Chapter 4

Karna and Arisu sat down next to each other at a table during lunch. Sometime later, Diego and Erica joined. Then a light-skinned girl with dyed pink hair waved at Arisu. "Mind if I sit next to you?" Arisu nodded. "Everyone, this is my best friend, Yuri." After everyone introduced themselves to Yuri, Diego put his arm around Karna's neck. " I see you and Arisu have been holding hands for a while now. Congrats, my man." He patted Karna on the back, while Karna tried to ignore him. Erica, Yuri, and Arisu were chatting away. Suddenly, the widows of the cafeteria shattered due to an explosion. A group of people wearing snake masks came into the cafeteria, beating up students, rounding them up, and throwing gas bombs, and turning the situation into chaos.

Arisu managed to teleport Karna, Diego, Erica, and Yuri away from the cafeteria. "We're on the rooftop. I think we'll be safe here," Arisu panted. Teleporting more than three people always tired her. Karna saw a group of people near the school entrance. There were at least ten trucks there. People wearing snake masks were in them. Students were tied up and on the floor. Black boxes the size of cars were around them. ARF jammers, Karna thought. So it looks like Scorpio was planning to take the school hostage. A man dressed in black and wearing a snake mask spoke with a microphone. "Hear us! We are Scorpio! We have taken the students of this school hostage and will not release them until you meet our demands!" As he kept talking, other Scorpio members were recording and broadcasting the man with the microphone. Arisu pointed towards the ARF jammers. " What should we do about those?" Karna looked around the school as he tried to stay hidden. "This is probably on the news already. We should look around the school for more ARF jammers. I'm pretty sure the ones they're using down there aren't the only ones they have." Arisu looked around the school. "Shouldn't we save the other students first? I can't believe Scorpio would send this many people to take a bunch of students hostage. We're going to need more people to stand up to them." Karna shook his head. "No, if we do that, we'll blow our cover. Besides, if this is on the news, the police should show up. I'm pretty sure other students are hiding beside us. We can group up with them as we destroy the ARF jammers. ARF jammers only work in close range. Any more than ten meters and they're essentially useless. Since we don't know where the jammers are, it would be best if we split up. Diego, Erica, and Yuri can look inside the school, while you and I can look outside. After that, we'll all meet up and free the other students. Then we can take down Scorpio." Arisu teleported Diego, Erica, and Yuri away after she told them the plan. Then she teleported herself and Karna around the school.

Karna and Arisu saw a couple of Scorpio members setting up an ARF jammer. Karna solidified photons near him to create multiple swords of light, and Arisu teleported them inside the ARF jammers and in the bodies of the Scorpio members. Karna looked around for any more Scorpio members while Arisu texted on her phone. "Yuri says she found ten ARF jammers around the school. They questioned some Scorpio members, who said that there were no more jammers. What now?" Karna thought about it. "Have her and the others look around the school some more. We'll meet up with them in half an hour if they can't find any more jammers."

Arisu and Karna teleported to room 321, where Yuri and the others were waiting. Karna explained the plan to them. "First, Arisu and I will destroy the ARF jammers surrounding the students. Then, you all will attack the Scorpio members from behind and free the other students. Is that clear?" Diego raised his hand. "What happens if more of them show up?" Karna thought about it. "We're just going to have to move as quickly as we can. Once we've freed the other students, I think we'll be fine even if they do send reinforcements."

Karna and Arisu were on the rooftop. Karna created multiple swords of light, and Arisu teleported them into all the ARF jammers she could see around the students. Yuri electrocuted Scorpio members while Diego turned invisible and beat them up. Erica burned down all the trucks. Karna and Arisu helped Dave and Melinda(the two students found in the auditorium) untie the students taken hostage.

After all the students were freed, Karna asked Melinda what Scorpio's plans are, and if they are sending reinforcements. "Reinforcements will come soon. They've surrounded the school, which is why the police haven't been able to get here yet. I poked around in their minds for a bit more. This was just a distraction. Flux plans to come here himself with at least two hundred people." Karna thanked her and met up with the Student Council, repeating to them what Melinda said to him. Emily rounded up everyone in DA and positioned them around the school in groups. Rafe instructed Alex, Nia, and the other grade representatives to explain the situation to all the students. Rafe led some students to assist the police in taking out the Scorpio members who surrounded the school. Emily instructed some students to go behind the school and be on the lookout. Nia did the same, except she told a group of students to be near the school entrance.

Arisu teleported next to Karna. "This looks like a warzone." Karna nodded. "Although we managed to free the students, according to Melinda, it's just getting started. But still, having a telepath sure is useful." Arisu nodded. "Have you seen Lucia? I've noticed that she and a lot of other students aren't here." "I think we can assume that Lucia isn't the only student working with Scorpio. They have even more espers now." Karna asked Arisu to teleport them to the roof of the school, which she did. "We should be able to see everything from here," Karna said. Arisu tugged on the back of his shirt. "Karna, don't do anything stupid." Karna smiled. "I promise I won't. Besides, if I do, you'll be there to smack me, right?" Arisu smiled. "Yeah. Karna, when this is over, there's something I want to ask you." "Can't you say it now?" Arisu shook her head. "Nope. I'm only going to tell you when I see that you're in one piece after this is over." She kissed him on the cheek. "Good luck," she whispered. She teleported away from the roof, leaving Karna by himself.

