First Encounter - I

Kate gestured towards a tall, muscular guy who gave Dan a fierce look. "This is Jason," She introduced Dan to her friends, her voice filled with enthusiasm. "And that's Asha."

Dan had come back to attend his classes again, even if he knew all of it would be meaningless in a few months. With Audrey gone, he couldn't stay at his mother's place any longer and had moved back to his own rented house. The repetitive practice of his powers yielded no real progress, leaving him questioning its purpose. However, he held onto college as a way to keep himself occupied, allowing his mind to momentarily drift away from the uncertain future that loomed over him.

"Hey!" Dan greeted them casually, his tone friendly and relaxed. Asha's eyes lit up with curiosity, while Jason eyed him with a hint of suspicion, a reaction that puzzled Dan. He couldn't recall any odd or creepy behavior in his few interactions with Kate, making Jason's guarded attitude seem unwarranted. Choosing to let it go, Dan shifted his attention as he heard Asha's voice, her eyes squinting with intrigue.

"So, how do you guys know each other?" Asha's question immediately grabbed Jason's attention, causing Dan and Kate to exchange a glance. Kate, realizing the need for caution, fell silent, her mind racing to find a suitable response. Dan had already made it clear that she shouldn't disclose the details of their initial meeting, leaving her searching for an appropriate answer.

"She almost spilled coffee on me once," Dan said as he watched Kate's expression, understanding her dilemma.

"No, I didn't" Kate immediately denied it.

"You were going to, if I hadn't moved out of the way." Dan persisted, his tone light and playful.

"I wouldn't have tripped if you didn't move so suddenly." Kate countered, "And you didn't even bother to help me up!"

Kate's friends observed the exchange, intrigued by the argument unfolding between her and Dan. Asha, in particular, found herself growing even more curious about him.

"Hey, where's that guy you're always hanging out with?" Asha asked, momentarily forgetting her previous question as she observed their dynamic. "Heard he keeps harassing Chloe." Her tone carried genuine curiosity rather than any intention to belittle Dan.

Dan observed her expression for a moment, taking note of Asha's curiosity before answering her question.

"Dunno, haven't been able to get in touch with him lately," Dan replied, shrugging nonchalantly.

After a brief pause, he added, "Actually, didn't you guys also have two more people in your group? I don't see them around."

Kate pondered the question for a moment, her expression thoughtful. "Hmm, maybe something came up. I tried calling, but no luck."

Asha joined the conversation, her concern evident. "I texted Ana, but she hasn't even read my messages." she shared, her brow furrowing.

Jason, who had been silently observing, chimed in with an observation. "Hey, isn't the internet down since last night? Anyone else experiencing the same issue?"

"Huh, now that you mention it," Asha said, her brows furrowing even more. She and Kate instinctively reached for their phones, realizing that even their data wasn't working. They exchanged a puzzled glance, confirming Jason's suspicions.

Dan glanced at his phone, confirming that he too was experiencing the same connectivity issue. However, something else caught his attention—the time. It was already ten minutes past the scheduled start of their class, yet the classroom appeared unusually empty. Besides himself, Kate, and her friends, there were only a handful of students present. Even the professor, known for being punctual, was conspicuously absent. As Dan connected the dots, an unsettling feeling crept over him, intensifying with each passing moment.

Just as he was about to excuse himself to talk to the stranger, a muffled explosion shook the walls, reverberating through the room. The impact felt like a forceful blow against a neighboring wall. Considering the size of the area, Dan deduced that it couldn't have been a minor blast. The surroundings began to tremble, and although he couldn't hear any other sounds, the shaking grew more pronounced. Realization dawned upon him—this wasn't an explosion but an earthquake, and it showed no signs of subsiding even after several seconds.

"What's going on?!" Asha exclaimed, her voice tinged with panic. "Is this an earthquake?!"

As the other students hurriedly began to leave the room, Jason and Asha turned to Kate, seeking guidance on what to do next.

"But why? We never have earthquakes here," Kate pondered aloud, her question directed to no one in particular.

Dan, equally perplexed by the unfolding situation, couldn't provide any answers. He had never experienced this kind of natural disaster before, leaving him at a loss for explanations. While they were still discussing and trying to make sense of it all, the shrill sound of fire alarms suddenly blared throughout the building, causing their eyes to widen in shock.

"Whatever it is, we need to get out of here," Dan urgently urged his companions, gesturing towards the nearest exit from the classroom. The others began to follow him but came to a sudden halt when an unfamiliar figure blocked their path at the door.

As Dan scrutinized the newcomer, his gaze fixated on the man's shirt, causing his wariness to heighten. The stranger was approximately Dan's height and appeared unremarkable, except for the peculiar red stains splattered across his clothes. In the past few weeks, Dan had unfortunately become all too familiar with that color and the unfortunate circumstances that often accompanied it. Despite the man's otherwise tidy appearance, with short, well-kept hair, his wide smile hinted at a disturbed state of mind.

"Kate, I've come to get you!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with an unsettling excitement that reverberated through the room. Kate's face twisted in confusion as she struggled to remember who this person was, while the rest of the group fell into an uneasy silence, trying to make sense of the situation.

