Chapter 53

Challenge – Part 4

Detroit, Michigan, USA – Earth:

The superhumans had erased the dark red bubble that was floating above a library near the river of Detroit city.

They had combined Reality Warping and Erasure to get rid of it.

Arno and Jalil breathed out a sigh of relief once it was gone.

“You guys… You guys actually did it?”

Haru was shocked.

“Yeah, we did.”

Arno held up his hand and tried to high five Jalil, but he looked very tired.

“I don’t know why… But…”

Jalil took a few deep breaths.

“Holding back is more… tiring than letting it all out.”

“Interesting…?”

Jalil sat on the floor.

“So, I feel like I will die soon.”

“So… What was the point of you guys anyway?” Arno said with a thin proud smile. “I mean, it’s not like you did anything.”

Haru looked at him blankly.

“Yeah, I wonder too.”

Haru yawned.

“Yeah, I was asleep when I heard his voice in my head.”

“Same…” Jalil said slowly.

“Then we got dragged all the way here and are… Well, not doing anything.”

Haru sighed.

“I guess I should go home and sleep. I have work tomorrow early in the… morning…"

Haru trailed off as she thought about something.

“How did we end up here anyway?”

“Yeah…”

None of them really thought about how they ended up here until now.

Nazar had teleported them here using a teleportation device in his armour.

“Well, to be honest, he is very powerful. So… I am not surprised.”

Haru smiled in an exasperated manner.

“I see.”

A faint yellow glow appeared around Haru.

“Bye. I might see you guys another ti--”

(“Party is not over yet.”)

They all heard a voice in their head.

(“What do you mean?”) Eddie sounded very serious.

(“32 new missiles are coming your way.”)

Everyone who heard that had their eyes wide open in horror.

(“Don’t let them blow up.”)

(“Tha—That’s not easy, Na—Ion.”)

Fear could be heard in Eddie’s voice.

He didn’t know that the others know his name, so he used his code name.

(“I know that.”)

Nazar sounded very serious.

(“But if we are to save the whole city and more, we will need to stop it at all cost.”)

Haru frowned.

She was annoyed with getting all of these orders from Nazar.

(“Then why the fuck don’t you do it yourself?! Do you know how hard it is to contain bombs? None of us has done anything like this. And some of us don't even know how to use our powers.”)

(“I know that, Haru. But please just stop them from blowing up for a few minutes and keep the area empty for a few minutes. Even if it blows up, I can fix it. Just buy me a little time.”)

("...")

(“Give me a few more minutes. I will have it ready.”)

Haru was already angry because of something which happened at her work today and she was tired. Being dragged all the way here, she didn't really like it.

(“Actually, stop saving people and focusing on redirecting the bombs towards the river or mountains or whatever is close-by.”)3

(“Uh… These are bombs we are talking about. Flying at a very fast speed. And as Haru said, it’s not like we have the experience to deal with something like this.”)

Hearing Katie’s rebuttal, Nazar sighed.

For the next few seconds, there was nothing but silence.

(“Calculating the direction and speed of the bombs… Haru, try placing a barrier around them… Nah, that won’t work… Shit!”)

(“Will your device work?”)

Nazar didn’t reply for a while.

(“Just do something. Anything.”)

The voice in their head became quiet.

လလလ

Inside the mall, Nazar was thinking as he continued to make the device.

“I can’t do this without my real power…”

Furious, he subconsciously let out a psionic burst which destroyed the nearby windows.

“Should I not make the device…?”

Nazar scratched his head furiously.

“Or should I try and help them…?”

(I disintegrated myself at a molecular level but it didn’t do anything. I put myself back to together and it didn’t work. I killed myself many times but it didn’t work either.)

Nazar gritted his teeth.

“I am going to kill you… Whoever did this to me…”

The speed at which the device was being made increased significantly.

“And for this work, every bomb must blow up.”

(“Jalil, please come here. Quickly!”)

Nazar continued to make the device as he ordered the reality warper.

