Chapter 3: Acquired Abilities

It didn’t take long before school went back to normal and, with the heat of the upcoming summer, the days felt longer and slower. Each class was tedious and mundane and I barely managed to stay awake for the entire day. I’d all but forgotten about the meteorite Danny and I came across, but that would change very soon.

Around lunchtime Danny and I went to the usual hangout spot. Vanessa and Samantha were going to be late because of a group assignment they had to work on in the chemistry lab. The spot was between two of the school buildings and it was usually sequestered, but this time we had a few unexpected people in our place.

“Well, well,” Scott looked over at us. “Who’s this tryna get in our new hangout spot?”

His cronies chuckled and smirked.

Your hangout spot?? I thought because I didn’t have the voice to challenge him. Danny looked unimpressed as usual and started walking away. Scott must’ve felt good because he stood up and strolled over to me and slapped the lunch out of my hands. I didn’t even notice until it was all over the ground and when he said “get outta here pipsqueak” I didn’t hesitate to swing at him.

It’s not that I was weak. I’m sure a punch like that would cause any normal person to stumble at least, but he took the hit and chuckled. He grabbed my hand and twisted it. The sound of his cronies yelling in applause sickened me. Scott punched me in the face with his free hand and didn’t look like he was going to let up. Danny came out of nowhere and drop-kicked Scott in the chest. I’d almost forgotten that Danny did some kick-boxing as well but would it be enough against Scott and his pose? Some of them started taking up some rocks and sticks and Scott was just getting off the ground. I clenched my fists again and Danny asked if I was alright. I nodded and ran towards Scott. I didn’t really have a plan of sorts, I just wanted to make him feel some kind of pain, to let him know that there’s some things and people you can’t just mess with. Since he just got off the floor it was safe to assume he hadn’t caught his balance yet. He was winding up a swing but it was slow and predictable. I ducked under it and put his arm in a lock , then used my foot to sweep his foot away, which is something I saw a lot happen in the judo sessions. When he hit the floor dust flew and I could see Danny fighting all four of his goons at once. I didn’t even know how he was so focused and they couldn’t even lay a finger on him. Scott groaned and turned over on top of me. He let out a barrage of punches that really hurt to block, when suddenly I started sinking.

I felt cold, which didn’t make sense because of it being midday in early summer. For a split second I couldn’t see anything either. The chill suddenly felt familiar, the same chill from the dream I had in the hospital. Heat came back to my hands and my eyes could see that I wasn’t below Scott anymore but under a leafy tree nearby. I could see Scott frantically looking around for me and Danny was almost done fighting the cronies. He was still hunched over in the dirt so I ran straight towards him and, by the time he noticed me, my knee had already slammed into his face.

It took a while but the adrenaline eventually subsided and I collapsed. Daniel caught me, looked forward and sighed. I could tell what happened without needing to check myself. A teacher had seen the events that had unfolded, not that we were being very discreet, but nonetheless, we were screwed.

The trip to the office was a somber one. I could feel the wound throbbing from that punch Scott gave me, in fact I could feel a little moisture from the place it was throbbing. I knew Scott was unconscious but maybe I should’ve been the one to see the school nurse instead. Either way, Danny and I had to explain ourselves to Principal McDerrickson, who was in the middle of a meeting with the school board.

Danny and I sat in front of his office, waiting for him to let us in.

“Will,” Danny nudged me. “If anything, tell Mr. McD that I started it alright?”

I gave him a look, “You got it bud.”

“Woah, wait I was joking,” He said, frantically.

I laughed quietly at him, then we were silent again. Talking too much wouldn’t remove the looming feeling of getting suspended or at the very least a detention for fighting on school grounds. My face was still aching and I felt queasy but Danny was unscathed which was good for him but confusing to me. How did he fight all those cronies with such ease? And come to think of it, how did I get away from Scott when he was above me? Ugh, my brain hurts now too….

We sat there, watching the tv hanging on the wall. A nature documentary focused on crocodiles was playing and it gave some comfort before the inevitable judgement came. Then suddenly a news report came in about more, smaller meteorites landing all over Chudence, which in turn was causing weird phenomena in the places they landed and the people around them. One such victim’s flesh caught ablaze but he didn’t die and another went invisible upon being witnessed by the onsight news reporters. The meteorites fell on the far side of Chudence so the police were trying to keep everything contained over there.

Danny and I looked at each other. Everything was beginning to make sense now.

“Will,” Danny whispered to me. “I think I might have super speed…”

“I think I can teleport,” I responded, in kind.

“Dude..”

Principal McDerrickson’s door creaked open and some old-looking people looked at us condescendingly as they walked out and I could feel that looming feeling start to tighten my stomach again. The principal called us into his office and we went in somberly.

“So,” He said with a gruff voice. “Explain yourselves.”