The sun shone its yellowish light, filled with warmth. The sky was blue with small puffy clouds chasing one another in a snail race. The weather was supporting the inhabitants of the city to enjoy their weekends. People would spend their Saturday happily. Students like me would probably do some fun activity with their club, or hanging out with friends. Maybe a date in the park or spend the whole day playing net games in the dorm. Instead we were here, at an abandoned construction project. Some ten minutes from the academy grounds. My T-shirt drenched in sweat, I was having a hard time breathing from continuous movement. I could use a break. Just lay down somewhere, getting a nap. But not this time. Not me—

A fist, solid as steel, aimed at my left cheek, coming in fast. I raised a hand to block, the sound of meat and bone pounded resonating and ringing through my ears. I gritted as I grunted in pain. It left me wondering how that small hand could deliver such a heavy blow. The impact drove me a few steps, backing away further from the lethal source. The slim figure in sportswear grinned, half mocking me. That sight pulled me out of my daydream and got me thinking. I could’ve spent the day like everybody else. Perhaps continue the next episode of that net series I have left. Nope, not happening.

“What was that? Focus, Archie!” She broke her fighting form into a lecture mode. “In a real fight, you would have died!”

“Sorry, Aunt Penny.” I tried to catch my breath and swipe my sweat off. But the pain in my forearm stopped me halfway. She really hit me hard. I

flailed my hand to ease the throb. “I have been busy, haven’t had some time to relax lately.”

“Ah, that so? You’re saying that the academy is harder than my training?” Her face reddened, her eyes sharp and twitching. She gave an evil smirk while clenching his fist. “I see, I have spoiled you too much lately.”

“Eeek” I shrieked like a girl, but my hands covered my mouth quickly to stop it from embarrassing me further. Aunt Penny was a whole different person when we’re training. “But—Come on. I’ve spent every day with physical training in the morning.” I paused to see her reaction. She just stood, resting her hands at her hip as if saying “Go on.” So I pushed further. “And I still have the telekinetic routine after class ended. Now--” My last energy left me, I put both of my hands on my knees to support the weight in my head. “Now we still have sparring practice on the weekends too! I’m beat!” I glanced at her at a fraction of a second. Only to see a scary smile, ear to ear wide.

“I see the fame has gotten into your head. You’ve got guts now to talk back, huh?” She paused, “Hero Armen!” Shivers down my spine made every part of my joints weak. Ugh, I hate to keep on carrying this title.

“No, I was just--”

“Fine then! I’ll give you a chance!” In a sudden turn of events, her mood changed. She seemed so excited. She pointed her finger ahead. It was that goddamn smile, I called it the foxy grin. That could only mean a dreadful thing would happen.

“If you can land a clean hit on me, I’ll give you one day free to rest!”

My eyes lit up in disbelief. But suspicious of the rare chance of a good deal. I could rarely hit her, more so landing a clean hit. I probably got encouraged for nothing.

“And you could also use telekinetic on me. Show me how far you have trained.” She gave a thumbs up on herself. Somehow I couldn’t believe her even more with a smirk like that. Something was up.

“Seriously? What about the ‘use your body before the tricks of the petty’? The motto of your Spartan training?” I rose up as I finally caught my breath back.

“It's lifted for now. We always learn fair and dirty fighting separately. Now I let you do both.” She chuckled, taunting me, “So, feeling like winning today, my sweet niece?”

I punched my palm to lift my spirit high. “Alright then, don’t regret this later!”

We both slowly went back into our fighting stance. She focused on me with a slight smile in confidence. I scanned my surroundings to see what I could use to my advantage. It’s an abandoned construction site, a building half done. 3 Stories high, only to have the basic concrete erected. We’re fighting in front of it, where the materials were left to rot in the weather. I counted a few stacks of bricks, dry wood planks, layers of steel plating, iron beams small and large. Most of them were too heavy for me to lift. So, I just memorized the small things that matter. The more I waited, the more odds stacked against me. She definitely had a better understanding of the situation and experience. It was a futility to stall for a chance. I’ll have to make those chances myself!

I sprung forward in a quick sprint. Aunt penny welcomed my initiative with a leap. A few strides away before the close range action, I let my left hand dashed to the right. She glanced to the way of upcoming attacks only to find nothing. A sudden cloud of sand came from the other way. A feint that I never showed her before. I put my dear aunt's advice to use. Telekinetic using your hand movement was like shouting your special attacks in a video game. There she was, got her face splattered, blinded. But I didn’t strike straight away. Knowing her for so long she probably anticipated my attacks from the front, left and right. That left me with one clear solution.

