Chapter 11 - Incip City

The wind weaved through the golden yellow wheat to both their sides, stretching to the horizon along with the city wall. The road in front of them was covered in decayed plants and mud, footprints and tire tracks painted onto it. Andrew waved at Fise to follow him and went to the right-hand side, stepping on the already made trail of footprints, Fise doing the same. Fise was burning with questions, having never seen a city or even left the orphanage, or should he say the camp? Not even once had he ever went out of the wall... far away. There were plenty of places where the wall was cracked; he and others managed to fit out to play in the spring grass before someone spotted them and they had to do drills. Fise wondered how he hadn't realised it was actually a military training camp, he had enough hints.

But some things bothered him. First of all, England was under strict UN control, according to Andrew, so how did a Company-owned training facility make it here? Maybe the Radiance had some answers for him. And the other thing that bugged him, the 'gateman'. He was different from his other enemies since he tried to recruit him. Now, why would a Company employee/mercenary want to recruit someone from a Company-owned facility? Again, maybe the Radiance had answers for him. 'Wait!' Suddenly a thought struck Fise. 'Who said the 'gateman' was a Company-owned? I just assumed that. I need to go back to see who he was, but I guess its too late now.'

They kept walking through the mud, remaining solemnly silent. Fise took time to look around at the city. He couldn't see anything to his sides but golden grains. However, in front of him, he saw a true dream. Columns of chimneys rising from factories and the background of buildings so high, Fise thought they scraped the sky.

They kept walking.

Fise was looking down at his mud-covered feet and dirty clothing. He really looked like Triple. He thought about the training he and Andrew did in the forest, and he knew he could try harder. He could stop time every 10 seconds, but he only did it once a minute in training, mostly because he was just too tired, but he should have pushed through. But he couldn't use it now since from what Andrew told him: they couldn't use their auras. He learnt normal people cannot see their auras but can see abilities like Andrew's fire, and he wished he could use Time Stop without his aura. His train of thought stopped when he bumped into Andrew's back. Looking up, he saw a burly man in his fifties, arms looking like they could lift barrels as easily as paper and with a belly that said he wasn't going hungry.

"What are ya kids doing? Causing trouble, hmm? Where are your parents?" He looked around quickly.

"Ain't seen ya around before, causing trouble, eh? The police would have something to say about that, won't they?"

His eyes moved in their sockets, probably going on his phone and dialling the police. Andrew spoke.

"Sorry sir, but we are just Triples, we just went out of town to get some stuff."

While Andrew spoke, Fise looked the man over. His belly reached 30 cm out and his arms were as wide as a wall and could probably punch through one too. Considering he looked like that, Fise figured they probably don't own much equipment and do stuff by hand. Andrew glanced over and mentioned to keep walking. They walked past as the man looked after them before he spat next to Fise and moved back into the golden sea of wheat.

"You think he was with the Company?"

"Maybe, but he wasn't a Guarded."

"How do you know?"

"Look at his right shoulder."

Fise turned around and looked at the man's shoulder, seeing a small scratch there, and his eyes widened. Black fire burnt there for another second before it faded. He turned around to look at Andrew.

"How?! I didn't see your aura."

Andrew just kept walking, and Fise thought he saw a small smile appear on his lips.

They walked for 30 minutes straight, passing factories, farmers, vehicles and even a pub but the name of 'The Grape Vine'. Fise was startled when he stepped from mud and gravel onto concrete, lost in thoughts, and looked up to Andrew, who had a map in his hands.

"Down this way, then a left," he said.

They kept walking, the sun beating down on them. Fise felt a little stuffy, or maybe anxious as he saw people look at him and scowl in disgust once seeing his clothing, and maybe how dirty he was, carrying a backpack that was ripped at the seams. They took a left 5 minutes later and went down a road that was empty of people and full of garbage and cracks.

"This leads towards the market if we follow it, it should get better."

They walked on the road for 10 minutes as it slowly bent to the left, when they started to go straight into the middle of the city. Fise started to see people, and more residences, though most were run down and abandoned. A glint caught his eye and he turned. A man ran forwards from an alleyway, knife in hand, clearly eyeing the backpack Andrew had. Fise wanted to go and stop him when he saw another man behind the first one. His mind worked quickly and he got the plan ready, stopping himself out of sight quickly before shouting Andrew's name.

