Hidden Potential [Stories of Kawali Series 3]

2.1 (Judgement Day) | Invasion

By the time Keith arrived at school the next day, he saw numerous plates of metal on the front, as if they were preparing for war with another school. He leaped inside and saw Steve approaching him the moment they locked eyes with each other. The latter said, "Get deeper into the school. The government's attacking us soon, and they want you dead."

"Just because of a failed execution?"

"They tried to kill you just because you were a Neutral, right? Then get back inside. They'll stop at nothing to eradicate this world of ability-less people."

"But why though?"

The sounds of helicopters filled the air, and Steve said, "Find Fiolini in the library. She'll tell you about the history of GOWA." He then leaped off, and as the alarms sounded, he shifted into a self-operating artillery cannon and shot the helicopters as Keith ran to the library.

He was making his way through bookshelves and people when he bumped into one of the bookshelves, causing a book to fall. He picked it up, and the title read, "Tyranny of the World Government" making him interested in the book. He walked over to a nearby table, sat down, and started reading. As gunshots and explosions were heard from outside, he started to realize the reasons why GOWA wanted him dead. The thing that most intrigued him was a line which read, "Something called Judgement Day happens when a Neutral manages to prevail over their execution. The place they go to will have destruction raining down on them until the Neutral is destroyed or the forces are destroyed."

"So this Judgement Day is happening all because of me, isn't it?" he said to himself as he closed the book. A group of soldiers who looked like the SWAT burst into the room, weapons aimed at everyone, and Keith put the book back before teleporting behind all of them. He created a shockwave to blast them all away, and said to the other students, "They're after me. Get to somewhere safe."

As the students ran out, Keith faced his opponents. One of them tried to restrict his movements, but he broke free and slammed down his right fist on the man's head. He grabbed a knife heading towards him by the blade with his left arm, and tossed it into his right hand, gripping the handle with intense accuracy.

"I'd like to say that today will be your Judgement Day." he said, before slashing his knife at the speed of light, knocking down everyone. He threw the knife on the ground, near a soldier's leg, and walked out of the library, where he felt something pointed at him. He looked at a nearby helicopter, and saw a sniper aiming at him. He walked away, only to use Wind Kick the moment the bullet got close to him. It stopped the bullet, and continued his way to the locker room.

The locker room was a corridor full of large mechanical tubes which contained the Outfits of numerous students. He walked around, finding his blue jacket, and saw Nadine glancing at it as he got closer, the green light shining on her pink Outfit.

"Why do you only have a jacket as an Outfit?" she asked the moment she noticed him coming closer.

"I'm a simple man, so I like to live with simplicity." he replied.

"But your ability isn't simple."

"If you were me, you would think differently from what you just said."

"I can't relate to that."

"Of course you can't. Anyways, can you please tell me how to open this thing?"

"Just touch it, I guess."

Keith tapped the glass, and it opened. His jacket was suspended in midair, and he took it before putting it on. "They really did a great job with making it comfier."

"You're not worried about getting hot? It's the middle of summer here."

"I'm usually cold."

"You under a curse or..?"

"Just more sensitive to coldness."

"Ah, okay."

The two of them walked out of the locker room, only to find multiple soldiers pointing their palms at Keith. He scanned the place for a moment, before saying, "Fuck you." He left a wound on their chests as he brought Nadine out of the confrontation along with himself, and they ran to the front of the school. Steve was there, exhausted, but Keith simply healed him and stared at the GOWA forces, who were now on the ground. All weapons were aimed at him, but he simply waved his right hand to the right. In an instant, an unknown force slashed all of them.

He turned around and walked away, only to feel pain in his right shoulder. "Someone stabbing me at this spot again?" he said, looking backwards. An officer had stabbed him in the right shoulder, the exact same spot where he got stabbed the day before, and instead of shouting in pain, he punched the man and took out the knife. Blood kept on flowing out, yet he refused to use Healing on himself. He created a large bandage that looked like a ridiculously long tissue and wrapped it around his shoulder, saying, "It won't do if I just heal myself. That'll be energy-consuming."

The man tried to charge at him while the others started charging up their weapons to destroy the school itself, but Keith grabbed the man with his left hand and tossed him out, before overloading the weapons, making them explode. "Get inside, we don't have time to stay out here." he said. The three of them ran inside just as multiple helicopters were shot down, the debris blocking the entrance.

They ran through turns and stairs until they got to a metal door. Soldiers were heard running towards them, and Steve said, "We don't have much time. Open it."

"What's the code?!?" Nadine shouted, the door locked like a safe. Keith looked for a moment, before violently turning the knob in different directions, until it opened outwards. They ran in, and Keith shut the door behind him just as the soldiers made their way down the corridor.

The metal walls and the dimly-lit corridor were no obstacle to them as they ran through it. At the end awaited a large room with green tubes containing weapons. They walked around, surveying the place, inspecting every weapon they came across. Nadine took out a plasma sword, while Steve took nothing and Keith took a pair of white tactical fingerless gloves. Just as they were about to head back through the corridor, a loud and deep voice said,

"Who dares to intrude my area?"

They looked behind them to see no one but a blue tube at the far end. A figure was contained inside it, and Keith walked towards it as Steve and Nadine kept guard near the corridor. "Who are you?" he asked.

"The guardian of the weapon room. Why are you asking?"

He was already close to the tube containing the person, and inspected their bodily features. "You're actually a girl. Why do you have such a deep voice?"

"Eh?"

A camera pointed towards him and the figure, and the voice suddenly changed to that of a younger girl's. "It's been quite a while since I saw my actual body."

"Then why don't you come down here and assist us? Judgement Day's raining down on us just because these lads want to kill me."

"You're a Neutral?"

"Used to be."

"I can't go back though, as my body has already perished a long time ago."

Keith tapped on the glass, and the body shrouded in darkness turned into a sleeping young girl about his age. She had long brown hair as well as light skin and casual clothes. "Done." he said, "You can go back to being alive now."

He felt the presence of the voice disappear, only to see the girl trying to move her finger. He wirelessly opened the upright tube, and caught the girl just as she fell out. "Alright. Where we heading to next?" he asked as he approached Steve and Nadine.

"Just past the door. The principal said he'll eliminate every soldier in the school once he comes in, and we shouldn't be in the secret places for now." Nadine replied.

"I get that you're struggling from all the stress, but just focus on surviving. Beyond that door awaits destruction. Let's move." Keith said, seeing a tone of worry in her words. They walked towards the door, and he grasped the handle with his right hand, preparing to turn it.