Sam

The day was sunny. The sky was somehow cartoonish blue, the clouds were fluffy. Yet, somehow there was supposed to be an assasination attempt, on this random Senator.

“What even is this guys name? I know the system can do alot but this is just mad.” Gabin commented.

Sam shrugged her shoulders as they walked around the pier for the beach, press and civillians gathering around the stage.

He’s right, I mean, this really is just tampering with people’s heads.

Walking past a pile of trash, Sam gestured her hands as a cyan mist instantly appeared moving the pile into a dumpster.

God this is awesome.

The system blazed to life in front of her, a audio connection between Sam and Tan opening.

“Tan? Whats up?” Sam asked.

A light, whispery voice answered her “Yeah, Sam, are you and Gabin in your area?” 

Sam sighed, confirming “Yeah, we are. You don't have to worry. Even if Ajul appears, most of us are here, so whats the worry?” 

The sound of sighing made even Gabin laughed. 

“What I mean is, we still don't have a good idea of the extent of his powers. We don't even know what it is?” Tan remarked.

Sam glanced towards Gabin, who was looking around at the crowd. 

“Girl, it’ll be fine.” Sam responded, smiling to Gabin who turned back.

“...sure. But please, be careful.” Tan pleaded as Sam assured her.

The call ended, as Gabin and Sam looked at each other. 

“Where's Jackie?” Gabin awkwardly asked. Sam pointed way over the crowd, nearby where the senator would be speaking. 

Roughly 35 of the students would be here, waiting for some NPC villain or…Ajul to attack him.

“Honestly, ” Sam began, catching Gabins attention. “I don't think he’ll show.”

Gabin tilted his head, “Why?”

“Think about it: he has WAY less information, dropped in the middle of nowhere, plus the fact that Victoria said that she was above his skill level in using their powers.”

Gabin nodded in agreement, now in thought.

If anything else, he hasnt killed anyone yet, at least that I know of, so he might be even further behind then I thought!

Relishing at the fact that she’d killed someone before was something that Sam never thought she’d experience, as she thought back to the day that in Orlando, a fire toting villain appeared, were in her first tough battle, snapped his neck.

“Look, it's Arooba and Maya.” Gabin whispered, pointing towards the two. Sam waved, as the inseparable pair waved back.

It was fine. Not too fine, but fine.

The senator made his way on stage, cheers from his supporters drowning the oppositions smaller force. 

He’d began the normal tides of a speech, thanking everyone, the people, the ‘protection’, whatever.

“You hear that?” Gabin asked “Sounds like some ‘Queen’, huh?” 

Sam smirked. Where would that even be coming from?

His speech continued as that music that Sam dismissed became slightly louder. The rock anthem, the drums, the—

“IT'S HIM!” Sam yelled out as from the stage, down the pier, down the people, down the street of beach businesses and small stands a whirling spear of…PAPER?

It was like a maelstrom, racing down and tearing through everything as that music swelled into a crescendo tearing through the crowd.

Cutting deep into few, nicking and tearing others. The spear shot threw that senators chest as the system appeared again.

Hunt the Villain!

Shocked police were left in the dust as Sam, Gabin and Jackie rocketed towards the spears firing point. Sam witnessed Jackie rapidly heal from the wounds, Gabin swiping away stray paper.

“WHERE IS HE?” Sam yelled out at the system, Tan’s audio appearing at the other end.

“Down the street, he’s running back!” Tan yelled.

The trio made their way down, dodging smaller spears of paper as they finally caught up to Ajul.

He was much different from the last time they saw him. In a loose shirt and shorts, he danced around in flip flops as he hurled spears down.

“OH! IT'S YOU GUYS!” he hollered, leaping high into the air. 

Sam extended her arm, trying to drag him down into the dirt. The moment the mist appeared, Ajul twisted away mid air, firing a knife of paper towards Sam. 

Jackie stuck her hand out, catching the blade as it pierced her skin. Her face didn't flinch as a surprised Ajuls stared at them.

“Y’all got the superstars to catch me?” he asked with a grin.

