CH #4 - Cowardice

"Why did you have to see…? I couldn't let anyone see…"

The young man with hair that danced in the air with the crimson color of the flames across its gradient muttered things that only he himself understood. This was an accident that could not afford to happen.

He couldn't have the luxury of failing on that one mission he'd been given. There was only one basic thing to be done, and even in that he had not attained success.

Maybe he was just another disappointment, as everyone surely thought he was. It didn't surprise him... To see that such a simple thing as setting fire to a few shelves without being seen proved impossible for the incapable person he was inside...!

"They saw... They saw it... I shouldn't have let them see..."

Now a decision had to be made. It was in his hands the power to decide his own future on two options – to let them go and tell everyone about the "weird guy who shoots fire through his hands", and with that to let himself have a much more ruined reputation than it already was...

... Or simply end it all there and in that minute. The only condition on his part when it came to completing the plan was that there should be no witnesses.

No one was supposed to see it, let alone someone else could know, and that meant saying those two girls must die.

It was sad, but the only way to preserve his identity and ensure that there was no punishment. In that arbitrary way, two innocent lives that fell into that situation clearly not intended for them, would be lost.

"Why did you have to see…? I just wanted to... I just..."

He clenched his teeth together, applying as much firmness to his gaze. There was no going back now. All he could ask was for their burning souls to rest in peace in a better place.

The boy then extended his hand, and an orange glow, hot as the fire that formed there, appeared in his eyes. They both stared, almost mesmerized by the horror of seeing a human being who could do that.

In the blink of an eye, orange embers coalesced into ever-larger sparks, and these merged into vibrant, violent flames. Looking at the construction of his power for a single moment longer, he thought, painfully, how it shouldn't have to be that way.

"I'm sorry... Please forgive me..."

He then launched the flaming projectile like a pitcher throws a baseball. The flame ball was as big as one used for playing soccer, but he knew its size shouldn't be ignored. The boy didn't have as much control as he would have liked over that strange talent, but he could say with certainty that the generated explosion would make flesh and bones be blasted into pieces that would burn along with the rest of the library.

Having less evidence wouldn't change the fact that something horrible was going to happen here, but at least he'd have less to look at and grieve when that was all over. Maybe that could even bring some kind of extra comfort?

And so, cutting its way through everything with the speed of a missile, the fireball lit up walls and shelves where the books not yet consumed by crimson rage lay. Before long, that would be the scene all over the place.

Screams of pain as the heat melts every cell, along with desperate spasms and desperate searching for water or anything else that might bring the slightest bit of relief. In the end, he didn't really want to see any of that happen.

The two hugged each other tightly, accepting that end in a way so natural that it even scared him. Maybe some people just know there's nothing to do, so they embrace the death that's handed to them?

And then, the explosion was brought to life. In his immense cowardice, the boy who was the author of that grotesque scene could not bring himself to look at what he created face to face. He didn't want to see it. He didn't want to do it.

"...Like hell I'm gonna let that happen...!"

And when he least expected it, he saw a wooden chair flying in the exact trajectory of the fireball, colliding with the projectile. The impact splintered and split the wood into what appeared to be infinite pieces, and the air a few feet around that event was consumed by tiny micro-fragments of the material flying around, burning in vibrant embers.

It was like watching a beautifully dangerous fireworks display.

RYAN

Glad I got to use this chair at the last moment...! If I had arrived a second later, these two would have been turned into burnt mincemeat, as there's nothing left of the chair that can tell the story.

I can see the surprise in his eyes. I've never seen this guy in my life, but just looking at him, I can see that he has that face – the expression of a desperate person. Guess you weren't ready for someone to fight back.

"I'm almost positive you could do better than that! So why didn't you do it? It doesn't seem to be the limit of your power!"

I can't blame myself for my sense of humor, or can I? Even in such a dangerous situation, I still bring myself to say things like that... Maybe it's just my way of relieving the panic.

Not that it matters now. My first impression was good enough, and I managed to get these two out of harm's way.

"Who are you...? Who the hell are you and how in the world you did that?!" He asks me, horrified.

Pointing a shaky finger at me, he takes a few steps back, visibly shivering. I don't think I'm the type of person who has a lot of power.

"Oh, you don't have an idea on what I went through to get here...!" I speak, bragging a little to brighten the air... Well, not that It's going to do much, a it's full of ashes. "The chaos outside is so great that I'd rather be in a crammed soccer stadium in Brazil than having to go through that... And looking back, I see that it could only have been your fault."