Using my momentum from sprinting forward, I rolled a somersault. My right foot was in the air, ready for a chopping with a heel dive. This was not excessive, my experience reminds me that not one of my attacks were ever enough to get her. A fast drop fell and a loud thud came out. A split second while my foot was there I felt like hitting a rock. She was blocking my kick with both of her hands, just a finger above her head. I realized my plan was screwed, I need to pull my leg away. But she held them fast, proceeding with a low kick into my other leg. I lost my whole balance and spin backwards.

If I fell, that would be a checkmate. So I forced my back to stretch quickly. I tried to use my hand to hold my weight. It was a success. Both of my hands were on the ground. Using the inertia from her kick, I pulled my leg she was holding tightly. My foot slipped away. The speed was the key to my freedom. And the momentum was enough for me to keep a few strides away from her. But then she was already there, one step in front of me. Her face was grinning. I blocked my face only to get a hit in the stomach. In such a state I couldn’t think of an obvious feint. I got pushed a leap away from that impact.

I felt my breath was taken from me. The pain was sickening. I gagged from my internal body reaction. But the stomach content was staying, alright. She was probably pulling back her punches, else I would spew out an entire week worth of meal. I traced back into the way I came. I looked at her grinning. She was enjoying this.

“Not bad, Archie. Was that a new trick of yours?” She smiled while slowly approaching me, leisurely like walking in the park. Then stopped five steps away, back to her stance. “Good, you’ve done your homework. Alright then, show me what else you got.” her palms opened upward, finger moved back a few times, gesturing “bring it”.

Such childish provocation, but that’s fair and all in a fight. Her other motto that was ingrained in me was ‘there’s no fair or cheating, only the survivor and the dying.’ And I was going to make full use of that. So I smiled. It was a bluff, simple trick to make someone think too hard. She scanned left and right only to find the next attack came from below. “Oh, come on! Another Sand?” She complained as she got dusted off her face. A moment later she realized something in the air, left and right. I prepared more than just sand. Small pieces of iron bars were flying towards her. They were coming in fast. She dodged efficiently to the side, a hairbreadth away. Left and then right. I knew so much she would do it, and that exactly was my aim. She stood in the spot I predicted, to receive a fast kick from my right. She blocked it with her hand, but her previous movement stalled her in an awkward position. She needed a few moments to set her stance back and counter. Enough time for me to pull my leg back when a wooden block came flying towards her. A small lightweight wood at an arm's length.

She easily parried it away to the side. Exactly how I imagined she would do. This gave me a fraction of a second to approach her with a one-two jab. But a blunt thud was ringing in my ears instead. She actually grabbed the wood, spinning her body and hit me with it to the head. My face was thrown to the left. Splinters went flying all over. I backed a few steps. Shaking my head and regaining my senses. Only to find her already halfway for a roundhouse kick. Mid or high? Block or dodge?

I bent backwards, predicting a high. A blade like swing flew past just a finger away from my chin. That was a risky move. She was aiming to end it with that. But it missed. So, the next one was my chance for a counter. As soon as I was back in a straight stance, I rushed forward for a quick jab. But something was weird, she didn’t stop spinning. I felt a fast thud down on my feet. She continued her roundhouse kick momentum into a leg sweep. I fell forwards and rolled to minimize injuries. I kneeled to get a few breathers. Proceeding to rub furiously at my foot. My right ankle was throbbing hard and my head hurt as much. “Damn it, aunt Penny, you hit my head with a stick. So hard, it turned into splinters!”

She frowned as if I was ruining her vibe “Really now? You threw it at me in the first place. I knew it was rotting so you’re probably okay. It’s like hitting you with a styrofoam.” True, no scratches, only a light bruise. But pain doesn't lie.

“So? you’re done?” She raised one eyebrow and rested one hand on her hip. Lowering her guard down. A chance!

“Nope, one more shot!”

She was standing close to a wooden board, thin, lightweight at a body width and height. Just about the limit weight of my telekinetic ability. I raised it to cover her vision. She blocked the board with both of her hands to stop it coming. “More tricks?” she hissed. The board broke in two. A kick came out of the middle, my kick. The impact pushed her hand away and knocked her back a few steps. I landed on my quick feet and moved forward chasing her staggering stance. One straight from my right fist coming. It was a certain clean hit, my victory. Or so until I saw her secretly grinning and clicking her tongue. Her opened palms suddenly clasped the air, as if pulling something quick.

Something knocked the back of my neck, splinters followed my vision forward. It was the very wooden board that I used as a cover. The impact messed up my rhythm to give a proper straight. But my body was already committing to the action. My right fist went straight into her face only to be parried away. Her left hand sliding inward, following my momentum. Now she smiled and whispered, “Good night.” A whip from her left hand chopped into the base of my neck, followed by another chop from the right. Carotid artery was her aim. The beating sent a lightning shock. Like a severed cable, I lost the connection to my lower body. They were immediately shut down. Gravity pulled me fast and my sight flooded with darkness.

