Chapter 58: Relentless before the thunderous minacious smoke!

"I can't take it anymore." Said a tall student attending JinJunye's premier private school as he looked from outside of their classroom at a smaller student. "Take what exactly, Chi?" The student's pudgy friend, another fellow student attending the school, asked as he looked where his tall friend looked and saw what he meant. "I heard his mother gets used and his dad's barely ever around, why don't we figure out a way to, uh—" Said the tall student ending with a certain gesture that made his friend uncomfortable. "How?" The short pudgy friend asked as he was baffled by the suggestion. "Inquire it from the dweeb himself, follow me." The tall friend replied confidently as he waltzed into the classroom with his friend following and sat next to the kid prompting the lonely student to turn his head toward him. The kid wouldn't remove his eyes from the tall student as he stared at the teacher's board in front of him. "Hey, pal, invite us over later and let's hang on, I got my number right here." The Tall friend stuttered as the lonely classmate's glare filled him with nervousness which he couldn't help but show. "Stop talking to me." Said the Lonely kid as he played his video games. The pudgy friend stared at his taller and thinner buddy but the two couldn't come up with a reply to try again. Later during lunch period before he began dining, the lonely kid decided to go and speak with his only friend he knew was genuine, the school's janitor and found him sweeping the hall. "Ever since you brought it to my attention, I haven't been able to look at everyone the same. They're all around me for the money my dad has or to be near my mom. I can't help but feel sick about it." The lonely kid admitted to the Janitor. "True loyalty is tough to come by, especially when you're on this level of cash and fame. If you don't mind me asking, son, what would you like to be when you graduate?" Asked the Janitor as he reached into the school's closet. "Well, my dad expects me to keep the cash and our family's fortune rolling, probably join the line of work he has going or the last resort, what my mom does for a living but I'm hoping that it never comes to that. I'll never have children" The lonely student answered as he put his head up as he thought a while prior to answering. "No. Not what's expected of you. Answer the question, what does Mack Merrick desire most in his life?" The Janitor responded as he looked him in his eyes while asking. Mack's mouth flew open and he stepped back with a confused expression. "I've— I've got to go pee." Mack replied as he hastily walked away. Mack left down the hall on his way to the school's bathroom, once he was out of sight, the Janitor heard two other boys speeding down the hall as he was fetching something from the janitorial closet. Mack removed his glasses and washed his face as he began to ask himself the Janitor's question but couldn't begin thinking of an answer. Mack felt a hand over his shoulder speeding up his heart, he turned around and was given a blow that knocked the wind out of him. As he fell to the ground, he saw his taller classmate's shoes with the pudgier friend's shorts as he looked up. "You embarrassed me, you really, really did, now you're going to make up for it." The taller classmate yelled furiously. "Chill, chill, Chino!" The pudgier friend yelled while stopping him from going for another blow that he intended to be critical. "Losers always have to bully someone to become a winner. You're not the— first." Mack responded as he couldn't pick himself off his knees and was still recovering. Chino was on his way to throw out the next critical punch until his friend stopped him again, he redirected it towards him instead, then realized the elderly janitor was staring at him in front of the bathroom entrance. Chino and the pudgier buddy he floored stared back as awkward silence filled the room. Mack as he hugged his gut looked up to figure out what the silence was for in the room and saw the Janitor staring at him with a beaming smile toward him. Chino and his pudgier homeboy realized mysterious smoke was filling up the bathroom and inching closer as their uncomfortableness accompanied it. The smoke reached, the Janitor was pleased by the fact of the students suffering. Mack never saw what was happening and only heard the terrified screams of the two suffering in the thick cloud of smoke. The smoke cleared before Mack leapt away from the bodies he saw. "True power is terrifying, with it comes true respect from those surrounding you. Allow me to teach you." Mack heard the Janitor state in a whispery and inhuman voice as he held up his hands with smoke emitting from his body. Mack was lost for words then got picked up in his father's limo with his mother riding with them for the first time in ages after that school day ended. Mack reached his hands in his pockets but found something he couldn't recall placing in right. It was a card with an address to a martial arts dojo which he does recall passing by earlier in the year. "Father, what's power?" Mack asked his dad who was sitting a seat over. The father placed his fist on his chin as he looked with an unamused expression toward his son. "True power is money with only one enemy, morality acting as your leash, we've been over this already son. Even Taketo, our driver, had a moment to relay this to you at one point." Mack's father answered before he glared. "True power isn't assuring your enemy had no fair chance when opposing you?" Mack asked with a nervous and shaky voice. Mack's father gripped his nose after he sighed. "I don't have time for this question again." Mack's father replied. Mack kept pondering the question during dinner with his parents as his mom looked at him lovingly but he couldn't force himself to look at her, he'd become overwhelmed with disgust. Mack tried to turn his gaze back on his father but he'd be overwhelmed with shame. They had their fair share of moments when they turned their eyes toward him and were overwhelmed with pride. The family's guard rushed in with urgency and their firearms were drawn as one grabbing Mack's father's shoulder as every other guard in the room got on their toes. In Mack's confusion, the situation laid fear in him shortly before his thoughts sunk into the dark. "You can have everything you've been desiring for a while now if you feel your heart with firm loyalty and conviction in your heart for Lord Enotocin, he's offering what you've been coveting, boy. He chose you to lead his new society by spreading chaos in this one, my successor, bow on one knee if you accept?" Mack heard from the Janitor but when he looked up, he was wearing a martial arts gi with a symbol he's never seen before that was black and gray. He couldn't recognize the Janitor's body but recognized the inhuman voice he had from earlier and the dead bodies around them. Mack was taken aback to see him for a few seconds until he realized what he was told and rushed. "I'm Basa, owned by the excellent Lord Enotocin and I grant you the privilege of the role of my successor! We shall force the world" Basa shouted as he conjured a thick and wide cloud of smoke closing in on Mack from behind him without him realizing it.

