Asher on the other hand could be heard cursing the slide until he showed himself and stepped in to the large pool. "I understand that Asher was stuck with the lame slide, but where is Jackson" Sammy was worried that Jackson may have ended up at the bottom so fast he had left tor even that he had fallen t the bottom of the pool.


    The massive splash that caused everyone to become blinded was met by a familiar voice, "Who puts a jump at the bottom of the insane slide like that!?" It was Jackson. The super fast slide he had ended up on was made with a jump at the end to give a big splashing cannonball opportunity. Unfortunately, this was not told to them and Jackson had been surprised by this, especially when he was in the air.


    "Wait, if Jackson was in the air, does that mean he is technically the last down? Or is he the first because he was at the bottom of his slide and just not in the water?" The question was posed by Art as they struggled to make it out of the deep end of the pool.


    "I think we all kind of lost here. Everyone but Asher and Jackson were down at the same time but we all tied. It was pretty lame¡­" Laura felt that the challenge had kind of been ruined since they had all ended up at the bottom at the same time and they had not thought to have someone act as the judge with a photo finish.


    "All I know is that I got the worst slide and Jackson got the craziest. Also, what the heck i with this wave pool? The waves are so¡­" Asher was going to say the wave pool has small waves when he felt a pull on his legs. The water was surging and he had seemingly jinxed himself.


    The large wave caught all of them and pushed everyone to the very shore. They all found themselves in the shallow end looking at the sky. "You just needed to mock the wave pool. At least we decided who is buying the ice cream." Cara gave a glare to Asher since he had definitely been the cause of their sudden wash up on the man made shore. ''''Jackson laughed a little, "I thought you were all going to decide on me-"


    "Oh, so nice of you to split the cost with me. I knew you were a great friend Jackson!" Asher spoke up making Jackson regret his accidental taunt.  With the group''s decision made they moved toward the nearby ice cream stand and surveyed the area.


    "It''s really warming up here and look at that, it''s a school field trip." Laura had caught the field trip from across the pool area and saw that the kids were stealing all the lockers to store their things that were left.


    "We should get out of here before we end up swimming in pools that suddenly get warmer and warmer." It may have been a gross reason but Art was not wrong. The group grabbed their own things from their lockers and wandered the park.


    "What now? Do we just kill time before the haunted house is open?" Jane wanted to know what they should do. She had the goal of hitting the Ferris wheel at some point to get a picture of the highest point in the park. But that would be best done at sunset before the haunted house.


    "We hit the games. There is a whole arcade here that we can win tickets at. I hear the top prize is supposed to be unobtainable." Louis was the one who had been looking on to the games. Ever since Art had shown him the fighting games they learned some of their moves from he had been a little addicted to skill games. The arcade was the ideal place for him to show off his skills.


    "Then, what is the pize?" The question sounded simple enough but Louis remained silent. Jackson spoke up a little louder, "What is the unobtainable prize?"


    Louis turned suddenly and looked Jackson right in the eyes, "No one knows. It''s hidden in a box that cost a million tickets. The closest anyone ever got is the jackpot on a fishing game for four hundred thousand tickets."


    This brought a little mystery and challenge. "So what your saying is, if I have a certain little brother that has a lucky super power it would be best for me to bring him there to try and win luck based jackpot games so we can be the first to show off what the reward is?" Cara didn''t beat around the bush and spoke with a calmness that the others didn''t have while they realized they could own the entire arcade if they played their cards right.  Asher just stood still and wondered when they were going to ask his opinion.

 Chapter 332 - 332. Hidden Talents

    Asher followed while thinking about his own luck. Everyone wanted to take the arcade for all it had in tickets. "Hey, should we really be doing this?" He wasn''t sure if it was really heroic that they would be doing this. If he took the arcade for all they had then it would be exactly what a swindler and villain would do.


    "No one has gotten the mystery prize. We win the tickets and discover what the mystery is. We don''t have to take it. But at the same time, we won''t touch any other prize so that we don''t take anything from anyone else. We can even offer the prize to someone else." Art felt the same about the prize and using luck to get the prize easily.


    "Oh yeah, we don''t really need the prize. Just the answer as to what it is. The curiosity is the worst part.. Plus we are going to have fin plating the games anyways." Louis didn''t care for the prize either. He figured he would even give away the tickets if he had to to make it happen. He preferred the prizes to just be more games to play.


    "You all know it is normal to use super powers when playing the games right?" Sammy pointed at the arcade entrance where someone was using telekinesis in a claw machine. "They make the games even harder s that those who use their super powers can''t easily win that way." The claw machine shut its prize door blocking the blue teddy bear from being put through without using the claw. "See?"


    The group realized that they had just thrown themselves in to a moral conundrum as they walked for nothing. They knew that this was the way the games were made and that not having them this way would be foolish of the arcade owners and game makers. "We might need to study more¡­" No one disagreed with Jackson when he said this. He was right. They should study more common sense.


    After they had all realized that Ashers'' super power might not give them the advantage that they thought it would. The games were made to be challenging no matter what the super power. The luck boost might give Asher the edge but that was just evening the playing field. He would have to use skill nonetheless.


    Once the group stepped in to the arcade they were slammed with the sounds of machines dininging and voices shouting. There were balls rolling and milk bottles falling. The metal ball in an arcade bouncing from side to side causing multiple points to rack up on the game all invaded their senses.


    "Alright, divide and conquer!" Cara made the call and everyone started to move as if they were on a life or death mission.


    Asher chose to follow Art and found that he was at a pinball machine. They lined the entrance as one of the most played games and Art had the look of desire filling his eyes. "These are my favorite games. They can do anything at any time and even have a multi ball madness mode when you hit certain pins on the top." Asher had first thought Art was going here because he was trying to manipulate the metal ball for an easy win and points.


    However, Asher was wrong. The moment the game started with the token Art put in, he saw the skills. Art was an expert of sending the metal ball from side to side to hit the targets that lit up. It was all about timing and force. "I never knew you were this good at pinball. How much have you played?''


    "Well, before I was old enough to have a phone with games on it my parents didn''t let us do anything but learn and go to school. It was how they were raised and how they raised us. But they eventually broke and got me a pinball machine for my Christmas present. I played it every single day after school for a year until I got my cellphone." Art even looked away as he spoke to Asher. The in ball continued to be hit and went right at the targets. "I am going to take the high score on each of these machines and get the high score prize on them. I''ll link up later." Art focused back up as the first multi ball mode started.


    Leaving him Asher moved toward a very loud area that seemed to be shaking a little every few minutes. "Oh my god. It''s the mole slam game! I haven''t played this since I was little." Asher stopped for a moment as he watched the row of moving moles trying to avoid the soft plush hammer that got the player points.


    "Ha! Too slow! You pests will give me all the points!" The maniacal laughter echoing around the area and over the sound of points rising was all too familiar.


    Asher looked to his right to find that Laura was moving at crazy speeds to hit as many moles as soon as they popped up. She wasn''t just playing one game she was playing three in a row with the same plush hammer. There was a moment that Asher wanted to step in and stop her from making a fool of herself but he couldn''t do it. She had already attracted a crowd and instead of finding her weird, the crowd was instead, cheering her on. Even four staff members were behind her shouting for her to break the record and max out the machine''s point counter.


    Slowly Asher stepped away from the scene and pretended he had not seen it. He felt that if he joined he would somehow end up pulled in to a craziness he was not prepared for.


    "Of all the people to play a gun game. You?" When Asher had turned around he had found that Jackson was facing off against zombies.


    "This game has a very involved story line. The world ends and the people destroy the planet and all the greenery that keeps the planet alive. I''m the last survivor and my goal is to wipe out the zombies and grow the new world. I will bring back the gardens." The words that came from Jacksons'' mouth made Asher wonder just how gullible he was.


    The two identical gun games were spouting the same robotic voice saying that the player is saving the world from zombies and will plant a new future. It was the perfect kind of game to snatch Jacksons'' attention. He was very good at it too. "The game is really simple. If I pull this plastic trigger it shoots a laser and boom the game registers my shots. Do you think they realize that someone with the best of the best eyesight and reflexes can easily win though?"


    "Well, you happen to have those but I am looking it up now and apparently the mid point boss is invincible." Asher was wondering why none of the games showed a score past the fifth round. The reason was clearly written online. The game had a cheat as a halfway point boss and it was technically impossible. No one had been able to pull off the win. "There is a way to win but it says it''s impossible.


    "Don''t tell me. If I lose this round I will try one more then move on." Jackson was not going to win because of a spoiler. He was having too much fin on his mission to save the virtual world.


    With a laugh, Asher left Jackson to his mission. He really could not understand how Jackson was so set on the game but also had the feeling that f the world did end, Jackson would end up with a farm that covered all of the world in a few days.


    Wandering through the arcade was more fin than Asher realized. There were too many games for him to choose from and every single look gave him another option. So far he was avoiding the skill games like the basketball throw or the darts. Those were more reliant on his skills than luck and he wanted to make sure h played to his strength. Yet, when he started to hear a very loud and high pitched pop song he was attracted to it to at least take a look.


    "D-d-d-dance! Round five! Speed round! Extra encore song unlocked!" The announcer''s voice from the machine rang out as another pop song started at a double pace from the first Asher had seen. When he walked up to the machine he found a blinking and bright arrow pattern on the floor while a screen was projecting what patterns to follow with the players'' feet.


    Yet, this was not the most surprising part of the game. Actually, the game was completely normal for an arcade. The odd part was the hooded figure that was playing the game too perfect. "Foot work is paying off! I want the hidden track at round eight!" Louis was currently matching the steps perfectly and owning the dance game.

 Chapter 333 - 333. Falling Claws

    Asher was holding everything back. He couldn''t believe what he was seeing. It was Louis and Louis was dancing as part of the game. The thing was, he didn''t just see Louis dancing by moving his feet to hit the proper arrows on the game floor. No, Louis was moving his hips and arms to match every single action on the screen. It was more than just matching the game arrows on the ground.


    On the opposite side was the challenger trying to stay ahead of Louis. Unfortunately, the challenger was definitely not a practitioner of any martial arts foot work styles. This was the main reason why they were unable to keep up with Louis at all.


    The score continued to go higher and higher with every robotic perfect being read out loud. The opponent on the other side was receiving good and great scores. It was a drastic difference in the score as the song slowed and began to end.


    "Whooohoo, that''s another win. Next song, let''s go." Louis seemed to be completely in his own world. He was not even caring about the small line of opponents that were starting to line up to play on the competing machines.


    "You really threw me for a loop there. Of all the games. First I find Jackson playing a zombie gun game and now you are a dancing star. Next, I will find Sammy trying to beat the arm wrestling game." The sudden appearance of Asher was enough to bring Louis back to reality.


    "Well, this game is just easy compared to the training. It''s just a game. It''s nothing." Louis was looking away trying not to admit that he was having a blast.


    "I won''t judge too much but dude, you might be setting a world record if you can keep it up." There was a small part of him that believed that Louis would be setting such a world record today.


    "Naaa, the world record is a dance marathon for two days and a few hours straight. I probably won''t get the record. But I already have the high score of the machine and probably the arcade." The shrug to this that Louis gave Asher was one that showed he didn''t really care too much about the score.


    Before Asher could say anything else the game started to play a small melody and the screen showed another player had joined to take on Louis. "Let''s go! Next round." Louis jumped to start the movements that the figure on the screen was doing. Asger knew that he would not be able to play like this and that Louis would be occupied for some time. Especially because there were more people lining up to challenge.


    However, Asher did pull his phone out and take a short video before he left. He wanted to add it to the group''s video diary for future reference. It was a small prank that he was sure would come back to get him as soon as he did something embarrassing himself.


    "Hey, Asher. What are you doing wandering around? Can''t find a game either?" Sammy had nearly bumped in to Asher as he rounded the corner away from the dance machines.


    "Oh, hey Sammy. I was just leaving Louis to his dance marathon and looking for something that struck me as the game for me." It was true, Asher had yet to find the game that he wanted to play to try and rack up tickets.


    "Then you can come with me to the crane games! The prizes all have ticket amounts that come with them. Get a stuffed animal and also whatever ticket number is on it. The tougher to grab the item the more tickets it is worth." Sammy was confident that the two of them would clear out the claw machines without any issue.


    Before Asher could say yes or no he was already being pulled off toward the rows and rows of claw machines. Some of them were simple and had stuffed animals in them. The ticket amounts were taped to them giving them a weird kind of badge. Yet, the claw machines that had other items in them looked even more challenging.


    "Wait, are we going after the ones with watches and stuff in them? I thought you said that we were getting stuffed animals with ticket amounts on them?" Asher was more than confused as Sammy finally stopped at the largest claw machine. "Is that a game system!?" It was all a lot of expensive items taking up a lot of space and showing the incredibly high challenge level.


    "Go big or go home. Now, the tickets on the game system only offer seventy thousand. We need better. We should aim for the cruise trip tickets which have a ticket count of one hundred and twenty thousand. They will take the tickets if we want something else at the stand but to be honest, I wouldn''t take any of the prizes. We are better off just asking them to exchange them for more tickets or the cash value. The real fun is seeing the crushing defeat in their eyes when you claim the prize that they thought no one would get."


    Asher was astounded at the change in Sammy''s personality. The arcade seemed to be bringing out strange talents and quirks his friends had. The fact that Sammy was so in to the claw game was more than just a game of fun. It was some form of addiction that seemed to take her over.


    "Let''s go. This one will be easy. I just need to ignore the mirrors on the other side and look from the top." Sammy started to move the claw towards the oddly shaped ball which held the cruise tickets that would also net them a huge amount of game tickets.


    The strategy she used made her look very odd. Sammy was trying to get as tall as she could to look from the top of the machine. She constantly changed her position and body to see better. When she nearly crawled on top of the machine to see Asher had to step away. It was crazy and he couldn''t be involved.


    Surprisingly, when Sammy looked like she was going to start pressing her face to the glass she slammed down on the drop button. The large claw fell and landed in the sandy bottom of the giant claw machine. The audible snap of the metal closing made Ashe think that the claw had grabbed absolutely nothing.


    He was proven wrong when the claw rose to show that it had fallen perfectly in a way to snatch and capture the oddly shaped ball and stop it from slipping from the grasp as it was designed to do. Asher walked back over and looked at Sammy who was pulling out the prize and glancing back at him.


    "See. The look you are making right now is why I like to win these claw games." The small snickering that Sammy made just brought more confusion and wonder.


    "I have no idea how you just did that and I don''t think anyone with super powers can copy you. How long until you have cleaned out the whole thing?" This was not a question of if, but a question of when Sammy would clear the machine.


    "Well, I was always good at them. But in the introduction to physics class, I started to understand how the machines worked and why they were so hard. Later when Asher made me take the weather and physics class I got all the answers I needed to use the machine as I want. It''s all about how the claw lands and grabs on. If I was over by another few degrees then I would have lost it when the claw closed."


    "I don''t think I am even surprised. I can''t do that and it would be all luck. But you were amazing. Also, if you win the game system I think Louis would like it for his birthday. He has been borrowing games and stuff from Art." Asher left Sammy to start playing the claw game again. He was not at all surprised to see her lining up the claw with the game system next.


    "Well, at least two people seem to be normal." The reaction was of Cara and Jane playing a ball rolling game. The game required the player to roll the ball down a track where it would leave a ramp. The goal was for the ball to fall in to a hole with points. If the ball missed the high point targets then it would fall in to the single point category. Overall it was a lot of muscle memory and skill.


    "Asher! Come show Jane just how good we were as kinds!" Cara called him forward after noticing him. It was true. When their parents had taken them to a local arcade the two had figured out the skill of getting the hundred point spot over and over. With a smile, Asher placed a token in the machine while he stretched his fingers to play the first round.

 Chapter 334 - 334. Rings

    Asher had not realized the memories of playing with his sister at arcades and going to beaches had replaced the poor ones. He had still never been to an amusement park but this. This was different. Arcades were everywhere and were a staple place for kids to go and waste their allowance.


    "Oh, you bet!" The challenge from Cara to show off his skills was not taken lightly. Asher pushed a token in to the game and eight balls rolled in to place for him to roll and attempt to get points with.


    "Lowest scorer buys next game?" Cara set the challenge and it was easily accepted. This may not have been a game that would win a ton of tickets but it was a game they could have fun with and try to beat the other in.


    "You two don''t know what you are getting in to. I have mastered the fifty point spot." Jane effortlessly rolled a ball and it perfectly fell in to the fifty point spot off the ramp. It was easily the most picture perfect roll the two siblings had ever seen..


    "That''s beginner stuff." Cara and Asher gave each other devilish looks and threw their first balls in unison. The rolling started on one side and crossed over just in time to hit the ramp and perfectly sink in to the hundred point slots.


    "Like Cara said. Beginner stuff." Asher and Cara both picked up two balls. One in each hand.


    "You really still have it?" Cara looked at Asher with a little doubt.


    "If you miss you give me all your tickets. If I miss you get all my tickets from the round. If we tie, then Jane gets both our tickets." Jane felt like she was getting something for nothing but did not argue. It was a fine deal by her since she was being upstaged so much.


    The pair rilled both balls at the same time and both crossed barely missing each other and hitting the ramp. The two had both of their balls land in the hundred point slots and caused the machines to ring to sound their shots. They silently handed over their tickets to Jane as they glared trying to psych the other out before rapidly throwing the rest of the balls trying to beat the others.


    Unluckily for Cara, one of hers missed and fell to the single point slot. Asher had this happen too but his luck kicked in and the ball bounced out and in to the ten point slot. Jane on the other hand was not as good and consistently hit her fifty points. She still hit the last place out if the three but by no means did they leave with a low amount of tickets.


    "So, not that you two have shown off, what are we playing?" Jane knew they were not done. They barely had a hundred tickets each and that was nowhere near what they needed for the mystery box prize.


    "I wouldn''t mind doing the ring toss. It''s been a while and we can bet tokens if we will get on the bottle. Or we can choose the prizes that the bottle marks." Asher was looking straight at the game and remembered that it was a fun game for everyone to play. It was very rare for someone to win since the ring would bounce around a lot before settling and usually would just end up on the floor. But that was where Asher''s luck might kick in.


    "I can get with that. I haven''t played that in a while. I''m surprised an amusement park arcade has one." Cara ran ahead and asked for three bins of ten rings. This would be their gambles for prizes.


    "Think you can share some luck with me?" Jane was trying to act a little more innocent and flashed a bright smile so that she could somehow draw more luck.


    "You know that I can''t control it like that but...we can lucky fist bump and hope." Asher shrugged and held out his fist.


    "Hey love bords, hurry up before I win all the tickets from the game." Cara''s shout sped them up and they both shot small glares at her.


    "Don''t give me those looks. I was the one who got the first round. And you two were having a gross gooey moment." Cara knew they weren''t but it was part of her job as the older sister to tease Asher whenever she could. If she didn''t she would not be living up to her job.


    "Fine, then watch me win with Ashers'' luck." Jane threw three rings in quick succession and watched as they bounced off the glass bottles like crazy. The dull thud as they hit the matted floor was disheartening but Cara followed Janes'' action. The two were in furious competition trying to be the first to get a prize.


    "Last one aaaaannnndddddd...nothing!" Cara was defeated but when she looked at Janes'' final bouncing ring she saw it slowly land over the neck of a bottle.


    "Congratulations little lady. That is two thousand tickets. Not a bad prize." The staff member handed over the voucher for the two thousand tickets.


    "What if I just throw the whole ten at once and just see how it goes?" Asher wasn''t really in the mood to just lean forward and hope for one to hit. This was mostly because of the suspense that came with it. Instead, he held the bucket with all of them and smiles at the girls'' confused faces before he chucked the rings out of the bucket all at once.


    The symphony of tinking glasses was much more dramatic than before since Asher had sent all the rings flying at once. It took a solid minute for the sounds to end and everyone to just stand in awe. "How!?" The staff member was completely beside himself. He had never seen something like this before and was stunned. He had worked for the park for seven years on various arcade games and even the Ferris wheel once upon a time. But this year he was on ring toss and could not make heads or tails of the site before him.


    "Of course you randomly throw all ten and land all ten on bottles. Of course¡­" Cara was holding her head in her hands because she really didn''t know what else to say. It was too much and Asher had already shocked the staff member.


    "That''s the highest prize anyone had ever gotten on the ring toss. You hit both the challenge bottles, two of the high bottles, and three mystery prizes that are random tickets. The rest were low ticket amounts. You just won two hundred and three thousand tickets! I need to take your picture if you want for the board. Is it alright?" The staff member pointed to the top prize board and showed the row of steadily increasing prize amounts next to winners'' pictures.


    "He will do it!" Cara and Jane pushed him in to position and watched as Asher just smiled like a fool. They had not given him a choice and he was not planning to say no anyways. It was a fun little record to brag about if he ever came back again.


    The staff member handed over the voucher for the tickets and Asjer sent a group message to everyone. They were all going to meet at the prize counter to check and see if they were at the winning prize amounts.


    After about ten minutes the rest of them came up and the group took over the ticket counting machines. The vouchers and the tickets added up way more than they thought. "How did you get all that from dancing?" Asher had not expected Louis to rake in the most tickets.


    "Did you not notice that the game gives the winner of dance offs the tickets of both players? I also had a win streak multiplier. I received eight times my tickets when I cashed out." Louis was not at all shy now that he saw how well he had done. It was overall too much.


    "What do we want to do with the extra seventeen thousand tickets? Anyone want snacks?" Laura was the only one focused on food which was pretty normal for her.


    "Sure, You can choose. Just no hot candy." Jackson supported it without a glance he had become a little distracted after fighting zombies for the last hour and a half.


    "Psst, did you beat halfway?" Asher wanted to see if Jackson was so distracted because he had been trying to figure out how to beat the game. It was clear that he had stayed at it for a while.


    "Hmm? Oh yeah, but the final boss is the mid way boss but with triple the health and the ability to summon more enemies. It was insane and after I beat it there was a hidden level that made me turn in to a zombie and try to battle the game back until I became the boss. Now that, was impossible." Asher was just as stunned hearing all of this. Jackson had pulled off a major arcade game feat.

 Chapter 335 - 335. The Mysterious Prize

    "I swear. All of you have some crazy hidden skills when it comes to arcade games." Asher couldn''t help but trying to think through all of the skills everyone had. Jane and Cara were the only two normal ones other than him.


    "I don''t think you can talk Asher. Cara and I both watched you get the record for highest score at the ring toss." Jane was shaking her head with a slight smirk. She was definitely impressed but at the same time was not sure how Asher was missing the fact that he was also full of odd talent thanks to his luck super power.


    "Heheehe, I got us all snacks!" Laura had not waited for anyone else and ran up with the extra tickets. She had managed to get the staff member to set up small bags of candy for everyone. "I wanted everyone to have the same stuff, but we can trade!"


    No one was really unhappy seeing the snacks. It was a much better use of the extra tickets then just leaving them behind.. "Well, now that we have that taken care of, let''s go get that mystery box prize." Asher disregarded the crazy skills everyone had and the fact that Jane had also called his luck out.


    "I have wanted to know since I saw it. Look, it''s the size of a large duffle bag. It could be anything." Louis found the curiosity eating away at him. Yet, when he looked at everyone else he found that they were also staring at the box with wide eyes.


    "Excuse me, we are here for the mystery prize!" Sammy''s voice rang out grabbing the attention of a staff member. The woman walked over with a bright smile on her face to stand before the group.


    "We are sorry. The mystery prize is not something we display. It wakes a full million tickets to win before we show it." The staff member thought that the group was like many others and just trying ti get a sneak peek of what the famed mystery prize was. This was an every day occurrence and it would happen so many times that whenever the prize was mentioned they would automatically reply with this phrase.


    "Oh, no. We have the tickets. Here is the ticket machine slip." Cara handed over the slip and the staff member stood there.


    "Ummm, miss? Are you alright?" Jackson saw the wooden worry blooming on the staff members'' face. She had never heard of anyone ever getting the prize and was not sure what to do. This was not covered in her training in all the years she had been there.


    After another moment of the group looking at her with their own worried faces, the woman had a brilliant idea. "I''m sorry, I just need to call the manager. I need their permission to inveil the prize. Please hold this slip and I will return soon." The staff member rushed away through a door to the back room.


    "Anyone else worried that we just broke the staff members? She looked like we had just told her something crazy." Everyone felt the same way as Art. He had summed up the strangeness that their encounter had brought.


    "I have a bad feeling that they don''t actually have a prize in there¡­"


    "Really Louis? Please don''t jinx us like that." Asher wanted everyone to stay positive but he realized the irony as Laura smirked.


    "Says the guy with a super power that can control jinxes or good luck." Laura was not wrong but Asher didn''t want to throw it out there like that.


    "And now the staff members are all disappearing behind that door. We might have activated some hidden boss mission." Sammy was repeating one of the common phrases that she had seen Louis and Art use when they were playing video games. Naturally, the two turned slightly red and embarrassed since they knew they were being teased directly.


    The sudden slamming of the back room door brought the attention of every single guest at the ticket counter. The man that walked out was wearing a gold name tag that said manager. He was taller than the other staff members and looked like he was ready to send the group away. "Please show me your slip so I can scan it on the computer. The staff members have notified me that we may have a false slip here."


    "So that''s your move. Lie to everyone that the slip is false so that no one will realize that there was never a mystery prize in the first place." Jane was not having this at all. She was going to call the bluff and make sure that everyone heard it. Her loud voice had brought many families around who all were excited to see someone win the mystery prize. And since they had heard that the manager was accusing the group of faking the ticket before even looking at it, they sided with the group.


    "Well? Are you really going to play it this way? My friends and I worked hard and used all of our talents and skills to get these tickets. Now you are going back on your word as an arcade? No, as an amusement park for everyone to come and experience joy? What a day you have ruined." Cara and Sammy feigned crying.


    "Wait, isn''t that the group of people from the Riktor tournament? My son wants to be a hero just like them. They finally got him to do his math homework."


    "Oooh, you''re right. That is them. That shifter girl helped my daughter accept my husband''s crocodile shifting super power."


    "Look mommy, it''s the girl who grabbed the dragons'' tail!"


    The crowd that gathered to try and see the mystery prize began to call out and tell others who the group were. It only took a few minutes and the group was the center spotlight. Even some of the staff members were sneakily pulling up videos to show the others. The manager was now in a corner.


    "Ehm, I believe you misunderstood me. This is all protocol from my training. I need to follow the steps in open views of the security cameras so that you all receive the prize our park director placed within the box. Please allow me to openly scan your slip." The manager did the only thing he could. He fell back on a non existant protocol. On top of that, he pulled the hidden card called; park director. It was the highest boss they had here.


    The crowd was all supportive of this ruse and the group watched with smug smiles as the manager scanned the slip and the computer made a small beep sound. The number of remaining tickets showed exactly one million and the entire place clapped at the accomplishment.


    "Congratulations. This group of young ones had worked hard gathered enough tickets. This is a first time occurrence and I am sure they will want to take some pictures. Please, everyone, make room for their photo next to the computer display and later the prize that the park director placed in the mystery box."


    The manager was holding true to the act. He was never sure what was actually in the box since it had been there since before he was a manager. But it was also a rule not to look in to it, however, it was pretty common of a belief that it was completely empty.


    "Wow, it''s so light." The staff members had moved the box in front of the group as they posed for a picture. Many of the crowd that gathered was taking their pictures for them with their phones. After the photos had subsided the group all grabbed a hold on one piece of the box to pull it open.


    "On three?" Asher looked around at everyones'' approval. The crowd watched silently in anticipation. "One...two...three!" They all pulled on the box and it tore open revealing a glint of gold.


    "It''s just a gold coin?!" The shout was echoed by multiple people over and over. It was just too much of a shock. The bog duffle bag sized box had something so mall in it.


    "Wait, there is a piece of paper with instructions." Jane picked it up and handed both the coin and the instructions to Asher. "Read it out loud." Jane was letting Asher keep the lead.


    "It reads; take this to the Ferris wheel and ride it to the top. Place the coin in to the slot at the evening and experience the true wonder of the park. The staff members will alert the other guests of what is to come." That was all and everyone was left with even more mystery than before.


    "But what does it do!?" The staff had no idea either but had seen the stamp of the park owner on the paper. This was the same as the park owner walking there and telling them this themselves. "It appears my staff members have a lot of work to do. Please follow the instructions" The manager was gone just like that leaving everyone curious.

 Chapter 336 - 336. Haunted

    "Soooo...we just go on with our day?" The crowd had left but were sure to take a few pictures and also to tell anyone else they saw on the way out. The way it was looking was that there would be a great crowd for when the group got on their own cars of the Ferris wheel and placed the token in the slot at the top.


    "I guess so. It looks like there is nothing really left to do until it gets dark. At least the sun looks like it is starting to set now." Jane was pointing toward the entrance of the arcade


    "If the sun is setting then it means it is time to hit the haunted house! Who thinks they can make it all the way through?" Laura was the most excited for this since she knew that in the worst case that they actually managed to scare her she could rush through to the exit and brag about getting through the entire house.


    "Oho, you really think that you are going to beat Asher and me through?" Jane grabbed Asjers'' arm and already volunteered him to go through the house.


    "Wait but I-"


    "Ha! You and Asher won''t be able to make it through the whole thing. Jackson and I will be the first through all the way no problems!" Sammy snapp[ed to ith her own rebuttal to Janes challenge. Before Long Ashjer and Jackson were stunned watching the two become even stronger rivals.


    "Why are they fighting over who will get through first?" Art leaned toward Cara because he did  not have any idea why it was so important that the two would make it through the haunted house more.


    "They both don''t like haunted houses and were talking about it when we were changing in to our swimsuits. Sammy said she could at least get through the first room then Jane said the second and so on. It was funny but now it''s a hardcore bet." Cara had watched it all go down and naturally, Laura was the one pushing them both since she just wanted to go through the haunted house for fun.


    "Alright, alright. Let''s just go and see what it is all about. It''s a four person limit so you four can go together and see who wins." Louis gave Cara and Art a wink. This was the best way to get the two to deal with their little competition while they were able to just go through the haunted house at their own pace.


    While Jane and Sammy took the lead while trash Talking Asher and Jackson managed to fall back a little.


    "If we make a run for it now we can escape the haunted house and whatever is going on with those two." Asher was trying to secretly plan their run away.


    "I kind of want to see it through. Maybe they will get over it and have fun." The overall positive attitude from Jackson was a little much for Asher who was a little more worried that the two would get afraid or would challenge each other and run of accidentally ditching Jackson and him.


    "I think you guys will have a lot of fun. Sammy is all talk when it comes to scary things. I can''t say I like them either but he is hard core talking herself up to compete." Louis was greatly amused by this while Laura raised an eyebrow at his admittance that he was also not a fan of the scary stuff in a haunted house.


    "Why don''t you like them? We will have to deal with a lot of scary stuff as a hero group. This is just mental training." Laura was ready to tease but decided not to at the moment. It would all be saved for after the group finished the haunted hours.


    "Laura''s right. This is good fun and mental training. But we all know that us four will make it through much more easily." Cara knew that Laura and Art should be fine and if they knew that Louis was not the best with haunted houses they could support him.


    "What!?" Jane and Sammy united in an instant over hearing this from Cara.


    "And you''ve done it now." Asher knew what was coming. The game had been changed.


    "Us four will get all the way through better than you four." Loser has to buy the cotton candy before we go on the Ferris wheel in an house." Jane made the bet with Sammy''s support and they pointed at the haunted house in front of the group.


    The haunted house was a classic design. The house had been made in the middle of the park so that it was easy to get to and appeared to be a hundred years old. There was even a dead tree outside with a sign that said process with caution.


    The windows were pained to look dark and ominous while a person was painted on the window to look like someone was standing inside looking out at them. The staff member taking tickets at the door was making sure that people were only in groups of four and spaced out before entering so that they could all have the best experience. The costume they wore was of a butler but overall too pale.


    "Tickets madam and sir. I hope you will have a spine tingling time." The fake laugh that the staff member made was surprisingly chilling as he pushed Cara, Art, Louis, and Laura in at the same time. They had a smirk until they heard the last words of the staff member, "And don''t forget to check the photo center on the way out. You may see your fear!"


    "We are totally ordering all of their scared faces in photos." Jane and Sammy knew they would be in photos too so they prepared to instantly buy everyone''s to make sure they had them for teasing.


    "Next souls please." The staff member laughed again he pushed them in to the front door.


    The house was set up fairly simply. It had stairs that were there to go up if possible along with a long hall with multiple doors to go in to leading to a kitchen. "Haaaahhaahaaa. Welcome to my home my snacks. I will have you souls to eat unless you can sneak away. First" The voice that played was a recording but it put them all on edge.


    "Look, this is the door to the basement over here and it says freedom on it. But it is missing a key." Asher was quick to notice this and tried the handle anyways.


    "We have to find the key to get out. This is evil. I wonder if it is upstairs or downstairs. Where do you think the others went first?" Jane was not at all scared yet. The front entrance was safe enough and she was trying to brainstorm the best way of escape.


    "It would make more sense that it is in a spider infested creepy attic¡­" Sammy was sure that since the door to the basement said freedom then the attic which was the farthest away and most likely would bring them through the scariest parts of the haunted house, would have the key.


    "Sounds good to me. Should I take the lead? The ghosts might be scared of me since I''m like, big and scary." Jackson volunteered to lead but Asher saw that the positivity was fading a little. The thought of going to the haunted house basement was not ideal for any of them.


    "Well, up the stairs we go." Asher moved them along and as soon as Sammy and Jackson stepped on the first step the stairs fell away and the two were pulled down a slide in to the basement.


    "Hahahaha, two snacks already. You have ten minutes or I will eat their souls!" The voice automatically played changing the goals of the haunted house. This was so popular because of this interactive feature.


    "Don''t worry we are fine. We will solve the puzzle down here to get back upstairs. Just find a way to get down here too!" Jackon managed to shout loud enough through the now seal wooden steps.


    "It''s just us now." Jane and Asher were a little worried about Sammy and Jackson but knew that this was just part of the haunted house experience. There wouldn''t have been tickets sold separately for the attraction if it wasn''t something so amazing like this.


    The pair moved slowly up the steps with multiple creaking as they did so. There was the sound of rocking near the top of the stair and when they rounded the corner there was an empty rocking chair moving back and forth near a window.


    "I''m so not going down there." Jane was squeezing Ashers'' arm hard enough to cut off circulation. He had not even realized she had started to cling to him so tightly. It was extremely distracting.


    "Then we should check the room over here...or we can go straight to the attic." Asher pointed at the stairs at the end next to the rocking chair that Jane refused to go near.


    "Door. Doors it is."

 Chapter 337 - 337. Creepy

    The two had decided to start by checking the doors. They had no idea what Sammy and Jackson were stuck doing in the basement after falling down the trap door. However, it was certain that the trap door had more than increased their feelings of worry. Every single step they took came with a softer first step to test if the floor would open up beneath them in to another slide.


    "We should just start with the first room on the right then to the other two. If the key to the basement isn''t in one of them then we need to go to the attack. After that, we will check the kitchen." Asher put the plan out in to the air and Jane silently nodded. There was no way she would go past the rocking chair which had just stopped rocking suddenly. It was too creepy and she had not expected to be in this situation.


    Fonding that the normal looking door was not locked and opened easily, Asher was prepared for some horrific sight. "It''s....normal." The room was simple. A small area rug. The bed was average size with blue sheets. And even the desk next to the bed was normal.


    "Hey, there''s a journal open on the desk." Jane was looking at the journal and began to read it out loud without Asher even asking what it said.


    "The night she came for me should have been the happiest day of my life. My father always said he would bring mother back. He always said that he would find a way for me to sleep in her arms. Father never broke a promise, even at the cost of his life." The two shared a worried look. The seemingly normal journal was strange and full of odd writings.


    Jane shifted to another page with a worried loom on her face, "Mother continued to come more and more. I may have felt that my body was weaker when she came, but this was what father had wanted. I was together with mother and he had succeeded. I could care less if I lost the color in my face and the fat on my bones."


    "Why does this sound like the mother was eating her?" Asher had the feeling that this was not some simple mother and daughter. He already knew his feeling was correct but not in what way.


    Flipping to the last entry, Jane found that a drop of blood and tears stained the page. "Mother has come for the last time. She said today I could go with her and that she would take me where we are meant to be. But she said that father was already there waiting. But I know that father is in the basement still. He fell when mother finally came to see him and he never came back upstairs. Maybe mother can bring him back too. I will have to try when mother takes me. I can barely rise from this seta now." The writing was scrawled off in to illegible letters.


    "Should I take you too?" The raspy feminine voice was spoken right behind the two. The closet door had opened and a woman in white was standing behind them. She had long needle like teeth that could easily end them in a single bite. Realizing that the mother had definitely been eating the daughter with those needl like teeth, Jane and Asher dropped the journal and ran from the room slamming the door shut and not allowing it to open again.


    "Rooms are bad. Rooms are bad rooms are bad." This was the only phrase that Jane could say over and over. She was completely beside herself after the unwanted jump scare.


    "Breath through it. That was not a real monster. It was an actor. Just an actor." As much as Asher was trying to calm Jane down, he was trying to calm his own heart. He had not expected there to be an actor hiding in the closet.


    "Asher, what if they leave us here all night if we don''t find the key?" Jane had somehow come to this fearful conclusion while worrying about the woman in the room coming after them.


    "They couldn''t leave u here all night. They wouldn''t be able to watch us. We could destroy the...there are cameras. They might¡­" Asher started to believe what Jane was saying and found the courage to open the next hallways door.


    This room was drastically different. When he opened it the room was void of any rug or furniture or even closet. The only thing in the room was a single small box. "Why does this seem like it is worse than the last room." Jane inched n side the room behind Asher while looking everywhere. There was nothing in the room but for the box, she made sure to look at every corner for any pointy toothed women that wanted to eat them.


    "I won''t find the key without looking." Asher opened the small box with a quick flick of his wrist and found a small square note. "Ummm, it says they can see us?" Asher wasn''t sure what it meant until he saw movement in the room. The walls seemed to change somehow.


    "Eyes." This was all Jane could say as the white and red eyes opened up all over the walls. The ceiling and even the floors. They all focused on the pair without blinking. Jane started to shakily step back and all the eyes trained on her with the step.


    "We run!" Asher grabbed Janes'' hand and pulled her out of the room while slamming the door. "Freaking eyes! Eyes!" Asher was freaked out with the fact that he had just stepped on eyes and been surrounded by moving eyes. It was way too creepy and made his skin crawl.


    The next one will be some super messed up room. Freaking mouths or something next." Asher was ranting and full of adrenaline while forcing the next door open to slam his face in to a wall of bricks.  After pulling his face free and staring at it he smiled, "This is the best door yet."


    "Agreed. Now we go to the kitchen, right?'' Jane tried to pull Asher down the stairs again toward the kitchen. But he was not going to budge. The key they needed could be in the attic and that was where they would go.


    "We head to the attic. Or I can leave you all alone here?" This was enough to get Jane moving. Asher felt bad but still noticed that Jane was clutching his hand still while they moved up the stairs of the attic and past the stopped rocking chair.


    Luckily for them, it didn''t move at all but they could hear a music box playing in the attic. Bother of them could feel their skill crawl and Jan tried to step back down the stairs before she caught Ashers'' stern eye. He wasn''t going alone and she knew it.


    The top of the stairs showed a small room than they expected. However, when they got to the top they were frozen and silent. There were dolls. The entire room was tables of dolls having tea parties. But there was one table with dolls all around a small silver key. "I''ll get it and you watch for them to move. If they do you scream and take off your glasses." Asher wanted Jane to be able to freeze someone in place if anything happened. It was his on;y chance to get out free of any fear.


    The music continued with Ashers'' soft footsteps. He sneaked right to the table with the key and was able to pick it up. His heart was pounding hard enough for him to wonder if it would burst until he saw that there were small nearly invisible strings on all the dolls.


    No sooner had he noticed this when the dolls all turned and stood up. The music became deeper and faster while the dolls started to dance. Asher did not hesitate to sprint behind Jane who had jumped down a whole flight of stairs the moment it had happened. "Why? Why do that? That was terrible."


    "I saw the stings but it was too late. Too late¡­" Asher couldn''t get the image of the dolls all getting up as if possed out of his mind even though he had just seen them on strings and not actually possessed.


    The two ran all the way down the stairs back to the basement door and began to calm themselves before they unlocked it. "At least we can get out of here. I hope Jackson and Sammy have been safe."


    While Jane and Asher had been busy with their worrisome hunt for the key, Jackson and Sammy had been stuck in the same basement for a while.


    "I thought this was the way out but we are actually stuck here. Maybe the door said freedom because that was what we could get if we are freed? Jackson was able to figure this out easily. However, feeling the grip that Sammy had on his arm after the fall he knew that she was worried that the other two would not be able to find the key and save them. There was only fear.

 Chapter 338 - 338. Nightmare Level

    As soon as Jackson and Sammy had fallen through the floor they were met with an endless darkness. "We are fine, just find the key to the basement!" Jackson and Sammy were sure that Jane and Asher would be able to get them out.


    "The door to the basement said freedom, right? That should mean the exit is down here. So we might have gotten lucky." Jackson was trying to think on the more positive side of things since he knew that Sammy was worried about the darkness. However, he was also shocked to find that he was not able to see as well.


    This wouldn''t make much sense, but Jackson had a super power that enhanced his body to the pique of humanity. This meant that he had better vision than most people. For there to be a place with so little light that even he thought it was dark then that would mean Sammy was in the pitch black emptiness with only his voice.


    Taking a chance, Jackson reached out and grabbed Sammy''s arm. Unfortunately, he felt it was cold. "Sammy, are you alright?" Jackson''s worry could be felt in his tone. However, when he heard Sammy''s reply he was a lot more shaken than before.


    "Yes, I am fine. That slide down was rough but I think I found a light switch." The sound of her voice was from the opposite direction he had grabbed her arm. The sudden green light that took over the room and caused the two of them to see just what was going on made them freeze in shock. Jackon on the other hand was worse off.


    In his hand, he held a grey flashy cold arm. His breath caught in his throat as his hand instinctually tightened and he whipped it down to try and get it free. The arm flew across the room and hit a paper hung on the wall. Sammy had already been attracted to it and was about to read when she saw the arm hit the wall.


    "Jackson! You threw an arm! A whole arm!" The fright in Sammy''s voice brought her from her shocked state and Jackson was also brought back to reality. He rushed to Sammy''s side trying to calm her down and after a few moments, the two were able to get their hearts under control. "What is this." There were no other words from Sammy as she pointed at the poster that seemed to be painted in blood.


    "Umm, it says¡­ I was pushed down the stairs and fell to pieces here. Find my parts and put me back together. The second key will be granted for freedom." The two were looking at each other with complete disgust. They were drawn to the arm and knew what the poster was saying they should do.


    "The basement is not the exit...is it?" Sammy wanted it to be the secret exit but there was not such a thing. There was just a table with a chalk outline of a body and torso. The arms, legs, and head were missing.


    "This is so messed up. Why did we come to this haunted house?" Jackson was completely done with this place but realized that he had no way out and needed to play along with the ga,e they had signed up for.


    With a groan and a slight grind of his teeth, Jackson grabbed the arm and hurriedly attacked it. "That''s one. Let''s just get it done fast. I will move them if you don''t want to." Sammy couldn''t help but to blush slightly watching Jackson tough it out.


    However, she could not allow him to shoulder all of the grossness. "We are a team, let''s do this." The pair proceeded to tear the basement apart. One leg was found underneath a pile of trash in the corner. Another arm was stuck on the ceiling with some unknown sticky slime that seemed like ectoplasm.


    The final leg was sitting right on the steps to the basement. Neither of them had checked it because they were avoiding the stairs. They knew they couldn''t get out without a key and didn''t want to waste the time. But when they found it they realized that they were still missing the head to the grey toned body.


    They scanned the room over and over until a small glint of light caught Jackson''s eye. "It''s under the stairs...and it''s looking at us." The glint was the eye moving to look at them from the spot it sat under the stairs.


    "How can a fake body...it''s looking at us." Sammy saw the eyes of the head moving as well. Jackson knew that expecting Sammy to go over and pick it up was the wrong call and it would never happen. The head continued to shift its eyes every second while Jackson bent down to pick it up. The twitches and looks were making bother of them incredibly uncomfortable.


    "Just put it there quick and let''s get the key." Sammy''s voice had become a fearful whisper. She watched as Jackson put the head in place. The green glow of light increased and the body parts snapped together as if they had never fallen apart.


    "Finally, I shall have my justice." The body stood and stretched itself revealing a key in its hands. It walked up the stairs chuckling the entire time and opened the door.


    The sound of Asher and Jane screaming at the top of the stairs caused Jackson and Sammy to rush up to them. "The key didn''t work! What''s this thing?! Where are Jackson and Sammy!" The shouting was coming from Asgher who had Jane behind him. The body that Jackson and Sammy had assembled mumbled about justice before going up towards the second floor.


    The body was halfway up the stairs when it turned, "Leave my home or forever dwell here!" The four were not going to be told twice. They sprinted the opposite way toward the kitchen.


    "The door is locked! The door is locked!" Sammy was the first to reach it and Jackson was about to kick the door down when Asher slammed the key in his hand to the door''s lock. It opened with a click and the four sprinted from the back door and out in to the amusement park.


    "Congratulations! These four have managed to fully clear the nightmare level of the haunted house. It has been some time before it was cleared. We thank you for the new record and apologize for the surprise. The level is random for every single participant that entered." The staff member was standing in front with a group of other staff members holding out a set of medals that said nightmare clear on them.


    "But but but...that was terrible." Sammy just mumbled until Cara, ran over to help talk her down.  Laura ran to Jane and did the same. Jackson and Asher just stood with Art and Louis who were just sitting there worried.


    "Ummm, we saw the video and you guys won. You guys won a lot." Art didn''t have much else to say because there were not many words at all for the nightmare level that had just trumped the fact that the other four had basically just walked through an easy little haunted house fun adventure in comparison.


    "What Art said. And if you guys need anything...well, we have it covered." Louis wasn''t sure what they would do to calm down Jackson and Asher. However, their words seemed to calm them down a lot.


    The group was left alone by the staff that realized that they probably should put more warnings in better and more easily seen places now. They also moved to set up an additional prize package. As the group left and wandered toward the Ferris wheel talking them through their experience they had taken the prizes without another word.


    "It was just too much. Some body that we had to put together and then it walked." Sammy was rambling on about the same sight again for the fourth time.


    "That was an actor. He had a puppet super power that controlled those things. He was sitting on top of the haunted house and controlling it all. Since we said we were with you guys they told us that we could watch and be there when you got out. They did say that you four were much tougher than the previous winners." Art hoped that this would make the four feel better and it appeared to help a little.


    Asher cleared his mind and took a very deep breath. "I think that I am over haunted houses for a long long looonnnggg time. But it was a good experience to train our minds. I can''t imagine a worse villain attacking me than what I thought while in there." He tried his best to put a tough face on. This visibly made the other three look more relaxed and they followed Ashers'' lead taking their own deep breaths.. The full group stood in front of the Ferris wheel as the sun set fully.

 Chapter 339 - 339. Finally!

    "Two people per cabin. Please two people per cabin!" The staff members were working hard trying to get the line of people under control. The park had already spread the rumor that after dark a special event would happen due to the arcades'' mystery prize being won. The group walked up and found that some already recognized them.


    "I can''t believe so many people were taking our video while we got the mystery prize." Sammy felt that they had been taken advantage of this way but she knew that it would have happened anyways because that was just the world they lived in.


    "They could have used the security camera as their publicity of guests didn''t use their own phones to take videos. If the guests didn''t the park would have." Louis was sure that the park was going to rake in a ton of business and had managed to keep a great deal of guests there longer because of this rumor.


    "Oh! You''re the group that won the prize. Please follow me. You are allowed to skip the line this evening as a special privilege." The staff member recognized them instantly and started to direct them forward. Before any of them knew what was going on they were being pushed in to the cabins on the Ferris wheel in pairs.


    Asher managed to get in to the same pair as Jane and was in the middle of the group. The staff members pointed out the slots for the coin that was well hidden at a quick glance but obvious if you knew they were there by the seats.


    "Just remember. When you are close to the top be sure to drop the coin in and the prize will activate." These words from the staff member were a bit worrisome since the group still had no clue what the prize was but not a single one of them argued since they were on the Ferris wheel quickly and they wanted to get away from the large number of people that were waiting near the Ferris wheel to see what would happen.


    "So...the Ferris wheel moves really slowly¡­" Jane was not sure what to say now that she and Asher had been placed together alone and not in a terrifying haunted house.


    "Yeah, they need to let people on. I bet it will take a while to get to the top and finally know what this thing is for." Asher was a little on edge since the two were alone but he knew that Jane was making an effort to break the tension. "Do you have any ideas?"


    After bringing her hand to her chin, Jane thought hard about it and seemed to come up with nothing other than arbitrary guesses. "The Ferris wheel speeds up? The lights in the park flick off and they become a light show? Maybe a special song plays?" These guesses were just rattled off but Asher and Jane both felt that they were completely off base.


    "Nothing feels right but I think we are missing the most obvious answer¡­" Asher wanted to know for sure but he guessed that it was left as a mystery because it would be much better than anything else that they could have won.


    "I can say one thing. I am glad that we all came here today. It has been a really nice break from everything. I feel like we would burn out without this." Jane leaned in to Asher a little as she relaxed.


    "I don''t think it would have been this much fun without everyone..but I can''t say I haven''t wanted to be alone with you." The courage that Asher had summoned was coming out of nowhere and making his heart beat with more adrenaline than he had in the haunted house. He was remembering Art''s encouragement to just get out there and tell Jane how he felt.


    "I-I erm, really?" The sudden compliment was throwing Jane off since she had been a little nervous anyway. The fact that Asher had also changed the subject like this was also hitting her a little harder.


    After looking away and gulping down a deep breath of air Asher spoke again, "Yes. it would have been dull and grey without you here. You make being anywhere so much better. Just being around you makes me happy. It''s just one reason why I really like you." The following silence was enough t make Asher begin to replay the worst possible things in his mind.


    His thoughts ran around in circles where Jane would tell him never to speak to her again. Or she would call her parents to immediately pick her up and never speak to him again. Or even worse flat out start to laugh at him and record herself telling him that she would never let someone like him touch her.


    Yet, when these words and the worst possible situations didn''t happen, Asher looked back at Jane to find she was red faced and struggling to reply. He had completely taken her words from her and she could just sit there a mumble incoherently for a moment. "I like you too. More than anyone. You encourage me when I need it and you will stand in front of me even if I don''t need you to protect me because you care."


    The two were stunned that they had actually just said what they felt for the first time so plainly. They had always danced around the subject or let others interrupt them. The girls had been pushing Jane to admit to Asher how she felt and Art had been pushing Asher. The only reason they had not said anything was their own fear and worries.


    Unknown to them time passed while they just looked at each other. There were no more words needed. They had found out that their worries were unfounded and that they had really felt the same things. There was so much they could say, yet it felt too small while they gazed at each other with a small smile growing on their faces.


    The view on the glass windows had changed and the pair realized they were looking out at the lights of the park from close to the top. Asher brought the coin up between them, "Should we do it together?"


    "Is there any other way?" Jane grabbed Ashers'' hand and they dropped the coin in the slot. They didn''t let each other''s hand free even as the Ferris wheel stopped and the park lights began to slowly go out.


    This shocked them since it was close to one of their guesses until they noticed that the tops of the rides and buildings still had small lights and multiple staff members were moving around in the shadows. "What could they be doing?" Jane squeezed Asgers'' hand while wondering out loud.


    "There''s a light over there. It looks like, fire?" The question didn''t hang in the air too long. The pair watched as something flew from the building emitting bright lights. Before they could open their mouths to speak a small burst of light lit up the sky. The resounding boom that followed made them lean back. They were at the perfect height and place to see the fireworks in all their glory.


    The pair was unable to say anything more and more trails of light rose through the sky and began to burst in to a wondrous display of light and sparkling colors. There was nothing to say as they leaned in to each other and watched for what seemed like lifetimes. The crowd below was stunned just the same even as the fireworks show steadily came to an end and the park lights returned to bring them out of the darkness.


    Jane and Asher could still not say a word when they reached the bottom and tried to find their friends. "Umm, it says that everyone will meet at the entrance. Cara sent a message to the group because it is too crowded." Jane was checking just in case while Asher was trying to look around. The only person he saw was Jackson making a path for Sammy to follow behind. The only reason Asher saw Jackson was because he was much taller than the other people around and that the path was perfect for them to follow too.


    "Then hold on because I''m going to get you to the entrance!" Asher pulled Jane with them while the two used their footwork to dodge and duck through the crowd. Their laughter filled the air as the crowd was still cheering for the fireworks show.


    "Best mystery prize ever!" Laura was the first they heard as they neared the entrance to the park. She was raving about it to Louis who had been with her in the same cabin. Louis on the other hand was silent and smiling like a fool because he had been too happy with the prize.


    "I don''t know how we managed to be the last two to make it here. But after all that excitement, I would say it is time to head home." Asher offered to let everyone sleep over at their house since he and Cara could easily set up places to sleep in the living room. After calls home, while they walked to the train there were no parents that told them no. The group raved about the fireworks show the entire trip back to Cara and Ashers'' home. No one made a single comment about Jane and Asher holding hands the entire way.. It was normal afterall.

 Chapter 340 - 340. No Breaks

    "I can''t believe you are all going to the same classes as me after this week of catch up classes. My younger brother is going to be the same as me!" Cara was having a slight crisis since they had all returned to Their home. She was having trouble fully accepting that the rest of the group was going to be taking classes over the break instead of returning to school normally after the break. They also would be joining her grade which was moving on to senior year when this year ended.


    "What did you expect? They said that we are one of the rare groups that form early and push each other to get done. Plus we need to get through everything faster so that they can have more heroes sooner. It''s not like we would make you look bad since you literally helped us catch up to your academics already." Asher was trying to reason with his sister but it was proving a harder task due to Cara''s stubbornness.


    "Is that what we look like when we argue?" Sammy and Louis were both taking an audience seat to the pair of arguing siblings for a change instead of arguing themselves.


    "Yes. Yes, it is. But we don''t need to worry about them blowing everyone away with wind or zapping us with lightning by accident when they get angry." Laura dodged out of the way as Sammy lashed out at her for revenge. The joke did make Jackson and Art laugh though so she saw it as a victory.


    "I think the physical catch up will be harder. Everyone in Cara''s grade has already done some sort of team work training where we are pretty much lost when it comes to that." Jackson realized that he might be insinuating something bad so he changed his phrasing a little. "We know each other a lot better but everyone in Caras'' grade that wants to join law enforcement or be a hero has already trained in survival groups or rescue teams. There are classes available to them. Especially classes that point them to these careers."


    "You''re right. I have had the chance to take group lessons in the fake environments behind the school. We even had a technomancer come in and create a simulation to test our teamwork skills against a fake villain group." Cara recalled the class well and thought it was very informative. She just had not been able to tell the group about it before since it was one of the advanced classes available to those who had been chosen.


    "I want to take those classes. The fake environments are used for Asher''s survival class that I couldn''t take yet. But if we switch and take the one that you took we can all learn at the same time." Jackson became much more excited hearing that there was a group option for the class. He would much rather all of them learn about survival at the same time because then they would all gain the knowledge instead of working harder to learn it outside of school from each other.


    "I think I would be able to take the second level of the class with you if you all did it. They are really just differences in levels of survival lessons. The first level is basics and the second is more advanced with the environmental factors. If you can all catch up we can probably take the second level." Cara knew this would encourage everyone to take these classes when they were catching up on the break.


    "You say that as if we will get to choose what we learn over break." Laura was teasing a little but Caras'' serious look made her feel that she was wrong and that the joke was unfounded.


    "You will get to choose. If you can prove you don''t need to study more and more academics they will ask you what you need. They might even take you out of the school and offer you to go to a camp or even other cities to learn. Remember the trip I took during the winter vacation? That wasn''t with a club. It was to the next town over to take an educational course on caves and the underground rescue systems in place with the police force there."


    "And that is where I draw the line. No underground anything!" Sammy was recoiling away from everyone as soon as Cara mentioned that.


    "Even if you are afraid of being underground you should learn it and tackle the fear. You have the power that allowed you to bring fresh air in to a trapped passageway to keep survivors breathing. Just imagine what could happen when a subway collapse happens." Jane was quick to jump in and show Sammy the positives of learning. However, the look on Samy''s face said that tackling that fear would take some time.


    "It''s fine, she can get over it slowly. We still have a lot of time before we get serious about all of this." Louis knew that hearing this would put Sammy at ease and everyone saw it do that.


    "I can''t believe you have been lying about going to club meetings and hanging out with friends as often as you really do. You have been working way harder than I knew." Having heard these things, Asher began to realize just who he was competing with. His sister was a force to be reckoned with more so than he even had known.


    "I think we should focus on some important points." Art had been thinking hard the entire time they were chatting and finally decided to speak up. When the group heard him they all leaned back ready to listen as they sat in Asher''s living room.


    "We should first focus on team work. We have so many fighting and self defense techniques but we lack creativity and the ability to put them all together." This was easily said but would take a great many hours to do.


    "Secon, we are on a good track learning about technology. It will only be more important and I think we should start to wear the communication ear pieces that connect to our cell phones around school or at least when we train as a group." Everyone more or less agreed with this. If they were able t communicate like that they would be able to slowly but surely improve their own communication align with their teamwork. Eventually, they could reach a point where they wouldn''t even need to use the communication devices.


    "Third. Survival and rescue. We have more super powers that seem to lean in that direction right now. We also have a lot of knowledge about the topic between all of us. We can deal with villains as we come and learn that as we go from teachers and camps. But survival will be applicable in most of the missions we undergo."


    The thoughts of the group seemed to line up easily with Art. "I agree. We need to work on a lot of those parts and as a group, we do lean toward rescue and survival. It seems to be our strength and we can use those skills even in the city. Just because we focus on forest fire knowledge won''t mean we can''t apply some of what we learn to a house fire. Or if we focus on water rescue we won''t be able to compare it to a swimming pool. There will be a lot that carried over." The collections that Asher could see were endless.


    "We will have to learn to handle people in both sides of the profession too. There will be the same panic when a villain rampages the streets and when a volcano erupts. There will be aspects of personal delicacy we can bring over too." Jackson had thoughts about the people they would be helping. It was a very good point that truly connected everything. The situation would change but they would always be helping people.


    Louis leaned back on the sofa, "Is it wrong if I want to play hooky and skip tomorrow? We have to go to school while everyone else is off." All of them felt this way and looked towards Cara.


    "I don''t know why you are all looking at me. I don''t have school off. I have to go in too. I will be with all of you since they want us to remain as a group. If I wasn''t with all of you then I would still be at school taking whatever I needed to keep improving." There was a slow realization from everyone that most of the things they did would be a review for Cara.


    "Then you can work as the leader during the break! You have the step up and can point us in the right directions." The single suggestion from Sammy immediately put Cara as the leader. There was not a single one of them that disagreed and Cara just shook her head before she decided it was a good time to end their conversation before she became a permanent leader of the group.. Tomorrow they would be back at school even without most of the students.

 Chapter 341 - 341. Workload

    "Waaakkkeeeeeee Upppppp!"  Cara became the human alarm clock to wake everyone in the living room up. The only people who had been exempt were Asher and Art who were already preparing for the morning work out. "You may not need to be at school early because of vacation but our extra classes are not going to wait for us. We need to be there in three hours. It''s enough time to jog to everyone''s house and get what you need. Full gear work out people!"


