Chapter 6: CLASH OF POWERS

Everyone except Ryan dashes like crazy as soon as the time runs out. After two seconds, he creates a glass cube, which encloses all the other players. John Paul, Shaira and Jeric bump against the glass and fall off their feet.

"The hell was that?" Jeric asks while palming his forehead and trying to stand. Shaira and John Paul waste no time to get up.

"Who did this?" Cristina asks.

"Obviously," Kriz says as she points at Ryan rushing toward the doors. "We can't do anything unless-"

"Unless what?" Jeric asks. "He's not going anywhere!" Suddenly, a sack of cement falls onto Ryan's head, knocking him off. Immediately, the glass cube shatters, freeing everyone inside.

"And don't try to outrun me," Jeric mumbles as he creates fake ropes tying everybody else's feet. Kriz and Mabel notice their ropes a little too late. They begin to run, but trip and hit the floor straight away. Kriz presses her hands against the floor to protect her head, but the shattered glass all over the floor worsens the impact. She screams as she tries to remove the shards of pointed glass out of her skin. A broken glass pierces through Mabel's right arm, leaving her screaming in pain, but nobody seems to care. Everybody else is busy untying themselves.

"I'm sorry guys, but hands off," Jeric says as he creates fake ropes tying everybody else's hands.

"What's going on? Hey! Untie me!" Vincent shouts.

"This is not fair!" Joshua shouts.

"You're funny! Life is unfair. Be thankful I didn't create a cobra. See you!" Jeric smirks.

"You think this thing can stop me?" Cristina asks while glowering at Jeric. "You think this will work on me, HUH?!"

"Oh, I forgot. I'm so sorry my Queen! Let me help you." Jeric punches Cristina's ropes, turning them into smoke.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Cristina yells.

"You're welcome. Let's go!"

"Do that again and I'll-"

"Later, okay? Admire me later," Jeric whispers. "Let's go before they escape. Come on!"

The two run without looking back.

"You wanna play with ropes, huh?" John Paul says. "Now take this.... Wait... what? Why is my power not working? What is happening? I don't understand!"

"Bite the ropes! They're not real!" Jennifer says. "Shame on you. I thought we're a team. You should enhance your memory, Jeric. You forgot what I can do." Jennifer shoots Jeric and Cristina with her balls of light, hitting them both in the head and leaving them motionless like statues. Meanwhile, Joshua, Vincent, Moises and John Paul manage to escape after biting and snapping their ropes. Then, Vincent helps the others.

"Are you okay?" Joshua asks Mabel while helping her get up. "Why did you remove the glass? Your arm is bleeding a lot!" Joshua takes off his shirt and wraps it around Mabel's wound.

"I'm sorry, I cannot heal you right now. But hang on," Kriz says.

"Okay, you will let me go in there behind that blue door. Or else you'll be acting like statues," Jennifer says as she walks slowly while facing the rest of the group. "No dirty tricks. I won't freeze you, so that some of you can follow. Any of you but NOT THESE TWO TRAITORS here." Jennifer manages to approach the blue door and touch the doorknob. "Cristina and Jeric will move soon enough so you'd better hurry."

"You're forgetting something," Moises says. "I'm sorry." At once, Moises' and Jennifer's positions switch.

"YOU SNAKE!!!" Jennifer yells.

"You know, I appreciate your help, but I hate you this time. Maybe it's time to use my power," Shaira says. Moises' yellow shirt suddenly rips off his body and wraps around his hands. "Keep in mind that I can manipulate clothes, and I'll take off your shorts if I have to."

"Hey, stop!" Moises tries to open the door with his wrists but Jennifer shoots him. Shaira, Joshua and John Paul starts running toward the door, but Jennifer shoots them all. Then, Jennifer aims her open palm on Kriz and Mabel.

"Please, don't! I need more time. Mabel is hurt. I can heal her," Kriz pleads.

"Should I care?" Jennifer asks.

"Yes you should," says Vincent as he gives Jennifer a very tight back hug, making sure that her arms are down. "You forget that I'm still here."

"What are you doing, you pervert!? Hey! Get away!"

"Kriz, go ahead with Mabel. Make sure to heal her. Now!"

Kriz doesn't waste a second and starts walking with Mabel.

"Faster!"

"Get off! Let me go!" Jennifer yells. "This is harassment!"

"Five hundred kilograms! Okay, you may now go. Run!"

Jennifer suddenly falls onto the floor.

"W-what did you do? I-I can't move."

"One kilogram! Okay, let's go." Vincent lifts Jennifer in his arms and starts walking toward the doors. "I'm sorry. My shoes are heavy. I can't run."

"Put me down! Or I will-"

"Freeze me? You can't do that. I know you want your mass back."

"You sly fox! Hey, mind your hands! Where do you think you're touching me?!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's your fault. You move too much."

"I won't forget this!"

"I believe you won't."

"What do you want?"

"Simple.... Okay. Now that we're here at the door, I want you to undo your power. I promise that I will let you enter this door and join Kriz and Mabel. But I won't go with you. I can't leave my best friend... and Shaira. "

"You're nuts! I don't have to undo it. My power lasts for three minutes only. Now turn me back to normal and carry your friend and your... girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend."

"Like I care! Listen, you're running out of time. Cristina and Jeric will soon be able move. They're dangerous!"

"Okay. What's your normal mass again?"

"I don't know. Can't you just turn things back to normal?"

"Is your mass ten kilograms? Twenty?"

