Chapter 69: Shared Secrets

"Rick! Thank God you're safe."

          Without thinking, I had rushed to him, putting my arms around his waist. Looking at his face gave me a huge relief, yet I was angered at the absurdity of getting tangled with dangerous group of men. I had my share of dangerous times, but ending up alone while my friends were in immediate danger didn't quite gave me a peace of mind. I let go of him without looking away from his face. He looked just as relieved as I was but there was no time for that. Rick had a serious expression the next moment.

            "We can't stay here long, we should run and hide first", a series of footsteps began to sound closer. The two of us turned to find shadows of whom we had expected. "And we better hurry!" Rick added.

            I quickly nodded and we both ran to wherever it was safe. I felt uneasy running through the empty hallways. We were running as fast as our feet could take us when Rick suddenly stopped, looked and ran back to where we came from. Before I could protest, he stopped at a door. After he confirmed it wasn't locked he turned and urged me to follow him inside. I didn’t doubt him even for a second as I followed him.

            It turned out he had found the biology lab. Even though all labs had the same clean and neatly placed metal tables, white stools and various chemicals and glass equipment, you could also see a skeleton model and framed insects. Rick pulled and shoved me under a desk used by the professor or the teacher in charge and put his hand over my mouth, guaranteeing my silence. We heard a few footsteps outside the lab. They began to talk with each other, probably panicking over the fact that they had lost us. After a while, the footsteps began to dissipate and the corridor turned silent. We both sighed to release our tension.

            "I'm glad you're safe too," Rick finally said. I couldn't help but smile at his concern, thinking how even when our life were at risk, I couldn't help but smile at having someone here with me and just that made me feel safer.  I wanted to say thanks as well for his help, but then I remembered the bizarre events at the elevator.

            "Rick, during that shoot out back then, back at the elevators, was it your doing?" Rick's soft smile faded and looked at me with worried eyes. "Back then, you couldn't have used hypnosis, not only you didn't look them in the eyes, the shooter was conscious when he was controlled, as if he was..." I gulped at the thought but there shouldn't be no mistaken from my reasoning, "…being mind controlled...an ability only Foax should have in this school...you have the same ability as him, isn't?”

            Rick looked down at the floor, I thought he was putting his mouth shut in front of me, but then he respond, "You're not right, close, but still not right, " the tip of lips turned slightly upward once more, but his eyes stayed the same worried expression he had. "My ability is...how should I say… it...rare but different, common but peculiar, a singularity among irregularity, something like that, I guess."

            I blinked a few times, not knowing how to respond at the abstract description of his ability, couldn't he just tell me directly instead of riddles? Rick let out a chuckle, probably because I had an obvious dissatisfied expression on me. He pat my head and my cheeks puffed up because he treated me like a kid, but more so because I actually like him doing that.

            "How about we figure out what's going on first then we could talk."

             "No! We'll figure what's going now then we'll talk on the way. Since we're in this together, knowing each other’s ability is important if we want to make it out alive or....do you not trust me?"

             Rick feel quiet, I wasn't sure what thoughts his metal gears were grinding on, does he think that he can’t trust me? I'd feel dread if he couldn't trust me after all this time.

"....fair enough, so tell me your side of the story," he said after a long silence.

             I took out a deep breath as I sort out my memories before I tell him. "It started with me waiting for Prof. Dalton accompany me to Class S but couldn't because of his stack work in hand, he's been busy with paperwork lately. Once the Practical Session started, the new teacher took us to the VR Room, not knowing we got mixed up with the Special Class, the teachers were about to discuss the schedule when the principal summon the employee to the Main Hall and then...they came. At the time, I was able to trick one of them and escape but when I went back to the room, everyone was gone and I panicked a little." 

            "How did you tric--"

            "SO….what about you? How are you here Rick?" I cut him off because I didn't want him to know exactly how, he was skeptical of me but answered nonetheless. 

             "I was asleep" he said without a hint hesitant or guilt in his voice. 

             "In class?"

             "Off course not, the teachers won't let me so I slept at the janitor's room at the back of the school."

              I sigh, a mix of relieve and disappointment in me, thinking that not even death could change the boldness of his character.  "Then what happened?" I asked.

             "I heard gunshots, I snuck a peek from the window and found black vans. The vans rushed their way in and armed men spilling out of the vans.

              "How many vans were they?"

               "Six."

               "And how many people in one van?" 

