Duality (A Fanfic Continuation)

Fifty-Five

November 2011

"Hello?"

"I need a larger training room and I need you to extend my 3-hour curfew."

"Nope. You can have the room but I won't budge the 21-year policy."  Kim's voice drawled through the phone, echoing off the walls of the empty room.

"You want me to die, don't you?"

A chair creaked, Eddy could almost hear the inaudible sigh. "Eddy, you are powerful enough to take down the Firebird, we have established that multiple times. You won't die."

Honestly, sometimes the resemblance between Eddy and his mother fazed Kim. They were so different and yet so similar.

"You are one of the best we've ever had."

"But It's not enough, Kim! He's getting stronger day by day while I can't even manifest a decent snowstorm!" He bit his lip, "If there's nothing more I can unleash, I'll train harder. I should at least be able to use my best spell without any fear of human destruction." The poor lip tore in his despair, drawing out crimson into his mouth.

Damn perfectionists. 

"I can look into a session with Soyre" Kim offered, ignoring the ringing of Eddy's shrill voice in his ears.

"Fine!"

Click.

He was fine with that. From what Eddy had heard, Soyre was one of the topmost recruits of the agency, probably NHA's pride. He had done over a hundred missions, most of which had ended up hailing him as the victor. Maybe Soyre could help him unlock some hidden potential.

He sighed as he shifted his weight on the bed, propping his laptop open. There was almost an hour before the next class, a perfect duration to get some research done. 

Fire, Ash, smoke, destruction.

He scoured through his database, scanning the thousands of pictures and video clips of the Firebird in his full glory, obliterating everything in his path, few dated even before Eddy had joined the arena. Agency bases burning, flames lapping high into the night as the Firebird stood unfazed, basking in the after-glory of his triumph, in the grandeur of his creation, just like every other battle, every other encounter the Prince and the Firebird had had.

Eddy played the clips of his battles again and again, hoping to find something of use (an advantage if you would), something he might have overlooked on the field, anything that could be classified as a weakness, a glitch in the matrix, but to no apparent success. 

The Post-Office, the Pier, each battle came back into a full circle at the firestorm, red engulfing everything once the deed was done, as the enemy brazenly stood amidst the ensuing chaos, without sparing as less as a glance at the families he tore apart, the civilizations he burnt down.

But now, Eddy did wonder. What was it?  The old thought resurfaced in his brain, a cat and dog fight? An arrogant demonstration of prowess? 

No, controlling the destruction is my utmost priority. Civilians, for whose safety I work, come before this now ego battle - spawn for the enemy's unending derision...

He would have to convince himself that he was powerful enough but his brain obviously decided to work the easier way out, with the least physical pain possible because again, there could be something, just something he must have missed in his haste, but his research was definitely so thorough that it just couldn't be, right?