He could have made it much faster if he had his powers but right now, he doesn’t have it. And the calculations are a little too much for his mind in this form.

Furthermore, his speed cannot keep up with his thoughts.

(“The rest of you… Please just try and do something.”)

The device was being made. It looked like a small square box.

(I am moving faster and faster… Yet it will still take a few more minutes.)

Nazar has been sitting here and trying to make the device for only three minutes. He said he needed ten minutes, but increasing his speed, the remaining time should come down.

But according to his calculations, the device will be finished in five minutes.

However.

“The bombs will explode in 90 seconds.”

Nazar felt sweat all over his body as he increased his speed.

His speed was increasing but his head started to hurt.

He was still levitating but at the rate in which he was thinking and making the device with his mind was increasing significantly.

“Just a little… Ngh… Just a few more minutes.”

(If I call down someone like Baros or Aarin… Where does that leave us as humanity? I promised Aarin that I won’t involve myself as a… As a…)

Nazar bit his lip in anger.

(I can’t let humanity be dependent on others. Was that not my whole promise to Aarin?)

Nazar sucked in a breath.

“I will not let anyone die today.”

He felt a little relaxed.

“I will keep my promise to Aarin. I will show him… I will show you, Michael… Humans can save themselves without your help or your kind’s.”

A few years ago, Michael had told Nazar that humans cannot save themselves. He told them that humans are pathetic creatures who always rely on a higher power.

“I am gonna show you…”

A thin smile appeared on Nazar’s face, even though his body started to hurt because of how fast he was.

If he were to fly this fast, he would cover the distance between Detroit and London in mere minutes.

“I am gonna save them all… I won’t let any of them die," Nazar declared with a thin smile and coughing blood.

His speed increased even more.

He was using the psionic energies in his surrounding to increase his speed.

လလလ

Haru sighed as she was flying towards bombs.

“Now I regret having powers…”

Just like the others, she was feeling intense fear. She wanted to leave all of this and go back to her bed and close her eyes but at the same time, she didn’t want to leave the bombs. She was scared but if she could stop this, she would.

“This is so against my character…”

Haru never wanted to get involved with other people. She said she wouldn’t even help someone if she could.

But Nazar forcefully brought here and put her in a situation where if she doesn’t do anything, thousands will die.

The bombs were coming ever closer and she was feeling even more scared.

“I really don’t want to help… But what he said, if it comes true, then I could die too. So, for my survival, I will stop this."

With the newfound motivation, her eyes lit up with bright yellow energy and she increased her speed.

The distance between the bomb and her was just over 20 meters.

So, she placed a bubble around the bomb.

The bomb was small – had the same size as a large water bottle – but it was very fast. So, once Haru placed a bubble around the bomb, it did not stop.

“*Gasp*!”

Haru sucked in a breath and strengthened the bubble with everything she had.

There are psionic energies all over the world, but only a few can manipulate those energies and use it for their own good.

So, manipulating those energies, Haru strengthened the bubble.

The bomb moving was slowing down slowly but surely.

Seeing that, she felt relaxed and continued to strengthen the bubble.

“I…”

Haru smiled widely.

“I did it!”

She had stopped the bomb inside the bubble.

It was not moving.

“Phew. That wasted a lot… of…”

She looked around and frowned.

Eddie was floating high above the city. He was manipulating the weather to his advantage.

Using wind, he redirected most of the bombs upwards.

For some reasons, Haru looked annoyed with that.

Haru looked around and noticed that Katie was getting a hold on one of the bombs.

However.

She also noticed five other bombs which were falling towards the ground.

Haru held her hand towards it.

She tried to put a bubble around it but…

(If I put a bubble around that… I will lose control of this one… That bomb is still moving very fast…)

She closed her eyes.

With heavy heart, she looked away from it.

(FUCK!!)

She never wanted to help others. She still feels the same.

But she wants to save her own world. She doesn’t want to die and for her own survival, she will even save others.

It is not about the guilt with her. It’s just she is afraid that what Nazar said might come true.