Andrew turned so fast he blurred. He caught the man's right hand, the one holding the knife, and pulled him away from him, before punching him straight in the side of his head so hard he seemed to dive into the wall. Andrew grabbed the blade, that the man let go of, in midair, stabbing the man in the side and twisting, before pulling it out and throwing it away. He hadn't seen the other man yet and was surprised when he was in front of him, exiting the alleyway. Fise prepared to hit him, not seen by the attacker, when he stopped in his tracks, dark grey silver catching his eye.

The man held a gun.

Andrew was going to be shot, the man's finger on the trigger. Fise had to do something, but he couldn't now, he just stopped in surprise. It would take too long to start again, and by that time Andrew would be falling on the ground, lead in him, or other materials if it was a different type of gun. The man pulled on the trigger. It started to slide back. Fise's mind was working in overdrive, but the only solution would end in one of them revealing their auras. Unless...

Andrew used his aura ability without actually activating his aura, maybe Fise could do the same? His heart rate rose as the trigger was pulled far enough. In his eyes burned a fire. The hammer struck, and the gun shot.

'I must save my friend!'

Time stopped.

The leaves in the wind stood still in the sky, the birds along with them, the smell of smoke and food and the smoke itself, along with the wind, the clouds, sky, sun and its rays were all stuck together in a monochrome world of a painting.

A painting only seen by Fise.

Fise felt relief and went to help Andrew, but he couldn't. He was also stuck in the painting. 'I can still look around, but I can't move. Can I blink? I can't. I only have a second, so I need to at least make a plan!' Fise looked the man over. 'When time resumed, I will hit him, making him stagger and drop the gun. This guy looks like he eats iron for breakfast and bends steel as a hobby, so after that, I and Andrew will dash into the alley. If he doesn't get gunned down.' After thinking of the plan, he looked at the gun, covered in a cloud of smoke from the shot. He kept looking and saw the bullet. It didn't hit Andrew. And if the man couldn't hit a shot from this close, then his next shot would miss as well. Fise was prepared.

'Time shall resume, 1 second has passed.' he said, over dramatically.

Time stood frozen.

'What the hell? How? Wait. I remember Andrew explaining to me, aura is inside of us, that is why even when you don't have it activated your bodily fluids would evaporate. Activating your aura makes you cover your outside body with it. And from my tests, only things covered in my aura are allowed to, or can move in stopped time. So since my ability is related to my aura, the more I cover, the less time I have, and the less I cover the more I have!'

'I can definitely take advantage of this!'

'Anyway, if my aura can strengthen my body outside, then shouldn't it do the same inside? Maybe it isn't as strong, but it's worth a try!' Fise concentrated on himself, feeling that fire that always burned. He grasped it and made it go to his left arm. He filled it like a dam, and his body seemed to feel emptier. 'I see why everyone uses their aura on the outside now.' And he waited. He thought of counting how long had passed too late as time resumed. His fist screamed through the air.

The man shot once more before being hit so hard he rolled onto the pavement. Fise didn't waste time. "Andrew, run!" He shouted. Then he dashed down the alley, Andrew following. The man stood up shakily, shouting something about his partner and their backpacks. Fise and Andrew jumped over the rubbish and other stuff inside. Fise saw it took a left turn, out of sight, and adjusted his plan.

Brick from the wall in front of him burst as bullets hit it and he took the turn. Only 10 metres in front of him was another turn to the right. He slipped past an open dumpster as he took that turn and twisted to put his back close to the wall so the man wouldn't see him. He looked down to see a bare aluminium can that showed a more distorted version of him back and kicked it against the other wall so that he could see the whole alley where he came from. Andrew passed by and Fise stared at the can, trying to see what the reflection looked like when someone was close. Then he saw the man's reflection and took a deep breath.

Golden flames burned around him and he dashed out at the perfect time. The man didn't have enough time to think. Fise folded him over like paper, making him drop his gun, his aura spreading the impact. Fise then kicked him into the wall, hearing a loud crack, before the man fell into the open dumpster, splitting his head open on the side before the lid closed.