I look around a bit, putting myself in front of the two girls who are still shaking with absolute terror. Nothing that erasing a bad memory or two won't fix, but first I have to worry about getting them out of here safely, just like I did with that first one.

"I just hope she's really okay…" The memories of the first girl I helped in that smoldering hell surface for a few more seconds.

Now I have other matters to take care of, and the first is to get rid of this guy.

"You are the source of all this chaos, aren't you?"

He hesitates more, spreading his hands. This boy's gaze is filled with what appears to be some kind of fear.

"I… I… I'll eliminate you too…" He speaks, in an almost inaudible tone. "I'll turn you into a bunch of ashes!"

I raise an eyebrow in response, and crossing my arms, allow myself to speak as well.

"Good luck trying it with that attitude. You don't seem very confident of yourself."

Knowing things were going to get a lot uglier than they already were, I shift my gaze back to the two girls I don't know.

"I know this is all very shocking to you, but there is no time to explain. Do you think you can get up and run outside?"

The answers boiled down to rather hesitant confirmations with head and neck tremors. Gradually, the two tried to support each other, forcing their legs affected by the terrifying feeling and despair of dying.

As expected, neither of them makes it, and they would fall were it not for my anticipation of grabbing their arms.

"Th… Thank you…" The taller one spoke, soon supporting herself on her friend's shoulders. "Thank you… For helping us…"

"No problem. Now go. Things will get messy around these parts." Trying to anticipate some surprise attack, I turn once more towards him.

"But… What about you? Don't tell us you'll be fighting him." The second one also spoke, seeming to be in a much better mental state when compared to the first. "It is great that you helped us, but give up. You can't win."

Ah, so this is the tough one, huh? Getting accustomed to it so quickly… It is a sign she is truly strong on the inside, which is great!

"Yeah, yeah. I'll make sure to brag about beating him up later, then you can step on my foot or something and say I'm lying."

Letting a cold laugh out, I quickly turn back once more.

"Now go. Get out of here, and remember one thing..."

Gently I touch their foreheads, calling to the power that has been my mate since the moment I awakened that day years ago.

"This occurred due to a gas leak on the school premises. It was a mere accident that no one could have predicted. You must prioritize finding a safe place and hiding. As you meet other desperate people, convince them to go with you, and keep everyone you meet safe."

I used my [Subliminal Message] ability to apply unconscious suggestions to their brains. I thought I would never have to actually use this power, but today only, I've used it so many times I can't even count...

The situation out there is much worse than anyone can imagine, and not even leaving here is a plausible option now… At least not with those things that have taken over the gates. People need to be mentally and emotionally prepared

In conjunction with this, I have erased their memories of everything they may have seen, making them believe that the fire is merely accidental through fake, artificial ones.

Without saying a single extra thing, the two ran out of there, their bodies abandoning much of that fear, as they no longer remembered the trauma that guy had caused them earlier.

Realizing that now it's just the two of us, I turn back to that person who is so hesitant but at the same time gives me the impression of being so dangerous.

"Looks like you and I have some topics we need to discuss, huh?… Why did you start the fire? What reasons do you have? Are you associated with any groups? What are your leader's goals? ... Or rather, do you even have a leader?"

"... You talk too much."

He extends his hand forward, lifting his arm in a waveform. A pulse of strange light energy focuses on the palm region, and in less than a second, a wave of what is without doubt the purest fire consumes its way towards me.

With little difficulty, I manage to dodge. Something tells me this guy isn't really trying. Hell, maybe can even kill me if he tries enough.

"You don't seem to be doing your best in my eyes! I know you can do more than that for a fact!"

Oh... Looks like I pissed him off a little!

He gets to his feet, stomping the ground, looking a little more determined to fight back.

"…Shut up… Shut up…" Preparing more of those little fireballs, he fires them in my direction.

"You're weak! It's still too weak...!"

" SHUT UP...! "

He sucks in excess air, blowing it forward shortly thereafter. I have to say that seeing this is kind of amazing – I mean, the way this guy can literally turn into a flamethrower when he feels comfortable with it.

From that, I can only conclude that he is truly dangerous. It's the first time I've encountered such a dangerous skill since my encounter with Keith Webb.

"... If I don't consider that shadow as an ability..."

That thing can't be a ghost or a demon... So the only scenario is-

"Damn it...! I got unfocused!" I let out a yell, feeling the heat wash over my arm after a botched dodge.

