Cruel, Enduring Or Just Plain Broken

I'm sorry for the sporadic posting. However, I do work massive hours and am a slow typer.

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Planet: Tarsonis

Year:2524

Place: Confederate ??? Academy

0640- Morning workout - youth gym - a next day

40 guards circled the gym while 120 kids continued their early morning workout. Caesar stood in front of two strapped to a pull bar. While the room's 1.09 gravity weighed him down, to his right was Rishul, strapped to a similarly heightened bar. Clark stood to Caesar's left, strapped to a smaller bar.

Surrounding them were children doing forward lunges, with 5-pound dumbbells. A few of the children stopped to cheer on Clark as he struggled with his fifth pullup. But stopped when they noticed Rishul's hawk-like eyes upon them.

'Urgh!' Roared Clark watching the scene play out before him. 'RISHUL! SAMIR! KAI! LOKEE! VICTORIA...CAESAR! URGH I'M SO SICK OF THOSE CONFEDERATE-LOVING DOGS!' Yelled Clark. His thoughts spilled outwards.

Empowering the nearby group. They nodded, cheering him forward. Lisa, the guards, the scientists, and the recruits came to a stop. They turned, watching his psionic energy swirled around his hands and feet.

Clark's eyes fell on Rishul who continued onward, sneering at him and the group. Their eyes rose to Caesar. Who held his pullup and began to raise his legs. '6...' Caesar's legs and arms slowly came down. His arm's pulled his body up and his legs rose. '7...'

Clark's face soured as memories of his father's recent death replayed in his head. 'Confederate dog.' Thought Clark, going up for his 6th pullup. His psionic energy intensified as his arms began to wobble, the guards and kids stepped back.

The scientist leaned against the observation desk's windows. Staring intently as Clark's psionic energy turned for them and the guards. Taking on a faint blue color while Caesar, Rishul, and a handful of kids continued as if Clark's tantrum didn't exist.

"Why?" asked Clark. Staring into Caesar's intensely focus eyes. To his shock, Caesar turned his head down towards him.

Finally, acknowledging his existence.

Lisa had the room's monitors zoom in on Caesar's face for all to see.

"What? Who?" Responded Caesar, tilting his head...visibly confused.

His words shocked Clark, Rishul, and everybody else within the room. For most of them, it was the first time he spoke, and for the rest. They were just surprised he did. Yet, what surprised even the staff themselves was how fast he had forgotten about the boy and his father.

"Why'd you kill my father?" Asked Clark. His heartbeat picked up, his pupils dilated. The bar cracked under the pressure of his psionic energy. As he watched Caesar continue his workout...now, they all did.

"Oh yeah..." Said Caesar, glancing towards the nearest digital clock. He let go of the bar, allowing the straps to stop his rapid descent before pulling his hands out then dropping to the floor.

"Hh-he's serious!" muttered one of the kids, shocked by Caesar's words. His eyes fell on Clark, whose breathing turned erratic while the bar groaned before breaking under his weight.

Clark landed dead on his feet, parts of the bar fell around him. The straps off him. He walked towards Caesar, who asked. "...Why didn't you?" His face looked to be one of confusion and curiosity. Which caused Lisa to lean against the window. Shocked by what she heard.

"He's serious...is he serious?" Muttered Lisa, tapping a button on the monitoring desk. "Um yeah, uh...Let them fight." Her words rang across the guard's helmet, providing a sense of relief.

"Why...didn't I!? Why didn't I!?" Repeated Clark, over and over. bending his knees and raising both hands into fists.

"WHY DIDN'T I!!!?" Yelled Clark. The psionic tornado around his legs glowed a vibrant blue. He took a step forward and the energy burst out, launching him towards Caesar.

Clark's eyes widened, shocked by the development. He pointed his faint blue fist towards Caesar's chest, and as his fist began to glow. Caesar shifted to Clark's right raising his right fist.

"What the?" Said Rishul. Watching Caesar's fist disappear into the center of Clark's tiny tornado fist. His eyes widened as a faint, small green pulse began to spiral within the center of Caesar's palm. His mouth fell open, watching Clark's hurricane began to dissipate.

"Martha was right! He's such a brilliant child! To think he'd figure out, it's counter that fast!" Said Lisa. Brimming ear to ear alongside the confused scientist. "Could you explain what happened? We couldn't see what he did."