Fise picked up the gun off of the floor. He walked to look at Andrew.

"Good fight. Nice shortcut we took, come here." Andrew stood next to a fence down the alleyway, behind the fence Fise could see another wall and to the right another passage. It felt good having his aura on. He twirled the gun on his finger, having put in into safety mode. "What do you mean: 'Come here'?"

Fise stepped forward and leaned his arm on Andrew's shoulder, gun gone.

"You really like doing that don't you?"

"If you could do this, you would too."

"Teleporting behind people gives them a scare, and sometimes," he emphasised the 'sometimes', "People lash out in surprise." He demonstrated by turning his aura on and throwing a gust of black fire at the wall. Andrew turned to look at Fise. "Right?"

Fise nodded. "I understand."

'A very different way to say: "You scare me, I burn your aura and turn you to ash on reflex".'

They jumped over the fence and deactivated their auras, resuming their trek to the Radiance.

They walked onto a road that was the exact replica of the one they just left. Andrew crossed across it and went into the alley opposite. Fise followed. The afternoon sun beat down on the city and Fise started sweating from the heat accumulating in between the buildings, and breathing through only his mouth was making it worse, protecting his nose from the smell. Suddenly, he started to hear voices and shouts. They reached the end of the alleyway and Andrew popped his head out, looking around. He turned back and looked at Fise.

"Looks like we got to the market. We are close, 5 minutes. Now..."

He opened his bag and showed Fise their only water bottle left. It was filled up to a fifth.

"Listen, they probably know my face, now that I think about it. Drink this and take this:" Andrew took out 2 banknotes, £10 in total and handed Fise both.

"After go buy some water, ask for 10 bottles, they'll probably bargain to lower it so as long as it's over 4, 2 bottles each, you should accept. Extras are still good."

Fise left the alley, putting the banknotes in his pocket. The market was crowded. Old people haggled loudly and young children ran through, some burly men were carrying hey bales and a few women went around in a group, buying fruits and then trading together. Fise waited for the crowd to thin a bit, waiting for the women to leave, for the men to carry the what past him. He walked into it and kept his hands in his pockets, curled tightly around the money.

A boy saw him and smiled. A new face in town, a triple at that based on his clothes, and clearly having something in his right shorts' pocket. The boy moved out and swam through the crowd backwards, waiting for the moment. He didn't have to wait long as the sun shone into Fise's eye and he rose his right hand to block it. The boy moved. Swiftly he was next to Fise, a practised motion of his hand, and he was past, richer than before. He sneaked a peek at his prize as he got it, a £10 note, enough for a few days and clenched tightly as he fast-walked away.

Fise only glanced back with a smile on his face. He tightened his hand in his pocket and made sure to stare down so the sun won't blind him again. He saw his destination; a woman covered in so many layers of clothes, her face was a shadow, her high pitched voice, almost screeching, calling out while waving at a truckload of bottles.

He haggled with her, trying not to wince from her voice and managed to somehow banter for 4 bottles, which she did give to him, albeit reluctantly. He handed his note over and left, returning to the alley. Meanwhile, a boy looked at his empty hand puzzled before fear and anxiety set in as he realised: he didn't have the money. Fise and Andrew walked away from the market, lest they get pickpocketed or robbed, and easily climbed on top of a building, it's roof flat and made of concrete. Fise looked out and saw, in the distance, the dark buildings, probably made of expensive material, maybe even marble. Lights were flashing around between them, on top, at the bottom, inside. It was a kaleidoscope of flashes that flared sometimes then died down only to flare again. Fise asked Andrew about them and he only stared at them before shrugging his shoulders and moving on.

They looked down in the alley between this building and the next, saw no one, looked around and saw no one before they ran and jumped over, grabbing the ledge and pulling themselves up before walking over to the next alley, which had a sleeping homeless man tucked around bags as if they were a cozy blanket that shut out the world, and ignored them as they crossed to another building. Fise admitted, after a fee more buildings, that he was tired, the evidence being what must have been litres of sweat. Andrew just kept going, even tough his hair was plastered to his forehead and his t-shirt was blackening on his back just like Fise's.

