Chiron Academy

Chapter 31: Fighting the Whole Ocean

He squared his shoulders. He wasn't about to let himself get caught, not now that he'd finally learned something after spinning his wheels fruitlessly for so long. The phone in his pocket and the information he'd gotten from Omni were the first real information he'd gotten in this investigation. He still wasn't sure about Omni or Palmer Valdez's plan, but for some reason, they had not only learned about the school's location but, more importantly, they had been watching it. But why? What could they have planned? What could they possibly have to gain? Were they just mad about Chiron setting up in their backyard? He'd have to talk it out with Lt. Davis.

Wyatt could feel his pulse quickening as his body kicked into fight or flight mode. Which was lucky as it looked like he would need to do a combination of both fighting and running.

He was confident that he could do much better than he did the last time he and Omni had met. Back then, Omni had gotten the drop on him, catching him unawares and taking advantage of Wyatt's ignorance about his powers. But this time, it was Wyatt that had caught Omni on the back foot. Reinforcements or not, Wyatt had been braced for a fight since he'd walked in. Sure, he was fighting a coordinated group, but he was stronger and faster than any of them. Omni, despite his advantage in numbers, was just a guy. A few clones couldn't change that.

Summoning all the strength he could from his sword, he pushed off hard towards the closest Omni, swinging his arm upwards in an arc that just caught the man's chin. The clone fell backward out of Wyatt's sight and Wyatt kept moving forward towards the next Omni, the half-formed one that had been under the tarp.

To Wyatt's surprise, the clone was unready for him. Wyatt had already ducked under a punch that hadn't been thrown. He had fully expected him to be coming in with a punch. Before when he had fought Omni, the different Omnis had all acted in sync, like they were all linked, but now it seemed like they had lost it. Instead of closing in immediately on Wyatt's weakness as he dealt with the clone, Wyatt had just dropped, this Omni had a look of surprise in his one-finished eye.

Was the clone just unfinished?

Wyatt shoved the thought out of his mind as he threw his shoulder into the clone, forcing him to the ground. Wyatt half wondered if its dull wax-like skin would shatter when it hit the ground, but the copy seemed to find as it crashed to the ground. It was very odd seeing an almost exact copy of the man beside him except it was missing the elements that made it human. It looked like someone had been doing a very in-depth cosplay makeup of Omni out of a manakin.

Wyatt smiled, as he dodged a punch, an actually pretty tight uppercut, from the next Omni, the one with wet hair toothpaste around his mouth. Wyatt had been worried that the four extra Omnis would throw the fight too much into their favor, but he had already downed two of them and he doubted the others would be too hard. Wyatt almost allowed a smile to come to their lips as he threw his own uppercut right into the Out of the Shower Omni's gut.

He turned to the original Omni (was he the original Omni? With of all these clones, who know where the real Omni was.) His skin still glistened with sweat from the heat of the room. Wyatt could feel himself sweating profusely in his costume. He had bundled up for the cold, not to get into a tussle inside a sauna. Wyatt had half expected this last Omni to be already on his way to deliver another strike, maybe catch Wyatt unawares while he was throwing his uppercut, but this Omni also seemed to lack the usual groupmind awareness.

Original Omni, as Wyatt had decided to call him, was backing away slowly his eyes looking imploringly at the Omnis on the ground. Wyatt had not been gentle with them. They were each in various states of trying to get up again, but none was particularly close.

"Now then," Wyatt said slowly, "who was it again that was going to be asking the questions?"

Original Omni didn't respond; he had backed into the wall. Wyatt thought for a moment that he was going to lung outward towards him, but instead, the man furrowed his brow and he let out a guttural yell.