    "Why are we so loud¡­" Sammy rolled over and glanced at the three who were already stretching. She was completely stunned by the fact that they looked so well put together before the sun had even risen.


    "Come on! I''m already eating breakfast and you are still napping." It was clear that Laura was moving way faster than any of them had noticed since she had somehow made herself a bacon egg and cheese sandwich in a flash.


    "How can you eat so early? Shouldn''t you be still tired or something?" Louis was pushing himself up from the spot on the floor he had claimed and copied Art''s stretch.


    "You remember that if I don''t eat you will be calling the ambulance to save my life, right?" Laura stuck her tongue out at Louis who pretended not to see.


    Surprisingly, Jackson was the slowest to get up. Even after he had started to move everyone was pretty sure he was not fully awake yet. "He''s like a bear coming out of hibernation."


    "Hey Jackson, I thought you had to get up early to water plants before the heat got too strong?" Asher tried to tease Jackson a little but Jackson was able to reply instantly on auto pilot.


    "Plants are better watered at night so that they can slowly absorb the water and slowly adults as the sun naturally heats the ground hours later."


    "Dang, I thought I would be able to mess with him more. But even when he''s tired he knows his plants better." The group ended up teasing Asher a little as they moved from the living room toward the door in a line. They had already decided to set themselves up on a line jog. The person in the back would sprint to the front every few minutes repeating until they finally got to school.


    By rhw time they all got to the school with their bags of spare clothing and note books they were all fully awake. It was still up for debate if Jackosn even remembered waking up and getting to his house since they had to make him put his gardening tools away. He was about to walk right to the garden and start the day since that was his normal before school routine.


    "Alright. Here''s the plan. For the next hour, we are going to do circuits then we will head inside to the front office where they will tell us where we are meeting. I think our group will have its own room since we are a larger group sticking together. Last year they had us in a group of four for classes and even that was split up after a few days." Cara was giving them the rin down. Louis and Sammy were the most tired after the run and looked to be about to complain until they noticed the elite home gym app telling them about their progress to their newly set goals.


    "It''s good to see you have already started your punishment for skipping out on me and the principal." Coach Winters waltzed out of the front of the school looking at them as if she had just found her prey.


    "Really? I was there too and you said it that way on purpose. I''m only here to beat you down for another week and you treat me like this." Garnet was behind her already starting to taunt her rival but also looking at the group the same way.


    "Were we supposed to meet up again? I swear you said we were good to go watch the seniors." Art tried to feign ignorance but flinched when Garnet and coach Winters gave him a death glare.


    "First you will all run three laps around the school. Then you will head to the weight room with this tacky gem stone. After you will spar with me. Lastly, you will get work books to complete before the end of the break. The academics are last because we all know you have caught up on them. Our program for you is to catch you up to where Cara is at this moment. Then, maybe, just maybe, we will allow you to learn some rescue tactics if we deem you to be making good progress."


    "What? Why do you all look so downtrodden? You will get so much stronger after you are no longer sore." Garnet just smiled as sweetly as possible while they all started the running again.


    By the time they had finished some sparring and been told they could stop for lunch before academics, every single one of them looked as if they had been nonstop working for a week. "I''m so glad I brought extra clothes and that the school lockerrooms have showers." Sammy was stuffing a sandwich from the cafeteria in to her mouth as she made a direct line for the locker rooms. There was no way she would sit in sweat soaked clothes for another minute.


    "I second that"


    "Third"


    "The girls are right" Jackson pushed the boys towards the mens locker room to shower and change too. It was not the most elegant sight as they all stumbled about out of the locker room after but they were in the very least clean.


    "My legs are even more like jelly now that I have relaxed and showered. I tried stretching but it didn''t help." Laura was rarely this sore from running. She moved much faster than everyone else and her body had already started to try to repair her muscles. This led her to have the sore feeling faster and more intense since she was still moving while it all happened instead of sleeping as most people would be.


    "I just don''t get how Garnet had so many lifting techniques for us. I thought my arms would fall off and then she would pull out another one." Garnet had succeeded in pushing Jackson to his limit. She had made him work out with heavy weights but continuously added more and more repetitions until she saw that they had the desired effect on him.


    "That''s your own fault for having a better body due to your super powers. You have to work harder to build even a little more muscle. You should have wished on a star or something to be skinny like me so that every work out lets you build muscle." Louis pretended to flex to show off his thinner body.


    "But you aren''t really skinny anymore. All the work outs and training even gave you abs. Weirdo." Sammy jumped right in to argue with Louis and it started the two bickerings while everyone walked to the classroom they had been assigned.


    "I''m actually pretty impressed. The training today has been all around. The cardio and muscle training flowed right in to the moves and sparring. I feel like we made a lot of improvement even though we won''t see it right away. Look at how Jane was moving earlier. She was able to hide her bursts of speed better after coach Winters lectured her. Now she can surprise everyone better."


    "Ashers'' point is valid, but I also think we could have been better off using team work strategies." Art was still thinking of what the group needed the most and how they would go about getting to where they needed to be.


    "I don''t think they will let us leave here if they think we can train again at home after. This all seemed to be set up to tire our minds and bodies out." The look on Janes'' face said that she had a bad feeling.


    This feeling was proven as they entered the classroom left for them and the principal himself was standing at the podium. "Afternoon. I decided to come personally today to congratulate you again. I also had another bit of paper work to do. But that doesn''t matter. On the desk, you will find your small binders of book work for the week. That holds every pop quiz and mini test for all academic subjects you need to be caught up on. You have four hours to get a head start and ask me any questions. After that, you have only each other for the week."


    Everyone could feel that this was to push them to get better but at the end of the day, the principal looked a little too happy to be telling them of the work load they had in front of them. It was definitely a slight revenge for leaving and not meeting with him, Garnet, and coach Winters after Cara had finished.. But, it was a consequence the group needed to accept since they made the choice themselves.

 Chapter 342 - 342. Some Revenge

    The principal had long left the group to get tp work on their packet. Luckily they did not need much help from him since Cara was able to fill the gaps of what the group couldn''t fill out since she was already experienced in most of the quiz and test subjects. The only problem was that there were many trick questions to force them to think.


    "Why do I need a hundred and five watermelons? And if I had that many why would I give away seventeen to the power of seven!? I don''t think that''s even possible!" The tears that Art had begun to shed were all too real.


    "The watermelon part is to throw you off of the real math question. Just ignore it and accept that you are giving away more than you have." Jane had already heard the cries of Art four times and that was four times too much. Her tone had become dull and heartless when she replied which surprisingly seemed to focus Art again.


    "Forget the math, I have been stuck on this grammar sentence forever. It says there are four issues but I can''t find a single one." Louis was stumped until Sammy came over and smacked her head.


    "Seriously? You have been looking at part of the instructions. The sentence is on the back of the page. Or what...maybe it''s this one? No. that''s all correct¡­.Yeah, it''s a trick question. Stupid past test." She had almost been fooled while explaining that Louis was wildly wrong but realized her mistake as she looked from another angle.


    "Hey everyone, I think the time has been up for a while. We were supposed to head home an hour ago and no one told us." Jackson had been the first to look at the clock and notice that they were already an hour over the time that they were told they would be in the classroom or even in the school.


    "Well, that''s lame. We should have left and got snacks on the way home." The disappointment in Laura''s voice was tangible. Her stomach always growled at her no matter what she at but luckily, she would always have a snack with her. Hence the fruit gummies she was taking out of her pocket.


    Cara''s face began to drop as she looked at the door. She had been part of something similar when she had first gone to her advanced classes and teachings. "This is planned. Odds are they will start a siren and push us toward a challenge as soon as we open the door. Last year I was forced in to the fake mountain behind the school and made to make a camp that passed inspection before I left." The heaviness in Cara''s voice was enough to tell everyone that she had far from enjoying the experience even if she had learned something new.


    "If we already know that it is going to happen then we are better prepared. Let''s make sure that we have the packets well secured and head out. We already have half of it done between all of us and when we get back we have a few hours we can work on it to stay ahead before we part ways to go home." Asher''s idea made sense to all of them as they moved tp leave.


    There was a single problem, however. The door didn''t budge when Jane opened it. "We got locked in¡­" The entire group was a little lost. None of them had thought they would be locked in after hearing Cara''s story of her past year.


    "Maybe the door just doesn''t like you or something. Let me open it." Art wanted to hope that Jane had just been messing with them but found that it was really locked.


    "Oh. I see, the door doesn''t like you either." The heavy sarcasm that dripped from Janes''m voice was enough to sting Art a bit.


    "So we will be here all night until someone comes in tomorrow to free us?" Laura was not at all happy. She had not brought enough food or a vitamin pack with her. This would spell the end of times for her if she didn''t get out.


    "I can try jumping out the window and floating down. It should work. If I can pit out the small windows." Sammy was trying to estimate how she would force herself out of the small openings in the windows. She was a small girl but the spaces in the windows were even smaller so that someone with super powers could not sneak in as easily. Not that it prevented all super powers.


    "You are not jumping out the window. That''s crazy." Jackson pulled Sammy from the window without a single thought. He would not let anyone jump out a window unless they had fully proven that they had a super power that allowed them full flight. Sammy did not have that, she could only hover and slow her falls.


    Why don''t I just try the lock with my super powers? I should be able¡­ never mind. I can''t. It''s made of some weird alloy that is magnetized. I would burst a blood vessel trying to force that to unlock." Art could feel it with his super power. The lock was already pushing his attempts away just while he felt the situation out. Whatever technology was used on the automatic locks was insanely powerful. All of the schools'' security systems were the same way. They were meant to resist supe rpowers from troublemakers and possible threats.


    "There''s only one last resort. Jackson, do the honors." Cara made everyone back away from the door and Jackson looked at them as if he had just been asked to end the world. The sad eyes he gave them spoke of peace instead of violence.


    "Come on, we need to get out and I am sure we can pay for the door if we need to." Asher gave the push and Jackson took a deep breath. The next moment he charged at the door lowering his shoulder.


    The resounding crack as the door flew from the wall and hinges in a shower of stone dust caused a resounding alarm to begin. What was worse were the strange figures in the halls. "Found them! They are the target! Whoever catches all of them gets the tickets to the summer training camp for free!" The figure was another student that was wandering the halls. There were two more further down the hall that responded and sprinted toward them as the group exited the room.


    "Umm, why are we being targeted." Jane ducked as a small fireball was thrown toward them. The boy who had yelled was manipulating fire and trying to hit them.


    "We are the freaking bait for a training exercise. Those monsters are getting revenge!" Cara realized this and clapped her hands together. The sound that resounded was in a single direction and caused the three students to cover their ears in pain. "Follow me!" Cara led the group toward the exit but stopped everyone at the stairs. "There are students guarding the doors."


    The group was stuck because there were footsteps behind them and students in front of them. Louis looked down and smirked, "they are also holding on to the METAL railings." He looked less like a hero while he placed his hand on the railing and tightened his grip. The reaction was instant. The students guarding the doors that had been holding and leaning on the railing fell to the ground in spasms.


    "The human stun gun strikes again!" Sammy chuckled while jumping down the stairs and racing down first to get a good look at the first floor. "Bad news...there are more. A lot more." She saw twenty students all in the lobby.


    "Those are the other people from past years that gained the same benefits as us. Well. mostly. They must have come later and been told about this as a test." Cara was increasingly annoyed that they were used in this way. However, she had no one to blame but themselves since they had decided to skip out on the meeting.


    "We just need to sneak through the back or side doors then. I will head to scout it out." Laura sped off the opposite way and was back in the blink of an eye. "Huh, these guards are really knocked out. Nice job Louis." She had almost bumped in to one but saw that the students that had been guarding were out cold. "Anyway, there are like five people towards the back and three to the left by the side door. But I think there are more outside the side door so we should head out the back."


    "Back door it is then. But Asher has to take the lead. We could use some luck against five students whose super powers we don''t know." The entire group looked toward Asher as the impromptu leader.. It made sense but he could feel the pressure of their eyes.

 Chapter 343 - 343. Getting Outside

    Asher felt that the pressure was pushing him to become better at the moment. They may have been used as bait to train everyone and locked in a room prior, but now they had been put in a corner. They needed to get out of the school and he was just the person to guide his group through.


    The idea coming to mind were flowing freely and he felt that the pressure was refining his way of thinking. Not only that but he was able to see possibilities that he had not been able to see before. The super powers he had seen his friends'' use had been sitting useless in his mind for weeks now. Yet, at this moment there were puzzle pieces all coming together.


    The matches at the school evaluation had been the final step for him to truly understand some of the things his friends could do. On top of that, there was also the fact that he had been solely focusing on the fact that his group needed teamwork most of all. In the shoes of a leader, he had no choice but to spur that teamwork now.


    " Cara, you will throw your voice and detract them. Art and Louis will take the two closest and beat them before they know it with ranged attacks. Louis, I know you can hit your target. Just focus and it will happen. Jane, that bigger kid in the middle is your target. I don''t want him moving at all. Keep him still." Asher was rattling off orders but his friends were not at all offended. Instead, they were preparing for when he stopped and would direct them to attack.


    "Sammy and Louis. You two are coming with me to get the furthest two. Sammy will use some wind to push us forward faster. Jackson, you take down the two if you can in one hit. If not I will help. I need to focus on the kid Jane stops in place first." The plan was simple. They were staying together but had their own roles to play that could not be neglected.


    "When your target is down, help the nearest person. If anyone is caught or surprised shout for help. I don''t want more people drawn here but we have to accept the risk that comes with this strategy." The groups'' eyes sharpened as they showed that they had accepted this and were ready.


    "Then, we go now!" Asher didn''t quite yell but instead added strong emphasis to his words. The group could feel his steel will and responded swiftly. They did not hesitate to make their moves.


    In an instant, a piece of the nearby metal rail separated and flew at the boy on the left. The boy on the right was consequently struck with a small arc of lightning. Art and Louis had expertyl done their part. The two boys in the back had turned around to hear someone calling them only to find a brick wall there with not a soul in sight.


    The only one that had seen Jane step out in to the open was the larger boy. But he found that as soon as his eyes met Jane he was stuck in place unable to move or even breathe. He desperately wanted to breathe in the guts of wind that Sammy pushed forward but was instead met with a solid leg sweep from Asher.


    Jackson had jumped over the larger boys'' head and came down with two heavy hammer fists on the distracted boys who barely turned to see their attacker. Everyone saw the larger boy trying to stand but Asher spoke up with another plan, "Help me hold him down. He may have some important information for what could be outside." Asher was not so foolish to believe that this was all over as soon as they stepped foot outside. There had to be more coming.


    "Ugh, let me up. I need to catch you and call for the instructor." the boy had not given up yet. He insisted on struggling while Sammy made sure to tie their defeated opponent''s shoe laces together and lean them against a nearby wall so that they didn''t have to lay on the floor.


    "You know that I can zap you like your friend any time right? I hear being shocked by a stun gun hurts. Just a little." Louis let a small amount of lighting arc between his fingers for dramatic effect.


    "Or you should know who I am, right? Your friends even heard my voice all the way from the stairs and I barely whispered." This was much scarier to the boy since the rumors of the deafening were all too popular.


    "Umm, ugh, I mean. I don''t. Well¡­" The boy was mumbling useless things due to the worry he felt looking at Cara.


    "Wow, and here I thought Jackson would be the scary one." Laura had not had a role in the last battle because she would have been too fast to jump in to the way of the other. It was not the ideal situation for her and she had ended up staying back. But now she could watch everyones'' back from the hallways leaving behind the passed out students in the stairwell.


    "Well? What is outside? We won''t let Louis zap you if¡­" Art was acting as the main interrogator and appeared to be about to give Louis a signal. If Louis knocked him out he would not be able to capture the group and get his free camp tickets. This was a chance he could not miss.


    The larger boy spoke up with what seemed t be more panic than a clear mind. "The last three are outside. They are the strongest and are walking through solo so they can capture every single one of you at the same time and form their own hero groups like you all did. They said that they would easily surpass you since you are so weak. I was going to get my own ticket and join them!" There was a tinge of anger in the boys'' voice but also a bit of worry. The three strongest advanced students were nothing to laugh at.


    Louis still zapped the boy since this was all about safety. If they let him go they would be caught escaping much more easily. "Ugh, I am pretty sure I know who the three are." Cara was sure they were the only other student that could put up a real fight with her in the school. They were enough to take down the others easily but she would be their challenge. There was a certainty in her mind that they were really after a fight with her t assert some small amount of dominance than actually getting tickets.


    ''


    "If they actually try and forge a group of their own they will still be behind us." There was complete confidence in his voice. Everyone in his group of friends within powerful in their own right. Even without a lot of team work experience, they were performing very well in the chaotic stuataion. Not a single person was doubting their group and it made sense to them that there were others out there that would try and copy their tactics and training.


    Alright, My guess is that we will encounter one or two of these stronger people. The way Cara spoke means they are going to beat us. Let''s just hope that we are lucky and it''s one or none." Asher was ready to a full on sprint to the gate of the school to escape and get their answers as to what was going on.


    They stayed close together as they left the door and found that their path appeared ti be empty. This meant that they could slowly leave the area and head toward the front gate. However, they forgot about the windows of the school. The other students wandering the classrooms found that they could see their targets outside. Knowing that they would not make it out they just called him out to the targets.


    The windows were opened and a lot of shouting filled the air. The group hated it because it was definitely pulling the three tougher opponents rover to them. They would be sitting ducks in the open and easily beaten. Their slow movements ceased and instead they were in a full on spirit towards the now in sight front gates.


    There was a slight chill that seemed to blow through the air. Everyone looked at Sammy in hopes that they were feeling something to do with the super power speeding them up to get away faster. Sammy''s face on the other hand, no, it was not me."


    "It''s James. Stay on guard and keep running!" Cara knew who it was. She had seen James a few times and knew of his reputation as the terror.


    "James, the ghostly terror will not beat my group!" Cara suddenly yelled as a figure seemed to rise from the ground on its'' own.

 Chapter 344 - 344. Spooky Powers

    The entire school knew the name, James. He had long been considered the top student in academics overall and when he received his super power he had made it in to the best super power as well. However, the addition to his name was a second matter.


    James''s super power was known as ghostly. That would be a bit different if it wasn''t for the fact that James had used his higher intellect to figure out new abilities of the ghostly super power that scientists had not realized or even figured out because it was such a rare and odd super power.


    The fact that there might be ghosts in existence that science had not understood yet was a taboo subject that was mostly ignored. Therefore, when James began to speak about spirits he was told that he was making up imaginary friends and at his age, it was in bad taste. Yet, when he began to show off the things they taught him to do when it came to his super powers along with every so often going to speak to a family about a deceased member, people started to avoid him.


    The unknown was scary after all and James was a mix of unknown and genius. The combination led to a powerful presence that was thought to be well beyond the high school level and even approaching college graduates. The only reason he stayed in school to slowly follow the path was that he had been told that taking life too fast would lead to sadness in the end. Since he said he was told this by multiple spirits, people didn''t believe him much. But this state of mind seemed to work for him better than anything else.


    Other than being able to float off the ground and phase through solid objects, James had a myriad of other abilities that he was experimenting and learning about. Some had seen him move small objects, become invisible, and even create small illusions. The reports from students were a mix of truth and lies in the gossip. One thing was for sure thigh, whatever James''s abilities were, he was powerful.


    The last student to challenge James to a straight battle had been easily controlled and beaten. However, the reason everyone refused to battle with James again was not the strength he had but the method he used. The student he had fought was fairly powerful as well. The problem came when James dragged the fight out for an hour to turn it in to a grueling training session.


    The opponent had ended up exhausted and pushed beyond their limits. Surprisingly, they did not fault James in the least. That year that student had jumped fifteen ranks in academics and gotten a scholarship to their school of choice. They still attributed their success to the lessons they learned from the single hour long battle with James. It had shaped their mind in to that of a more determined person.


    If all of this didn''t add up to an incredibly over powered future super hero, then the fact that he had charged the scientists for the tests and information he offered, did. He used those funds to pull his family from the upper lower class right to the top class of society. He had a charity that supported those who had inconvenient super powers like gigantism. Along with the fact he could use the money he earned to go to all kinds of training camps and extra classes. Not to mention tutors to continue to increase his intellect.


    "Just keep running and he shouldn''t be able to trap you. Don''t believe the sounds you hear. Don''t look in his eyes. And whatever you do. Do not let him touch you." Cara gave the hushed Warning and sprinted ahead. James was still human and he was constantly training himself. But due to his super power he had not been able to grow much muscle or really improve his physique much. Compared to the group, he was at a disadvantage.


    Cara knew that they could outrun him but it would still be an extremely tough. This was proven when Art found himself stumbling. And unseen force had untied his shoelaces causing him to trip and nearly fall over them. This had nothing to do with Asher and everything to do with the laughing figure in front of them.


    James had once had black hair and brown eyes. But now he held a white flowing hair and two piercing green eyes that seemed to glow when he looked at anything. His ghostly laugh was a telltale of when he used his super power to his own advantage. Art was the first to hear it when he noticed his shoe laces tripping him up.


    "What do you mean I should fly back to the school. You know I can''t¡­" Sammy caught herself replying to a voice that no one had heard. Cara''s warning had barely caught her from stopping the sprint she was in.


    The person that seemed most affected was Louis. He was running just as hard as everyone else but found that the exit to the school grounds seemed to get further and further away with every single step. So much so that he was better off traveling backward around the opposite side of the world to get to it.


    In a burst of annoyance he whipped his hand out and a look of surprise shot over the ghostly pale face of James. He knew that Louis had power over lighting and that it was possible to fire it from his body. However, he knew there was a limit to this and it meant that as long as Kames was away from Louis he would be safe.


    Unfortunately, this was not the truth and James was ill prepared. Unlike other people, lightning was double effective against him. One thing that scientists and he had learned early was that he had a strange relationship with electricity. If it was weak and charged in the air he would become stronger and be able to use his super power more efficiently. Yet, when it was condensed and contained more energy than he could manipulate, the electricity caused him to lose control over his super powers.


    The first test of this caused a host of poltergeist phenomena in the testing room that even spread to the neary observatory room. It was a valuable experiment and one of James''s weaknesses that he strived to hide.


    The lightning that zapped him caused the floating ability to cease and his body to sink partially in the ground. Leaves blew up from the ground and panic seemed to set in on James''s face. Louis found that the school grounds exit was actually much closer than he had thought and proceeded to sprint towards it with all his strength.


    The entire group did not look back and pushed themselves all the while a strange paranormal scene played out behind them mixed with the wailing of an annoyed and aggravated James.


    "Well now, isn''t this a surprise. I thought you wouldn''t be making it out of the school let alone the gate. I have to say. You did OK." Garnet was standing right outside the gate as the group collapse breathing behavior in front of her. "I hope you liked the challenge. You will be working together like that every single day in some form or fashion. Now let''s go back to the classroom and walk through what you did right and wrong."


    Garnet expected them all to up and move right there and then. She did not even turn around when they didn''t follow her. They already knew the consequences of what would happen if they did not listen and dragged themselves up to follow.


    James had miraculously disappeared and so had the other students that had been there. The only reason the group knew that all the things they had done actually happened was the fact that there were the remains of the battles and broken door.


    GHarnet brought the silent group right to the window that Sammy had said she would try and jump out of to get out of the school. "I had doubts at first. But here is where the best decision was made. The one that you kept for the entire event even if you did not mean to do it after a certain point." The group may have been tired but hearing praise was something that they wanted desperately after the hard day they had had.


    "You stayed together. A fool would have separated and everyone would have been taken down in that way. If Sammy jumped she would have been captured by the four students that can fly and all of you would be one person short. What you did wrong, "Garnet pointed at Jackson, "Was loudly break the door. You should be strong enough to slowly bend the metal in the door until it opened quietly." She shook her head at the group and they all felt down again immediately.. The words were too harsh.

 Chapter 345 - 345. Right And Wrong

    Not only had the group been unaware of the flying super power students that were patrolling the air around the school, but, they were also sure that Garnet was right about Jacksons being strong enough to just bent the metal in the door until it opened. They had not thought of either of those things and acted impulsively.


    "We aren''t creative enough yet¡­" Sammy understood immediately. She wanted to think that they had been very creative in how they had trained and grown so far, but they had not trained their minds to think of possibilities creatively. The entire group lacked the foresight to see what problems and threats may exist and how they would deal with them.


    "It will come from experience and a lot of failures. Next, we come to the hallways. Did any of you remember the layout of your own school? You have attended here for some time. We did not guide the older students on how they would group up to search. They did that on their own." This was yet another thing that none of them had stopped to consider.


    "There''s another stairwell around the corner." Asher was ready to smash his head against the wall with how dumb he was feeling.


    "Don''t tell me that stairwell was empty?" Laura wanted to believe that it was just some poor theory bit seeing that Garnet did not dispute it she knew they had basically chosen to charge in to an enemy instead of sneak out safely.


    "You did not know the size of the group searching for you and did not proceed with caution. You could have sidestepped the loudmouth that yelled as soon as he saw you. Not that he should have yelled. They had radios that none of them used due to the selfish prize they wanted for themselves." This last statement appeared to weigh the heaviest on Garnet. Her face showed a great deal of disappointment and anger. She was surely going to be remedying this behavior after her evaluation was over.


    The way you beat your opponents was not too flashy and fairly simple. It is better to stay simple if you can because that would smooth things out. If you need to become more complicated it should be something you have learned so well that it feels simple." All of the group understood this. They had been putting so much time in to their foot work practice that to them, it was simple. However, they were constantly reminded that it was more challenging than they liked to think when they faced a less experienced opponent.


    "The stairs were interesting. Using the environment to take down an opponent was a wise choice. It kept the sounds down, had the desired outcome, and was efficient. However, it relied on some factors that were unknown. I believe you made the correct choice but you did not explain properly to your group and you had no proof it would work. What if the lightning had friedmore than just those touching the metal railing? What if it was connected or near a light switch and caused a power outage?"


    The question hang in the air as attention fell on Louis. "I did not consider that. I suppose that it could have caused a lot of damage that I would be responsible for¡­" This was exactly what it meant. There was also the fact that after Louis had gotten a fair handle on the wild nature of his super power he had begun to forget about the damage he could do by accident.


    "Now, I would have preferred you use another method to tie up those you defeat but since they were unconscious I will let it pass. But you should one day receive power suppressing handcuffs from the world police. They will never allow them to be replicated or designed by others. They even self destruct when taken apart causing damage to the internal structure rendering it ruined and useless."


    The handcuffs were a mystery to most people because of the secrecy in their making. It had been years since they were invented by a technomancer super power and since then they were used by law enforcement. They somehow restricted the gene developments in a persons'' body causing super powers to be useless. The secondary effect was a temporary coma which was inconvenient for those arresting the offender but safer for most involved.


    "The move from the stairs to the hall and eventually to the outside was the most planning any of you did. I was not expecting any form of plan to be used. Having Laura sit out was a surprise but a safer move than it could have been. If she had rushed in she would have been at risk to be hit by Art, Louis, or even frozen in place by Jane. Other than that you did what could in the moment and other than retreating to the stairs and leaving there was not another option."


    "Sending Laura to scout earlier was also wise. She was the only one that could have done it as fast and been able to avoid everyone with her speed even if they saw her." Garnet had been glad for this because she had been thinking that the group would not have learned a thing about scouting a situation. She only wished that they had done this sooner than later. But it was something they could learn while they practiced more teamwork.


    Garnet became more serious and stared right at Cara, "You already know what mistakes you made next. Explain them yourself." This was not what any of them expected but Cara did just that.


    With her own face showing a more serious expression, Cara spoke as if she had already analyzed all of her own mistakes before they had even reached this point. It was a skill they would all need to learn more in depth and use while they trained to continue their rapid growth.


    "When I saw that it was James I shouted warnings when I should have remained calm and explained what we were going to do. I also rushed without making sure the entire group was in line. Not to mention that I let Louis get too close and even battle with James. It was very risky when I was the most knowledgable about the situation I was in."


    This was all true to a degree but a lot of the things Cara had done were from experience and the fact that she had to warn them in a rush. To force herself to be calm first could have taken more time than they had.


    "I would have preferred that you scared them more and that the zappy kid there was out of his lightning. It would have been a lot easier on my body." James stepped through a wall and stood in front of them. "I just helped everyone that was injured or tired to the nurse. Sorry for intruding but I was pretty surprised and wanted to see what they were like. I saw Cara''s brother fight then found a compilation of all of them in their Riktor tournaments. Way cooler than I thought they would be."


    Not a single one of them had a proper response. James, the top of the top when it came to students was praising them. "Good. You can leave if you want. We are finishing here. I was planning to leave them with a report on what they did and how they could change their actions next time along with what the entire team could change next time." Garnet dropped the home work on them causing everyone to wince. More home work was never a good thing.


    "You only came here to see us? I have some doubts." Art was used to people with high positions coming around. His parents had met with many and they always wanted something. Whether it was research notes, assistance in a project, or even monetary backs. People always wanted something.


    "I might be interested in the group you form. I plan to have five teams under my leadership one day. I don''t like the whole up close and personal hero style. I prefer groups going out to deal with situations while a mastermind stays behind to send information and guide the groups. Five teams should be my maximum when I graduate university." James was already thinking about after university while everyone in the group was thinking about making it to university.


    "I can''t say we fit your ideals then. We don''t follow orders and we don''t just listen and act like robots. We are a bit wild." Asher stepped up to face James who had obviously expected this reaction.


    "That''s why I want your group. I will have four perfect teams that follow orders. Then  I will have one team that works the situations on their own. I need a show team that makes the impossible happen when I can not process something. Just think about it. I am taking life slowly. We have time.." James phased through the wall with a wave leaving everyone speechless.

 Chapter 346 - 346. A Little Workout

    "No way we are actually going to fall in line under him, right?" Laura was not having any of it. The group was taking the long route to walk back to Asher and Caras'' house. They needed to talk about everything before they got to the house to begin to work on their papers.


    "He said that we didn''t need to fall in line though. He wanted us to be the group that stands out." Sammy had started to believe that James had seen their positive traits and was willing to bet on them.


    "Yes, we would sand out. That''s the point. If one of the groups failed then we would get blames because we stand out. We are scapegoats." Art had already been fooled by his own brother. Letting another person fool him was not part of his plan.


    "He might not be trying to use us. He just wants the same as us. The best hero group." Jackson was thinking the same way as Sa,y. they both wanted toe best to happen in the end. But they were not considering the bad at the moment.


    "When did he actually say that though? It felt that he was trying to hide behind screens and just act like a puppet master here. It sounded like we would be disposable soldiers no matter what he preached." Louis was not on the positive side of things. Something was rubbing him the wrong way about the entire group falling under the orders of someone else. He could only think about the loss of individuality and creative thinking. After so many years of following orders, they would lose their ability to think creatively and by themselves. It would be a degradation of who they were.


    Asher looked at his sister to see what she thought. The face she was making was a mix of annoyed and angry. "I don''t want to fall in line with him. I want to be in my own group or go solo if that has to be done. He has always been ahead in class and I hate it. He is arrogant about it yet he always uses sneaky means to get where he needs to be. If I am out fighting crime and natural disasters then I want my team with me. My whole team and not one of them behind a screen when their super power could be helping save lives."


    The morals that Cara had developed led her to this train of thought. But she had also personally experienced the school activities where Jame had worked the situation to win. He always had control and it was unnerving. There was no way for her to accept that as her way of life.


    This left everyone looking at Asher. He had heard their thoughts and seen their faces. His mind was already made up but he was willing to bend to the will of the group after they had all spoken their feelings on the matter.


    "Asher, what do you think? Do you want to stick with the way things are?" Jane had a glint of hope in her eyes. This was obviously her desire as well. "Or should we become his followers?" She even looked pained saying this out in the open.


    "I think he could offer us a lot of brainpower that we might need. But he is aiming very high and very controlled. We are not a controlled group and to be honest it feels like we would end up being manipulated to do what he wants even if we did not think we were. When it comes to resources, Art can help us get what we need. Brainpower can be learned as we all train together. And when it comes to teams? Well, more people can make things harder in certain situations. I think we are fine the way we are now. He didn''t require an answer right away anyways. We can always look at a partnership later in life."


    The entire group seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Sammy and Jackson may have thought that James was coming from a good place but they did not think that it was the very best move for the group. It was worth considering nut not enough to completely change the dynamic the group had gotten used to and that drove them to become better every single day.


    "That''s that then, let''s go get the papers done and then sleep." Jane rushed off ahead starting a small race to Asher and Caras'' house. The rest of the evening passed them by without much of a worry.


    In the morning Cara, Jackson, and Asher started the jog around to everyones'' house. By the time they made it to school, they found that the school was slightly different. There were the same students all around from the previous day but they were working out.


    "Finally. You are all always a little late. Well, on time, but late. Being early is better." Coach Winters had a stack of cards in her hands as she walked towards them. "Get changed and come here with work out clothing on and ready. I expect today to be a break your limits kind of day!" Her shout was unusual but motivating. Everyone within hearing range began to work a little harder at what they were doing.


    By the time they all returned it appeared that the students around had rotated to a different group. "Here are your cards. Each has a different rotation of work out numbers. The entire school is full of posted flyers that relate to those numbers. You have until the end of the day to complete every single one then meet in the gym. I will be waiting there." She was gone just like that. The cards had barely been in the groups'' hands.


    "She said earlier that she had always wanted to do this but was never allowed until now. The work outs are insane." One of the students working out whispered to them as he did squats. The paper in front of him on the wall read three hundred basic squats. It was mist certainly a large task that was only a small part of the overall work out.


    "I guess we will see you in a while, Laura." Asher knew that with Lauras'' speed she would be the first to finish. After she heard this she stuck her tongue out and rushed off.


    "I need to go look for station eight. See you later."


    "I have the squats right here. Lucky me."


    "I get to fine twenty three."


    The group shared their numbers and headed off to search. The lucky one was Jackson who was left at the squats. However, this didn''t seem to be the ideal since he was going to have to run around sore from the squats the entire rest of the workout. That was if he actually felt sore at all due to his body being tougher than a normal human''s.


    Asher had his own kind of luck. He was starting with work out station number one. He had conveniently noticed the poster at the front entrance when they had gotten to school and was heading there now.


    When he arrived he found that he was completely alone. "Hm, I guess everyone else is on higher numbers in the school." He couldn''t help noticing that the higher numbers seemed to be on the higher floors of the school and directing them towards the gym. He may have gotten the best card in the long run because when he reached the last station he could already be at the gym. Or at least that was his theory.


    While Asher was starting the heel raises that were at his first station Jane was in a different world altogether. She had fund number twenty three in the nurses'' office. It was fairly populated and understandably so. "Well, You look pretty familiar. Maybe because you''re the girl that helped knock me out yesterday." The large boy that Jane had frozen in place was there already doing ab work outs with a group of six other students.


    "That would be me. Have any issues with it?" Jane half expected a fight to ensure and crouched slightly so she would be able to retaliate properly.


    "Ha, you think I can even get up off the ground? We have to do four hundred curl ups here." The boy found it hysterical. "Besides. You take those sunglasses off and I am stuck again. I can''t even use my super power properly as it is." The large boy was holding back some laughter since he knew that he would hurt himself laughing due to the muscles in his sides being worked on so much.


    "Then I guess I will join you." Jane found that most of the students were nowhere near the good shape she or the group was in.. She was even able to talk a little while working out. This stunned the others and brought the question, what kind of monster is Jane?

 Chapter 347 - 347. Too Easy?

    "Dude, don''t ask me. She might give you the look of stone."


    "Bro, just ask her what she and her group train with to be so good."


    "I swear, you two are so cowardly. She''s dating that leader of the group and she has tp know the tricks he uses to make the group stronger. They have been together since the first day of school."


    "I don''t see you asking her."


    The three students thought that they were whispering. However, Jane could hear every word that was amplified by their strained breathing while doing curl ups. "You know, we use the academic apps to test each other while we train and do footwork challenges. Then we use the elite home gym app for work out and move videos that has a free version too. Then we work out in the mornings and alone at night. Not to mention the classes we take at school and the tournaments we have gone to outside of school. We also book the school gym for time on our days off."


    "Oh, and now I am done with the curl ups for this station. See you all later."


    The stunned students who thought their conversation was quieter than it actually was found that their minds were melting. The number of exercises and training that Jane just told them about exceeded what they thought would be possible. There was even the insane amount of mental fortitude needed to hold to that kind of schedule.


    "They''re all monsters"


    "Agreed. They are all super powered monsters."


    "Guys, I don''t remember what number curl up I was on¡­"


    The three cursed their distraction and were forced to start over while Jane headed down the stairs.


    "So, I just carry this up all the stairs then back down?" Sammy found herself looking at her first work out. There was a different weight for each sack that could be carried over a persons'' shoulder. Sammy was lucky to be the only one here but looking at all the stairs she knew that it would take her some time. "Uuugghhhh, it even says that we have to take the maximum weight we can carry."


    For Sammy, this meant that the work out here was even harder. She was not a muscular and strong person. Not only this but her super power made her less powerful as well when strength was concerned. She controlled wind and understood it to a degree. She would fly, not gain a ton of muscles for lifting heavy things.


    The decision made, Sammy took the weight and hefted it over her shoulder. She took a deep breath and started up the stairs. Halfway up the stairs, she heard two other people make it to the room. "What stops us from taking the smaller weights and just running up and down?"


    "Nothing. We take the small weights, run up, then run down before anyone else gets here."


    The two boys were doing exactly as Sammy had wanted to do at first. However, she was wise enough to know that the security cameras would catch everything they did. Before she turned from the top of the stairs she paused to hear that the two boys were about to get up the stairs having set up the small weights on their shoulders.


    "Don''t forget that big brother is watching you!" Her shout was enough to scare the two half to death since they had not heard her at all. But what really shocked them was the fact that they could see Sammy starting down the stairs.


    Sammy had a fifty pound weight on her shoulder. This didn''t seem like a lot until someone was to look at Sammy. All ninety eight pounds of the dainty young woman that wanted to fly and be weightless in the air. Fifty pounds was a pretty decent amount of weight for her to carry.


    Two thuds came to Sammy''s ears as the boys dropped their weights in embarrassment. They had been called out about the camera on the ceilings but also for the weights they were trying to carry. They were being outdone so easily and picked up heavier weights to show off.


    The hurried footsteps toward the top made Sammy want to rush. But since she was heading down the stairs there was more danger. She slowed herself and watched the two boys pass her while trying to race. She made it to the bottom when they made it to the top. They had obviously not taken their heaviest weights but at least they hadn''t given in to temptation and ignored her warning. With a slight shrug, she was off to her next work out before the two boys got to the bottom to brag about the heavier weights they had lifted.


    "Just throw the ball at the wall and catch it while doing curl ups? This was was more fun than any other work out here. I got lucky." Art was one of two other students that had made it to this particular work out station. They didn''t need to worry too much because there was no number requirement. Instead, it was a fifteen minute requirement. This may train core but it was mainly to train hand eye coordination while in an uncomfortable situation.


    "It''s a lot harder than it looks. You might have won a tournament but you are still not the best of the best."


    "Like he said, please try it before you judge." The boy and Gil already doing the work out looked to have only started a minute apart from each other. Art would be seven minutes away from them starting now.


    "I think I will be fin. Thank you for your concern though. But to be honest, you guys are moving really slow." Art didn''t wait for his rebuttal to stick. Instead, he started to move much faster with his throwing and catching. He was determined to show off his skills along with the hard earned stamina he had.


    The second he started to throw the ball against the wall while curling up, he knew that this was tougher than it looked. The rhythm had to be sound so that he could move through the entire work out but not too fast to the point that he exhausted himself.


    However, he still moved at three times faster pace than the other two students making them judge him as crazy. Especially since they had tried to give him advice.


    Yet, once the boy and the girl had finished they found themselves staring at Art with their jaws nearly hitting the floor. He was still moving at the same pace and even humming a song to pass the time. Art had barely broken a sweat the entire time. Unknowingly, he worked out the full fifteen minutes and the other two students had stayed to see him stand up as if nothing had happened at all.


    "You guys are still here? We have so much left on the card though? Are your abs too sore? You might want to stretch." Art jogged off after giving his own advice. The most shocking part to the two students was the fact that they had been training longer than Art. Actually, they had been training for at least a full year longer than art, and he had still outdone them easily.


    "Stay in line. There''s only one ope and if you fail you go to the back of the line and get ready to try again." The most students had become stuck in the rope climb. Luckily, one of the seven students that were there waiting had taken the time to explain the rules to Louis when he jogged up.


    "Seems easy enough. But why is everyone failing?" Louis could see that most of those attempting only made it halfway up. To him, this was not as high as the obstacle course was so fear of heights was not a thing for him anymore. He had learned to get over these fears through the time he spent training with the group.


    "Oh yeah, super easy. The robe digs in to your hands. It''s impossible." One student heard Louis''s comment and decided to meet it with heavy sarcasm.


    "Just wait until I beat it first try." Louis felt he had been challenged. This fueled his energy to power up the rope and then slide down in victory. Unfortunately, he watched everyone in front of him to fail and it made him worry a little.


    When he finally stood at the base of the rope and grabbed it, he was a little shocked. The robe didn''t feel bad in his hands. He had already gained callouses from working hard and the rope barely even pricked at his hands. "This will be so easy!"


    The exclamation caused a heap of angry comments to be thrown at him. But when Louis began to climb the rope and easily surpass the halfway point, everyone was silent. By the time he slid to the ground after writing his name on the ceiling in chalk, the others were fired up to erase his name and write theres''. "Hey, good luck getting up there.." Louis was a little sarcastic too for some small revenge but still jogged away to the next station.

 Chapter 348 - 348. Talks

    All of the students of ahead of the group in age and experience found themselves shocked. They constantly were beating them in the work outs and surpassing their pace over and over. One girl swore she saw Laura do a hundred push ups in under a minute.


    There was a group of boys that spoke of a monster that was able to do curl ups as if they were nothing. Louise was being called a monkey in disguise due to the ease he had climbing. Sammy was the reason everyone that reached the sand bag stair climb would choose the heavier weights.


    The only people who managed to sneak under the radar were Art, Cara, and Jackson. Mostly because they had not bumped in to many students due to their rotation. However, this was different than Asher. He only managed to come in to contact with one single person.


    "And so I found the leader again. Who would have thought fate would put us in line for a while." James was flat footed on the ground for a change and was about to start the planks that Asher was already halfway through.


    "Hello, James. I''m sorry to say that my group has no desire to join you as of this moment. We are happy with our current arrangements. I know it''s rude to jump right in with that but I figured you were here for that." Asher was not going to dance around the subject. He knew that the more he spoke with James the more he could be tempted to join or even have his mind changed.


    "I wish the answer was different but this was always a possibility. I do have an alternative then. Be my hero group''s ally. We will need people who we can call for help in the worst of situations." Asher couldn''t see any issue in this. When his group left university and joined the real world of hero work, then they would need connections and friends to make sure that they were able to make a name for themselves and save people wherever they were needed.


    "Having friends is very important. That''s how I was able to form my group. We are friends and to be instant a family. I believe that bonds kike that will get better results than what you are trying. Not that your plan is bad, just remember to stay a little human." Asher phrased it as if it was a joke. However, he was trying to give some advice. Something in his gut was telling him that James needed to hear these words now instead of later.


    "I see where you are coming from. I do have my plans and they are perfectly set out. But I can see what you mean. I''ve seen the stories of people without their evo shots lifting entire cars to have a child. Or running faster than an olympian to push someone out from in front of a car. Those chemical responses start with the emotional bonds people have with each other."


    This was a little off of what Asher was trying to say but it still worked nonetheless. James in the very least seemed to grasp what Asher was saying. "So, since you happen to be the most knowledgeable person around. Who are the other top students that have the same opportunity as us?" Asher felt that James was the best person to ask for information since he was an intellectual that planned and gathered information.


    There was a pensive look on James''s face while he thought about what he would ask. By the time he finished thinking he had reached the end of his plank time and the pair were headed to the next work out. They were lined up for the next four work outs and did not see any reason to rush.


    "I will under a condition. I have information about everyone''s super powers. But yours is a mystery to me. How does it work? What is the trigger? How do you define luck? Can you actually jinx or curse people? How does that work?" James was completely lost when it came to the new super powers that never had been documented before. Since Asher was one of those super power holders, then it was simple for him to want to hear what Asher had to say.


    "I don''t see any problems with that. Maybe you can figure out how I can better use it to my advantage. But be warned, I mostly go with the flow when it comes to my own super power. I prefer to train and improve myself more so even I am still somewhat in the dark."


    "Wait, you haven''t been trying to learn more about your super power? That''s one of the most basic focuses of any super hero when training." James couldn''t believe his ears. He was listening to someone basically tell him that they were ignoring one of the key focus points intentionally.


    "Trust me, learning about moves and training my body has paid off more than you can think. Then the improvements in my grades have been night and day. Not to mention the fact that I have been able to skip an entire grade." Asher could only see benefits in the things he had done so far. His super power had also played its own role at times too.


    "I''ll take a watch and see approach but in the future feel free to share things with me. I know scientists want their data but to be honest, I would prefer to be looped in. I hate not knowing something." This was a minor flaw for James. He would often get hung up on Smalls Erik''s he didn''t know. But it didn''t often prove a negative since those facts could be used to further his goals.


    "Now, for what you want to know. You have your sister. She is in her own league with super power control. She has trained it to be at the top. Her stamina is also way up there but that is required for her sound manipulation."


    Asher already knew this.  He had seen the huge amount of stamina his sister had by the way she ran for hours on end for training.


    "You have myself, I have a unique super power and I plan like a mad man. I won''t deny I have control issues. Then we have our bull shifter friend. He may have some anger but he is as general as a flower."


    There was a slight pause while James considered the final persons'' description. "The last top student that joined the program at the same time as me is a bit hard to describe. She had a super power similar to mine in the mysterious sense. But hers is related to shadows. She''s hard to keep track of."


    Asher could tell that James was at a loss. The fact that his face was scrunched up in annoyance and frustration showed that he had been missing the details about how the girls super powers worked. This was a surprise since he even said that the girls had joined at the same time as he had.


    "So this girl has some kind of shadow super power? Sounds interesting. Is she part of your group?" This was a little extra information that Asher had some hope he could get.


    It proved easier than he expected, "who knows, she said she is a solo act because no one can keep up with her. Tamara is difficult for me to handle." It was clear that this girl, Tamara, was the very bane of James''s existence when it came to information gathered.


    "I guess I will just have to hope to meet her as I go about the training over the break. Maybe I will learn something that you haven''t learned yet." Seeing that James was actually smiling at this even though he was in the middle of the squats, Asher knew that James was not a flat two dimensional strategist he had believed he was before.


    "Well, this is where we part ways. Thanks for the talk. Hopefully, we can talk again during this week. I think they have some good stuff planned for training. It''s way better than being left in the middle of the woods like last year." James was off through a wall and Asher was left wondering just what the training had been for everyone the year before.


    Unfortunately, there was not much time to think about it. He was on track to finish the work outs with plenty of extra time to kill. Therefore, he would be able to study some and even complete the pocket he had to finish. He was also sure that the entire group would be the first done. Not to mention Laura wh was most certainly finished or almost finished with the work outs.


    By the time the day had ended, only the group, and ten of the other students had finished in time.. Many of them had failed and some of the others had not even made it halfway due to over working themselves.

 Chapter 349 - 349. University Level?

    I Expected more people to pass but those of you that did will receive one of the vitamin packs made for intense training. Some of you may have already heard or used them before. They will provide your body with the necessary nutrients it needs to repair your torn muscle fibers. Once you have rested you can all leave or you can stay for an additional hour and use the school''s library for studying." Coach Winters was already out of the room before anyone could stand and get the vitamin packs on the tables.


    It was a rough reality for anyone who had not made it to the end of the work out session in time. They would need to deal with the soreness and push themselves to make it to a higher level. However, those that completed the work out session were able to heal faster and continue to push their bodies.


    "We are staying for the hour, right?" Louis already assumed that the group would but he had to be sure. He really wanted to be done with the packet so he could focus on other things.


    "Of course we are. We can''t waste the time we have been given. We need to get closer to the top." For some reason, Sammy was incredibly goal oriented after training today. No one wanted to ask her why but they had a feeling that when she was working out she had found that she was a lot better than what she had expected. Knowing this she then had decided to push for even greater heights.


    "How are you all feeling? I know I am a bit sore already but I think that we should all be on the safe side." Laura had run to get them all their vitamin packs and was already snacking on hers. She had been the first to the gym and spent most of the time studying and practicing foot work for the time that she had to wait for everyone else.


    "I think I''m alright. You must already be feeling the soreness thigh. Did you even need to get all the way to the gym for your body to start healing your muscles?'' Due to the knowledge of Lauras'' faster metabolism, Art was stuck on the thought that she would already be more or less healed.


    "Eh, I was three quarters through by the time I started to feel my legs get sore. I did need half an hour to rest before I was able to do much. I exceeded the normal calorie count for the day and had to ask for food from the nurse so I could keep training while I waited. I would say if we didn''t have the vitamin packs it would take at least three days to recover for me. Five for you."


    It was a rough estimate of how long it would take to recover but since the group was used to harsh training it made sense. But for everyone that was not ready for this kind of harsh training, it would take a week if not more to recover.


    "I feel bad. Only we passed with a few others. But we do work more lately." Of course, Jane was feeling bad for everyone. But she also knew it was a result of their hard work.


    "Don''t feel too bad. From the looks of the training, it was made to make people realize just how weak they are. The work outs were spread out to cause us to walk the maximum steps and train to our maximum level. Those who failed now know their limits better. Those who passed know that they need to look higher and find a better method of training more suited to themselves." This was everything that Jackson had managed to glean from today''s lesson. It was more useful to those that had not been training as hard as the group.


    "That makes a lot more sense. Coach Winters always seems like she is out to cause pain and suffering but I think she is really just excited to see everyone improve like crazy." Now that Asher had taken more time to get to know coach Winters, he had realized these things. She seemed hot headed and a tough teacher at first but once she took a liking to you and saw hard work she would reward you to push you higher. It was a tough task but well worth the rewards.


    "If we are going to the library we should go now before we sit down and our muscles start to slow down and heal." Cara was sure that once they had all sat down the soreness would catch up to everyone and they wouldn''t want to move. Therefore, if they made it to the library first they could relax for the hour and get their packet finished. It was also the best place for them to look for the answers they might not have and need to research.


    "Yes, off we go!" Art took the lead toward the library after being pushed by Cara. he wanted the packet to be done and gone forever since there were too many path problems left for him to solve.


    After an hour of swearing that math was evil, opening multiple books, and eventually being kicked out of the school all together due to closing and locking down the buildings for the night, the group had done the packets and even entered the next stage of index cards on the academics app.


    The app had registered their current progress and started to suggest additional courses and study materials. Some of which the group was already introduced to. "I can''t believe that it is trying to get us to study university level physics. That''s just too much." Louis and Sammy both felt this way about the recommended courses from the app.


    "Says two of the three people that have been taking as many science classes as possible. You two and Srt are the reason that we are way more ahead in sciences than the other courses. The university level physics class in the introduction course from a university. We are barely able to get the first few questions on it correct."


    Laura was a hidden genius of the school. She was always acting impulsive and trying to move a little too fast. But her mind was not as foolish as it appeared. She was still one of the best top scorers on the exams every quarter exam period. For her to feel that a course was hard meant a lot for the perception of what the university physics must be.


    "Then we will avoid physics and sciences for now. We need to work on our English and history. Both are a lot of repetition and memorization. Both can be done while we train so we should do some team work activities while quizzing each other. Like throwing a ball and such." Cara had been thinking about how they would enhance their teamwork skills while they all walked home. They were nearing Sammy and Louis''s house to drop them off before stopping at everyone elses'' homes.


    "That could work. Studying with each other will help us check out answers. But if we are going to toss a ball around we need to start with three. We can''t let out minds be idle when we are practicing either. If our minds move, then our bodies must move. On top of that, we need to communicate and challenge each other." Art and Asher were of the same mind and pushed this topic further.


    "I agree. But can we do some of the fun team building things too? Like cooking a meal together, building a camp for a night, and even going to play volleyball or something?" Jackson didn''t want their focus on getting stronger to take them too far from the fun of their teenage years. He wanted them all to be able to still hang out and have fun.


    "That''s a great idea! We should play team sports together and we will naturally work better as a group. It will also be fun crushing other teams!" Sammy got a little too excited about this as they rounded the corner to everyone''s homes.


    "Speaking of volleyball, there is a weekend tournament that costs five dollars a person. The limit is ten people a team but only eight are on a side at once. We can enter and try it out for fun." Louis knew they would be doing this right after the week of training ended but they would be able to push themselves further again.


    "Sounds like a plan to me. Let''s do that after the next few days of our special break training stuff." Asher was feeling tired and his mind was getting fuzzy. He decided just to agree instead of coming up with better words.


    Seeing that their fearless leader was half asleep everyone said their farewells and walked Jackson, Laura, then Jane home. When Art, Cara, and Asher made it home they proceeded to fight over the shower then collapse in to their beds.. The only thing on their minds was sleep.

 Chapter 350 - 350. Jackson Shines

    Luckily for the group, they were feeling a little better off than most. The vitamin pack had really worked its magic and they could say they were just slightly sore.


    This was not the case for anyone else. Many of the students that made it to the school the next day were struggling to even stand and sit. There were even some that had actually completed the work outs that were in the same position since they had been less accustomed to the hard training.


    "Come on, let''s stretch. There''s no telling what they have planned today. It could be life ending so I want to at least feel as if I am ready." Sammy was not as used to the harsh training as Asher, Art, and Jane so she was quick to push for the group to stretch.


    "Sure sure, just let me grab Laura. She keeps trying to sneak around and figure out what training. We are doing." Jackson had somehow become the person in charge of finding Laura. This was not an easy task but when he was about to give up she popped out of nowhere in their circle to stretch. He was left to shrug and shake his head.


    The group quickly became a spectacle since no one could understand how they were able to stretch after the previous day of workouts.


    "They''re all monsters. Not just the Medusa girl."


    "I told you. They are invincible. I bet they don''t even feel sore at all."


    "I''m pretty sure that they have their leader''s luck to magically heal overnight or something. It has to be."


    It was easy to hear the other students gossiping around them. The entire group had small smiles as they held back laughter.


    "Who cares what we are doing. They know that stretching should help their sore muscles so they can better survive today."  Naturally, Cara was not the happiest hearing people gossip instead of focusing on what they could be doing to improve herself.


    "We''ll, gossip aside. Why are there so few people around right now? It seems a bit odd¡­" Asher was sure first to notice that the number of students was about a third of what should be there in the gum waiting. There was definitely something up and they needed to be ready.


    "You''re right. Where are the other top students? That James kid is hard to miss and should be around here too." Even with Art craning his neck he could not find James or anyone of the top students that would normally stand out over everyone else.


    "This has to be because of what they have planned. There''s going to be some real event or maybe a war thing." Louis continued in rambling about more and more possibilities. He was sure that he could gather the reason for the lack of other students.


    "Listen up! You are all lucky enough to be in the third and final round in the survival training simulation. For the next two days, you are going to build a shelter, live in the back of the school, and attempt to find the other two groups." Garnet walked in to the gym getting everyone''s attention.


    "The situation is simple. You became stranded in a plane crash. You are all miraculously uninjured due to new technology for safety in the plane. You have been able to get together with some people but the others on the plane are lost within the woods. I will take you in to the false forest created for this exercise. You will remain there for two days before rescue comes. In that time you must complete tasks given to you."


    Garnet pulled out a stack of cards. She began to hand them to everyone around until every single card had been given out. "The cards list your tasks. Each may take a single person or multiple. The goal is survival. To meet up with the other two groups. And finally, to complete your task before rescue! Is that understood?!" Garnet yelled and everyone responded immediately.


    The students had not looked at their cards and instead were forced to follow Garnet out the gym door and in to the woods behind the school. The many different environments set up for training in the land behind the school were mostly changed using specific super powers. The mountain always remained due to the troublesome act of changing it. But turning the large lake in to a forest was a small matter for some super power users.


    "What did you get-"


    No talking until you are at your crash site. Then you may speak and decide on plans!" Garnet was not having any preplanning. She wanted everyone to work hard to plan as soon as they got to their crash site. The instructors were already giving the students the benefits of miraculously being unharmed after the so called crash. Letting them start to plan early was a whole other benefit that would make this exercise useless.


    "Before any of you decide to whine pr cry. Your parents know this is happening and you have the approval to be here for two days. I will see you all later. Bye." Garnet sprinted through the trees leaving the students standing in a lost state.


    The area they were left in was far from being called a crash site. It appeared she had left them in the middle of the man made forest with nothing else but the trees for company. Most of the students had expected pieces of a plane, or burning metal. Some even thought that they would find out some of the other groups were playing injured. But nothing of the sort seemed to be around.


    They knew that their goals were not to escape but to survive. If they left they could be penalized. Therefore, they were to stay here and create their camp.  "Alright, everyone! Come over here and we can form  a circle!" Cara tried to take the lead and most of the students followed her orders. The group fell in to a circle formation as well. The three students that ignored her planned by themselves making it obvious that they didn''t want any part.


    "We can share out cards and see who has similar tasks. If someone had a firewood gathering and a shelter building they should team up since the materials will be the same. Those with food and herb gatherings should join so that they can work out plans. The other tasks like water and scouting the area can join as well." Catra gave her plan and no one could argue it.


    Asher felt that he would have said the same. However, having the courage to stand up and begin to direct people was another thing. This was a very important aspect for any hero. In a disaster situation, someone would need the courage and aura of calm to make citizens listen and follow their guidance. It was a natural factor some people had and others would need to learn it through hard work.


    "Asher, what do you have? I have the task t find nearby water." Jane wanted to see if she would join Asher.


    "I actually have the task of building fish traps. Once you find water you can lead me. Jackson actually taught me an eas bamboo fish trap for small fish." Asher was happy to hear that Jane would lead him to water later but Jane was unhappy since she wouldn''t be able t explore with Asher.


    "I have a wood gathering. I will find a group to go and join for wood and shelter." Art was running toward someone holding up a card and yelling shelters. It was a good idea to pair up quickly to get to work.


    "Louis and I got the same card. We need to find edible plants and berries. I checked with Jackson and he said wild raspberries should grow in a forest like this. I''m really excited!" Sammy was very excited about this. She felt that she would be able to learn a multitude of things here.


    "Good luck. And remember to avoid the prickers of the raspberry bushes. They are sharper the more wild they grow!" Jackson seemed worried that he could not go and hunt for food.


    "What card did you get?" Asher had to know. It was too much of a mystery.


    "Nothing. My card is blank. I think they gave some of us cards like this so that we would look like we are doing nothing. Or they want us to step up and use the knowledge we already have. It really doesn''t matter. I will use what I know anyway. This is my main focus. Survival resue." Jackson was happy enough to be doing training about what he wanted to do most. Without the requirements from a card he was able to better act.


    "Then go do your thing. Everyone should need your help a little." Asher had no doubt in his mind That Jackson would play a big role in this training.


    "So, that all sounds normal. But my card says I need to find the plans on board computer from the wreckage....where is the plan?" Art held up his card bringing quizzical faces out on everyone.