"I seriously feel like we should—" Anthony was interrupted when the two heard banging on the door where Reynard exited, forcing the duo's attention towards it as it left them confused. The banging continued seven more times before Anthony stepped out of the way, Reynard was sent soaring back in near enough towards him. Anthony ran to check on Reynard's condition while Amin drew his pistol and began shooting near the doorway, Amin's mech saved him from Jasira's construct in the form of a jaguar. Mack and Jasira walked in hearing the gunfire but disregarding their own safety. Amin fired off two bullets into the menacing and shirtless Heir to the council. No reaction and still standing from the Heir made Amin feel fear toward the council for the first time in years. Reynard, though holding where her construct formed into a seven troll kept pounding him and Anthony had rushed to Amin's side when they recovered but Amin wouldn't stop stepping away until he was behind them. Jasira giggled as she placed her smoke emitting hand on Mack's bullet wounds, his abdomen and shoulder. "Leather pants and his walking trumpet jumped me in the lobby of this old ass place." Said Reynard to catch up the others. Reynard answered another call from Derek as the other two were pretending he and his friends weren't present. Reynard knew they were trapped in a corner by the two. "The city's residents are transforming into creatures and many are currently chasing me through the rooftops, anyone got anything?" Derek urgently warned the others. Anthony's and Mack's eyes lit up as he was on speaker phone from earlier. Mack kissed Jasira's forehead before he abruptly ran out on the fight and left her. "Mack is making his way to one-ninety-seven chanrock street, his cult leader's dojo to keep a low profile is there, intercept him until we can join, we're gonna be making our way as soon as possible, man!" Anthony shouted as loud as he could as he dodged a slash but couldn't Jasira's construct's next move which knocked him out. On one side of the abandoned underground hideout stood Jasira and Her Enotoskuran construct both emitting smoke as they clenched their fists and on the opposite end, stood Amin's father's treasure beside Reynard, still feeling the pain afflicted by Mack and Jasira, struggling to keep his composure but managing. Amin threw his two middle fingers aimed towards Jasira's construct, his bonded guardian hopped on the creature utilizing brute strength to toss it around and hold it away from Reynard. "Your boyfriend is being held off, your pet ran off, we're about to figure out if there's a difference between us." Reynard chuckled afterwards as he stood up. "I've got no regrets becoming a Martyr to a worthy man like Lord Enotocin, so does it feel good to make martyrs out of others, hm?" Jasira taunted as she squinted then pulled out a sharp dagger from behind her. Jasira enjoyed Reynard's riled expression after reminding him and seeing it haunt him visibly. Jasira thrusted her dagger, aiming for his head, though his reflexes were quicker than she anticipated and missed. She slashed at him with more bloodthirst and aggression before he saw an opening and grabbed it by the blade before he used his advantage of strength to pull her closer for a headbutt. As she picked herself up, barely able to stand, a cloud of smoke descended over her head. "I'm not your daddy, little boy, my lord, especially as he's here with us." Jasira smiled and laughed in glee. Reynard looked around, he saw Amin's mechanical guard and Jasira's strange construct clashing. Old, dusty equipment and devices, Anthony and Amin had fled but no sign of anything else. "You're with me and after everything you and those deviants have done, I'm the last hero you should want to be in the company of—!" Reynard replied as he inched his way closer towards her enjoying her riled expression by his worryfree attitude. "Only dumbasses show no fear while a member of Enotocin's council is standing in front of you." Jasira shouted as the former officer noticed her tone and temper, Reynard felt his own satisfaction knowing he's beginning to get under her skin. "You're about to experience the most discomfort finding out how that describes me, devil lady." Reynard replied as he continued approaching her before he was forced to dodge a knife she had thrown his way and caught it mid-air.