Mind Over Matter

2018, the night Kai's helicopter went down. Kai was 21 years old. A man far in the distance had a rocket launcher. He has short blonde hair, and a cigarette in his mouth.

Random guy: Well it's been fun mate, but I'm going to have to kill you before you break that stone.

The rocket shoots off. Before you know it the rocket hits the helicopter, and the helicopter starts spinning like crazy before it hits the ground.

Random guy: You better hope you're not still alive ya wanker.

The next day a man with a skin color between black and white was fighting an old pale man. They were fighting in what seemed to be a little camp. This camp had two tents, and a place for a fire outside of the tents. The young man had short curly hair and dark eyes. While the old man had short almost white hair. The young man was fighting with a sword. While the old man was using a Cane. The old man was blind, and his cane seemed to be the cane of a blind man, not an old man. Soon the fighting stops after a few parries.

Kai: So why did you ask me to go all out on you Stick?

Stick: Well I asked for it, but you didn't even try!

Kai: I just don't feel like weakening you will really show my power. Anyway, we can talk about my abilities later. Why did you shoot down my helicopter?!

Stick: I didn't shoot down your damn helicopter.

Kai: Then who did?!

Stick: Find that out on your own time! That's not my job!

Kai: Then why did you save me from the crash?

Stick: I didn't save you from the crash. You have regeneration.

Kai: You know what I mean! Fine, why are you here?

Stick: You have to uphold your side of the deal, Kid.

Kai: Okay then what do I have to do?

Stick: I am going to train you.

Kai: It doesn't seem like you get much out of that deal.

Stick: Did I say that's what I am asking of you? No, that is what I am going to do. I will tell you what I want at the end of your training.

Kai: What do you want, Stick? Do you want me to do a mission? Do you want me to sell my soul to save yours? What do you want?!

Stick: I like anticipation. So I'm going to make you wait on that. We are done training for today, but you better get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a struggle.

Kai relaxes the rest of the day, and Stick ends up serving dinner before going right back into his tent. Kai ended up watching the stars.

Kai(in head): I feel like I just keep being roped into the same scenarios. First I had no control over my life with A.R.G.U.S, The League, and now Stick. Why do things never go my way?! First my parents now Luna! I also want to go back home to New York. Hopefully, Stick only needs me to get an artifact or something.

Stick pokes his head out of his tent.

Stick: Stop looking at the stars and go to bed!

Stick hides back inside the tent.

Kai: Ugh.

Kai gets up, and goes into his tent. After a little while, he falls asleep only to awaken to Stick opening his tent. The now open tent is allowing all the sunlight to come in.

Stick: RISE AND SHINE!

Kai: The light is bright!

Stick: Yeah, so what? it can wake you up. Come on, it's time for training.

A few minutes later Kai drags himself out of bed to see stick waiting for him.

Stick: Why do you have a rock?

Kai: How did you know-

Stick: Let me see the rock!

Kai takes the red rock out of his pocket.

Kai: Why do you care about this rock?

Stick: You're using this rock wrong!

Kai: Stick, how the hell am I using a rock wrong?

Stick crushes the rock with the mere strength of his hand, and throws the dust on Kai.

Stick: There you go. I fixed your problem. Now that rock is going to take a while before it starts working. It won't kick in till after our training.

Kai: What is it a drug?

Stick: Nope.

Kai: That was a joke.

Stick: Oh. So, your training requirements that you're going to have to complete are pretty hardcore.

Kai: Oh, no.

Stick: Kai, I want you to break through the barrier of what the human body can do, and start tapping into what a superhuman body can do.

Kai: How, I have powers, but none like that?

Stick: Kai, you're not giving yourself credit. Out of all my students, you have one of the highest potential power scales I have ever seen. You've survived being stabbed with swords, and have taken some bad hits.

Kai: Whats a potential power scale?

Stick: Well, power scales are basically your stats. They are numbers that indicate your strength, speed, defense, intelligence, skill, and how much power you have.