 Chapter 351 - 351. Wreckage

    The group was mainly working together since it appeared that the other students were going off on their own. Jackson tried to keep them grouped up and focused on helping each other but only four of them actually listened and it was because they were on shelter building duty. "Jackson, stick with us. We can help them and also work on the groups'' goals. If they don''t want to listen, don''t force them. There are cameras everywhere so they can evaluate us. Jane was sure that people had done the same things in other groups so it was better for at least some of them to stay together.


    "But they don''t know what could be out there. What if there is a river made and we end up falling in. What if there are underground caves and we get lost? What if there is a wild animal that tried to eat them?" Jackson was finding that managing a larger group was not his cup of tea. So many people were currently going against all the survival and rescue knowledge he had ever learned.


    "Jackson, so help me. If you don''t get your head calm and focused on what we are doing I will purposefully deafen you now so you can play the injured role." Cara was being a little harsh but he had reached the end of her wits when it came to people freaking out. She knew there was more to the training than what they were told. It was too easy the way it was. Surviving for two days in the fake forest was too easy and wouldn''t push everyone to their limits. Either the three groups would come together or there would be something to sabotage it.


    The look on Jacksons'' face showed complete disbelief. Cara had never yelled at him like that. No one had ever even tried to yell at him like that. Hos family was normally quiet and peaceful so now that someone had said something like that it shocked him.


    "Dude, you were getting a little controlling and crazy. It''s stressful, we know, but you need to just learn to be a little more hands off. We will survive and follow your knowledge but doing everything perfectly is not possible." Sammy slowly got in to Jacksons'' head using logic and he slowly began to link again.


    "I see. You''re right. I forgot that everyone might have their own priorities. What''s the plan?" The calmness that Jackson regained after being brought back to reality was a little off putting. However, the entire group knew the feeling of having all the wind taken from their sails. It was a humbling experience and one that would one day make them better heroes. Id Jackson tried to run a real rescue team to the letter of what should be done things would fall apart. The major lesson for Jackson and all of them was that things were not perfect in the least.


    "I think we should do our tasks together. The entire group will fond wood, search for water, find the wreckage, and also find the on board computer from the plane. From there, we will have a better direction to go. But there is probably more to this. I know everyone is thinking about it that way." Asher summed up his plan and no one had any arguments.


    "Hey! Come check this out! There''s some burned stuff over here" One of the other students was already poking what seemed to be a melted chair with a stick.


    "Thanks for the shout but, why are you messing with it?"


    "It''s cool. Why wouldn''t I investigate?"


    The student that replied to Jane just shrugged while Jane tried her best to keep her words to herself. The group had just rushed to him and found that the only thing t see was someone poking a burnt and melted chair with a stick. It was a stupid thing to have to deal with until Laura ran ahead.


    "I checked the area and there are more. A lot more." Laura started to drag the group through some tall grass and eventually to a large opening in the trees. The area had multiple melted chairs, pieces of metal, and some burnt remains of what looked to be an airplane. "And I found the wreckage. Do I get extra points for finding it and finishing my card?" The smug smile on Laura''s face made everyone feel like they had been beaten. However, there was still a lot more to do.


    "This should be a decent area for shelter due to the parts available. The plan may be crashed but since we can not travel the remaining pieces will have to be materials. Let''s pair up and check things out. I think Art and I can search the wreckage for now." Asher walked with Art toward the largest pieces of the wreckage to find that there was an entire cockpit still intact.


    "I have no idea how the school is able to set all these things up. It costs so much money and time." Asher was always more and more amazed but just how dedicated his school was. Every day he seemed to see something that proved his high school was better than he had been led to believe.


    "It''s private funding. The more the higher ups invest the sooner they see results in what they are investing in. Some pour money n to the technology and engineering courses so they can get the newest geniuses. Others push at sciences or even sports. My parents have made decent donations to biology labs so they can get gifted assistants and even some information on super powers like yours. New ones. It''s also how my brother must have been able to switch the paperwork for my super powers. I thought about this stuff a lot and finally put it all together."


    Art was searching the wreckage but suddenly replied to Ashers'' basic comment. The ramifications were still large after the paperwork had been changed. However, there was the fact that finding was the route at which it took. This funding made their high school much better. But also offered corrupt acts. Unfortunately, they still didn''t know Arts'' brothers'' motivation since it didn''t seem to be just control of the family now.


    "I see. I think that is something we will need to keep an eye on in the future. We might encounter these kinds of situations later. But they aren''t all bad as long negative politics don''t play a part. We know what that''s like and if the person was alone it could be deadly." Asher knew that Art could have been alone and ostracized from his family. There had been more luck than they knew when Art introduced himself to Asher at school.


    "Whats'' the computer we are looking for? Is it like a black box with a few cable ports? Does it say, do not remove under any circumstances?"


    "Seriously? You already found it?" Art looked expecting Asher to have it in his hands. The sudden exclamation from Asher had put him back out of his head and searching aimlessly.


    "No, it is just hanging from some wires above your head and you were searching the floor." Art was bewildered as he reached up and grasped the box. He easily detached it and held it in his hands. "Also, you should hide it. I have a bad feeling."


    "Well, I should have known that you would be the first group to make it to the crash site. I have been out here for some time wandering until my group found the perfect camping spot. Coincidentally it was also the spot where the plane crashed.


    Asher walked outside to find James talking to the rest of the group. They had also bumped in to James and grouped up to walk back toward Asher and Art. "James, back already? What card do you have? Mine is pretty lame." Asher was putting this air on as friendly for a few reasons. The two other students with James had with him were on edge and seemed as if they had different jobs on their cards than the ones a normal student had.


    "Leadership. It wants me to lead the group. Some of us have to unite the groups and teach. I was surprised that we didn''t have more shelter oriented tasks." James genuinely looked sad. But it was just his face. He appeared that he wanted to be in the shelter building end of things.


    "Well, you found us and we have a lot of camp building tasks. Now that you have people with their cards done, why don''t we join up?" Asher walked toward the edge of the clearing where Jackson and Cara had already begun to set up a shelter.


    Cara didn''t see, happy to see James since he was a tough opponent in their school for her to face. But when Jackson saw James was there bringing more help had put them right to work.. Now the rest of James''s group needed to come over.

 Chapter 352 - 352. Grouped Up

    "Well, I was expecting the last group to be here too. But I guess it''s just us and you. The rest of my group is building a camp. Didn''t take long to convince them to set up in an opening without trees. But since you con voiced most of your group to make camp here we might as well join you." James sent one of the boys he was with to get the others.


    "I didn''t think you would make it here either. We are just setting things up. We are trying to figure out what they have planned for us. If we found each other so early, the odds are that we will have the third group soon." Asher was friendly with James but they were both sizing each other up. James had yet to put the pieces together whether as to what the instructor had planned for them. There were many possibilities but all of them were not fun in the least.


    "There could be anything. But I have a feeling that we are all magically safe because they want to make us paranoid first." James had a good point and he smiled a little after he went to meet the group that had just run over to meet everyone.


    "Alright, so it''s good that we found the second group, right?" Art had the feeling that the more people the worse off they were. It would be harder to speak to everyone and get on the same page.


    " There are more mouths to feed. It will be very very hard now. To keep everyone full for two days. Plus, we aren''t seeing any food anywhere so we will need to go out and find it. We could strip the entire area bare and not have enough food and water." Jackson was already evaluating the amount of food that would be needed. When he had seen James and the rest of James''s group com,e he knew that he would need to speak to Asher.


    "I have water solved!" Laura popped out of nowhere again. Luckily, everyone had long gotten used to her speed and ability to seemingly show up from thin air. "There is a stream over that way and there might be the third group with that Bull shifter we saw Cara fight."


    "Nilly is still showing up? I thought he would have been done or went to a different training already. Last year he did some individual training so he could control his anger better. With him and Jackson, we should have firewood and a very stable shelter. He two are probably the  strongest when it comes to strength here." Cara sounded a little too happy to hear that Bill was there. Asher didn''t miss Art scrunching his face up in distaste.


    "Alright Laura, go scout more and find that third group. We will get more set up. James!"


    Asher shouted over and got James to come on over. He had started to float again since it was faster than his walking. He was also trying to remain on perfect alert for the worst possibilities the instructors could pull.


    "That shout must mean you find food or water. What is it?'' The smile on James''s face showed that he was enjoying the luck that Asher had. It might be why they had met sooner and also why Ashers'' group had been the first here. No matter what anyone could say but Ashers'' group was definitely the least equipped in years of experience, however, they were doing the best and leading the pack.


    "We found a stream and also the potential spot for the third group. Laura is going to get them for us. The bu- Billy should be there." Asher caught Cara''s stern expression and changed what he was saying immediately. He knew that she would hardcore mess with him if he did not keep himself in good standing with one of her friends.


    There was a sudden thudding of footsteps from the direction that Laura had run. By the time Asher and James focused, they managed to see a tree wobble. The wobbling trees got closer and closer until a large boy will bull horns had forced his way out of the treeline and in to the open. "And that is Billy. He may not be angry now but he definitely used some flashy super powers to make an entrance." It was clear that James was not a huge fan of Billy.


    James always preferred to keep things a little on the quieter side. Billy, as timid as he was, was bound to his own super power. He was loud and large. This made him draw a huge amount of attention when he used his super power or when he was in battle.


    "I see what you mean, but he is the picture perfect deterrent. No one should want to start a fight or even break a single small law if he is around." Asher knew the power of intimidation. It did not need to be used in a negative manner. It could be used by the law to keep people from abusing their super powers and going crazy.


    "That is a fair point but at the end of the day the attention could stop the completion of a mission. But that is very dependant. Hence why I want multiple teams. Either they all work together at once or they are hand placed to deal with certain situations. Need help in the water because of a flood? The super powers that manipulate water can be a team. Need to fight fire? Super powers that manipulate and put out fires can be made. Need to capture people? Then super powers that create illusions or traps can be used in a team. They all will have their purposes and best situations."


    The way James was speaking made it sound that he was putting together a sports team or a battle deck of playing cards. It was a little unnerving but Asher just stood by and listened. Even if he didn''t fully agree with the method, he could learn something. The better leadership and experience that James had was what put him well above Asher.


    "I still like my group and if Billy ever joins, then we will have a pretty nice new friend. From what I understand he could be great for dealing with animals that need to be rescued. Since he has an animal type shift as his super power he will naturally be closer to animals than most people which means panicking animals of, say, a farmhouse is on fire, could be more easily calmed." Asher was proud of the idea he had come up with.


    Meanwhile, Billy had shifted back to his normal form and was trying to stretch as he walked over. "Hi Billy. Glad you could make it!" Cara was quick to greet him.


    "Cara! I''m glad you were part of the group training. Come on, introduce me to the brother and his friend you have been telling me about." Art managed to hear this part and was over the moon hearing that Cara had been talking about him.


    "Asher, Art. This is Billy. He''s an angle when it comes to how nice he is. I want to introduce him to Jackson since they should get along but it seems like Jackson ran off again to do whatever he has been doing."


    "Hello, I saw you in your match. It was really something. You have a lot of power at your beck and call but you walk around looking a lot more peaceful than anyone else." This was a pretty nice compliment for Billy and he was immediately a little shy and silent n response.


    "It''s all about training. I have been working on it for years now. So, what can I do to help? My group is on its way. The other of our top students here ran off somewhere and I won''t bother to go looking. Plus a lot of my group followed the solo survival idea. I don; ''t think it will go so well for them. But I can''t force them."


    It was a little less to worry about for Asher, but it was a bummer. The third group was significantly smaller because they had lost most of their members to the foolish ideals that they could survive on their own. "By the way. I was pushing the dead trees back the way I came so we could move them for shelter and fire wood." This was a smart idea and Art committed to going immediate.


    "I can''t just let one person do all the work. We will hot the shelter am fire wood job." This was a little way for Art to compete with Nilly but he had the feeling that Billy was not the threat he had felt before. instead, he felt as if he was looking at a lot puppy.


    "Good, problems getting solved. Now we need to find that on board computer." James was looking around knowing that he needed to find it was well.. However, he did not know that Art had already taken it.

 Chapter 353 - 353. Why The Plane Crashed

    "Why do you need it? I thought that your card was to be the leader?" Asher was a little skeptical at the moment since he thought that the cards would force people to go against each other.


    "Actually, my card is to find the on board computer."


    "And mine is to investigate the reason we crashed."


    The two that had come with James at first had returned and were holding their cards to Asher so that he could see. "I see, we already have it and are investigating it. We will share it when the shelter is built. Right now we need to think about a place to settle because there are a lot of people with survival based cards." Asher was trying to make sure that they were all set up for the quickly approaching night. It had already gotten through most of the day and the sund had only one place to go; down.


    "Fine by me. The sooner we organize the more efficient we will become. I don''t feel like going two days without food. I usually can just survive on energy around but this is not the kind of energy I need. Not enough emotion in the air, sorry, ghost stuff." Asher had almost forgotten that James was a ghostly super power.


    "Remind me never to ask about ghosts and stuff. Your super power might drive science up a wall." The shaking of Ashjers'' head was enough to make James chuckle a little.


    "Trust me, I have been funding my family with the money the scientists give me for helping with the experiments. So far it seems that ghosts might actually be science we don''t yet understand. Do you know that new cellphone coming out next year for heroes? They use the same electrical waves that they find when I shift through a wall. Not exactly super natural, just not studied yet."


    "That actually makes me feel better...so much more to learn." Asher mindlessly wandered away toward where Art and Billy had headed. He wanted to check out the on board computer first before they met up later.


    On the other hand, it seemed that those who had stayed with their groups were doing very well. Jane was being a very loud voice of encouragement. She also had Cara with her repeating things louder and guiding those who needed help. Jackson was working with people to get a fire started before anything got too dark. One of the students that had glasses had offered them up so that a lens could be used to allow sunlight through. Jackson was in the middle of teaching the others how to use this trick to properly start a fire during the daytime.


    "Art, come and take a break so we can chat about stuff." Art had been dragging logs from the trees that Billy had pushed aside. Cara had been watching them both out of the corner of her eye. Billy was a timid person and they had become friends easily since Cara had wanted to train against someone p[owerful. Art on the other hand had won his own place through training and being best friends with Asher. Not to mention his constant cooking. She wouldn''t just let two people she cared about out of her sight. Asher made a mental note to learn how to better keep track of everyone. It might be a good trick to keep tabs on Laura one day.


    "What''s up? Did something happen?" The slight worry in Arts'' voice stemmed from the fact that he thought there was another challenge on the way.


    "Not yet. But there are cards that have people investigating why we crashed. So, we should check the on board computer." Art did not hesitate and pulled the small black box from his pocket. It was not very large but when Asher pulled the side he found that it had a small display screen.


    "Alright, and this should be the on button. I remember seeing these in history books and they used to be the size of a cinderblock. Now they are smaller than a cellphone." It was still unbelievable as it started to power on and glow in bright green lettering.


    "It says power on, reading, incident report¡­"  Asher was watching the rows and rows of letters appearing while Art was behind him.


    "Wait, large electrical burst? Does that mean we were in a plane struck by lightning then? That''s a pretty big scenario, but doesn''t that happen all the time, and planes are made to handle it?" Both of them knew that this was a red flag. Since they had been given all their jobs, the survival ones would end and those that had the job to investigate would take over. Finding what had taken them down in this situation would be the key to their success and most likely the rescue.


    "Alright, so this is just a shot in the dark but¡­ I bet there is someone with a card that says sabotage or attacker or something. Maybe even villain." Art was making a lot of sense but when he was about to elaborate Laura popped up.


    "That is a good idea, but I just saw like ten people burn their cards to help start the fires. The issue will be finding proof that they are the villain." She had listened in to enough to know what was going on. " At least no one in our group has a bad car. We shared them with each other." Laura just shrugged. "By the way, there are a lot of cameras around watching us. My bet is that the rescue will come when we discover the bad guy in action. Two days might just be when they send someone to punish us with more training or to guide us to the solution."


    Laura was making a lot of sense. It was proving to be very valuable that they had shown each other their cards. There was also the additional fact that the entirety of Asjer''s group had been able to share their cards. The only two in the one third of the people that had not, were two students who had wandered off somewhere and most likely found their own place to rest or even been taken out due to their failure in survival. It was unknown.


    "I guess we can slowly get people together. Laura, go tell Billy and keep it quiet. He probably wouldn''t be involved and his card was sticking out of his back pocket so he should be clean. Then move and get the rest of our hero group. The other students can stay in the dark for now." Laura was gon in a flash toward Billy who was nearby.


    Billy handed over his card to Laura easily enough and he was walking toward Asher and Srty the next moment while Laura headed away. "Laura spoke to me. I will keep up with wood while you guys do your thing. I am more of a rescue muscle person now than anything investigative. But if you need me call for me." It was refreshing having someone show that they knew their limits. Both Asher and Art had respect for Billy because of this.


    Asher pul;led Art with him and soon found James helping Jackson. It was clear that James had survival knowledge but a limited amount. Compared to Jackson who was a walkign survival manual, he had a lot to learn. "Hey, the fors are going and a shelter frame is built over there. Not everyone will be able to sleep but I told people that we would do a night watch for safety. There might be wild animals brought in to make things more real. We all know there might even be robot dogs again."


    Thai made Asher wonder what training had happened in the past year but it was not the focus right now. "Here, this is the on board computer. We have just looked at it and drew some conclusions. But, give me your card first."


    James was skeptical but handed over the card from his pocket while watching Ashers'' face. As James had said, the card read leader on it. "So, you told the truth. Good. Now check the computer. I am sure you will reach the same conclusion as we did. It seems there was only one leader card but multiple investigative cards. This could be good or bad. There were also some blank cards."


    The blank cards were most likely to add to the confusion that would grow as they investigated. Those with blank cards could do anything and did not have a task unless a leader assigned it. "I see what you mean. I believe you are already on the hunt? Is your group good?" ASsher and Art nodded.


    "Billy is good too. You said you checked all of your people right? That leaves the main students of Billy''s group that didn''t listen and split off, two that split from us, and whoever left yours. They could be all against us as a villain role in this.." Asher whispered to James and the three began to plan out their next move.

 Chapter 354 - 354. Night Watch

    "So we set up a watch. Anyone without their card will be told different instructions. They can be told that the on board computer will be kept in a specific place. I am sure that they will want to destroy it to remove any evidence. Then they will have to face us. Anyone playing that role will be taken in to custody." James was trying to take the lead but he felt there were too many unknown variables at play. He had a basic plan and decided that it would have to remain open for the time being.


    "That''s easy. Art can set up a separate tend and say that it is for the computer components from the plane so we can work on a rescue device. Then we can ask everyone to show their cards so we can make sure tasks are done and teams are organized. Those who got rid of cards and don''t have them will be set to different tasks that can be watched carefully. I will leave it to your trusted team members to act as leaders. My group will work our own way." Asher was sure that he would not be ordered around. He had a better feeling about going his own way to solve the problem.


    "I can agree to that. I don''t usually like to leave control to others...but I have a feeling that I don''t need to worry. It''s odd, to say the least." James turned and left to begin his arrangements. He had never felt that he didn''t need to worry about someone else''s actions before. This was a first. Even now as he walked away he could feel that Asher would be the key to solving this and making it through the two days that they were required to be in the woods.


    "I will have the tech stuff gathered as you want." Art rushed off to get his job done. He felt that the night would be very interesting and he wanted to be ready to catch anyone that came after what they had gathered.


    Billy stood with Asher waiting to hear what was next for him. "Are you going to help too? I could use a night guard that pretends to fall asleep." Asher looked almost devilish when he smiled at Billy. He was planning ti have Billy guard the tech so that he could fall asleep and leave it wide open as a target.


    "I can''t say I am the best actor. But I did drama classes in middle school. I was a tree so I was good at staying still." Billy had no reason to say no. He actually felt much more confident than usual. He also had a strong calm feeling knowing that he was not being asked to fight like other people in his class had done before. It was the first time someone hadn''t assumed he would want to be a front line attacked in a gym class or martial arts training. His super power may m,nifest his anger and violence, but he was not an angry and violent person. He likes classical jazz for gods'' sake.


    "Just close your eyes and pretend to snore a little and a tree becomes a sleeping night guard. Let me work my magic from there." The two split up and Asher slowly found the rest of the group to let them in on his plan. James and Art did their parts and by the time the sun had set everything was in place.


    The metal wreckage had become shelters along with wood and leaves from the forest. The five fires that burned were nearby to keep the chill in the air away from everyone. The students without cards had been separated in to groups that had been given a plan by James. They did not know the details and instead, knew that they were to watch those without cards. It was a simple mission and one that made them feel important. All they knew was that they were to report to James immediately when they found odd behavior.


    While the night went on those watching the forest began to follow Billy''s lead and begin to snore or droop their heads. Asher was pretending to sleep himself against a shelter when he finally caught a glimpse of what he had been waiting for. Movement. About six students that had been in Billys'' group were sneaking through the shadows toward the small covered pile of electronics that Art had set up. They were visibly shaking their heads at Billy who was faking slumber by them.


    The six students began to sift through the electronic bits and pieces growing more and more agitated and frantic. They were having trouble finding what they had been sent to get. "Huh, and here I thought  that you would have been able to tell I had this earlier when you were sneaking around the camp and trees watching." Asher had known that they must have been watching when Art set up the electronics.


    After Asher had stealthily walked up and pulled the on board computer from his pocket, he had mocked them. "But here you are. Surprised that I am standing here with the computer and all the evidence that you all received cards that placed you as villains. Everyone come out!" Asher shouted and the fires were stoked back up.


    Billy rose to his full height and the rest of Ashers'' group ran out from behind the shelters. They had surrounded the six panicked students who had played the roles of villain. "I will zap them, you guys tie them up with the vines we found and the wires from the wreckage." Louis rand and touched each of the students shocking them. They were still functionally conscious but their muscles were triggered stopping them from being able to stand and run.


    The six were speedily tied up and put in a circle. James strode over to look at them and saw that they were not part of his group making them sure to be part of Billys''. "They must have all been given the same card, did they have it on them?"


    "Nothing here, I bet they got rid of it in case they infiltrated the camp." Sammy had checked the six to find nothing on them at all.


    "I guess it was good that my group didn''t stay together. I could have brought you all trouble." Billy felt bad but was also very glad.


    "Don''t worry about it. We are taking care of it. Just let my group handle it all. Maybe you will get lucky and you can join our group for some missions in the future." Cara was nice as always to Billy who nodded his thanks.


    Art was slightly aggravated but was mostly pushed this way when he heard one of the students laughing. "Hehehe, we didn''t get the villain card. We got the henchmen card.." the shadows suddenly grew thick and one tentacle of shadows snapped out at Asher''s hand holding the on board computer.


    He was shocked but managed to act on instinct. He lowered his stance and pulled himself away. The shadow missed him and fell back in to the darkness. "Tamara is the villain. I should have known when she wasn''t in anyone''s group. But I made the false assumption that she was not caring as per usual." James was cursing himself for relaxing too much. He should have put the puzzle together in such a way but had foolishly thought otherwise. It was a major miscalculation for him that he often would not make.


    Cara let out a small screech that was barely audible for everyone. However, the shadows shivered and a girl wearing all black was revealed from the night. The shadows seemed to hug on t her body and her long dark hair appeared to be made of shadows themselves. Her eyes were closed but as she ran forward it didn''t seem that she needed to see.


    "Watch out, she can use any shadow she touches to attack and she has amazing senses," James warned everyone as the shadows from the bonfire ceased to dance and instead started to snake along the ground toward the members of Asher''s group. James sank in to the earth and phased through to try and attack in a different way.


    Asher was watching as Laura dodged the shadows with her speed. Since Tamara was attacking with her eyes closed, Jane found that she couldn''t freeze her in place. Jackson was frozen and unable to make a move since he was more concerned with hurting someone by accident, he still had a lot of train ign left to do.


    Art used a lot of his mental energy to move some of the nearby metal to block behind Tamara. This cut off any escape. Louis moved with Sammy next but found themselves wrapped by shadows. Their legs were firmly held to the ground.


    Asher was the first to meet Tamara''s shadow covered fists.. Her goal was to steal away the on board computer or destroy it.

 Chapter 355 - 355. Shadows Attack

    "No way!" Asher tossed the on board computer to Art and kicked up while bending backward to dodge the shadow covered fist. He felt the rush of wind on his face as the shadow extended in to an even larger fist narrowly missing him. However, his kick landed a solid blow, and Tamara was sent sprawling to the ground.


    The fight was far from over. Tamara sank in to the shadows and they grew in to a pool of darkness below her. Asher and Art fell in and there was silence. The only thing that anyone else could see was the strange ripples and movements of the shadows while the three fought on the inside.


    "Asher!" Art screamed but felt that there was no sound around him. He couldn''t see either. But he could feel himself floating in what could only be described as thicker water. He knew he was holding the on board computer that Asher had thrown to him but he had no idea where he was or what was going on.


    Asher was in the same position. The only difference was that he felt a movement around him along with a fist coming toward him. The strange part was that there was no feeling of wind or shadows as the previous hit. He was easily able to react and grapple the arm that was hitting him in the face. His body had learned the movement so he did not even need to think to automatically fall in to the move.


    The slight squeal as he pulled the arm away from the body it was attached to was the only sound that he could hear. Suddenly he felt as if a cannon had shot him out and he was back on the grass. "Ugh," Art was next to Asher coughing and wheezing. " What in the world was that?!"


    Asher grabbed the on board computer from Arts'' hand and jumped to his feet ready to fight. His eyes fell on to Tamara who was using shadows to wrap her arm. Asher had managed to pull her shoulder from its'' socket but in a sickening crack, Tamara had used the shadows to pop it back in with another squeal of pain.


    James rose from the ground behind Tamara ready to land a sneak attack before he realized that this was not right. "Oh no...you pissed Tamara off." Asher had not thought that James was a coward by any means. But at that moment he flew much farther from Tamara and did not dare to even take a breath.


    "What does he mean b-" Art was slammed away by a shadowy whip at high speed. He was not terribly injured by the force that had knocked him all the way to the now awake and shouting students. They were preparing themselves until they saw that it was one of the strongest members of the advanced class they were in. This break may be a time for them to grow stronger, but they were not willing to go head to head with one of the top students.


    "Asher, When Tamara is angry she uses full force." Cara threw her voice from across the clearing. She had already mobilized the rest of the group to calm everyone down and keep them in order. Laura was trying to avoid the shifting shadows but soon, like Art, she had been whipped away.


    "You are getting serious? You know that in this drill you are my enemy right? My enemies tend to have poor luck in a battle against me¡­" Asher lowered his stance and let his arms fall. He was not planning to play this game any longer. In this situation, Tamara was the villain and he was protecting a group of plane crash victims. He was supposed to rise and represent the groups'' safety. He could only guess at what the next order on Tamaras'' card would be after destroying or taking the on board computer.


    The shadows zeroed in on Asher and whipped out. He jumped side to side dodging them while moving in a dance like spin. His arms were flung to the side as a shadow whip came at his side. The contact it made tried to wrap around but in the force used, Asher was at an advantage. His body spun and the kick he let loose broke the shadow in to.


    The remain of the shadow whip melted in to the night as if it had never been there. Tamara stumbled slightly before standing up. The shadows wrapping around her were similar to a villain''s evil cloak. Not that she had time to show off the edgy look she was rocking. Asher had already jumped over the next shadow whip and was about to punch Tamar.


    With Asher right in her face, Tamara had no choice but to melt in to the shadows. Unfortunately for her, she was right next to a bonfire now. Her shadows were being pushed away by the light and the shadow was only big enough for one foot. Her last resort was to force all the shadows around her body to converge and shield her temple.


    When Ashers'' first hit the condensed shadows, Tamara felt her mind exploding with a headache. Asher had managed to dig a deep chunk from the shadows that Tamara was controlling with her mental fortitude. The recoil of this was enough to dislocate three of Ashers'' fingers while Tamara knelt to her knees gasping for breath through the pain.


    Jackson saw the chance and dashed forward in a massive leap. He landed next to Tamara and bear hugger her next to the fire where the light was strongest. "Someone check Ashers'' wounds. I will trap the villain!"


    Asher had not expected the frozen and stunned Jackson to suddenly regain his senses and jump in to finish the battle completely. Tamara wasn''t able to manipulate her shadows at the moment due to the damage. The shadows she had left slowly wrapped her body as if they were clothing. They stopped moving and sat still. It was like a sleeping beast.


    "Asher, are you alright?" Jane rushed to his side and helped him up.


    "I should be fine. Jackson taught me how to pop my knuckles back in place. That first aid lesson was well worth it." Asher ground his teeth with every pop as his knuckles realigned. He knew that he would need ice but he was in the woods she would just need to deal with the swollen hand he would have the next morning. "Hello Tamara, my name is Asher and you are one hell of a fighter."


    There was no way Asher couldn''t say a greeting and a compliment. In the moments fighting Tamara, he felt that he had faced a nearly impossible force. She had expertly used her mental strength to manipulate the shadows. She had come up with a night strategy to get her task done. And even more, she had caused chaos in the camp which gave her a better chance. It was extremely impressive.


    "Asher, that was a very good battle. I did not expect you would beat her before she made the shadow bubble¡­" Asher could only imagine that the shadow bubble was similar to when he and Art had fallen in to a pool of shadow. It must take away the senses that James relied on to use his super power and move. That would explain why he was so fearful of Tamara. She was his bane.


    "She was too much." Art limped over. He had obviously sprained an ankle and bruised some ribs. Otherwise, he was fine and healthy.


    "You need to stop moving and lay down!" Cara came over and shouted at Art. She was not having any of this. "You are going to hurt yourself worse. What if you have a broken rib? I swear if you try anything more than resting until we are rescued I will make you wish you only had a limp!" No one dared interrupt Cara''s lecture. Naturally, Art just had a goofy grin as he followed the instructions. "Billy, snap out of your daze and get something to hold up Arts'' leg. Act like the friend I need and not a tree in the forest." Billy jumped to it without even a question. He knew too well that Cara was taking the lead here. Art''s goofy smile just grew more even when Cara glared at him.


    "I''m Tamara. My super power is shadow manipulation. Nice to meet the lucky boy." Tamara was soft spoken but Asher heard it clearly. He looked back at her to see she had a tear in her eyes. She had just been defeated and in a fairly painful way. It made Asher feel bad that Jackson was crushing her in front of the light which was her opposite, but she was a dangerous opponent that could not be taken lightly.


    "I hope that we can train together after this Tamara. I think my group could learn a lot from you." Tamara just nodded her head while her black hair fell to cover her face.. Asher had gained a very strong respect for her after seeing her fight.

 Chapter 356 - 356. Morning After

    "I got ice. There''s a girl over there that can make snow and even a little hail with water condensing from the air and a whole bunch of other science stuff. It''s pretty cool, we might be able to combo our super powers together, but yeah, here''s some ice." Sammy was a little excited since she had found a new possible friend. But mostly because she had managed to find someone who could make ice for Asher, Art, and Tamara.


    "Thanks, Sammy. Nice find." Art was the happiest to feel the ice on his sprained ankle. Jackson had forced him to get it splinted even though it wasn''t broken. However, since everyone backed Jackson up, Art was the only one left to sit and argue.


    "Are you really sure that we shouldn''t  have her tied up or something?" Louis was waiting for Tamara to start moving the shadows again and try to take them out for the on board computer. She had the ability to take them all out in a few moments if she decided to.


    "I already told you. Look at the card she had. It says she only gets one attempt at the bottom. That means she''s stuck surviving with the rest of us. The only good thing is that we got the chaos of villains and lackeys out of the way early. Now we just have to deal with some real injured members and find some decent food." Cara was getting tired of the fact that no one seemed to have listened to her explanation of the cards.


    "I gathered all the cards up and there are a lot of them that said to only do something once or even that they need to go get water three times a day for the others. It''s a good system to cause us to clash." Jane had taken the time after the fight to check through everyones'' cards and found that it was set up for trouble.


    "It was a clever challenge for us. But the fact that Tamara acted earlier than later did not follow the plan they had set u. I expect they will try to make things harder. I also do not believe this is only two days. They will tell us two and it will actually be the last three days of the training." James was sure of this and even started getting his group on to doing tasks that supported an extra day.


    "I think we will have an evaluation day. They will be here earlier than we think. They want us to work together but not be dependent on each other." Asher had a different opinion that was calling to hit gut feeling. James just shook his head and went about his plans. "On that note, I will sleep. I think tonight was too much for me."  Asher didn''t even bother to find another place to sleep. He fell asleep sitting up against the wooden shelter that had been constructed. The rest of the group figured out their own spots and followed his lead.


    When the sun began to shine on to the clearing with the shelters the students had built, Asher awoke to a surprising scene. At some point, while he was asleep, Jane had made his shoulder her pillow. He hadn''t even been woken up by this let alone moved at all from his position. It was slightly worrying that he slept so hard, but at the same time, he found that she appeared cuter than before.


    The other students were beginning to stir and Asher felt a crushing defeat as he began to nudge Jane awake. "Gah- er-umm. Good morning." Jane was going to try and explain herself but she remembered that Asher was going out with her and there was nothing to be ashamed of. It was completely acceptable.


    "So, was I a good enough pillow? Would you say I rate in the top ten human pillows?" His joke was bad ut Jane still laughed in her half asleep state.


    "I would say the best pillow I have ever had. Don''t worry, I will lend you a pillow later¡­.if you want me to." Jane was a little red offering this.


    "Well, I swear, I will lose my appetite if I have to see this anymore." Art had to take the chance to tease them. He had woken up at the same time they would normally work out but instead he was at their forest clearing camp. There was no way he would stand up to work out, especially with the sprained ankle adding to that challenge.


    "Good! You are all away. Here have some berries. Jackson picked them. I delivered them. It will cost ten dollars and an additional shipping fee!" Laura was rinning around to everyone that woke up saying the same things. It appeared she was preparing to open a business now. T be fair, with her speed she could outdo any by car or foot mail there was in the city. It might actually be one of the jobs she received often. There were plenty of super heroes that bring valuable items or very important letters from one location to another.


    "Laura, have you seen Louis?" Sammy was also awake now and looking for Louis since she knew that he had fallen asleep near her.


    "Oh, he went for a walk around the edge of the forest so that he could see if anything was planning to cause any trouble." This was a good idea, however, Asher didn''t see why he had gone alone.


    "If anything happens then we are screwed. Louis should have taken a buddy with him." It was a natural reaction. Going anywhere alone and separating oneself from a group in this situation was terrible.


    "Relax. He was with me and Billy. We checked a lot and Jackson was once with us but found some wild raspberries and blue berries. He got all excited and ended up calling for Laura. Now the bushes are nearly empty and he told everyone to stay away from them so we can''t ruin the natural food for animals."


    "That''s good. I was a little worried that Louis would be left in the forest alone. As much as this is school grounds, it is a little bit of a mess to search through everything here. I would say at least three days long." Asher was stunned. He had not expected that the training fields with their different disasters simulated could span for such a distance behind the school. So much so that every student could permanently live out in the fields just due to the space there was.


    "The fields have to be large. They built a tenth the size volcano. Oy might sound small but it is larger than the school ad can fake erupt and even make a small localized volcano. Our high school is not one of the top in the world for nothing. We are lucky we lived so close and our parents had signed us up for school here before we could even walk." Cara was taking the teasing move too on Asher." Asher had always just assumed that his father had a very connected or rich client that he did legal work for. It made more sense than what the alternative was; pure luck to have gotten in.


    "I might as well get up and get moving then." Asher decided he had stayed still ong enough. His hand hurt and so did a few places along his ribs and sides. Overall, he was fine and healthy. Now he could focus on other things. "Jackson is that way right? I want to see if he can teach me to get some food for us too." Asher decided it was survival class lesson time and Jackson was going to be doing the teaching.


    When Asher came in to view of Jackson, he also found multiple blue berry bushes and the prickly spined raspberry bushes behind them. "You look a lot more rested now! Welcome to my little heaven on earth." Jackson spread his arms wide showcasing the many plants all around. "These could have been eaten by animals but Jackson had been lucky to find them and feed the entire group.


    "Y look pretty happy to have found these. I''m glad that you are putting it to good use. I was hoping you would start to teach me more bout the survival and rescue side of things. I can tie a splint as you did with Art but I can''t really walk around tracking and telling what animals or foods are." Jackson showed a wide smile as he began to gather some nearby plants to show off his knowledge.


    "The first step is knowledge. You should learn a lot about edible plants with healing or detoxifying properties. I made it my light reading for years and memorized a ton of field guides. But making due with the basics are fine." Jackson saw that as soon as he mentioned memorizing a ton of journals, Asher began t back up slightly.. At the end of the hour, Asher was sure he would know more than before.

 Chapter 357 - 357. Shaky

    By the time Asher and Jackson had returned to the main camp they had armfuls of berries and some roots that were edible after being cooked by the fires they had started. The day was progressing fairly fast and the other students had been more or less lazing about when they weren''t trying to find food themselves.


    Louis had managed to find one boy who had trained in making traps for small animals. None of them seemed to catch anything but since this was a man made forest that was often changed, it was not a surprise. However, the knowledge was useful, and as soon as Louis felt he had grasped it her found the others and began to show them too.


    The training was improving their teaching and teamwork skills. They had to work together on their projects to make sure that they all had food and warmth. The group ended up making their own small shelter that Art had bent metal for and Jackson had supervised. They had learned about braiding long grasses from Jane who looked it up when she was younger to make a grass crown.


    The skill could come in useful for when they were out on rescue missions. There were some heroes that would search for weeks on end in the wilderness for a missing person. This would often be joined by many others but there was always a hero that refused to give up. If and when they succeeded they would be praised. The truly impressive quality they had though was the endurance that was trained to search for the smallest signs and proof of life.


    "So why can''t you make us a pot to make soup or something better with the wild herbs and nuts?" Sammy was trying to figure out why Art was so adamant about letting them use some piece of metal he could shape in to a pot. In her eyes, it was a valuable way to use his super power.


    "Alright, let''s think this way. What if the metal leys chemicals pff of it and you eat it? " This was a good point but was easily countered by Sammy.


    "We can wash it pff forst." Her smug grin made her look exactly the way she was thinking. She thought she was a genius that had just solved their dinner problem.


    "Yeah, and what will happen if the metal comes off in the water and poisons us instead? Or do you know what metals the wreckage is made out of and of the melted parts are just metal or something more?" Art had not ignored the lessons when he was in the chemistry classes. He knew exactly how dangerous metal could be. Especially when the wrong metals were added in to the body. Just because they had super powers not, did not make them invincible.


    Art and  Sammy were about to continue arguing, but before they knew it the ground had begun to tremble slightly. the slight trembles began to grow and grow over the course of a few moments until a full-on earthquake was shaking them to their core. The shouts of the students were the only things that could be heard around them until Asher''s voice broke through.


    "Everyone away from the trees exclamation! they could get uprooted while the ground shakes!"  Asher pulled away from the nearest tree and the entire group move toward the center of the clearing. Some of the smaller shelters begin to fall over but the well made ones managed to remain standing through the entire three minute long earthquake.


    " what in the world was that!" Cara  Was looking around for any potential cause.  see half-expected that garnet and Coach Winters for the cause of this due to the additional challenge that it would make. However, if this was the case then there should be more to it than just an earthquake. Cara could not understand what the whole point of all this had been.


    "That couldn''t have been it, right? Just knock over some of the small shelters and that is that?" The rest of the group mimicked her thoughts and began to look around on high alert.


    Before anyone could say or do anything there was a stampede of footsteps. There were about twenty staff members from the school all wearing combat uniforms. Coach Winters and Garnet were leading them. "Get in line and head back to the school. We are locking down. There was an incident in the city!" Garnet shouted, she knew that there would be a prompt response. The students she was yelling at were trained enough not to panic in these situations.


    "They are really getting in to this." One of the students was trying to take this lightly. The only problem was that all of them were slowly noticing the massive plume of black smoke coming from further away from the school ground. They had all realized that this wasn''t some planned test. If it was then the school would be shut down by the environmental protection branch of hero corp.


    Laura had been the one deemed to carry the communication earbuds that they had gotten since she always had spare room to carry snacks for when her metabolism forced her to eat more. She was moving quickly to hand them out since the situation called for their use. She had not used them during the training since it was not very important and most likely a punishable breach of the survival rules.


    "This is a little more than just training." Art wanted to believe that this was actually a very convincing illusion of sorts.


    "Garnet, coach Winters, is this bad?" Asher jobbed to the front and tested the waters with a question. He had a feeling that they would answer him more so than any of the others.


    "Unknown, we just know that a small villain group started a fight earlier this morning. Heroes were dispatched and then it was found that the villains were in much higher numbers than expected. They targeted research labs to get certain doses of the new evo shots all over the news.'' Garnet knew this and only this.


    "Most labs were shut down and barricaded. They have plenty of trained hero staff or law enforcement staff. " Coach Winters knew that Art would be worrying about his parents. This was the only thing she could think to say to make sure that none of the worried.


    The school began to show and the trees began to thin out. They were much closer to the school than they had been before fonding the clearing. They were not permitted to head back to the school during the training but a lot of the students had gone out for walks or food harvesting and not seen the school at all.


    The door to the large gym was open just long enough to allow everyone inside. The metal shutters closed locking them in and a lockdown alarm was finally turned off. "Listen up, we are going to find out the situation in the city. If need be we will evacuate all of you. For now, stay here and wait. We will open some rations to eat so you can maintain your strength."


    This was all that Garnet said before she and the other staff members left. "That was a little intense." Louis was watching them leave and realized that all the staff members were familiar but had normally blended in to the background while normal school was in session. The custodian, cafeteria workers, and even one of the other gym teachers were in full combat gear. They were all trained in some aspect of law enforcement. This doubled to protect students and also for the fact that they were better to teach certain subjects.


    "There''s no cellphone service in here so we can''t even tell your parents we are alright or have them ask us." Cara was trying to call Asher had her parents to no avail. The sudden influx of calls about the earth quake had slowed the system and crashed the cellphone towers. It was something that shouldn''t happen but was inevitable during a disaster.


    "They are fine. We just need to wait this out. Worst case we have to fight, Best case, everything is over and we just need to breathe and relax." Asher comforted Cara a little until she slapped his hands away. She had enough and was now waiting to see what would happen.


    ''"t was a pretty big earthquake, but it was caused by an explosion. One that big would normally have aftershocks. It was an explosion and not an act of nature." It was simple to deduce. But having the knowledge was not helpful. The group was still stuck in a room. Jackson''s voice said what they were all just as curious and lost. The villains had caused this and everyone needed to be o  their toes and prepared." The training had fallen to get something completely different. The entire group was just happy to have everything ready to use at their fingertips.. Now to wait.

 Chapter 358 - 358. Organized Attack

    The gym was silent except for the occasional whisper while everyone waited to hear what the situation was. It was standard protocol for the students to be brought in to one of the designated safe buildings in the case of an emergency. The gyms were the safe spots set up with sealing devices and hidden food stores.


    On top of all of this, there were separate internet connections that only the staff knew how to work. This was made in case the school was attacked or if the school was hacked in to. With the development of super powers around the world, many super power holders were found to have destruction capabilities. It was only natural for the world to adapt to this.


    There were people that could cause tidal waves when they sued their super powers and accidentally flood a coastline. There were people that could accidentally set city blocks on fire. There were even people who could zap all electronics in to a fried melted hunk on the floor.


    The thick walls of the gym were made up of a special alloy that couldn''t be manipulated by most of those with super powers that could manipulate metals. The woods uses actually had nano chips in them so that they could disrupt telekinetic super powers. There was even knock out gas that could be used to put attackers to sleep. All of this was just a basic compared to the higher end panic rooms some people would have installed in their homes and offices.


    Unfortunately, none of these safety walls for the gym felt safe enough. The situation outside was more or less unknown. The staff had set themselves up to defend the school if need be. Even Garnet and coach Winters were prepared for the worst. It was their job to do so.


    "Ha! I got the news to come in on my phone!" One of the boys was leaning on the wall in an odd angle with his hand held high in the air. This spot was perfect to get a proper internet connection and play the live news cast through maximum volume. The other students crowded around immediately. Even the staff members slowed down to listen since they were unable to open their own phones and search.


    "The city has been shut down by the police forces and heroes have been dispatched to multiple locations. The attacks appear to have been an organized villain group known for plotting against hero corp higher authority in the past year. They have already claimed they have stolen vials of the new double does evolution shot." The news anchor looked afraid as the camera switched to multiple locations.


    "That''s the mall where my mom works. It doesn''t look bad but the entire front entrance is gone." Art could tell the higher floor laboratories and offices had not been touched by the explosions but that did not mean people had not entered where the staff researched.


    "Locations like the city''s largest mall were lucky to have retired heroes working at guards and in the nearby area. Fifteen villains were arrested while none escaped. Other locations such as the downtown seismic lab were attacked and raided leaving twenty injured and four missing her corp scientists." The words caused a significant amount of weight to fall on everyone''s shoulders. This was much worse than they expected. Kidnapping and possible murder.


    "The motivation for the attacks was stated to be the desire to strengthen their ranks. The fact that these villains are looking to drag the young in to their schemes is the reason we as a people must stand strong in these times. Hero corp has yet to release a statement but the event is still unfolding."


    "These people are crazy. They literally only attacked places that were doing important research. Then they also dealt with retired heroes. They must not have brains in the heads. They were better off staying hidden away from the world." One of the students nearby thought that the villains had lost their minds. There were not many people that would risk going against retired heroes that had many years of experience under their belts.


    "The trigger for this was the release of documents against hero corp researchers'' wishes. The data gathered from the testing of the double dopes showed an amazing achievement. The double dose proved to be more effective and unlock more dormant genes than the previous shots. This led to new super powers being discovered and some existing super powers manifesting more powerfully. The rare super powers also showed a seven percent increase when compared to the other evolution shot variations. "


    The anchors'' remark was enough to get the rest of the students whispering and even talking out loud. A seven percent increase of rare super powers was more than ground breaking. It was something that would change the world if this evo shot became the main shot used in all schools from now on.


    The group was looking at each other knowing that these claims of a better shot were more than true. For them, they were living proof. Janes'' super power was exceedingly rare while Asher had received a strange new super power. Art even had two. One that allowed for metal manipulation and metal poison immunity. They could be called the living secrets of the hero corp research.


    "The destruction was not limited to the laboratories'' mad public. Two private laboratories and seventeen researcher homes were attacked. Here in the higher class district, we have a mansion that was attacked in the same explosive manner at the same time. The damage to half the mansion is extensive and the injured hero of the family was recovered and in a coma. The owners of the mansion were at work and already reported as safe. It was not clear why these homes were attacked."


    Art''s home was on the television screen for a moment before other homes with similar damage were shown. The group knew that it was Art''s home and that it had been his older brother brought to the hospital.


    There were mixed emotions surfacing on Art''s face. He was worried since it was still his brother after all. Even if there were many things that were not explained that had come from the recent actions, he was family. There was relief that his parents were safe and that they would be able to remain as such due to the protection from the hero corp employees.


    "Art, we can head out right now if you want." Asher knew that this might be one thing that Art wanted to do. However, betraying what he thought, Art started to shake his head and surprise Asher.


    "No, I will stay here. If I don''t get stronger I could fail to protect you and my parents. My brother knows what he has gotten involved in and he proved that. I will visit him later if he isn''t recovering. But knowing him, he has something sneaky planned."


    Part of Art did not believe his brother was actually injured. "In any case, we are here and ready. " Jane was supportive as well while the anchor continued to list those injured.


    "Breaking news. Right now the hero corp acting president has released a statement that they are launching a full assault on the potential headquarters of the villain group. This is the swift action that has come to be expected from hero corp. They also promised the top of the line medical care for those injured."  This put the students at ease. Some even left the space to relax and wait for the lockdown to end.


    "I am glad my parents are safe. I think this has been a stressful day." Art flopped on to the floor and the group went to sit and wait for the lockdown to end as well.


    "I am trying to figure out why they would want the double dose of the evo shot. If they have people with super powers already then why would they need the shots?" Louis was brainstorming ideas and was stuck on the why.


    "They could be taking the second shot and hoping they get another super power. Villains are crazy. Who knows what they might do." Sammy actually made a lot of sense with this theory. The villains wanted power and had displayed that which they had at the moment.


    "It was super organized. The earthquake happened from all of those explosions at the same time. That screams organized and planned." Laura could feel the weight of her words as she said them. This was not a small time attack. It was organized, powerful, and had affected one of their friend''s family.


    Even with the fact that Art''s brother had done some bad things to his own family, it was family. They all swore in their minds that they would be training a little harder to become super heroes. When they reached that point they would be able to stop things like this from ever happening. That goal alone was motivation.. Furthermore, it was a cause worth fighting for; peace.

 Chapter 359 - 359. Mansion?

    There were only about three hours before those that had been responsible and had not escaped were taken and the areas damaged taped off. Many investigations were ongoing but it was deemed safe for the city to resume the normal activities. Garnet came to Art and brought him away where his parents were on the phone looking to speak to him. By the time he got back the group had been waiting for another hour yet.


    "So, my house is completely shut down for the entire investigation. Apparently, the theory was that my mother and father had some hero corp information in their labs. Unfortunately, they just had their personal projects and that means the house was attacked for no reason. The only thing that we were lucky for was that the guy who set off the bombs was caught and spilled a ton of information. My brother is also fine, just a minor concussion." Part of Art was happy about this and the other was unhappy.


    The home that he had grown up in was damaged and would never be the same. His bother had been hurt. However, he felt that this was karma for what his brother had done to him and the family as of late. But there was still more that was nagging at Art about it.


    "Art, when you were giving us the tour of your mansion, you told us where everyones'' bedrooms and labs were. That damage from the news was right under your brothers'' bedroom. Don''t tell me you find that an odd coincidence." Asher had already run through the scenarios in his head.


    "While you were on the phone we all bounced ideas off of each other. Asher and I decided the best theory." Jane was not too happy to say this since she knew how Art''s brothers'' actions had affected him. "Maybe your brother was really trying to protect you. He made you look weak, not part of the family, and sent you away. He might have known that the research your parents and him were involved in was risky and could bring harm to you, especially with the results of your evo shot giving you two super powers."


    "You know that you are saying that most of us in this group will be in danger, right? We all received similar doses of the evo shot and have rare super powers or two. Or even new super powers¡­" Art was trying to say that it wasn''t only him in danger but they had all accepted this while they spoke and bounced ideas off of each other.


    "Sammy and I come from a family where we usually get elemental super powers related to weather. But we have two of the purest ones out of our entire family. We know there was something different since day one. It is the reason that I am happy to have all of you standing here with me. We are getting stronger every single day and we have already done some amazing things. Just imagine what we will do with a little extra pressure from some unknown villain group trying to learn more about the double dose evo shot." The shrug that Louis gave Art was craziness. But it was reassuring as well.


    "You are all not the same as me. Not at all. But, you are all my family now whether Asher wants more siblings or not. Don''t expect me to bail on you all  just because of a villain I would arrest later anyways." Cara didn''t care in the slightest about the situation developing. This would be their new normal since they were aspiring heroes. There would always be a hidden villain and they were just learning that lesson earlier than other heroes.


    "I''m just here because I know heroes get a discount on their snacks at restaurants. I''m going to eat this city out of house and home. Plus you guys are good friends and stuff." Laura barely whispered the last part since she was trying not to be mushy in the moment.


    "I agree, better than good friends. I didn''t know what I was capable of. I feel like I would have stopped learning and just become a forest ranger or something. But now I will rescue millions of people from natural disasters and a few hikers who go off trail." Jackson was a perfect example of how getting out of his comfort zone had benefited him. The group had more than helped him with this and now he was on the way to being a hero that exceeded his dreams.


    "I don''t know why everyone is looking at me. I feel like the wind around us is always happy. There''s plenty more to explore when you help me get to the sky." Sammy felt that she couldn''t say much more without cheapening their words.


    "Well, you heard everyone. We are still standing here beside each other. Let''s head home." Art began to pull Art along toward their home. The rest of the students had left earlier since they had been released. The group had only waited for Art so they could be there if he needed it and to plan out how they would handle the developments on the city.


    "You know, maybe we need a separate training building and maybe a new place to call home.": No one knew what Art was thinking and just stared at him for a while since he was just standing still and not heading out with them. "I have access to the money in my account now so I might as well have a place built for everyone. Any ideas on where I should build our headquarters and new home?"


    "Oh yeah, build us a mansion." Asher joked and then realized that Art was still looking at everyone for confirmation.


    "I think he''s serious¡­ Or did Art break? We can call the hospital if we need to get him a room and an evaluation." Lara was equally shocked and trying to figure out if Art was losing his mind.


    "I would have the biggest garden ever if I had the chance. I might win the lottery one day." Jackson was still believing that Art was joking and began to daydream of what he would do with a massive mansion to build.


    "No no no, he''s serious. Look. That''s the serious face he gets when he cooks." Cara was easily able to see the difference in the looks that Art had on his face and pointed it out.


    "No way are you buying everyone a mansion to live in. That''s just crazy." With a proper strict tone and hands on her hips, Jane stepped in to talk Art out of it.


    "Why? My family has more money than we can spend and I was planning to build a headquarters anyways. This will just serve another purpose as well. Plus none of you can stop me and you can keep your old homes. You will just have another. It''s the same as having a vacation home." The following shrug was met with the astonished faces of everyone. In the next moment, Art was already texting someone on his phone. "It will be all set up in a week. Just remember you all can move in any time you want. We are family after all." Art finally moved from his standing position.


    "We will need a durable practice space as we progress. We all have super powers that can get a little out of hand and need special places t train properly. Look at my super power. What happens as I grow and can literally send lightning bolts out? It will be way worse if I discharge all my lightning at once like I did at the Riktor tournament. In a year or so it might double, we are all growing in to our super powers still." Louis had a decent point. If some of them continued to get stronger they would need a safe place to train that didn''t put others'' at risk.


    "Exactly why Art is thinking about getting a headquarters. Heroes usually sleep at their headquarters. Firemen do the same thing and even police do. They need to be ready fro an emergency. He might be calling it a house but he is really setting up the supports for when we are a full on hero group that takes jobs." Asher made the connection and knew that this was going to happen at some point.


    "We all did just get prize money for the tournament and we could just pay him back. But this, how would we pay this back?" Jane was arguing the point that Louis and Asher had made.


    "Simple. You protect my family while I protect yours. This is an investment. I can get top of the line security measures so that villains have less of a chance to bother us when we are heroes. We all know that a villain is never just when it comes to ignoring family members." This was the lesson Art had taken away from the current events.. If he had a safe place for his family he would use it all the time.

 Chapter 360 - 360. Recycle

    Unsurprisingly, the school did not open on time. The students all received calls that the vacation had been extended an additional week so that the teachers, staff, and students could adjust to the damages done to the city. There were also some minor damages to the roads and transportation systems that were blocking some students from returning to school on time. Art had already put in a request of someone that his family had hired to find the perfect mansion.


    Since his older brother had been injured, Art had received access to his bank account and was able to act on his own more. It wasn''t clear if this was his brothers'' call or his parents. Art didn''t seem to mind though since he was able to do something that would help his friends and even his parents. Although, his parents were staying in an undisclosed residence guarded by hero corp since they were two of the researchers targeted by the villains.


    The city had taken this chase to remodel some of the older structures that had taken damage. One of the structures in question, the train system. The subway and above ground trains were widely used but always so much so that they were in desperate need of repair. Therefore, the city closed the trains down claiming that they needed the free space to properly complete repairs. Most citizens were ecstatic hearing this since they would all have a week away from work and such as well.


    "We end up with our week long break anyway. What do we want to do?" Cara was sprawled out of the couch. Her, Asher, and Art had done the normal work out in the morning and found that everything was more or less closed. The entire city was basically on vacation or too afraid to leave the house. The only good part was that there were many heroes patrolling with law enforcement agents. This was good since Art and Asher had already started a list of the popular heroes they had seen.


    "I''ve been having fun hero watching but they haven''t come by in a while. Maybe we should jog over to get everyone else?" Asher tossed the idea out there. He knew that Jane had already sent him a message saying that she was spending the day bonding with her family since she had missed spending time with them lately. She also mentioned that tomorrow she and Asher should go for a jog just the two of them. This made Asher pretty excited which in turn made the current day pass by slower than molasses.


    "I think I should practice my super powers today. I have to make a breakthrough and strengthen my will. If I don''t I will never be able to do what my brother did. He literally made stairs at the Riktor tournament. I can''t do that yet." Art had been thinking about this since they had gone on vacation. His goal was to completely surpass his older brother as soon as possible and his super power was going to be the deciding factor.


    "Then why don''t you head to the recycling center and volunteer? It is a good way to build your community connections, you can use your super powers to try and separate metals, and Asher can carry the cans that won''t be able to be picked up by the regular recycling truck because of the roads that are being shut down" Asher and Caras'' mother came in to the room holding two large bags of cans. They had always recycled in their home and since this was the once a month recycle pick up, it was taking up space.


    Asher could see that the look on his mothers'' face said that they did not have a choice. If he refused now he would be dooming himself to weeks of grounding and potentially even worse consequences. This was the power of a mother. The mothers'' intimidation glare.


    "Of course we will. Asher, Art. Let''s go!" Cara knew the look well and jumped up to put on her shoes to go.


    "Perfect, also on the way back pick up something for dinner. The grocery store is closed on this side of town so the convenience store with their mini grocery corner is our only hope of fresh carrots this week." The look of shock was a little dramatic but enough to make sure that they heeded her words.


    "You know I will find the best for dinner tonight. Chicken and carrot curry? Might be the wonder." Art was already thinking of dinner ideas as he was dragged out the front door by Cara. Asher had grabbed the two large bags of cans and was right behind them.


    "Well, mom''s not wrong. But why am I the one that is carrying the cans? You two could take one bag at least." Asher''s grumbling was clear.


    "Because, if you take them then I will be able to make sure that Art doesn''t wander off to just buy groceries now and start cooking at the house. We both know he would." The look Asher and Cara shared spoke volumes. They knew that Art would totally do this.


    "You two doubt me so much. I said I wanted to train my super power and this is a perfect way. I need to practice in the metal in the recycle center so I can see if there are any metals that I have any more trouble manipulating. I haven''t actually experimented with the different ones yet." It was unfortunate that Art had really on practiced with iron and lead. The steel he had manipulated was also minimal which put him in an odd spot.


    "Do you really think you would have trouble with other metals? I think you will be fine." Cara was less believing that there would be an issue. She was able to manipulate most sounds freely to a degree and that was the only thing she could compare Arts'' super power to.


    "I kind of agree with art here. What if there is a mess of metals mixed in to an alloy or just crumpled together? He can''t use the same amount of mental effort to move in as he can to move steel. One is lighter and weaker overall." Asher had taken notes of the chemistry lessons Art had taken along with the academic app. The periodic table explained it all and with a little thinking, he realized that manipulating the metals would have different requirements.


    "Exactly. I would be crazy to move aluminum and tine the same way I did steel. My super power is pretty much using another muscle. I have to train it not to crush a soda can because I used too much force since I expected it to be like steel." The comparison to a muscle was the best Art could come up with. However, it was simple and fit the situation. He used his mental strength like a muscle.


    "I guess that fits. I use mental strength too but for me, the sound is constantly in my head a little differently. It is better described as having an invisible amplifier and dampener for music. I can turn it up to different frequencies and volumes or turn it down." Cara had always compared it to music since it was the best medium for music. She had messed around with the electric guitar sounds before to create a few interesting effects.