"You got too distracted...!" He has prepared a more massive attack.

What a load of crap... The combat will really start now! I don't know how well I can dodge it, but I know I won't be able to avoid some minor burns.

Down to the floor, I guess. The massively proportioned fireball manages to heat up my back by a lot. I roll on the ground right away to smother any small fires left over.

This guy seems to be one of the strong ones. If I defeat him, I can find out what all this weirdness at school is about.

***

"Damn, he's quite strong...!" Ryan thought, studying the superficial burn on his right hand. "This will make for some nasty rash..."

Looking at that mark of his obvious carelessness reminded Ryan that he couldn't flinch as he had the other times. He rose in a swift movement as another flaming projectile, this time a little smaller, sliced ​​through the air next to him.

The fire glowed orange, lighting up the entire section of the library that covered the few meters that the light reached, finally colliding with one of the tables naturally used by students.

The burning wood added its light as a new source of vision for these two, and as the crackle of material filled the room, the two looked at each other.

"I need to find out why this guy is doing this. Guess I'll beat him to find out - it seems to me."

The other student didn't seem very open to the questions Ryan had to ask. Maintaining a posture that veered between defensive and ready to attack, he bared his teeth, trying to look menacing.

"I'm going to burn you... And as soon as I get over you... I'm going after them..." He commented, in an erratic tone, as if his voice was about to break.

Ryan straightened up completely after that scare, and right away directed a sardonic smile back to the boy whose hair shone with the color of the flames he cast.

"Oh, about that… Forgot to tell you, but there is no need. It's not like even remotely remember it, anyway." Ominously, the Savoia once again called for his power. "And by the way, you'd have to get past me first, and that's not going to happen."

The purple that contrasted perfectly with the fire came to the flame-using boy's eyes as a warning. He knew what that meant, and at once felt his muscles lock into place, all at once.

"Since you want so badly to get past me, I'll give you a chance to try." Ryan spoke up, taking on a more serious expression, showing his clenched fists as he did so. "...But that doesn't mean I won't try to stop you with everything I have...!"

The boy whose hands were on fire still needed to process all this. After all, what were the chances of that happening?

Of all the people he could fight, why did it have to be one who had a special talent, just like his?

"I'm going to find the answers to all my questions... Even if I have to rip every single one out of the depths of your head for that...!" Ryan said, running towards him.

The place was full of stuff that could be used. Ryan kicked one of the bookshelves, knocking several books off it. He caught two like a ninja, throwing them at him.

There was little time to react, and it soon turned out to be a mere distraction from the real onslaught to come. Ryan used his enemy's desperation and attempt at defending to get momentum and run at full speed, preparing a well-placed uppercut.

"And for that... All I need is a touch...!" He yelled, ready to deliver the blow.

At the peak level of his despair, he called to his powers, creating more flames in his hands, spreading them in a cross-cut, "X" shape.

Ryan leapt back, narrowly missing the attack that proved surprisingly weak but not worth risking, anyway.

"You are not facing me with your full potential. Why refuse to use your true power? I've seen what you can do, and I can see it now, in this blazing inferno…" Ryan glanced briefly as several of the bookcases slowly burned to the ground. "What is the reason for your hesitation?"

Even trembling, the boy with eyes that glowed like embers ran in despair against Ryan, his arms enveloped in a single layer of flames that did him no harm.

"Shut up! You won't say I'm hesitating after you die...!"

He then began a streak of blows, trying to land flaming punches at Ryan, which he very easily dodged without even having to use his ability to do so.

"It's not what it seems to me...!" He countered. "If you were really trying, you would show that again!"

"I will kill you...!"

What promised to be the final attack on his part came. By linking his two arms, he performed a downward swipe, creating a bell jar shape of flames around him, which was able to injure the Savoia a little.

"Next time I won't miss...!" He aimed, preparing another fireball attack.

"At least try to sound convincing as you say it!" Ryan responded, generating even more fury in his enemy.

The boy locked his teeth once more, trying to summon some courage. He was shaky, scared, tired, and knew his enemy was doing nothing but mocking him.

"I didn't want to be here... I didn't want to be doing this...!"

Repentance came with more force than ever. Not what he wanted. That wasn't how it had to be... If he hadn't accepted that deal, if he hadn't listened to the words of that eerie guy with bangs...

"Then… Maybe I-"

"Don't get distracted...!"

His enemy's warning snapped him back to reality, but not before taking a full punch to his left cheek.

