After the police had left, I looked at everyone still in the conference room, then directly at Brent. “Ecoterrorists?”

“Primarily sabotage and guerilla warfare,” Brent nodded. “I did some research on them while we were waiting for the police, and I’m a little worried as attacks like this aren’t in the Elves normal modus operandi.” He paused. “Well, stealing the blackberry bush would be, but a straight up threat like what they left?”

“So do we hope for the SWAT team or do you make phone calls and things happen?” Danny said. “I won’t complain if you have something you haven’t mentioned this time.”

The resident DARPA and government link blew out his breath. “There are a few different ways to answer that question. The problem is anyone capable of casually putting their fist through a wall like that isn’t going to be conventionally stoppable.” Brent looked at everyone else, then back to me. “Nicole, do you think he has as many breakthroughs as you do?”

I shrugged, unsure. “I don’t know. Barry was cycling more energy than anyone else here I’ve felt, but I couldn’t tell you how much I can actually cycle in comparison. The other one, Joe, didn’t cycle as much as anyone at their third breakthrough.”

“So at least four for Barry. And just because there were only two of them today doesn’t mean this cell doesn’t have more than just them.” Brent nodded and looked at Danny, then everyone else. “Here’s the thing. Your normal SWAT team would have to treat at least Barry as a threat they can’t put down with anything short of lethal means. We’ve all seen Nicole walk away from things that would cause serious harm to anyone without a dantian.”

He looked between Karen, Melissa, and the others. “And even you all are pretty much impervious to the various scrapes and bruises you should be getting going about your daily lives.”

“So, what, because they can’t deal with these guys without killing them, we should just do what they said?” Karen frowned.

Brent shook his head. “Lord, no. They are terrorists. I just want you all to understand what’s likely going to happen. If the Rolla police take this seriously and treat them as actual terrorists, they’re likely only going to get one opportunity to surrender before fairly lethal methods are used. Anyone I could call, they will treat this as an anti-terrorist operation and likely it will start lethal. And what I’m worried about is, what will it take to get lethal?”

I recalled a statement from the alien that Brent had given me. “Third body merdian wouldn’t leave much more than bruises?” I questioned.

“That’s what I was thinking, yes. However, a level two or three-a bulletproof vest would provide roughly the same level of protection against the caliber of bullet the alien caught.” Brent sighed. “So the real question will end up being when does the ‘not more than bruises’ extend to stronger bullets. Not something any of us would have tested.”

There were several pale faces around the table at the thought.

“That still doesn’t answer the question of what we’re supposed to do?” Melissa spoke up. “I don’t really want to be here if people are going to start shooting at someone else.”

“You don’t have to be. I don’t want to stop our work, but I don’t want anyone here getting hurt, either,” I spoke up. “Damn, I hate this. He’s obviously not going to listen to reason.”

“Your only other option is going to be positioning the Seekers in a more defensible manner,” Brent spoke up. “While fences and walls won’t stop someone at your level from ignoring them, it does provide something you can send people to walk around and watch.”

“You’re suggesting we move to a military base again,” Danny sighed.

“It’s only an option and not even one you specifically need to do. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting a homegrown terrorist attack, but they wouldn’t have been able to reach you on a base,” Brent answered him.

“And then we have to figure out how to get all the people we’re already involved with here onto base, Brent. I doubt we could do that in two days, or even turn this place into something like that in two days, either.” I shook my head. “SWAT, or your people, both, whatever. We’ll have as few people here as we can otherwise.”

Brent nodded. “The only people I’ll have easy call-in on are a few on low-profile duty, an actual anti-terrorism team is something I don’t have access to. But there will be a few more people with federal IDs to make things easier.”

I hesitated for a moment, then looked at Danny. “Since your martial arts was negating each other’s energy, what can I learn in a couple of days? In the worst case scenario.”

Danny shook his head. “Nothing super useful, it takes time and practice, like anything else. You already know how to fall from being a gymnast, so the best I think I could do is give you a few pointers on stance and basic attacks. But they won’t be ingrained in two days.”

“Better than nothing, I guess. Anyone else have anything?” I looked around.

“What’s with that rock?” Karen asked. “I’m surprised they gave you anything with energy after stealing the bush.”