    "And I am the lucky winner who has a super power that is literally always in effect. I can cause generic bad luck everywhere I go like that guy over there whose dog just peed on his shoe when he wasn''t looking. But I also just stepped on a dollar bill so I am one dollar richer." Asher picked up the dollar bill then pointed at the poor guy who had accidentally stood too close to his dog when peeing.


    "I''m pretty sure you can''t complain. You have gotten plenty of lucky breaks even though you might make things a little awkward sometimes. I totally believe you were the reason I slip so much in training. Yet, you always bring us in to the good luck you have too. I can deal with some inconvenience if I get to win lotteries and mystery prizes."


    "Art''s right you know. You even use your super power to make opponents have worse luck. Do you think Tamara just happened to be next to the bonfire when it suddenly sparked up making extra light the other day? It was too sudden and too perfect for it not to be some outside manipulation." Cara had seen the moment clearly. The fire had been lower causing more shadows. But when Tamara stepped forward to move her shadows more the fire had blazed up where the was no breeze. It was the same as someone flipping a switch.


    "Ok Ok Ok. I hear you guys. But it would be nice to be able to direct it better. What if I accidentally call a group of people an enemy and think of it that way? It could end up with an entire group having terrible luck when one of them was my target." Asher raised an eye brow at the, until he noticed they had arrived at their destination.. "For now though, let''s see how we can help."

 Chapter 361 - 361. Cans And Bottles

    "Hey Stevie boy! Come on out here and look at this! These are some of those kids from the tournament we bet on a few weeks back." The man at the recycling center entrance had zero tact when it came to what he would and would not say out loud. As soon as he recognized Asher, Art, and Cara he shouted alerting all the employees and the few other customers there.


    "Dang Bob. Do you really have to yell every time you see someone you- Huh, it is them. What are you kids doing here...oh yeah, recycling. I can help you with those." The man named Stevie boy but his coworker Bob talked himself through what was going on easily enough. Asher was just glad that he wasn''t making a big deal over them being there. It was clear that there were some people that idolized the group now.


    Having fans was good when it came to the future of the hero group they were building. It would open up connections to get better equipment and better locations around the world. It would also allow for better transportation to emergencies and just in general improve the community environment.


    What it also did though, was cause people to try and stop them in the street to talk to them or even ask for a picture. It would cause going to populated areas harder. Along with the fact that they couldn''t go anywhere for privacy since there was always someone that would recognize them. It was not uncommon for some new heroes that gained quick fame to hide themselves away for weeks or months on end to avoid other people. Some even hid away for the rest of their lives.


    "Just call me Steve, and we will leave Bob out here to shout at the crows or something." Bob waved for Steve to shoo away in frustration at the comment. But the three just gave the pair weird looks since they were trying to figure out their personalities. "Are you three just here to return these cans and get the deposits back on them? I can have the machine run it through in about ten minutes. We are a little short staffed today due to the accidents. Our other coworker lives right next to one of the attack sites and their house was damaged too. It''s a rough life but what can ya do?" Steve just shrugged and pointed to the line at the one operating machine with an attendant at it.


    "Actually, we have some free time and decided we should help out around the community. If you are short staffed then we can volunteer?" Cara took the lead and offered their help. The look of relief and gratitude that flooded Steves'' face was more than the three deserved just for saying that they would help for some time.


    "I know you three will be great heroes one day. If I can take over the second machine we can get the line down quickly. I just need two people to feed the cans and bottle along with one person to direct the line. You are seriously saving us!" The over the top reaction was too much for the three but they stomached it anyways.


    "I actually have a metal manipulation super power if that can be used for anything? I was hoping to use the volunteering for training too. I hope that is alright." Steve was blank faced while looking at Art. His face began to light up yet again as if he was watching an angel descend from heaven and kiss him on the lips.


    "Is that alright he asks, yeah that''s amazing! I have a ton of crushed cans that come in from home compactors. People use them to cut down on space and trips to the local recycling center. But they are the worst. The people never keep the p[roper cans separate from each other and even some plastic gets in to them. Overall we need to spend way more time trying to separate it than it is worth. Having you work on those is much better." Steve pointed to a stack of compressed metals and other recyclables.


    "And now I am feeling a little intimidated¡­" The stack was the size of a small garden shed. However, it was clear that the cans and bottles were condensed well and very tough to get to apart.


    "You needed training and you are lucky to have such challenging training. It will be perfect to really put your brain to the test." The elbow from Asher was enough to bring Art beach to reality. This was a little karma for not helping Asher carry the bags of cans all the way there.


    "You can do it right?" Cara sounded a little extra worried.


    "Of course I can do it. Watch my magic. I will have that entire pulse separated in no time!" Art stormed off toward the piles of condensed metals with a fire in his belly. Cara just giggled slightly watching it happen.


    "You did that on purpose. I can''t believe I just saw my sister give someone puppy dog eyes to get them to do something. The great top student the deafen- ack, come on. No need to hit- gah, stop! Let''s just get to work on some recycling." There was a grumbling tone in Asher''s voice which caused Cara to agree and follow Steve toward the starting belts for the cans and bottle separating and counting machines.


    "Alright, rules. Once something is in the trap, don''t reach in or else you will get counted and sorted. Other than that just pour them in slowly and they will be counted and sent to our side where we record and print a ticket for the transaction. Then the customer heads to the office to redeem it for their deposit back. The more people recycle the better. We accept all cans, bottles, tins, pretty much anything. Just don''t take electronics. Those go across the street." Steven moved away and powerd up the second sorting machine. He was happy as all else to have another person let alone three, there to help out. This was a godsend for him today.


    Asher started to help the older woman that had a stack of can bags right next to her. She was explaining that she saved them all month and would bring them by to get her coffee money for the next month. It was adorable but he couldn''t focus. His eyes were on Art in the distance trying to separate the different metals.


    There was clearly a challenge level to it when it came to certain cans. The alloys for the metals made them feel too close to one another. This in turn caused Art to struggle with what pile something went in. After some deliberation, Art created piles of the alloys as well. This prompted Bob to make an appearance with a small laser gun that was reminiscent to an electric thermometer. It burned a small hope on the metal and showed what it was made of. The result was an organized pile based on the metallic base of the allow.


    The thought of having a metal testing gun was too good for Art. It could prove valuable to his training. "Can I ask where you buy those? I have a metal manipulation and could use it to train in the future with tougher metals."


    "These? We have a ton of em in the back. Let me grab one. You can keep it for ten buck." Bob grabbed one of the metal testers and threw it at Art who hadn''t even paid him yet.


    Art managed to barely catch the sealed plastic package that included brand new never opened batteries as well. "Thank you very much. This will come in handy." Bob did not expect that Art would just sit down and start to appraise many things. The metals were all that he thought they were with some surprise copper piping in the mix.


    While Asher and Art were busy, Cara was helping at the already running machine. She had not had a chance to speak to the employee she was working with due to the god awful sound it made. However, she could fix that.


    After Cara began to hum slightly the sounds of the machines seemed to be fading away. The worker genuinely believed that the machine had broken and banged down on it with a fist before noticing the feeling of it running. "Sorry about that. The noise gave me a head ache so I am stopping it while I direct people." Cara was not showing all of her cards but it was impressive that she could hum and speak at the same time.


    In full fashion, the three were helping very efficiently. The fact that they had all thought that this was a poor idea, the volunteering was paying off. Art was training is metal super power. Cara was training her sound. And Asher was building connections with many in the community.. It was an impressive feat and by the time they left, it was written in stone that the three had improved their battle skills.

 Chapter 362 - 362. Weird Finds

    "I can''t believe how many different kinds of metas people throw out. I''m pretty sure I saw a chunk of steel shaped like a miniature sofa in one of your piles." This was only one of the weirder things that Asher saw after he checked on Art.


    "I''m just happy that I was able to get most of the pile sorted. There was so much to break apart and organize. I don''t know how they do it." There was a constant twinge of pain in Art''s head. He had overused his super power and he would have a headache for the rest of the day. It was an unavoidable downside to super powers that relied on pnes mental energy.


    "Both of you aren''t even talking about the best part. Asher literally tripped on the corner of a bon and found a set of high quality chef knives. Literally, a set of twenty chef knives!" There was no way for Cara to understand how the two boys weren''t thinking of the treasure that had been found and the fact that the employees had just told them to take it.


    "Well, Bob said they take things home all the time. It''s a recycling center and they even have a junk swap next door. I think that was more normal for their line of work." Asher''s shrug trying to justify his actions was small. However, he too was amazed at the find since he had been thinking that his mother needed a new set of knives the other day. With Art and her cooking more often the knives had become chipped and dull.


    "Wait, stop distracting me. We shouldn''t be worried about the cool stuff we found. It should be the fact that we were able to help out." Cara felt that she had been taken for a loop. The pair had distracted her and even dragged her in to their weird antics when it came to their conversation.


    "True, we did help out and it was a good thing to do. But we also got some stuff out of it so why don''t we just admit that. None of the employees wanted the set and it was going to be scrapped. It will just get more use before it is recycled now." Art was pretty hap[py with the find and started to lift the weight of the knives again. He would be cleaning and using them for the curry he wanted to make for dinner.


    "I think I got something much better. Do you know how many of our neighbors came to the recycling center today? A ton of them were there because they were cleaning out their houses due to the unexpected shut down and days off of work and school. That meant there were a ton of them that spoke to me and saw us volunteering. It means that our groups'' fame will grow and we will have an easier time when it comes to hero jobs." Asher could only think about the benefits it would bring the group as a whole.


    "If we are known here as heroes that patrol regularly then we won''t need to worry about high crime rates. It''s the same with the large hero groups with forty or fifty members that patrol multiple city blocks." Art understood the benefits here and was sure that getting their name out now in a specific area would do the more good than harm.


    "Then we should volunteer more this week. The roads are closed and a ton of people are unhappy around here. Maybe someone will need help and we can offer. The rest of the group could join too. I just have to remember that we need to study and train." Asher began to realize that they had booked themselves very tight even without school. The number of tasks a day they did was something a normal person would struggle to do half of.


    "We can volunteer once a month for now. You need to plan this stuff out better. We are still students and can barely get out of our own way with most things. We are too busy already." Cara didn''t want to reprimand her brother too much since he was trying to help people. But he was starting to push himself and the group in to exhaustion. They had the days off recently and celebrated more than they often would have. This just went to show how they were not putting aside proper breaks for their minds to rest.


    "I know you are right but I still want to do more. I wish there was something that would let us get more out of the day." It was a sad truth that the hours in a day were limited. Just like everyone else in the world they did not have infinite time to get everything they desired done.


    "And here we are at the convenience store. Let''s raid the ingredients for tonights'' curry. I want chicken and red curry powder. We need coconut milk and maybe some white rice, no brown rice for the added nutrition." Art was more or less mumbling while they walked inside the store and found that it was fairly well stocked. The three had expected things to be bought up since so many people would be lazy on days off and go after an easy meal from a nearby store.


    "How can you not have knives here!? You are a general convenience store. You have vegetables and other cooking supplies. You have a wisp and spoons but no knives?!" The older man yelling was struck with grief. The man at the counter just tried to explain that he was not the owner and did not have control over what the store sold. It was an unfortunate scene to witness.


    "Excuse me, sir. Is everything alright?" Cara had a sixth sense that this man wasn''t just ranting like a crazy person. He was looking for specific things in the store. It was not unheard of that someone would rant and cause a commotion. But the fact that Cara had just walked right to the guy and started to see what was wrong caused Art and Asher to wonder if she had lost her mind.  They didn''t;''t even have a chance to say anything to her to try and stop her. This could be a crazy criminal about to rob the place!


    "No, everything is terrible. I have to go to my private chef job on Lakewood avenue and my knives were thrown out by the cleaning lady this morning. She said they were recycled but they were already dropped off at the recycle shop. I went there earlier and they said that they hadn''t sorted anything in the pile of compressed garbage. Since they were compressed, they were ruined and I have to go cook a perfect meal. I don''t even have the proper tools there. Without my knives, I can''t cook. They are perfect for what I do." The man seemed like he was falling in to despair.


    "Asher, why is it that your luck brings us to these things?" Cara just looked at Asher dead in the eyes while she spoke. It was the weirdest coincidence in the world and no one else could have put it in to motion.


    The man just stood there a little lost. He didn''t expect someone to ask him if he was alright and when Cara stopped to ask a seemingly random question to her brother he was caught up tongue tied.


    "Hey Art, my super power is being weird again. Bring the set we found over." Art walked over and handed the set to the man who just looked at them with his jaw on the floor.


    "How did you just do that? Are...can you make wishes come true? Wait no, can you create things out of nothing?" The man was thinking of crazy super powers like this when he was handed his familiar knife set with every single knife inside. He was just stunned.


    "Naaaa, my super power is luck related. I found this while volunteering at the recycle center. And I just happened to bump in to you." The response was even more confusing but it was enough for the man to believe.


    "I need to run, but you kids saved my day. I have to get to my client but take this. It''s a card for a free dinner at my fathers'' restaurant. You will be properly rewarded." The man handed over a card and rushed out the door talking to himself about the cooking gods raining light upon his soul. It was a very strange encounter.


    "The red moon. Isn''t this the one that opened downtown?" Cara thought it sounded familiar and began to think it was some rundown fast food place.


    "Red moon¡­" Art dropped the carrot he had picked up on the ground. "That''s the new five star restaurant that opened up last month. There are tables booked for nearly a year there.." It appeared that Art had floated to heaven.

 Chapter 363 - 363. Night Out

    "Asher, you are officially the god of all that is luck and you have graced me with a dream." The reaction was enough to completely take Art''s mind from the curry he had been so excited to make a moment ago and even away from the fact that the knives they had found were lost to him.


    "Is the place really that good? Asher shrugged Art''s shoulders off. He knew that Art was an amazing cook and could make some pretty spectacular food. But hearing him praise a restaurant so much was odd. Art rarely praised any place unless it was something his grandmother cooked or Asher''s mother cooked, and Asher was convinced that he only complimented his mother because she would let him have free reign of the kitchen more often when he did.


    "Yes! It has been on television. In magazines. It even has a website that details its farm to table menu of the month. I have followed the story since it showed up and thought I would only ever get to go in if I waited a year. But with this ticket, we can walk right in and get seated at a VIP table. You have to understand how amazing this is. I need a suit! We all need suits and nice shoes. We should go tonight!" Art sprinted out of the store leaving Cara and Asher with the groceries they were buying.


    "He''s really excited about this. I know he just found out his family home is literally been bombed by a villain and something good to latch on to is a distraction, but I think he isn''t affected at all by the negative." Cara was sure that Art had mentally prepared himself for the worst when they heard the villains were attacking. When he left the gym and received the news everyone had to watch him walk there seriously.


    "He was able to handle it because his brother has put the worst thoughts in his mind. If worse happened he was ready for it. Since he heard that his parents were fine and that his brother suffered minor injuries he is breathing a sigh of relief. His brother was set up as a hero too, so it makes sense that the family would be prepared to what the worst anytime. I also don''t think that Art''s brother is all that bad. Made poor decisions? Yes. Evil? No."


    "But he literally kicked Art out of his home and away from his parents. You were there for him even before I knew what was going on." Cara was sure that Asher was losing it. She just witnessed Art freak out and now her very own brother was saying ridiculous things.


    "Think about it. His brother fakes his super powers when a secret double does evo shot is being tested and proven. His brother also removes him from the family home. His parents research the very same double does evo shot and his brother is also involved somehow even though he is a super hero. Why isn''t his brother out patrolling and instead partnering with researchers? Do you want to hear my theory?"


    "I think I already know what you are going to say and if it is that simple then why didn''t he tell Art?" Cara had already paid for the groceries and the pair was walking home slowly to talk. They wanted to finish their conversation and have a theory ironed out before Art dragged them to a restaurant they had to dress fancy to.


    "His bother uses his super power to manipulate solid metals to help create the double dose evo shot. Think about it. Tons of shots have dangerous chemicals that are made in to safe ones to house certain inept viruses or medications. If there is a dangerous metal in them then his mother and father develop the shot and his brother used his super power to make it safer. That makes all three a target. If Art was proven to have a metal manipulating super power he could have been targeted too."


    This was a theory that Asher had on his mind for some time but seemly had been proven in the attack and what they had been told about the villain''s motives. "That means that we might need to get strong er faster. We might need to take Art up on his offer and convince him to really up the security." Cara was taking things a lot more seriously now. The theory Asher had was believable and more likely than any other that anyone in the group had thought about.


    "That is why tomorrow I am going to go for my own solo work out and visit Art''s brother in the hospital." Asher dropped this on Cara as if it was something casual.


    "They will never let you go. You aren''t family. You aren''t a hero. You have no reason to even go. Not to mention the city is pretty much on shutdown after the attack. How will you even get there? It''s not possible." Cara felt that this was too much to do. They should Tell Art and go together.


    "I know it sounds like I am going against Art. But he is my best friend. He is my brother. I will go and see if things are as we think. If they are then I will come clean. If things are more dangerous and I feel like his brother is actually worst than what we believe, I will think of something else." Asher really wanted to hope for the best, however, there was the chance that he could be wrong. He did not believe that everything he knew or thought was correct and safe. The world was an unforgiving place even with his luck.


    The sigh that Cara released was long and dull. She didn''t want to hide things from someone like this. To her, this was a violation of Art''s relationship. But she couldn''t argue with the reasoning and the possibility that Art could walk right in to something that was dangerous. At the very least, Asher had his luck and he would be able to sneak out of any trouble that might present itself.


    "I will distract him and push him to also work out by himself tomorrow then spar with me. But when you get back you need to tell me if you are going to speak with him before you even think about saying anything to anyone. Is that understood?" The tone of Cara''s voice made Ashger understand that this was not a negotiable term. If he did not speak to her first then he would be forever untrusted by his own sister.


    "I agree. I will do that. Now, let''s get home and put these away. We are having curry tomorrow I guess and we will have something from this restaurant red moon tonight." The two picked up their pace after coming to an agreement.


    After arriving, the pair of siblings found the bustle of their home to be much more than they expected. "Honey, get that nice tie on. The one that your father got you for your birthday a few years ago!'' Their parents were yelling back and forth about what to wear and how fast they needed to get ready if they wanted to get around the closed down streets to get to the restaurant.


    "You two took years to get here! You need to get cleaned up and dressed. It takes half an hour with all the detours to get to the restaurant!" Art grabbed the bags and shoved them in to the refrigerator while Asher and Cara were forced to rush to their rooms to change.


    Asher pulled out a rarely used suit he had not put on since it had been bought for his middle school graduation. His parents had gotten it and made him wear it. Overall, it had been much too large for him at the time and he believed it would never fit properly. Yet, when he put it on, he found that the suit was a perfect fit and one could even say it was perfectly tailored. The workouts that Asher and the group had done caused all of them to develop more muscle and become more fit than they had been. Asher never noticed this too much since he was too focused on his goals. But now he was fairly muscled compared to the average person his age.


    Cara and their mother had put on matching blue dresses while Asher''s father wore a pinstriped suit he always wore to the high end cases he worked as a lawyer. Art was the odd one out wearing a pitch black suit he had from many of his family''s events and mandatory hero corp balls. It was his very best and showed off his physique equally as well as Ashers''.


    "Alright, we are ready. Remember, we need to follow proper dining room rules. Use the utensils from the outside in. If you need help I will show you. I was taught this before I could walk." Art lead the way and no one questioned him.. The energy in the house had risen due to all the hype that Art had put on this amazing restaurant.

 Chapter 364 - 364. Solo

    The maze that was the streets seemed to be closing in on them at all times. Due to the closures, the entire family had found that they needed to walk the entire way instead of being able to take a car or a bus. This wasn''t a problem because navigation was no issue. The problem lay in the fact that it appeared ready to rain at any moment.


    This led to an amusing show of walking down streets in a hurry only to find another side street to cut through and try to get to the red moon restaurant. "I told you. If we go up smith then done brook street we will be right in front of it!" Asher''s father was dead set on the way he had gone before to the area.


    "And I am telling you that brook street is closed and the only way there is the back way where we can cut from fields ave to main street." The small argument was the epitome of directions. If anyone had a penny for every time parents would argue over directions they would be the richest person alive.


    "Or we could just cut through the coffee bar right here and enter. They bought the building in the back of them so they could have two entrances and get double the business. See?" Cara was the only one that appeared to have her eyes open and could see the red door through the coffee bar.


    "That might work."


    "Oh, good eye honey, we will go that way."


    Asher and Cara''s mother and father were instantly deflated. They followed Cara along through the coffee bar with ease. "Hmm, I think this is the same coffee bar that sends coffee to nearby restaurants. I bet we will try their coffee tonight too." Art was more than happy to explain the wall displayed with different restaurant names and menus. It was a perfect homage to the nearby local businesses that the coffee bar partnered with. Therefore, they were always in business even if they weren''t getting any customers at their main location. It was one of those ideal examples of multiple stream income.


    "You never told me the main theme of this place other than farm to table?" There seemed to be too much that Art had been thinking when he half explained the place they were about to enter to eat.


    "Just go with it. You will like it. It''s super high class." Art pushed them all in to the front door and was handing over the card before the man at the entrance could even ask them their names.


    "I see, the VIP table will be filled tonight. I will let our chef know." The man left the podium which was also red colored to match the door. The secondary door hid the main restaurant from them so it was still a mystery.


    After just a moment, the man returned and opened the door. Welcome to the red moon. I hope you enjoy your visit." The door open and a waiter in a red and orange colored jacket standing there was their cue to move in.


    The stunning colors of fall overtook the restaurant. The main focus was the massive redish moon that acted as a light in the center of the ceiling. There were pillars that had been disguised as trees with fall colored foliage. The tables all matched and were the picture of a fall creation.


    "The theme is the red and orange moon colorations during the harvest season. There were local artists brought in to create the dining room." Art was fairly amazed even though he had already known what the theme was. Asher and Cara both couldn''t help taking out their phones and showing them off to the group.


    The VIP table was dead center of the room under the moon. It offered the ideal light and best view of the entire seating. There were many other guests that all looked at them with envy but continued with their meal. It was a peaceful atmosphere as a small string quartet played in the corner with instruments that matched the theme of the dining room. Menus were already in place and the waiter began to pour them water.


    "They will change to a blue moon for the winter theme later in the season but for now this is ideal. I think the beef option for the course has the most fall vegetables and ends in a pumpkin cheesecake made with natural tree nuts as a crust." The menu that Arty was looking at only went to show off how fancy the place was.


    "I think our luck is way better than we ever imagined." Cara was sure that this was some of the highest quality food she had evener seen. When the starting course was brought out she couldn''t believe that the salad made from colorful screens and leaf shaped carrots was real.


    "I need to eat more salad. If it looked like this and tasted like this pumpkin seed vinaigrette, I would eat a salad every single day." Asher was in heaven.


    The meal proceeded with the same amazement with every bite and continued even when they had left and headed home. They had taken more pictures and a few videos than they had in a long time. The entire family didn''t even mind the slight drizzle of rain as they walked slowly home. They were full, happy, and ready to pass out in their own beds.


    The morning burst in without warrant. Asher''s alarm clock was louder than usual in his ears as he slept comfortably. He was awake with a goal for his day and he knew that he needed to accomplish it for the better future of his best friend.


    "I know that we usually work out together, but I want to stay solo today. I think we should all do it every once in a while so we can look at ourselves from a  different angle." The excuse sounded a little awkward as Asher said it to Cara ad Art at the front door.


    "I understand. After the amazing food last night you need to self reflect. I can let you have your time. Maybe it will inspire you to create a new and unique dish in the future." Art was way off the mark. He was convinced that Asher had realized his cooking failures and now wished to secretly pursue better food and cooking similar as to what they had eaten the night before.


    "Well, regardless. Art and I are going for the run. Don''t get lost on your soul searching work out of the day." Cara had a heap of sarcasm in her voice. Asher knew very well what it was for but as he jogged off he heard Art telling her that he had already written the possible recipe for the pumpkin mousse that had come with the salmon course. There was no doubt in Asher''s mind that pumpkin mousse would be on the menu for dinner some night soon.


    The hospital that Art''s brother was at was a simple place to find. It was the most heavily guarded location in the city other than the prisons and main facilities used for important research. It was also the address that Art had been told to visit if he wanted to see his brother.


    Asher had jogged with his back pack so that he could change in to nicer clothing before entering. He knew that work out gear would look out of place and get him kicked out pretty fast. He was also lucky that Art had the room number for his brother already instead of needing to search for it. The only trick would be to find room seventy three in the labyrinth which everyone called the hospital.


    Walking right through the front doors went without any issue. The guards required Asher to walk through a few detectors and show the contents of his back pack. This was nothing odd since most buildings were like this when safety was a concern. The front desk was the main location for everyone to go when entering. However, Asher ignored this and pretended to already have permission and knowledge of where to go.


    The next obstacle was find the room numbers. The doors were mostly set with plaques that explained who belonged in what office and what the room was for. The numbers were only displayed n patient rooms. This made things harder as Asher found he was walking down a nearly empty hallway after hallway.


    "Excuse me, young man?" The sound of a female voice came from behind Asher. "Are you lost? I know that looks anywhere." The older nurse seemed to have mistaken Asher for a lost family member. "Tell me where you are headed ad I will get you there. I run in to lost people all the time. It took me five years just to know where my station was." The bad joke put Asher at ease as he explained what room he was going to. This was easier than he had expected.. But easy was not what would come of the next moment he would have after opening the door to room seventy three.

 Chapter 365 - 365.The Truth

    Part of Asher felt that he was a fool. Not only was he hiding this from his best friend, but he was currently standing in front of the hospital door to his best friend''s older brother''s room. The person that had caused the most recent pain to his best friend. There were plenty of instincts screaming that he turn around and forget this entire thing. If he did nothing would change and the group would just keep improving.


    However, If he did not and there was something major that Asher could learn, they might be in danger without any preparation. Art had already exposed his own super power to the world. It was a small example but proof nonetheless. If something did happen and Asher had done absolutely nothing to find out more information and prepare, who would he be? He would be the worst friend ever.


    There was also the turmoil that had already been earring at Asher and the rest of the group. What would happen if Art''s brother turned out to be mixed up in some villain activity? There would be a massive upset within hero corp research division. They would need to change all of their systems and painstakingly check through all of their files for any other potential villain connections. Calling it a mess would be beside the point.


    The loss of faith in a hero corp super heroes would also take the front page of every news outlet in the world. It may not be the first time that a villain group had snuck around and gotten information. But it would be the first time that a hero had been the one acting with the villains. There would be an uproar and a demand for changes. This would in turn cause the villains and crime to spike.


    Another possibility was the fact that Art''s brother was trying to protect Art. That the theory that they had thought of about the metal manipulation super powers being able to help create the new double dose evo shots that had already been proven to work in multiple cases. If his brother had been protecting him then they had all been wrong at the start and the cold demeanor that Art''s brother had was a facade.


    Either way, this meeting was going to give Asher some insight son who Art''s brother was and what he was really like. On top of all of this, there would also be the potential to know more about what was happening in the world they lived in now. The attacks that had just happened couldn''t be a coincidence. And the fact that the mansion had been attacked in the same place that Art''s Brothers'' bedroom was couldn''t be an accident.


    Asher had been standing there for too long. Any moment he could be caught and told to move on or leave by a nurse or passing doctor. If security showed up them it would be even worse. Asher could be banned from the hospital forever or even escorted away by the police for lying here. That could shut down his entire future as a hero or anything even remotely close to it.


    In a sudden burst of courage, Asher grabbed the door handle and opened the door revealing what seemed to be the average hospital room. The walls were white and had a strip of floral pattern wall paper to change the contrast. There were machines monitoring the space and everything in it to before a better medical diagnosis. The bed was large and Arts'' brother was laying in it with some stitches around his arm just staring at Asher.


    "You are that one from the Riktor tournament. Did he send you as a messenger now that I am here and he gained access to the family accounts again?" With his eyes narrowed, Art''s brother gave Asher the darkest glare he had ever felt.


    "No. I cam for personal reasons. I came for the answers that we need." The surprise Asher felt hearing his own tone was strong. However, his face did not shown it at all. He was a rock braving the winds. There was no way he would be scared away now.


    "He doesn''t know you are here? Now that is something I did not expect. Tell me, how is that younger brother of mine doing?" If the tone of voice hadn''t dripped with poison, Asher would have thought it was genuinely caring. Yet, there seemed to be an overly serious act here.  Asher, it appeared the actions and words were too serious. Forced.


    "You really care for him. I thought you were faking and might be mixed up with villains. Your actions would definitely point to that conclusion. But I was wrong. That means the other theory is right then." Part of Asher wished to be wrong and that Art''s brother was just a villain that had done cruel things to his own family. It would be easier to understand. Since the together theory was correct, then that meant there was a more complicated event happening in the city.


    "Thought of all that by yourself? Did you? What gave away my grand plan? The fact that I sent hi away? Or the fact that I was attacked after announcements of the new successful researches? Or did you somehow hack in to the hero corp mainframe and pull my files?" All of this was going to get more complicated and Asher was preparing himself for it. "And My name is Edwin. I might not have a simple name like Art does, but I am the first born so you know how that goes." Asher was a little lost but he rolled with it.


    "The group had these theories for a while. But I am the only one that came here for your answers. I happen to be lucky so they just walked me through here without any issue." Asher shrugged his shoulders. Now that he had an answer to a degree he didn''t need to ask any more.


    "I think you came here because you care about my brother and you are the only one ake to sneak away here without him noticing. You also are the only one with a super power other than that fast girl that could catch me. If I remember right, you are a lucky kid. That means you have the chance to sneak around without much stopping you." Asher wasn''t sure how he felt being the one on display. But there was nothing he could do. In this moment he was at Edwins'' mercy.


    "I am sure that you know why I did what I did? Father thought that it was fair and the best way. Mother thought I was cruel and tried to change my mind. The succession is honest. It is a tradition passed down for generations. It brings focus to the family and keeps us from fighting over who gets what as we age.


    "Art needed to leave home to become stronger and build his own connections. If he did not then he would just be some want to be hero likes many others. Now he had a group. One that improved his grades and actually got him in to the hero course in school. It seemed that even without us or all the money he is becoming stronger. Since he had found you as a friend. I just wish you were better at hiding this super power." Asher knew it. This was all to hide Art''s super power.


    "So now that it is out, what security do we need to worry about. Will people come for Art? I need to know if I should be hiding or not." Asher had grown deadly serious. There was no way he would allow his own family in danger as well that the group he now felt was family from their constant hard work and drive to become stronger. He just wan''


    T that kind of person.


    "He nurses will be in any moment. Just look in to the villain group tyrant. That will give you answers. Now get out of my room. I have things to handle before I get examined again." Edwin shook his head and made a get away motion toward Asher as he backed out of the room.


    This was not as much information as Asher had hoped for. But it was progress. He would be able to do research and he knew for sure that Edwin had not gone after Art but instead sent him away from safety. It was not the best way to do it but it was the way that Edwin had decided to use and they all had to live with it at the end of the day.


    What was really strange was the fact that Edwin seemed to have a very negative outward reaction and personality. Asher had the feeling that living on edge lately had forced him in to this mentality and that it would only lighten up when the group after him was caught.. That being said, it was time to follow the signs toward the exit and jog home.

 Chapter 366 - 366. Cake Talk

    Asher had plenty in his mind while he jogged home. He had changed back in to his work out clothes so he could maintain the facade of solid work out time. However, when he returned home he found Art was being quizzed by Cara while he taught her how to make his famous chocolate cake.


    Cara''s glare was intense. It said that she expected to hear everything or for Asher to speak to Art that moment. It was not anything that could be negotiated.


    "Hey, I made it back. Are you at a good stopping point?" It looked like Art was showing how to sift and prepare the dry ingredients so the timing had been perfect.


    "Yes, perfect. We are going to make some mint I fused ganache for the double chocolate cake batter after this. I figure we can use the muffin tin to make cupcakes and share them with everyone. Your mom already said she wanted some to take to her book club tonight." Art was happy to be showing off his cooking talent. He could do without the math quizzing but it was what it was.


    "Dude, if you keep talking like that we''re all going to get fat. We are supposed to be getting stronger."


    There was enough desire to eat the food that would soon be made to distract Asher completely. Even Cara was slightly dazed before she returned to her sharp glare. "Anyways. Can you help me with something? Cara, will you give me a minute with Art?"


    There was a little hesitation since Cara wanted to hear what was going on too. However, she knew this was an important moment between them and that they would share the information with her later. "No problem. I can go over my science notes again. When we get back to school I''m sure there will be a test or quiz to make up." Cara reluctantly left the room while closing the kitchen door behind her.


    "Why so serious? Did you discover that you actually could eat luck?" Asher nearly slapped Art. He had no idea why Art was so caught up on the theory that Asher somehow ate luck like it was a snack.


    After taking a deep breath and shaking his head, Asher began to explain what he had done. How he had snuck to Edwins'' room and spoken with him. "I know there is more to the story but he wouldn''t go in to detail. But he said the theory was right. I believed him. I think his method was rough and mean. But he did it for your well being. He is your older brother and to be honest, look where you are now after all of this."


    For the first moment, Art had shown a slight frown and a flash of anger. It was clear that going behind his back was enough to hurt him. Yet, then his face showed understanding and even gratitude. Asher was his best friend. A best friend wouldn''t just be there for you, they would do anything to hold you up and help you make your life better.


    "I considered going to see him. He''s my brother and he just got hurt because of a villain group attacking. I chickened out though. Last night I left the house and went all the way to the hospital just to look at the building and come back. I was afraid to see if he was actually a villain pretending to be a hero or that he hated me¡­"


    Asher had not realized that these feelings were plaguing Art. He thought that Art had been putting it fully behind him and touching it all out. He had been wrong. Art was carrying it all with him and letting it weigh in him.


    "Thank you. I think I can go see him after hearing this. Whether he likes it or not, I''m involved. We, the group is all involved in this. Knowing that there is a name for the group after the research helps. We can look for information slowly and figure out why and what they will do. I think getting a new home is more important now. I have the money and I will use it to protect everyone."


    Art had gone full circle. He had thought of these things and processed it to find the main desire he had. He wanted to protect his friends that were now his family. He knew that these feelings would never have blossomed if he had not been pushed away by Edwin. But he also wanted to tell him to his face that he was wrong. Edwin was his older brother and he had hurt him.


    "I know that it was risky going to speak to your brother and I''m still sorry. But I hope this helped you." Asher still felt bad for going behind Art''s back. It was a dirty feeling he couldn''t shake.


    "I already said I understood but if you have to make it up to me then you can convince Cara that we can skip math recap for now. I want to focus on this. Maybe I will make a white chocolate drizzle since we are getting fancy¡­" Art trailed off while he looked at the food. He was still thinking about his brother.


    "You know, I think your brother might need some time away from the whole research and hero thing. From what you said about him from before he was researching and graduated, he was a decent older brother. I think he got stressed and it ate at him until he became, well, an ass." Asher couldn''t really sum it up in any other way.


    "Oh, he definitely changed and it all makes sense. He was a lot nicer but after a few months, he got angry then suddenly emotionless and mean. I think that was when he started to learn about the scarier part of being a hero. I could just never see it. I was blind to what my own brother was going through and maybe it will be better that I learned this way. I''m stronger and I should be able to stand by his side soon."


    This was an important step for Art. Repairing his relationship with his brother would not only put his strained family together but potentially open new paths for further growth. It also could remove the serious mental block that Art had developed during all of this.


    Asher and Art fist bumped each other while smiling like idiots. They had reached their understanding and could move forward. They had a lot of growing to do but they were already brothers as far as they were concerned.


    "So, cupcakes with your famous chocolate cake batter? Think I could learn your secret formula too?" Asher scared the life out of Art when he said this. It had been some time since Asher had shaken the world with his abysmal cooking skills.


    "You can only try. But I need the formula to be exactly the same in every way. No changes or tricks. If you do then you can''t call it Art''s famous chocolate cake. It''s the same as that fried chicken place with secret spices and stuff." This genius move was enough to convince Asher and hide him in to a quick nod.


    "Alright, let me go get Cara too. But the way. I had her keep you distracted today. Sorry again." Asher had forgotten to say this part to Asher.


    "Wait, she wasn''t dying to train with me and learn my secret formula for chocolate cake?" there was pure sadness in every word that Art spoke.


    "Naaa, she said she had been trying to figure it out and that it was the perfect chance to get it. She also said I had to speak with her about this too. She''s part of the family, she wouldn''t want to see you hurt either." Art pulled a one eighty and looked much better hearing this.


    After Cara joined them, they all followed Art''s instructions to make his famous chocolate cake. They also spoke and explained what had happened to Cara. She was very proud that Art had decided to go and speak with his brother face to face tomorrow. She and Asher also volunteered to walk him there so that he would be well prepared.


    Soon the house was overtaken by the smell of cake and pictures had been sent to the group chat. It was less than an hour for everyone to arrive to get some due to their knowledge of how good Art''s cooking was. No one even dared to speak about Asher''s cooking since he might try more without Art''s guidance.


    The conversation was a long one but ended well with everyone understanding how Art felt and what risks there were. However, everyone knew the risks when they had decided to follow and become heroes. They would stick together in the group no matter what.. If they left now they would forever regret it. This was their future to grasp! They would be the best super heroes in the world and when that was done, they would look beyond the best

 Chapter 367 - 367. New Trail

    "Hurry up. You two slacked a lot yesterday and I will whip you in to shape. If you finish ten minutes behind me you need to double your run tonight!" Cara had decided that she was the one in charge when it came to all work outs for the day. Motley because she was unhappy that the two boys had basically tone walled her from their conversation leaving her alone for too long.


    "Bro, I think she is trying to kill us today. I know I made those cupcakes, but that doesn''t mean we all should work harder¡­" Art was completely convinced that he was being punished for creating worse food for them that definitely didn''t lend anything to their appearance or weight.


    "You know what they say about- damn, she''s already ahead. Come on!" Asher realized that Cara had said nothing as she started off on her run.


    The pair tried to catch up but found that they were losing more and more distance due to Cara''s long term training when it came to running. There was also the maze of side streets they needed to take due to the attacks of the villains. There were multiple underground and above ground powerlines that needed to be replaced due to the electrical feedback of the attacks.


    The bombs caused a great many shorts and transformers to short out. This was also one of the reasons for the multiple fire calls that night. These also added to the reasons s many places were closed or awaiting repairs. Overall the city was in a rough state. The only silver lining was the fact that there were many new jobs and some very outdated systems were being replaced.


    "Haaaa! Victory!" Asher and Art had been neck and neck the entire run. Art had been pushing to be ahead of Asher and found that his stamina had finally matched his best friends when it came to long distance running. The last mile they had competed for the front position and Asher sprinted ahead to barely beat Art.


    "Next time I will crush you!" This was a rival''s promise that Art would definitely keep close to him.


    "Ohhhh yeah. I totally believe it while you are red faced and panting like that."


    "Says the person who is equally red faced as him. But at least you two made it behind me in eight minutes. So I will let you off with an extra hundred push ups today." Cara smiled as if she had not just given them extra work outs.


    The three went through their usual circuit and prepared to run the way home. "I am going to the hospital. Alone. I want to do this myself. I might be an extra hour or two." Art was running before the two siblings could say a word to him.


    "Think he will be alright?" Cara sounded more worried than usual. It was rare for her to drop her confident appearance.


    "Yes. I think he is ready. Lately, he had been on edge and worried about everything. Now he feels a little more stable. I think he is afraid, but because he feels like he might find the worst still. He will tell us about how it went when he gets home." Asher knew that Art would want to talk to them about anything that happened while he spoke to his brother. Ar worst, Art might call them to come to the hospital directly. This was why Asher had his phone on him with the volume all the way up.


    "I guess you''re right. We aren''t going to the house though. We are going to meet Jane. She said she took a jog to a new spot the other day and wants to show us." Cara had been talking with Jane the other night and had heard about the exploration of a new jogging path. Cara would always want to learn about a new place to check out since her jogging routes were pretty bringing after a few years.


    "Sounds good to me. But this tie you aren''t getting too far ahead of me." Asher poured on the effort trying to keep up with Cara this time. Unfortunately, it was not enough and in the end, he was still fairly far behind his sister. But not far enough behind to moss Jane just coming out the front door to greet Cara.


    "You two were a lot faster than I thought." Jane hugged the two even though they were visibly tired from their run. She also had the forethought to grab two bottles of water which made Asher think about just how great Jane was. "I did my own work out this morning and just finished before you two got here. We can walk to the train and take the ride to the trail I found."


    This came as surprise to Cara since Jane had not mentioned they needed to take the train to the trail that she had found. "Sure, sure. But how long on the train?" There was a little worry from Cara because she knew that the farther away they were from the hospital, the harder it would be to get back to Art if he needed them. Asher didn''t miss this but kept his mouth shut.


    "Only ten minutes. The trail runs along the woods of the reservoir. There''s a lot of water and nature. It''s very peaceful and even has some small exercises on the trail every half mile. I haven''t explored the entire trial since it''s a twenty mile course up the nearby hills." Jane had discovered this while out on a hike to bond with her family. She had resisted the urge to tell everyone right away so that she could finish her day out with family first.


    "I haven''t been on a hike in a while. What else is around? Any good spots to swim? I know sometimes the run off streams and stuff have good places." Asher knew that swimming in a reservoir was banned but swimming in the overflow water was fine. The overflow would normally be directed in to a small stream or river. But with the current season, it might be too cold.


    "And you are crazy. It''s going to freeze you to death." Cara was ready to slap Walker to see if she could get his brain working.


    "We are going to be hot anyways from working out. So why not cool off and work on our cold resistance. We might end up in cold waters doing a rescue anyways. You also brought extra clothing in your back bag., You even made me take mine too when we left the house." Asher had thought that it was for the extra weight to train with but found out now that it had a practical explanation.


    "I don''t think we will swim Asher. But if we change our minds I will still show you the spot I saw the swimming signs. But we can also schedule the pool for cold water training at school. We could even ask a teacher to supervise us and teach us." Jane was looking on the opposite. It was a good thing too since Asher had not known that the swimming pool at school could be booked for a training like that.


    "Oh, we should book the school pool then. It will be way easier and more controlled. Plus, having an expert around to teach is safer." This idea was readily accepted while the three stepped on to the nearby train.


    "The water is probably too high around the reservoir anyways. The rain lately has made the current too strong in the run off. Unless you wanted to end up in the bay?" The river from the reservoir and other water sources would eventually lead to the bay a few miles from the city. It was not unheard of for a boater to get caught in the current and end up in the bay looking for a way to get home from the beach they landed on.


    In the ten minute train ride, the three watched the window to see the landscape shift. Instead of the city, there were spread out buildings and the start of a small forest. The land around the reservoir was purposefully left untouched so that the animals could stay in a safe zone. There was also the fact that the water would be less contaminated by potential chemicals if the trees were around to filter it all out.


    "Welcome to reservoir park. It''s the best place to hike and the best place for you two to get your butts kicked by me on the work out trail." Jane smirked as she issued her challenge and pointed to the mad of the trail around the water.


    "Fitness trail recommendation. For an easy walk ignore the signs. For a work out follow the sign''s instructions. For a challenging hike, do double the work outs on the signs." So we are doing the challenging work out right?" There was no joke in Cara''s words.. She fully expected them to do the hardest version posted to the public.

 Chapter 368 - 368. Secret Training

    "Come on! Ten more seconds! Hold that plank!" Catra shouted out as she struggled to hold the plank herself. The three had only made int two miles in to the fitness course and were feeling tired enough as it was. They were quizzing each other in between the different work out stops but it proved to be getting harder and harder to keep up.


    "Why is it that this trail seems to go on forever. I know we won''t do all twenty miles of it but even just trying to do five feels impossible." The feeling in Asher''s abs and arms was only of numbness. He had not at all expected so many of the workouts to affect the smaller muscle groups in his body and completely throw him off.


    Technically we are doing ten miles. We go out five miles then come back five miles. It''s better for us to do a little more than a little less. But Jane, this spot is really great. I wish I have known about this sooner. The entire group should come here and stay in one of those camps nearby. The entire forest is a nature preserve." Cara pointed out the camping spots set up for nature lovers alike.


    "I didn''t know it would be so good. If we do a small camping trip, Jackson may just stay here forever." As much as they wanted to argue with Janes'' joke, they knew that it could actually happen. Every single one of the group had once imagined Jackson becoming some kind of mountain man when he grew up. Now that Cara and Asher were looking at the woods, the imaginary image was brought back even stronger.


    Once the three regained their dignified appearance, they continued on to the next work out, However, Jane stopped and was staring at something on the trail ahead. "Wjay''s wrong? Are you alright?" Asher was worried that she had become dehydrated or pulled a muscle. But when he noticed that Jane was removing her sunglasses he diverted his eyes and looked toward the place Jane was staring.


    "Bear. That''s a huge brown bear. What do we do? Jackson never told us what do dop if we came face to face with a freaking brown bear." This was a rare time where Cara had lost her cool. She had never seen a bear outside of a zoo and knew they were very dangerous in the wrong situations.


    "Shhh, Jane has this." Asher decided to let it all go to Jane. She was the one acting the most calm and appeared to have a plan. As kong as Asher trusted her, he knew that everything would work out fine. He had faith.


    The two watched as Jane whistled slightly and the brown bear looked at her. It was instantly frozen in place upon catching her gaze. Cara was about to say something since she knew that stopping the bear in place would get nothing done. "Jackson told me that most big predators will leave something alone if they think it''s already dead. Tghey know it might had rotted. But he told me that I could be different. Some shifters cause animals to be naturally afraid after seeing or being influenced by their super power."


    The theory seemed to have a good base and Asher decided to continue to stand firm. "Since I am stopping it, the bear might panic but is unable to move. When it regains control, it will have p[assed the fight or flight reflex and been caught in a life or death fear. It should run." Jane looked away then back at the bear.


    The reaction was dramatic. The bear would have stood up on its''; hind legs and tried to intimidate the three. However, it had found itself frozen under Janes'' glare. This was a stronger fear than it had ever had against any other opponent. Mostly because it couldn''t understand why it couldn''t move when it tried to match its'' opponents'' gaze. Thus, it turned and ran in to the woods as fast as possible. It would not give up its'' life here.


    "I can''t believe that worked. Having a shifter in the group is perfect. I can''t imagine what we would have done without you. Asher and I may have fought a real life bear. And by Asher and I, I mean Asher would be bear food while I got out of here."


    "Hey, you''re supposed to be my older sister that protects me. Not throws me to the bears for a snack on the go!" The two siblings started to argue before they ever had a chance to thank Jane again. This gave Jane enough time to hide the sigh of relief that came with her crazy plan working. Unknown to the other two, she had made it up on the spot.


    While the two siblings were arguing, a familiar pair was arguing too.


    Seriously Louis. You have fried the kitchen light like ten times since you got your super powers. We both know that you can hold it back a lot better now. Why do you keep doing this!?" Sammy had smelled the same electrical burning smell in the kitchen as the last time that Louis had groggily flipped the switch of the kitchen light  bulb with too much electricity.


    "I can''t help it. It''s like the middle of the night and I''m tired." Louis tried to justify himself based on his tired demeanor.


    "I know you just woke up from an after work out nap. It''s the middle of the day. You can''t use that as an excuse unless you woke up from a full nights'' sleep." Sammy stomped her foot causing a small breeze in the kitchen causing napkins to fly all over the place.


    "And this is why we can''t have napkins or paper towels in either of our houses. Someone blouse them around the whole house." The rebuttal was enough to cause Sammy to be even more angry than before.


    "Fine! Outside. Now! We are having a sparring match and I am going to put you in your place." This time, Sammy was dead set on beating Louis and making sure that he was more careful with the things in the houses and just in general.


    "The last time you lost of I remember right. What are your crazy rules now? Hmmmm?" Louis was instantly awake. It was as if he had just received a shot of pure caffeine to push him on to a fighting mood.


    "No rules. Super powers and martial arts. No weapons. Let''s see how much better I am than you." There was a surprising amount of confidence in Sammys'' voice which put Louis on edge. Normally when Sammy and he would train together she would look for some advantage over him since he could touch her and she would be incapacitated.


    While they walked to the backyard, their grandfather watched from the kitchen table and out the window. The pair had been too busy arguing to even notice he was there. Instead of stopping the kids from battling it out, he had decided to become the audience and step in if things got too crazy. "Kids need to live a little after all. Now, where''s my popcorn."


    Louis was already stretched and ready while Sammy took deep breaths to prepare. The sound of a passing car set the two off. Neither used their super powers at first and just used their foot work skills to get around looking for a break in the defenses they had. The stances they took also lent their strength to their movements.


    Louis had developed a zig zagging and unpredictable footwork that matched his lightning which was also hard to predict.


    Sammy was different. Er movements were more fluid and qucik. They seemed to follow the drawing of a breeze. It was a variation of the basic foot work that she had been practicing in secret when she knew that no one was paying attention. She had the goal to unveil it and a new move when she saw everyone for the next days'' training session.


    "Bring it on fancy feet!" Louis saw the new movements and knew it was foolish for him to rush in to them. If he did he could end up in a trap and be defeated before he knew what had happened. Letting Sammy come to him was better. He could use his own movements with his new speed burst move to get away and attack in an instant.


    The two had been hiding away from each other for the last few days to train themselves and their new ideas for moves. Since they happened to train a the same time in different sides of the houses, they did not see a thing. Therefore, they thought that they had hidden trump card to beat the other in this battle of family.


    Lighting crackled around Louis''s legs while the wind rotated around Sammy''s feet. They were ready to give it their all at any moment.. It was about to make a good show for the audience.

 Chapter 369 - 369. Part Time

    There was no hesitation as the two started to use their hidden trump cards. Sammy dashed forward with the wind at her back. She had been training her control of the wind and still struggled with creating a constant force that could make her fly. However, small bursts under her feet or at her back were easier, much easier.


    When Sammy was about to charge right in to Louis, she jumped. Her food looked to be trying to step in the air which made Louis smirk. He knew all too well that Sammy wouldn''t be able to pull off some sort of flip kick. But he was wrong. Sammy was not trying to flip kick the way they had seen in martial artist videos.


    The move Sammy was using was much more simple. She focused on the wind and made a burst right below her foot on the air. That sped her downward at an odd angle that Louis couldn''t hope to dodge under a normal circumstance. The burst of wind also added a huge amount of force to the heel that Sammy had aimed at Louis''s head.


    This was inspired by Art''s attacks using the metal in the wrist weights. Sammy had noticed the increased force and the speed change. This was attractive to her single she was a light and dainty person, she lacked the muscle to do major damage. Therefore, Sammy came up with her own application and had trained it over and over.


    The lightning sparked around Louis''s legs as he saw the kick coming from Sammy. He had not expected it in the least causing a light panic before he bit his lip and focused. The lightning arced from his legs to the ground as he flexed his muscles and jumped at double the speed he normally could.


    Unlike Sammy, Louis had been watching how Laura had used her speed to overwhelm an opponent. Louis had been building muscle and learning the techniques, but he felt that he lacked the mobility that gave him the perfect sneak attack that could be paired with his lighting. He had also focused on the foot work techniques that everyone had used. He wanted to be able to avoid attacks and counter in the blink of an eye.


    This mentality caused Louis to wonder if he could flex his muscles and run the lightning through his legs and directly in to the ground. The crack of lighting and the slight char in the grass were only distractions when it came to his speed.


    Sa,,y may be using her wind burst consecutively to get different angles son her kicks and punches, But Louis was dodging and showing up behind her. The two were caught in a dodge and miss loop of attacks having their speed equal. Neither could keep this up long but neither was giving up.


    "Just stay still and get zapped!" Louis shouted as he dashed forward yet again and lashed out with a speedy kick.


    "Zap yourself!" Sammy kicked off the ground and used the wind to push her forward again. However, she missed and hit the ground causing a small chunk of grass to be dislodged. This series of events continued to repeat for over ten minutes before Sammy jumped in to the air only to fall back to the ground without any wind behind her and Louis ti try to dash forward and have his legs go out from under him.


    "Uuughhhh, that pounding sound you hear is a sledge hammer hitting my head." Sammy had overused her super power and taken a massive mental toll on her mind. She sword that someone was constantly slamming a hammer in to her temples as if they were driving a steel spike in to cement.


    "Says the one that can walk. I think I fried my legs. They are all tingly and limp. Gah! No, they are cramping!" Louis had used too much lightning and forced the muscles in his legs in to overdrive. The constant use had pushed them too far and now they were revolting due to the need for potassium and water.


    "I have to say that was a very impressive show of super powers. Both of you are still equal but have improved a lot. Look at the grass you burned with lightning, it''s a lot more than you have ever donw before. Sammy, your kicks dug some decent holes in the yard. You can definitely hit harder than you used to. But I don''t think your parents will see it the same way when they get home and see all of this." Their grandfather casually walked back inside still sipping his hot tea. He was very amused with the outcome but also very impressed with how far his grandchildren had come in such a short time. He could only look back at the many years of practice it took for him to master his super power.


    As the two recovered, Laura was out and about in the world. More specifically, she had a package in hand while she ran. "Knock knock. Speedy delivery. Here in an hour or less!" A man opened the door Laura stopped at and took the package before promptly closing it again.


    The slightly disheveled Laura just shook her head at the lack of polite words before she started to jog away at a slower pace to work on her muscle movement and super power control. "I promised I would help pay for all the snacks I like to eat. The vitamin packs are great but I will earn my snacks." Laura had this as he mantra every time she would pick up work delivering packages.


    The city was full of hard to maneuver roads and dead ends. Therefore, it was very common for anyone with a speed type super power to be hired as a delivery person. Laura had found an app that did just this. She signed up as a delivery person and would get requests to pick up packages and deliver them. The public preferred this method over using drones due to the expensive fees that came with receiving something from the drones.


    "Why does this next address seem so familiar?" Laura was back at the package distribution center in a minute. She had a small sealed pouch that seemed to shake like a instunment. She would never intentionally look inside a package because she enjoyed being able to pick up the job whenever she was free. But she would inevitably hear what something sounded like while she ran. This was good training to lower the sound of her footsteps while running. It was a tough goal but one that would come in handy for ambushing a villain or two.


    "Wait...I''ve seen this place before." The home that Laura had come to was too familiar. So familiar that she already knew where to go to hand over the package. "Jackson, you ordered some seeds? What are they?"


    The surprised face that Jackson made spoke volumes. He had not expected Laura to show u in his side yard in  the least. Seeing her in a delivery uniform and holding a package was also a whole other level of confusion that swept through him. "Why are you bringing me my package? Also, why are you dressed that way?"


    "Do you like it? This is my part time job outfit so that I can make snack money. I actually make a decent amount as long as I stick to my personal schedule. Plus, I''m faster than most people that work for this company." The bragging tone was a little much but Jackson understood, He had seen just how much Laura was capable of eating in a sitting let alone a day.  "That''s beside the point though. I am done for the day. It''s perfect, you can tell me what you planted."


    Laura was not at all going away any time soon. Jackson was going to argue with her but ended up giving in. "I ordered dragon fruit seeds. I know they take a lot of time and effort to grow, but I want my own dragon fruit cactus here. It''s supposed to be a huge challenge to grow so I am giving it a huge shot." The desire to grow something challenging was a constant for Jackson. But this was just the tip of the iceberg. He waved for Laura to follow him to his back yard. Most of it was taken up by a build it yourself type of greenhouse.


    "You grew all of this? How do you have so much time?" Laura was stunned. The different tropical fruits and basic vegetables were too amazing of a sight to see.


    "Well, yes. I plant and feed them. The best part is once I put them all in here, I spray with nutrients in whatever plant is growing  inside enough to produce can be cross bred with other plants if I desire. If not then I don''t know enough.." The only downside was that Jackson always had too many fruits and vegetables around to eat.

 Chapter 370 - 370. Innocent

    "I''m surprised your family just let you take over the entire back yard like this." Laura was trying to explore the different things that Jackson had planted. She was wondering how parents would be so cool with this. They literally let their child''s hobby take over.


    "They don''t care much. Mostly because they want the produce for their fall out shelter. My parents are big doomsday prepper type people. They think the next step is mutants or something. But other than that they are the same as others, just very prepared. I''m lucky they aren''t crazy." This fact about Jacksons'' family was a little outrageous. Non one in the group knew this.


    "Why are you looking at me like that? I thought Sammy would have told everyone. She has seen the basement. It''s literally three times the size of the house. Honestly, since my dad has a minor super power for earth manipulation it could be even bigger. I think that''s why he likes the doomsday prep thing. His powers are perfect for it." Jackson was just dropping bomb after bomb on Laura.


    "What do you mean Sammy has been over and explored the basement? Wait, the basement is three times bigger than the house? That''s insane?" To Laura, this was a roller coaster of new facts that shook her.


    "Yeah, my father started to get in to it as a safety thing for whatever reason, my mother met him and they shared their desire to be prepared for natural disasters. They avoid most other doomsday preppers though. They get really in to political stuff and conspiracies. My parents just want to be prepared. Before we moved up from down south the doomsday shelter protected us from a tornado. I think it''s useful." There were still too many questions that were not answered. Laura felt like she was just there to listen to personality breaking facts about Jackson.


    "But- but, I, um¡­ So, Sammy came over here and had a tour?" The most normal aspect of this was the doomsday prep. Laura forced herself to see it as normal and focus on one thing.


    "Of course she did. We train together when we have free time. Plus I took her out to a movie the other day after we all got home from Ashers''. My parents wanted to meet her and I figured out that my father actually got along with her pretty well. I was worried since she was wind and my father is earth. You know, opposites not liking each other thing. But it went pretty well. Never expected introducing my girlfriend to my parents would be so easy." That was a calm and matter of fact side of Jackson that could only show when he was in his own territory.


    The garden and the smell of the soil was where Jackson felt truly at home. Therefore, he didn''t fear explaining all of this to Laura. There was also the fact that he wasn''t someone to make a big deal about anything. He was lowkey. He wanted peace, his plants, and an enjoyable life. If he could also help people and make their lives better, then that was even better. Hence part of his reason to become a super hero.


    "Sammy and You are girlfriend and boyfriend?!! How did we not notice this!?" Laura had been beside herself so far and finally felt something in her mind break. She sat down with a huff and just looked at Jackson who was a little frozen.


    "Is something wrong? I thought it was normal when you liked someone you ask them out and to be your girlfriend? Did I do it wrong?" The innocence that Jackson had was just too pure. Laura was not sure how to react. This was too much to handle. All she could do was take a deep breath and reply as if everything was normal and her mind wasn''t running a million miles an hour trying to fathom all of this.


    "Well, yes. You did it right. I just can''t believe all of this at once. Sammy hasn''t said anything about this. I would have thought she would talk about it a lot or something. Then your parents have a crazy hobby but act normally and no one would ever be able to guess it. Plus you have a massive garden where you crossbreed plants and stuff. Shouldn''t you be some super crazy farmer instead of a super hero? I can''t believe I didn''t know any of this."


    While looking at Laura, Jackson began to have a thought, "I should probably have everyone over for dinner. The group hasn''t gotten to really meet my family. If Art is really buying that mansion then my father will want to make another shelter. That means a lot of things to move. Thanks for bringing it to mind." Jackson just held his head with his hands while trying to figure out how it would all work.