“SHUT UP!” Gabin yelled, dashing towards him. Ajul anticipated his punch, ducking under the waved vibrations of Gabins tremor power as Ajul’s eyes lit up. They followed the purple energy that Sam barely saw.

Gabin said only he could see it? What’s the deal?

Ajul laughed as he slammed his fist into Gabins side, launching him back into a building.

“COME ON SAM!” Ajul yelled out, throwing his hands out as massive paper spikes shot up the ground, tearing off Jackies arm.

Sam used her power, blowing the paper away. The resistance she felt surprised her.

It's not normal paper, huh?

The concrete and rebar rained down as Ajul leapt towards the regenerating Jackie, quickly drawing a foreign symbol on her. 

“Regeneration, right? Probably something overpowered if it's you—” he snapped, leaping off a paper board, retreating away.

“Jackie?” Sam questioned as the symbol lit up, exploding like dynamite.

Her face, her blonde hair singed off as the bare skull of Sam’s loved one was shown bare to Sam. 

Sam’s stomach twisted and turned as she raced towards her before realizing that Jackie was already healing fast. Unable to speak, Jackie gestured forward, the two rushing to follow Ajul.

“GABIN FOLLOW US IF YOU CAN!” Sam yelled out, a groan heard from that collapsed rubble that Gabin was held under.

—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shit…where did he go?

Sam's eyes darted around looking for any signs of that paper bastard. He had ducked behind a building after reaching close to the inner city.

“Sam, we might have to call it quits.” Jackie exhaled, as she and Sam panted, leaning against the side of a building.

“Shit, shit, SHIT!” Sam cursed, slamming her fist into the side of the building. The wall cracked from her strength as Jackie took one deep breath in, recovering from the hours of running and flying.

“He’s probably not going to stay here, y’know?” Jackie said, gesturing to the city area.

“You think he’s heading back to Orlando?” 

“Definitely. Mobility wise, he’s leagues above us. Although…” Jackie paused, deep in thought.

Sam swirled her telekinetic mist around, as her stamina croaked it's limit. She’d been using it to fly and accelerate, yet Ajul was able to stay far out of her range and strength.

“Once the paper’s been summoned, the stamina required to control it is probably not very much. Close to nothing, I’d assume.” Jackie stated, much to Sam’s surprise.

“What? That’s insane.”

“I have some ideas, but honestly, we need to contact Luis and them. Right now, I can only assume that Ajuls heading there to make his…claim.”

Sam swallowed. Her power was blasted away by mere paper, by a man that disregarded the authority she built for herself. Her fist bled as her nails cut into her own skin.

 

Ajul

“HOLY SHIT!” Ajul laughed, out of breath, as he stretched his arm out of the window of the car. Right before he would have run out of stamina, he disappeared into a car left unlocked by some random person.

“Those idiots…but damn. Sam damn near ripped my arm off.” Ajul said to himself, thinking back to just a couple hours ago.

Whilst running away, Sam had sent that weird mist at his arm, the pulling sensation causing Ajuls pain receptors to explode out with pain as she tried to rip his arm off.

That bitch is insane! She was flying freely, throwing cars and shit at me, damn! But even worse was…

Jackie. From the moment that paper blade pierced her skin, Ajul saw her muscle fibers and skin regenerating at an insane pace. When he threw that maelstrom spear, the paper sliced at her, yet she was fine less than a minute later.

But what was terrifying was what she was doing to keep up with Sam and Ajul. She’d shatter her bones and muscles to rocket herself forward, just to keep up with the two of them.

Both of them are crazy. But why was Gabin masked up, trying to kill me?

The moment that Ajul saw Gabin, he knew. The man that tried to kill him the night before was again in front of him, yet now he was nothing. At the very least, Gabin was holding himself back for some reason against Ajul. 

Orlando was on Ajuls horizon now. Not everyone was there, so he could only assume that the rest of them would be back ‘home’.

I wonder…I want to make another massive display. I guess the downtown area would be the best place for it.

He snickered as he barreled down the empty roads.