As expected, more Scorpio members arrived. What was surprising was the number of trucks approaching the school. There were at least ten in every direction. Karna watched the battle from the rooftops. Students charged, destroying trucks while the Scorpio members retaliated. Karna noticed that the battle took place behind, to the right of, and in front of the school. Is this another distraction? Are there more of them coming from the left? He looked around to the left. Sure enough, more trucks were coming. He called Emily to inform her, but she wouldn't pick up. Karna quickly called Arisu to tell her what was happening.

Arisu teleported near Karna on the roof. "Sorry I took so long to pick up. It's hard to talk with someone on the phone during a fight." Karna pointed to the trucks on the left of the school. "It's alright. More importantly, we need to take care of them." Arisu nodded. She teleported herself and Karna to the ground, then near the trucks.

A man came out of one of the trucks. He was dressed in black and had the same bracelet Lucia wore. "Greetings, you must be Karna. I assume the one next to you is Arisu?" Karna's body tensed up. "Who are you?" The man introduced himself as Flux. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I've been hoping to ask you to join us. Well, she wants that more than I do." A woman got out of the truck and took off the snake mask she was wearing. "Join us," she said. "We can make this world a better place. You've seen the cruel experiments the military does on us espers. They treat us like garbage!" Karna shook his head. "Thanks for the offer, but no thanks. I don't think terrorism makes the world a better place, Lucia." Lucia smiled. "Well, fine by me. You and your girlfriend can just die here if that's what you want." She charged at him, but Arisu teleported herself and Lucia near the school entrance.

Lucia landed facefirst into the ground. Her clothes had nails in them, and she was bleeding. Arisu teleported more nails into her, making her scream. "I thought you said I was going to die. What happened?" Arisu smacked Lucia with her cane. Lucia wiped the blood off her mouth. "Don't get too cocky," she smiled. Arisu tried to teleport nails into Lucia again, but this time, Lucia flung them back at her. She teleported away, but a truck almost landed on top of her. Is her ability psychokinesis? Arisu teleported out of the way as Lucia flung nails at her. She tried teleporting the truck on top of her, but Lucia shrugged it off. Lucia flew in the air and moved towards Arisu. This is bad. I can teleport away from her attacks, but I can't keep it up for long. Lucia took out a gun and started shooting. There's no point in throwing a truck at her if she could just teleport out of the way. I can't keep doing it for much longer anyway. It's way easier to control the direction of the bullets I shoot. Arisu kept teleporting as the bullets followed her like heat-seeking missiles. She managed to avoid all but one, which lodged into her right leg. Lucia saw her chance and flew right to her, punching her in the face. Arisu tried to teleport, but two bullets found their way in her right leg before she could. Lucia kicked her in the ribs, and Arisu lay helplessly on the floor. "I told you not to get too cocky."

Karna flung swords of light at Flux, who dodged them effortlessly. Flux swung his fist at Karna and was surprised when it passed through him. "So you really can turn intangible. Although I was already aware of it, it still is amazing to see." Flux took off his mask. His face gave the impression he was burned in a fire. An eye patch covered his right eye, and his left eye glowed. "No matter. Karna, you will join us!" His left eye shone as Karna stumbled backward from looking at it. Flux smiled. I've got him right where I want him. I can manipulate light to hypnotize people. To his surprise, Karna lunged at him and punched him in the face. "Wait, why isn't it working!" Karna smiled. " I already knew you could hypnotize people. But since I can decently control anything at an atomic level, light particles are harmless to me." Flux cursed under his breath. He charged at Karna, but the latter pinned the other to the ground and electrocuted him.

Lucia kicked Arisu in the ribs, and the latter spat out blood. "See, this is why I hate the ranking system. Even though you're a class A and I'm a class B, I'm clearly tougher than you." Arisu tried to get up, but Lucia stomped on her. This is bad, Arisu thought. It's a lot harder to teleport when I'm injured. Arisu tried teleporting nails into Lucia, but they ended up in her instead. "Oh, come on? Is that all you could do! Lucia brought her foot down on Arisu, who grabbed it with her hands and teleported nails into it. Lucia cursed. Arisu teleported behind Lucia teleported nails into Lucia's shoes and in the ground, keeping her feet stuck there. Arisu smacked Lucia with her cane as hard as she could and followed with a punch to the face, knocking Lucia to the ground.

Karna, Diego, Erica, and Yuri helped Emily and the students in DA fight the Scorpio members. The police came a bit later and helped out tremendously. As the Scorpio members were apprehended, Karna looked for Arisu, eventually finding her bleeding on the floor. "Arisu!" He picked her up and brought her over to an ambulance that just showed up.

Arisu lay on the hospital bed. Bandages were wrapped around her arms and legs. Somebody knocked on the door. "Can I come in?" She nodded. Karna came into the room and sat in a chair. "How've you been?"

"Every part of me hurts, but I feel a lot better now." She reached out for Karna's hand. "Sorry, I guess I ended up a burden to you again, huh?" Karna shook his head. "No, you were incredible. Even though you're disabled, you still managed to beat Lucia. You're amazing, Arisu." Arisu's face flushed. "T-thanks," she stammered. "Karna, can I ask you something?" Karna nodded. "Will you go on a date with me?" Karna blushed. His eyes shone as he smiled at her, nodding. Arisu's face beamed. Karna laced his fingers with Arisu's as he kissed her while she lay on the bed.