    "Ugh, I thought these days would be easy but now my brain feels like a bowl of jelly. I should have gone out to do another job instead of calling it done for the day." This was a minor regret for Laura since she was secretly happy to be in on the gossip about Jackson and Sammy dating. Unfortunately, it lost its luster since Jackson was too innocent to even feel embarrassed about it. He was just too pure.


    "Hey, would you still work that delivery job of yours if you moved in with Art in the mansion he''s buying for the group?" Part of Jackson wasn''t sure if everyone would join in even though they had more or less agreed.


    "Of course I will. My parents shouldn''t be holding the whole burden for my snacking. The money they make should go to all the things they want to do. They already covered my medical bills while they figured out how to counter my super power¡­"  This had weighed on Laura a lot.


    "Then just come here and take whatever you want. I have plenty of food we can cook and set up for snacks. I hate to waste it and I already have plenty of compost for the soil anyways. Plus, if we move there will; be even more room for more plants."


    "I couldn-"


    "Yes, you can. You are part of the group and in return you can just help out with the plants some days. I can''t always water them." Jackson became intimidating in an instant. He was not taking no for an answer. "Now you don''t have to work another part time job and can have free time to do what you want. You could even go hand out with Louis more."


    Laura jerked back and pretended not to hear the last part. "So you hire me as a gardener and I get paid in food to make snacks from. Or I have Art make me snacks. I like the plan and I accept the position." Jackson had a small smile knowing that Laura was avoiding what he had said about Louis. He as well as everyone else but Louis and Laura seemed to know that the two got very quiet when they were left alone.


    "Jackson, are you in the greenhouse? Bring that yellow squash in for dinner later. It will go perfect with the roasted green beans." The woman that called for Jackson was his mother. It was the usual call for whatever fresh food she was in the mood for.


    "Ah, your timing is perfect, I can show you the best produce in the whole city if you want to stay for dinner. My mother cooks up a great homemade pasta. Just pretend you have never tasted Arts'' cooking. Also while we wait we can send a group message to invite the group here for dinner tomorrow." Jackson and Laura headed inside. Laura was still a little shaken based on everything that had happened. However, she still deleted the delivery app on her phone that second.


    "Huh, Jackson just sent a group message saying dinner was at his house tomorrow. Should be good since he was telling me that his snap pea plants just finished growing the other day." Asher could remember Jackson being excited about picking the snap peas and bragging about it.


    "That should be fin. I haven''t really seen Jacksons'' house. I bet the entire house is just an underground house so he could make the whole yard in to a garden." Cara made a small joke that was almost too true.


    "I''m just glad he had been branching out more lately. I always feel like he is uncomfortable when he is out and about. Well, until he is out with nature. I swear he was talking everyones'' ears off while we were doing that wilderness exercise." Jane clearly remembered Jackson giving lesson after lesson to the other students about wildlife survival. It was clear that he had opened up back then and couldn''t help it.. Not that this was a problem, for the group, Jackson was their outdoor survival expert.

 Chapter 371 - 371. Scrap

    "How is Art not home yet?" Cara had been pacing since they returned back tp their house. Jane had come with them end decided to stay for dinner. The only problem was that Art was still not home and they were all getting worried.


    "I know he isn''t back yet. But he is probably emotional. He just had a biog talk with his brother." There were other reasons that Jane could think of but she didn''t want to say them out loud. She was worried that there was the possibility that Art had fallen in to a worse situation.


    "I will go get him. Don''t wait up for us." Asher had been sitting on the couch with his head in his hands hoping that Art would be able to make it back home without worry. But he had waited long enough and it was time for him to go and retrieve rt. Asher knew exactly where he was now.


    "What do you mean you are going to get him? Where is he?" Cara and Jane both yelled after him as Asher shut the door behind him to keep them from following. He knew that Art wouldn''t want a million questions at the moment. Asher also had the hope that they would heed his words and go to sleep instead of waiting up for them. But this was a lot more to ask than anything else.


    "I said stay there I will get him." Asher glared at the door which had started to crack open behind him. Neither of the girls had heard Asher use such a harsh tone and followed his order. They weren''t necessarily afraid of him but they could feel how serious he was. They could tell this was something very important between him and Art.


    After starting to jog, Asher pointed himself down the street toward the industrial district of the city. There were plenty of warehouses, some small factories, and most importantly, a scrap yard. The streets were dark but Asher found himself easily maneuvering through them without any issue. People didn''t come down this way after a certain hour since people didn''t like being around the places so many people worked. Most wouldn''t even like to be there during the day when they were getting paid.


    The metal that loomed over the small street lamp was enough to bring anyone to their fears. There was even the smell of rusting iron from recent rains and the cool night breeze. "I knew you would be over here abusing whatever metal you could. You might want to find a better secret place to take your anger out on." Asher had been able to guess where Art was easily. No one would care if scrap metal was broken even more.


    "I didn''t come here to abuse my super power. It''s called training." ASsher would have considered Art''s lie if there weren''t broken pieces of scrap metal all around him. There was even a car that looked like it had been used as target practice for chucks of metal forced in to balls.


    "Riiggghhhttt, so you want to come home or just stay here all night?" Asher waited a minute before he walked up to Art and stood next to him. "You know I can see you shivering. It''s cold." Asher tossed his jacket over Art''s head.


    "Yeah, it''s cold bro¡­" Art just stood there without trying to move the coat that now covered his face. Asher knew all too well that the shaking wasn''t Art shivering. "I just don''t get hopw he thinks he did everything right. He wouldn''t even accept that he had done anything wrong." The words that barely managed to escape Art''s mouth were heavier than anything else he had wanted to say.


    "When someone thinks they are taking the best option to protect something, they might convince themselves they were in the right. It might take time for him to see another point of view. But be sure, he does know he hurt you." Art fell to his knees after Asher finished speaking.


    "He said that he and my parents were testing things and it was going well. He was just a new hero with no reputation at all. Then things started to work and hero corp invested more money and the research went to other''s labs. But there were only so many people that could manipulate metal as a super power. Hero corp wanted me to join the research if I gained the super power. But instead, my brother signed away his own life as a researcher and set everything I have been through up. He was selfish!" Art''s anger echoed against the scrap metal around them. Some small pieces pushed away from him in his unstable emotional wave.


    "That''s family though. If Cara needed to get somewhere I would make sure it happened. He made sure of what he thought would protect you. It did to a degree. You can follow your dreams instead of working in a lab for your whole entire life. If anything was different, I might not be who I am and you who you are. What if we had never met that day?" Art began t imagine himself forced to continue experiment after experiment to make some better evo shot.


    The tears that flowed from Art''s face and dropped to the ground were finally slowing and stopping. "He said that I should move away and start somewhere better now that I have access to my account again. But I won''t do that. I will buy us our headquarters and we will start as soon as possible. I want to be a hero that no one can touch. Even hero corp won''t be able to send me to their will. Any villain-" Art caught the words in his thought.


    "Any villain that even tries to hurt our family will find themselves on the island faster than they can blink." Asher knew that finishing the phrase was enough to snap Art from his emotional moment. The prison known as the island was where the worst prisoners would be held for most of the rest of their lives. It was constantly featured in the news when a villain was captured and put through trial. It was one major reason that people could sleep soundly at night.


    The two were silent again for some time before Art finally stood up and handed the jacket back. "I think I warmed up enough¡­" Asher pulled At with him as he started to walk home.


    "You know we might need to investigate all of these thing revolving the double does and the attacks, right?" Asher wanted to make sure that Art had actually made it to the same page he was on.


    "Yes, I do. I also know that I will be making sure the security update to whatever I buy is even better than what might show u the net day." Art was dead set on having the safest place possible for everyone even if the villains attacked in mass. This wasn''t the top of the worried list but it was something that could happen at any time if the villain group realized they needed a metal user and Art qualified.


    "I know you will. But first, let''s go inside and eat something. You have been gone all day and I wasn''t planning to eat without you. I''m sure that Cara and Jane are still awake waiting for you to get back." Asher had no sooner opened the door than he was greeted with the sight of Cara and Jane asleep on opposite sides of the couch.


    "Alright, maybe we just grab food and sneak to our rooms." Asher wanted to laugh and Art would have as well. But they were still a little serious and Art was starting to feel the mental soreness that came from him using his super power too much.


    Asher was still worried about Jackson but this was not something he could fix. Instead, he needed some time to get through everything that had been spoken about. There''s also the small facts his brother had dropped about the villains while they spoke. Art had a feeling that learning about them would help him avoid trouble in the future. If all went well then the villain group could be captured sooner than later. It would calm the public for sure and make the city a safer place overall.


    After some time, Asher found himself sitting on the edge of this bed. He wanted to sleep but he didn''t want t just leave Art awake all night even though they had gone to separate rooms. There was also the desire to think up his own training plan. Asher felt that the group could push themselves to be even better with more training. So much o that they would be able to become super heroes much sooner than most other hero would be able to do. The idea hit him like a brick. The groups'' next goal was to become the normal first step to being a hero.. They would become sidekicks or assistants to heroes.

 Chapter 372 - 372. The Group Needs

    "HA! Asher has some good humor this morning." Cara was completely lost when it came to her brother''s humor. The joke that they should all look ion to becoming some kind of hero sidekick or even train with them was crazy. Only those in university would be able to do something like that, let alone convince a parent to allow a child to go in to such a danger.


    "I''m serious. I thought about it all night. We should start taking steps to be a sidekick or a lower member of another hero group. We don''t need to sign anything and fall under them since we will just be there for educational purposes." There was a deadly serious look in Ashers'' eyes. He was set on this. The group needed another goal to move forward and push themselves. This was that goal. The group had to find a current hero with experience to guide them.


    "I need to sleep over here more often to study with Cara and hear these dramatic ideas. If this is every day''s breakfast¡­" Jane was blown away. She had slept over and studied with Cara so that she could get a better handle on the classes she had been stuck on when it came to the academic app. But now she was eating a bowl of cereal with them and watching this conversation unfold.


    "You know that this is about you too? You can''t just stare in to Asher''s eyes and blindly follow him." There was a little annoyance in Art''s voice. He wasn''t sure if it was the lack of sleep but he couldn''t handle the small joke well.


    "You''re right. It is about me too. We will start by asking coach Winter''s to mentor us. She used to be a hero at one point. Or did you not know? Maybe Garnet will help too. She was also a hero before she retired.." Jane threw here idea in Art''s face for some revenge which stunned him. Not only was he tired, but his brain was a little foggy because of the tiredness. He had not expected Jane to snap back with an instant and perfect plan.


    "They both might work us to death¡­but you have a really good plan. Especially if we can get the pair to work together." Asher was combining the two ideas in to one. It was sure to bring a little more drama since they two were rivals. However, since they had been former heroes, they would be able to show the group the ropes. There were plenty of old connections and tricks of the trade that the party could pick up.


    "Technically they are both already investing in your groups. You guys told me that coach Winters already shared the training videos with you guys. She would only do something like that if she really liked you. Plus, the last student I heard she gave it to was that guy with the turtle shell who became one of the most popular defensive time heroes." Cara had seen the guy on the hero ranking before. They were not only one of the highest defensive ranked heroes but was famous for the speed that they had when it came to finishing the university graduation requirements. They had broken multiple records.


    "Wait, he went to our school!?" Art had never made the connection even though he was a slight fanatic when it came to the popular heroes in their society. "That explains why we have an even better chance of a bright future. The schools that graduate heroes always get way better government allotment of funds. That explains camp jewel and a bunch of the higher technology we have for training. Plus the fact that they give out very good prizes when people accomplish certain goals." Everything made a lot more sense now. Graduating one more hero was considered a huge bonus for the school budget.


    "Imagine what the school would get when we all become heroes. I bet they will become the top high school ever. There will be universities that send every single scout they have to check out the students." Asher was almost laughing at the mental image of a group of scouts trying to peak in the windows for a hidden talent.


    "That means we also have a higher chance at a scholarship to university if we are from, a school that already graduated a hero before. It will be good to put our parents at ease. But back to the main topic. We need to get in touch with coach Winters'' and Garnet. I will tell the rest of the group. Jane can contact coach Winters since she seems to have the best bond with her. Asher, you need to talk to Garnet. You seem to be the one she has her eye on the most. Art, get focused on that mansion. The sooner we have you and your metal super power stuff locked behind some more fences the better I will feel about the whole, evil villain group after you for your super power thing."


    None of the three argued with Cara as she started to send the group chats explaining the plans. The group was responsive immediately while Jane sent a very formal email to coach Winter''s private account. Apparently, coach Winters had given Jane the real email so that she was able to ask more questions and grow faster. The martial arts that Jane was learning and that coach Winters used were very similar and it caused coach Winters to be reminded of her younger years.


    Art ended up locked in his room with the computer and his phone. His voice came through the walls as he spoke to the realtor agent after agent. This was his goal to get the best possible place for all of them to live and remain safely there until they were better than any other group out there. For the group, this was not something that would happen by accident. This was something they would achieve after their hard work. Theft would be the best heroes.


    Out of all of this Asher felt that Cara had won out.. She had the least stressful job of telling the rest of the group the plan. He knew that the others were fine with this kind of thing too. Therefore, Cara wouldn''t have to explain things multiple times or even convince them. She just got to return to her cereal bowl and fill it up for another meal before she started frugally playing shadow tag in her foot work stance.


    After a deep sigh, Asher sifted through his wallet to find a business card he had gotten from, Garnet. It had originally been given to him when they left camp. It was once thing that she had sneakily handed him in hopes that he might want to come and learn under her to be a martial artist. She would still train him, but it made him wonder why she had quit being a hero in the first place.


    The phone was ringing in his hand before he finally heard the receiver pick up. "Hello, Garnet? this is Asher."


    "Huh? What are you after now? You decided to give up on the group thing and come back to the mountains with me? I won''t send you on too many laps of the camp. We can do them on the treadmill." Asher had already known this would come. But it was better to clear it off the table now than later. If it stuck around then Garnet might try to make the move yet again to recruit him.


    "I actually have another matter. I was hoping I could ask you for guidance. I know that you were once a hero, I was wondering if you could train the group and teach me a few things that might be important for was to keep growing toward being heroes. I know we can''t just get there alone and need a former hero to help us get there." Asher used his sweetest and most polite voice. But he still stood there waiting for a reply.


    "Fine. But you will not be allowed to ask me what reasons I have for retiring and returning to the family camps. I went there and have made camp jewel even better than it was before. Also, if any of you complain during my training, that''s it. That person will be kicked from the room and not allowed back. Understood?" Asher was a little stunned that it had been so easy.


    "Yes, I understand. Can we meet at the school gym tomorrow?" He needed to set a fate and such ti make sure that it would all work out as planned.


    "Fine. Just be ready for the hardest training yet. I will have extra for you to do since you seem to be their leader." The phone clicked off and Asher just sat down in surprise.


    "Huh, you even beat Jane to the end." Cara half heartedly commented before returning to her food.. She didn''t even try to sympathize with Asher.

 Chapter 373 - 373. In Circles

    With the influence of coach Winter''s the group had managed to get to the gym even though the school was closed. This was more of a boon than they knew. Since the school was closed the staff was all home and no others would be able to bother them while they trained to their heart''s content. That being said. The group made their way to the school to find that there was a note left for them at the front gate.


    "It says that we have to go to the gym and begin the task at hand when we get there. What does that even mean?" Laura was annoyed that there were no more details. She felt that everything she knew and would have to do just kept getting harder The thought mostly stemmed from the fact that she was proving to speed through all academic material and studied the academic app threw at her.


    "We just go to the gym. It''s whatever, we are going to train like hell anyways." Art had been the first to accept that they would end up hurt and beaten by the training. He knew how bad his muscles felt the next day after a hard work out. But this was going to be much worse. He had the feeling that even thinking about getting out of bed would hurt.


    "Everyone stretched and brought a ton of water? Laura, you brought those vitamin packs for everyone?" For some reason, Asher had taken full mom mode for everyone. He had called and confirmed that everyone was wearing their best gym clothes. This was partly because he had the fear of coach Winter''s training and also because he knew that even without her pushing them they would be pushing each other.


    "You have checked everything over and over. Don''t worry and let''s get to it. We are going to get stronger." Jane had her eyes in the direction of the gym. Tio her, this was the start of the groups'' next bit goal. They had already completed one and now were heading for the next. There was only future strength to look forward to.


    "I know that we will get stronger from this, but I''m worried too. I don''t think we can get further by only training some work outs. We need to go against real opponents and be in real situations that make us think." This thought was mostly from the fact that Jackson already had a body that put him higher than most people. If he worried too much about physical strength he would find himself mentally lacking. That would put him far from the goals of being a hero and hold his friend back.


    "No more waiting time. We have Garnet waiting for us too. You all know they are rivals. The longer they wait the more they will argue and the worse the work out will be." Cara made an excellent point which pushed them all in to a jog toward the gym.


    Louis opened the doors first and was nearly tackled to the ground with a sudden stop. "What is all of this?" His voice wasn''t just asking a question. It was a genuine shock.


    "Welcome to the worst training you will ever have! Get inside and get ready. Wave one starts now!" The voice of coach Winters echoed through the gym. However, it was not the gym they had been used to.


    Every student knew that the gym was extremely high tech. It was set up to be able to change in to many variations for not only sports but many other situations such as tests and exams. The f gym was currently made in to a real life maze. The floor panels had risen to seven foot tall walls stopping them from seeing over them. They were about to enter when they heard a mechanical sound ahead.


    "And we put some enemies for you in there too. Good luck we will be watching." Garnet sounded evil as she told the group the set up for their training.


    The entire group was speechless as they heard the automatic lock on the door click closed. They were locked in with whatever mechanical monstrosity had been hidden in the gym maze. "They can''t be serious about this¡­" Not a single one of them had an answer for Sammy. "I''m going to look over. Jackson, catch me." Sammy went to jump and use the wind to push her a little higher. Unfortunately for her, the wall raised and she was not able to even look over an inch of the wall.


    "And they can stop us from trying to hop the wall. Jackson, they gave you what you wanted. We have a puzzle and some weird villains to beat." Everyone looked at Jackson as he cursed himself. He knew that he had jinxed things for all of them.


    "No, this is what we need. Come on. The best method is to always stay to the left and we will eventually get to the end. I want everyone to rely on footwork and dodging. The maze is tight spaces but we can focus and get through it." Asher led the way. His energy was brimming with this new training that he knew the group needed. Everyone fed off of his energy as they liked up behind him.


    The walls of the maze were close enough together that three of them was the most that could just stand shoulder to shoulder. Therefore, they chose to stay single file so that they would have more room to maneuver if worse came to worse.


    The only problem with their plan was the fact that none of them had ejected the walls to move again. They began to shift constantly and before the group could do anything, the walls had moved in between each of them separating them. "By the way, you will all need to make it to the middle and reunite to win." The additional rule was like a kick to the gut. Now the group was individual. They needed to rely on themselves to get to the center of the maze instead of searching for an exit.


    Asher focused on his strategy. He put one hand on the left side wall and started to move as fast as he could while being aware of his surroundings. The metallic clicks and shifting was enough for him to know that the maze was changing and that there were multiple enemies within it. Each movement nearby made him want to move differently and try to escape. However, when he turned the next corner he was greeted with a mannequin.


    This would not be a fearful situation if it was not something he recognized from the senior student''s combat classes. There was the same optional combat course for every senior student, especially those that were going toward heroic or law enforcement careers. The reason fear was inspired was because Asher knew that they were able to move and copy combat techniques that were downloaded in to them.


    The stance it currently held was one that Art often used. It was a mix of the others'' styles enough to challenge anyone, but even more, because Art had slowly learned how to counter each of them with his bulkier muscles. Asher knew that the match was not going to be simple and if he wanted to make it through her was going to have to evade the attacks and somehow lose the mannequin.


    "What the-" Jane found herself in a similar situation. However, she was facing an incredibly fast mannequin that copied a lot of the movements that Laura made. It was significantly slower than Laura but not enough that she would be able to run. The main problem was that this was not a living thing. Jane''s eyes couldn''t stop it in place. She needed to rely on her own power to get through this.


    "Oh yeah, creepy mannequinnes seem like a great idea." Laos felt that his lightning would be able to deal with this no problem. Although, he could not risk using it. The chance that someone else was close by and would get zapped was too high. He would need to land small hits with just enough control over the lightning that it would short out the mannequins but not send electrical currents anywhere else.


    The others were lucky enough not to encounter anything. Yet, as Jackson seemed to run he noticed he had passed the same scuff mark four times already. He was rushing around in circles without any idea how to stop it. He was totally lost for ideas since he has nothing else to do than press forward. After the sixth time, a thought occurred to him. He had read some fairytale as a child and remembered a dark maze that a hero was trapped in. The only way to get out was to go backward. With his first step, he heard the shifting walls slow and stop. He was planning to be the first one to make it out of this maze and to the center.. The same thought was starting to blossom in everyone''s minds.

 Chapter 374 - 374. Meeting In The Middle

    "Seriously!" Louis was furious. The fact that he had been stuck in the same place for ten minutes was driving him mad. Every single time he would turn a wall would move up and block the path. He found that his speed was lacking even though he tried to use his lightning to push his legs in a quick burst of speed.


    "Louis!?" Sammy''s voice came from the opposite side of the wall.


    "Sammy!??? How are you here?" It was the closest anyone had gotten to each other without being in combat or running from a mannequin.


    "I ran from somewhere over the other side. I found the edge of the gym but I think I''m back in the center. What are you stuck in a box?" Sammy had been running from a mannequin and found the very edge of the gym. Unfortunately, she had to keep running and was now back in the center. However, she had found a five by five section of walls that had the sounds of running from it.


    "It trapped me in a box!? This stupid maze. Tell me if you can get it to open from your side!" Louis rushed around to find he really was stuck in a box now even though the inside had some walls up separating it.


    Sammy moved to look through the walls and everything around. It was odd that Louis had gotten trapped but as she moved she noticed the walls nearby shoplifting. Before she knew it she had no way to move around and look. "I think we are being directed away from each other. I can''t go around."


    "It opened on this side. I will try to get to you." The two moved further and further as the walls changed again and again. They shouted for each other but ended up attracting the attention of another combat training mannequin.


    Asher was in a similar position. The only difference was that he was holding his own. He had adjusted to the fighting style and could feel himself improving by leaps and bounds. The speed that the mannequin was using move after move was much faster than his friends could use them. The only one that could move faster was Laura, but she lacked the experience to use all of the moves efficiently and properly.


    The sweat was building on Asher''s clothing but he still persisted. The movements he and the mannequin made pushed them through passages of the shifting maze. It was the best possible way for him to learn to maneuver in tight places while also trying to accomplish the goal of getting to the center.


    "Duck!" The roar of Jacksons'' voice caused Asher to drop flat to the ground. Jackson had jumped in to the air and unleashed a heavy flying punch at the mannequin. Naturally, the mannequin could not handle the heavy force. "I heard you coming from around the corner and decided to give you some space. Plus, they had a weak point in the same areas as a human. They act as off switches. Thankfully I paid some attention in human biology."


    It was rare to see Jackson sweating and tired. He seemed to have been running around and battling for a much harder time than Asher had. "Have you bumped in to anyone yet?"


    "I heard Louis and Sammy a few minutes ago but nothing since. I found another mannequin beaten tight. The metal that held it together had been unscrewed from place. I think Art did it." This was good news. It meant that Jackson had found a mannequin that Art had defeated by using very controlled metal manipulation. It was surely a major breakthrough for Art.


    "Then we will stick together and try to find them. If they were nearby then it will only help us." Asher was stretching as he began to walk toward the way Jackson had come.


    "Jane, behind you!" Cara had become cornered along with Jane. There was a mannequin on each side of them that was trying to beat them down. The only reason they had ended up in the situation was that both had ended up with the same mindset. This led them to run away and try to conserve energy for the shifting maze that they believed was designed to take away their stamina.


    The mannequins charged at the pair causing them to slide under them. Cara had pulled Jane along with her and the two mannequins crashed in to each other. There was no chance to look back as they sprinted straight ahead. The sounds of shifting walls behind them made them hopeful. Unfortunately, that was not the best thing for them. The walls lowered in front of them showing Louis who was trying his best to defeat three opponents at once.


    "Louis, we are here for back up!" Jane and Cara jumped in to action tackling the two other mannequins. Louis was thankful for only a moment before his focus and instincts took over. The three of them were not facing one each.


    "Did you hear that?" Jackson and Asher both heard the others shouting. This caused them to rush in to a sprint toward the sound. The battle sounds got more and more intense until they also saw the opening where the fight was.


    "You take the one on the left. I will kick the one on the right. Then we beat the third. After that we need to find Sammy!"


    "Find me? I found you!" Sammy sped through with a gust of wind. The speed she was using was much faster than normal with each step pushing more wind about. Asher only had a split second to respect the fact that she was using wind under her feet to push herself faster.


    The three came in from behind the mannequin es taking them all out with kicks or punches to the neck area. They shut down completely with the attacks. All that was left was the group that had met up again in a newly tired and ragged state.


    "It only took you all an hour give or take a few minutes." The walls all began to lower and the mannequins were seen walking to the side walls and falling to the ground in a sleep mode state. "I think you all learned a pretty good lesson. Battle in close quarters is wildly different than battle in the open with a single opponent face to face with you." Coach Winters and Garnet walked toward them.


    "I have to agree with this monster today. She had a pretty good idea to use this gym. Now drink some water and start to stretch. We have a lot more to do." Garnet made a motion and another mannequin brought over a board with a list of work outs and other activities. "Today we are going to deal with problem solving, reflexes, and some damn common sense!" Her harsh words were more than she had ever used.


    "When we were learning to do our jobs we didn''t run around afraid. You were all freaking out as if you have never worked together or even run solo. When you were separated you should have moved around calmly and waited for openings. Instead, you ran and fought. This burned your energy and you will suffer for it. Do you think a natural disaster will be done in an hour or two?"


    None of them could argue with coach Winters. She was making a lot of sense and it was very true that the group lacked these things. Currently, they were a mix of academics and martial arts training. But implementing the two was something every single one of them lacked. The simple way to do this was experience.


    "First we are setting these dummies to a faster speed. You need to react to their moves and counter. I do not expect a dodge or running. For every time I see a dodge without an immediate counter I will double your cardio after every exercise."


    "You heard the woman. Activate the platforms!" The gym seemed to have an automatic voice system that started to shift the walls. Soon three rising platforms made their way up. The mannequins moved and stood on them while they did a final diagnostic check of their bodies. When completed they fell in to  a stance.


    "The rules are simple. Their speed is faster than yours and you are required to counter them. I don''t want to see anything else. Now, who will go first?" Jackson responded instantly to coach Winters'' words. He was still fired up from the earlier encounter and wanted to strike while the iron is hot.


    "Well, look who has lit a fire in his belly. I thought you wouldn''t ever be in a fighting mood. Get on there and take the first one. The next stage is two opponents and the third, well that''s three opponents." Garnet was impressed with the change in Jackson and pushed him forward. Jackson followed the encouragement and made his move.. The mannequin was already in motion as his foot stepped up.

 Chapter 375 - 375. Counter Challenge

    "How are you going to win a fight if you can''t even counter two punches at once!" Jackson had pushed to get to the second opponent but failed there. This brought Louis, then Sammy, then Jane to their turns. All failed at the second stage. Currently, Art was attempting to block the two punches coming from opposite sides. His speed was able to keep up with the attacks but his mind couldn''t smoothly put together the moves yet.


    "I said you need to counter! Forget that again and you are off the platforms!" Coach Winters yelled yet again making Art even more stressed out. However, the added stress was not a bad thing. It was able to force Art under more pressure. The added pressure caused his mind to short circuit to a degree and he stopped thinking about unnecessary things. The hard trained instincts began to take over.


    Hours and hours of training had made multiple moved muscle memory for every single member of the group. This was a large goal that every single martial artist worked towards. But here, using those muscle memories were harder than usual. The mind would start to think and the process would be delayed. But with pressure, the muscles would act without conscious thought.


    Art slipped down letting the two punches coming at him hit each other. He hand grabbed the two dummy hands and he tangled them together. His leg swept underneath them causing the two dummies to fall and become even more entangled.


    "Move to the third platform now!" Garnet shouted this time. "I swear if this kid loses his battle state now I will spar with him personally." The annoyance was clear in Garnets'' voice but her eyes showed differently. She was actually very happy to see someone jumping in to a battle sense state.


    "I might not have been doing this long enough to know what a battle state is¡­" Laura was the one to come forward with the courage to ask this question. She had one of the least developed dictionaries when it came to martial artist terms and lingo.


    "It''s when you shut off parts of your brain and allow yourself to use instinct and muscle memory. He is thinking about his moves subconsciously now. It''s a state of mind that some martial artists will never experience no matter how hard they train. All of you have the potential." Coach Winters actually sounded excited to be seeing this. She had experienced this before and knew how beneficial it was.


    "Are you saying that we all will get that because of our training or is it just a chance?" Jackson had a few forming bruises on his arms and face from his mistakes in the challenge. But that didn''t stop him from sitting up and asking his own questions.


    "From what I see, you all will obtain it. You have trained your bodies enough so that you should be able to let it flow. The key is age. Your bodies are developing now and the lessons it learns will cause this kind of state easier. This one here and I figured it out when we turned what, twenty two in the Jasper tournament?" Garnet fondly remembered the battle that had given them the longest match award in the tournament.


    "Ha, that was years ago. And I had already touched on it with my teacher back then. He said I would be able to enter it since I started training at the age of seven. Perks of your parents owning a martial arts center of excellence." As much as coach Winters'' hid her past and life from students, she had no qualms saying these things now. The group would one day figure it all out anyways.


    "No way¡­your family has a center for excellence? That''s pretty much the hall of fame for every martial artist. Only those recognized as a master in three martial arts are allowed to be in charge of them!" Cara had heard of this in one of her advanced combat classes. It was exceptionally rare to meet someone that had done something so major in their lifetimes.


    "My father mastered four and my mother mastered six. They are a little older now but they teach when they see a good student. I only have two mastered so I don''t qualify yet to take over for them. My father still thinks he can catch my mother though. But she swore he would have to chase her even after they ascend to heaven or wherever they want to go."


    The group was looking at coach Winters'' as if she was a monster in human skin. None of them had expected her to have such a major past. But comparing it with Garnets'' history it made sense. These two were monsters that had major backgrounds and rise to the top.


    "Wait, didn''t Asher do something like that and unleash a super long combo of moves?" Jane shot up and looked at Asher. He had been using his rag doll style and done a series of impossible to defend against moves. He had moved much faster and more efficiently than normal when he had done so.


    "Huh,  guess I did. I never really think though when I am fighting. My whole style is based on going with the flow." Ashers'' shrug made Garnet and coach Winters''s jaws to drop. They had not expected that Asher used such a tactic when building his style. If this was really how it came together then Asher would always fall in and out of the battle state of mind.


    "You didn''t even last three minutes against three opponents. Get yourself down here and we will send up Asher!" Garnet watched as Art was taken down. After he was knocked the dummies stopped. Garnet had brought coach Winters back to reality as well.


    "You will show us exactly what your flow is like. I expect you to get to the three on top then ahead to the fourth level." There were only three platforms so it confused Asher that they were talking about a fourth. However, he ignored the feeling and met the single mannequin on the first platform.


    "Alright. Bring it on training dummy mannequin robot thing." Ashers'' Arms fell limp to his side and he started to rock side to side. The dummy acted before he had even took a step forward.


    The dummy approached Asher with a heavy kick. Asher didn''t move at all. Instead, he waited for the kick to get close and he leaned to the side. This left the kick to swing by him and his won leg to come up and kick at the extended leg of the dummy.


    There was a crack as the leg was kicked away with force. The dummy had been made to fall apart at the joints when a significant force was applied. Asher had just applied said force to the joint of the dummy. Therefore, the leg dislocated and fell on the ground while the dummy was left balanced in one foot.


    "Move up to the second level. Don''t break them all!" Garnet knew that the dummy was easily put back together due to the design. But she wanted to see if Asher would react differently with extra pressure. Art was catching on to this now that he lay on the gym floor trying to recover his energy from the battle he had just minutes ago.


    The next two dummies rushed Asher together. They had preplanned moves that were randomly used. This combination was a fist and a heel kick coming at Asher at the same time. One was made to sweep his legs and the other was to knock his chest backward. If Asher wasn''t fast enough he would be unceremoniously slammed to his back.


    Art watched as Asher tried to match his record of getting up to the third platform. The moment the two attacks were to hit, Asher raised a hand and caught the fist on one dummy causing the rest of his body to twist. The force spun him around in the air. The weight of the forward momentum pulled the dummy forward and Asher dropped it on top of the incoming leg of the other dummy. The two were knocked flat o the ground while Asher regained his balance and stance.


    "Third platform! Now! Faster Or I will fail you!" Garnet didn''t waste time with being impressed. She wanted to see Asher pushed to the limits and try to beat three opponents at once. He had already proved that his speed and reflexes were well trained. Now he needed to be pushed to the limit so they could decide what training was best for him.


    The three dummies reacted the moment Asher''s foot hit the platform. Their speed was the same as the others and Asher was barely standing form when the first of the three met him. Instead of dodging, Asher let the first punch hit him.. The response to this was more than coach Winters and Garnet had expected.

 Chapter 376 - 376. Unique Counters

    Asher let the punch hit him and propel his body back in to the next dummy coming at him. The sudden change in position was too fast for the dummy to change its''  motions. Therefore, Asher had the upper hand as he used the momentum to twist and throw the dummy right off the platform. It fell in to multiple pieces when it hit the ground as it was designed to do.


    "Is that a counter? I don''t think that''s a counter." The worried voice of Jackson was the only thing they could hear over their own awe. None of them had expected the force of the dummies punch to be used in such a way.


    "It''s a counter. Not directly back at the one that hit him. But instead at the one that was going to hit him. That''s a lesson in fighting multiple opponents for you. Use their actions against them so that they are fighting each other too." Garnet was fairly impressed. She wanted to take this moment to explain things since this was the lesson she had been trying to teach them through their actions. Such a lesson was a perfect melding of their minds and bodies.


    Asher didn''t take long to turn and charge at the other two dummies. It was unusual for him to do so. The group was shocked to see him being so foolish until he turned his momentum in to a spin. The spin came with a jumbo in to the air and a flying kick. It was plain to see but not a counter. Coach Winters was about to shout about this when she watched the dummies dodging and starting to lash out with punches.


    The flying kick had baited the two dummies in ti moving and punching at Asher together. Quickly changing his form, Asher reached out his hands to grab the two incoming fists while he was still in the air. The sudden added weight to the dummies caused them to fall off balance and slam their heads in to each other. Not only had Asher baited them, but he had also taken their attacks and countered each other perfectly. It was a flow of battle that seemed to only happen as Asher let himself move freely without thinking at all.


    "Level four!" Coach Winters and Garnet shouted in unison causing the pair to glare at each other but spark an evil glint in both of their eyes. They both had knowledge on what the fourth level of this challenge would be and they had hoped someone would get to it. If not they were more than ready to show it to the group as a learning experience.


    There was a change in the platforms and the dummies that were still together were brought up to the third platform. Meanwhile, a large dummy was dropped from the ceiling where the dummies were stored to charge and be out of the way. The design was simple and efficient for the gym. But if a student looked up too long they would always feel a little on edge.


    "He needs to beat all of those and that giant one?! That''s impossible!" Jane was sure that this was a trick to make sure that they would fail. For the first time, she was looking at coach Winters and Garnet as if they were hidden villains.


    "The training will be harder. We have you locked in for all day. We still have plenty more to do. Use your brains and try to figure out how you would beat them. Asher already showed you how to counter and counter using your opponents against each other." The scoffing attitude from coach Winters threw all of them in to turmoil.


    After a deep breath, Cara realized that the two were just trying to push their buttons. It was intentional to make the group uncomfortable and on edge so that when they moved on to further training they would have to strengthen their minds and resolve. "He needs to use the big one to take out the smaller ones." Her calm words were like water to a flame. It stopped the raging chaos that was starting to boil in everyone.


    "Like those storied about fighting giants. Tangle up their legs and let them fall on to an army to win a war." Laura made the connection between the myths she had seen in historical fiction classes.


    "Wait, so basically he has to spend the entire time baiting the biggest danger to beat the smaller ones without him attacking them. Then he needs t somehow beat the single large dummy? That sounds sooo easy." Louis was sarcastic but had regained his calm mind as well.


    "Well, at least some of you can think and figure it out. Remember that after him you will have to go up there too." Garnet looked over the group and held the gaze of those who had not tried this challenge yet.


    "Bring it ooonnnn!!!!!" Asher''s yell brought everyone back to focus on him. He was loudly taunting the dummies to attack him. He knew that they probably couldn''t hear but his energy was high and he felt that yelling was the only way to spur himself even further than he already was.


    The large dummy swung its hammer like fists at him. They were much slower than the others but as they collided with the ground the platform shuddered. The regular sized dummies were pushed off balance and so was Asher. This didn''t last long though since Asher was able to easily twist and turn to right himself. He was used to the shaky stance he preferred. Even though he would slip and fall he would always end up in a position he could fight in.


    The nearest dummy lifted a leg and tried to kick Asher. Unfortunately, Asher was ready and caught they kick. He spun backward using a wrestling move he had learned from the elite home gym app. This force caused the dummy to spin and fly in to the large dummy. The reaction was not what anyone would be happy to have happen to them. The large dummy brutally slapped the small dummy away and it flew in to three other dummies. Just like that Asher was left with two regular dummies and the large dummy. Which were all moving at him together.


    The flow of the battle was still escalating as the large dummy closed in. This time, Asher let it get close. He knew that the large dummy had limited flexibility and his goal was to abuse that weakens. Jackson had a similar weakness due to his larger muscles. Therefore, Asher knew that getting too close to a larger enemy was the best solution. They wouldn''t be able to properly strike with all their force and he could push them off balance.


    The change in level and slide forward was a traditional duck walk that Art and Asher had joked around with. But here, it had practical applications. Asher found himself just about right under the larger dummy. The two smaller ignored his position and tried to attack him. The larger dummy attempted to strike downward at him. The mix of these left the larger dummy unable to move and Asher with the perfect chance to give it a push backward.


    The loud crash of the large dummy hitting the ground was matched by Asher falling back and laying down on the platform. He was breathing heavier than he had in a very long time. He felt his body was on fire. "I would say that took you nearly half an hour from start to finish. I thought it would be faster than that but you spent a lot of time dancing around and letting things line up. If you were less reactive and more active, you would have better times." Garnet analyzed the challenge efficiently and focused on the largest weakness that Asher had displayed.


    "Cara, since you seemed to have a few ideas, put them to the test here. I expect you to match your brother if not surpass him. I know you have already taken on the advanced combat class." Coach Winters knew well that Cara had been n the advanced class and passed with high marks. The fact that she was also able to resist the slight provocation from the two of them was even more reason to push her to show off her real skills.


    "You got this Cara." Asher made it back down to the group and promptly chugged a whole bottle of water before laying back down to recover.


    "Just watch and learn if you can lift your head. You need to be able to get through the rest of the training after this. I hope you didn''t go all out." Cara stuck her tongue out at Asher which prompted him to do the same. The memories he had of this life and world were much better than his previous life. He had all but lost the past memories at this point.. All that was left was a powerful bond with his family he had always yearned for.

 Chapter 377 - 377. Pitch Black

    The aggressive movements of Cara were too much for everyone to watch. They had known that she had been holding back when they trained, but not how much she held back. It was insane. Her speed was the same but the variety of moves she used was much higher.


    "Bro, is that really Cara? Or some crazed battle goddess trying to destroy every dummy possible?" Art was looking on in wonder and slight fear. He was regretting every teasing comment he had ever made in her presence. He had no idea just how many different ways Cara could have kicked him across the room.


    "All of them are in response. I wonder how she would change the way she used the movies¡­" This was a much better thought process than Garnet and coach Winters expected from Sammy. She was opening up her imagination to how moves would be used and when. This was another important lesson.


    "You should always wonder how a move will be used. If you are in an awkward position you should have five moves you can use at a given second to counter and change the situation. Your mind should always be able to think of five solutions. If you can''t do that, then you are still too far behind a hero." The lesson was simple but made too much sense. Having a back up plan was always a good idea.


    "It''s easier to think about it like chess. I know all of you learned to play it or at least understand the process. The one who wins the match is not the player thinking about the move they are making. The player that thinks of all the possible moves they can make ahead of their first move is the one that wins. It''s planning as they move. There isn''t any hesitation." Coach Winters finished Garnets'' thought. They two didn''t glare at each other like they usually would. Instead, they were acting almost in sync making the group feel as if they were secretly best friends.


    "Difficulty to level two!" Garnet shouted out and the dummies speed instantly increased. Cara was facing the fourth level the same that Asher had and was doing well. This was the end of that though. She was completely beaten. The large dummy lost the sluggish movements and the smaller dummies seemed to get smarter. They anticipated her moves and she was unable to counter any longer. It was as if they had been set to just a hairs breath away from her level of skill.


    Just as Cara was about to be knocked flat, the dummies stopped and she stumbled down from the platform. "That was dirty." Her snarl of annoyance was completely annoyed as she moved to stretch her aching arms and legs. The group had managed to see her limits and the reason why she pushed them to train harder so often. Cara wanted the group to catch up to her more than they wanted to actually catch up to her.


    "I couldn''t even hold a candle to her on the first difficulty. We were on easy mode and still struggled." The realization was hitting Louis a little different than it was the others. He couldn''t help but feel the immense gap between the group and Cara. She was nearly good enough to beat the whole next level of the training where they were well behind.


    Garnet and coach Winters didn''t allow the thought to continue. They pushed Laura to go on next then soon finished the rotation with the rest of the group. They were pushing things along so that everyone had the chance to analyze the battles and have the experience. By the time they had all taken their turn, everyone felt that they had been through a harder trail than ever before.


    "Come on, get up. We are done with the warm ups. We have hours left still." The serious tone that Garnet took made all of them feel as if this was no longer a choice. They may have reached out to the two for assistance but this was getting brutal. "The next exercise is simple. Last an hour without being captured." The lights went out in the gym. Everything was dark and silent.


    That was until the floors started shifting, the dummies started moving, and the group started to try and shout for each other in the dark. The strange part was that their voices were getting further away. "The floors are moving us!" Asher caught on to the situation but felt that he could do nothing.


    The sudden stop of everything put all of them in great distress. "What''s trying to, gah! What the- Get off!" A large gust of wind sent what sounded to be a dummy flying in the air and to the ground. Sammy had been the one that was discovered by a dummy first and barely managed to escape its'' grip.


    "They said not to get captured. Just stay silent and the dummies might not be able to find you. They shouldn''t have night vision!" Cara had heard of this kind of training. There were sensors that would attract the training dummies toward them. Sensors that picked up sound. Therefore, she was the best at beating this training. She could throw her voice to one side of the gym and the dummies would all head that way leaving the group safe.


    "Oh, I forgot that we set something up to counter your super power and attempted communication. We prefer you to learn in chaos. During an attack on a city, there will be explosions, shouting, and maybe worse that eats away at a heroes'' senses. So, play max volume heavy metal loop!" The brutal drums and electric guitar started up nearly forcing everyone to become deaf. The sound was strong enough to shake the entire gym and make everyone feel off balanced.


    Cara was the one that was the most shocked. She had not expected her super power to be blocked so brutally. She was completely left with only the sense of touch left. She would need to react to whatever she felt touch her instantly. This was also a problem for their entire group. They had no way to know if it was a dummy or a group member trying to take them down.


    As they realized this one by one, Laura was the only group member to figure out the heavy weakness they faced. But for Laura, it was less so a weakness. She had to train her body very carefully so that she could properly use it as she wanted. Due to this, Laura had developed a very sensitive ability to feel things. This proved useful when the harder dummy hand made contact with her. She knew it wasn''t a flesh and blood hand so her reaction was instantaneous. She pulled it and flipped it over her shoulder before dashing a few steps away.


    Sammy was having a very similar experience. After the first dummy had tried to capture her, she had been pushed to high alert. Her senses were heightened and she was coursing with adrenaline. She had always felt the air around her. The wind was constant even when most people would think it wasn''t moving at all. For her, the wind always moved and shifted but she had gotten too used to it.


    In a situation where her body was on edge, she was able to sense the changes in the wind more accurately. When someone breathed out she was able to tell what direction they were in even though the music was distracting her. When a dummy moved toward her it did not release a breath that changed the wind. Therefore, Sammy moved away from it.


    Using her Adrenalin to its'' best, Sammy managed to feel that someone was nearby. She slowly approached before she felt a shift with her outstretched hand. Asher was about to lash out at the feeling of his shit being grabbed before the thought occurred to him. The dummies wouldn''t just grab his shirt. They would try to capture and pin him down since that was their main goal.


    He reached out and found the hand that held his shit was definitely one of his group members. He couldn''t tell who it was but he held it to keep together. Both he and Sammy had another idea. Their goal was not to get captured over the next hour, but they also could get together and try to beat all the training dummies.


    The moment this thought came to their minds, they saw a flash of light nearby. It was lightning in the dark. Louis had run in to the large dummy. His jerk reaction had caused a small bolt of lightning to light up the area he was in and show everyone where he was. The entire group saw the beacon and began to move toward it. Unfortunately, it made things too easy. Garnet and Coach Winters pulled out a small phone and pressed a few buttons.. The dummies were put at a higher speed of movement.

 Chapter 378 - 378. Full Exhaustion

    Louis was in a slight panic. He had felt the hard grasp of the training dummy on his arm. He had instinctively flexed his muscles making lighting spark out. The light from this caused the shadows over the blank face of the dummy causing it to appear to have one. It undoubtedly caused Louis to react even more dramatically. He lashed out with a straight punch over and over trying to free himself. He didn''t even notice that he had signaled the others in the gym by accident.


    His attacks seemed to do the trick because when he was able to move his other arm again there was nothing holding him. But as he stepped forward he hit the body of the dummy with his foot. He knew exactly what it was and how it had gotten there. His blind attacks had caused it to fall to pieces as it was supposed to. But the haunting image of the dummy''s shadow face was burned in to his brain.


    The charging motion that came from Louis''s minor panic caused him to head first sprint in to Art who had already found Jackson. He could have released lightning again but he could somehow tell that Jackson and Art were real people compared to the dummy he had just been attacked by.


    In the split second as he considered this before linking arms with the two was that he could tell the difference in the electricity inside their bodies. The training dummies was tiff and constant where as the human body was more similar to a thunder storm. It was changing constantly and never exactly the same in a single second.


    As the floor began to shake a little, other groups had the feeling that they were big  approached by the large dummy. Unknown to every single one, but the large dummy was the only one that was able to capture them without any fancy movements. It was trying to wrap its'' arms around Jackson, Art, and Louis at the moment without their awareness.


    Luckily, Asher and Sammy had bummed right in to its back and knocked it off balance. Art felt the pressure his his side and he caused everyone to duck at the same time. When he was about to kick out he felt a breeze pass him.


    Laura was speeding around slowly taking out dummies. Before she had trained her super power and her mind, she had been always in the dark. For Laura to perceive the situation while moving at a high speed, she had to train he mental processing power. Before she had trained it at all she just saw darkness or flashed of color. It was the main reason she struggled so much with her super power training until she had met the group and joined their goals.


    This being the case, Laura had no problem rushing around at higher running speeds while she was blinded. At worse, she would charge in to and tackle someone. Nothing that couldn''t be dealt with later. Her fearless attitude brought her to the large golem without her knowing it. The arms of the dummy were nearly knocked off completely before it hit the ground and fell to pieces.


    Since both groups had felt the moments they reached out and grabbed Laura. The realization came to them and the entire chain they made was only missing Jane and Cara. The two girls had found each other and were also moving towards where they believed the lightning had come from. They had been able to avoid the dummies for the most art. Jane had narrowly missed them three times and not even known it. She sprinted right past one when she saw Cara in the brief moment of light.


    Everyones'' sense of time had been totally lost. The loud music and the darkness were taking their toll. For them, they had just been at this for a few moments. But in reality, they had all been facing the level two dummies for much longer. The sudden silence was more than enough to send them all for a loop. As the lights began to slowly but surely reach their previous brightness, the group noticed that Cara and Jane were standing right in front of them. They had all managed to come back together in some form or fashion.


    They could all see the pieces of dummies around from their dark battles. Garnet appeared saying something which was more or less unheard by the group. She instead handed them all tabs of a medicine which they popped and swallowed. The warm feeling that came with it grew until it reached their head and ears.


    Like a clap of thunder, the group could hear clearly again. "As I just said. This is a one time use medicine made by a friend of mine. They had a pretty useful super power when it comes to medicine making but if you use it more than once in a day it does the opposite. That means if you get hurt you will need to heal the old fashion way." Garnet didn''t appear to be unhappy to part with this medicine at all. She almost looked proud that she had been able to provide it to the group.


    "Believe it or not, you lasted the hour. But you also gave yourself away and made us turn up the difficulty." Everyone looked at Louis. But they didn''t blame him. They might have done the same thing if they were surprised too.


    "All of you should be trying to scare him constantly. He should be desensitized of the jerk reaction he had. We could see all of you through the security cameras. They are night vision after all. All of you have jerk reactions. The only two that managed to stay calm were Cara and Jane. You two remained calm when coming in to contact with each other." Coach Winters joined the conversation with her input.


    Garnet and coach Winters stood silently for a moment. They were deciding what to say because they had seen a lot of bad habits. "We will send a report of performance to the elite home gym app later to let you study it." Garnet made a swift decision. Coach Winters didn''t look as happy but couldn''t express it. She knew it was the best way to send the information this way so that they would be able to do their at home training better.


    "Lastly, today we have the partner weight lifting section. We will group up and lift. That means you are always supporting someone." Coach Winters started to walk then through a few skeptical looks. Hearing that the end was simple weight lifting made their minds race. If this was a hidden trick then they wouldn''t be able to so survive it if they were not mentally prepared.


    "Let''s go! We have a four hour session to do!" The lifting weights passed fast enough. But the exhaustion they were all feeling was getting to them. Their bodies were at the absolute brink. They had completed the harder training and even had some mental exhaustion as well.


    "We will have evaluations for you all soon. Just get home and eat a big meal. You have a few more days left to train alone to work on team skills. You are all still lacking in the team work area even though it looks like you are making progress." This was mostly because the group had managed to come together in the end of the second challenge.


    The group stumbled out of the gym to find the sun starting to set. None of them wanted to walk or jog home. But they had no choice. They needed to get to their home and that was that. "Here, before everyone tries to get home to sleep, take another vitamin packet. We all need to recover and be ready to push ourselves." Laura surprised everyone with this. She had been inspired by the tactics she had missed out on. there were many new things for her to train and potentially use in her next sparring matches.


    If anyone were to look out their window and see the group leave from the school on the jog home, they would have wondered if they should call for the police or an ambulance. The group looked as if they were ready to pass out asleep on the side walk. Not to mention their clothing was clear in showing just how hard they had been working out.


    By the time Art, Asher, and Cara made it back to their house, they didn''t even have the energy to fight for the shower. Asher''s mother and father had watched the three move like zombies through the shower, eat, and head to bed routine much earlier than usual. It was a strange occurrence that made them both worry but glad that the kids were working hard. They made a mental note to get up extra early and make a big waffle breakfast for them in the morning.. It was the only thing they could do to keep pushing them to improve without getting too involved. They weren''t going to be helicopter parents!

 Chapter 379 - 379. Explaining New Tricks

    The messages slowly appeared in the group chat in the morning as everyone was up to do the morning stretching and work pout they had agreed upon and were given by coach Winters and Garnet.


    Asher- I''m pretty sure I have left the world of the living and fell in to the depths¡­


    Jane- take a hot shower then stretch. It worked for me. I also had some tea. It really wakes you up.


    The group was astounded by Jane most of all. She sounded too fake in this response when they were all still trapped in bed by sore muscles.


    Louis- Talk to text, my friends. Talk to text saves lives.


    Sammy- Is my body even my body? All I know is pain.


    Jackson- even I feel sore. Watering all the plants took an extra ten minutes this morning.


    Art- oh, ten extra minutes. Mr. perfect human body took ten extra minutes. You owe us compensation!


    The morning continued this way even after they had all managed to get up and set out of the house on a very strange slow jog. The only one that had not said a single word was Laura. She was perfectly fine already due to her faster metabolism helping her break down nutrients and heal her body. No one dared to say anything ability her silence. Having her mention she was fine would end up hurting their ego.


    "Finally, I had to wait for everyone forever. Why didn''t you guys just stop and buy those heating patches I told you all about last night? I use them after hard work outs all the time. That''s why it''s so easy for you to jog today." Cara had also been silent but she was not showing off the over fifteen heating patches she wore on her body.


    "And what? Look like a mummy? Halloween is months away thank you very much." Sammy had taken the chance to tease Cara. Unfortunately, the response was Cara chasing her around the park while Sammy groaned at every step. This was naturally to Cara''s personal entertainment since she had prepared for the soreness that came after the harsh work out.


    "I still don''t know what the vitamin packs didn''t work as well as the first time we ever tried them." Jane had stretched her aching muscles already but swore that they had not fully recovered. Her tough boost was now being uncovered as a temporary solution rather than a permanent one.


    "That''s simple. The work out we did was harder than our body could recover in one night no matter what. Plus, it was a full body lifting session after with a jog home as cardio. That is just asking for pain. How else would we end up after hours and hours of working out?" The feeling that Louis had was one of pain. But his mind was still flowing and going over everything he had learned the days before. Unsurprisingly, he found that he had learned a lot about everyones'' fighting styles and moves.


    "That just means we need to prepare before hand better next time. I feel like we could have done a lot more of pre work out planning." Since Laura had experienced the soreness faster than anyone else, she knew that this would last for multiple days instead of the same as she had which was only a few hours. Her friends were not going to be happy about it unless they had a solution for the future.


    "Actually, that brings me to a good point I wanted to make today. Diet. We don''t really have one and I think we should use the home gum app for it. There is even a section that tracks what our bodies need every day. We have been missing a crucial part of the equation. I know most of us eat healthy anyways. But this feeling is because weren''t ready enough. We will always be sore, but not this sore."


    The group agreed with Asher fully. They had more or less ignored this aspect and tried to eat well sometimes. But Cara and Asher who had Ar around did not. Art was a master at cooking anything bad for them. But when it came to healthy foods, they would soon become unhealthy due to the oils and butter that Art added. Of course, this was the same for many other foods but was just too true when it came to deserts.


    "If we are doing the whole healthy eating thing, then we should use the vegetables from my gardens more. I can guarantee that we all have a better diet." Jackson took the chance to put his food in front of the line. Not a single one of the group could argue with this. There really would be nothing better in comparison.


    The group continued to argue and suggest things as they tried to get the motivation to keep on their work out. Before long, they found themselves at an impasse. They needed to get to the harder portion of their work outs but were still a little apprehensive.


    "Hey Louis, why don''t you show off that new move you have with your super power?'' This was Sammy''s idea to get them out of having to get back to some more muscle training or painful stretching. But Louis was too smart and knew that he was being used.


    "Then you need t show them your move too. I know you used it while training yesterday but never explained." The two glared at each other before finally turning their eyes toward the rest of the group. Everyone had locked their eyes on them since they had an idea of what the other was thinking about but not really about what the two had decided.


    "Ugh, fine. I will go first. I can step on the air if I use my super power to push my foot a certain way. It''s the same I do to my whole body but more specific." Sammy jumped up and used her super power to manipulate the wind quickly. She looked like she had just stepped up in the air for a split second but had really just done as she said so. To the group is was a great way to dodge some harsh attacks in a way no one else could.


    "I think you could use that to jump entire walls if you want." Jackson would have kept praising Sammy if she didn''t start to blush before she replied.


    "Can''t you just jump some walls without a power like mine?'' This was very true. Jackson had a lot more strength in his body and could easily jump right over lowe walls.


    Louis had thought that he might have the chance t get away for a moment. But eyes slowly drifted toward him. "I made myself faster. Remember biology lessons? Well, our body uses electrical impulses to move. Our brains literally are all electrical impulses. So if I use my bodys'' lightning to fore my muscles faster, I become faster.  Lot faster. The only downside is that it puts a huge strain on my legs." Just thinking about it was making Louis''s legs feel a little cramped.


    Oh, so pretty much how my legs feel if I skip some potassium in my breakfast." Lois didn''t have the heart to tell her that the feelings may have been similar but the functions were different in the long run. However, Cara was also looking at the two of them and comparing the super powers and their results.


    "You both managed to work on something to boost your speed temporarily. Have you trained it against each other?" Cara had not known that the two had long tested their super powers in these ways against each other. But after glancing at their faces, she was told the answer. "Then you both should think about how this would apply to other situations. Like saving someone falling or maybe even delivering supplies in an emergency."


    The idea was a good one. The thought process could change based on the situation which would remove some of the strain or force the two to change the way they were using the new tricks.


    "Wait, can''t I do the same? I do it with the metal beads in my gloves. What if I was to put on ankle weights too and just force my legs to move faster? I won''t even need to muscle train ever again!" This was the secret hidden training Art had been missing. However, he would never give up all the hard work he had put in his body. If he didn''t work out the way he did then he would one day find that his super power was not useful for something and had wouldn''t even have the strength to walk. It was an unfortunate possibility but one that was all too true. There was an endless chance that a super power could completely nullify his. Asher just looked at Art and shook his head. He wanted to mention how his won super power boosted speed, but unfortunately, he was not as lucky to have a physical super power.. He needed to use hard work.

 Chapter 380 - 380. Combos

    "I swear if you try and make armor out of metal again!" Art had tried this once and Asher had found him with a piece of metal half wrapped around his hand. Unfortunately for Art, he had ended up slightly stuck without being able to muster the mental strength to move the metal again. It was too mentally taxing for him to be able to manipulate pieces of metal he attached to his body.


    "Fine fine. But mark my words. One day I will be able to do whatever I want with metal. That day I will be able to fly!" Art raised his voice and made a flying poise similar to most people with the super power to fly. Sammy couldn''t help but fall in to a fit of giggling after looking at him.


    "And if you ever make that pose when you fly, you are disowned from the family." Louis pointed at Art and shook his head. He couldn''t survive the embarrassment that would come with the pose Art had struck.


    After wiping a few tears from the corners of her eyes, Sammy responded, "I won''t need to. I want to try and study tornadoes and how the wind rotates. I can''t really control wind that well, but I think my idea of flying has been wrong. I can use it as a burst for speed. I can''t use it in other ways. It''s the same with Lois. He can use it for a burst of speed or a radical attack but not for constant use." The pair were in the same boat when it came to super power development.


    "Then we are working on super power problems today. It''s official. We will work on getting everyones'' super powers more developed today. It will also help us all get a better handle on how we all use our super powers and potentially some combinations." Jane was sold on the idea before she had even decided on it for the group. She knew that there were hidden combinations that the group might be able to use for powerful attacks. Not to mention ways of transportation to get to a danger faster and save someone.


    "It sounds like we will need to go for a long job. I have the perfect place." Laura had often run around exploring by herself due to her super power. She had a lot more time than everyone else. Since her body moved faster than everyone elses'' she didn''t require the same time to sleep. Instead, she would sleep a few hours twice a day and be able to process enough nutrients to keep her body moving. If she really wanted she could go for a decent amount of time without sleeping at all now.


    Since Laura was leading the group, she slowed herself down. They were moving toward the outskirts of the city where a few abandoned recreational areas were. They had simply been replaced with blogger and better as the years went on and were not often empty. The area was not poor in any means but the field that Laura had brought them to was definitely in need of some repairs.