               "Around 7-10 I guess, which mean at most there are 60 terrorists"

               "That's freaking too many! Wait...they were terrorist!!!"

              "At least that's what I heard they call themselves as. Anyway, I tried to call the police but there was no signal, they might have been the reason for that. I snuck out and try to warn the teachers, but I was closer to the Principal's office so I went there to warn him but he was dead."

            "The Principal's dead?!"

             "Yeah, no one was there but I did saw someone coming out from his office. Afterwards, I tried prying into their radio signal on their receiver. That's how I knew they were terrorist, they already have the teachers locked together in the Praetorian Dome and killed those who didn't come. They had the academy on lock down so they wouldn't mix the normal and the esper kids together."

              "Are you saying that hundreds of esper here can't do anything at the moment?"

             "Yeah, I'm not sure how a group of super humans could be made vulnerable at the moment, including those from the high school section, but they may have something that could render us espers useless. After that, I heard about a girl in the elevator, I tracked you and rush over, I never expect it'd be you though, and then...you know what happens."

             I fell in silence thinking about what he risked to save me, I felt a little guilty for being happy that he came for me. I looked back at him and was taken aback he was intensely watching me with his nocturne eyes. "Are you sure you feel fine?" he asked in his ever thoughtful voice.

            "Why are you asking me that again? I told you I'm fi--" Oh crap! This isn't good. Now that I think about it, there's no way an innocent third grader would feel fine after seeing a slaughtering in front of your eyes. No wonder Rick looked suspicious of me. "I...I was in shock and felt uncomfortable but I rather think how we could survive and help the others then to mull about my experiences." I tried to answer him as calmly with a feigned frighten voice. But Rick’s expression didn't change, instead he changed the subject.

"Anyways what do you think we should do now? We have two students here and tens amongst dozens of armed terrorist there, I know you want to help the others, but we don't even know where they are."

            We both racked our brains on how we could find the other kids, since there are a lot, they should have made them gather in the courtyard or the gym, but it's also likely they created groups that separated them. My eyes began to examine the room as I think and stopped at one corner of the room.

            It was a camera.

            More accurately, it was a surveillance camera. Then an idea flashed in my head. Don't I have Zilla? She (yes, I decided to call it a she) could get some footage from it and then we could see the movement of all those terrorist, possibly even get in contact with the outside.

            That'll be difficult.

            A voice in my head I recognized as Zilla reverberates in my head. 

It's possible for me to go through the entire surveillance camera and scout the school, but Lady Claudia's phone has too little memories for me send the footage so I could only send about four footages and I personally doubt that'd be enough. Another thing you should know is that the radio interference they have affect me as well and the all the phone lines are cut so I'm trap here at area of the school as well. Moreover, my physical form needs electricity nearby. 

            Hearing the circumstances, I couldn't help but bash my head to the side, surprising Rick from it. For now, can you take a look where the espers are and their movement around us. I thought as I send my message to her.

            Understood, then I should tell you there are three terrorist right now running towardS here, someone checking the footages must have informed them to capture you. 

            "WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY THAT SOONER?"

         

            Again, Rick jumped from surprise, "Say what sooner?" I wasn't able to answer him, by the time I got up, someone had rushed into the lab. The three of them saw me with a baffled look.

            "Where's your friend?" one of them growled. I wasn't sure what to say and I didn’t have to. The desk was lifted off the ground and thrown towards the three men. Two of them were able dodge to the side, but one of them was unfortunate to meet face to face with a desk and was thrown along with it. I thought the other two would immediately shoot but then Rick's hand began crackle with white lights across his finger. He stretched out his hand and the next thing I knew, lightning began to shoot out from his hand. It flickered rapidly towards the other two, it didn't hit them but it did hit the two bullets coming at us. The explosion was close to knock the two of them down. The guns was yanked out of their grasps and floated away from them towards Rick which then he crushed with his own hand.

             I wasn't sure what I just saw, but Rick turned his back and I knew he was going to ask if I was all right. That's why he didn't notice one of them got up and took out a revolver out and pointed at him. Everything after ward was reflex, I pushed him away and I yelled out the first spell that came up to my mind.

            [Lopt Læsa]

            The shooter expression changed when he notice he couldn't pull the trigger, not when the air literally stopped and confine his movement. He should pass out soon because air molecules surrounding him were frozen and little could get into his lungs. By the time I realized I just used a spell, with Norse Language to boot, I wasn't sure if I wanted to know how he was looking at me now, but I turned. I was slightly afraid what he'd think of me. His hand was crossed by his chest, his eyes was sharp as always but he had an amused smile on him, one I wouldn't expect he would’ve made considering the situation.