An hour passed before Andrew looked at his map for what must have been the umpteenth time, and headed for the edge, looking down. He stepped back and motioned to Fise to an alley across the street. "Fifteenth alley on the left of King and Queen's Street. Right there."

"They told you that?"

"Word for word, letter by letter."

"How did you even talk with them? If you were able to, couldn't they just bring you?" Fise allowed a question he had to slip out, not caring as he tried to get some breath in.

"I'll tell you later. Right now," he pointed to the alley," "We get in there."

They looked around and decided not to go into the door that most likely led into the building below and just looked into the alley below, saw an empty dumpster, and Andrew just jumped in before Fise could get out the 10 reasons he though that they would break a bone. His fear of all the garbage being glass or metal was gone as the garbage bags softened Andrew's landing. Fise jumped as well and climbed slowly out of it before going after Andrew. They crossed the road.

Fise noticed the road, how clean it looked, as if left alone. He got a chill down his spine. Looking around he saw a shoe shop to his left, with no one inside, and the door still having the "Open" sign on it. Andrew walked into the alleyway and Fise followed. they had to hop over bags of rubbish and past what Fise hoped wasn't puke, because he might just add some himself. He saw it then. A door on the right side of the alley, leading to, from the road, looked like an apartment building. Andrew reached out and placed his hand on it. He tapped it quickly, before doing a long horizontal stroke, then tapping it twice, before doing it a vertical stroke. Tap, tap, vertical, horizontal, horizontal, tap, vertical, tap, tap, tap, tap, vertical, horizontal.

"Taps are short, sideway strokes are long, vertical are space." muttered Andrew.

The door started to push outwards. Fise caught sight of a hooded figure, before a light green aura enveloped them and they dashed out, faster than Fise's non-aura-enhanced eyes could see, and kicked Andrew down the alley, making him crash into the wall at the end. The figure twisted on one leg and sent a backhanded punch at Fise, who crossed his arms and activated his aura. It hit him like a truck, making him fly out the alley, clipping a tree at the side of the sidewalk and taking a chunk out of it, before tumbling on the ground.

Fise quickly got up, ready to fight, but was greeted by the hooded figure, who he now saw was wearing a black mask, right before him. They drove a punch into his abdomen, folding him, before pushing and throwing him into the air. The assailant then twisted and threw a punch at Fise's face.

Time Stopped.

Fise flew for half a second more before landing with both feet on the ground after flipping and pirouetting in midair to face the attacker. Half a second more and he was charging at them throwing a punch at their abdomen, the same as they did.

Time resumed.

Fise drove a punch into their abdomen, folding them, before pushing and throwing the attacker into the air. Fise then twisted and thre a punch at the assailant's face. Fise knew this person must have planned this out, and probably knew what to do, so wouldn't copying what they did be better than coming up with something? They were quick, having more experience in fighting, compared to Fise, but he took them by surprise as well. They quickly got their bearings, however and blocked Fise's punch, who retreated backwards.

The attacker landed and rolled before quickly turning to stare at Fise. They stood and their aura flared. 3 aura punches flew out towards Fise, before the attacker got interrupted. Andrew flew out the alley, covered in black flames, and collided against the attacker. Fise looked at the aura punches coming towards him, and walked backwards to the sidewalk. He dodged one and then rolled under another before quickly hopping behind a tree, planted opposite the other, which then was snapped in half, shards of wood flying out as the aura punch hit it. Fise dodged again, surprised as the aura punch kept going and dug into the sidewalk, creating a deep crater. Sweat poured down his forehead. He looked down at his right hand, the one he used to attack the attacker the second time, at how bruised it was; as bruised as his abdomen, the bruising reached halfway down to his wrist from his knuckles. Something was wrong, but he couldn't place his finger on what. He hit them, he hit their aura, but his left hand, the one he launched them with, wasn't bruised. Something was definitely wrong.

'This must be their ability... but what is it?'

The black flames ate at the aura, which had spread out towards Andrew. It pushed him back and he jumped away. The aura split off and cut, getting rid of the aura with black fire on it. The attacker was unharmed by the black flames, but staggered forward from the hit, their back probably bruised. Black fire surrounded Andrew like armour and he began to move towards them. Fise did the same. Aura punches flew out from their aura and flew straight at Fise.