"Do you even have a brain?!"

"Forty-five kilograms! Now help me drag Shaira while I carry Joshua."

"What?"

"I bet you can't lift her, so just drag her. But be careful. Just do it!"

"You're weirder than I thought."

The two quickly bring Joshua and Shaira to the yellow door. Vincent opens the door and faces Jennifer. "Thanks! And goodbye. Take care of Mabel and Kriz for me." Vincent pushes Joshua and Shaira into the room behind the yellow door, steps in and closes the door.

"It's time to go.... Wait.... In no way can I let Cristina or Jeric join the group," Jennifer thinks. "Hmmm.... You, handsome guy. Thank God, you're really good-looking. You look kind, so I pick you instead of Moises." Jennifer shoots John Paul with a ball of yellow light to undo the effect of her power on him. She then enters the room and leaves the blue door open.

At once, John Paul dashes toward the blue door, enters the room behind it and closes the door with a victorious smile.

Cristina and Jeric can move at last, and they rush toward the blue door. Jeric pushes Moises aside, and Moises falls on the floor like a mannequin. "You're blocking the way! And why are you half-naked, by the way?"

"It's locked," Cristina says.

"I know," Jeric says. "We're too late."

"That Jennifer did this. I can't forgive her!"

"We don't have a choice now. Let's go."

"I CAN'T FORGIVE HER!!!"

"Whoa! Okay. I understand. I can hear you clearly. You can't forgive her. Loud and clear. Loud and loud. Now let's go. Or... maybe you want me to toss you behind that red door?"

"Hey!"

Cristina and Jeric suddenly find themselves inside a glass cube. They then notice Ryan, walking slowly toward them. His right hand is covering the bleeding wound on his head.

"I will... enter that... room first," Ryan mumbles.

"What did he say?" Cristina asks.

"You can't hear him because your own mouth is too loud. Now move aside and cover your ears," Jeric says. He creates a shot gun and shoots the glass into pieces. "I think I want to play a game."

"Are you serious? You'll shoot him?" Cristina asks.

"How can I play with him if he's dead? Here. Put this pacifier in your mouth."

Cristina grabs the pacifier and grips it hard until it turns into smoke. "I'm going in. I don't care if you want to stay here."

Jeric creates a glass cube which encloses Ryan. "Cristina, wait. I want you to see his confused face. Look, he's really confused! Maybe his ears are still ringing."

"I don't care. Let's go!" Cristina says.

"Just... wait a second." Jeric creates a large tiger inside the cube. "Wow! Man versus Wild".

"Hey, stop it! Are you going to kill him?"

"It depends on him. I think he can handle it."

"You're scaring me."

The tiger growls angrily upon noticing Ryan. Then, it leaps right away toward its target. Fortunately, Ryan quickly defends himself with a glass cube.

"Hey, Cristina! What if I create snakes in there?" Jeric asks. "What do you think he'll do? He turns toward her but sees nobody there. "Cristina? Cristina? Where-? Alright. Game Over. I gotta go." Before entering the room behind the yellow door, Jeric covers the glass cube with thick grapevines. "Have a nice day! Those grapes are sweet!"

________________

"Congratulations on entering the room behind the blue door!" Victor says. "How was it? Easy?"

"Do we really have to do all these?" Kriz asks.

"W-what do you mean?"

"Just let us go home. I'm begging you," Mabel pleads.

"Didn't I tell you that I can't do that? By the way, John Paul, in case you're still wondering about your power, remember that the room is indestructible. What do you think will happen to your ropes from deep underground if they meet an indestructible floor? Unfortunately, the room you are in now is also indestructible."

"But that's not fair," John Paul argues.

"In that case, I'll borrow Jeric's words from a while ago. You're funny! Life is unfair."

"So what now? What's next?" Jennifer asks.

"At last! A question that makes sense. As you can see, you are in a white square room. Spacious, yes, but smaller than the previous one. And a door with an EXIT sign is in front of you. Unfortunately, a white mannequin is blocking the way. All you have to do is defeat that mannequin. As simple as that! After that, the door will open and you can access the long, safe tunnel behind it."

"Are you serious? We'll defeat that... mannequin?" John Paul asks.

"Yes. But don't underestimate your opponent. Actually, you're completely safe IN THE TUNNEL, not IN THE ROOM YOU'RE IN. So don't slack off."

"I don't get it," Jennifer says.

"Oh, you will. Just wait a second."

Then, the mannequin slowly turns into a barefooted, tall, muscular man wearing white shirt and black pants. He has blue eyes, fair skin and a pointed nose.

"Whoa! What's happening?" asks John Paul.

"That man... is Jeromme. Double 'm'. Jeromme. He was a player in the 16th Game of Exits. One of the losers. In fact, nobody has ever won this game. It's still the mannequin you saw a while ago. It's just moving now like a real person with superpowers. I hope you defeat him."

"What can he do?" Jennifer asks.

"You'll discover soon enough. And don't feel bad if you kill him. It's not a person after all. Goodbye."

"Wait!"

"What?"

"How much time do we have?"

"Time? You can stay there as long as you want. No pressure. I mean... there is pressure. I think Jeromme is going to attack."

"I can't... do this anymore," Mabel starts to cry.

"Hey, it's not the time for that. We can do this, okay?" Kriz encourages Mabel.

Jeromme aims his palm towards John Paul.

"Guys? I don't like what I'm seeing," John Paul says.

Jennifer alerts herself and prepares for the danger....