Chapter 11 - Unlikely Alliance

Point-of-View: Tara Williams

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Huh? What the-...what's going on? The Outlier, I can still sense his Aura quite clearly, but...something's strange. Obviously, since he's being taken away, his Aura is getting further and further away, but the way it's getting further away is weird. It doesn't feel like the distance is increasing gradually, no...it feels more like it's increasing in sudden, abrupt bursts.

Tch, don't tell me it's some kind of teleportation power...that one with the ability to extend their arms, looks like in addition to that Physical Skill, they've also got, maybe, a Space Skill that lets them teleport, or something like that anyway.

I suppose it's also possible that it's a different Meta-Human that's doing the teleporting. This is bad, at the rate at which they're getting away, it's only a matter of seconds before I'm out of range and will no longer be able to sense the Outlier's Aura.

I can't hold back anymore, this is going to be a risky move, but I'd rather take the risk of being discovered over the risk of failing my assignment in this manner. I'm not wasting any more time on these irrelevant weaklings, they're beneath my attention!

"Even if we fail to kill you, we'll make sure that the Outlier is retrieved!"

"Y-yeah, that's right!"

"We d-don't care how strong y-you are, bitch! We aren't afraid of you!"

Hmph, I can clearly see that they're all terrified out of their minds...well, no surprise there, since they can sense the entirety of my Aura now, with no suppression whatsoever. I suppose I can commend them from at least trying to put on brave faces...but then again, they're all about to die, so it doesn't really matter, does it?

"Time to die now, you insignificant worms...now, take this, Double Combo Skill: Tempest!"

A powerful force of wind and water then burst out and rose up all around me, before swirling violently as it expanded at a blinding speed, tearing the Eden lackeys apart in a matter of seconds before they could even react, the water rapidly turning redder and redder.

Their screams barely lasted five seconds, as a pile of torn apart body parts and entrails fell onto the ground all around me, in a massive pool of blood. Tch, what a disgusting odor, they really are nothing more than trash. Maybe using a Combo Skill was a bit overkill against Meta-Humans of their level.

This particular Combo Skill, known as Tempest, is a technique that combines the Aqua and Aero Skills, and is more powerful than both simply put together, it's more like they multiply each other when combined. Anyway, I don't have time for this...I need to hurry after the Outlier!

I exhaled slowly before suppressing my Aura again, and then used my Aero Skill to propel myself in the direction that the Aura was coming from...crap, they're already at the limit of my sensory range, I need to hurry or they'll get away-...aw, shit.

I forgot about this. A traffic-heavy street was at the end of this alleyway...and trying to find another route would be futile, they'd get away by the time I find one. Sneaking around isn't my strong suit, I might just end up giving Eden a chance to trap me.

Tch...this assignment may be a high priority, but maintaining the secrecy of Meta-Humans is a higher priority. After all, that matter is tethering as it is, with the consecutive appearances of all these artificial Meta-Humans, the Outliers.

I took a risk earlier by using such a large scale attack, but that was more of a rush of blood in my irritation, and probably a mistake. There's a good chance that at least a few people saw it, a sudden, towering mass of twisting water and wind can't be hard to miss.

And if it really was spotted, then that'd just make the matter of the secrecy of Meta-Human existence all the harder to maintain. Damn it...I have no choice but to chalk this up as a failure and get out of here before curious on-lookers start showing up.

The Meta-Human who took the Outlier, their teleportation power gives them a lot of flexibility...so long as they remain out of sight when they reappear, it's a power that can be used even in a traffic-y and crowded area like this one.

He must be teleporting from alley to alley to keep from being spotted and remain out of sight. I slammed my fist against the wall in frustration, cracks spreading out from the point of impact as I let out an irritated growl...damn it...fucking damn it! Tch, I can't believe I really failed. I swear, I'll make Eden pay for this. Nobody...absolutely nobody makes a fool out of me and gets away with it...

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Point-of-View: Neo Cronje

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"Ugh, it's you, Fake," I sighed in exasperation.

"My name is X, you asshole!" She snapped in retort.

"Oh, X-U-Asshole, huh? Not bad, has a nice ring to it-...woah!" I exclaimed, as I narrowly evaded the slash of her dagger.

"I'll fucking cut you, you dick," She warned me threateningly.

Damn it, since her Aberration Skill is active, I can't use my powers. How annoying, her ability pisses me off every time I encounter it. Why couldn't she have developed one of the primary Skills instead?

I suppose you could call Aberration Skills the tenth category, but then, they're so rare that there's barely any sample size. Also, historically speaking, those who've possessed an Aberration Skill have never developed any other Skills...which is good, because she's a pain to take on even without any other powers up her sleeve.

Her Aberration Skill is the only one I've encountered, and as far as I know, the only one currently in existence. One thing's for sure, it's an extremely annoying ability. Hers is specifically called Aberration Skill: Nullification, and as the name suggests, and as I've experienced way too many times, it nullifies Meta-Human powers, within a certain range.

And I don't just mean that it makes it impossible for us to use our Skills, but our physical strength and speed diminishes a bit as well, since Meta-Humans develop physical prowess that's beyond what normal humans are capable of, thanks to our Auras.

Or to put it more accurately, our bodies become stronger in order to be able to handle the Aura that our Meta-Human gene generates. Hm, on that note, I'm guessing that Zoraiz, Alexis and any other artificially induced Meta-Humans won't be able to properly control their Auras until their bodies finish adapting to said Auras, but then, I doubt that'll take more than a day or two.