“Gah!” I woke up a second later to see the sky above, still blue. But this time was blocked by two curvatures of a mountain. The back of my head felt a firm yet a squishy comfort. “Ah, you woke up.” A face, looking down, came out from the mountain. I realized what happened and a surge of red blood rushed into my face. I tried to get up but her hand was pressing my chest like an anvil. She looked at me and showed a scary smile. “Stay down.”

“Yes, ma’am.” I couldn’t refuse. It wasn’t a second or two. Probably a minute, more or less. Even if I wanted to, my legs wobbly like jelly. I could barely feel my toes.

“That was close.”

“Barely.” She chuckled.

“Really? You cheated! You didn’t say that you’re going to use telekinetic too.” My voice cracked in frustration.

She flicked my nose. “Ow!”

“I let you use your dirty tricks, brat. Besides, I never said I will not use one myself.” She patted her hair. Dust came all over down to my face. I coughed, and she showed her teeth like a hound, half smiling. “Your stupid sand tricks, look at what you did to my hair.” She rubbed my hair with the tip of her fingers, more like clawing in my scalp, though.

“Ow ow, wowwoww. Sorry, sorry.”

“You’ve improved though.” She stared at the horizon far before her, above the walls, above the cityscape.

“Yeah?”

She paused her answer and looked back at me with a smile, “Yeah.”

We spent a few minutes later in silence. The chirping bird was the music that we could hear in our ears. Mixed with a beat of distant traffic and a few flying vessels humming occasionally passed within the smog. The fragrance of her sweat mixed with the jasmine-scented detergent gave a feeling of nostalgia and safety. I felt like a chick being protected by his mother bird. My pillow was soft and warm, yet it still felt kind of tough. Reminded of that, I felt really embarrassed. My blushing cheeks just wouldn’t go away.

“I think I’m alright, now. I can get up.”

She peeked through the mountain and giggled like a teen.

“What’s with the hurry? Please take your time.” She then put a finger on her chin, looking through the corner of her eyes. Imagining or thinking about something. “Oh, do you feel embarrassed, Archie? Getting a lap pillow from a beautiful woman gets you excited?”

Alright, that’s it. You old hag. I got myself up.

“What did you say to me?”

“Huh?”

I didn’t realize at that moment that I was blurting out my thoughts instead of keeping it safe inside my head.

“I said--” I paused in a split microsecond and used all my brain capacity to think of a way out. “You’re all I have!”

She popped her knuckles ready for round two, “Really?” A vein bulging on her forehead. She raged inside for real.

“Yes. Aunt Penny! You’re the only family I got left.”

She stared and gave a few thoughts. She chuckled and sighed, “You never were good at lying. I would give you a good smack, but I just knocked you out. You might end up with a stroke. So, I will let it slide this time.”

I let out a sigh of relief. “Sorry, you and your teasing is always stuck where it sting the most.”

She just giggled and gave a light knock on her head. Acting cute, like an old teen. Ugh, please stop that. It’s painful to watch.

“For real though, you’re the one I got. I really appreciate--”

A sudden noise and vibration came from her tabs, interrupting my speech. “Wait, hold that thought.” She walked into the side of the building where she put her bags. There was some obvious noise coming from it. She opened it and picked up her tabs, looking into the screen and pushed a button to answer the call. A few yesses, and no. Followed by some story about the past and work related.

“No, way.” She folded her hand and seemed concerned about something. “Alright, okay. Got it.” She ended the call and walked back to me. “So, what were you saying?”

“Nevermind that. What was that call about?” I asked.

“Oh that? You’re in luck. Seems like you got yourself a rest tomorrow.”

“Huh?” The news sparked joy and curiosity.

“Work related stuff.” She sat back next to me. “I’m going to meet an old friend tomorrow. So you can have all day to yourself.”

“What about my routine?’

“Don’t mind that. Well, it’s up to you if you want to do it. But I think you deserve a break. You’ve shown a huge leap of progress.”

That was an amazing discovery. Finally, a whole day to just lie down and relax. Damn right, I deserve this.

“So, how’s the dorm?” She changed the topic.

“It’s fine, too much perhaps. They gave me the best room suited for a ‘hero’. Or so they said. But the greatness is wasted since I only use it to sleep after a whole full day activity.” I glanced only to see her annoyed.

“You ungrateful swine. That’s a hundred times better than our run-down apartment, right?”

“Yeah, sorry. You’re right.” And tomorrow I could finally enjoy it.

