Chapter 6 fractured time

Mitch relaxed at home, his mind drifting back to the old days. A sudden surge of nostalgia prompted him to leap from the couch and train in his room. With a deep breath, he sat cross-legged on the floor and focused on his ability. Time paused, the world around him freezing in place.

As Mitch sat in stillness, a creeping sense of unease settled in. He realized that the more he used his power, the more he inadvertently revealed his location to the Time Gods' remnants. A shiver ran down his spine as he recalled the time he paused time for seven minutes, leaving himself vulnerable to detection.

Just as Mitch's thoughts turned to caution, a sinister presence lurked outside his door. His uncle, sensing the ominous energy, emerged from his room wielding a baseball bat.

"What do you want?" Mitch's uncle demanded, his voice firm but laced with concern.

A hooded figure with piercing red eyes stood in the doorway, his gaze fixed on Mitch. "The boy," he said, his voice low and menacing.

As the stranger fast-forwarded time for 10 seconds, Mitch's instincts kicked in. He paused time, and the world around him froze once more. Mitch faced off against the hooded figure, his fists clenched and ready for battle.

The fight began, with Mitch dashing forward with a swift blow. However, the stranger countered by pausing time and landing a vicious kick that sent Mitch flying across the street.

Mitch struggled to his feet, pausing time once more. But the hooded figure proved relentless, pulling out a sythe and charging towards Mitch. The blade sliced through the air, and Mitch barely dodged the attack.

The stranger unleashed a sinister slash, striking Mitch's chest with the sythe. Mitch stumbled backward, wounded. With a last-ditch effort, Mitch activated his special technique – Time Vortex. A swirling void enveloped the stranger, neutralizing his powers.

However, Mitch's injuries proved too severe, and the Time Vortex dissipated. As the stranger raised his sythe for the final blow, Mitch collapsed to the ground, defeated.

In a desperate bid to survive, Mitch attempted to rewind time. But to his horror, he felt a portion of his power being absorbed by the stranger. The stranger's eyes gleamed with malevolence as he realized he could now rewind time, albeit briefly.

With Mitch's own power turned against him, the stranger rewound time by a few seconds, using the opportunity to land a devastating blow. Mitch's vision blurred as he stumbled backward, his strength waning.

Just as all hope seemed lost, a special task force, led by a figure with piercing grey eyes, burst onto the scene. The task force member wielded a powerful glaze that allowed him to move at incredible velocities.

"You're a bit late to the party," the stranger sneered, but the task force member proved unfazed.

With a swift blow, the task force member struck the stranger with the force of an explosive. The stranger rewound time, attempting to slice the task force member with his sythe. However, the blade shattered upon impact, and the stranger quipped, "You think that'll stop me?"

The task force member landed another devastating blow, sending the stranger flying. As the dust settled, Mitch struggled to his feet, clutching the broken hilt of the sythe.

The stranger, realizing defeat was imminent, opened a rift in the air, planning to escape. But before he could step through, a crimson-masked girl appeared, her movements a blur. With a swift strike, she beheaded the stranger, and his head rolled to the ground, engulfed in flames.

As the stranger's life faded, the powers he had absorbed from Mitch began to wane, returning to their rightful owner.

Zack muttered, "She strikes again... the Queen of Valhalla. Damn it."

The task force member turned to Mitch and asked, "You're the one with the time powers, right? What's your name, kid?"

"I'm Mitch," he replied, still catching his breath.

The task force member smiled, his grey eyes sparkling with amusement. "I'm Zack, the 5th strongest in the task force. You've got a cool ability, Mitch. We should talk more about it."

As Zack helped Mitch to his feet, Mitch couldn't help but wonder what lay ahead.

With Mitch's injuries still lingering, Zack escorted him to a healing doctor. As the doctor tended to Mitch's wounds, Zack stood watch, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

Once Mitch was healed, Zack led him to a rooftop overlooking the city's breathtaking skyline. The wind whipped through Mitch's hair as he gazed out at the towering buildings.

As the crimson-masked girl moved across the rooftops, her incredible speed allowed her to cover vast distances in the blink of an eye. She landed silently on a rooftop, her gaze scanning the streets below.