Anyway, I don't have time to get distracted, I need to hurry up and resolve the problem right in front of me. Fighting her here should be fine, even if someone sees us it'll just look like a normal, non-super-powered fight. Then again, from an outsider's point of view, I'll probably look like a creep picking on a young girl, so I'd like to avoid that...

"Why are you here, Fake?" I inquired, to keep her talking in order to buy myself some time to think of a way to resolve this situation, even though I already knew the answer.

"Isn't it obvious, I'm here for the Outlier," She replied with a frown, narrowing her eyes at me as the gleam of her dagger reflected the dim street light behind her.

"Wait, the what?" I responded in confusion.

"The artificial Meta-Humans that have been popping up all over the place...I heard some rando in Eden refer to them as Outliers before I left to come here," She responded, as she quietly drew out another dagger.

Huh...not the worst name, I guess, definitely not the most inclusive, that's for sure, it's just a little discriminatory. Well, whatever, that's not important right now, I need to stay alert...if I drop my guard for even a second, this psychopath will jump in for the kill without missing a beat.

On the bright side, unlike me, she can sense Auras normally, so the fact that she's here in this location probably means that...I'm on the right track, the so-called 'Outlier' must be close by.

"I've got a proposal for you...just for a little bit, how about we work together?" I suggested with a smirk.

"Huh? The fuck? Are you out of your mind?" She responded incredulously.

Okay, time to bluff...

"Think about it...based on where this 'Outlier's' Aura is coming from, they're obviously inside a building. So, we can either fight right here and now, and risk neither of us capturing the Outlier. Or we can work together to lure them out, and after that, we can fight each other to decide which one gets the Outlier...it can be a fight to the death if you want," I remarked, attempting to convince her.

I just need to use her to find the Outlier, and after that, I'll have to lose her somehow, or better yet, eliminate her if I get the chance...

"Hmph, all fights are death matches to me....fine, I'll humor you, because if I don't, then like you said, I'll have to fight you right here and now, and I'm really not in the mood right now...plus I'd rather not have to keep searching while injured or bleeding or whatever. And I have to admit, I'm quite intrigued by all this...finally, I won't be the only unnatural Meta-Human in the world," She remarked with a gleam in her eyes, "This has piqued my interest to the point where I don't even feel much like fighting right now, so yeah...I'll accept your proposal. But don't blame me if I suddenly decide to stab you in the back, literally and figuratively."

"Yeah, I wouldn't expect anything less...and that's why you'll lead the way, since I don't carry any pointy weapons, you won't have to worry about me stabbing you in the back...well, not literally, anyway," I responded with a mockingly friendly smile.

"Tch, I regret this already...," She growled, before leading the way...just as I planned...

...

"The security in this place is abysmal," Scoffed X, as we went into an old apartment building.

More specifically, there was no security whatsoever.

"Anyone who lives in a dump like this probably doesn't have anything worth stealing, so it doesn't really need security," I responded with a shrug.

She then walked over to the elevator...before heading up the stairs instead.

"I am not getting in that death trap," She remarked, as I gave her an inquiring look.

Too bad, I was hoping that I might be able to trap her in there...though, to be fair, that elevator looked like it was in horrible condition, so I was pretty hesitant to get in it too.

"Oh, what's the worst that can happen? If it gets stuck or the cable snaps or whatever, I can just portal us to safety," I pointed out with a shrug, playing it cool.

"You mean you'd portal yourself and you'd leave me to die?" She responded with a raised eyebrow.

Yeah, I should have figured that she wouldn't go for it. Because if I got the opportunity, then yes, I would one hundred percent do exactly that.

"Well, ideally, yes...but then, you'd nullify my powers, so we'd both die," I countered indifferently.

"Tch, whatever, regardless of whether you're being honest or not, there's absolutely no way I'm taking the risk, let's go!" She snapped irritably, stomping up the stairs.

"Do you have to walk so loudly, you're going to attract unnecessary attent-," I began.

"Shut up, don't tell me what to do!"

As we reached the third floor, the highest of the building, I perked up a bit, as I felt an Aura...the fact that I can feel it at all is proof of how strong it must be, no doubt about it...it's a so-called Outlier. The pressure is weak, but even I can tell how immense it is...not to mention that I've previously sensed Zoraiz and Alexis's Auras. Okay, I should make sure X has no doubts about my Aura-sensory capabilities.

"Alright, we can't cause a commotion here, so let's knock, and when he or she answers the door, I'll form a portal beneath us and take us to an isolated place," I instructed her quietly, as we approached the door from which the Aura was coming from.

"Tch, like I said, don't tell me what to do! Also, holy crap, what is with this Aura? It's ridiculously immense...that said, there's barely any control over the Aura, so the pressure is pretty weak...this should be easy," She remarked, knocking on the door loudly.

After a couple of seconds, the sound of creaking bed springs echoed out from inside the room, as if someone was getting up after having been lying down. Footsteps from inside then began approaching the door, before stopping as the sound of a lock being opened rang out.

I heard a stifled yawn and an irritated mutter in a language I didn't understand, before the door opened and a sleepy eyed head poked out. A young man, maybe in his early twenties...I then scrunched my nose a bit as the stale stench of cigarettes and beer wafted out, invading my nostrils.

"Hm? Who are you? Do you need something?" He inquired in a grumbling tone.

Okay, so not quite conventional, but I've managed to locate the target...and here's where things get tricky. I need to try and outsmart X while simultaneously convincing this guy to come with me. Yeah...like most things in life, that's going to be easier said than done. Well...here goes, I guess...

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