The Midnight Train

Chapter 1

10 years later.

"Don't worry Salem," Kano's voice is soft as he moves his arms around me and holds me close to his warm body. "I'll always be here to protect you. Don't you forget it!" His smile is warm and friendly, able to light up any room. "Okay Salem?"

"Salem-"

"Salem-"

"Shadow!"

A throbbing pain in the back of my head shocks me from my sleep and I open my eyes while reeling back to feel the damage spot.

"Ah- ow. What gives?" I groan with pain and a little annoyance. Once my newly awakened focus, I see my three teammates standing in front of me. Two looking rather shocked while one looks angry with a ruler in her hand.

"What gives us you missed class again, Shadow!" The girl speaks in a voice fueled by rage, her long and silky black hair falling from shoulder to dangle by her face. "You might not care about your grades, but now that we're a team, that not only affects you but also us!"

"NightFox-"

"The." She corrects me. I stare at her with uneasy eyes.

"Sorry. THE NightFox, I do care. I just missed this one class, what's the big deal? It's not like it's the end of the world." I lean back in my seat as my gaze drifts to my other two teammates, Cleric and XIII, a glorified healer and a time traveller with no watch.

"Mr. Cassien is already upset with usthat you threw the mayor out the window in that TRAINING exersize to SAVE him. You are lucky all he got was a few scrapes and bruises thanks to Cleric overusing his powers and being out of commission for three days!" The NightFox shouts at me.

""R-really, I-it's okay-" Cleric steps in, visibly a little nervous to try to break up a fight between the two females of the group. One he obviously crushes on, and then me, the one he fears.

""Cleric! It's not okay!" The NightFox turns to the boy and yells at him too before turning back to me. "And you, we have been looking everywhere for you. Why are you in a library of all places?" She narrows her eyes at me and I look around.

We are in the school's library. Books line the walls and the shelves. The carpets are red to nicely match the red wood of the interior and bookcase shelves. Though a few singe marks lay awake in the far North corner from when two seniors had a break up last summer, and the one with fire manipulation powers had gotten a little too hot headed. Since then, fire powered students have been restricted from accessing the library. But if they insist, they do get to wear a fancy fire retardant suit for their time spent in the library.

"One, it is quiet. Two, I can just scare the nerds away. Easy."

"But think of your reputation. What will the people think if they see the self proclaimed 'Toughest Student' hanging out in the library with all the nerds?" I should not let The NightFox's taunts get to me, but they did.

"I AM the Toughest Student here! There ain't nothing that will tarnish that!" I stand from my seat quick and stare The NightFox straight in the eye, our faces only a few inches apart. Both with expressions showing signs of fight and no intention of backing down.

"Then prove it!" A grin curls upon The NightFox's face, her daring eyes hidden behind her mask stare deep with in me to call out my fighting passion. "Complete the Evermore challenge and I'll take you more seriously with your claims of being the toughest student here."

"I will! I will do it right here, right now!"

"Shall we go then?" The NightFox asks, turning away from me, her grin remaining proudly upon her face.

"We shall!" I grit my teeth and follow her out. Behind me I hear XiII ask Cleric what the Evermore challenge is. Rose Evermore was a business student at the Parasol Academy, long before our time. The school was for those with superhuman abilities, yet she never showed any abilities of any kind. People thought she was just super smart, others thought she had a more hidden ability. And there were some who knew the truth, that she preferred not to use her powers. The challenge she completed that was dubbed the Evermore Challenge was to complete the school's toughest obstacle course without using your abilities. For if anyone could successfully complete something which many super powered beings can't- even with the use of their abilities- then surely that individual deserves the title of the 'Toughest Student'.

*   *   *

The doors to the training field open before me, a light breeze brushes past my shoulders and I take a deep breath.

"I got this." I think to myself, "I can do this." I enter and am met with bleachers filled with students, all excited to watch the triumph unfold. "Why are there so many people here?"

"Are you ready to go get them champ?" The NightFox teases. She holds her hand out to me but I push it away.

"I was born ready."

"Okay. You know the drill. Complete the course in under five minutes without using your powers and you'll solidify your self proclaimed title."

"Quick question though, why are there so many people here?" I turn to look at The NightFox.

"I guess everyone just wants to watch you succeed." She pauses as a smirk crosses her face. "Or crash and burn. Either way, they're here to watch you make history. So give it your best shot kid."

"Yeah. Whatever." I mumble before stepping up to the plate. I ready myself when the countdown begins, the crowd chanting along to the beeps. The buzzer rings and the clock starts and I jolt into action.

For the most part, the course isn't too bad. Sure I could have gone faster if I could just teleport from platform to platform, but I wanted to stay true to the challenge. Finally, I near the end of the course. I glance up at the time remaining and my heart sinks a little. I need to make it across a path in less than 30 seconds. "It's impossible. I can't do that without cheating. But-" I look ahead at the course, there's a wall that is blocking the sight line of the audience. "If I can teleport while behind there, no one will notice that I cheated." I think to myself. I take one more look at the decreasing time, I take a deep breath and then lunge at the gap. While behind the wall I teleport six feet forwards and just barely land on the other side of the platform. I smash the button to end the clock and look up at the time. Finished with a hair line of time to go. I breathe deeply and grin wide looking down at The NightFox.

"I did it." I call down to her and she just gives me a smirk for a reply. I teleport over to her in a huff, "what's that supposed to mean?"

"You cheated. I knew you were going to cheat under pressure. That's why I got the IT crew to install a set of hidden cameras behind that wall, so we can watch to see if you stay true to your word or not. And you didn't. So- guess that means you're not so tough." She shrugs and I clench my fists with rage.

"No! You cheated! I can't believe you- ah!" I scream before teleporting away, returning to my childhood home instead of to the student dormitory. "Friggen NightFox thinks she's so smart! It infuriates me!" I grumble, stomping through a hallway.

Something catches my eyes and I stop. My heart drops as I stare into the eyes of my mother's portrait. Rose Evermore Takayama. My mother. I look at my reflection in the glass of her picture and I feel my eyes begin to water.

"I've failed you mother, I wish I could do better, but I'm not perfect. I can't be like you. I wish you were here so I could hug you. I- I wish I had a different life, one where you were here with me." Tears roll down my cheeks as I stare at myself in the reflection of my mother's portrait, our hazel eyes meet and our chestnut hair match almost perfectly save for the green I dyed my tips and side swipe bangs with. My mother died so I could be born, and my father has blamed me ever since. I hate my life. I just wish I could change it, even if just for one day.

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Word Count: 1462