Her attention was drawn to a couple being harassed by a menacing figure. Without hesitation, the crimson-masked girl sprang into action. She moved at incredible velocity, her silver kitana flashing in the morning light.

In an instant, she appeared beside the harasser, her blade slicing through the air to cut the gun from his hand. The pieces clattered to the ground as the crimson-masked girl knocked the assailant unconscious.

As the sun began to rise, the crimson-masked girl vanished into the morning mist, leaving behind a sense of wonder and awe.

Meanwhile, Oscar slept peacefully, oblivious to the night's events. His mom, Saby, gently shook him awake. "Rise and shine, Oscar! Time to start the day."

Oscar rubbed the sleep from his eyes, yawned, and stretched. "Five more minutes, please?" he begged, but Saby was firm. She pulled off the blankets, and Oscar reluctantly got out of bed.

After a quick brush of his teeth, a refreshing shower, and dressing in his signature black jacket and white shirt, Oscar set off to meet his friends. He bumped into Mitch and Kaito along the way, and they walked together, chatting about their plans for the day.

As they arrived at school, Kaito headed off to class, leaving Mitch and Oscar to attend their history lesson. Their teacher began explaining the ancient history of the world.

"Back then, in the past, there were three main races that dominated the world: the Hollow, the Nile, and the Vast. These three races were powerful and lived in perfect harmony, but war broke out due to a catastrophe. The Hollow Leader broke the rules and sought power, using two relics to summon two gods at once, causing the outbreak of chaos. That's how the world came to be, with all the unique abilities you all have. It's said that the three great kingdoms are still there to this day, on three great islands. Over the years, these nations have had generations to evolve and make offspring. Now, pure-bloods are rare to find."

As the lesson concluded, Mitch and Oscar exchanged thoughtful glances. They knew that understanding the past was crucial to navigating the complexities of their world. Little did they know that their own destinies were inextricably linked to the fate of the universe.

Meanwhile, in the courtyard, Joyce and her friend Nora were discussing their unique abilities. Joyce smirked, "I'm too fast; you'll never catch me in a game of tag!" Nora smiled slyly, her brown hair shining in the morning sun. "I bet I can catch you. My vines can trap you for sure."

As they giggled, Sam walked by, and Joyce jumped up to greet him. "Hey, Sam!" Sam waved back, and Joyce returned to her conversation with Nora.

After the history lesson, Oscar rushed home to freshen up before heading to the notorious Breakers gang territory. He knew it was dangerous, but he was determined to train his ability.

As he entered the Breakers' turf, six gang members confronted him. One, a chubby guy with black spiky hair, hurled a rock at Oscar with incredible velocity. Oscar dodged it effortlessly, but the next attacker, wielding a steel pipe, proved more challenging.

Oscar knocked out two gang members with a single blow, but the leader, Tony the Barrier Master, was not so easily defeated. Tony could create barriers of any kind, and Oscar's combat attacks missed their mark.

Tony smirked, "Don't mind if I do." With a swift motion, he raised his hand, and Oscar felt a strange sensation. Suddenly, they switched places, but Oscar realized he had only acquired Tony's brick wall technique, not his full power.

Oscar decided to retreat, but the Breakers gang gave chase. He ran as fast as he could, bumping into Joyce along the way. Together, they sprinted through the streets, finally losing their pursuers in a narrow alleyway.

As they caught their breath, Joyce turned to Oscar and smiled. "Thanks for the assist back there. What were you doing in Breakers territory?" Oscar shrugged, still panting. "Just trying to train my ability."

Joyce's eyes sparkled with curiosity. Speaking of abilities, Kaito mentioned you being able to take abilities... then she just chuckled with Oscar. What's going on? What kind of ability do you have, Oscar?"

Oscar's expression remained neutral. "I call it Retract. It allows me to switch places with someone, thus taking their ability... but I still don't know how to fully take an ability."

Joyce's eyes widened. "Wow, scary!"

Oscar's gaze shifted to Joyce. "Speaking of abilities, what's yours?"

Joyce grinned mischievously. "Well, well... high velocity, in short, I'm fast! Hehe."

Oscar chuckled, intrigued. "I see."

As they walked together, Oscar escorted Joyce home, their giggles and laughter filling the air. Returning to his own home, Oscar felt a sense of happiness wash over him.