I got up and grabbed the rock from a side table, setting it on the conference table. The fist sized stone was a dark ashy color, relatively solid, and seemed to swirl with energy of its own. It didn’t cycle the energy, unlike the bush or anyone else did. It just seemed to sit inside the stone, static, and seemed to be a balance of different elements. Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.

“The homeless looking guy told me to contemplate a broken soul, then threw it at me. Beyond having energy, not sure what it is.” I rolled it forward to Karen, who stopped it and picked it up herself.

“It’s weird. Don’t know why you’d call this a broken soul though? Because it’s not cycling?”

“Can we not play with the unknown object the terrorists left behind? At least not when we’re all here, in case it ends up a bomb?” Brent was watching it and Karen closely.

Karen carefully set the rock down, eyes wide. “Didn’t think of that. Looks like it’s an unopened geode though.”

“Why would they leave this and then say they’re coming back, though?” I asked, not picking the stone back up myself yet.

“Guerilla warfare, remember? I’d have strong doubts about them even following through on two days if I didn’t think they are insane enough to think they can dictate terms at will,” Brent said with a shake of his head. “Let’s just leave the stone somewhere out of the way in case it is a bomb and deal with it later.”

~~~

“You know, I hate the idea of hand-to-hand combat against terrorists. That’s literally what the military and guns are for,” Danny noted. “Fist up a little higher, tuck your other arm back a bit.”

I adjusted my stance. “Yeah, but what are we going to do? I assume the military is looking into something to overcome defenses, because they want to kill the alien. But I don’t think we’ve found anything outside a person that can go through the base defense this energy gives us. Honestly, I wouldn’t know about it at all if it wasn’t for your karate practices.”

Danny looked me over and nodded. “Go ahead and drop the stance. Walk for a second again, then take the stance again.”

I dropped my arms and walked in a quick circle. Trying to quickly memorize a body position wasn’t easy. I then got back into the karate stance.

“And yes, that’s what’s got me worried. I understand and agree with giving everyone power so you’re at least expecting someone to have it. And more people to try to figure it all out. I just didn’t think we’d end up explicitly being opposed by someone because of it.” Danny looked over my stance and didn’t find anything wrong this time. “Alright, front fist, punch out slowly. Keep your knuckles lined up vertically.”

Danny stood in front of me as I slowly punched forward. He grabbed my fist and guided it. “Center mass is what you’re aiming for. Funny enough, you’d want to hit the breastbone if you could. Wonder if you’d do something to that breakthrough if you hit it hard enough.” He paused at the thought and laughed. “Not that I want you to do it to me.”

I smiled. “Yeah, no. I’m fairly certain that’d be pretty painful either way.” Danny let go of my fist and I pulled back to the starting stance, and he poked my arm back a little further into the correct position again.

Danny nodded. “Alright, a hundred punches there. Then we do the back fist for power. And repeat. You’re not going to learn any real kata or sparring in two days. All you’re going to have is dodge and punch.”

I slowly punched out and reset. Every ten or so punches, Danny would have me move around then get back into position. Or he’d swat at my head to make me dodge then reset.

Half way through, I spoke up again, “You know, the biggest surprise of that whole thing is they were on external dantians. And if Barry is on the fourth one or higher, that’s even better than anyone here’s done so far. Wish I knew how he’d pushed that fast when I know everyone’s having a hard time building up enough with external to do it.”

Danny took a swing at my head and I ducked it again. “I don’t think he’ll share how he did it,” Danny remarked.

“Probably not. But if he shared, it might make beating the alien easier.” I punched out again.

“And sadly, he believes he’s doing just that by threatening us,” Danny reminded me.

Not that I needed it. It didn’t need to be this difficult. I punched hard at the thought and Danny fell back, flinching.

“Shit, warn me if you’re going to punch faster. I really don’t need my chest caved in,” Danny complained. “If you want to go full speed, that’s fine. But I’m not going to let you use my chest as a guiding point if you do.”

I winced. “Sorry. Lost in thought for a moment.”

“Let’s not have two different thoughts going on at once then. We’ll finish up with the basic punches and then you can practice while thinking other things. We’ll set up the punching bag and you can blow that apart like Steve Rogers.”