“This came at a cost though.” She sighed and stared into the distance.

“You attracted too much attention to yourself. They’re going to find you.” She paused and looked into my eyes. “No, they probably did already.”

“Ah, those people from the Pharma-C research facility?” The spark that I had evaporated into the air. “I’m afraid so.” That was bad news, the people we escaped from 7 years ago now aware of our whereabouts.

“But don’t worry, they are probably too busy working on something else. Otherwise, they were already coming weeks ago after your action debut went viral.”

“true.”

“Besides, they won’t do anything rash in Vojensky controlled territory. Now that you’re part of the company’s propaganda machine, they’ll be sure to monitor you all the time.”

I glanced around the vicinity, found an electric pole with a security camera pointing at our location. Our entire practice session was probably monitored from the start. I didn’t know if I had to feel safe or disturbed.

“Right.” When I was looking at that lens, flashbacks of terrible memories resurfaced. It reminded me of those people. Evil scientists from that research facility and their experiments. Those pain, agony, and darkness. Hatred builds up. Anger was clouding my mind. I clenched my fist. My hand started to twitch until she tapped my shoulder gently.

“Don’t worry, we’ll make them pay someday. For you, my sister-your mother Carmen, and your father Dalton.” Her eyes filled with rage controlled by a strong willpower. Else, it would already pop outside their socket. “But for now, you need to train. Learn how to control your gift.”

“You mean curse.”

She released a chuckle. The tension dispersed as quickly as it came. “Yeah. A curse, or a gift. It’s up to you to decide.”

A curse or a gift? It doesn’t matter anymore.

As far as I know about the ‘gift”. This modification in my brain resulted in a high mental capacity. I didn't fully understand it yet. All I knew was it allowed me to multitask with hundreds of separate functions. Unfortunately, it came at a severe side effect. A child's brain could only compute so much. With that amount of complexity, I was overworking my brain. Resulting in extreme headache, vertigo, until I lost consciousness. But at the top of my ability, I could use my telekinetic to control hundreds of different objects individually. Even with that much power, I realized. This ability was still far from enough. Especially when we have to wage war against an entire organization.

“We had a plan to just lie low and live peacefully here. But everything changed now. We have to prepare.” Her words beat me back into reality. A reminder on how we should proceed from now on and I had my share of concern. How do we react when we’re attacked? Do we have to run or rely on the company security? Suddenly, that train of thought reminded me of something else I might use.

“I don’t think this is enough. When will I learn body enhancement? The academy already taught me the basic theory.” One of the academy instructors already taught the students about the basics. It was a way for someone to control their muscle cells directly. Producing and Conducting electricity to jack up your physical ability. Aunt Penny mentioned that before too, but she never taught me about it yet.

“Well, you already know my answers.”

“Right. ‘body enhancement is useful only if you have a proper body to be enhanced in the first place’.”

“Correct! And then?” She added

“I should train my body instead of relying on a quick power up in battle.”

“Excellent!” She stood up, walking a few steps forward. “As I told you so many times before, body enhancement will increase a percentage of your physical ability.”

“Yep, already know that.”

“Thus, let’s say you have 100 points in strength. When you use minor body enhancement at 10%, mathematically you’ll have 110 in strength.” She gave a hand sign, like a bridge, but her right hand was a little higher than the left.

I nodded. “So, if I have 200 strength--”

“You’ll get into 220!” She raised her hands higher.

“Yes, yes. I know that too. So, are you going to teach me that or what?”

My impatient demeanor started to upset her. She pouted like a kid, then paused for a moment. After that, she continued the lecture, ignoring my disturbing behaviour.

“And like I always warned you, I will tell you this again. Using that ability is abnormal in the first place. Humans have restrictions on how much muscle they could use.” She lifted her right hand to show me her biceps.

“Because more than the usual 20%, your muscles will tear and get damaged. That’s the muscle pain you always had after training.”

I nodded and started to think again about the implications.

“If you have severe muscle damage, you must rest. For a far longer period of time compared to a normal training. Therefore, you can’t train to increase your basic strength in the first place.”

I lowered my head in disappointment. “Okay, fine. I get it. You don’t have to teach me that yet.”

“Nope, you're about to learn it right now. Get up!” She showed a wide grin.

“What, really?” Now that she gave me a cheerful smile, my survival instinct kicked hard. When I felt it, something awful would happen to me.

“Why are you getting all chickened up now? Come on. I think you’re ready.” She punched her palm, making a loud thud.

I stood up and got myself ready. Looking at her glowing eyes, I immediately regretted my actions. It was that goddamn foxy grin again.

Damn it. Me and my big mouth. Here goes nothing.