11 - Elaine's psychic powers
I've never been this flustered, I swear. Clare, the gossip queen, told Brianne that during our patrol in the red-light district, I instantly regenerated a serious injury. She conveniently left out the most compromising details, but it was enough to put me in the spotlight. The result? Clare and Brianne decided I'm 'strong enough' to partner with someone less experienced than them. They want to test me, and I'm not letting them down!
Why am I so nervous? Tonight, I'm patrolling with Elaine. She didn't take the news well and snapped: «If that pervert even dares look at me funny, I swear I'll break him into a thousand pieces!»
Not the ideal setup for a quiet night, but I promised Elaine I wouldn't do anything to make her uncomfortable—and I'll keep my word!
Even though Elaine's been in the student council longer than me, she's not exactly an expert. She's good, but compared to the others, she still feels like a beginner. That's probably why Brianne assigned us to a quiet neighborhood near the city center—the most boring area possible.
I promised Elaine I wouldn't make any moves on her, but that doesn't mean I won't try to impress her. First up: punctuality. Everyone in the student council thinks I'm always late, but tonight I'll prove them wrong! The meeting with Elaine is at 9:00 PM by the big fountain in the central square. I planned everything perfectly to be on time—early, even! But somehow, I'm still late?! Damn it! It's already 9 PM, and I'm nowhere near the meeting point! Brianne will kill me, and Elaine's opinion of me will hit rock bottom. There's no other explanation: I must be cursed to always be late!
As I feared, when I finally reach the fountain, I'm not greeted with open arms. Elaine throws her hands up in exasperation, and of course, Brianne and Clare are with her—probably too worried to leave her alone until I arrived.
«Can't you be on time, even when your crush is waiting?» Clare teases with a sly smile.
«Don't you dare call me 'his crush' again!» Elaine snaps, glaring at her with irritation.
Brianne lets out a resigned sigh before she and Clare climb into the car, leaving us alone for what's already looking like a disastrous night.
Even a cemetery at night is livelier than the silence between Elaine and me during the first part of our patrol. To make it worse, she told me not to walk behind her—apparently, she doesn't want me looking at her ass. Does she really think I'm some kind of pervert? Sure, I admitted I like her, but does that mean I deserve to be treated like a creep? I don't deserve this...
Aside from that, the evening passes peacefully. Nothing suspicious or dangerous—it feels like an ordinary moonlit stroll. I tried starting a conversation a few times, but her icy responses made it painfully clear she had no interest in talking.
Suddenly, she stops in front of a wall blocking our path, staring at it with astonishment.
What's going on? Why did she stop? I don't see anything unusual about the wall—did she notice something I didn't? I squint, trying to see whatever she's looking at, but I find nothing.
After nearly a full minute of staring at the wall, Elaine finally turns to me and, for the first time tonight, speaks.
«Has this wall always been here?» she asks, her voice laced with embarrassment. The deep blush on her cheeks makes it even more obvious.
«Y-Yes, it's always been here...» I stammer, carefully choosing my words to avoid upsetting her. But why would she ask me that?
The answer becomes clear as Elaine, blushing more than ever, admits: «I think... I got lost...» Her voice is so full of shame and discomfort that she looks like she might burst into tears.
I feel more awkward than she does. We're in one of the city's most well-known neighborhoods—how could she possibly get lost? Maybe she's not the type to spend afternoons downtown. But what do I do now? I can't make her feel stupid. I need to say something to downplay this, make it seem like a normal mistake. This might be my only chance to appear mature and responsible. I absolutely can't mess this up!
«Don't worry about it, Elaine. These things happen. Once, I got lost in my grandmother's house trying to find the bathroom,» I say, forcing a friendly smile.
«Do you think you're funny?!» she snaps, visibly annoyed.
I sigh, discouraged by her attitude. Why is she so cold and unfriendly? We're in the same situation—we should be working together, not avoiding each other. Enough is enough. It's time to clear the air, even if it means hearing her worst insults.
«Elaine,» I say firmly, my tone serious.
«What do you want?» she snaps.
I'm about to ask, «Why do you hate me so much?» when footsteps behind us grab our attention.
We spin around quickly. In the faint moonlight, three men approach us fast, wearing balaclavas. Two of them hold box cutters. Elaine and I exchange a glance; we're backed against the wall with no way out. The alley's only exit is blocked by the three men, who look anything but friendly. We have no choice but to face them.
«You've picked the wrong night to sneak off,» one of the men says, his thick Eastern European accent obvious.
«Drop your phone and wallet, then leave!» the second man barks, his tone far more threatening.
Elaine and I stay still, refusing to comply, so the two men with box cutters step closer.
My focus is entirely on the two men. I take a defensive stance, ready to fight, when a violet light draws my attention. I glance back and see Elaine—her hands glowing with an eerie violet light, her eyes shining with the same sinister hue. Her hair floats upward as if caught in a sudden gust of wind.
The sight is so unnerving that both attackers immediately step back. Suddenly, the box cutters in their hands begin to glow with the same violet light.
«What the hell is going on?» One of the criminals blurts out as his box cutter slips from his hand and starts floating midair, like it's controlled by an invisible force.
The third man, motionless until now, reaches into his brown leather jacket—clearly going for a gun.
I lunge at him without hesitation.
He raises the weapon, but before he pulls the trigger, I hit his wrist hard, disarming him.
At the same time, the two box cutters shoot through the air like bullets, striking the fleeing men in the back of their skulls, directly in the cerebellum. The two men collapse lifeless to the ground, blood pooling across the asphalt. Death came so quickly they couldn't even scream.
Is this the power of the telekinesis crystal? Incredible! How can it only be Class C?
What happens next explains a lot. Elaine drops to her knees, clutching her head in pain as blood trickles from her nose and mouth. Are these the side effects of her crystal? I've seen Clare use hers plenty of times, and she's never shown any signs of distress. Maybe that's why Elaine's crystal is classified lower than Clare's or Brianne's. But that doesn't matter now—I need to focus on the last attacker.
The disarmed man throws a punch at my face, and that's when I notice the brass knuckles with sharp spikes on his hand. His speed is impressive, but no match for my reflexes.
I dodge the blow with ease and counter with two punches—one to his stomach, the other to his jaw. The force sends him flying backward, crashing to the ground. I watch him for a moment, but there's no sign of life.
I rush to Elaine. She's in no condition to run, and we need to leave fast before someone sees us. I reach for her hand to help her up, but she pulls away, breaking free from my grip.
«This isn't the time to act like a spoiled child!» I snap, my tone harsher than it should be. «We need to leave now! If someone finds us here and calls the cops, we're screwed. Got it?!»
Elaine grimaces in annoyance but eventually extends her hand, her eyes fixed on the ground, clearly embarrassed to accept my help.
We start running, but after a few steps, she stumbles—or rather, collapses as if her legs have completely given out.
Damn it, I didn't think the side effects would be this severe!
«Elaine, whether you like it or not, I'm carrying you,» I say firmly, bracing for her to lash out. To my surprise, she barely protests—probably realizing how serious the situation is.
«I'm letting you do this only because, if we get caught, Brianne would be devastated—and I don't want our president to suffer because of us. But if you even think of putting your hands where they don't belong... I'll break you into a thousand pieces!» she warns. Her tone is less confrontational than usual.