    "I think that dug out has seen better days." The look Art had on his face was one that any child who had learned to play baseball would feel. He had a silent mourning for the fallen in roof of the dug out.


    "But it is the perfect [lace to train our super powers, right? I told you all." Laura was very proud she had found this place on one of her runs. Between her and Jane finding good places to train, the group would soon have a page full of different options every day.


    "This will be perfect, but first I think we should talk about the obvious." Louis took a seat n the ground. He knew that his super power would be the be a popular combination and he would need to talk them all out properly.


    "I guess we should just be straightforward then. I control metal and Louis lightning. It''s an easy combination for me to use with Louis. I send out some metal balls at the enemy and Louis shoots lighting which conducts through metal more easily. " This was both good and bad. It meant that the attacks would be a little easier to aim. However, it meant that the attacks would be much more predictable if their opponent knew Art and Louis''s super powers.


    "Mine doesn''t really pair with anyone. In just have my body and freezing people in to place." Jane was wracking her brain for a solution. The closest she got was, "I think Art can use the metal to become cuffs or other restraints while I freeze them in place. Louis could also use himself as a stun gun while I have them frozen in place."


    "Those are perfect ways to use your super powers with his. You can use yours with anyone. If Sammy pushes me faster with a burst of wind and you freeze someone in place with a look, I can retain them with my strength." Jackson really liked the sound of an easy victory. He wanted to be able to safely take down a villain and bring them to justice without any injuries.


    "Hm, I could break up teamwork with my super power. I could even take out their hearing completely by making some sounds very loud." Cara was slowly building his combination. "And with Jane taking away their movement and me their sound, then we have a very easy to beat an opponent. Plus, we just need to add Asher and he will bring us successful luck." The group knew that with Asher as part of their plans their luck skyrocketed.


    "If I join in we will have success but for training I should be left out. It is better to work on combinations to get results without luck and hard work alone. But I do want Jackson and Sammy to be able to throw and push me forward with wind. I feel like I will be lucky enough to get in to a situation that can save someone without getting hurt." Asher wanted to make sure that they were able to push someone far and fast enough to get where they needed.


    "Um, Just an idea, but shouldn''t we all learn to use metal restraints? Art can bend metal in to pretty much any restraint. But if he can''t then we will need to do it ourselves. Maybe we should even do some weapons training. He could be able to make weapons for us in a rough situation. My speed with anything that Art bends metal in to will surely help." The combinations were flowing. They all had a very imaginative morning and used their phones to record some of the best combinations.


    The user of Art and Louis''s super powers took a large chunk of the ideas. This was mostly because they could be used to restrain and incapacitate an opponent easily. Jackson and Jane had taken on a more defensive and supportive role since they had tougher bodies than the others. Cara and Sammy were more supportive than anything. Cara has the ability to fight so she was ahead of Sammy, but Sammy was able to support everyone at different times by using the wind to push them faster.


    Laura was able to act as a front line glass cannon attacker. Her speed was enough t catch everyone off guard and retrain them. But she was not the strongest in the group and would need time to hopefully develop more focus.


    Asher on the other hand, was also able to fight in the front. He could turn a situation on its head since his luck was unpredictable. There was also the fact that he could give his enemies a jinx. The bad luck would naturally skew the fight in the group''s favor.


    "Now we should try to practice a little. I want to see what Art can do with metal and the challenge to make hand cuffs. They just need to lock without a key since you can undo them. The plot twist is they need to fit my wrists and Sammy''s smaller wrists." Jane took the lead and thrust her phone in to Art''s face with a display og hand cuff parts and assembly. He stood up and moved toward the ruined dig out.


    Asher jogged to help Art pull a piece of metal from the remains of the old dug out roof. Everyone was going to watch the creation of the hand cuffs. This was the new and best way for them to understand how fast Art would be able to pull this off. "I found a decent piece of old aluminum. This won''t be super strong but I think it proves that I need to be able to bring metal with me.. What if the villain is strong enough to break them?" At made a good point but Asher knew it was a ploy to be able to make himself armor again.

 Chapter 381 - 381. Zap Combo

    "Alright. I know that Art should be making handcuffs. But what if he made small needles. Like throwing needles from those comic books. Art, like the ones in that Master Of None novel series you read." The look of excitement that sparked in Art''s eyes said that he knew exactly what Louis had thought of.


    "I can see that Art knows what you are thinking of, but I''m in the dark. Tell me." Cara had not completely put the two ideas together just yet.


    "Small needles can be thrown at an enemy or any target really. No matter what the size they are the best conductors of any form of electricity. So I throw the needles or have Art manipulate them. Then I use my lightning to strike them down. Since the needles are small Art will be able to manipulate them easily and for a long time. My lightning can be kept lower output depending on the situation and I will also be able to use it more. Then we will be able to incapacitate a villain or even start a small fire if necessary." Louis felt that this was the best combination yet. It was one they could use for a longer amount of time.


    "Speaking of fire, if we use it to start fires it is perfect. A lot of forest fires will have a small secondary fire lit to cut off the path of the main fire causing it to put itself out. It can have multiple uses. I know your lightning isn''t as controlled so having this to control it will let us use it in a technical situation like that." The class that Asher had been in for the study of natural disasters had left him with a great deal of knowledge on such things. He had plenty more to learn but from what he knew, this would work well.


    "This is similar to what I showed you. It''s not the same as a throwing needle made from dragon scales but it''s just as good for what we need." Art showed off the pieces of metal had forced to separate from the larger piece of metal he was playing with. He still had the diagrams of the handcuffs in front of him to play with.


    "Well, show us how this will work. Ar can throw the needles and control them whole Louis attacks." Jane was done waiting. She wanted the hand cuffs made so that they could all get familiar with them. Even though they were not the super power suppressing handcuffs, they would have the same size and shape which meant that the group would be able to use them interchangeably in the future.


    Art held a hand flat and watched the needles float up. He had only made three but it was enough to give Louis a challenge. "Ready?"


    "Ready." Louis had his arms ready to flick up in a flash and send the smallest zap of lighting he could manage.


    The needles flew one by one to the grass away from the group. Louis flicked his hands in quick succession and a small electrical zapping sound followed the flash of light. The slight smell of burning ozone assaulted their nostrils along with the burning ground. "The needles are red hot. This might not be something we could do all the time." Laura had sprinted over to look at the results and found that they may be a one and done attack.


    "That''s what you think. Did everyone forget that I am not like my brother and I can even manipulate molten liquid metal?" Art made a come hither motion and the glowing red metal was pulled toward him and floated in the air. "The needles are a great idea. I barely feel any resistance and I could probably do this for hours."


    "I have been practicing my muscle control and knowing that my aim will be better is very relaxing. I think I could use this a lot of times too." Louis and Art were very happy with their progress. The two had a combination attack that needed minimal work to get to the usable level.


    "That''s one combo move for the books. I think we should try to get those handcuffs now. Next, let''s also work on moving people with Sammy''s wind. I think having Jane and Cara practice stopping Louis from moving while all this happens will help too." Louis was about to argue with Asher but he realized that Jackson and Asher would be the two that worked with Sammy to get pushed forward with her wind. Cara and Jane would be able to try to freeze him in place or push him a ton to distraction with the sounds that Cara directed at him.


    "I get to play safety then!" Laura was already sure that she had the speed to be able to catch and steady anyone that was being pushed by Sammy''s wind. She also knew that the moves would not work with her super power. The odds were that she would do better after an opponent was distracted, She would be able to rush forward and take someone down with the handcuffs from Art. It was just not time to practice that yet.


    "Louis, I will throw my voice, but I have something new to try. I watched and tried some videos about mimicking voices. I think I can do it with my super power but I need you to evaluate it." Cara was being very honest. She had been worried to try this tactic since it could be very insulting to someone when it came to their voice. It could also go very wrong because if Cara got the voice wrong then the attempt could backfire.


    Standing with his back to Sammy, Asher knew that Jackson and Laura were on watch for his safety. But that was not enough to erase all of his nerves. The reason he was the one being tested on was simple. He was the lucky one. The hope was that if it didn''t work out, then he would not end up too hurt if not hurt at all. Therefore, he would be able to push them to success much faster.


    "I know that I don''t have the best and perfect control over the wind. So just tell me honestly what you think." Sammy had felt this way when Jackson threw her up in the air to test her floating ability. Now she felt it as she was about to potentially sky rocket her friend to the moon by accident.


    "I trust you. Let''s try this. I will start a slow jog and you can use your super power." Asher immediately started the slow jog. The wind seemed to pull past him before he felt a wave hit him. His body felt as if it had been pushed by an additional gravity coming from the side. If he had never swum in water he would not have realized that he felt like he could almost be swimming in the air.


    The balance he had was thrown wildly off. The power of the wind was not too much but it was the change in speed that had knocked Asher in to a forward somersault. He was not prepared for the force but luckily ha had taken the time to learn to roll when he fell his instinct. Overall, he was now better prepared for the next attempt.


    "I would say you should use a little less force and if someone is being pushed behind, then they need to lean back some. I wasn''t ready for the change." Asher gave his analysis and Jackson moved in to a lower stance to be able to catch the now dirtier Asher.


    "I think it looks like you were pushed from the middle of your back more. Can you spread out the wind more Sammy?" Lara has trained her mind and body to work together a lot better. Her eyes had seen some of the smaller details of Asher''s body as it was hit by the wind to push him forward.


    "I tried to imagine the wind as kind of a hand pushing him forward. Maybe I should think of it like a cardboard cut out of Asher''s body." The idea to imagine a cut out was better. It would potentially place the wind evenly so that Asher would feel even pressure pushing him forward. The group stood prepared to try it again and again.


    "I swear. These stupid parts aren''t meant to come together." Art was swearing in the person who designed the hand cuffs. He tried to make the inter workings of the handcuffs that would keep them from just opening after putting pieces together around a wrist. But the problem was that the gear shape was very hard to replicate. Art was staring at a mess of meta; that didn''t resemble the gear at all.


    His annoyance was also causing him to misshape the parts more than before. Therefore, he rolled on his back in annoyance. He knew that he would need to calm his mind and go through the design again. If he was unable to focus then he would be unable to use his super power properly.. Art made note to do some training that could help him handle stress better.

 Chapter 382 - 382. Cuffed

    "I''m just saying. It''s really creepy that you can make it sound like an old man is whispering in my ear. Like, how would you feel if you suddenly heard an old man whispering in your ear asking how much money it takes to buy a school lunch?" Louis was sure that Cara could work on a better voice to shift in to. But every time she tried it would sound like an older mans'' voice was being thrown.


    "Ugh, it has to be the distance. I have to stop the distorting of my voice. I keep trying to make it sound like your own voice is asking." This was the sixth time that Cara had tried it. Between Jane trying to use her foot work to make Louis look in her eyes and freeze in place, he was getting a lot more annoyed than he thought he would.


    "Just try and start closer then? Or maybe try to just change your voice then throw it once you have that perfect." From what Louis could see, Cara was trying to run as fast as possible before she had figured out how to even walk properly. If she slowed down and got a proper understanding for everything then she would be able to better throw the changed voice.


    "I would say he''s right. You are trying to throw a voice that you haven''t spoken in your whole life. How would you ever beso used to it that it worked instantly?" Jane jumped right in front of Louis''s face causing him to freeze in place. The problem with that was he was about to speak and no he just was frozen with his mouth wide open to take a breath.


    "Really? I think you are going to get slapped if you do it like that and it doesn''t work." Louis was done playing around. He decided that he was going to make it much harder for them and use his lightning to throw them off. "You are trying to distract me, so how about I distract you?" The small strikes of lightning that normally resided within Louis''s body safely were let out and arced over his skin.


    "I wonder what they did to make Louis so angry? I know they are distracting him but he is never like that at home." Sammy had caught the show of lightning from where she was training with Asher, Jackson, and Laura.


    "It''s probably better that way. If he is doing that then they are forced to move while using their super powers. It''s like multitasking but with consequences." For some reason, Asher wasn''t at all perturbed by this. He had the feeling that they would be fin no matter what and it was actually decent training. As much as he didn''t want to be zapped, Asher was considering asking Louis to do that next time they had a sparring match.


    Asher started to jog again forward and felt the wind in his back. Sammy had spread out the wind after the sixth try and was now able to perfectly push his whole body. The force felt as if it had decreased but in essence, it was still the same. Asher was just able to better run with the speed increasing.


    "Huh, you are moving a lot faster!" Laura was slowing herself to move at the same pace as Asher. The two were definitely at a speed that Asher would normally sprint at but for some reason, he didn''t find that he was exerting that much force. His weight on his legs and feet felt much less.


    "Aaaannd I git you. I would say that was a success." Jackson stopped Asher''s momentum slowly since Asher was getting pushed upward slightly and lost his footing on the ground.


    "Sammy, that was the best yet. I felt like I was running with half the weight I normally would!" Asher felt this was even better than he had expected.


    "That''s good. It looked like you were sprinting with all your might. I wonder what would happen if you got further away?" Part of Sammy''s worry was that she would lose so much force over time that if she tried to push anyone with wind from a distance that they would just feel a breeze. If this happened and the expectations as different in a dangerous situation then someone could be hurt.


    "Actually, I lost my footing in the end because the wind seemed to lift upward a little." This seemed like an important face to share since it could affect how well they were able to use the combo.


    "That''s what I was worried about. The wind is only under my control to start. Once I send it out that''s that. I wonder if the air on the ground was hotter or colder there. I bet that caused the gust I sent to change shape and direction." Sammy had many theories about how this would work but the best was that the temperature was different.


    "Wait, if you can control two different types of wind temperatures couldn''t you make a tornado and fly using it? Or destroy a large area?" One of these methods was a little more terrifying than the other. But Jackson was honestly curious if Sammy would be able to control multiple types of wind or two sources of wind at the same time.


    "I can give it a shot. But whenever I try to push wind in opposite directions I have ended up with a vacuum that makes my ears pop and even gave me a nosebleed once." Sammy had never admitted this attempted practice before. It was embarrassing that it had always failed so much.


    "That''s not good! If you do that too much you will end up in the hospital. That means you are forcing the air out of your body and it caused bleeding. You should control it naturally and not force it. Look at how wind current move and stuff." It wasn''t Asher or Jackson that had begun to lecture Sammy. Laura had taken the lead and was going on about the ways that Sammy could have managed to use the two different wind currents without making a vacuum and hurting herself.


    "You sound like my mom¡­but you''re right. I will try moving the hot and cold air when I get home today. I think I can open the fridge and it will work." Her head was down slightly but Sammy knew that it was important to her friends that she remembered this. Not because they were being mean but because they worried about her.


    "Ha! Look!" Art had jumped up and was holding a small silver piece of metal. "I made the locking gear! It was so freaking hard but look! It''s perfect." Art had spent all his time making the locking mechanism for the handcuffs. He had thrown aside the idea that he would be able to make a permanently locking handcuff that he would then free everyone from. Instead, he had forced himself to focus and meditate to create the small locking mechanism gear.


    "Finally! You spent like a whole hour and a half on that!" Jane sprinted and nearly tackled Art down to grab the first pair of handcuff so she could see how they worked. Her plan was to see how they would work in to her fighting style but before she could do anything they had disappeared from her hands.


    "If you were as fast as me you would be able to do this." Laura stuck her tongue out at Jane and the next thing she knew there was a single cuff locked around her ankle. "I figure if we really want to trip people up we should make them so they stop their feet and hands." Art was laughing like a fool watching Jane now penguin walking since she didn''t know how to unlock them.


    "I think it''s a good idea for both but if I can just pull them off." Asher reached down and the handcuffs fell off of Janes'' ankles, "Then I don''t think they are that good. The locking mechanism you were yelling about is like a simple switch."


    Art looked at Asher then looked at the handcuffs dropped in front of him, The small switch had fallen out and his dreams had fallen too. All of his hard work had been proven futile since the part he had made was too small. "Next time, you guys can go buy the cheap ones at the toy store. I would prefer to do this instead." Art controlled a small wire of metal he had made to wrap around Asher''s legs and make him fall like a worm on the ground.


    In a matter of seconds, the group had devolved in to a not so nice game of foot work tag. Somehow Asher had freed himself like everyone expected him to do anyways. The only people still working on their combinations were Cara and Jane who were freezing people in place while also trying to make the others hear someone else behind them.. No one even noticed the exhausted Louis laying on the ground trying not to fall asleep.

 Chapter 383 - 383. Grouped Up

    "Why do I have the feeling that we didn''t get anything accomplished?" Jackson was laying on the ground catching his breath. He had been running from the small zaps that Louis had started to emit when he used his super power to bolster his speed.


    "Hey! We were able to nearly make Asher in to a rocket. Don''t call that nothing." The group erupted in to a fit of laughter while Laura snacked on trail mix that no one had any idea where she had gotten it from.


    "I also got the feeling for how to make these things." Art had refined his skills in the last hour and showed off the working pair of handcuffs that they could use in the future.


    "Is that what you have been fiddling with? I thought you were trying to make more needles for Louis to carry around and direct his attacks?" Asher had noticed that Art was fiddling with something but wasn''t sure what it was.


    "I think Louis will need more than needles. I think her should have wires running through his clothing that help him direct lighting through every part of him. Add some rubber in and he might have a more refined control over everything." The idea that Art had was simple but sounded like it would take a lot of testing to get it perfect.


    "Then you should come to the sewing and design class. There''s a class just for designing clothes that work with peoples'' super powers. I bet the teacher will take it on as a test for her advanced students." This had been something Jane heard about her teacher doing when an idea interested her. The students would have free control over materials and design while the school provided funds. In the end, the school would be able to pitch the idea as their student''s outstanding merit, and the person that pitched the idea would get to keep the clothing or costume.


    "Isn''t that the challenge that earned the arts an award of an extra hundred thousand dollars for further education last year?" Cara had read it in the school newspaper and even recalled having a few parents talking about it.


    "Huh, the more you know. I wonder if the other classes do it. Well, other than the modern technology class." Everyone was sure that the school had more programs that did the same but they were just not as knowledgeable about them as the others.


    "You know, I really didn''t realize that you could control your running speed so well now Laura." Sammy had been staring off in to space for a moment. Se was running the combo training on loop on her mind and found herself impressed. Laura had managed to keep up with Asher and even slow down to perfectly match his pace.


    "I feel like I Am getting better at it the more I do it. I just tried to match the way Asher ran and how his feet landed. I have been trying to copy everyone. It''s the same as when Art and Asher use everyone elses'' moves in a fight."


    "Actually, why is that? You two always seem to use someone elses'' move when you fight." Jackson had caught on to what Laura had just said. Every time he saw Asher and Art battle it out with someone they seemed to have someone elses'' move adapted for them. Or they completely pull out a move that they had seen and practiced only a few times.


    "I don''t really know. For me, it is just a feeling that works well. I don''t try and force anything too much. I just want everything to flow well together." This was the expected reason from Asher since he didn''t usually plan his moves out. His entire style was to go with the flow of a battle and if his friend''s moves fit in to that flow then so be it. Even he would not know what moves would come in handy and he made a point to learn many of them whenever he could.


    "I don''t know why everyone is looking at me. I just do the unexpected. Do you think someone with my body type looks like they can use a high kick like Jane? Now. Does it look like I can be flexible and use the lower stance that Asher''s rag doll style has? No. It is all to catch someone off guard. And some of your moves look really cool." The last part that Art said was what caught everyone of guard. The simple fact that he would use a move because it looked cool was just too outrageous.


    "So, you bet your matches on the fact that a move might look cool? How are you even in high school now?" The tine that Jane took on was a little more mom like than anyone wanted. But they couldn''t say that they weren''t thinking the dame.


    "What? You aren''t telling me that when we had the martial arts videos games that you didn''t think some of the moves we learned were cool and tried harder to learn them? When I see everyone use a move perfectly it''s cool. I want to be able to do the same so I work to learn it. It''s not my fault that I find myself in a situation where I can use the move." The simple huff from Art made them all realize that it was a good driving tactic to memorize a move.


    "Can we focus for a few minutes?" Cara decided to draw everyone''s attention. "We have a lot left to do before school starts. But if we really want to make it anywhere we need to find the next big thing that will put us ahead of everyone again." She was sure that if the group did not do this then they would slow their progress down.


    "We are already in an advanced class. What else could we do?" Part of Sammy felt that she had just asked a forbidden question. Cara had lit up and was clearly thinning of an idea already.


    "We sign up for the interschool competitions. All the hero and law enforcement students can sign up and potentially get selected to go and compete. The best students are chosen among the best of the other subjects. This is usually to get a university scholarship but for us, we could use the fame a little. Not to mention it would help us push for improvements." It did sound like a good idea.


    "Wouldn''t that just be more individual battle experience?" The sound of Louis speaking to make them all realize that they didn''t need to focus on their strengths which were individual battles at the moment. They needed group work to be able to focus as a better hero group in the future.


    "Well, if you let me finish you would know that this year there is a new grouping. The section that allowed students to form their own teams for combat and other taste is being unveiled. The specifics of how the teams will compete haven''t been released but our school should be picking groups soon. Usually, the seniors take up all the individual spots but if there are group spots, well, we can take one." Cara had it all figured out. The school was most likely going to select them before the villains had attacked the city. Now it would be the first thing done when school resumed.


    "I''m sold. Let''s do it!" Sammy jumped in to the air with a slight breeze. She was liking the idea that she would be able to show off their new combinations and potentially learning new ones.


    "I think it''s a good idea. We all agreed we need to improve our teamwork and that is the test we need. We should start practicing with combinations and trying to match each others'' foot work. We can cut out our night training by ourselves and meet here." Asher made the final call and everyone appeared to agree. It would mean they also trained during the fading light of the day which would challenge them. They would need to remain focused during the changing light.


    "That''s means that Cara is signing us up in a day. But we need to remember, we also have to pick new classes." Jane didn''t want everyone to forget that they were changing classes now that they were in an advanced class.


    "Good point. We should check out those pamphlets we were given at the start of the school year. I bet we have a ton of cool ones we can take now that we left one class in the dust." If they hadn''t decided to jog back to their houses together, they would have lost Laura to the wind.


    The group made their way home and found their school starting packets and started to browse the pamphlet for their future classes. They were all going to select the ones that they thought would be the best.. The plan was to meet at the school in the morning to visit the office and hand in their decisions.

 Chapter 384 - 384. New Classes

    "Oh honey, you and your little group are the pride of the school you know. I swear I have saved and watched the compilation of you all getting your medals seven times." The woman in the office was still talking about the group and their performance at the Riktor tournament. She hadn''t even let them hand in the paperwork that they had with them for their class selections.


    "Linda, that mother is calling again about the school lunches. Something about wanting to know if the chicken nuggets are vegan and if the orange juice had red dye in it" Another of the office secretaries called for the woman currently talking the groups'' ears off.


    "Ugh, you know how duty calls. Let me take those papers for you. That printer there will print out your schedules so just wait one moment. I hope you can all stick together and face academia head on!" She was overly peppy and the group snatched up the papers as they printed and rushed out.


    "I feel like we were saved by an angel. An evil controlling parent who doesn''t know that the chicken nuggets aren''t vegan, but still our angel." Louis would have been broken the moment someone asked him if chicken was vegan. But he thankfully was not the person that needed to answer such questions.


    "Crazy and bubbly people aside. I can''t believe they just let us all be in the same classes at the same time. I really thought they would split us up to avoid the whole friends fooling around thing." The reason Art was so stuck on this was that he was thinking of the potential to slack off. They could share their answers and get thongs done much faster giving them time to do whatever they wanted.


    "What''s our favorite class? It has to be something good. Right?" Everyone ignored Art as Asher handed out everyone a copy of the schedule. "Oh, it says that it was approved by the principal. I bet that''s why we were able to all be in the same classes. I bet he wanted us to stay as a group since that is how we operate anyways.'' The piece of paper in Sammy''s hand was being read faster and faster until she felt that she had already memorized it.


    "Advanced survival and rescue. I think that will be the class I am going to be the most excited for. Ever since you were taking it and told me about it I have wanted to join it. And now we can take the advanced version!" If Jackson wasn''t such a big person. Asher thought that he might be skipping down the halls in joy.


    "I feel like we are going to have to rely on Jackson a lot in that class. He just ordered another set of rescue for dummies books. He got the whole mountain series." Sammy had teased Jackson about this but was sure that they would prove to have a lot of useful knowledge.


    "I saw that giant bookshelf when he invited the entire group over for dinner. He has like every botany book on the planet!" Louis overheard Sammy talking to Laura and had remembered the massive full wall bookcase full of similar botany and survival books.


    "Wait, why are we taking targeted biology? Is that really going to help us?" This was not one of the choices that Asher had chosen. He knew that everyone had their say in the classes they would take and some people had the one class that they absolutely wanted to take no matter what.


    "That one was my must take class. I signed everyone up for it. I am a shifter so my body changed when I shift, right? Well, my theory is that the better we learn how our body works the better we can use it. Targeted biology class works on how each part of our body works and why. We will learn how our muscles move to produce the results we see." Jane was making a lot of sense and Louis thought that this class was also ideal for him since he had to figure out better ways to control his lighting body super power. He couldn''t always rely on his basic knowledge. The more he understood the higher his potential to be able to control the lighting exactly the way he wanted to.


    "I can see how that would help us. But I think the life one O one class I set us up to take will be better. It usually was a small presentation made by students. But after the last three years, it was turned in to a real class. It is literally all about life skills. Changing a tire, how to cook a basic meal, how to follow bike safety laws and a ton of other things." Cara had the maid goal of learning the small heroic deeds that everyone needed in life from this class. No one could argue with the logic since they knew that most of the newer heroes would end up doing the small jobs for a year at least.


    " I kind of like the sound of never knowing what we will learn. It really fits the kind of life I live." Asher would be lying if the class didn''t sound like it was meant for him. He always ended up in a situation he didn''t expect and sometimes a little extra knowledge would be good. Especially since his super power could literally mean he ended up in odd situations.


    "You guys were right. We did make it in to the modern technology class again. I didn''t know if we would. If we didn''t then we would lose out on testing everything the others made." Laura had feared that she would miss out and have to find time after school to go and visit the class. She really wanted to keep the class since it was her favorite lately.


    "I think we needed to keep it or else we would lose all the progress on our hero gear. We have a lot of things that are only possible because of the dedication in that class." Asher couldn''t have learned to appreciate the student in the class more. He still hated the hot head teacher but since he had figured out how to avoid them, he didn''t have any issues.


    "I didn''t think I would want to go to a room full of machines and circuits, but you have all made me curious. Plus, I have seen the things they make there and it blows my mind." The feeling of curiosity was very strong for Jackson since he had never explored the option of technology. He preferred books and the outdoors instead.


    "I''m telling you, you need to buy a new computer for your house. You can''t even email your homework assignments in." No one had been giving Jackson and his family a hard time about not having an up to date and properly working computer but after this class, he was sure to need one.


    "Guys, we just got the schedule. Let''s take a lap through all the classes so we will be able to make it on time tomorrow. I want to know how much extra work out we get the whole day." Cara had decided that it was time to move. Her goals were simple, see if she could increase the distance she traveled every day. If she could do that without really noticing it then she would get even stronger than before.


    "Stop running!" Coach Winters''s voice echoed through the hall stopping the group dead in their tracks. " I come in to set up for the next classes I will be teaching and  find that you are all here running around like it''s your job to break the school before you leave." The fake drama in her voice made everyone feel like she was about to turn around and tell them to start running laps.


    "That''s the schedule? Let me see. I want to know how tired you will be when you come to the after school training sessions we organized for the advanced class." "Don''t look at me like that. You would all know about this if you had paid attention more."


    The only person that seemed to be alright and excited about this was Jane. She liked the intense training and was sure to be able to figure out more about the combinations her group could do. However, she did want to speak with coach Winters about something. "I was wondering if you had any moves that you think would work with my style? I know the last time we let us borrow those videos of moves but I wasn''t sure if you would have something that fit me." It was a risky question but a good one.


    "I have just the moves you might need. Come over to the gym and we can all sit and try them out for a while. I wanted to clean the closet out anyway.." Jane had ended the group in a chore at the school.

 Chapter 385 - 385. Triple Kicks

    "You can watch as many as you want. But I expect the closet and gym floor cleaned. Normally I would let the staff do that but the custodian that waxes the floor was injured on his way home in the attack on the city. He is recuperating and students will be elected or volunteer to assist in the small tasks he did for everyone." Now the group felt as if they had no choice but to constantly help out. No one had the courage to say that they didn''t want to clean and wax the floors as she left.


    "Think of it as a hero job. We are volunteering to help someone who can''t do this because of an injury. We would be doing things like this when we get to university and enter a hero specific program anyways." The positive attitude that Sammy took on was quickly shared with everyone.


    The idea didn''t go too far for all of them but it was enough for them to get to work. "I think there''s like a hundred videos in here. How will we pick a move to learn?"


    "Louis, watch out for the television in there. If you zap it we can''t watch all the videos, or at least the good ones." Cara was not about to take the hit if the television was broken. She also knew that coach Winters would unleash years of fury on them in the form of extra training and homework.


    "How to stretch¡­ Is this really a video? We already learned to scratch in class and with each other. I feel like half of this box is just random scratches." The box that Art had claimed to search was older than most and had over seven volumes of the how to stretch series. It was clear that these were widely used at one point in history.


    "I think that these are also from past gym teachers. There are too many from years ago. Some of them even show people with weird poofy hair on the covers." Asher felt that the videos were not necessarily up to date until he pulled out another set. "Ha! I found the good ones." These were much newer and obviously labeled.


    "No way these are real. The three tiger kicks? How cheesy in the at name?"


    Louis read the cover of the first in the box as soon and Asher had motioned for them to come and look it over.


    ''Ten dollars says that this is a fake video just so she can mess with us." Even Jackson was believing that it was fake and was willing to join the test of them and bet it was false.


    "I bet ten that it is real then. You will owe me ten dollars and anyone else that joins in will owe me too." There was annoyance in every word that Jane said. Se knew full well that everyone thought that coach Winters was just using it to torture them. Especially since she was always hard on everyone to push them to their best.


    "Uh, wait. I was just a joke"


    "No, you said it. Let''s see." Jane snatched the video and placed in in the television port. The mechanical clicking registered in their ears before the television burst in to life to show a much younger coach winters.


    "This is volume one of the tiger style. It is known for its burst of strength and speed in its movements. Today we will talk about the three tiger kicks series. These are three kicks in a row often used to distance an opponent or cause harm to the body. Aiming for the head and legs will cause a major loss in power."


    "That isn''t actually her¡­is it?" The group was stunned. To actually see that coach Winters had been so good as to be able to teach when she was only at college age. Se had to be considered a genius when it came to martial arts. That or she worked harder than any other did.


    "The first kick is a straight kick. It used the core and the legs to drive your force toward your heal and in to your opponent when you unbend your knee." The video showed coach Winters lifter her leg and pointing out the changes in muscle groups to push the pressure to the heel of her kicking led. Then the force hit the dummy in front of her and pushed it back even though she did the move in slow motion.


    "That distance is what makes you room for the second kick in the combination. The reverse heal kick. You will use your momentum to turn and twist gaining additional force. That allows you to move quicker and close the distance between you and your stunned opponent. When your kick lands it is important to push through your opponent and not retract your attack. It will add more force."


    The video showed the quick spin and the back of her heel hitting the rib area of the training dummy. The force was much tougher now but it also continued to push the dummy back and to the side.


    "Now that the two have been done it is time for the third and final move in the combination. This last kick continues the force and switches the movement to the leg you have been using as your support. Instead of fending the combination, you will stomp your moving leg to the ground pushing your body up. Raise your super power leg and kick toward the chest area as if you are pushing off a wall." The move was much faster than the previous moves but it knocked the training dummy over completely. "From there you can pin down your opponent. Now watch it all together."


    The triple kicks combination was insane in practice. Watching a younger coach Winters execute the three kicks. The combination was faster than their eyes could keep up with until it was demonstrated again in slow motion. She was able to flawlessly connect the kicks and even manage to show the camera a smile while she did it.


    "Here''s your ten dollars." Jackson knew that everyone would get on him if he didn''t do what he had said. Even though Jane had just been joking more or less about the money part. She would never actually take money from her friends or anyone. She was actually against betting since there was the risk of addiction.


    "This means that the entire stack with these labels is her¡­how many moved does she know?" Laura has speedily sorted through all the videos to find that all of them were the same handwriting and the same style. It was amazing to find out the massive depth of coach Winters'' knowledge. She could easily beat the group ten times over and over again while also using different moves each time.


    The group quickly forgot their task to wax the floor and began to practice the moves while slowly skipping the video part to part. The person that seemed to grasp the kick the best was Jane. She had the burst of energy to make herself kick hard enough to cause the same movements as the younger coach Winters did. Jane''s style was using the strength of her legs to move faster at the core of her being. This melded perfectly with the triple kick combo presented in the video.


    They all watched as Jane was able to figure it all out after watching just a handful of times. It was amazing since they were nowhere near the same result. However, after Jane had shown that she could do it even though it was rough, Asher and Art added the next videos. This one was demonstrating how to block the kicks from the previous videos.


    The group started to let Jane practice the kicks while they practiced the blocks. If they had kept learning the kicks then Jane would have been above them. However, since Asher and Art had been quick, they were able to find the counter to the move.


    "Remember, never block a kick. You deflect which is the perfect block." This was the best advice yet. Everyone would try to be tough and try to completely block and kick or attack in general. But if it was deflected and the direction was changed then the kick would normally hit the ground or another solid surface. Therefore, the kick would cause the attack to become damaged or at the very least slightly stunned. This would allow for the person blocking to escape or attack themselves.


    "So they can really [pick up the moves quickly. Who would have thought that I would see them used again? I retired that style a long time ago." Coach Winters found herself in the security booth watching. She could care less about the floor waxing but was more focused on the moves the group was learning. She had never passed these moves on to anyone but today had been the first.. The group was unknowingly being guided.

 Chapter 386 - 386. Rising Stars

    "Bro, you are trying too hard. You need to lower your level then push up with your heels, not your toes." Art had found a move to use a proper uppercut. Since it was a common fighting move in many games, he had ended up challenging Asher to see who could learn it first. Naturally, Art had been able to beat him due to him being used to it more.


    Asher listened and gave it a try while aiming at the training dummy. Just like the videos and Art said, he lower his level and got closer to the dummy. Then with all his force he pushed off the ground and let his arms and back release the pressure from holding the lowered position. This transferred the force and his fist hit the dummy with a lot more force which pushed the dummies head upwards.


    "Damn! That crushes hands!" Asher had learned the very important lesson that came with the extremely forceful punches. They had an equal backlash. Luckily for Asher, he had not done any damage and just shocked himself.


    "You know, we all use punches to some degree. We might want to add some wrist and ankle braces to our gear." Jackson had punched a heavier dummy a few times after learning a jab combination. He could feel his joints taking a little more pressure and was sure it would build up. He could only imagine the damage that would show up after years and years of doing such a thing.


    "Hey Laura, tomorrow at the modern technology class, do you want to ask if they can somehow add braces to our gear?" Asher shouted over to Laura who was working on a jab combo technique that Jackson had shown her just a few minutes before. Since jabs were a light punch and relied on speed to shock someone, they were perfect for Laura.


    "Huh? Braces? I already have those factored in to my shoes. But wrist braces would be good too. I jabbed like a hundred times and I think my wrists and arms will bruise if I did it a thousand. The way Laura spoke sounded like a hundred was nothing. Out of the entire group she might have been the most out of touch with the norm.


    "Hey! If you four aren''t going to work on something then I will make sure that my voice gets thrown at you when you are sleeping." Cara had come to realize that her inexperienced throwing of other peoples'' voices was actually very scary. Instead of improving, she somehow ended up getting worse. Now when she attempted someone else''s voice, it was more often than not that she would sound grave and evil. I would definitely wake and scare someone at night.


    "Oh yeah!? Then what have you been working on?" Cara instantly showed a jump and roll that flowed in to a high kick and double handed hammer fist. This was an advanced combination that Jane was attempting to copy with little success.


    "Yeah, I think she is doing fine. But I am going to try and learn that." Asher jogged over and attempted to roll forward in to a high kick without practice at all. No one was supposed to when he fell and landed on his butt.


    "You''re lucky I''m your sister ad can show you the tricks to a few things." Cara was sure that Asher would have been totally lost when trying these moves. Mostly because she knew that Asher was not as flexible as her and that he would need some help making the move flow at first.


    The accusation didn''t end as well as Cara had expected. In just a quick moment, Asher had jumped to roll and landed in front of her. He didn''t even try to high kick when he pushed himself up. Instead, he cut it out and went for a hammer fist right away. The sudden change in his movements caused Cara to be forced back and dodge instead of countering. This left the two face to face ready for a battle.


    The next few minutes were filled with the rest of the group trying to stop them and eventually Jane using her super power to freeze them in place by getting between them. "You two know we are learning new moves and not fighting, right?" The embarrassment brought a red tinge to both Asher and Cara''s faces and instead of the training, they found themselves stuck with the majority of cleaning the gym. They has already been practicing for a few hours and that was that.


    "Do you think coach Winters left us alone with these videos on purpose?'' Louis was sure that something was just too good to be true as they left the gym without bumping in to anyone else.


    "Regardless of intentional or not, we won big time. I think that if I use my super power with that jump and roll, that I can make it even more powerful." Sammy had thought that they should add their combinations in to the new moves but didn''t want to push each other too far. She understood that if they did push too far that they would risk overworking themselves.


    "We can try that out tomorrow after classes. It should be a light day since we just got back from break. It wasn''t an intentional break but a break nonetheless." Art was certain that the teachers might try to assign some extra homework to get them caught up but that would be all. When it came to physical training they would most likely get off easy.


    " Hey, look. That''s the guy we saw on the news. He was able to catch a huge piece of a skyscraper that was falling." Laura had spotted the man flying through the sky. He had the super power of telekinesis. This was able to make him control some things with his mind. He had quickly risen in fame when he caught a massive piece of building with his super powers. Since then he had shown himself flying using his own super powers.


    "That''s wicked cool. I wonder why he was around here?" The area around the school was relatively safe and having a super hero around to fight crime was odd. Most of the small crime that happened was easily dealt with by law enforcement.


    "Didn''t you see the news this morning?" Louis and Sammy both spoke in unison. They had always seen the weather due to their grandfather''s previous job before retirement.


    " Hero corp is encouraging super heroes to patrol areas they normally wouldn''t patrol. It''s to show villains that heroes are everywhere and waiting to catch them. Some of the higher crime areas already have shown a change. A lot of people are more relaxed just in the morning knowing heroes are n their area more often." Sammy and Louis helped each other finish the story as if it was an impromptu news story. Everyone else watched as if they were crazy.


    "Sorry, we do that at home because our grandfather thinks it''s hilarious." The two were embarrassed but not a single person made fin of them.


    "It''s good that heroes are getting out of their comfort zone. I think people get too used to seeing the same heroes. Villains can also plan to sneak around the,m. Having different heroes around at different times will make them just as unexpected as a villain can be." Asher approved this completely. He would prefer to see many heroes than just one. It helped him, learn more while also keeping villains at bay.


    "That means we get to meet more heroes right? I bet I  can meet more on the way home than you can!" The challenge came from Laura and not a single one of them was able to resist rushing ahead. They had decided to each at Asher and Cara''s house that night before trying to figure out some of the harder academic app quiz questions. They needed to be ready for their new and tougher classes when they got to school in the morning. They also had to decide on their morning work out routine.


    The sad part was that they did not encounter any other heroes that they could watch or even get near. But the fun had been in chasing each other back to their friend''s house. Meanwhile, coach Winters had evaluated the ones she had seen them practicing and using. To her surprise, she could see that they had all grasped an understanding of every move they watched. Not only this, but the group had helped each other get to basic mastery of the move without leaving anyone behind. This was the major reason that the group was progressing so far.


    The report that she filled out was sent to the principal with the potential teaching tactics for the advanced classes and potentially even a whole new education program all together.. The group was already the top group in the school and would just need a little more time to show themselves as the strongest group in the school.

 Chapter 387 - 387. Saturdays

    "As everyone can see, there have been some switches to the class roster. Today we will introduce the group that has switched in to the class. Most of you have met them over the course of the vacation due to your extra activities. But today you will begin homeroom with them." Coach Winters'' had shocked the group by appearing to be the home room teacher that they all now had. Not only this but everyone that they had trained with over the last vacation was c currently in the large classroom.


    It was nice t see familiar faces of the other students but being in the same class as most of the older students was hard to get a handle on. "This is super weird, right?" Sammy was having a hard time grasping the reason behind this.


    "What other class would we be in? The extra training is kind of a secret. They don''t want people to know that there is a class that gives special treatment to push future heroes to graduate faster." Louis had read in to all of this and perfectly understood it all. He was sure that Sammy was just overwhelmed seeing the best students in the school.


    There were a few people missing though which made Asher give a look to coach Winters'' She understood that it was because the top students in the school weren''t [resent. "This is the majority of the class. Those that are not here are on a special privileged field trip. Only a few students get to go a week and if you can show a decent improvement you might be selected." Everyone had wanted an explanation but coach Winters just smirked and motioned for them to sit down.


    "Hey, what''s the deal with this field trip?" Art sneakily asked one of the students sitting next to them.


    "Did you not get the lecture when they transferred you over to the elite class? It''s the field trip to hero groups and organizations. It''s to help us find a mentor. If we find the right mentor then they might sponsor us to go to a university or completely teach us themselves to bypass a university." The student only shook his head wondering if the group had been ignoring the normal lecture that was given by the homeroom teacher when they joined the class.


    "It''s the part you all missed by skipping. But don''t worry. I can catch everyone up. Just make sure that you pay attention. They are going over the weekend schedule. We have sunday off but Saturday we will have a rescue challenge once a month." Cara spoke as if this was all normal. But to the rest of the group, it was a shock. They had expected to still have saturday off to train as they wished.


    "I think this is great. If we have a rescue challenge then I bet it will be behind the school. Maybe we will have a mountain rescue or a forest rescue." The excitement that Jackson had was all due to the fact that he would be able to better use his survival knowledge in such an activity. He would be able to show off his strength of skill in this way.


    "That''s a good point. Let''s look at the upside. We can still study and train after. But this will be a safe way to build experience. If we treat it like it is real then we will improve by leaps and bounds." The supportive words from Jane made their overall attitude improve. Lately, Jane had been more and more positive since they were all making progress with their moves. The training of new moves the day before had oppened her eyes to combinations that she had been blind to for so long. Especially when it came to the weakness of her stare freezing people that had to look at her.


    "We are expecting everyone to be here bright and early saturday. That means one in the morning. We will start before the sun rises." The look on coach Winters'' s face told them that she was not joking. "And as always I will leave a clue for what the danger will be and what causes it." She slapped a paper on to the board and let everyone look at it before walking right out of the room mumbling about getting coffee.


    "That was it? She only said that? Shouldn''t she have told us a lot of things? What do we do here? Just sit and wait for the class to end?" Laura''s questions never seemed to end. She had thought there would be a lot more structure in an elite home room class. Overall, it just seemed lazy and lacking.


    "This actually sounds pretty normal. We have one thing that warns us of a danger. Do you think a hero just shows up by chance in the right place at the right time?" Asher paused for a moment while he explained. "No, they have patrol routes that are decided on where crime is likely to happen and what is going on in the community around them. I would bet that that flyer says something very important." Art jumped up and went to check it out.


    The rest of the group waited with breath held to hear what it said. "The flyer is for a camping retreat. It says that the group is searching for evidence of a small beetle eating the trees in the forest. They are searching using magnifying glasses and other tools. It also says volunteered wanted."


    "Then we are the volunteers in the case. But what danger could that carry? Is the beetle poisonous?" There was a slight fear that Sammy would find herself trapped with some poisonous beetle that she had no idea how to handle.


    "No, it doesn''t say it is. I bet it''s something else." Art wished he had more information but couldn''t think of any he had seen. "Actually, there was a weather report for the week on the bottom of the flyer. It showed sunny on Saturday."


    "Ha! I know what will happen. Come with me quick.": Louis jumped up and left to the hallway so that he could tell the group privately what was going to happen. He wasn''t sure if telling the entire class was the best method.


    "What''s the big idea? You dragged us all here for nothing?" Cara wasn''t too happy to be dragged from her thoughts but soon caught on that Louis was completely sure he had the event figured out already.


    "It''s a forest fire. The group goes out with magnifying glasses. Then very cliche of a fire started. I bet the heat and dry forest catch fire from a magnifying glass being left in a weird spot. The fire starts and we have to rescue those on the trip. " Louis looked like he was on cloud nine. He knew that he was making some assumptions but it all made a lot of sense.


    ''If that is whats happens then we will need some tough gear." Art knew that this was very likely. The small clues pointed to what would happen. There was a weather report on the bottom of the flyer and easily showed the bright sun with rays like flames.


    The group talked for few minutes more before heading back in to the home room. A few students look at them but shrugged them off. No one wanted to believe that they had actually figured everything out since they were newer to the class and it would take time to get better at guessing.


    Cara was a little surprised that Louis had made such a sound guess but realized why. Cara and Sammy had a family member that was once a weather man. This made them more likely to be able to spot the signs of a potential forest fire. It also meant that they were clear on what could cause such things and how to avoid them. "Just make sure that we keep this to ourselves. We don''t get anything out of sharing with everyone."


    The advice was mostly so that the group would be able to safely prepare instead of being hounded by the other students. She was sure that someone would come to ask them for their ideas. The freshest mind was always the best to ask for a new idea.


    After they had sat for a few moments the whispered ideas drifted towards the group and they turned a blind eye and deaf ear. Asher in particular had a girl nearby ask him his opinions. Instead of answering he just pretended to be studying the academic app. Soon, the bell had rung and they were off to their first class.


    The group as a whole was very excited to get to their new class schedule and figure out what they would learn that was new. But in the end, they were actually in for a long day of catching up and additional homework. The other teachers had to get the group to the same level as other students.. They had switched in to a higher class suddenly.

 Chapter 388 - 388. Heat

    "Welcome to advanced survival. Today we are going over desert environments. I don''t care if you have experience or not, today you know nothing!" The advanced survival class was very different from the normal survival class. Every single week there would be a different guest instructor that specialized in a specific environment or situation. Jackson thought that this made it the best class in the entire school. So much so that he nearly clamped a hand over his mouth when the guest instructor said that they knew nothing about desert survival from this point on.


    "The best way to learn about survival is to do it in action. For this class, we will head to the survival area beneath this room. It has been simulated to mimic desert time and temperatures in a three hour cycle. That is why you will spend the next two periods of the day with me."


    The group had been one half of the class. The other student just happened to be a lot like Jackson and have a high affinity and love for survival. But this didn''t mean that they were happy to hear that the teacher had changed their daily schedule on the first day back. They had all been very excited to have two study halls in a row which was a very lucky and rare occurrence for a monday. But their dreams were crushed. If every guest teacher thought this way then they were in for a massive loss of free time.


    "I was going to use that to study up on that triple kick. I want to master it and try to add a leg sweep." Cara had been completely caught up in the triple kick since she saw it the other day. Something in her made her full of desire to learn it and even grow the move more. She had the idea to add a leg sweep and potentially some elbow and knee hits to the combos. Overall, she was working to have a nearly endless flowing combo like Asher did when he was in the right situation.


    "Guys, focus up. We need to learn about the deserts." Jackson had gotten fully brought under control by the promising premise of the class. He had just been told that the best class and most favorite change of schedule he had ever been part of.


    "Yes yes, we will focus. But only if you promise all of us that you will bring your moms'' tomato sauce for us to have a group dinner tomorrow." Sammy knew exactly how to calm down Jacksons'' excitement and get everyone else on board with something happier. The other week when they had all gone to Jacksons'' house to eat and found out that his parents were hug in survival tactics and such explained a lot to them. But what had really hit home for all of them was the fact that Jackson''s mother had a secret family recipe for tomato sauce.


    "Yes! Sammy is right. You need to bring that tomato sauce. I will have a whole other shot to figure out the recipe." Art on the other hand, had vowed to figure it out. The fact that he had found a better recipe than the one his grandmother had taught him was a massive affront to his cooking. Since his family had always had money he even had the benefit of eating from high end chefs. None had even gotten close to how gook Jackson''s mother''s family recipe tomato sauce was.


    "I told you, its secret is home grown tomatoes. Just grow your own and it''s more fulfilling." Jackson was snapped out of it when this was all mentioned but unfortunately had drawn the attention to the teacher that was walking them down the stairs to the basement level.


    "No, this should be many of your first times'' here. This is the underground portion of the survival areas. The surface has the fake mountains, forests, and rivers. Down here we have rooms made to replicate other environments. The desert one is one of many. Caves, underwater, and even a small subway platform to deal with electrical dangers." The teacher sounded as if he had been here before and was always happy to explore and learn more as well. Jackson looked at him with jealousy since the different rooms could go leaps and bounds to further his education.


    "Now, this room is currently at the halfway mark in the cycle. That means it is the hottest possible. Come on in." The teacher opened the door and a blast of heat hit everyone. They all cringed away without exception. The dry heat was enough to tell them that there was a very low chance of surviving this environment. "Now tell me, who has a single idea of how they would stop the sun from cooking them whole?"


    "You could use your clothing as a shield from the sun?" One student wanted to try and grab credit but was quickly ignored by the teacher.


    "You should try and find a dune that is tall enough to cast some shadow. Then use your clothing to expand that shadow. It''s the closest to a cool shady place you can get. Then remain there until the sun had lost its highest point and resume your travel. The less you remain in the sun the less chance of dehydration, severe sun burn, and even sun poisoning." Jackson read this out as if it was written down. He had long memorized such things but never had the chance to use it in real like.


    "That works. Should you walk barefoot since it will be faster?" The next question was directed at Laura who looked to be bored with the class because she was forced to be in the uncomfortable situation of insane heat.


    "No, sand this hot is annoying. I need water. I will be back." Laura left in the blink of an eye. If this was any other student, the teacher would have given detention. But he knew that Laura had a faster metabolism and had the potential to end up in heat stroke faster. She had to remain hydrated more than anyone else.


    "She''s correct, but not because sand is annoying. The hot sand will burn your feet and possibly cause a way for infection to get in your body. It also stops you from being able to walk to salvation." The small sand dune that was displayed in the room appeared endless due to the way the room was made. The only thing that stood out was the bright red of the door. It was made this way so that the students would be able to better immerse themselves in the false environment.


    "Now, when is the best time to travel in the desert? And what direction?"


    "Oh, I actually know this one. I heard it on television." Jane shot her hand in to the air to get attention. "The best way to travel is to pick the way the sun rises and follow it. Or pick the way the sun sets and follow it. Once you decided stick with it until you see something. Then you should travel in the early morning for a few hours and the last afternoon for a few hours. Never in the morning and never at night." The proud look on Jane''s face made everyone wonder how she managed to remember an obscure fact like this.


    "Exactly right. In the middle of the day the chance of heat exhaustion, dehydration, and even heat stroke. At night it is the opposite. The desert gets very cold and you can actually get first bite or hypothermia. The desert is a land of extremes. Now, you all have the rest of the class to gather one cup of water each. Good luck." The teacher threw them a sleeve of cups and let them all split up to try their luck. The only thing that Asher noticed was that he shook his head when everyone that was spitting up.


    "This should be no problem. We have so many of us." Louis wasn''t sure how they would manage it but he did know that with everyone together that ti would be easier.


    "You have that right. With this many people, we should be done before the cycle hits the night simulation." Jackson had grabbed everyone a cup and was certain that they would be able to finish. "There are multiple ways to make this happen, but I doubt you guys want to do the gross one so we will dig instead." No one had any idea what the gross one was but something in Art''s mind made him recall a memory of someone doing a certain act of nature in to their hands to have something to drink.


    "I agree, no gross ones. I will help dig." Art was visibly very supportive of this digging and started in on it right away even though he was sweating enough as it was.


    "Just dig slowly. Everyone can help. The less you sweat the better.." Jackson joined and talked them all through the process they were going to use.

 Chapter 389 - 389. Water!

    The group looked at the three foot hole they had all dug. Louis was visibly sweating more than everyone else and Laura had already left to get water again. She was having a much harder time in the heat and the entire group had already internally vowed to have water and a snack on them at all times. There were remedies to help her calorie count get higher by eating special foods. But there was nothing that would help her stay hydrated longer other than being diligent in drinking water.


    "Alright. So now we have a hole."


    "Is that really all you wanted?" Art was tired and hot and the fact that Jackson had just stated the obvious had triggered his annoyed response.


    "We have a hole. The top layer of sand is very hot. The bottom layer of sand was much cooler, right? That''s because there is water trying to evaporate from underground. Now we take Louis''s rubber bandages that he hasn''t been wearing because of his training, and set them up."


    Louis handed over his bandages to Jackson. He had been able to hold his lightning in without much worry and had been going to school and training without them. It had been a big improvement for him and he was much more comfortable being back this way like he was before his super powers.


    Jackson unraveled the rubber bandages over the hole and used sand to hold them on top. It was basically a cover for them. "The water will evaporate and get caught on the rubber bandage. We take out a cup and put it on the bottom of the hole and put a small amount of sand in the middle of the bandages."


    Jackson did all of this and the group waited. They sat there for ten minutes before Jane had to ask, "What are we waiting for? The water to evaporate?" There was a goofy smile that graced Jacksons'' face before he reached under the bandages for the small cup they had been given to full. In those ten minutes they had waited, a quarter of a cup of water had formed and dripped in to the little cup.


    "But the sun is setting. How else will we do this?" It was Cara that asked this time. She knew that Jackson had to have some solutions to these problems. There needed to be an increase in water being made or a new way to do it.


    "Multiple holes will work since Louis has three more rolls of bandages. That should fill four cups in forty minutes. Then when the sun starts to set we will collect the dew that forms perform a small layer of frost." The last idea was to set up surfaces that water might collect on. Asher knew what to do and took off his shirt to lay out on the ground whole the time ticked down. He hid himself in the shadows as best as he could and the other boys of the group copied him. Cara had been smart and kept her jacket with her so that went to the cause.


    Just as Jackson had said, four cups were full and the rest were very close to being finished. The sun faded in the room due to the lights being altered in the array of television screens that made the fake sky. The temperature began to plummet rapidly while the teacher made rounds to check everyone. He saw the clothing laid out and the rubber bandaged that were now starting to collect little drops of dew.


    The water was still rising from the hot sand and getting trapped on and in the fabrics above it. Asher saw a small ice crystal form while he rubbed his hands together and bounced in place. This drastic change in temperature was more than any of them had expected and was more than most people who entered the desert expected.


    Asher jumped and grabbed the now damp shirt. He rolled it up and squeeze with all his might while a small dribble of water finished filling his cup. The rest of the group jumped in to action as well and copied exactly what Asher had been doing. With their team work, they had managed to foil everyones'' cups to the brim and could even be said to have some extra water.


    "The team work was the wisest decision you made. The rest of the class divided themselves and only two were able to reach this point because they used alternative methods. You all would make it through the first day in the desert, but the knight, you would all have a leg up. You stayed together which means you would be able to hold body heat by getting closer. I never said any of you were alone." The teacher had been impressed by the way the group acted together and allowed Jackson to take a leadership role based on his knowledge. They had all demonstrated what they should do in this situation. It may not have been perfect, but nothing would be perfect when trying to survive.


    "Jackson, You know that you are a survival nut, right?" Art slapped Jackson on the back and apologized for snapping at him while everyone else was reminded that Jackson was the best possible person to be stranded in the desert with.


    "I take that as a compliment. I just like to learn about it. Maybe one day I will be able to rescue someone from a desert and help them survive. But I think I want to teach a survival class when we aren''t on duty as heroes." This was the first time Jackson had expressed this desire and no one could argue with it.


    "You should. Hero groups are a big part of a community. The more we teach and help others the better off. If you start a video or blog about it you can help educate people and improve the group reputation." Sammy had found that the hero groups around their city had many accounts on social media. They would remind people of events and other big happenings in the city. They also raised awareness for issues and brought people together to fight for just causes. It was a major point that made people want to support these hero groups and keep them in business to protect others.


    "Ugh, that''s it. You know those water bottles that fit on your back like a back pack? I want one for my gear and myself and just everywhere I go." Laura had officially given up and was sure she had to have one of the back pack water bottles. The cold might have been easier for her since the heat had been the problem, but even in the short time she had been in the room, she was left with minor dehydration.


    "Alright, get back here. Some closing remarks." The teacher called everyone together and began to explain the methods he saw used and how to improve them. After speaking for a moment he pointed out Laura to come up to stand next to him.


    "This girl has a special super power that speeds her metabolism much faster than everyone else here. Because of this, she had experienced the same damage of being in the desert for at least three days. Even with water, you can see her skin around the face is tighter and she is pale yet still slightly sun burnt. You may not have much travel time because of the heat and the extreme cold, but make sure you do your best to leave the desert behind you. Now please head to the nurse''s office and tell them what survival room you were in." He handed Laura a car and sent her on her way.


    "I didn''t even notice that her skin was tighter¡­" Jackson mumbled under his breath while trying to make sense of this.


    "I guess that''s the difference between an expert and us. We have no knowledge of the small signs that someone is still in danger." Cara could now tell that the teacher had been carefully analyzing each one of them. His eyes would only rest on someone for a breath, yet, it was enough for him to evaluate their condition and search for health issues. This was something that only a veteran survivalist could do.


    "I bet Jackson could have that figured out in a few months of practice and training." Sammy was sure of this. She knew how fast Jackson was able to learn when it came to plants and survival. It was an impressive skill but one derived from passion.


    "The real question is, how can we catch up to him?" Asher knew that it would take some additional studying. But thankfully, the guest teacher handed out a small desert survival guide and sent them on their way. No one wanted to go back to the heat and cold they were just in, but they were sure that they were about to become more well rounded future heroes.. All they needed was the time to learn a few more skills.

 Chapter 390 - 390. Touring

    "So, what are we going to do after academics? We have to go to that leadership and teambuilding class that we signed up for. After that, we are done for a Monday schedule." Art and Asher were debating what the group should do after they finished their lunch and academics. The leadership and team building course was normally an extracurricular class but had made its way in to the main classes because of how valuable it was to those pursuing higher education.


    "We should go and practice combo moves again." Sammy had the feeling that she would be able to push through to a better combo with more time. She had already seen how strong it could be to change someones'' speed in battle. If she could come up with alternate combinations then the group would become even more powerful.


    "If we just focus on offense we will start to fall behind. We should work on strengthening our bodies and getting to a better place that way. If we are stronger then we will be able to handle things without our super powers." Part of Louis''s idea was that he would be able to better control his lightning and also not need to use it as often. It was a win win situation for him.


    "How would be able to strengthen my body? I need very heavy weights and a lot of time to do that. I think it''s better if we all work on first aid training more." Jackson also raised a good idea. If they were able to improve their first aid then they would be able to take a certification course to be able to help people in emergency situations.


    The certifications were very useful for large scale disasters. It would give a hero or a normal citizen the safety of hero corp as long as they passed the approved tests. Overall, it meant that even if the person failed to save a life they were not at fault as long as it was shown that they did the best with the guidelines they had learned.