"You're not putting effort into this... You're not trying hard to really beat me...!" Ryan pointed at him, still keeping his fist high. "Why are you still so defensive?! Why are you so hesitant to attack me?!"

Lying on the floor, feeling the ironic taste of radiant pain spreading through his mouth cavity, he struggled to digest the words that would not cease to be a fact.

"Why do you still allow yourself to be such a coward, Steve Evans?!"

The mention of his name sent a shock through Steve's body. It took the boy some time to understand how exactly his name had been learned by someone who had never listened to it before, and that was the most frightening of all.

"He said he just needed a touch..." Steve pondered, noticing how that enemy's strange skill finally worked. "He made them forget everything, and learned my name... All with just one touch."

His enemy was someone who had dominion over the human mind. He couldn't specify to what level, but felt immeasurable fear of the potential it held. If with a single touch he could do so much, nothing would stop him from discovering the part of himself he most wanted to hide.

"Me? not me... That's not who I am!"

Steve jumped in a start, readying a potent attack with his flames. Orange sparks fluttered, burning books and wood around them, and the formed fire began to dance in a dynamic circle around him.

"I'm not a coward...!"

An explosion of pure thermal energy spread, expanding on all sides, and massively increasing the inferno that already existed within the library. From that point on, everything in the vicinity was in blazing flames.

Ryan narrowly avoided further damage by hiding behind one of the bookshelves, even though it didn't prevent some injuries. The right sleeve of his coat was ignited, revealing part of his forearm, the flesh of which glowed a visceral red, indicating a terrible burn.

"I'm going to kill you... And I'll be able to forget that all this happened...!"

Steve pursued his target, firing more and more projectiles imbued with what appeared to be his own will to live. Ryan found himself increasingly pressured, dodging with increasing difficulty the attacks that only proved more and more deadly.

A fireball hit a bookcase, and in a second, its entire composition was placed under the mercy of scarlet destruction. The explosion generated this time was strong enough to not only ignite, but also make the structure fall like a domino piece.

The shelves collided against each other in a chain effect, pushing more of themselves as they fell into the madness that grew more insane by the second.

"I... I can...! I will prove that I can do this...!"

Ryan quickly used the table he'd been hiding in as a kind of makeshift wall to withstand the impact of the next attack, hiding like a soldier does in a trench. The intense explosion ripped a whole chunk out of the structure.

"Prove them… Prove me…! I can… I can…! I'm not a coward…!"

His flames burned brighter than never before, like a true firestorm.

"I can be a hero too…!"

Coming to terms with the fact that hiding and waiting was no longer an option, the Savoia had the only option to face the problem. It would have to be done at some point, inevitably.

"OK. I can't be running away forever. At least he seems to be getting tired."

As Steve prepared yet another attack with the supernatural fire, Ryan took note of his obvious fatigue. Using a skill can be absurdly tiring, especially when it comes to doing so without properly calculating the risks.

Steve's anger at being continually called a "coward" and morally bashed by his enemy made him lose it and launch a dangerous and aggressive flurry of attacks. It was, though, one that wouldn't bring the same long-term results. That was the best time to fight back.

"This is not a game. Fake and staged rage won't do any good." Some thoughts cut through Ryan's mind. "Only true determination can bring more power."

Coming out of hiding, Ryan had in mind the steps he would have to take to get what he wanted. The second half of that plan would be formed by sheer luck.

"Why Steve? Why do you keep subjecting yourself to do this?"

The question that seemed to be pure mockery made the boy bared his teeth. That guy never got tired of trying to make him angrier.

"I don't have a word to tell you…"

A fireball. Compared to those that came before, this one was much smaller, and was easily deflected. Preparing another one, a fat bead of sweat trickled down his face, flushed with Steve Evans' exhaustion.

"I know you don't want to do this, and I don't even need to read your memories to reach this conclusion. Your eyes, your actions... Everything about you shows that you are just a person who hesitates when facing a key moment!"

Dodging the next fireball, he tilted his head to the side, slowly closing the distance between them even more.

"Don't come any closer...!"

"You know you can't keep fooling yourself forever, don't you Steve? You know you can't be lying about whether or not you want to participate in this damn slaughter...!"

"Slaughter...?" That word resonated inside the orange-haired boy, making him shiver. In that second, the fireball he was preparing in his right hand dissipated.

