Chapter 7

Eze continues to swing above the late-night traffic, currently invisible. It seemed those 2 superhero movies he watched were coming in clutch. The trip to GRA which would have taken 2 hours before, took a mere 10 minutes. And that was only because he was going slow. Ikeja GRA, known for its serene and quiet environment, was somewhat residential elegance. Bungalows, detached houses, duplexes, and serviced apartments lined the streets, with major commercial activities concentrated along the streets. The area's high-security presence was due to the government officials living around here. Oddly enough, there had still been gang sightings regardless.

"Anansi, I'm getting really tired right now."

"Of course you are. You have been invisible for quite a while now. " the Spider replied. He proceeded to turn off his invisibility. Instantly, he felt relieved. "You're rather fit for a human being Eze. It is almost abnormal. Then again, you have been jumping on buildings for quite a while. We have a good base at least. "

"That's awfully nice of you Anansi. "

"If you want to consider that a compliment, go ahead. Your body is still very feeble. Too feeble for these superpowers."

"I'm glad you gave me time to prepare for this." Eze snapped.

"Are you not the one who wanted to save the boy?" the spider reminded him.

"Anansi, you talked about more Superpowers?"

"I did, did I not? I suppose I can say this much. I could have given you everything at once, but I am not strong enough anymore. As if Your body could handle all the powers at once either way. It's safer to unlock them gradually. Which is why after this, we will go searching."

Eze frowned. It seemed the Spider was still being cryptic. "You and your nonsense. How do these power things even work? How are you even given them to me?"

"I do not have to answer everything."

Eze's mood worsened further. Anansi immediately noticed.

"Oh, do not be such an angry boy. The exposition can wait. You should be focusing on the task ahead."

Eze took a deep breath, trying to push aside his irritation. The cityscape of Ikeja GRA loomed closer, its lights twinkling in the distance. He couldn't afford distractions now—Obinna's life might depend on it.

"Stop here." the spider ordered. 

The two scanned the street below them until they saw two boys resting by the gate. One had a baseball bat with him.

"Do you see them down there? The area boys from before!"

Eze squinted, recognizing the figures. "Yeah, I see them," he muttered. He didn't seem excited to talk to them.

"Approach them quietly. We need to find out what they know," Anansi instructed. "This will be a good start."

Eze nodded and took a deep breath, before shooting a thread to the edge of the building and descended swiftly, landing silently on the ground a short distance away from the area boys.

Keeping to the shadows, he moved closer until he was within earshot. The boys were engaged in a low conversation, seemingly oblivious to his presence.

"You go hear am for that guy wey dey craze for that side," one of them said, chuckling.

"Which one? The one wey talk say him see spirit?" the other replied, shaking his head. "Na wa for this place."

He clenched his fists, still trying to steady his heart. Then, he stepped out of the shadows, becoming visible to them. The sudden appearance made the boys jump, their eyes widening.

"Who be you?" the one with the bat demanded, raising his weapon offensively.

Eze took a step forward, attempting to project confidence. "I need information. Where's Obinna?"

The boys exchanged wary glances before the one with the bat stepped forward, gripping it tightly. "We don't have anything to tell you, Oga," he said, his tone defiant.

That was enough to shatter that persona. "Anansi, what do I do!?!?" he thought desperately.

The boy with the bat narrowed his eyes, his muscles tensing. "You don't know who you dey mess with," he growled, lifting the bat in a threatening manner.

Eze braced himself, his mind racing. "Anansi, any advice?" he thought desperately.

"Where did your confidence disappear too? Try that." the spider replied.

He puffed up his chest again as a result.

"You MUST be lying to me. Give it up."

"Bobo, u dey find a fight?"

"We don't have anything to tell you, Oga," the first area boy said, gripping his bat.

FIGHT!

Eze then realized something crucial. 

"Hang on, I don't know how to Fig-"

Instinctively, he jerks his entire body to the side as the first area boy swung his bat with all his might. Eze felt the wind pressure of the supposed impact of the blow.

This was no ordinary human. 

He ducks another one and jumps over a third attack, before running up to him and backflipping off his head. But before he can land, the second area boy's punch connects with his skull, sending shivers down his spine. There was no way he could have dodged the sneak attack. Eze's vision blurred and sounds faded. Stumbling back, he collided with the into Area Boy 1, who spun around in a tornado-like style, bashing him into a nearby tree.

"Wow. You landed far Eze!" the spider said.

Eze sits for a bit, taking in deep breaths. Against all odds, nothing seemed to be broken. Yet. But someway, somehow, the 2nd area boy started to approach him, wielding a knife.

"Is this how you treat a child?" Eze asked.

"I know what you are... EVIL spirit!"

He stabs but narrowly misses him. Eze could barely bring himself to react, and would have been a goner had he not missed. He branches on this, and slides in between his legs, but simply bumps into the first area boy again.