"I sensed the psionic energy around his hand, spike. I'm sure he spun it counterclockwise to defuse recruit Clark's...tornado fist. Well, at least I think he did...It's quite hard for me to sense such low-level energy from here. Anyway, if you want an in-depth look at Clark's ability, go bother Suki. Morning workouts are almost---."

Lisa stopped, her train of thought cut short by the tight hurricane that left Clark's left hand. It flew past Caesar continuing onwards towards the upper chest of a guard.

"URgh!" The guard screamed in pain. His body sent flipping across the indoor track. The display monitor zoomed-in upon his chest, displaying a deep hurricane pattern that ran through his cheap body armor and scared his chest.

*Ring, Ring, Ring.* The bell rang, prompting Caesar to drop Clark then stroll away.

'How?' Thought Clark.

-----change room showers, before breakfast----

Some time had passed. And Caesar now sat, leaned against a dull smoky-grey reinforced glass, surrounding him were Kai, Samir, Rishul, and the rest of the boys. Opposite of the glass was Victoria, along with the girls.

The boys let the water run down their bodies while their eyes stayed trained upon a seated Caesar. The girls continued washing as if nothing was happening.

'What is wrong with you!?' Yelled a long-haired brown-skinned boy.

'Relax Simon. We don't need your thoughts leaking out when people are outside.' Said Lokee.

'Why did you ask Clark that? Don't you think that's a bit much?' Asked Kai, his scrunching eyebrows.

'That doesn't matter dude. The real question is how'd you counter Clark's new ability?' Said Samir. His question earned the nods of a few others.

'Not relevant. At its most fundamental, Clark's ability is just a clockwise tornado. So in theory, anything with enough velocity spinning counterclockwise will disable it. And although stupid, Kai's question does matter...to some. My question however is--.'

Victoria's thoughts were cut short by the blond-haired, blue-eyed Kelly Holt. The latest addition to their steadily growing groups.

'Oh, why's his question stupid smartass?'

'You know. Growing up, my mom bought me a scaled cat. But the moment I touched him, he bit me. And daddy was nearby. He frowned then yelled, "have the rodent put out of his misery." After that, I never saw him.' Though Ingrid, her words silenced the group.

#An: Think about her words and Caesar's plan for Clark. Everything surrounding him involves that.#

-----Elsewhere, different change room----

'Rrawrr! I HATE! HATE HIM! I HATE HIM!' Yelled Clark, tears streamed down his face. His anger filled the room and spilled out into the hallway for all to sense.

Surrounding him were 50 tearfully worried kids. A few of them hugged him hoping he'd cheer up, most just stood there worried but unsure about what to do.

"You can't let those monsters break you." Whispered one boy, earning the nods of the others.

"Not just him. All of us, we can't let them break us. Especially Caesar. He's just a grade 5 like some of us." Whispered, one girl.

"That's not right, can't be. Being around him is suffocating, it's..."

"...Sometimes it's like being around Rishul, or Sarah." Said a girl, finishing the other girl's thoughts.

"I heard Preceptor Raif say he was a crippled 10." Said a boy, his words attracted the other's attention.

"That doesn't matter."

Clark finally spoke. His voice was soft and clearly pained. "What?" asked one of the kids further in the back.

"It doesn't matter. All that matters is that we beat those kiss ass gutter rats along with any preceptor along the way." Repeated Clark. His eyes, no longer teary, his voice now passionate.

His rage turned to conviction, spilling into the heads of the others.

"Yeah, you're right!" They whispered, cheering him in silence.

"That's all cool and nice in all. But if you lash out every time your father's involved we won't get far." Said, one girl. Earning the ire of the others. She possessed long black zoomed-in hair and was mixed between Indian and Native American.

"Yasha's right Clark. If you continue like this they'll kill you...or worse. " Said a short white, light-brown-haired child. His name was Bryce, and he and Clark were inseparable.

"Yeah, you're right...Hey guys." Clark said, finally cracking a smile.

"Yeah?" whispered the group back at him.

"Let's all do it. Let's beat 'em all!" 'Let's leave this place!!' Clark's smile widened, brightening the room.

'Leave...this..place?' Thought most of the group, barely hearing his thoughts.

'Yeah! FREEDOM!' Yelled Clark. His emotions permeated the room, spurring the group on. They echoed his thoughts, which began to spread like a wave...or virus.

#An: most of Clark's group is filled with psi grade individuals who can barely perceive telepathic thoughts. #