(I don’t want…)

She looked back slightly and saw Illya holding the bomb in his arms.

Her eyes widened once she thought about what could happen.

(He is just a… child…)

Her mind jumped to conclusions. She thought the bomb will blow up and kill him.

(I have to…)

She looked at the bubble with the bomb in it.

(I won’t let him die!)

She might not care about people, but she would hate to see a child die in front of her.

(He is not going to die today!)

She looked up to Eddie, who was floating far higher than she was.

He was using his powers to keep the many bombs in check.

(“Yo, blondie.”)

(“A telepath?”)

(“Take this bomb. Quickly!”)

The bubble which was holding the bomb into it flew high up at a very fast speed.

(“Wai—Shit!”)

Once it was high enough, she let go of the bubble and flew down.

Flying faster than the speed of sound, she reached Illya who was flying just a few meters above the ground, in a few seconds.

As soon as she reached him, she placed a bubble around the bomb and took it away from him.

“Wah?!”

“DON’T DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT AGAIN!!”

Illya was not sure why she was angry.

She swung her arm and the bubble followed her arm’s movement and flew up towards Eddie.

Haru removed the bubble and Eddie managed to keep it afloat with wind manipulation.

She let out a sigh of relief.

Looking back at Illya, she smiled.

“You okay?”

Illy, still confused, nodded.

“Why did he give children powers?” Haru muttered to herself.

Haru looked around and noticed that all the bombs were either being taken care of by Eddie. Katie was sending her bomb towards Eddie slowly.

Her bubble soon vanished once Eddie held onto another bomb and sent up towards the sky.

(“Do you have all the bombs, blondie?”)

Eddie waited for a few seconds before replying.

(“I have 29… 30. 30 bombs… Shit!”)

(“Where did the other one go?!”)

Haru frantically looked around to try and locate it but she couldn’t.

Suddenly, she heard an explosion sound.

Her eyes widened once she saw the dark red bubble appear down right below her, in the street.

Haru saw many people and children slowly being sucked towards the bubble. To the civilians, it was not apparent but Haru noticed it.

The bubble was pulling them very, very slowly so they didn't notice. And since their reaction time is not fast, it might take them a while to figure out what's happening to them.

“No…”

She flew down towards it, but it was sucking everything in.

She placed a telekinetic force field around the red dark bubble and tried to stop it from sucking in people or properties.

However, the gravity was trying to suck in the telekinetic force field.

“Ngh!”

Haru struggled to keep the force field around it.

“What… What happened… ngh… to the other one?”

She slowly landed near the bubble and tried strengthening her telekinetic force field. She wanted to make sure nothing gets sucked in.

Of course, the gravity bubble was sucking in the energies from the telekinetic force field.

Haru noticed that it was getting weaker, slowly but surely.

(“WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OTHER BOMB?”)

She shouted into the mind of the other superhumans.

(“I… I erased it.”)

Arno sounded very scared.

Haru’s shoulders relaxed a little.

(“I see… Good job.”)

Haru was too focused on the dark red bubble to notice the people surrounding her.

She was standing in the middle of the road, so of course, people started to stand around and look. They didn't even know what was going on.

Zhi Yan, the teleporter would occasionally teleport people to random direction from all over the city. So, she suddenly appeared near Haru.

Zhi looked around to face the people and muttered: "How dumb are you, people?"

Zhi sighed and looked at Haru.

“Where is that little girl who was with us? We never saw her after we parted ways in the mall.”

“Little girl…?”

Haru saw Jose Santos earlier but she cannot recall seeing her once they departed in the mall.

Haru focused on straightening her force field but Zhi looked around for Jose.

“I wonder where she went…”

“Why do… ngh… you care… ngh… so much?”

“She seems like a scared child, so I don't want her to get lost. I might not care about much but I would hate to see a child being lost. What if she dies?”

“Then find her yourse--”

Haru’s eyes widened.

“Her presence is here…”

“What?”

“It’s… She is inside that dark red bubble…”

"Huh?"

"She has been swallowed... by the bubble."