    They all considered this as an option. Learning more with first aid would be a very valuable skill. Even if they failed to become heroes, then the group would be able to go in to smaller professions to help others or in general just be able to help anyone injured. "You know, I wouldn''t mind everyone learning a little more about first aid. The nurse was pretty worried when they read tat teachers'' note about me." Laura had popped back up out of nowhere. The crazy part was that she somehow had a frozen popsicle as a snack now.


    "Why is that popsicle shaped like a dragon, no wait. That''s not what''s important. Shouldn''t you be resting?" Laura looked much healthier already. She had drunk fluids and gotten a small meal earlier. Now she was finally back and found the group eating together.


    "The nurse said I was fine after I drank some water and sat down. But like I said. We should study first aid more. I have the possibility to pass out anytime.  My super power will most likely always be this way. I would prefer my friends were there to save me than some random stranger." The logic was sound. By the time any law enforcement or ambulance reached them Laura could be too far gone. It was better to have someone she knew there to help her.


    "If it makes you feel safer then we will do it." Cara had a no nonsense attitude with this. As far as she was concerned, the group would be working at all times to improve their first aid knowledge. It was easy to sign up for it after school classes and it would make them better overall heroes. Laura gave an appreciative nod when she saw that Cara was taking it to heart. It would definitely make her more comfortable. She had learned a harsh lesson in the short time she had spent in a simulated desert environment. She could only imagine what other environments or super powers would affect her.


    "Hey, why are we talking about what we are going to do? We should just go and check out the mansion I am thinking about buying. I already know where the keys are so we can tour it as much as we want before we decide." None of them had known that Ary had made a decision on what he might want to buy. They had been fully brought up to speed and ended up agreeing to the move. Jackson''s family had been the hardest to convince but they ended up deciding to have their house still as a back up shelter. It actually made them more excited to be able to build another. They were planning to record the building of it to show off to some friends.


    "Actually, we can do that then quiz each other on first aid techniques." Sammy had been won over by a combination of both. In her mind, it was the best possible alternative to just doing one.


    "Then it''s settled. We will follow Art after classes finish and also pop quiz each other." Asher made the final call as they walked toward their math class. The day seemed to drag on since they were all filled with the wonder of what a new home would bring. It would work as a place for them all to lice but also for a future headquarters. Their hero group would already by leaps and bounds ahead of others since they had Art''s long rich family to support them. But at the end of the day, his family worked for hero corp research division. That meant that they were highly paid and the money that was spent went to improving young heroes. It also put everyone in a safer position.


    "Alright, I have already sent my parents the online tour so they had sent their approval. They wanted to see it since it is a little expensive. But since it will go toward our safety and my parents'' safety, hero corp is providing the finds for additional security." Arty smirked as he said this. The security system was going to be the most expensive part of the deal. Since Art''s family had managed to get hero corp to pay for it then it was a slick and smart move.


    Art started off jogging as soon as the group left the building. He was sure that he had memorized the route there and wanted to make sure the group would remember how to walk there. He had not spent just an hour or two on this. He had spent a lot of his personal time on this and was sure it would be perfect.


    The jog only took about twenty minutes but in that time the group managed to leave the clustered buildings of the city behind. Instead, they were passing larger homes that had a lot of land and yard around them. Trees blocked off the sight of the others nearby until the group reached a massive mansion with its land three times the size of the others.


    "That''s it. It looks pretty nice, right? The man that owned this gave it up because he decided to take a spiritual path and is now roaming around looking to help anyone possible with his fortune." It was quite the story of why this mansion was in the market. "This stuff happens a lot. You wouldn''t imagine." This was the rich attitude coming through. Art had seen people fall in to the spiritual path and sometimes regret it.


    "This place is like double the size of where you used to live. I could fit like a hundred of our houses in it." Asher was amazed that Art was just going to buy this. It was also a sure proof of how much money Art actually had. Asher now understood just how much it would have hurt to have it all taken away and be told to leave. The only thing that Asher worried about was that Art would let it all go to his head.


    "Come on. We have plenty to see. The best parts will show themselves in time. I just wish we could have built our own. But I will need to save up and work to get there." The group let out a collective sigh. Art was only throwing his money around so that he would be able to make sure they had a secure future and a safe place to keep growing to the top. The attack that had injured even the brother he had feared at one point was putting him in to high gear. It was due time that he began to take everything more seriously.


    "I know that this place is big, but will we really be able to see it all today? We still have school tomorrow¡­" Jane was the only one trying to hold herself back. Laura was already dashing ahead to wait at the door for it to be unlocked.. She planned to search every single corner.

 Chapter 391 - 391. Odd History

    "It''s pretty clear that no one has had a chance to keep up on the gardening well. Look, the shrubs have yellowing leaves on them so they haven''t been properly watered in a long time. The tree there, look, that should be a healthy apple tree. But those grey branches on the top are dying. That means it was left to just grow without any care. I might not be able to save it." The group watched as Jackson started to evaluate every single blade of grass or flower growing around.


    "I''m pretty sure that this has been on the market for like, three years, But it was apparently made by some writer who had a hit novel. He wowed the fantasy genre then threw money around until he ran out and moved to Mexico. Super weird but hey, he did what he liked." The background on the mansion was a little odd but no one really questioned it. This was just another fact about the place that Art seemed to have already decided on buying.


    "Oh no¡­look at that ivy. It doesn''t even have proper space to grow. It''s a tragedy." The group had officially lost Jackson who was going toward the larger part of the garden. They all pretend not to hear him as he ranted about the walk through garden he would be building if they lived in this place.


    Art reached down for what appeared to be a decorative rock and pulled a key from under it. He unlocked the door and revealed a massive white marble staircase that led to the second floor. "I think the entry way speaks for itself."


    The high ceilings were another massive perk. "I could fly in here if I want!" Sammy had the idea that she would easily be able to fly around the mansion if she wanted.


    "You could¡­but. Should you?" Jane knew that it was asking for trouble. If she said that Sammy had free reign to fly around when she learned to fly then everyone would be able to use their super powers inside as much as possible.


    "Don''t worry. There is a space you can fly. You see. The writer wasn''t a huge money maker forever but he was eccentric. The basement is right off the main floor here." No one knew why ASrt was pushing all of them to start in the basement. But the theory that they should start from the bottom and work toward the top did make some sense.


    They easily descended the finished stairs deep in to the basement. But when they expected to land on a flat surface they found that there was a large elevator. The basement was not even close yet. "Alright, tell me where we are going?" Louis was not liking the feeling of going so far underground. Lightning would dissipate in to the earth and for some reason, it was making him uncomfortable knowing this.


    The elevator slowly brought them down further and when the door opened with a soft hum, the group was stunned. Even Art was silent since he had only seen pictures.


    "Ehm, so. The guy was a huge fitness buff and built his own private gym far away from everyone. His super power was also fire based so heaven made it about to withstand a ton of damage. I guess that''s what people do when they had too much money." No one was able to tease Art for having too much money now. They had found what someone could do when they abused it.


    "I think this is enough room and equipment for all of us to terrain different work outs for a year or two. I swear. Even the school gym isn''t this well set up with weights." Cara started to wander forward to check things out. There was every piece of work out machine possible.


    "Why would someone need three stationary bikes? It was one guy. He should have been fine." It appeared that Jane was about to jump right on the bike to test it out before Louis found the next amazing thing.


    "There''s a pool here!?" No one was able to believe him until they ran to the wide open center of the massive room. There were panels on the floor that could roll away and show off a very deep and long lap pool.


    "That means more resistance training!" This was perfect for Laura. Her speed caused her joints to deal with a heavy amount of stress. Being able to train with less stress on her joints was perfect. The water would be ideal and soon she found that she was able to change everything about the pool with settings nearby. "I can even make it warmer or colder if I want. We can do some harsh environment training, Jackson¡­"


    "Jackson is still outside." Asher burst in to laughter. They had left him outside when they entered and he was sure that Jackson would already have some form of a garden growing by the time they were back outside.


    "Speaking of Jackson, I don''t think he could lift all the weight here. How much could this guy lift that lived here?" Cara found the largest weights and knew no one in the group could even get close to lifting it.


    "He was some body builder turned writer. I think he was some record holder for lifting without a super power that improved his strength." This was another shrug from Art but in reality, it was an impressive feat. Another reason why they were amazed that this person had cut and run when life got tough.


    "Wait. we have the rest of this huge place to explore. We can worry about training here later." Asher felt that it would be a little sad to only work out where but he also dad the massive benefits that would come with having their own gym. Art had really done his research when it came to what they would need for a super hero group headquarters.


    "Yes! We have to look at the kitchen still!" Art had purposefully ignored the chance to look at the kitchen online. He wanted it to be a surprise.


    "You know, it''s kind of weird that we aren''t looking at this place without all of our parents. Like, we should have their approval, right?" It was an odd feeling for them to have. Laura had expected that Art would bring all their families when it came time for them to truly tour a place to live.


    "We can tour it again later. We needed to see what we would need here. It''s mostly for the hero headquarters then we will get stronger and one day have an entirely new place we build ourselves to live." Art still wasn''t going to let go of his dream to build themselves their own place one day. If that was the case then they would all have their own personalized space. Asher caught on o this and realized that it was exactly like Art''s previous hioke where his parents had their own labs and so had his grandparents. Itr made too much sense to be a coincidence.


    Making it back upstairs to the first floor was a lot faster now that they had gained the energy to explore. There was a lot less caution as they chose to head down the next hallway toward a set of double doors. "Holy dining room¡­" The dining room did not appear to have been used often. It was in perfect condition with a very long and large oak dining table in the center. There were even painting displayed on the walls so that it would add to the atmosphere.


    "You said that right¡­" Sammy and Louis were both stunned. They felt that they had walked in to some form of fancy restaurant that they would need to pay an arm and a leg just to be in.


    "I don''t think I will ever be unhappy to eat here. But I don''t think I can allow myself to eat boxed noodles in here." The sadness on Asher''s face soon broke back in to a smile, But that means we need to have fancier tacos when we eat." He would do anything to get them to have a better and more elaborate taco night.


    "Guys. you are forgetting the best part. The kitchen is through here." Art pushed through a hidden doorway that blended in with the wallpaper so it was inconspicuous for events.


    The silver shine of stainless steel greeted their eyes. Art seemed to melt in to the floor while looking at the extremely professional kitchen. He would be able to better use this room than anyone else due to his cooking experiences with his grandmother. This place would let him show off every dish and formula she taught him to some of his best abilities.


    "Art, stop drooling. You can''t cook here yet. But when you can you are in charge of pizza night." Jane had never had Art cook pizza but she felt that they needed to get him to do so. This was the perfect chance to get him to do it while he was excited and more easily convinced.


    "I don''t care what we cook.. As long as it''s on these perfectly flat counters."

 Chapter 392 - 392. Votes

    When Asher reached out and started to pull Art away from the kitchen, Art had tried to resist. But soon the realization overcame him and he knew that the group was moving along on their tour.


    "Come on. If we move her no one can kick you out f the kitchen. You will be able to cook there every day." This seemed to do that trick as Art gave in and left back to the dining room.


    "I still think that it''s the best kitchen ever. Did you see the oven? It was a newer model." The key fact had not escaped Art. He had his dream kitchen in mind but decided that this kitchen was the next nest thing.


    "What about the other rooms in the mansion? Are they all the same high tech? Or are we stuck with a nice kitchen and nothing?" Jane knew that pushing Art''s buttons like this would push him to get back on the tour. He had been the one who learned the layout of the house.


    "Of course the kitchen isn''t the only place. There are office spaces on the second floor that have access to the internet. The wireless system on the wall plug ins are set up throughout the house. Easily one of the most high technology options in any of the places I searched for." This was a good point. Because being able to get news and information from any place in the mansion would be incredibly important. Especially when the group was heading out on a patrol and needed map details of ongoing crime alerts.


    "I know there is a lot going on, but why does the wall have a half door thing on it?" Laura had glanced to the side and found something much more common in older homes. But this mansion had one to make things a lot easier for the residents.


    "I know what those are. They are garbage or lingerie chutes. You drop trash or laundry down it and the next thing you know it is being sent to the laundry or trash room. In this case, it looks like laundry since this is too small to be for trash rooms." Sammy had seen this in movies and was sure that this was the intention of the chute.


    "So. you''re saying that if I was, for example, to push someone down it they would end up in the laundry room?" Art and Asher had already caught on to this possibility and appeared to be staring each other down. They both were about to jump in to their own battle to push the other done the chute for fun when Louis made his presence a little too known.


    "together? "


    "Together. Get him!" They jumped and lifted Louis up and were promptly hit with a burst of wind.


    "Nice try. But that laundry chute is gross and could end with all of you getting a concussion. If any of you try that again, I will send you in to the air like a kite." No one had expected such a reaction from Sammy. She had switched in to a harsh mom mode in a second. Something had


    "Ha! That''s where all of you were. I couldn''t find my way through this place until I felt that gust of wind and followed it through here. I thought you would all have gone up the stairs already. What did I miss?" Jackson had followed them inside some time ago and managed to get himself lost on the first floor in the maze of side rooms for guests.


    "Just a gym, kitchen, and this laundry chute." Louis tried to play it off as if nothing had happened. It was a monotone explanation that appeared to do the trick.


    "Come on. We should check the second floor before the day is over." Cara was tired of waiting and took the lead. Before they knew it they had been brought through bedroom after bedroom and fancy bathroom after bathroom. All were tip tier and could hold more than just their family. In all essence, this was truing in to a purchase of a mansion that was more like a high end apartment building.


    "I think my real question is, why is there a ballroom on the second floor? Wouldn''t having a dance area seem odd?" Asher stood in the room at mirrored the dining room on the first floor. But it was as if all the surrounding rooms and would be kitchen had been opened up. The floors were a shiny smooth wooden making all of them wonder just how expensive this place really was.


    " I can''t see us ever hosting large parties that need this, but after we convert it fully in to a headquarters, we should be able to add some walls or just make this in to a very large conference room." The idea was smart and everyone agreed with Jane. There was not much reason to stay around and look elsewhere until another stairwell caught Asher''s eye.


    "What is up the stairs? Shouldn''t it just be an attic?" The idea of an attic was not that amazing. An attic was an attic and no matter where you went it would be kind of creepy and boring.


    "I don;t think so. There weren''t any pictures of one on the website. I bet it''s just a crawl space or whatever." Art shrugged and attempted to walk away. But he had piqued everyone''s interest and there was no way they would be walking away.


    "I''m going to check it out!" Laura dashed doff faster than anyone else could even react. In only a few moments she reappeared looked as if she had just discovered buried gold treasure. "Come here come here come here come hereeeerrr!" They all knew that there was no escape now. Laura would forcefully drag them on the adventure if they didn''t go.


    There was an endless creaking to the stairs that just went to prove that no one had often walked them. It was as if the stair were never properly worn down since the mansion was built. "I thought that it just ended here since you know, there''s a wall. But!"


    Laura showed them the seemingly dead end. However, what they noticed immediately was that there was a crack in the wall at the top of the stairs. Laura pried the crack apart and the wall shifted. The scene that was unveiled was any readers dream. "There''s an entire upstairs library!"


    Hundred of books were piled on shelves and some tables. The attic was not very tall and followed the same rules as any attic. The walls were slanted and not even when it came to e contours of the ceilings. But that was perfect and added to the charm. There was a bookshelf expertly crafted in to these places and also multiple other staircases that went down to the second floor.


    "This is like a hidden maze leading to a secret library. I think you found some puzzle makers'' mansion or something Art." This was what impressed Cara most of all. These books were from generations. Some were old and worn while others were more recent within the last five years. She adored the charm and wanted to start investigating even more.


    "It passes my vote. The garden potential alone is great. Ut also had solid foundations so my parents will support it more than anything." Jackson voted his own right there with Cara. Soon the rest fo the group had hands raised in agreement as well. The only; person that was left was Asher.


    "I know we want a headquarters. But do we think we will use this place for that pr will we slack off? It''s good that we would be expanding but we need to maintain our drive. Would we become complacent here in the luxury?" One thing that Asher worried about was that the group would become like some popular heroes. They would stop improving because they had the high life and didn''t need to push themselves to be better every day. A great many celebrity super heroes had lost themselves to such traps.


    "I think we need this kind of place. I would be able to let my lighting out with safety around here since there is a training room underground."


    "Wait, an under-"


    "I would be able to fly around down there too without worry about planes or anything in the way."


    "But the base-"


    Asher. Think about it like a temporary home we are converting ver the next few years in to a real group. This is just a start and soon we will be like the best of the best with multiple headquarters in multiple cities." Jacksons couldn''t get a word in between everyone speaking. Art had finished up with the best point. This might be the start of things for them but definitely not the end. They were far from being real heroes and far from being world renown heroes.


    "Then I will vote yes. But you have to take our parents on the tours.." Art shook his head ready to try and escape the responsibility to no avail.

 Chapter 393 - 393. Security

    "Then now that we have that done, we are going to jog around the block." Cara was not going to let everyone off without getting an idea for a new jogging path. It was a very real possibility that they were going to move in here and if they did that meant that she would need a new work out spot and jogging path.


    "But we could keep exploring the mansion and decide on our rooms and stuff." Art was very against leaving and jogging. In his mind, he was already planning their time in the mansions and how they would move it.


    "No, I think I''m with Cara on this. If we rely on the workout room too much we will get lazy. We need to keep our usual routine and then add to it. If we stay here and focus too much on things then it will become our new normal. We will forget what we worked for." The point that Asher made was clear. He didn''t want them to lose the high drive to improve. The moment that they didn''t come at their goals with the same energy was the moment that they were no longer going to reach their goals.


    "Fine. Fine. But I get to cook dinner tonight and we are having chicken parmesan." Art had favorite dishes and this was one of them. If he wasn''t allowed to stay and keep exploring the mansion that they had yet to buy, then he was getting the food he wanted.


    "I''m not arguing with that. Now let''s go." The only one that seemed to hang back was Laura. However, she had explored more of the mansion while everyone was distracted with other things about their jog. Plus, she was the only one that would be able to catch up to them in a short time which meant that no one was going to wait up for her. They knew the speed that she was capable of.


    Her move was to scout out her won room before they left. She knew that the security system would be improved and changed by Art later and that she had free reign for a while. Therefore, she rushed herself back down to the gym. She had seen a very high functioning treadmill that she knew was made for speed and sprinting training.


    The main reason why thin interested her was simple. Laura had never had the chance to sprint at her full speed in a straight line without hitting something, someone, or running out of room in  general. Now she would have the perfect tool that would show her true speed and let her know just how fast her body could go at the moment.


    Before everyone was even out the door the elevator was going back down. It was still a wonder how the previous owner had managed to build such an elaborate and perfect for training place. This mansion was almost made for the group as they were now. There were plenty of imperfections for them but it was so minuscule that none of it mattered. They would have a safe place to train, grow, and learn. When push came to shove, it was more than most people would have in their lives.


    The speed that Laura started with was slow to her. For anyone else, it would be a jog. Her body had been so used to being forced to slow down that the feeling of moving faster and faster actually felt unnatural. Normally Laura tried her best to completely conserve energy and move at a speed that was safer for her and everyone else. But this time it didn''t matter. She was able to speed up faster and faster.


    Before long she had reached a speed that no one in the group could match with their sprint. Not even Jane with her burst of strength that she had honed for sudden moves would be able to match. Laura decided right than to push herself to the limit.


    Her metabolism and body were always moving much faster than others. In some sense, she was comparable to a humming bird. She moved and functioned fast at the requirement that her calorie intake is much higher than any one person. But that also meant that she was able to push through things and heal faster. The doctors had said that she wouldn''t be at any risk for a shorter lifespan and that she may even have a longer one. This was because her body was faster to remove diseases and other dangers that would require a body to move efficiently to eliminate.


    Laura could catch a cold and work through it in just a day where someone else would be affected by it for three days. But that would also mean that Laura felt the entire world around her was a bit too slow. This was especially true when she worked on improving her mental status. She needed to get her mind to the level at which she was able to perceive her body''s speedy movement.


    The treadmill began to groan under her speed and :aura realized that she had more than let loopse. She had pushed her body to the point at which she was sweating like crazy and had needed to jump off. The speed on the screen was still flashing and Laura didn''t see any notification popping up soo. "Fine, I will go catch up with them."


    Seeing that she wasn''t getting a result she decided that it was broken. Ten minutes after Laura left the machine had finally calculated the speed. But Lara was long gone and the treadmill was finally slowing down to a stop. The speed she had run at made the treadmill believe that she had just been slowing her pace down.


    Later in the day, each group member had told their parents what the plan was and sent the portfolio of three mansion to their parents. They were all able to have a conversation about moving there and the benefits. Art had even recommended sharing the security ideas and plans that were going to be put in place. There were many groups that were on the rise when it came to security. But there was one that stood out above all others.


    There was a student that they had met in their modern technology class session whose father and mother were technomancer super power users. Of course that meant that they were a perfect first for any machines. They had developed some amazing security software that not even they could change and manipulate. It was set up with the security already existing and new security. If anything happened then they would be more than safe. It was a simple addition that made all of their parents more open.


    The group had already decided not to rely on hero corp for their security. Something just felt off about it and Art''s parents and brother had already been given a substantial amount of additional money due to the attack that had happened on them due to their research. Hero corp was responsible for all safety and they were obligated to own up for what had happened which did make Art''s parents a little happier even though it did not fix much.


    "Art, best meal in a long time. You need to teach me that one." Jane had stopped over for dinner but everyone else went home to speak to their parents first. Jane didn''t think her parents would deny it but she did have some major worries about her father meeting Asher since she had been avoiding it. But she made the mistake of thinking about it.


    "Hey, we should have dinner at your house next time. I wouldn''t mind meeting your dad and saying hello to your mom again. I feel bad that you always have to come here." On one hand, Jane was glad that Asher was being considerate. It was a little bit of a chore to walk all the way home after they ate or just end up sleeping there in Cara''s room. But on the other hand, Jane was sure that if she brought Asher home she would have to deal with her father. It wasn''t that he was evil or mean, but she was an only child and her father was protective in a cliche and annoying way.


    The moral suggestion was too much. She couldn''t turn him down since it would make it look like she didn''t want him to come over ever. "Sure thing. But I doubt we could top this kind of meal."


    "Thanks. I really like the feedback. How about I go and write it down for you."


    "Oh, I will show you where the note paper is." Cara and Art both found excuses to leave the room while Jane and Asher spoke through this. They did not want to become part of this since they knew that Asher would most likely find the chance to walk Jane home. But in the end, Jane had become trapped in her head trying to think of how she would make this all go smoothly.. She was back home and hugging Asher goodbye before she knew it.

 Chapter 394 - 394. Speed

    "Bro, how did you even survive that trigonometry test? I swear we have never learned any of that in our lives." The test that the group had just survived had been the most brutal yet.


    "Well, we just got to trigonometry ad out math level. We have been pushing to a higher level of everything ad since we did that we are actually on the same level as the classes we were moved in. It will be hard because we haven''t put the same dedication and learning in to it as the past classes." Cara had also thought things were harder but knew that this was exactly where she would have been whether the rest of the group was there or not. From her point of view, she could rationalize how it would seem like a large jump for the others.


    "Huh, well. She''s right. I was studying English the other day and we were doing fictional essays in our classes. Now we need five sources and we are doing nonfiction fact based essays. It was a big change but all the sped up lessons we took and studied would bring us to the same place. It feels so different because we have rushed through things." This was a fact that Louis had caught while he was looking through some of his old English notes for a grammar lesson.


    "And all of that means we should study more and update the flash cards again." Since Jane was the best at it so far, she would be the one updating everyone''s flash cards and study materials on the academic app. "Actually, have you seen the other student using the app too? Not everyone does  but the higher grading students do." This was something that she had caught on to in the first class since they got back.


    "Now that you say it, yes! There was a boy that was using it to study for advanced physics while in English class today. It was cool because he was writing an outline for his next essay with one hand and then flipping through the cards with the other. I kind of wish I got the multi task pro super power. I feel like he is going to be one of those crazy stock sellers one day." This was the fantastical job that she had decided the boy with that super power would get. However, in all realistic ideal the super power gave a lot of possibilities.


    "Well, super powers aside. I think we should have more study sessions. But today was a work out day right? Should we change it?" Since Jackson was the only one that didn''t really need to do the basic work outs he was willing to change things up a little.


    "If we want to study but keep our schedule why don''t we take a rotation in our circuits to add in self testing or someone on break to test us. We will do as many circuits as there are academics to tests on. Then we can split off and do our personal work." Asher made the final call and knew that the circuits would take a little longer but that it wouldn''t be too much of an issue.


    "Then what are we waiting on. We should get to is." Jane tightened the straps on her backpack and flashed them a smile before she started off on a jog ahead. The only person that hadn''t spoken up was Laura who had been unusually quiet the entire day.


    The jog was just enough for them to warm up and lucky for them, they found the park empty and waiting for them to start their circuit. "Hey, did you notice that laura didn''t even rush ahead of everyone today?" The near silent whisper to Art was met with a slight nod. Both he and Asher were catching on to the obvious distraction that Laura had to the entire situation. She wasn''t even snacking on some crackers instead of the normally popular snacks that came out of nowhere.


    "Stop staring at her. Cara and I will handle it." Jane noticed that Asher and Art had caught on and decided to step in and silence them before they went and made a mess of things. Asher may be lucky, but he was a boy who could cause problems without realizing it.


    "Hey, Laura, can you help me stretch a little? I need someone to anchor my legs." Jane grabbed Laura by the arm and pulled her along with her away from the others who were stretching. Cara started to walk but saw that Jane had it all under control and it wasn''t necessary for her to jump in.


    "Hey, Laura?" Even though Jane had managed to pull Laura over she was still not focused. "Laura, what''s wrong?"


    After the third time saying her name, Jane managed to get Laura to pay attention to her. There was a look of confusion on her face and she was still not fully there. But she was thinking and it was clear that it would take a moment to focus up. While she thought they stretched and eventually Laura came to her conclusion.


    "No one can keep up with me. I''m faster and I can''t even keep up with myself. If I make my mind move faster and match my body, then I will be completely alone. I started to test my limits the other day and I didn''t have the chance t see what it was completely. But¡­I''m part of the group and still feel this way."


    This was something that everyone struggled with when they got their super powers. Some people didn''t have much of a changed life at all. Others would have a major witch in their life. For Laura, it had been a major change. Just forgetting to eat something could lead to her being hospitalized or dying. It was a scary reality.


    What truly ate away at Laura was the fact that she didn''t feel like anyone was standing beside her. She would outpace her entire family at breakfast and found that she would have trouble listening and focusing on people who were moving slower than herself. There was also the fact that the more she let her mind catch up to her physical speed, then the slower the world seemed to turn.


    "I''m not ever going to get to the speed at which you can push yourself. You have a body that processed everything faster. But I think that there are people out there with similar powers. There is even that guy who is faster than light. Their super powers might be different but they can help you find a way to deal with it all. You aren''t alone." Jane was sure that it was hard at home and everywhere else of r Laura. But she was also sure that there was someone who would be able to help more.


    "But you don''t have to try and impress the person you like by slowing down and trying to stay at their pace. Let alone be able to actually touch them." Jane saw that Laura''s eyebrows furled in annoyance while she said this. There was a frustrated and angry tone to her voice that showed just how much she had been thinking about this.


    Since Jane had the inside information on just who Laura was talking about she couldn''t help but glance over at Louis. However, she also knew something that Sammy had been telling her just earlier in the day. "You know Sammy has been training with Louis. And even the police have had to come and talk to them about their late night training. Apparently, lighting is bright. Especially when it is wrapped around someones'' body so that they can use it to make their muscles move faster. According to Sammy, Louis is learning about the brain and how the electrical pulses can change how a body moves."


    This was not something that Louis was ready to show off to everyone The idea that he could force his body and brain to function faster with better controlled lightning. The simple explanation of what Sammy had been bragging to Jane about was enough to make Laura deflate and start thinking again. "Sammy even said that Louis is able to make his legs move faster than my speed now. I was going to challenge him to a sparring match tomorrow when we do move training."


    "I¡­I can wait a little bit then." The situation had been blown up in Lauras'' head the longer she had thought about it. Before she knew it she had dug herself in to a hopeless hole that she felt would drag her in to the darkness. It was a simple lesson for her that having friends there to talk her down was better than anything she could ever ask for.


    It was only a short talk and the two girls joined the rest of the group. Jane was glaring at Louis which made him wonder what had just happened but it would just have to remain a secret forever.. Laura on the other hand started to move about at her normal pace and was breezing through curl ups faster than anyone else ever could.

 Chapter 395 - 395. Race

    "Laura, what''s up with you? Are you trying to make me look bad?" Art was feeling very outdone as they were working out.


    "What? Don''t think you can keep up? None of you are as fast as me anyways." Jane was not even surprised to hear Laura counter Art that way. It was the very thing that was making Laura unhappy but since she was using it to challenge them then it would push everyone in the group to try and be faster.


    "You want fast? Once I learn to fly I will be faster than any of you. Even at your fastest sprinting speed I will blitz by you in a second." The challenge was quickly met by Sammy who began to push herself in her squats. Of course, this just forced up everyone else more.


    "Ha! You say you are going to move faster than Laura? Look at your form. If you can''t do it right slow then how can you do it faster and better than her? The only one that will match Laura is me. And you can mark my words on that." The sudden mocking of Sammy from Louis was enough to make Sammy slow down and prove that she had the best form. But more than that, it made Laura pause for a moment and have to catch her breath. She had not thought that Louis would say that he would match her. If that was his goal then she was foolish to worry about never having someone as fast as her.


    The entire conversation with Jane made more sense now. It echoed through her and she couldn''t take her eyes off of him.


    "Alright, that''s time. We can split up now and do our own training or we can head try and do some studying together outside before we head home." Asher had a phone timer going to everyone but knew that it didn''t have to be the end of the work out session.


    "Race. We are going to race. Everything we have from here to the opposite end of the park." There was no room to argue. No room to even suggest something else. The seriousness that Laura used when she said this made everyone feel a chill run through their spines. It was as if she was looking right through them while issuing this challenge.


    "All out? Using super powers?" Jackson was sure that he had the speed to do so but if he was competing against everyone using their super powers then he was certain that he would not be winning in the least. Not that he would be the slowest.


    "Of course with super powers. She said all out. Let''s get to this." Jane snapped at Jackson making everyone realize that this was a serious moment. No one would be escaping this and to add to everything Jane popped one of the adrenaline pills in to her mouth so she could shift and use every ounce of strength.


    "If we are being serious then I am trying something new out." Art moved his hand and attracted a piece of metal from his back pack. It appeared to be a thin layer of aluminum foil. However, when it started to bend it was clear that it was very thin steel plating. He forced it to bend around his ankles and then his wrists. "I have a trick to speed myself up a little but it is very hard to pull off. Maybe I will win."


    The idea was that he would focus on the four points of metal he had just wrapped around his limbs. They would be moved forward with his super powers at a rate faster than he would normally move his body. Of course, this came with heavy mental and physical strain because he had not mastered it. But in theory, he would be able to nearly double his speed.


    "Then I am using my wind full blast," Sammy spoke and the wind began to pick up around them. She was not always able to channel the wind the exact way she wanted. But she had worked very hard on controlling it. Yet,  since she was directly told to go all out that was what she would do. She could force all of her mental strength to push the air behind her and propel herself forward in a burst of air. Nothing would be able to hold her back if she did this.


    The only silent people were Asher and Cara who knew better than anyone that they were outmatched. Cara had no way to control soundwaves that would make her run faster. She just had her hard work to become more physically fit and faster than most people. Asher just had his luck. So if he really had hope he might be able to get lucky enough for everyone to have some false start or something.


    "Let''s start this." The air became electrified, Sammy had started to glare daggers at Louis. Something was off since she was so unhappy to notice him using the lightning in his body this way. Small sparks and arcs of lightning were wrapping around him and trying to push away.


    "If you go too far again I will never speak with you." This was a threat from Sammy that held a heavy weight.


    "I learned from last time. I won''t push too hard. It will be fine. I practice so I can do this." Jane knew it was the risks that came with Louis using his super power to force his body forward. If he was not careful he could fry himself too much and need to recuperate longer.


    The group lined themselves up with a significant amount of space between them. There was nothing left to say. Asher set his phone to max volume and for ten seconds. He hit the button and redeemed himself with everyone else. Jane had started to shift already and by five second she was digging in to the ground in a sprinters'' stance. She was ready to burst forward with all her might.


    Laura appeared to be standing idly but her body was actually picking up. She always repressed herself more and more as she gained control over her body. Part of her thought that one day she would be able to act and look like a normal person then shift like Laura could in to a faster speed without issue. But now she knew that she would always be ahead.


    The wind seemed to only be affecting Sammy as she stood still yet her hair flailed around her. This was the build up before a large gust that would propel her forward. Her training had given her an understanding of how to let the wind push a body forward safely. Now she could use this with her heaviest force.


    Nothing could compare to the way things felt around Louis though. The very air seemed to be vibrating around him as the lightning in his body showed itself. There was a good reason that he had been made to wear the rubber bandages when he first gained his super powers. He had no control of his lightning at first and it would wildly arc and exhaust itself. Now that he had the control to at least keep it in his body he had held it back. Now it was being let off its leash.


    The alarm went off and time seemed to slow. Sammy was pushed forward like she had been shot out of a cannon. She had used the wind to propel herself with such force that anyone unprepared would have lost consciousness. But this was nothing compared to the others. Jackson had chosen to leap forward and cover the distance to the end of the park in two leaps of ground cracking force.


    Cara and Asher were trying to remain ahead of each other but Asher was clearly the slower of the two. Art was able to use his super powers to move his legs and arms in a way that they were always being pulled forward. This enabled him to match the forceful speed that jane was using in her shifted form. It was a wonder that he had managed to match her in any way since Jane had been improving greatly in recent weeks.


    Laura was still the fastest and was wildly ahead of everyone. However, her nose picked up the smell of burning in the air. Her brain took a moment to process what she was seeing in the glimpse she was able to take behind her.


    Louis was coated in lightning. More specifically his legs were. But he was using a much stronger amount of it. So much so that the ground seemed to char with each step. His shoes which were rubber soles were literally melting under the heat of the lightning trying to escape. Not only was all of this happening, but, he was also right behind Laura. The only question that popped in to her head was if she would actually be able to win against him if he managed to control all of this lightning.


    In a blink of an eye later, the race was done and they had the results clear as day.

 Chapter 396 - 396. All Out Results

    Laura was standing looking dead on at Louis who had managed to come in directly behind her. She had no words or reaction as Sammy and Jackson barely managed to come in third and fourth. She didn''t even react to Art and Jane who were arguing about who beat him to the finish line. Then there was Cara and Asher who finished second to last and last but just started av the others in wonder.


    "What? Didn''t think I would be right behind you? Just wait a little longer. I will be first soon." There was a slight flurry of lightning as Louis forced his super powers back under complete control. Laura couldn''t even respond. She had been so caught up and purposefully made everyone race to see just how much truth Jane had told her. Yet, here she was. Just close enough followed by Louis to know that her first place and speed, in general, was under threat.


    "Now you are going to need someone to carry you home!" Sammy had come to a rough and tumble stop leaving a slight scrape on her elbow. But that was not enough to stop her from standing up and yelling at Louis who was trying to act tough. "You put all that lightning in you your leg muscles to run but now you can''t even move them because of the cramps. I told you that you should take it slow and figure everything out first."


    Since Sammy went up to Louis and forced his arm around her shoulder everyone saw the weight from him fall on her. It was clear that Louis was doing everything possible to remain balanced on his two feet. "Can''t you just let me look cool in front of her for another minute?" Louis thought his whisper was missed by Laura as he leaned on Sammy and Jackson came to help too. But Laura had barely heard it and couldn''t hold herself still.


    She was gone in just a soft flurry of dust before she appeared by their bags to gulp down water and pretend she hadn''t heard a single word. "Sammy, come over here and let me put a bandage on that scrape. You can''t lecture Louis if you went too far yourself." Cara was not having it. She had been one of the people left behind but she was still more in charge than anyone else.


    "And you two stop arguing. Jane, you will be tired after you shift back. Art, you know you have a headache coming on. I know what you are like when you try to force yourself to control too much at once." Asher followed Cara''s lead and pushed toward Jane and Art who appeared to be setting up for a second race.


    "Sorry bro. I just don''t want to be the loser here. Jane needs to admit that I got faster."


    "Asher, you know that I am faster than Art. Just let it be." The slight growl in Janes'' tone made her stop and realize that she had let her anger get to her. She immediately started to slow her breathing and calm herself. In just a few minutes she had started to shift back to her normal form.


    "Don''t think that we didn''t see you jump over the park in two leaps. That was insane." Asher was certain that Jackson had not overexerted himself but also felt it was best to check with him.


    "I didn''t want to lose so I tried to jump as far as possible. But it was not as far as I thought. I think I should try and do some of these things more often. I still can''t seem to control the strength I put in to things too well." This was clear because Jackson had thought it would take double the amount of jumps to get across the park.


    The biggest issue when it came to controlling his strength came from the lack of training. It was getting used to a whole new body. Since Jackson needed to constantly go through the things he was used to he was always finding something he was not used to anymore. The small weeks he would pull out with his whole body weight were now easily pulled out in one flick of a finger. But things that he wasn''t able to do like moving the large barrel of rainwater for watering plants was the same as being able to pick up a watering can.


    "I bet that we can find some solo work outs that will help you train your max. I saw some that sprinters and long jumpers do for track and field. I kind of think they would fit you." Jackson was still holding up Louis but he gave a thumbs up with his other hand.


    "By the way, Louis. If I see you use that move again without you having better control of your lightning I will curse you. And I''m not joking. I will do everything that I think might curse you." The serious tone that was so radically different from the way that Asher had just spoken to Jackson made Louis feel like he was just splashed with ice water. "But you did good. I can''t say I would have done it any differently." Asher walked away with a small smirk. He had long known Louis''s reasons for training in such a way.


    "I know you told me that Louis was training to be able to move his body better using lightning but you didn''t say he had gotten that far! I just told Laura that Louis was not as slow as she thought but that was way farther from what I had thought. I think he just broke her. Look. She is still sitting over there pretending to drink water." Jane had started to bandage Sammy''s elbow.


    "What did you think I meant? He tried to use it the first time and we were evenly matched when it came to my wind and his lightning. The second time he challenged me he rand circles around me. The third time I was pretty sure he was going to shoot in the freaking sky with the amount of lightning he used. He didn''t go all out though. The fourth time he did. That was the other day when he was moving with a little limp. I was pretty sure no one noticed it but that was because he had gone too far. He moved and bruised his hip. But I think if he had actually let everything loose then he would burn his one body." Sammy had a few fears. But this was a new one. One that she believed that Louis would make real if he did not slow down.


    "I''m sure Asher has already spoken with him judging by the look on Louis''s face just now. But I will say something to him too. Maybe Laura can make him slow down too. She still looks shocked." Jane took a deep breath and she finished with the bandage and helped Sammy stand again.


    "The next time you two rush ahead of me like that i will have to pay you back in combat training." Cara was feeling a little annoyed to be slow. However, she still knew that she had a massive advantage in her endurance compared to everyone.


    "The next time I use mind violently like that should be when I have no choice. I don''t want to be a raging tornado. I want to be a spring breeze." There was no way that Sammy wanted to be a hero known for the brutal winds she conjured. Instead, she wanted to be known for a gentle and calm winds that she could control over years of training.


    "Good. It doesn''t suit you to go wild like that. If you got angry I swear things would get messy. Almost the same as when I scream." Cara had never screamed in front of anyone after she learned the effect it had. Just the same as Sammy never let her emotions bleed in to the wind around her.


    "You know. Maybe I got lucky with my super power. My anger makes me a little wold but at least I can be stopped. I don''t really know how I would go about stopping the wind or the sound. To be honest, though, you two should train together. Sounds is just the air being pushed a certain way right? Maybe there are some hidden combos there." The random thought that Jane had was like a bomb going off for Cara and Sammy.


    The two didn''t hesitate to rush in to conversation over it as Jane realized she had just started something that could spell trouble. She could only imagine the bigger challenge that Sammy and Cara would make as partners. Training would get a lot more complicated as they swapped partners and trained for more combinations. The only person that might just escape all of it was Asher due to his luck.. Jane thought for just a second that she might be able to steal away a little luck for the next training day.

 Chapter 397 - 397. One And The Same

    By the time that the group had finished their rest after the race that Laura had pushed on them no one wanted to split up. Instead, they had made the decision to stay at Asher and Cara''s house again. Of course, their parents had no issues with it. After all the studying and proof that they were on the right track, there was no way for them to say no. The accomplishments of their children had already been more than enough to show them that they didn''t need to watch every single little step.


    "I''m serious. If you guys focus on the way the air currents flow you might be able to throw sounds for miles instead of just to the other side of the room or across a field." Since Louis had focused in his science classes more than everyone else he was the one that was trying to show the theories between Sammy and Cara''s potential combos.


    "I understand that sounds travel through the air. I learned about that first. But where my power and Sammy''s is different is that I control the vibrations to change sounds. Sammy controls the air in general. It''s like two parts I guess. Sammy can make sounds and technically with the right sound I can make a breeze. But I can''t break the sound barrier or anything crazy like that just yet," Cara was very confident in her skills but she also knew the limits she had.


    "Don''t even try to break the sound buried. You will make mom go deaf. Not to mention fry your vocal cords." Asher had barely managed to hear the last words from Cara since he was helping Art bring out dinner.


    "I didn''t say I was going to do it. Don''t be dumb. Just listen." Her reaction was the same as when Asher could remember as children. He didn''t even stop anymore to realize the difference in memories. He was Asher and this was his world. One with luck and warmth.


    "So in theory, once you strengthen your powers ad Sammy gets better control¡­the two of you could blow up a building or more with your combos. Add your control of the sound vibrations to Sammy''s concentrated wind making a vacuum? Boom." The hands gestured just added to the childish sounding idea from Louis. Unfortunately, just because it was childish sounding didn''t mean it was not true. This was a very plausible way for the two to work together.


    "I don''t think we want to blow up buildings. But defeating very powerful villains or maybe snuffing out a forest fire by controlling the wind and how it vibrates sounds good." The light slap from Sammy was met with a soft zap of static electricity. If Jackson wasn''t sitting between the two siblings and put his leg up when he did then there would be a fight of wind and lightning in the room.


    "Hey, something just occurred to me. You know how we all have some combos we can use? What''s going on with Asher''s super power? Like Jackson can work with Sammy or jump in to others'' super powers in some way. But Asher had this lucky unlucky thing going. I haven''t even noticed unlucky things lately." Art set the last dish of pasta down and motioned for everyone to sit down at the table before he kept on with his theory.


    "I know when he first got his super power I was slipping and tripping everywhere. Even he was slipping in to Janes'' boobs all the time. Don''t even tell me if that''s lucky or unlucky. But now, nothing. It''s so weird." Jane nearly spit out her water as Art spoke. If looks could kill she would have murdered Art many times over. It was a wonder that her sunglasses didn''t break due to the death glare she sent his way.


    "Really man? That''s what you went with as an example?" Jackson was a little off put by the example but he couldn''t say it wasn''t true. Even when he first met Asger he remembered losing his favorite shovel only to miraculously find it a week later under his bed where he would never have put it.


    "Art''s poor sense of examples aside. He does have a point. Ever since we have been closer and working together the less bad luck has happened. Take our morning jogs for example. How many times does the street crossing light turn on when we go to jog across? Almost every single time now." There was also a glare from Laura at Art since she knew just how offensive his comment had been. Bit she had always been happy not to wait for the traffic lights to change but it had caught her attention. She didn''t think she had been stopped at one for weeks now.


    "It might be my thought process. I don''t really think of us as different people anymore. We are one family. One group. One super hero cause to make the world a better place. When we were not as close I saw us all as individuals. I can''t say when I started thinking we are going, we will, we have this, we will get here, and other thoughts like that. But it feels right to think those things. I don''t want to be a super hero anymore. I want to be a super hero group fighting together." The goal to become a hero before his friends had been long cast aside without him or anyone else realizing it. They all thought this way now.


    "Thank you¡­" Itv was the only words that escaped Art''s mouth after hearing what Asher was thinking. No one else had the words to say anything else. They all felt the same as Art. none of them could say something better or portray their feelings. They were a group that banded together and became more than they ever would be alone.


    A short time passed while they sat at the table before they started to pick at the food in silence while the words settled in. After they had all about dit Jackson found the courage to break the silence. "I wonder what is happening to the luck around us then? If I remember right when Asher makes someone his enemy they get unlucky right? Have we been triggering his super power by accident?" This was a possibility no one had thought of.


    "I doubt it. If that was true then the people that attack my family''s house would have been arrested by tripping in to a whipped pie or some crazy cartoon bad luck." It sounded fantastical but Art did have a point. The villain group he saw as an enemy was not caught or even showing themselves now. If the bad luck Asher put out spread to them then they would have been caught or worse.


    "Then he had only brought us in to his bubble of weird good luck. So technically Asher had been using a combo with us the entire time." Jane leaned in to Asher happy to have found this unknown connection. It was more than they had thought in to but technically true.


    "Wait, so does that mean my break throughs in slowing myself and strengthening my mind had some luck backing? We are the best!" Laura found this to be ideal. It meant that the hard training she wanted to do that would challenge her had a better chance at success.


    "We can''t be reckless. But it is good to know that we might not fail in the worst way." Cara also found that it was better. They had managed to make some very useful combos recently and it was definitely faster than most young groups would be able to do.


    "We also have some pretty great connections and opportunities to learn. I would say there is a slot of luck in that too. I can''t say we always look our best." Louis couldn''t help but laugh since he remembered some of the rougher times they had trained to their limits. Yet, they had Garnet and coach Winters who were focusing on the group and teaching them very in depth moves and tactics.


    "Hey, I always look my best. Especially when I am kicking your butt!" Sammy was about to flick a piece of pasta at Louis before Cara caught it in the air and ate it.


    "If you waste the best pasta there is I will send you home." There was a weight in her voice that made them fear her deafening power. Their apologies came quickly while Art smiled like a fool at the other end of the table.


    "So, on that note. Do we want to try and finish the homework for the month tonight? I think we should be able to get it done and then focus on more of the first aid studies we started.." As much as Asger didn''t want to bring down the mood with school work, he knew it was better to stay focused on it. The group needed to stay ahead!

 Chapter 398 - 398. Waterproof

    "Are you sure we have to go to this class again? I just want to try and make it through the day without seeing anyone that will start a fight." Asher had noticed the teacher of the modern technology class walk in to the underground lab space before they had made it there. It was a sure fire way for them to run in to him and potentially start a fight. It would not be a pleasant day.


    "If we don''t then you are not going to get to see the costume design that they have been working on for Louis and Sammy." Laura was the most excited for this since she had made a lot of the suggestions for the ensign of her friend''s costumes. The other students had felt challenged and swore they would have a better design than they had asked for. Of course, this came at the cost of Asher testing a new invention that one student had been working on for a long time.


    "Just rely on your luck a little and sneak by as fast as possible. Worst comes to worst we distract him and you guys go ahead." Since Art could control metal he felt that he would have the best chance to distract a teacher with the ability to create machines and control them. A technopath had a few notable weaknesses, Art was one of them.


    Jane pushed the door open and held it for everyone just in time to see the teacher sliding under the bus that was looking more and more like a tank every day. Their teacher had been modifying it by hand even though they could easily make it using their super powers and the robots he had made. The students had the theory that it made the machines he controlled better adapted to him and would overall improve the functions. It was that way with most of the things that students invented too.


    "Yo, big kid. Stay here and help me today for some extra credit for every student that is taking my courses." Jackson froze as if Jane had just looked him dead in the eye.


    "Of course sir." Jackson had not even interacted with the teacher before but somehow he had been called out to help.


    "Good, grab that tire rim and carry it here." Just like that Jackson had been lost. The rest of the group kept on their way as they heard Jackson ask what a tire rim was. They sent a silent prayer to any god that might listen. Since the teacher didn''t know, Jackson was at a loss with all technology. He was a plants and nature kind of guy.


    "I hope he is still in one piece when we get back. Actually¡­wait, I hope that he is not an android or something." There were nightmares of Jackson being replaced by a robot since he didn''t know anything about the vehicle that was being made or really about technology at all.


    "Back on t the topic, will you tell us what you asked them to change with our gear yet? I know I wanted the wired included in it to help me guide lightning and stuff but that can''t be all that was changed." Louis had reached a breaking point. He had been wondering what  Laura had told her friends in the class but he had no clues as of yet.


    "Same! You need to tell us something. How will I be able to use it right away if I don''t understand it ahead of time?" Sammy attempted to sound logical in her reasoning for a hint but it fell a little too far.


    "How about we watch Asher test out that thing first?" Cara pointed at the group of students eagerly awaiting the test that was to come. They looked a little singed and Asher had the feeling that they had been testing something a little dangerous before the group had shown up.


    "Asher! Thank you again. You are the best tester we have. I swear, this will really help us with what we are designing." One student was more excited than the others because this was his idea realized. "So, we made a water proof suit that we want to use for water rescues. We were inspired since the next lesson in the survival classes will be flash flooding."


    This was news to the group since the guest teachers would let the next scenarios be a surprise. "How did you find out? Don''t tell me you guys hacked in to the system?" There was some minor fear from Art when his mind landed on this possibility. These were some smart people after all. But then he realized that if they were hacking the school he could bribe someone for a perfect score on is last pop quiz.


    "Of course not. We were spoken to about developing such a thing for the class. It is one of those joint lessons that takes place outside. The best design wins an internship with the rescue services design team. That''s why we all have been working together. We all want that internship. So if we all contributed they have to take all of us." The dirty trick to get a group internship was better than any of them would have thought of in the first place.


    "Remind me that our hero group will buy everything we need from your designer group after we graduate." Asher had a lot of respect for these technology students. They had already shown off their great skill and was now about to wow them again.


    "So I just put on that suit and what, jump in the test pool over there?" The test pool was the size of a king mattress bt it was more than enough to test a few things.


    "Exactly. Just be ready for the automatic floatation devices to activate. We had to exclude the shark proof lining though because it was too heavy and made the wearer sink." There was a somber tone in his voice before he continued. "The fabric we used though is blade resistant so it might save you from a bad shark bit. But that''s another test for when you aren''t in the suit."


    Asher put on the bright orange suit with odd padding on it without any trouble over his clothing. He was impressed that it held a seal around his hands, ankles, and neck which would keep his clothing dry. "Alright, in I go!"He jumped in and the next thing he knew he was back in the air. The loud bang that came from the padding where the odd padding. They had been the deflated and packed floatation devices. The only problem was, they had activated with such force that Asher was now totally out of the water and stuck on his back outside the water.


    "I would say that''s a failure. A funny one¡­" Jane nearly fell down laughing while she took a few pictures with her cell phone. She had to send them to their group so that Jackson could see later.


    "Ugh, why is it so forceful. We just used a small chemical reaction with water to fill it with air." The students began to ramble on and n before Asher managed to escape from the suit which still stayed inflated and now rolling away.


    "I would tell you that was dun, but now I know what a cannonball being shot from a cannon feels like." There was a slight paleness to Walker''s face while he tried to make sense of just how these fellow students planned to use this to save a life.


    "Ugh, we almost forgot about these." The student that was leading the design group handed over two suit cases. "This is your gear. We added better conductive metal along the entire jumpsuit so that it can wrap around the body and move in and out without any issues. Then this one we made aerodynamic and removed a full ten percent of the weight by using a highly durable and light fabric. Let us know if you think it works well." The design team leader left that moment to start scribbling ideas on a large white board.


    "That means I can use it to speed up my body and control my muscles better." Louis was very happy to hear this and wanted to immediately start to test things out.


    "If this is lighter that means I might be able to fly with it on." Unfortunatly Sammy was getting ahead of herself and was thinking too much about her ability to fly. It was clear that she would still need practice but having the new gear was a major boost.


    "You two are trying them on right? If you want you can show off here. If I remember there is a testing room we can use over there." Laura was not going to take no for an answer. She was finally revealing just how excited she was as well about this.. Their gear was an important part of their hero identities.

 Chapter 399 - 399. Improved!

    "So explain to me again why you have a room specifically for testing that you have not shown me and you never use? You literally test things right on the work floor and just let whatever happen. What if something goes wrong?" Asher had found out about the testing room which had cameras and glass so that the students could safely test things. Yet, He had been asked to test multiple inventions on the floor with everyone around watching. This had been the norm even before he had joined the class.


    "Eh, it''s just better that way. But if this kid is going to throw literal lightning around then we use this room. I''m not letting anyone fry my video game save files." For some reason. Asher was not surprised by this response at all. The video game save files were gold to a person. Wanting to risk that with technology frying lightning was a risky situation. Hours and hours of saved games could be lost along with memories.


    "Oh yeah, not your school files. Or your resumes for summer jobs. Noooo, it''s the video games." Jane had a disapproving look but she knew all too well that if she lost her progress in the fighting game they had won she would be furious.


    "Guys, Louis is going to test out the gear they mad. Shhhhh!" Laura was way more excited than Louis had looked. She had seemed fairly calm up to this point but now she was showing her true colors. Everyone had felt a little off after she had made them race. She had been fairly quiet the rest of the night at dinner and she even insisted on going home alone before everyone ton the morning. It had been very awkward. But now, she was right back to the hyper and even a little happier Laura they knew and loved.


    "Let''s go Louis! Bring the light show!" There was a thumbs up in response to Art as Louis showed the attached gloves that had been added to the jumpsuit. It was a nice silver and blue theme along with visible wiring on the top which they had been told going throughout the entire suit.


    At first, there were only a few small sparks. But as they watched things got more and more aggressive. Louis was letting more of the lightning in his body out only to find that it was not arcing out from him as usual. Normally he would not be able to control the lightning and he would have some trouble keeping it from hitting the surrounding area. This was not the case.


    The wiring that was sewn in to the rubber based fabric was better than they had expected. Even the other students were shouting and taking notes on the performance. Apparently, there were a few people that had read a certain book about bringing the dead back to life and it had inspired them to try to harness lightning. This was a simple test to see if it would be possible for them to use as a graduation thesis and college entry thesis.


    "I think this can easily handle half of the lighting in my body. I don''t want to risk using too much because I can feel the gear getting too hot!." Louis shouted up while everyone was mesmerised by the coiling lightning around his body. It looked like it was more than just some mindless lightning. If they had to say, they would tell others that it was somehow alive. With every breath Louis took the lightning would react as well. It was a wonder that he had not been privy to this reaction as of yet.


    Normally Louis would have to suppress his lightning at all times for safety. Hence the rubber based suit and rubber bandages he had in standby. Now he was seeing most of his lightning released and his body relaxed. The tension that was always in his back and shoulders faded for a few moments while he took it all in. It had been some time since he had relaxed his body in this way. The tense muscles he always had from suppressing lighting were screaming at him to properly stretch. So, that was what he started to do.


    "The heating problem can be fixed. We can add some cooling functions or even add some liquid nitrogen to use when he activates his full force lightning."


    "Why would we do that? Do you want to freeze him like a popsicle when he runs out of lightning? We could kill him!"


    "If you two fight over this again I will speed write a code that sends your chat logs to both your mother''s. Now, we have that fabric from last year''s game of lava. They didn''t make it tough enough to swim in lava but we can use it for this. I bet it can take five or six lightning strikes."


    The conversation between the other students was wondrous since it was a perspective not many people would see from the designers of gear. "My turn!" Sammy yelled in to the intercom by the door and Louis reigned in his lighting yet again. He wanted to keep practicing with the new gear but knew that it needed to be tweaked a little. He was sure to meet with the three that were designing it for an in depth explanation of how it felt.


    "Perfect. I want to see how this does. I helped make the fabric pattern for this. Instead of using a box stitch or anything like that we used a stitch from like ten years ago that is supposed to make air flow better in fabric. Add that principal here and we have an entire set of gear that helps channel the wind around someone." The two students that were standing with their faces near the glass full of energy explaining this were the two that had seen Sammy''s trick in the Riktor tournament. They now had the inspiration to make things for heroes that could fly.


    "Wow, this feels super light. If I didn''t know it was on I would swear it was actually pulling me in the air already." The feeling that Sammy had was as if she was being lifted up. It was the extreme difference between the gear and her normal clothing which was not sewn specially and made with the super lightweight but tough materials.


    She wasted no time in making the air fall in to a slight frenzy. She wanted to feel what it would be like for her if the wind was erratic which it would be if she were to try and get higher in to the air. "It pushes me side to side a bit since I am not that heavy. It''s good for speed but bad for hitting hard."


    "I wish she had one of those gravity bracelets. You know the ones that the guy that can make mini planets creates. He might only be limited to marble like planets and stuff but he figured out gravity with some weird electro science thing. I don''t know how it works but she would be the one that could use it." Art had seen the video online and knew of the gravity bracelet. But the price was more than he and his entire family put together could afford.


    For certain reasons the super power the man that designed it had was useless and a lot less dangerous than it sounded. But his genius inventions were on a whole different level. But maybe that would come another day.


    "I''m going to try and float a little." The wind started to curve around the room just like a very large tornado. Sammy had wanted to learn this tactic to be able to fly using it but it had been harder than she imagined. The wind put a very heavy strain on her mind when she tried to bring the circling currents tighter and cause her to fly. Therefore, Sammy had only succeeded in making herself float slighting while moving the air in a very large circle.


    "Ha! I can float much easier!" Sammy felt that she was able to exert less energy to make the wind lift her now than before. She also felt that she would be able to better focus on learning to better manipulate the wind.


    "Exactly as we planned. All we needed was an old failed experiment and some new knowledge."


    "Agreed. We should be able to use this after we add a little more to it. I''m thinking a green and white theme." Asher watched the two students walk away with their hands already scribbling notes on small pads of paper they had in their pockets.


    "Is it just me or do you guys feel left out?" Cara was feeling that she needed to upgrade her own gear even though it was brand new still. For some reason, she felt that the students here would be able to pull more amazing things from out of nowhere.. They seemed to be able to play with a  problem and solve it in unique ways better than professionals.

 Chapter 400 - 400. Knights

    "What would you even improve on if you have your gear upgraded?" Jane felt that Cara had the highest quality gear out of all of them. She had gear that was made to send her voice around her and even had multiple settings for the durable speakers in her jackets. It was the ideal gear for her when it came to sound manipulation.


    "Miniature drones. If I can get those flying drones with little speakers I could manipulate sound from very far away. Especially when I have a better mastery over my super power." This actually made a lot of sense. Jane could see how it would be beneficial for Cara to have a longer range. At the moment her sound could only travel so far. But if it could go even further and was able to be manipulated then she could easily handle some very dangerous situations safely.


    "That sounds really cool. I bet you could use them to spy and mess up villain plans too." For whatever reason, Arts'' mind went right to spy movies It may have been the fact that he got stuck in an internet look showing cool spy moves or even the fact that he always thought spies were secret heroes. But at the end of the day, he realized that Cara had a serious possibility to become a sort of spy if she got little speaker drones.


    "To be honest, you would probably be the best at recon if we can''t send a person in. If you can control sound you can potentially get past certain security challenges. Not to mention confuse guards and allow for them to chase fake intruders while you sneak in for evidence collection." Since Art had ended up sharing the same spy videos he found in the group Sammy was also jumping on the train.


    "Both are good points but I think She would use it to help everyone in a fight from afar or scout out survivors in a natural disaster. You know how hard it is to send in people to search crumbled buildings or caves. Using a drone with speaker and receiver would let her contact people in ways that others can''t" It was smart for Asher to level out the wild ideas that Art and Sammy were about to continue. He knew that they could end up on a tangent for the rest of the day if he didn''t step in.