Now, Eze was surrounded again as he fell flat on his bottom. There was a brief silence as the area boys seemed to be contemplating what to do next. 

Until he turns invisible.

"OH GOD OF CREATION, WE NO SABI THIS ONE OH"

"I TOLD YOU THAT THING WAS AN EVIL SPIRIT!"

"These insane people are calling me a Spirit?!" Eze thought to himself.

"You are very bad at this," Anansi replied. "It does not even matter that they are clearly physically enhanced. You still are really bad at this."

The first area boy began to swing his bat wildly, cracking the air with each spin. The sound barrier itself was cracked by unnatural strength.

"HUH?"

Eze found no way to counter this, as the boy approached him faster than he could react. When finally, he witnesses the baseball bat inches from his face. 

"Ok. Fine."

Time seemed to slow down as the bat arced towards him. Suddenly, every detail around him was crystal clear. The thudding heartbeat in his chest, the cold sweat on his forehead —it all became painfully vivid. The bat itself, once a blurry threat, transformed into a monstrous object, the gleam of wood catching the light like a malevolent eye. 

A primal question, stripped of all eloquence, clawed its way to the forefront of his mind: "What is this?" he thought.

"Here's the power you needed. Enhanced perception. This is all I can give for now."

He didn't even bother talking back.

"NOW DODGE EZE!"

Eze was in shock, unable to move. His heart pounded, and his breath was sharp. The paralysis of mortal nature held him. 

It was all too much for him.

In an instant, the bat collided with his skull, delivering a force so intense that even the strength of a Danfo bus ten times over, paled in comparison. Eze was sent careening across the unforgiving concrete, his body scraped and battered as he tumbled through the air. He crashed into a needlebush, the sharp bristles adding to his agony, before landing amidst a tangle of discarded barbed wire.

The electric current surged through him, adding to the searing pain that now consumed his every fibre. With a grimace of agony, he deactivated his invisibility. Now, his battered form was revealed to the world. His breath came in ragged gasps, and he felt on the verge of tears.

Clutching at his wounds, Eze whimpered in anguish, his body trembling with the effort to endure. Yet, the area boys weren't done yet. They closed in on him, their laughter ringing out cruelly in the night.

"No evil spirit can beat me!" the first bragged.

He tossed his bat to the second, who immediately began to trash Eze again. He continued to beat him senseless for an extended period of time. And yet, Eze couldn't move. He couldn't react. He couldn't dodge. He was too paralyzed in pain to even consider that.

Before he can hit him with one last smash, he hesitates.

A brief flash of a Spider had taken over his mind.

He staggers back, holding his bat to his chest. "What WAS THAT?"

"Brief tutorial, Eze. Shoot your thread at the bat," Anansi instructed.

Indeed he does. It wraps around the bat at high speeds. "Eh?" the area boy reacts.

"PULL!"

The threads turned a deep, dark blue, glowing with an eerie intensity. As Eze pulled, the threads sliced through the bat like a hot knife through butter, the wood splintering and falling apart. The area boy could only watch in disbelief as his weapon disintegrated before his eyes.

The area boy glanced at his counterpart, and they shared a brief, silent nod before taking off into the night.

"Letting them escape will result in the failure of our mission. Pick yourself up, Eze," the spider demanded.

"Everything hurts, Anansi," he groaned.

"And trust me, it will only get worse," Anansi replied, reassuringly. "But there is an easy solution to this. Figure it out."

Weakly, Eze sat up and pointed his arm forward. A thread shot out of his wrist, hurtling through the air. It wrapped around the legs of the fleeing boys, tightening swiftly. They were caught.

He staggered as he stood to his feet. He had a cold, tired, beaten-up look on his face as he slowly walked towards them, his arms swaying like a zombie. His two opponents couldn't do anything at all, at risk of being rendered legless.

"What do you know about the kidnappings?"

Panic clawed at them. Stuck to the ground, they were like insignificant bugs trapped in a spider's web. Moving wasn't even an option, not after what happened to the bat. I mean, who wants to be turned into Swiss cheese?

"Ajepaco, abeg now. Make I talk. But Wahala dey. I no know which kidnapping you dey yan about. Because you sabi say, plenty dey here."

"I'm talking about the one near...near..." Eze stopped as thought, as he himself had forgotten. 

"Ilupeju Eze" the Spider assisted.

"The one near Illupeju."

The area boys both looked at each other. They both decided that their legs were worth it.

"Nemu talk about Grace International."

"The school wey no get money?" Eze ask.

"Abi?" the area boy try confirm.

"Yea, I sabi wetin you dey talk." the other answered.

Without looking back, he began to walk away, his invisibility cloaking him the further he stepped away. 

"Wait now, at least free us!" one of the remaining guys yelled after him, but it was a lost cause.