'What!? They should be keeping Andrew

away, not me! He's the more dangerous one up close! Even if they can block his flames like back then, he's a bigger threat at close range than me, surely! Unless...'

Fise ran to his right getting out of the way of 4 aura punches and slid under a 5th, before flipping back up and going over a 6th, barely getting by a 7th.

'I have to get close.' Fise thought as he twisted past and ducked under an 8th and 9th aura punch, before jumping over the 10th.

'If I'm a threat at close range there must be a reason!'

Andrew charged again, throwing out aura punches of his own. The black flames put on the attacker's aura ate away at it, before it was cut and left them hungry. Andrew threw a punch at their chest, stopped by aura. It twisted closed where he was going to hit and blocked it, making itself thicker. The black fire was blocked. A punched came at him and took him off his feet, but he grabbed onto the ground with his aura and pulled himself back down. Right hook, blocked, chest punch, blocked, low kick, blocked, high kick, blocked, drop kick, blocked, leg sweep, blocked, roundhouse kick, blocked. Andrew never felt so helpless.

Fise dodged the 26th aura punch. 4 had hit him, once in the chest, once in the abdomen, causing him to stagger and get another jn the shoulder, and the 25th one in the leg, but he got it now, he was close to the attacker, 2 meters, the attacker looking at him while blocking a roundhouse kick delivered by Andrew.

Time stopped.

Fise moved forwards and receded his aura back into himself. He now had more time to think. He needed to learn their ability. Their aura was strong, but thats brute force, it always has a way to be stopped. He decided to try something, something he has been thinking of for a while. The injury on his right hand. He didn't get one when punching the attacker when surprising him, but did when the attacker blocked. So, what will happen if he attacked at the same time? He also had a little problem, could his attack get past their aura in stopped time? It was something he didn't really test. He looked at the best place to strike, their side, and the furthest (that he could reach), their left shoulder. His aura returned and he delivered a punch at the left shoulder, while delivering a kick to their side. They entered their aura, and it felt like going through thick liquid, and something like maybe cracking? They both hit and time resumed.

The attacker used the force from the hit and jumped away. Fise bent low and held his right shin. It was bruised. He looked at his left fist and didn't see much damage. He got it. He gave Andrew a looked and started to run around the right side of the attacker, while Andrew went left when suddenly the attacker spread their arms out. Aura cascaded out and drowned them. They were surrounded by it, and couldn't move. Fise grimaced. 8.

Andrew began to try moving more and more, trying to not stand still and burn the aura, but it kept surrounding him again and again, his flames began to die. 5.

Fise had it, or he thought he did at least, but he needed one more test. 4. The aura started to constrict harder, it was squeezing them almost to bursting. 3. He pushed his own aura out to combat it, but didn't manage much. Andrew did the same and got a greater effect, giving him enough to room to create some black fire. He condened it around his finger and stabbed it into the aura of the attacker. It was the same move as against the lady in the woods. It dug into it and swam towards them. 1. It was upon them and they were tensing, ready to dodge.

Time stopped.

Fise didn't have time to wait and think. He ran forwards, moving hard against the aura. He had 3 meters, and was now within one. Just a bit more...

Time resumed.

The punch got them in the chest and they staggered, before a black spike shot at them and they managed to dodge enough to only graze them on the arm. Before it could turn around again, however, it fell as the aura retreated. Fise quickly backed away, but the attacker expected that and Fise didn't have time, seeing them in the corner of his eye, to move. 3 aura punches hit him like a truck and flew him into the shoe shop, smashing the windows and breaking through 2 shelves before impending him into the third one. He had a clear view of the road through his blood.

Andrew ran towards the attacker, throwing a blind punch at them through the dust created by one of the aura punches that missed, and hit air. He was then grabbed and lifted before crushed into the ground head first. He didn't have time to register as the impact knocked him out, holding his throat, some blood coming out. Fise looked at this, and laughed, before coughing, realizing one of his lungs was pierced.

"Figured it... out."

He passed out and lost the fight.