Chapter 26.2

Alina, Michelle, Emily, and Asami exited the bullet while chatting and joking. The three arrived at an open station and used their ID, swiping it past a counter which beeped in confirmation. A floating board slowly arrived in front of them and each of them stood on one. A gravitational spell kept them balanced as they flew onto the maglev tracks.

"Hey, wanna race?" Asami asked Michelle provocatively.

"Vos funérailles," Michelle answered as began to speed up.

"Count me in!" Alina grinned as she flew from between the two at incredible speed while using her powers to hack into the board; using her electrical prowess, she bypassed the safety measures installed in the board and sent the board into overdrive.

Emily smiled and shook her head as she watched them race ahead. As she flew at a much slower speed, Emily closed her eyes and meditated on her ability. She moved the green energy, that was now the size of a large fist, around her body before forcing it up to her hand. Opening her eyes, she could see her hand wrapped in a warm green light.

"What should I do now?" Emily muttered to herself as she wiped the sweat that accumulated in her forehead. Like Jason had instructed her, she could easily move the energy around her body but she didn't know what to do to improve her powers.

Maybe I'll ask Jason? Emily shook her head once this thought crossed her mind. No, last night he … Besides, he might find out my real level and ask how it increased so quickly. But then again, that would be the case no matter who I asked.

As she trailed behind the others, following the path to Second Academy, a wave of nausea interrupted her musings and Emily frowned. She had been feeling sick since this morning. Ignoring her uneasiness, Emily pushed the SLIDE faster in order to catch up to her friends.

***

"Dad, look at that-"

"I'll buy it."

"Ooh, that's so-"

"I'll take it."

"Doesn't this-"

"Pack it up for me."

Jason took Alice to the Atlantis Mall after playing with her in the park. What was supposed to be an hour of normal shopping, turned into a buying spree as Jason bought whatever Alice pointed out without a shred of hesitation. Alice, seeing his commitment to buying her whatever she wished for, couldn't help but feel giddy and content with happiness.

She originally was scared that Jason wouldn't accept her, that he'd treat her badly, that maybe he was as villainous as she heard he was. But no matter what she liked, from clothes to even pianos, Jason nodded at whatever she pointed out at and instructed the shop to pack it up, and it was all for her. The duo garnered several passersby as Jason spent thousands over Alice like it was water.

"Hmm," Alice looked behind them and at the stores that they had visited. Each of them had dozens of packages outside, the spoils of her war. "Isn't that a lot? How will we take it all?"

"Oh, they'll be delivering them to a house," Jason replied without concern.

"Another safehouse?" Alice asked.

"Another safehouse," repeated a smiling Jason in confirmation.

"How many do you have?"

"Oh, you know. Between the villas, houses, apartments, warehouses, and a mansion I think? … Dunno. Never counted."

Alice rolled her eyes and Jason looked at her while smiling sheepishly. Right now, Alice was dressed in a knee-length blue dress with a cashmere cardigan sweater from a renowned clothing brand. The outfit was itself was over a thousand. A sky blue headband completed the look.

Jason, on the other hand, was dressed in a casual but formal outfit. He had a blue-tinged white shirt and dark blue dress pants along with a pair of black casual dress shoes that had hidden grips like sneakers. The shirt had two buttons undone, giving his refined collarbone a peek while accentuating his muscular body. His messy hair reinforced his casual 'I-don't-give-a-shit-cause-I-know-I'm-hot' look, drawing several eyes from both sexes to him.

Alice humphed and grabbed his hand, holding it with both of hers while glaring at anyone who looked at Jason with infatuation, inducing awws and oohs at her possessiveness.

"Let's get going," Jason said as he checked the time. "Don't you wanna see me teach a class?"

"Nope. I bet you just beat up your class," Alice answered and Jason looked away avoiding her eyes while whistling.

"Ha! I was right!" Alice smirked before sniggering.

"No, absolutely not, nuh-uh, nope, couldn't be farther from the truth" Jason lied as he hurried Alice to the exit. "Let's go, my bike is on the way."

***

Raphael reloaded his rifle and fired again. His target was a rampaging Esper, a hulking man with incredible strength and skin that was thick enough to bounce bullets. It didn't help that he also reinforced his abilities with his spellcasting to such an extent that even armor piercing rounds were ineffective.

Right now, Raphael was firing at the Espers eyes, distracting him while Junco had enough time to assemble her sniper rifle and circle around the latter, flanking the Esper. The Esper roared, grabbed a car, and threw it at Raphael, forcing him to roll and dodge the car that smashed into the AEM perimeter behind him. A few SecBots from the perimeter were crushed by the car, but luckily no one else was injured.

"Junco! Anytime now!" Raphael shouted into his comms.

Junco was kneeling behind a holo-paper stand, using it to balance her sniper rifle. She adjusted the scope as she slowed her breathing, allowing her to aim more accurately. Her finger hovered a millimeter away from the trigger as she aimed at the back of the Esper's head. A split second later, she pulled the trigger.

The bullet hit the Esper accurately on the head, jarring his brain and the hulking brute fell to his knees. Unfortunately, he rose up after a moment and Junco grimaced. She was hoping the kinetic force of the bullet would shock his brain and knock him out but she had underestimated how strong the Esper was. She activated her hover boots and dodged the Esper as he angrily charged at her with a lunge.

"Merde!" Raphael cursed before opening his comm. "Command, requesting use of an AKEERA, asap!"

"Roger that Angel. You are clear to deploy an AKEERA," a female voice said after a moment.

"Copy that," Raphael answered and turned to Junco. "Keep him busy for a moment!"

Junco didn't reply and kept moving, sliding sideways and dashing backwards all the while dodging the Esper. At every chance, she would fire her sniper rifle, sending the Esper reeling back from the force of each shot and slowing him down.

Raphael hurried to a nearby AEM truck and entered an AKEERA. The twelve feet mech was curled in a crouching position, and Raphael crawled into the chest of the AKEERA. He flipped the switches, activating the machine. A quick diagnostic was run, checking the systems as Raphael stood in the machine. His hands reached the mechs biceps and his legs were standing in the legs of the mech, reaching its knees.

Once the system lights turned green, Raphael radioed the driver to release the AKEERA from the trunk of the vehicle. Raphael stood up once the AKEERA was on the street and the mech followed suit.

"Junco, disengage and disperse!" Raphael yelled out, his voice was slightly distorted from the speakers in the AKEERA.

Junco stopped hovering and used her exosuit's legs to leap away from the Esper who turned to look at the AKEERA that was charging at him. Raphael slammed into the Esper and kicked out as though he were a soccer player. The shove unbalanced the Esper who was then sent flying away from the kick; he flew like a cannonball. A storm of dust and debris covered the area he landed in and Raphael engaged the AKEERA's ARP.

"You. Stay. Down!" The propellers allowed the AKEERA to jump and land right next to the dazed Esper and Raphael pummeled the latter with his mech's fist. [1]

"All right, he's subdued," Raphael said and signaled at the AEM officers to step forward and arrest the Esper.

The AKEERA kneeled down and its power hummed to a still and Raphael jumped down the hatch. Junco arrived and nodded at him while he turned to the officer that was in charge.