Kai: Power?

Stick: Yes, power. Each one of your superpowers, and anything like guns get added in this category.

Kai: Did you just make this shit up?

Stick: No kai, I can see power scales. Then you have your total which adds all of those categories together. That's what a power scale is. So your potential power scale is if you trained your body to the absolute max then you would have this certain power scale.

Kai: So are you trying to get me to my potential power scale?

Stick: Oh no, that would take years and years. I am trying to get you to break levels you didn't even think your body could break. Which is why you will be training every stat. Your requirements to finish this training are you have to be able to lift 5 tons, you have to be able to run 100 kilometers in less than 10 minutes, and we will be training in combat after you do your run and lifting every day.

Kai: I don't think I'll be able to do any of that.

Stick: Then you better start running so you can.

Kai: How do I even know where 50 kil-

Stick points to a black line.

Kai: You drew a black line.

Stick: Its 50 kilometers long. You have to run 50 forward and 50 back.

Kai lines up ready to run.

Stick: Go!

Stick starts the timer, and Kai runs off.

Stick: He is so slow. Only 50 miles per hour. He is never going to make it going at that speed.

After a little more than an hour, Kai finally finishes the run.

Kai: I *heavy breathing* told you I would- *heavy breathing* wouldn't be able to do it.

Stick: That took you 1 hour, 15 minutes.

Kai: Yeah, because I don't have super speed!

Stick: You will complete this run. You just have to believe you can. Next is the strength training.

Kai gets on a bench press that Stick set up while Kai was running. Stick puts on weights, and Kai lifts it, and they keep going until Kai can no longer lift the bar.

Stick: Pitiful.

Kai: How?

Stick: You can only lift one thousand pounds. That's not even one ton.

Then they move on to the skill training. Stick lays out a bunch of different weapons on the bench press.

Stick: We will be working on your weapon because so far you have only really trained in swords. And you hate them. So, pick the weapon you want.

Kai looks at the weapons. There are 2 swords, 2 axes, 2 sai, a bo staff, 2 nunchucks.

Stick: These are just some of the more popular ones. I have many others, but I didn't feel like wasting a whole day setting them up.

Kai: Swords were never really my style.

Kai holds the bo staff. He spins it around a bit.

Kai: I think I like this one.

Stick: Wow, taking after your masters.

Kai: Like who?

Stick: Slade and I both have sticks!

Kai: Oh yeah, I guess it just runs in the family.

Kai and Stick start training. Kai and Stick train in this same order for days. Kai goes through the exact same training, but fails the requirements every day. He never even comes close to 10 minutes. After a few weeks, Kai is just about done with this training because it seems ridiculous.

Kai: Stick, I will never be able to run 100 kilometers in under 10 minutes! I can't even run that in under an hour!

Stick: It's because you don't think you can. You have to believe you can.

Kai: How does believing in yourself change reality?

Stick: You have trained enough to be able to do it. Your own mind just can't fathom it. You need to train your power! We're done for the day!

Stick goes inside, and Kai just looks off into the distance.

Kai: What the hell does he want from me? I'm just going to use my imagination, and make up my limitations.

Kai gets ready at the track.

Kai: I'm not superman.

Kai runs the track the whole night, and in the morning stick sees Kai taking a break.

Stick: I guess you just can't do it. You just aren't good enough. Maybe my power scaling was off.

Kai: Oh, now you agree with me.

Stick: You're just useless. You couldn't even beat an old man in a race.

Kai: Yeah right! I bet I could beat you!

Stick: Lets see.

Kai and Stick line up at the start of the line. Stick says "go," and Stick blasts off way faster than Kai. Kai ends up stopping running. Then Kai just goes back to the camp. Stick ends up making it back in 9 minutes and 30 seconds.

Kai: How in the hell-

Stick: Now time for lifting.

Kai goes on the bench, and lifts a little over 1000 pounds. Then the stick goes onto the bench and lifts 10 tons.