    "Well, in any case. It is something I will save up for and keep an eye out for. I want to get this on my own." The idea of having her own gear modified by the things she found made Cara feel more at one with her gear and super powers. It was a mental block she wanted to hold on to since it made things more personal and controlled. "Jane, what about you? Your gear is pretty simple. I always thought you would need something more."


    Jane had not expected to be put on the spot so suddenly. But she had been thinking of small improvements. Unknown to her thigh, the other students had started to listen in on the group''s conversation since they had already made their notes about Louis and Sammy''s gear. Their desire for a challenge and new project greatly exceeded their mental strength to stop themselves from trying to experiment.


    "Hmm. well. There are some areas that my scales don''t cover. Those are weaker and if I take a hit when I am shifted it still hurts a lot. I was thinking of testing my scales for toughness then trying to find a way for my gear to be just as tough as them in those sports. It would make me a lot more relaxed in my fighting style." This was true. The entire group watched each other train and knew the habits they had, Jane had the habit of protecting her sides and stomach along with her inner arms. This was because when she shifted the scales really only covered her outward facing body parts.


    "That sounds perfect for you. I want to see what you fight like when you aren''t trying to protect yourself so much. It always seems like you are holding back from big moves." The role of At''s eyes was enough for Jane to want to test him in a sparring match right there. They had been a lot more even in sparring and training lately which made Jane angry. She used to be a lot further ahead of Art but he had doubled down and focused himself so well that he had exceeded his previous best and was going to surpass Jane.


    "And just because Art is being rude I want to have something to brace my claws that lets them scrape in to my opponent harder." The glare Jane had was just for the respective reason of revenge against Art. Bit it was also because Jane had a fear that her claws would become injured and when she shifted back to normal she would be painfully missing a fingernail.


    "Alos, my gloves always stretch and aren''t going back to normal after I shift." The problem here was the wearing of the elastic and Jane''s muscles changed and increased. It was to be expected but most of the time a shifter had to pay a higher price for special fabrics. It was just a reality of how the clothing they needed was different.


    "Ha! I will fix all of that for you. Come with me!"  girl nearby latched on to Janes'' arm and dragged her away toward a work table. There was muffled rambling from the table but Jane started to look excited after just a few seconds.


    "Well, Jane found a friend. I guess the rest of us are pretty set then?" Asher had no idea what he would need since his super power pretty much provided what he needed for him.


    "Of course I am good. I learned how to high metal in my gear ages ago. I could do without modifications for a long time. Since I need to learn to mold and bend metal to protect my body I will keep working on that. When I can manipulate an entire set of armor I will basically be an invincible knight." And now Art had shifted in to thinking he was a medieval knight. For some reason, Asher wasn''t even surprised by this.


    "Hey, what do you guys think? Did the lightning look cool or what?" Louis had made it back from changing and was hyper. He was showing a lot more energy and joy than usual. The feeling of having his lightning wrap around his body and protect him was amazing. It was more than he had ever imagined. "I''m pretty sure if I train with that gear, eventually I will be able to do that without the gear at all. It''s like having training wheels."


    "Not as good as mine! I can almost fly with mine! You had to have seen it. It was amazing. I was lighter than a feather. If only I could ho,d a brick and fall faster when I wanted to. But I will just have to learn to make the wind push my kicks and punches harder." Sammy was even more energetic about her gear.


    "If you manage to control the wind so well that it makes you punch fly harder then I think you could be pretty over powered." Cara knew exactly what it would mean if Sammy figured this out. It would mean Sammy had the maneuverability and speed to surprise everyone before she landed a massive hit to any weak point they had.


    "Asher. Are you getting new gear? I thought you would want to improve something. Maybe you should look for some tougher gear so you can take a hit better. Or maybe you can get some gear that lets you carry gadgets." laura had chimed in again while eating an orange that no one had seen her with before.


    "I thought about all that. But come on. I am lucky, right? If I get gear like that it''s an insult to my super power kind of." This argument didn''t appear to win in anyones'' joy. They were all looking at Asher as if he had just said something ridiculous. "Fine. Fine. I will ask someone to make it tougher to increase my defense. But no suit of armor!" Asher was not about to follow Art and end up looking like someone who could barely walk and needed to fight a dragon to win the heart of a princess.


    "Wait, do we need to figure something out for Jackson?" There was the question that stopped the entire group in their tracks. Jackson had nothing. His costume was bare.


    "Why? He has his strength and can do better than all of us in the wild. Just get him the first aid stuff her needs." The simple solution came from Cara who had faith that Jackson could handle himself with his strength and speed.. Not to mention his critical thinking.

 Chapter 401 - 401. Weapons

    "Louis, are you really bringing it home today?" Sammy was the only one that had not wanted to bring her gear home. Louis had waited a little later after school once some additional modifications had been made.


    "Of course I am bringing it. I want to train in it. I also had them ad those needles that Art made me. It will be way better for me to direct lighting. I also asked coach Winters if she had any weapons knowledge but she said that she would not teach that." Louis was understandably annoyed. He felt like he needed it to use his super power to the best of his current ability.


    "She doesn''t handle weaponry. Neither does Garnet. They both believe in hand to hand combat as the best way to battle it out. But I know why you want weapons training. To be honest I was thinking about it myself. I don''t really need to use one but I want to know how for the possibility that I could fight someone using them." Asher had been thinking of this a little bit from time to time. It was an important step for a hero.


    Many of the crimes in the world would be committed by someone with a weapon if their super power couldn''t be used for violence. Nowadays there were fewer of these crimes committed just using a weapon and more often using something that amplified their super powers. The news often showed stories of inventions that would amplify certain aspects of a persons'' super power.


    "I know where we can go to learn about various weapons. It''s perfect. We can even head there now."


    "Of all the people to know where we can learn about weapons, it''s Jackson?" Art spoke as if someone had just said the most ridiculous thing in the world.


    "Just trust me. I saw this place a few months ago. I walk by here all the time but I saw this old guy and his grandson training with weapons. Then the next day it was a different weapons. Then the next day a different weapon. They learn and train with a different one every single day. I promise it will be great for what we need to learn." Everyone was still looking at Jackson as if he had grown a second head.


    "Alright. Alright. It''s an antique shop. But it''s very old school and even had a demonstration space. I don''t think they have a single screen in the place. But I always see very high end cars outside. But it''s very nice. The old man always waves when he is sitting out front drinking his coffee." This sounded like one of the better parts of Jacksons'' morning and the group had realized why he would remember such a thing now.


    "Oh, his name is Ron. He said hello to me the other day after I left your house. He is very nice. His grandson comes to learn from him so that he can one day take over his antiquing business. Apparently, on his closed days, he goes to yard sales and auctions to buy antique weapons. It''s his passion to save and restore pieces of history." Sammy chimed in happy to make the connection with the nice old man she had met. It was a very big surprise to hear that even Jackson had noticed him.


    "Well, then show us the way." Cara was more than sold on the adventure.


    Jackson and Sammy took the lead on the way there. Soon an out of place building was visible. It was back a little ways from the road which was why none of the group had really noticed it when they went to Jacksons'' house for dinner recently. The tiles on the roof were much older but incredibly well upkept. The same was said about the walls and redwood doors. Furthermore, there was an immaculate garden that wrapped around the entire property. The very center of the antique shop had a small courtyard which was rarely used in home design any longer.


    "I think this place is beautiful. I never knew places like this were real. The last time I saw something like this it was in a book. I think it was actually in the text book we had in middle school." Jane searched her memory for the time period of the architecture.


    "Thank you very much. This is my pride and joy. This is the oldest home built by some of the first people to migrate her from my fathers'' home country. I had to snap it up when I was about your age. It was nearly a pile of rubble back then." The rusty voice came through the air as the group noticed the older man sitting at a black steel table with a cup of still steaming coffee. "You''re the young man that always walks by. Ah, and you are the nice young woman that stopped to say hello the other day. A very cute couple." The man laughed while sipping his coffee. "So what brings you to Ron''s antiques? You all look a little young to be interested in old antiques. I hear kids like video games and anime lately." The laugh rang out again.


    "We hope we aren''t bothering you. I noticed that every single day you and your grandson practice with different weapons. My name is Jackson. My friends here are trying to become heroes. We had hopes that you could show us a thing or two. We don''t know anyone that trains with weapons and learning it online is very dangerous. Having someone with proper understanding would be better." Jackson was taking the lead in the most polite way possible.


    With a look of intrigue and soon understanding. "I recognize you from the newspaper. You and your friends are famous you know! I was in the newspaper too once. I sold a sword that was made by a king. Ha! To think I would meet someone from the newspaper." The question seemed to be ignored.


    The group stood silent while waiting for Ron to stop laughing. "I can help you out. But I expect all of you to help me out first. My grandson has a super power and always uses it to skip out on his chores. He doesn''t get old folks like me who don''t have a super power and never wanted one. If you can find where he disappeared to then you can learn one weapon each. If I remember that article right the paper said you share knowledge because you are all links of a chain. Sounds cheesy to me but who am I to judge. Oh, my grandson can turn invisible."


    "Wait, it''s that easy?" Laura had expected some hardcore test or maybe some form of payment for teaching. And in all honesty, she also thought they would receive a flat out no.


    "It''s that easy. It will be a lot more fun watching someone else look for him than for me to have to get up and look. I also have a slow point in business lately. I am waiting for my next shipment of old artifacts. I was told I have an executioner''s ax that needs fixing and selling. I have never seen a real one used when castle were still a thing."


    "He has invisibility¡­I''ve heard of that kind of power." Jane was not a fan of what she had heard about the people who received that super power. They would often get caught and put in to jail or special classes.


    "And you clearly know why his parents sent him to me. He is getting some very strict training. Now, good luck. If you need water I have an outdoor tap for training. Enjoy the fun." The small laugh from Ron made them all feel as if they had taken on a much harder challenge than they knew.


    "Just be careful around the antiques. He knows he should not be inside. So he should be around here somewhere."  Ron smirked as he kept his grandsons'' favorite hiding place to himself. It had been a few years since they had started living together and his grandson had always hidden in the same place. It was very funny but exactly how a younger child would think.


    "Do we split up?" Asher wasn''t sure what the best process would be. None of them were familiar with this place and splitting up sounded like the best idea.


    "Sure. But I am not going anywhere near anything expensive. All I need to do is run too fast by one and have it fall." Laura shook her head with force. She was not taking any risks here.


    "How about the person that finds him doesn''t have to do the next math packet?" Louis wanted a little extra motivation so he would have more time to train with his new gear.


    "I will take that deal! Let''s go!" Art ran off in frantic search.. The rest of the group had no chance ti disagree.

 Chapter 402 - 402. The Invisible Boy

    Asher was still trying to wrap his head around the strange situation that the group had gotten themselves in. Not only had Jackson somehow known an old man named Ron that could teach them how to combat weapons, but this man had a grandson. A grandson that he had tasked the group to find and to that he could make sure his grandson was doing the chores assigned to him. But even more than all of that was the simple fact that the grandson had a super power that made him invisible. One of the hardest super powers to deal with when in all honesty it was weak compared to some others. But it was still tricky.


    "Asher, are you even on planet earth right now?" Jane was waving her hand in front of his face. He had been staring off in to the distance while thinking and had not even noticed that she had been trying to get his attention.


    "Sorry, just having some trouble catching on to what the heck we are doing." The slight laugh eased things over as Jane understood.


    "Yeah, we get in to some weird situations. I blame you." She stick her tongue out at him and looked at the bush nearby only to find do nothing. "So, where do you think he might be? Ron didn''t even tell us his grandsons'' name. Not that I think he would answer us." Jane wanted to think that this would be easier than she believed. But the fact that this was a foreign garden to them was not helpful.


    "How about we walk the perimeter first. We can check areas a much as we want but we are only covering a small area. If we take a lap we might catch on to some of the better and worst places to hide." The idea was simple. It would allow them to get a bigger picture of how many places someone could hide. Especially someone that was smaller than them due to their younger age.


    "Hey, this is my spot. I am checking this zen garden." Sammy had made it to a large sand garden and was looking over and under the rocks. She was using the wind to jump from each carefully set up formation so that she wouldn''t break the perfectly combed sand. However, there were some smaller footprints that had gone through a ruined the perfection.


    "Look, those have to be the grandsons'' footprints. I bet he ran away when he heard his grandfather tell us we had to find him." Jane was very excited to see that they were on a trail. Sammy on the other hand was jumping from rock to rock still trying to see if the boy was behind the rocks or the tall grasses.


    "We are just walking the perimeter. Good luck Sammy." Asher gave a wave which was ignored since Sammy had focused herself again. This was important to her since she didn''t want to do the next math homework. Having the free time would go to her learning to better use her new gear to help her fly properly. Lately, she had been having more and more dreams of flying through the skies unimpeded.


    Asher and Jane followed the path through the zen garden. They could clearly follow the footprints without having to walk over the sand and instead stayed on the grass around it. "This is really an old school garden but it is perfect looking. I''m pretty sure Jackson must be jealous." Just as Asher said this they found that Jackson was stopped in front of some red flowers.


    "Oh hey, I figure he isn''t in these rose thorns but these are very hard to grow scarlet queen roses. They take ten years just to be able to bloom for the first time. It is considered the pride and joy of any gardener if they manage to get them through winters and bug infestations. They can''t even be grown in a greenhouse because of how temperamental they are."


    "And Jackson is totally distracted by plants again." Jane teased Jackson and watched as he turned red. It was funny seeing him get so embarrassed by this.


    "Hey. Don''t talk like I''m not right here. I was just appreciating the hard work that goes in to things like this. It is truly worth an award. But back to the job. No grandson here. The thorns would tear any one of us up, let alone someone with invisibility." Jackson walked in to the garden a little more. Hie eyes seemed to be focusing on the smaller purple flowers next.


    "I think we leave him be. I don''t think he will find him but the odds of Jackson scaring him toward the others or us is higher. Big guy like him walking through the flowers and plants would sure scare me out of my hiding place." Asher joked a little more as Jane and he turned to keep moving. The path through the gardens was very well maintained and it was clear that this was where someone would need to turn away after the zen garden.


    "Whoa¡­This is crazy." There was a set of statues that were perfectly lined up in rows so that people could walk between them and view them. There were plaques on each one with the date that they were made and where they were moved from. Asher was not surprised in the least to see the age. Many of them were older than the house that was built here.


    "I''m pretty sure that Ron is a lot more in to antiques than he was letting on. But I doubt his grandson would be hiding here." Asher pointed to Cara and Laura who were searching the statue area. Laura was darting around each statue so that she could see every possible angle. Cara as carefully checking even the smallest corners for the grandson., She knew that invisibility would make seeing him impossible so she would use her hand to feel in front of her. If she did manage to find him then she might accidentally slap him.


    "Onward we go." Asher pulled Jane along and turned yet another corner. The last one they found searching was Art who was looking around as if he was waiting for someone to jump put. "What''s going on with you? Afraid?"


    "Ugh, Louis was looking over here before and scared me half to death. I was about to punch him out of instinct. But now I am looking for the grandson again. I keep wondering how he would think or where the best place to hide would be. I feel like I am stuck on where and not how." The idea to change the way of thinking was not the worst possible way to go about it.


    "Oh! Ooohhh!! I know I know I know!" Jane had an epiphany and started to stutter through her words. She grabbed both Asger and Art and ran right to Ron again. He was sitting there with an amused look on his face.


    "You know. When I was a child I would always use the best possible hiding place just like my grandson. My mother always knew but she pretended never to catch on." He looked like he was about to start laughing but also that he knew that Jane had caught on to what he was saying.


    "The best place to hide is right under someones'' nose. The best place to hide is where the person you are hiding from will never turn to look. The best place to hide is right behind them." Jane softly placed a hand down behind Ron and it stopped midair.


    The shape and colors started to return and under Jane''s hand sat a boy with brown hair and white clothing. "I thought I would win this one. Grandpa, usually gives me an extra hour of television time if I win the game." It was clear that this was not a one time thing.


    "Ha! You are good. I never have anyone that wins. Usually, I offer my clients a chase to find him and they get a thirty percent discount. No one ever figured it out before. Well, one woman did because she had some super power called aura eyes. She said she can see someone''s soul or something. I didn''t buy it but she found him in just a second." Ron shook his head while he began to sit up.


    "So, you want to join us for some training. Do you want to use a weapon or just learn to combat them? I know heroes usually don''t carry a weapon." Ron was looking a lot more serious now. The business man in him had taken control and he was going to need more information.


    "Louis will need to learn about throwing needles so he can use his super power. I just want to learn to beat someone with a weapon. Everyone else might have different ideas. But overall. We just need more knowledge.." This seemed to make Ron happier and he gave Asher a follow him wave.

 Chapter 403 - 403. The Guidebook

    "Alright kiddo, go and grab those training books that we used to read. One copy for everyone please." Ron sent his grandson rushing inside. He realized that the basics are where he should start but first Asher needed to get everyone back to the front of the antique building.


    "Get back to the front. Jane figured it out." Asher hit a button on his phone and smirked. The earbuds they had gotten a while ago came on perfect use here. Their phones linked them as communication for everyone. That was something they rarely used but after speaking about their teamwork they had decided to always have it set up whenever they were planning on doing joint training.


    "Really? How? I looked all over that place!" Art was the first back because he was the nearest. The fact that he hadn''t been the one to find the grandson was enough to make him question everything he had been doing. To him and the others that came jogging over, this was a crazy idea since many of the places they had checked were where they would have hidden themselves.


    "Well, I remembered the best place to hide. It''s right under someones'' nose. His grandson hid behind him the whole time. How would you have found him if he was following you the entire time?" Jane was very smug after telling everyone how she had figured it all out.


    "Well, I checked through all of the plants and I can say that there are some very good hiding places there." The way Jackson spoke full of confidence made everyone laugh.


    "Well, I would hope you got a very good look at my roses and the night bloom lilies. They have taken me some time to get there. Not that it will be able to compete with your house. I swear you grow enough food for every family on this street." Ron was not wrong. The amount of food that Jackson grew in his garden was insane.


    "Yes! We always have extra. I will bring some tomatoes or pickles over when we have the next batch from the greenhouse. I try to give a lot away to those who need it." This was another fact about Jackson that everyone was sure to remember. The long years his family had been growing this food they had also been giving away a lot of it. This was not only another reason why Jackson was fit to be a hero, but also a reason why he was just a good person in general.


    "I will hold you to that. I could use some tomato paste for my sauces. Ah, here are the beginner guides. These are not that old but perfect for what we are doing. I was going to buy one copy but after I spilled tea on it for the third time I bought ten." Ron didn''t appear to be a clumsy person. However, they saw that his hands had a slight tremor due to his age and understood that this was the cause for damaged books.


    "Just having a guide like this to start from is perfect. We weren''t sure where to go but having someone nearby Jackson works out perfect." Sammy felt that the old man was very kind in helping them out.


    "Trust me. At my age, you have done so much in life that finding something new is all too rare. I have never been much of a teacher to anyone but my grandson and his father. Having a group of soon to be heroes might be good for me. If I ever need help I will have an in with multiple heroes." The laughter was enough to make them all know that he was partially joking. Yet, they knew that he would hope to see them through the weeks and even after they had graduated to being a full on hero.


    "Guide on self defense and protecting yourself from an armed attacker." Louis read the title out loud and tried to figure out if he had ever heard of the guide before. "I never thought we would be using a book like this. We have always used videos or had a teacher. It''s kind of nice to have a physical copy like this." The feel of the paper and the drawn diagrams was refreshing.


    "I like your thinking. I prefer paper guides too. It lets you put notes next to it when you need it. I can''t say we have opened these in the last few months. My grandson here had already moved on to using weapons. Now make sure you fill in your name at the start of the book and take careful notes. If you are doing this it will be seriously. I expect you here once a week to learn and also help out with some small chores." This was the real price of learning. For the group though, it was a very small cost since chores could be turned in to training and also in to studying.


    "We can do that. We work together as a group and can easily take on some extra chores. We are not comfortable touching any antiques though. It is too risky and we can;t harm your business." This was a very safe calf or Cara to make. She was looking out both for Roin and for the group.


    "A wise decision. I will handle those while you stay here to train. Take those home and study those tonight. I look forward to seeing you all next week at the same time. I will have my grandson show you a few moves and we can clean up the courtyard. It has been a little dusty lately because someone always sweeps very fast." The look of parental shame that was directed at his grandson made him run away while Rin chuckled again.


    "Thank you again. I will read the entire book tonight.'' Laura and everyone else gave their thank yous and handshakes. Ron appeared to be in very high spirits as the group walked away. He had not had such a random encounter in many years.


    "Grandpa, are they really going to be super heroes?" His grandson finally returned and spoke up to him.


    "Yes, they are. Didn''t you see how they were moving and acting? I bet they will become some of the best rescue heroes you have ever seen. I bet you can even join their group when you are their age." This seemed to be what his grandson was waiting to hear.


    "So that went well." Asher was pleasantly surprised with how everything had come together. He had a feeling that his luck may play a small part in all of this. But even more it came down to how observant the people his group was. If Jackson had not had his eyes open and focusing on what was going on around him then he would have always lived in ignorance about who was where and what they were doing.


    "I agree. I think that was pretty cool. Jackson, ten points." Jane flashed two thumbs up toward Jackson.


    "I just can''t get over how perfect his garden was. He runs an antique business, had a garden worth more than gold, and he is a weapons master."


    "Weapons master?" This was something new to Louis''s ears. Jackson had mostly been saying things because he was surprised by how it all added up to a very fulfilled and accomplished life as of yet for Ron.


    "Yesh. I saw the plaque on the door. It said first class weapons master. I was pretty sure that was just something that was accomplished overseas but that man accomplished it here." It was more common in other countries to follow the older professions in each traditional weapon. Here in their city, it was very rare due to the high dependency on technology.


    "You know, that doesn''t surprise me. He said that his family heritage was from another country. I bet it was a family tradition to learn such things and that was how he ended up in antiques. We are going to be learning from someone with ingrained passion. That means the education will be even better."


    "You''re right. Cara, do you think you can look up a little more on that tonight?" Asher knew that his sister would research this even without being asked. He also knew that if he did ask she would make sure to send what she found to the group chat and let them read in to things as well.


    "Oh! I will help too. I want to figure out how this will work. Maybe I can wear something like battle gloves or like sone dulled daggers and take people down like an assassin." They all slapped their palms to their heads as they realized Laura had gotten the idea to biome a fantasy assassin in her mind.


    "Hey now, if anyone is taking the hero saving the kingdom route it will be me. I need a sword that can make me faster and stronger.." Art joined in on the topic and the entire walk back to Asher''s left them in heated debate.

 Chapter 404 - 404. Running Away

    "Wait, have you read this part? It says the best way to combat a person with a knife or other close combat weapon is to run¡­shouldn''t it be some sort of disarming?" The very first page on the guide they had received from Ron had started with the basics. Unfortunately, Art had expected something wildly different.


    "Of course, it is. Do you think it is better to fight? If you run away you have a lot less of a chance of being stabbed or cut. Come on!" Cara wasn''t sure if Art had just lost his mind or was just that lacking in common sense.


    "It was just a question¡­I have never been in that situation before." The sad tone seemed to make Craa regret her rude response. But there was no chance to apologize since Jane had remembered something.


    "Didn''t Asher almost get stabbed before? Or wait, didn''t the guy actually think he had stabbed you?"


    "Oh yeah, he thought he had killed me. But I swear it was a guy with the flu or something. He had to have been sick and the police just missed it. I don''t know though. Maybe he was both a sick man and a robber." The fact that Asher still thought the man had been sick and in a fever delusion was amazing. The group had all heard the story by now and it was considered the biggest lucky moment in his life before they had all gotten together as a group.


    "So you''re saying that as long as we use common sense and don''t ignore obvious signs as Asher did, then we should be able to try and run first?" Sammy was honestly trying to put herself in the situation and was sure that she would have been able to run away. If the worst happened then she would have let her super power throw a burst of wind at the culprit.


    "Yes. But the next part says what to do when you can''t run." Jackson ignored the slight bickering that was coming from everyone teasing each other and began to read deeper in to the guide while they walked toward Asher and Cara''s house. " It says that you should call for help somehow. Most people have phones or a loud enough voice to call out. But if no one is around that combat is the next option. So fighting is a last resort in any case." This relaxed Jackson because he didn''t like the idea of fighting someone with a weapon.


    "Alright. Alright. Alright. So we fight worst case scenario. But since we are heroes we will be fighting more often than not unless we can intimidate the villain enough." As much as they all wanted to pretend that they were not going to be in this situation the odds were pretty low that they never would. The group was going to be in a battle scenario that required them to protect people in some form or fashion. It would not always be countering super powers or natural disasters.


    "Exactly and it says the joints will be the main focus of our attacks. See on page five it shows a diagram focusing on all the places to hit to cause the joints to collapse." Lous found that this was much better for him to be learning. Due to his super power he had been caring more and more about human anatomy. Just broadening his knowledge about the human body in any way would help to improve the use of his super power.


    "Huh, so we have learned just to fight to take someone down and incapacitate them. But this is way better. Disarming techniques can be used anytime. Our opponents don''t need to have a weapon." Since Asher said this the entire group stopped. They started to study the diagrams with much more focus before they all eventually started a slow walk again.


    "If we can take down an opponent using these break down techniques then we won''t have any issue taking them in to custody. Like, hitting the space right below and on the side of the knee causes the knee to buckle. That''s perfect for stopping someone bigger than us or stronger. As long as they don''t have a super power that reinforces their body we can use this. Even if they have animal limbs, this will apply." This was the perfect technique for Sammy and Laura to learn. They were the lightest and hit the softest out of the group. Laura just had a hard time building muscle due to her insane metabolism. Sammy was just light and floaty since she had a super power that related to wind and potentially flying.


    "So when will we start to mix this in to training?" Jane wanted to start right away but knew that they were going to be studying for the rest of the night.


    "Tomorrow after school we should see if we can use the gym with those training dummies. They can be set to move in slow motion so that will let us test the joint break down moves. I think we should focus on the knee, elbow, and wrist break down first. Ankles, shoulders, and other throws can wait. I want to be able to stop an opponent trying to move forward at me first. Then we can worry about some of the complicated holds that are in the later pages." Cara was looking forward and knew that they should not push too deeply in to things before they mastered the easier moves that could be easily incorporated in to their styles.


    "I wonder how this would work with your rag doll style Asher. It seems like you wouldn''t be able to be as accurate since you are usually going with the flow." Since Asher did normally move with the flow of battle and reacted to his opponent, Jane was right. He would be the one with the hardest time to adapt it to his style.


    "If that''s the case then I should be able to use it the best. I have a lot more stiff style." In comparison, Art should be able to focus and add it in to his precise movements.


    "But you still add in everyone elses'' styles to yours. If you think we can''t do the same then you are crazy." Laura didn''t like that Art was thinking too big after not realizing he could just run away from a bladed weapon. She had to butt heads with him to make sure he would know that she would be outdoing him.


    "If I can add my shocks to it like a stun gun then they might be more than just incapacitated for a few moments. I could potentially stop them from moving kong enough for a second group to follow us and detain them."


    "You don''t even need to touch the villain!" Cara had connected Louis''s mumbling and Art yet again. "You do the same thing that you two did with the needles. But you will focus on the joints and certain pressure points. Art needs better control of his super powers and you need to control the voltage you put out. It will be perfect." The combination was evolving in such a short time but the perfect marriage of Art and Louis''s super powers could not be denied.


    "Yeah, I won''t say that will be easy but we can work on it." Louis and Art fist bumped while they thought of all the possibilities.


    "Just start studying acupuncture too. I bet that would help, And we need to get off of these tangents. We made it all the way here and we have a ton of homework to do."  Asher realized they had gotten way off topic.


    "How will I manage to use this though? It is much better to combat me than for me to use¡­" The sad tone from Jackson made them, all feel better. But there was some promise that the others had seen.


    Sammy looked at him for a moment then spoke up, "Use a shield. You can probably get them made so they resist high heat or cold. A lot of rescue situations might need a sled or something. And, I bet that Ron will have some teaching that comes with shields. It also blocked you from a  lot of these joint breakdown techniques." The light returned to Jacksons'' eyes when Sammy finished. It was a very good idea and would have many potential uses.


    "I could use it as a backboard to transport people out of dangerous places. Or I could use it to shield someone from heavy snow while using it as a roof for a shelter. Or I could use it to block flames and step over them. There are so many possibilities." Jackson had become a child in a candy store with unlimited money. He wanted to make this happen immediately before he realized that he would need a lot more studying on materials and uses. "I will learn this.." The commitment was already strong in his heart.

 Chapter 405 - 405. Heart To Heart

    The group had split up shortly after they had studied and eaten. Art had left Asher and Cara downstairs to focus on the moves he wanted to use. As much as they could have studied more he was too set on the new joint break down moves he could use against an opponent. He believed that it was the best way for him to be able to beat Asher and Jane in their next sparring match. The harder he worked the closer he would get to the victory he desired.


    "Do you really think he will beat you and Jane? Last I saw Jane was equal to him when using super powers. He already did a lot to catch up to her." As much as Cara wanted to see Art win, she knew that Jane was working just as hard. She had been training with Jane and getting along with her a lot more lately. It was partially because Jane would come around Asher and was not afraid to put Asher on track. But it was also because Jane genuinely worked hard and wanted to help others become better versions of themselves.


    "Well¡­If it was a few weeks ago I would say no. Art is a lot less experienced. I''m pretty sure he only ever focused on getting stronger when he was younger. That''s why he struggled with cardio so much. But Jane just naturally has speed and endurance. Plus her mental strength is pretty high. How else could she resist the anger that comes with her adrenalin and shift in to medusa form?" Asher had furrowed brows while he spoke about this.


    "Yet, Art has wanted to be a hero for much longer than Jane has. He had this goal and pushed through the things he doesn''t like. As much as he doesn''t like math he studies when no one is looking. He was testing his reflexes the other day when he was cooking. Not that he saw me notice it. The little things he always does to make himself better is much more than anyone else in the group. He even uses his super powers to cook lately. And his food still comes out just as good. Jane doesn''t do that. She trains, yes, but she separates things in to the times and focuses on general growth. Art will push beyond her at some point."


    Asgher would be a fool not to notice these things. He had been watching the group grow along with himself. He was very foolish when the world had changed in what seemed like a blink of an eye. He was still foolish now. But his mind had strengthened and cleared as he adapted. With that came the learned skill to watch his surroundings and note what was going on. Seeing the way Art worked not only motivated him to become better but explained a lot of Arts'' personality.


    "Art may have grown up with plenty of money and the ability to do many things that other people could not. Yet he had fallen back on cooking with his grandmother and walking the garden his grandfather had grown. The things he focused on were not those which money could buy. Hios character was stronger than money. Art may use it for the things that the group needed now that he had access, yet, when the situation arises where Art could abuse his money, he would not. This spoke louder than any words Art or anyone could say.


    "Then Jane will lose if she doesn''t take it to heart as much as Art? Huh, I thought you would side with Jane no matter what¡­"


    "Just because I like Jane and want to spend every day with her doesn''t mean I can''t separate myself from those feelings and look from the outside in. I need to become a real leader of the group. I''m not suited for it right now. You are. But I want to become a leader rather than a lucky charm. I need to be a leader that represents the group that formed around me." Asher was clear on what he desired to be and Cara had nothing to say against it.


    "I don''t want to be a leader. I just have a step up on you guys. But with the way you are all catching up, I will be equal with all of you soon. That''s the day you will be the undisputed leader of the group. But to be fair, we are all leaders at different times. Take Jackson for example. He is in charge when it comes to survival and rescue. We all take charge when we need to."  The two sat in front of their finished plates thinking about this for a little while.


    Since the conversation had been going well and Asher had been trying to hold it back for some time, he felt that he needed to bring something up. "Cara¡­I don''t mean to be weird but we are close right?"


    The question caught Cara off guard. She wondered why Asher would think anything else. But as she thought more she remembered the times she had avoided speaking about the advanced classes she had been moved in to while she had advanced beyond her own grade when it came to super powers and the pursuit of her career in law enforcement.


    "Yes. and If I ever made you feel we aren''t then I''m sorry. I know you might think I''m emotionless sometimes. I don''t mean to be." This was exactly what Asher thought before he had come to this version of the world. Although now, he didn''t think that at all. His mind was actually on another topic completely.


    "It''s not me that I worry about. It''s Art¡­and you." Cara froze in her seat not even blinking. "I know you know that he likes you. But I don''t know what''s going on in your head. Sometimes you seem like you want him around and will spend time with him. Other times it seems like you could care less. I just want to make sure my sister and my best friend, no, my brother are alright. Like it or not, I love you both. Art was my first real friend and went far beyond what I would have expected. Now he is family no matter who he is actually related to. Being able to get to know you better had been a privilege I never expected."


    Cara''s cold look slowly defrosted as her cheeks grew red. This was the most blunt and honest that Asher had ever been. She could clearly see that he was avoiding eye contact because it was hard for him to bring this up.


    She took a deep breath. Cara looked at Asher right in the eyes before she spoke. "I can''t answer you properly. I don''t know. I know he had a thing for me since I was one of the top students. It was pretty clear since he acted like a fangirl the first time you brought him about. And yes, I heard you and him talking about me before you came in the house. Mom has super hearing but you two talk pretty loudly." Asher didn''t realize this and was obviously embarrassed.


    "He became more serious though. I was actually pretty surprised that he was able to keep himself back and learn without acting like some of the other guys at school. He didn''t jump down my throat with a bunch of flirting or high and mighty bragging. I thought you had a decent friend. I would say he is a different person now than he was before. And I don''t mind learning more about that. But he is your best friend and I am your sister. It would be weird¡­ I think."


    Seeing his sister torn like this was a new experience for Asher. Cara was usually very decisive and easily focused. Seeing that she was unsure of her own feelings really made her more human. It brought her to another light in his eyes. She was not just a two dimensional older sister that he had avoided at times.


    "I don''t think I would ever hate him but I would need to be away from everything to really get to the end of it. I think that could be possible one day though. Especially since Jane wants you to take her out on a date since you know, you have been focused on the group and haven''t taken her out." The tables had been turned and Asher felt that he had been slapped.


    "Ehm, well¡­thank you for your input. I''m glad that you are able to help me with related things. And, well, if you do like Art, I won''t stop you. But if he and you hate each other one day. You are my sister so I will still give him a good punch. But I won''t stop hanging out with him." This was the exact thing Cara expected of Asher.. But she just laughed at his now reddened and worried face since he was trying to come up with a good date idea for him and Jane.

 Chapter 406 - 406. Casino?

    The morning came in a flurry. Asher had been too distracted thinking about life and the fact that Cara had straight up called him out for not taking Jane on a date. He had been a fool and completely ignored the relationship he had wanted to build since the moment he saw Jane.


    "Hurry up! I am going to beat you to the park today!'' Art passed Asher and sprinted toward the park. As much as Asher wanted to let Art have this one, he was faster sprinting. Asher always had a little energy saved up and pushed himself in to an all out sprint. Asher easily passed by Art and nearly managed to cross in to the park first.


    "Really? How did you even manage that?" The panting Art was mystified at how Asher had somehow focused and sprinted by as if it was nothing.


    "He doesn''t try and keep up with me every day. Now get in to the circuit before everyone else gets here. It''s the weekend, remember? We are doing solo training today so the only work out we will have is the basics this morning. All the extra stuff has to happen now or after everyone else gets here." Cara had planned out the weekend training and decided that everyone would practice by themselves to enhance their understanding of super powers.


    "Don''t remind me. I am the only one that really can''t train my super power. Even Jackson can learn to better control his larger body and Laura can slow herself down. How do I train my luck and jinx powers? Just go to a casino and hope they let me gamble? Then hope they don''t stop me when I clear them out of all the money they have?" Asher knee that a casino would kick him out in an instant. That was if he was even able to walk in the door.


    \\\\Many years ago the studies had found that those who got addicted to gambling were able to train themselves out of it with proper care and counseling. The study also found that children that learned and gambled at an earlier age made wiser decisions later in life. Therefore, the age for gambling had been lowered. Yet, that still didn''t mean that a child would just walk in to a casino. Arcades were still way better than some smokey casino full of drinking adults.


    "You probably should go. You haven''t seen the depth of your super power and a casino is the best place. You can go in and try your luck at something like cards. Just play catch twenty one or whatever. Then you can make people out to be your enemies since your opponents will try to take the money that I give you to play. And if you win you can take the money and pay me back. The rest just give to the childrens'' hospital like a hero would anyways. Just donate it in our hero group name."


    "Art''s right. You haven''t even tried to figure out how wide of an area you actually affect. If you make everyone in the casino your enemy won''t they all start to lose money? Or will the casino itself be your enemy and everyone will make money?" Cara and Art had raised decent questions and ideas. Both made Asher stand for a moment thinking even more about his own super power.


    "I don''t know what would happen. But should I really do that to people? They could lose everything? Or the casino could end up closed and people could lose jobs. I can''t take your money either. Gambling is really not my thing¡­" There was too much that Asher felt was wrong here and could go even worse.


    "Fine fine, but just remember, hero corp has no idea what your super power is all about. They would cover any cost or loss if you let them take the data. I can even call my mom and see iof her friends want to do it. You know how researchers are about new data." Art laughed while grabbing his phone and looking expectantly.


    "Just do it. Asger will suck it up and go give away some data, help the children''s hospital, and get to know his super power better. Just make sure someone with a healing super power is there too. I don''t have any idea how many people will stub their toes in that place when Asher jinxes them." Cara whispered the last part but Asher still managed to make it out and send a few glares at her.


    "Asher! Jane! Art!" Jane ran over with Sammy and Louis on her heels.


    "Hey Jane, want to come and gamble at a casino with me later? Some hero corp people are going to come to take data about my super power and I thought it would be fun if you could come with me. I can''t say I would be able to have any fun without you there to jake around with me." Asher gave Jane a hug while she debated whether she would go or not. But everyone already saw her nodding her head yes before the words even escaped her mouth.


    "Wait, so why is he going to gamble?"


    "He''s testing his luck and jinx. If he doesn''t want to Art and I will drag him there. He has been too lazy about it." Cara and Sammy whispered about what was going on while Louis just started stretching and watching the situation unfold.


    "What are you two planning to do for practice today?" Art knew that he would be spending time in the scrap yard. He had the goal of lifting increasingly heavier pieces of metal to push his mental limits and focus. Then he would start to control the smaller pieces with as much accuracy as possible.


    "I actually managed to contact a power plant. The underground plant that creates electricity from the underground river has a tour program for people with electrical super powers like me. It''s also how they recruit people to work there." Louis sounded rather proud of his discovery. The program was almost perfectly made for him.


    "I said That I would practice with Jackson. I want to see if he can throw me up in the air and I can make the fall and rise higher or faster or slower or controlled or¡­well¡­.anything. I just want to be able to control my wind more and Jackson is heavy enough not to get blown away and to also catch me while resisting the wind." For Sammy, it had been more about safety. She had to test herself in the air and if she lost her focus she would fall and become very hurt.


    "Who''s partnering with you? When did I agree to that? Maybe I want to stay here and just hold a plank for an hour or two. Hmmm? HMMMMM?" Jackson had jogged up just in time to hear what Sammy had said. He took the chance to tease her which prompted her to slap him on the arm to no effect.


    "Wow, flirting already. And here I thought you would all just watch em run circles around you or try and steal my nacks." Laura dropped a heavy bag full of various foods on the ground.


    "Opening a convenience store there?" It wasn''t just Jane that was wondering why Laura had so much food with her.


    "Well, I talked to the nutritionist that the school assigned to me since my super power really messes with my body. Aaand, they said that the higher calories I consume the better. So, I grabbed the calorie condensed foods from the aisle for people like me. I want to try them and figure out what the best ones are today. I also plan to do triple the workouts and focus on precision. I have really started to like that joint breakdown move section in that guide. I don''t really care about what weapon someone has but those breakdown they are perfect for my speed."


    "You know what? I thought you would like them. If you use your speed and take someone down before they even see you it is perfect. You are basically the scout and assassin hybrid of the group." Art recalled the conversation that he and Laura had a day ago speaking about this stuff and started it all up again.


    "Alright, stop. We need to focus up."


    "Woah¡­that was weird." Jackson turned around and didn''t see Cara anywhere. She had just used her voice to try something different.


    "I made my voice bend and tried to get it to seem like it is behind all of us. That''s what I''m working on today." Cara looked very proud of the small success until she looked at Art''s face. "What?"


    "Well¡­your voice was kind of like a super high pitched alien sounding thing just now. Maybe making it bend isn''t perfect." There was a worried expression that Art spoke with right before saying this. He wasn''t sure if Cara would be upset but was instantly relaxed when he saw her grab a notebook to take down what Art had said.. She was very serious about bending sound like this one day.

 Chapter 407 - 407. Data Collection

    "Hello, I will be the head researcher in charge today. My colleague contacted mre to let me know that a new unresearched super power holder was going to be tested in a local location. I couldn''t turn it down. Chances like this are one in a million nowadays." The man standing in front of Asher had shown up a little less than an hour after Art had sent a text t his mother and father. Asher was beside himself with just how opportunistic some researchers were when it came to data.


    "Umm, yeah. My name''s Asher. I have a lucky jinx super power. My friends told me I need to do some research of my own so that I can better understand the span of its effects. Sorry to take you away from your job for this." Asher truly felt bad taking someone from their lab. He hadn''t really wanted to do this in the first place.


    "No no, don''t feel bad. This is what I live for. I have a super power that allows me to memorize data and even remember everything I have seen. But where it differentiates from a photographic memory is in my ability to save it to a flash drive or disk just by touch. It''s odd, I will admit that. But it is why I neat out many of my colleagues to get data collection jobs like this." There was an aura of excitement around the researcher. "Oh, and please don''t worry about my name or anything. I am researcher forty three. Just call me that if you need me. It helps with anyone trying to steal data from us."


    While Asher felt it was odd to call someone a number over a name he didn''t shy away from it. There were many people that went to great lengths to protect their identity lately and there were rumors that people with a face sculpting ability had been changing the appearances of researchers, For all Asher knew, he could walk by this man in the future and never recognize him again.


    "Well, the idea is-"


    "To go to a casino and gamble. Yes. My supervisor let me know the details. We have prepared a small sum of money to test this out. We will start going through the basic games and you can do as you wish. We know that it may not be fin due to your age and that gambling is not as popular as it used to be. But rest assured, we will not bring you to an aged location. We have a very special casino for such tests like yours. Although they usually have to do with predictive or mental super powers."


    The idea that hero corp ran a casino to research predictive super powers like future sight and probability prediction was fairly interesting. The way to test these super powers must be very broad and hard to keep organized. Even more, having a super power that lets someone read minds would also make games like poker easily cheated. Therefore, having research for mental powers like that could go to end a decent number of potential problems.


    "Art, you really have to do this?" The question was nothing more than a minor complaint that got Art to shrug his shoulders.


    "Just go and study your super power. Just make sure that Jane is still learning how to use her super power too." Cara pushed them away toward a car that the researcher had arrived in. If the man had not introduced himself as a researcher then they would not have noticed. The hero corp leaders had changed the obvious coats and markings so that they were more inconspicuous. The change was to help protect researchers and other staff while out on assignments like this.


    "I have also been briefed on your super power. Medusa was very well known in Greek mythology. We have a very limited explanation of the way the super power differs from the way the mythology is. I hope that you are also excited to test the data we know and do not know." The researcher was very happy to have two subjects.


    "Well¡­I just want to better use my sight to freeze people in place. I want to go around without these sunglasses and if I have to look down or away from people all the time then I will learn it." Asher hadn''t realized just how much Jane was hating the sunglasses. But it made sense. She had tan lines from always wearing something and on top of that, she couldn''t see properly ever. Being able to walk around the way she had before her super power was definitely a strong desire he had overlooked.


    "I''m the lucky charm. If there is a way my luck will make sure you find it." There was a wide smile in response to Asher''s comment. The researcher even averted his gaze to give the pair a little more privacy in the cramped car. He knew that Asher gad to be saying this as a way to cheer his friend up. But also because he cared for her. Just because forty three was there to research didn''t mean he had to ignore proper human boundaries.


    "Ehm, so, Is that the place?" The car ride had only been a few minutes long but had been enough time for them to come in to view of a larger building.


    "Yes, it sounds like you have seen this place before. It''s very popular for sporting events, betting, large fundraising, arcades, and even restaurants." The multipurpose building was part of the mall strip that had been made to encourage entertainment in the city. But what stood out most of all was the fact that the building appeared to be very devoid of people.


    "I have never seen it so empty. What''s going on?" Jane had passed by a few times in her life. Mostly when she was going to the mall to buy clothing or other things.


    "Well, it usually isn''t fully open by this time. The only clientele that use this part of the building are those that come to the twenty four hours casino and sports view room. So, it is the perfect time for some small data collection such as this. I am pretty sure there are even a few professional car players and statistic gurus here right now." The researcher seemed to know much more about the casino than he had led them to believe.


    "You research super powers here a lot, don''t you?" Asher had zeroed in on this and was met with a slight nod. "Then I guess we are going to make your research pool a bit wavy today. Jane can use her super power to stop people from folding or calling bets. I can use mine to get lucky and catch twenty one of land right on the slots. It will be much more advanced than the arcade games we played before."


    "Exactly my thinking. The arcade games are fun for children. But add the pressure of real money and we may see some interesting occurrences based on super powers involved. I would love to see what happens when one of my mind readers loses over and over. Or when a foresight super power is proven wrong again and again." The scenarios that the researcher was thinking about would make the super power users stressed and most likely cause their super powers to be used differently. Overall it would be very valuable data for those super powers.


    "Do you have the feeling that Art knew this would all happen and we kind of played in to his hands?'' Jane and Asher just held their gaze for a short while before Jane nodded her head. "Yeah, that''s what I thought. I bet his mom asked him to get me to help them collect data. The two that helped give me my evo shot were pretty excited to record a new super power." It was inevitable that Asher would end up in this position. But to know that Art had played him left a slight bitter taste in his mouth. "We are pranking Art so hard when we get done here."


    "Of course we will. It''s only fair." There was a slight evil tone in Janes'' voice that Made Asher smile wider. He was glad to have a partner in crime before he stepped out of the car.


    "So, we have been allowed to take ten thousand dollars as starter money. I want you to split it between both of you and make it in to a hundred thousand for the children''s hospital ball tonight. The donations are broadcasted on television to endorse certain companies and businesses. It will be donated under the Link hero group name. I also took the liberty to properly enroll your group as an official hero group without a practicing license. It''s the next best thing for your future." The researcher knew exactly how to bait them in to going all in on this research.. But it was just what Asher needed to get in to it.

 Chapter 408 - 408. Spinning Slots

    The sounds of slot machines and music bombarded Jane and Asher. They could see plenty of lights flashing on the high tech slot machines. The smoke in the air brought them back to years ago when smoking was still popular. The older clientele of the casino still lived back in the times they remembered from their childhood.


    "I hope you can pretend I am not here. Just come on up to the clerk and we will start you out." The researcher rushed to the clerk and showed his hero corp identification. The cards he was handed each had five thousand dollars on them. "So you know the deal. Scan the card and the money will be subtracted or added as necessary. Just remember that if you get down to nothing you will be spoken to by the staff to add more funds or leave the premises. It''s a safety measure due to the violent reactions some people tend to have."


    All of this was easily understood and Jane grabbed the card while handing the other to Asher. "Should we go together or do you want to race and see who can win more first?" The slight grin that Jane had told Asher that she was looking forward to the challenge. If she was trying to bait him then she was getting what she wanted.


    "Bring. It. On." The challenge was set andAsher scoped out the area. He had no idea how proper poker worked since he had never been interested. This quickly scratched off that from his game ideas. The next idea was to just hit the slot machines but part of him felt that it wouldn''t work well at the moment. It was just a gut feeling that said he should go somewhere else at the moment.


    "Well, I guess he''s off." Jane felt kind of bad seeing Asher being pulled away from her. However, she also knew that it would be better not to be around Asher. He was going to pull all the luck toward himself and if she tried to play against him she would lose. "Just you wait. I will be the winner today." She aimed herself at a table where she would be able to catch twenty one and win some decent winnings.


    The researcher followed behind Jane. He was sure that he could gather a lot of data on Asher later and from the security camera footage. Noticing the larger trends this way was easier. Noticing the effects of Jane''s super power was much harder since the cameras might not have the same angles to see how someone was stopped in place due to her vision.


    Reading herself, Jane took off her sunglasses and held her gaze to the floor. She knew that if she looked up she would be in trouble. The lucky part was that the dealers didn''t actually handle cards any longer. Everything was electronic and the dealers were there as a customer service representatives.


    "Alright folks, it''s early today but we had a full table. Can you beat the dealer today? Will you bust out? The first bet is running fifty. Check your cards at will." Jane tapped her card on the sensor and placed her bet. The table made a small metal click and shot out a card from the deck on the table. Jane lifted it to find a ten and smiled. Her gaze then drifted around the table.


    "Hit, and raise." One man tapped his card and another was shot out to him. He then looked around to analyze everyone else.


    "Hi-" The next man on the table met Jane''s gaze and was stuck in place. He had started to say hit so another playing card could be added to his hand but was glossed over because he hadn''t spoken.


    Jane looked down and smiled politely. "Hit please. And I would like to raise." She tapped her card and received another from the dealing table. She saw that she was sitting pretty at a nineteen. Her smile only widened when she got the attention of the woman about to fold and give up. The woman was frozen in place and was glossed over just like the stunned man to Janes'' left. That had been the second person now caught in a position that they didn''t want.


    "Medusa super power user is limited in those she can view due to her super power. When carefully used the situation can become more advantageous. Yet this can come with major downfalls. It is clear that if this is not done with extreme caution there can be a major danger." The researcher was recording voice memos so that they could pair them with his written reports. They had seen the exact reasons that Jane would benefit but also lose in her super power use.


    Meanwhile, Asher had found himself next to an aged looking slot machine. "This thing really takes five hundred dollar bets?"


    "You are right their kiddo. I never thought I would see someone that like the classic style like me." And the older man sat down next to Asher and spun the slot machine with the same design as the one Asher had found himself in front of.


    "Well, I came here to see how good my luck is. I wouldn''t normally be here but It comes with some perks. I plan to donate whatever I win to the nearest children''s hospital. But first I need to win something and for whatever reason, I felt that this was the spot. I don''t even know how they managed to build this to accept these cards." The machine was much older than Asher had ever seen. The card sensor was somehow attacked but in an off way by the lever.


    "Well, these are antiques that were upgraded. But tell me about this donation. You plan to just give away all the money? That''s a big deal if you manage to hit a jackpot or two. I would know, I hit the jackpot once." The old man was smiling warmly having a buddy to spin slots with for once.


    "Of course. I don''t really need money. I''m still in school and going to be a super hero one day. Money can help, yes. But I can get paid doing that later in life. Money now will just sit around. It''s better of researching the diseases that people are born with. I wouldn''t mind seeing people being able to be cured of those crazy illnesses that stop them from making blood or make their skin paper thin. They are medical mysteries that stump even the best scientists."


    "Ha, not often do I meet someone like you here in a place like this. It''s usually just old folks like me that miss what our parents used to do when we were kinds. Can you believe that places like this are pretty much gone? But hey, how about this, if I hit the jackpot again today I will donate the money with you. Hell, I will actually double it." The man didn''t seem to care that he was going to throw so much money at a donation. It even seemed to brighten his mood.


    "I don''t want to force you on anything. But it''s up to you." Asher shrugged and pulled the lever after tapping his card again to add more money to the slot machine. He felt that this man was a hidden dragon when it came to slot machines. While Asher watched as single dollars went back to him after his spins the man was constantly upping the bets and pushing the buttons like it was his job.


    "The trick is to keep it rolling. When yous top it you give it time to decide not to give you the win. Look at me." The man smirked as a two hundred dollar win appeared on the machine. The cherries lining up was not a major victory but it was something great.


    "Here, let''s fist bump for luck and pull the lever at the same time. It''s a good luck charm my friends and I do." Asger held out a fist and the man laughed while tapping his own fist against it.


    "You and your friends are an interesting group I guess. Let''s do this. One. Tow. Three. And off fate goes round." The man laughed while he and Asher watched the reels spin. They both smiled while they hit the first button and stopped it on the seven. The old man raised a single eyebrow at Asher seeing that they were perfectly matched.


    The second button they hit showed a seven too and the man had lost his smile. A look of wander was growing in his eyes. The third and final button was pressed down just right to stop the reel. The flashing lights and resounding siren were enough to make the mans'' jaw drop. "You really do have some luck in you kiddo! Ha! This is the second time I''m hitting a jackpot. Five hundred thousand dollars. Hahaha.. Now, this is the feeling I live for!" Asher could only laugh along while watching the celebratory dance the man was doing.

 Chapter 409 - 409. Winnings

    "How do you think they are doing?" Art was a little worried that he had angered Asher and Jane by pushing them toward the casino.


    "He should be fine. Asher has been avoiding his super power because he is afraid of hurting the people around him. But I think that makes him miss the fact that it is really a good thing for most people. Remember when he first got his super power? He was worried and nervous all the time. Everyone had small spurts of bad luck. But now that he is in a better mood and striving to be better everyone is having good luck."


    The look that Art had on his face slowly changed from realization to wonder. "You think that it is actually connected to his emotions and jot to anything like his actions? Or the people around him? If that''s the deal then he will be able to do a lot more than he has been lately." This opened Art''s eyes to the possibilities Asgher had.


    "I think he should just accept that his super power is a pretty big deal. We all are affected by it regardless of the good or the bad. But we are still here." Sammy and Jackson had finished stretching but Sammy hadn''t wanted to go off alone just yet.


    "Well, we agree with that. But Asher is thick headed like this metal controlling fool. He needs some blunt words and plenty of experience to make sure that he learns." Catra giggled while she saw Art shaking his head at her.


    "Well, knowing Jane she will make sure that Asher isn''t stuck in his own head. I really envy that she is always able to stay so positive." Jackson had worried a lot when he received his super power because of the changes to his body. But when he joined the group and saw how Jane was always striving for better and pushing herself he was inspired to toss aside his negative feelings.


    "She wasn''t always like that. When she, Asher, and I decided to start a group and become heroes¡­well, she was afraid. She didn''t want to be a hero. She had thought of a whole different future for herself and was crushed when she had scales and couldn''t even look at someone. But then Asher was able to look her right in the eyes and still keep moving. He''s pretty lucky, whenever he looks her in the eyes she ends up frozen by seeing her own reflection. It''s funny but that''s what changed her mind and drives her. That''s why she is so positive. She was at the lowest she felt she could be and is now much higher than she imagined."


    Art didn''t feel bad at all for sharing this. Jane had never hidden this fact and it was a big reason why the three of them were so close. "I think that''s a good way for all of us to keep working. I want to be able to use my lightning to its fullest and do what I can to save people. I didn''t think I would want that but for some reason, all I can think of is doing that. I blame all of you." Louis smirked and walked off to be alone while he focused on the way lightning traveled through his body.


    "Hmmm, so Jane and Asher are adorable. Art is kinda just the rich friends." Laura stuck her tongue out at Art before rushing behind him to poke his shoulder.


    "Oh yeah? That rich friend? That''s who I am!?" He jumped up and tried controlling a few of the metal beads he had to flatten and catch Laura. Unknown to him, laura had sneakily baited him in to training with her so that she could dodge and get to know her speed and reaction time better. Art on the other hand would be learning to better control metal at higher speeds.


    "I think he should slow down a little. How am I going to mess with him if he''s running around out of breath like that." Cara just sighed before thinking about the reasons for her voice warping when she caused it to bend. The changes in sound were a lot of science but also hard to understand. There were many factors that influenced sound and being able to anticipate them was a major challenge of her super power.


    "I think he will be able to hear you even if you whisper. Now I have some flying to learn." Sammy practically jumped in to Jackson''s arms so he could throw her in to the air. Cara just shook her head a little and smiled after Sammy. She knew that Sammy was right but couldn''t help wanting to tease Art a little bit without someone else distracting her. She had Asher''s words on her mind.


    Back at the casino¡­


    "Hahaha, kid, that''s a lot of fun your little lucky fist bump brought me. I never thought I would come over here after sitting in front of my computer doing paperwork only to find that I won this much. Ha!" The old man finally calmed himself and sat back down to look at the money he had won.


    Since Asher had not expected such a jackpot so fast he was understandably in shock. Even the old man patting him on the shoulder and jumping around was not enough to bring him back to reality. "Kid, come on. You need to focus here. Tap your card again and collect your winnings. You have a donation you need to make." The old man took Asher''s hand and tapped the car on the two machines.


    "Wait, but that''s your winnings. I can''t take it!" This snapped Asher back to reality and shouted after the old man who had turned away.


    "Didn''t I tell you I would give it to you? Plus, I don''t need money. My super power is Midas touch. I touch any metal with a lower value than gold and it turns t gold. I also own this casino!" The man was flocked by guards and guided up the nearby stairs. Asher felt like he had just flipped upside down on a rollercoaster. He had just gambled with the owner of the casino and even given the money the owner had won. Even more, the old man was someone who would normally not have a super power.


    Normally, at a certain age, it was considered extremely dangerous to take the evo shot. It could cause the older person to pass away due to stress. Yet the old man had most certainly gone through the process and even gained a super power that was perfect for a casino owner. Asher was even more stunned than he had been before. The money of the cad was too high. His gaze drifted up to the sign he noticed out of the corner of his eye and read ''high roller block''


    The researcher came over to see the commotion and saw the owner walking away. "Ah, I would have bet he would show himself. He had been one of the biggest supporters in the evo shot research hero corp has on this continent. He was also the oldest man t undergo the evo shot process with success." The researcher was very proud he had seen the old man.


    "Well, with him and me¡­we just won two jackpots." Asher wasn''t sure what these foreign words were in his mouth but he couldn''t believe them.


    "I was notified. That is a very potent super power effect. Miss Jane has already swept three regulars of their majority holdings for the day. She even managed to cause a dealer to stop himself from hitting the call button for a new deck of cards. She is a smart young woman." The researcher had been very impressed by the way jane used her super power. But he also noticed the four people freeze when she accidentally looked at them as she walked to the next table.


    "Well thank you. I wish someone else would be calling me smart though." Jane smirked at Asher while holding her card.


    "Why would I call you smart? You are much more than that. You are a brilliant and wise super hero on the rise."Jane raised a single eyebrow toward Asher. She had not expected him to rebuttal with such a smooth line.


    "Now now, the small sample we took for research should be acceptable for now. I need to write up a report and analyze potency. I wish you had shown me the jinx potential in your super power but I can wait for another day. Please, your cards?" Asher and Jane handed over the cards to the researcher and watched as he rushed away to the same stairs the old man had gone up. "The car is outside and will take you anywhere you swish. Or you can play more with your own money but I do not recommend abusing your super powers."


    "Well, how much?" Jane looked at Asher expectantly. "I managed to rake in three hundred thousand dollars because the people I played with gt angry and raised their bets very high.


    "Only like a million. The casino owner came down and played too. He was pretty nice." Jane shook her head at Asher but grabbed his hand as he offered it. The two were heading out.. They didn''t need to gamble their savings away, even with Asher''s luck.