10 Find Your Piece

My eyes slowly flutter open and a wave of pain washes over me.

My entire body pulses from a throbbing on the back of my neck.

Groaning I attempt to sit up, only to find I can't.

My body won't respond and just merely constantly shakes slightly.

While I'm trying to work out what's wrong with me, a familiar voice solemnly says beside me.

"I guess my words just went through one ear and out the other huh?

At this rate, you won't be able to train for an entire year.

I expect to still get paid throughout that year by the way."

While he's ranting, Sebastian comes by and carefully picks my head up and helps me start drinking an electrolyte.

I chug it down greedily and feel a relief as the bioelectrical activity surges once again.

With my source back, I close my eyes and begin to imagine my body getting repaired.

The pain in my body slowly begins to fade and the throbbing begins to diminish.

However the spot that was the source of my pain doesn't completely fade and instead remains.

Raising my hand flexing it as I sit up and turn to Sebastian, "Can you scan me and tell me what you see?"

His blue eyes project a grid that slowly travels up and down my body before abruptly stopping.

He's silent for a couple of seconds before saying, "It appears that you are at 90 percent efficiency compared to past scans.

You have an area that remains unaffected by any attempts using the method you are using.

This is caused by low bioelectrical activity responses, which could lead to permanent brain damage, heart failure and death.

Continued use of these methods is not advised."

I looked down in depression.

He was right on many accounts.

The risks of using my powers in such a way was too risky.

This time I could, but whose to say next time I would have the mental capacity to heal myself?

"Alright Sebastian, I won't use it again." I assure him with sadness.

"Well I don't think you should give it up altogether." Mamoru interjects.

"Didn't you hear him, I could die from this." I responded to him.

"No, he said if you run low you could. Otherwise this is an essential ability to have in your arsenal."

My eyes grow wide with understanding.

"How long was I like that?" I ask.

"I'd say we fought for about 3-5 minutes. I have a basic understanding of what you did to yourself and while observing I saw a number of things.

When you're normal you have a tendency of underselling your hits, making them too weak when you can hit harder.

You also are unsure of yourself hesitating to fall though with a plan, despite being a smart kid who easily figures even complex situations out.

However, when I fought you hours ago, I saw someone who was calculating my defeat.

You carried out a plan to the best of your abilities and even managed to make me take you serious for a bit.

Your speed tripled and each of your blows had strength to them, with the intent to injure.

But, I noticed your emotions were enhanced too.

You were too arrogant and in the final moments, your anger got to you, causing you to make the mistake of charging headfirst into me.

I can teach you a way of possibly controlling your emotions while you're in that state."

I reflect on everything he's told me and try to find a way to incorporate his advice into my future actions.

I get out of bed and start stretching.

"I'm not going to bother wasting time in trying to convince you to rest. We can take advantage of your abnormalities by training more frequently on the same day." Mamoru says while shaking his head.

"So, Sensei, what's next to learn?" I ask expectantly.

"Come I'll show you." He says leaving my room.

He drives me and Sebastian to a building isolated out in the desert area.

The inside is completely clean with dust everywhere.

He leads us to an empty room and pulls the chain to the ceiling fan three times.

A panel on the floor opens up, revealing a set of stairs.

Going down, overhead lights flick on to reveal rows of guns sitting on the table.

He holds his hand out, "The Shimada are renowned for knowing many forms of marksmanship.

We manufacture modern day weaponry as well, including the exclusive rail gun.

I even have a bow and arrow although I highly doubt anyone in their right mind would use one in this day and age."

"So I guess I just pick which weapon I want to use?"

He starts laughing at my question.

"No young grasshopper, you're going to learn them all."

I spend the rest of the day learning how to handle each weapon, from snipers to pistols.

I also fired each one so I could get familiar with the kickback of their recoil and how to aim them.

When I was gaming on the computer, I could brag about how confident my aim was.

But it takes some getting used to when handling an actual weapon.

Then when the sun begins to set, we head back home and he takes me to the yard where I've been training.

He lights some good smelling incense and I can't help but think about Hanzo setting some down in a cup right before he was confronted by Genji in the short, Twin Dragons.

We sit in the lotus position side by side as he looks off into the distance.

"When we were little, I was the troublemaker between Sojiro and I.

My temper would always get the better of me which caused us to get into trouble.

It only got worse when I was in my teenage years.

One day I got into a fight with some other boys and I can't even remember what they did.

I only remember the rage I felt that day, I wanted to hurt them.

So when we fought, somehow I must have hit a boy too hard and his head hit the ground and he didn't get back up.

He was rushed to the hospital where he was in a coma.

Our father dealt with the situation, making sure the boy was under the best care and compensating his mother.

But, I lost my father's respect and favor. He was close to disowning me.

Until Sojiro stepped in and begged my father to give me another chance.

That night Sojiro came to me as my elder brother, and taught me something I'll teach you.

The Zazen, a mediating technique used to look within oneself and what defines you.

At first I was skeptical and only tried since my brother helped me, but soon I found myself more laid back.

Things that once angered me were just little annoyances.

I began pursuing other methods of mediation and found the best for me.

You unintentionally shared a secret to me, so hear mine.

The best way for me to maintain peace, is the art ikebana, or flower arranging.

It puts my mind off of things and allows me to focus on the simplicity of flowers.

There are many other ways of maintaining peace, but the Zazen is what's right for you.

First control your breathing, for your breathing influences your thoughts and vice versa.

Feel the breath instead of watching it or following it."

I try to follow his instructions, first listening to my own breathing and feeling my chest rise and fall.

But I keep taking control and manually breathe by accident.

After the fifth try of focusing, the incense kicks in and I'm in a state of being entranced by my own breathing but not interfering.

"Good. The objective is to become the observer, and let your thoughts run their course without interruption and then you will find enlightenment.

Distractions will hinder you, as it only takes a single thought to stray and you have to restart.

Taking all these things into consideration, enter that state and try to meditate."

I close my eyes and like before, let the bioelectrical activity spread throughout my body, giving me the enhanced feeling I did before.

I then focus on my breathing to put me in the mediative state I was before.

But while I'm in the Enhanced Bioelectrical Form, all my senses are heightened as well as my focus.

So while I'm trying to focus on my own breathing, I hear Mamoru's instead.

Apparently he had a booger hanging out his nose that he didn't know about, but I could clearly hear the whistling.

I try to ignore it, but after a few more seconds of hearing it, I grow angry.

Without thinking about it, I reach out attempting to smack his nose but my hand is caught by him.

Breaking the position I turn to yell at him, "Can you breathe through your goddamn mouth?"

Realizing that I failed miserably, I come out of the form sighing in shame.

Putting my hand down he says, " It took me years to get as far as I have only to lose it all in one night."

Closing my eyes, I begin to give it another try.