"I saw people die because of it... Every day, these things that are shown on television... Who do you think is to blame? Is it mere, petty criminals? Maybe an ordinary terrorist organization as everyone is guessing or trying to hide the facts with some cover-up story?!"

Ryan grabbed him by the sleeve of the red coat he wore. Purple eyes that glowed angrily filled Steve's soul to the top with fear.

"It's all thanks to this madness…!"

Ryan's scream for that moment came as the only thing that overcame the intense crackling noise of burning wood. If there were more people there, each of them would hear clearly, no matter how far away they were.

"Damn it...! Super powers? Serious?! This shit should only be in comics and movies...! This concept has no place in our flawed and broken world! People will just do shit... They'll take lives, cause trauma, destroy futures... And all this for what?! This I tell you...! To satisfy a megalomaniac thirst to see how far this can go...!"

Frustration caused Ryan to bar his teeth, pressing Steve's back against one of the bookshelves that had thankfully remained intact so far.

"All these lives thrown away as if they were garbage?! Ha! As if this is the first school that burned only in this year...! And it sure won't be the last either! Hospitals will be invaded, people in shopping centers will be held hostage by some fucking mad strangers who can freeze stuff with a touch or maim their bodies in a mere thought... You name it! And I can't even think how many are going to die!"

... ... ...

"The consequences...? Tell me what kind of prison can hold a guy who can create fire from his own body! There will be no repercussions, no one will be punished, and that will only make things worse, and… The hell, man… You called yourself a fucking 'hero'?! The few self-proclaimed and true 'heroes' who try to do something about it will end up dead!" Ryan pressed him harder. "Yet you have the courage of facing me and telling you want to be a 'hero'?! Am I supposed to laugh or what?!"

Ryan let out a cold smirk – one of no enjoyment at all.

"I saw people die, Steve. And when someone you should be able to protect dies..."

Ryan took what felt like a deep breath, and although he appeared to be a little calmer, a certain foreboding felt over Steve's heart.

"...You get mad at yourself for not being able to do anything...!"

Taken by an inhuman force, Ryan threw Steve's body against a table about fifteen feet away. The display of power shattered on the wood, making the flame user slide across the floor in pure pain.

"I should beat you until I disfigure that entire face of yours. You don't understand my anger, Steve... You don't understand the fucking frustration of knowing that everything you're trying to protect is being threatened by some random fire-breathing teenager with self-esteem issues!"

Ryan once again grabbed Steve, lifting him into the air as if the task was one of the easiest things in the world.

"I saw everything. I know all the things you've been through! And I'll tell you something, man... Use that as an excuse to burn an entire library, only to pretend it wasn't you and then save the people inside?! What the hell is this plan?! What is wrong with you?! All to impress some girl who already has a boyfriend?"

"That... That's-"

"Snap out of it! She doesn't give a damn about you! And wouldn't start to, even if you managed to become the 'hero' you tried to pose as, you fucking coward...!"

He touched Steve's forehead, ready to do what he needed to do.

"But I need you for one more thing. Time to look for some answers inside that head of yours... And the maybe – just maybe – I may not disfigure your face into even worse self-esteem!"

There was no way to stop it. A blink of an eye, and Steve felt as if he had been transported somewhere else – a corner of his memories, a fragment of recalling from a short time ago.

"I'm going to discover the truths, even if I have to invade for that." Ryan's voice was heard inside his head.

***

It was an afternoon, around 3:00 PM. The sun shone radiantly like it did every other day, which in itself was a little weird, as Elderlog was always so grey.

He recognized that familiar scenario, but as much as he tried to move, his body didn't respond to his urge. Steve's mind screamed desperately at its inability to control events.

"This is a memory. It's obvious that you can't change what happens in it."

Ryan's voice once again spoke in his head, and it made him understand. He would have to relive the events of that day again – the moment he accepted the white envelope, and with it, that crazy and inconsiderate plan.

Looking back now, immense regret consumed all of young Evans' insides, as well as shame at having thought things could have been worked out in such a grotesque way.

With that, he simply gave up trying to move inside his own body. Ryan had defeated him, and that fact should just be accepted once and for all.

Faced with his past, there was nothing more to do.

"I remember all this." He spoke, in thought. "Soon... He'll soon show up..."

Strangely enough, Steve was able to literally feel the presence of someone else in his head, even though he couldn't see that person. Even without the slightest hint, he sensed Ryan was eager to see what he wanted to know.

It was time to unravel the first secrets behind that literal horror story that was currently placing the very future of humankind in jeopardy.