         

            "Looks like I'm not the only one who needs to talk."

            I grabbed his hand and said to him angrily, "then we'll talk after we lose their trail on us."

#

After then we changed location to the Janitor's room where Rick likes to sleep. When I say janitor's room, you would thought there were shelves of detergent or cleaning tools hanging around and was cramped, right? Although this one has all of the above, the room was 3 times bigger than the average janitor's room, a bench on the side with smoking mark at the corner, a mattress folded on the top of the bench, a cooler box on the left side of the room, and I suspected boxes between the shelves had nothing to do with a janitor's job. There was a mix smell of faint smoke and detergent, the room’s light was broken so only the light from the window help us from struggling in the dark.

            "You seem very fond of this room."

            "Since this room is at the back, not many people wonder near here, perfect place to smoke since it's forbidden here. So it became a secret meeting for janitors to gather, they usually just play poker though. Taught me how to play it too."

            "You sound oddly close with them."

            "If I'm not then I couldn't get a key to this place and slept like a log here."

             I made an exhausted sigh hopefully the last for the day, there was then a cold silence we both weren't sure how to break. We both had something to say with another and we just had a hard time saying it out. I knew it wasn't the time to hesitate but it still was hard. "Are you sure they wouldn't track videos of us getting in here?"

              "I created something similar with EMP whenever we went past a camera so they shouldn't notice it....maybe."

             "Bioelectric, Telekinesis, Super Strength, Mind Control." the thought of the amount of absurd abilities partially reminded me of Killer Mole, but certainly Rick was different. "Rick who...or what are you?"

          Rick looked away and scratched the back of his neck, once he look back at me, he started to talk with a forced tone. "I only have one ability you know, I'm sure you know the ability to copy any ability they've seen, that's what it is."

              "Don't lie to me Rick, the Copy Ability should only let you copy one ability at a time, besides, it's currently impossible for anyone to achieve more than three ability at once."

              Rick just smiled amusedly, he might have heard the same thing before and spread his arms "and yet I'm a living proof that the impossible is possible."

            I wasn't sure what to say since it was quite hard to believe his story, espers has been a main topic for scientific researchers for 50 years and such an ability was never mentioned and it was theoretically impossible. Rick continued talking, "The ESP Test result said it was the Copy Ability, or formally name Emulation Ability, but there was a (?) mark beside it, they weren't sure what it meant but they went on with the usual practical examination for me, when they noticed I could not only replicate but store that ability inside my head and bring out its ability whenever I want. The teacher’s and researchers’ panicked quite a lot when they found out. So they put me in the Class S to hide it from any leaks."

            I blinked a few times, trying to digest his story. "Just on the curious side, how many ability do you have now?"

            Rick was silent with his eyes looking upward, trying to recount his abilities."189 currently."

            "YOUR ABILITY'S BROKEN!!!"

            Rick laughed at me, his usual calm smile returned, "That's what Dale said when he first heard of it. Now...isn't your turn to talk"

             When Rick points that out, my throat stumped. I wasn't sure what to say when then my phone rings. I took it out and when I flip open and saw Zilla as the caller. An idea pop in my mind so I could save the explanation, "Rick, used telepathy on me!" he raised an eyebrow but I trust he did as I said. I pushed the accept button and Zilla materialize out of it in her blue fox self. I didn't see the kind of face Rick currently has but I can just look at his shocked expression later.

            Lady Claudia, I have found out that the children are currently inside the gymnasium, it turns out the high schooler had no class today for a reason and only a few came today for school clubs, only those from the middle school and elementary are present there. 

            "Good work Zilla" I finally turned to look at Rick, it might have been the first time I saw him looking a gapped, he was probably trying to reason his rationally. Oh how I will burn his face into my memories.

            "Claudia who...or what are you?" Rick finally choked out his words. A thin smile crept up to my lips.I came up to him until we’re few inches apart, I took his hands and had it held with his other hand with my hands cupped over them. I whispered a spell and when I softly pull apart his hands, a number of balls of light began to materialize and floated upward, filling the room with dim warm lights. I admit I was slightly showing off my skills to him since his expression made me want to carry away, but dare I say it was worth it. Rick’s mouth repeatedly open and closed, wanting to say more, but was cut by my question.

             "Rick, do you believe in magic?"