"Oh! You don't remember me," he remarked, taking a step closer to Kate, his tone now carrying a threatening edge. "But don't worry, it will never happen again."

As the tension escalated, Jason stepped forward, blocking the guy's path.

"Dude, can you move?" The guy sounded more annoyed than angry, "I need to reunite with my love."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kate finally voiced her confusion, the situation beginning to ignite her frustration. "And who the hell are you?"

Asha couldn't help but interject, her tone laced with doubt as she pointed out the bloodstains on his shirt. "And what's with the blood on your clothes? Are you some kind of weirdo?"

The guy glanced down at his shirt, seemingly unfazed. "Oh, it's just something I had to take care of," he replied nonchalantly. "Now that it's done, Kate and I can finally live happily."

The gravity of the situation weighed heavily upon Kate and the others as they recognized the sheer madness emanating from the person before them. Uncertain of how to proceed and engage with him, they found themselves frozen in place. Meanwhile, the tremors intensified, shaking the ground beneath them, and the blaring alarms reached an almost unbearable volume.

"We have to move, now!" Jason declared, disregarding the new guy's presence as he attempted to push him aside.

"Oh, don't worry," the guy retorted, his smile unsettlingly persistent. "He promised that the building won't collapse so soon."

His words elicited a collective gaze of confusion from the group, their eyes fixed on him. Kate cautiously broke the silence, voicing the question on everyone's mind. "Is this a terrorist attack?"

The man's smile widened. "No, of course not. This is just to level the playing field."

Baffled, the group exchanged perplexed glances, struggling to understand his cryptic statement. But his last words caught Dan's attention and an idea began to take shape in his mind, offering a possible explanation for the chaotic events unfolding before them.

"Listen, you creep, move aside or I'll seriously get physical," Jason warned, his tone carrying a mix of determination and frustration. He towered over the man, using his height to assert his dominance and intimidate him, hoping to quickly resolve the situation and ensure their safety.

The guy responded with a maniacal laugh, undeterred by the threat. "Why don't you give it a shot?" he taunted, his words dripping with deranged confidence.

Jason took a step forward, ready to take action, while Kate instinctively moved to intervene. However, she quickly realized that a confrontation seemed unavoidable, and her words caught in her throat.

All eyes were fixed on the escalating tension as Jason threw a punch at the man, expecting him to recoil in pain. However, their shock only grew as the man effortlessly caught Jason's fist, redirecting his force and hurling him to the side. Jason's body crashed onto the floor, causing gasps of astonishment to escape the onlookers.

Dan's eyes widened in disbelief at the unexpected turn of events, while Kate and Asha rushed to Jason's side, their faces etched with concern as they assessed his condition. Remarkably, Jason seemed relatively unscathed, except for a few minor scratches, thanks to his athletic physique. Nevertheless, fear gripped all three of them as they witnessed the assailant's unsettling laughter echoing through the air.

"You think normal people like you can touch me anymore?" he sneered, his voice dripping with arrogance. "I have gone way beyond that."

Kate's mind raced, desperately seeking a way out of this dire situation. She had encountered guys like him before when she still worked with shady people. However, this situation was unlike anything she had ever faced. The man before them appeared physically inferior to Jason, yet he had effortlessly overpowered him - an unbelievable display of strength. Something about his demeanor and words seemed unsettling, almost supernatural.

In a flash of realization, Kate recalled a similar encounter from her past and the person who had come to her help then. She turned her gaze towards Dan, only to find him lost in thought, his attention fixated on the door as if consumed by something of great significance.

As Dan witnessed the effortless takedown of Jason, a chilling realization swept over him. The event had finally been set into motion. Thoughts raced through his mind as he grappled with the fact that he hadn't adequately prepared himself for this moment, he wasn't sure he was ready to face the savior yet. He wanted to look for the people he had encountered who had powers, to see if he could learn more about how they worked. His fists clenched tightly, nearly drawing blood, as he was reminded of what his 'mother' had said. He was convinced that he still had months, it was going to be his toughest fight trying to get his mother back, and yet, he was short on information.

His thoughts involuntarily turned to Audrey, he had sent her away without uttering a word, without providing any explanation. Now, she was miles away, potentially facing a situation similar to the one unfolding before him. Panic surged through his veins, consuming him as he grappled with the weight of his failure to protect his family once again. His hands trembled uncontrollably as vivid and horrifying scenarios that could befall Audrey played out in his mind, each one more terrifying than the last.

Kate's urgent shouts and the escalating sounds of destruction merged into indistinct background noise as Dan's mind detached from the chaos surrounding him.

'Stop panicking,' the stranger's voice broke through, jolting Dan out of his inward spiral. 'We can't do anything just standing here. Don't lose hope yet.'

Those words acted as a lifeline, drawing his focus back to the present. His gaze shifted back to Kate, who was engaged in a tense exchange with the guy. Jason positioned himself protectively between them, while Asha vehemently insisted that he step back. The guy spoke of the end of the world and his determination to keep Kate safe.

'We need to know what's happening' the stranger suggested. 'He must have some information.'

Dan took a deep breath, gathering his composure and redirecting his attention to the immediate situation.

'By the looks of the attack, he isn't that strong.' The stranger added.

After assessing the situation, Dan loudly called out to the guy, his words slicing through the tense air.