Kai: How are you doing this stuff?

Stick: What are you talking about?

Kai: Nevermind!

Then the rest of the day Stick trained Kai more about using a bo staff. Then they both went to bed, but Kai couldn't fall asleep. All he could think about was how Stick just excelled at everything.

Kai(in head): Stick was just able to do everything I couldn't. Does that mean Stick wasn't lying? Does that mean I can actually run that fast, and lift that much?

Kai's endlessly running mind eventually got tired enough to go to sleep. The next day, Kai lined up at the black line.

Stick: Are you sure you can do it?

Kai: If you could. Then I can. You're an old man, Stick. I would hope that I would be able to at least run as fast as you.

Stick: Well okay then. Go!

Kai blasts off going way faster then he ever did before. When he finally makes it back to stick he is extremely tired.

Kai: Did… *Heavy Breathing* I do it?

Stick: 9 minutes and 19 seconds.

Kai: Yes… *Heavy Breathing* I beat you!

Stick: Alright, take 5!

Kai takes a 5 minutes break, and then they move onto lifting. Kai sits down, and Stick puts weights on the bar. Stick keeps going until they hit 5 tons. As soon as they put another weight on it Kai couldn't hold the weight.

Kai: I guess I just barely made it, huh?

Stick: Yes you did. Now it's time for the staff training..

Kai and Stick train. For the first time Kai was actually able to knock Stick over.

Stick: Well I guess you graduated from all 3.

Kai: I was only able to knock you over?!

Stick: I am the most skilled man in the universe. You would be surprised how incredible one hit is against me. So, I have something for you.

Stick goes back into his tent. Then comes out with a metal bo staff.

Stick: I got a tungsten bo staff made.

Kai: Tungsten?

Stick: One of, if not the hardest metal on the planet.

Stick passes Kai the bo staff.

Kai: Now that I passed your challenges. What am I doing for you?

Stick: I'll tell you tomorrow. I have to go somewhere. I'll be back later.

Kai: Where are you going?

Stick: Why do you care?! Stay put! I'm going where I'm going.

Stick walks off, and Kai sits down relaxing.

Kai(in head): I need to see what I gotta do! Is it in his tent? Imma check his tent.

Kai sneaks into Sticks tent to look around. At first he finds nothing, but then he finds a scroll. Kai opens it up, and reads it.

Kai: Part of The Chaste: Blackout, Leadman, Sparks, Jutsa, Maverick, Hiroshi, Hell Raven, Mina, Prowler, Fenix, (x)Artemis(x), and soon to be Kai.

Kai: Holy shit, is he going to make me part of his group? No, this better not be like The League or A.R.G.U.S.

Kai sneaks out of Sticks tent, and sticks standing about 15 feet away from Kai staring at him.

Stick: What were you doing in my tent Kai?

Kai holds up his staff.

Kai: What's the chaste Stick?

Stick: Your side of the deal. Now you're going to not repay me, and use what I gave you against me!

Kai: I looked at you like a father Stick! You were the only father figure I had left!

Stick: Well I never asked to be! I guess you have no family left!

Kai: Do we really have to fight?!

Stick: Do we have to-

Stick bursts out in laughter.

Stick: Yeah, I think we do! Since you're not going to just uphold your side of the deal willingly.

Kai and Stick run at each other. Bashing each other's staff together. Now stick is on a whole different level. He stepped his game up from serious to lethal. Every move Kai makes wrong he gets bashed somewhere with Stick's staff. Then Stick moves his staff so the top of his staff would hit Kai in the head. Kai blocks it, and sticks moves faster than he ever has before. Stick then jabs Kai in the chest with his staff. It knocks Kai over, and Kai falls down to the ground.

Kai: Ah, fuck!

Stick tries to jab Kai while he's on the ground. Kai quickly grabs his staff, and starts blocking Sticks jabs.

Stick: You have teleportation and spiritual manipulation! You use both your powers wrong!