2 Roundhouse Kick

In Waze's world, people were ranked into groups called "steps". Waze liked to think of them as steps on a ladder, the more powerful a person's gift, the higher up they were on the social ladder, the higher step they are. Those in higher steps were called "high-steps" and those in lower "low-steps" and so on and so forth. One could climb up steps by working hard to improve their ability and technique, although the higher you go the more difficult going up another step is. Waze was on the bottom step- not even. She was on the ground. Aside from other cripples, everyone else was more powerful than her. The top step was generally considered 10. Most of the population fell between 2-4. People like Jess were 5's. Slightly above average, and having a gift useful in combat, like Jess's ability to manipulate a person's clothing, put them in an even more powerful position. At her school, the highest step reached was an eight. There was one person on step 8, and he was surrounded by sevens and sixes. People like Jess were left to rule as they wished. He only stepped in when things were serious, which wasn't very often. His underlings quite enjoyed torturing Waze, though.

Despite her status, Waze liked to think she had a good heart, a decent sense of humor, and was fairly smart but none of that saw the light in society as it was. She was viewed as nothing more than a cripple. Living like that long enough, though, Waze learned to ignore the people who laughed at her and to continue on as if nothing had happened. You'd think for a cripple her life would be all the more uneventful, but Waze didn't mind that it wasn't. In fact, she almost lived for her daily skirmishes that brought flashes of excitement into her life. She just wished for once she would win them. She could in her head.

As class ended, lunch time approached. This meant free time, which meant someone was likely to come bother her again. Let them come, it might be entertaining. Was she a masochist? Probably not, more just bored. Right on cue, as Waze walked to sit down at her usual spot underneath a tree in the court yard to enjoy a whole half hour of browsing the internet, a high step approached her. Waze glanced up at him. The least she could do to protect herself was be aware of the people around her. James Wayhem: step 6. Gift: the ability to send out projectiles of reddish energy in various shapes. You were lucky if he left you alone. Waze was not so lucky.

"Waze, Waze! How's living a cripple been treating you?"

"Same as when you asked me yesterday. Don't really get what you expect might change. Oh, but it did score higher than you on that math test, so that was pretty cool I guess." Maybe it was a bad decision, provoking James, but in the moment Waze didn't care. So what if she ended up in the nurse's office again. P.E. was next period so it would give her an excuse to skip.

"Flaunting around something like that? I was busy having fun down town. You wouldn't believe how many girls go after a six-step like me."

"You best be careful who you go around pissing off, James. One day you'll meet someone more powerful than you and get your ass kicked. I just hope I'll be there." She felt confident today, strangely. Not that she was cowardly usually, but she was never this straightforward. It was like something inside her was urging her to go on. To say more. To provoke him further.

"Who are you to be saying that you cripple? You're the one who's gonna get your ass kicked. And you're practically asking for it today." James looked down at Waze, who was standing some five feet away, with a sneer. A crowd was beginning to form at the sound of a fight forming. Waze scanned the crowd in her peripheral vision. If she was gonna get her ass kicked, she might as well embarrass James before she falls.

"Anyway, what's an oh-so-mighty high-step like you want with a pathetically plain cripple like me?"

"Well, I was going to only ask you to buy me lunch, but now you've got me pissed off. What do you say I expend some energy instead?" James cracked his knuckles. Waze could hear the threat of a fight in his words, but she didn't care. She had already finished all of today's homework from her earlier classes, and she doubted she would get much later that day. What was the harm of spending the day aching in bed? She'd be right there with her mom. Despite the danger, the voice in her subconscious still urged her on, giving her a false sense of bravado that was probably a bit risky to exercise.

"Asking me to buy you lunch? I didn't realize you needed money that bad. I almost pity you. Unfortunately, I don't have much to spare so I can't help you there. Why don't you ask one of your oh-so-many girlfriends that a step six like you has? Also, I'm not really up for a brawl so I'll have to pass. Attractive offer, though." Despite Waze's resilience in the face of her continuos humiliation, it didn't change the fact it was still just that: humiliation. She was exiled from her peers, her only friends being miscellaneous people thought the town. She yearned for power. She wanted to stand up and fight, to stand on top, to win for once. But she had given up on that dream long ago.

"You're asking for it, McAllister!" She always found it weird when people used her last name. Not that it mattered, as she was probably about to be annihilated. "It wouldn't hurt to teach you a little lesson. Well, it wouldn't hurt me at least." The crowd laughed. Quite a few people were accumulated now. In fact, much of the school was watching the courtyard fight. Not that it would be much of a fight. Waze always wondered what people found so damn interesting about watching someone get their ass beat.

"You ready?!" It didn't really matter if she was, nor did James seem to care. James pulled back his hand with a maniac grin on his face. The dark red energy swirled in his hand as he threw it toward her like a baseball. What happened next, no one, especially Waze herself, expected.

The ball came in slow motion. Waze looked as it slowly made it's way through the air towards her. Had it always been that slow? Energy seemed to pulse in her veins. As the ball neared her she quickly stepped to the side, turning her body as it flew past her. Time resumed. Waze stared slightly surprised at the scorching mark on the tree behind her. Did he just... miss? No, more accurately, did she just dodge?

Onlookers stared awed for a moment before James spoke again.

"You little- you think you can just dodge like that and get away? You're weak! You might as well just run. I could kill you if I wanted. Not like anyone would care. Come to think of it, your mom's pretty crippled too, huh? Maybe I'll pay her a visit."

Something inside Waze snapped. That was it. That was the line. And he had crossed it. Waze felt her blood pumping hot through her veins. She didn't see, but felt the blue flames practically radiating from her body. She didn't even take time to notice the power now coursing through her veins. All she could see was her target, James. The rest was stars. Stars, huh? Like her dream. A strange sense of calm confidence washed over her as she walked slowly toward James.

"My mother, huh? You had to bring her into this? Insult me all you want but keep talk of her out of you disgusting mouth." Waze was now radiating power, her ice cold gaze piercing through the air in front of her. People stepped back, eyes wide at the sight before them. Waze glided forward. Almost like... a god. Thats was James's , and everyone else's only thought before it happened. Since when was she a god? Then, her left leg stepped forward, and her right leg spun behind her and around. For a moment, Waze made eye contact with James. He looked... scared. Waze decided she liked that look on him. Her foot connected with his face.