SoulStuck

Skyler West

You slash through 3 more targets before you take a break. You come out of your weapon form to stop and sit with Austin, your meister and best friend. You've been in the simulator for about three hours, and the buses haven't even started coming in yet. You check the time on your phone. 7:00 am... you were logged into the simulator at 4 in the morning because you want to get this technique down pat to show Jason.
"Skyler, what do you think it is Kid wants?"
"I dunno, probably a mission by the sound of it. That and he wants something with Jason and Andrew."
"I kinda can't wait!"
"Me either, but we're gonna have to. Ready for another go at it? we've almost got it!"
"Sounds good to me. I'll start it up."
You stretch before shifting into your weapon form. A crimson bladed double edge sword with a spiked black woven handle. You hate to sound conceited but you look badass. Austin snatches you out of the air and the simulation starts.
Immediately two targets pop up on each side. Austin swings you in an arching motion and easily beheads both of them. You hear the next set pop up behind you. You feel Austin's momentum bring both of you to face them, blocking an oncoming practice blade. He flips you in hand, blade pointing to the ground, making you feel upside down, only momentarily as he slashed up, cutting the first target in half down the middle, turning around, and thrusting you into the last targets center, from behind. The next 4 come up around you. This is the moment you were waiting for. In unison, you both speak.
"LETS GO SOUL RESONANCE"
You feel the air swirling around you and you feel immensely stronger.
"SOUL CLONE QUAD SPLIT"
You feel the air wrap around in your- no- Austin's hair. You are one being. You keep your focus, and you feel yourself move in time with the other three of you. Austin wastes no time in slicing the first dummy into bits, Your first clone evaporates. You feel the force of yourself going through the next dummies head, and down, cutting it up. Your second clone evaporates as well. Now the fun part, this is where things get tough. Austin moves with the wind and is immediately in what would be the targets face, and slams you into the targets center, rips you out, spins and decapitates it, all in one swift motion. Your third clone evaporates and you feel yourself get dizzy, you can tell it has thrown Austin off as well.
"Austin, stay focused, one more!"
You feel him bare down on his footing.
You feel his feet shift and before you know it you are embedded in the fourth targets head.... what was left of it.. anyways.....
You're too exhausted to keep in your weapon form. You shift back and drop to the ground, gasping for air. Austin does the same as the wind dies down.
"We.... We did it......*huff huff* holy shit..."
He barely gets that sentence out before he hits the ground.
You feel an amazing sense of accomplishment in knowing you pulled it off. A technique Jason has been trying to teach you for months.
"A-Austin....*huff* finally..... did it......."
You roll over and check your phone.
2 missed messages
7:45 am
"Austin we... Need to get going."
"I'll be there in a bit, go ahead."
You don't bother arguing, you leave your combat clothes on since you have training with everyone first thing after the bell rings. You walk into the school through the rear entrance as normal when you practice early. You pick up a steady jog to the cafeteria where everybody meets before the bell. You get around the corner and you don't even know how to process what you see.
Jason is in tears.
Andrew is close to it, and he's panicking.
Ben and Trevor are holding hands.....
And no one else is here yet.