Second Reality: Surge of Power

Chapter XV The bigger they are

The silent streets were disturbed by the sudden thud coming from the bar. The children looked shocked at their trainer who was flung away like a pebble.

"Sledge!" Luna tried running at the man but was quickly stopped by Sledge's scream.

"What are you doing? Get the others out of here! Ill deal with him!" Sledge ordered Luna who quickly realized the weight of her words. The man finally stood up and faced the kids. "You shouldn't be here!" Groaned the man as he cocked back his fist. Towels suddenly surrounded the man's arms and held him back.

Sam's hands summoned the towels that held back the stranger from attacking. "Go kids! Now!" Sam shouted at the children to make them move, despite them being frozen by fear.

Luna grabbed the hand of Iiwa and the four of them ran out to the streets. Meanwhile the man pulled Sam over the counter by the towels and slammed him on the ground, cracking the wooden floor. He had to quickly release his grasp on Sam's throat as he heard footsteps approaching him from behind. As he turned, he had no time to react to the sledgehammer hitting his face. Sledge, slamming her hammer with all her might felt vibrations traveling through her arm, quaking the skeleton in her body. The man took the attack without flinching.

"What the hell are you made of?" Sledge looked desperate as she held her arm in pain.

Moments before, in a nearby alley...

Smoke flew towards the sky as two men waited in the shadows. "Man! Who knew Anvil was such a lightweight! We've been waiting for him to wake up for almost a day! And can't you go without a smoke break for more than an hour?" A young man's yapping echoed towards his comrade.

"He's a man who respects authority more than anything. Disappointing Master Puppet seemed to take a toll on him, that only alcohol can alleviate. My way of dealing with stress is smoking and let me tell you, your constant complaining makes it hard not to be on edge." The other more scruffy-looking older man lit up another cigarette as he looked in the direction of the Broken Window.

"He should be happy Master didn't kill him, or us!" The younger man removed his hood to reveal his bob cut blond hair and a white piercing in his eyebrow.

"And what would he tell the new hooded one the Family will send? We got off easy. But I wouldn't say we are lucky either."

"You're right! Then let's go and try to wake Anvil up, before he goes back to drinking! We should get back into Puppet's good graces asap!" Before even standing up they heard the thud from the bar. They looked at each other worried and ran to the entrance. But the kids bumped into them frantically escaping the pub.

"Get the hell out of my way shitty brats!" The younger man screamed at the kids, who froze as they realized the attire these two strangers had on meant they were hooded ones.

"Don't bother with them just go!" The older man ordered him, but as he walked forward, Luna gathered electricity in her palm as a warning.

"Oh! You think that's a wise decision?" The older man looked down at Luna trying to intimidate her.

"All I know is you won't set a foot in the bar." Luna and the man shared a look of animosity, keeping their eyes locked on each other.
Ginna tackled the younger man onto the ground. Rosa quickly followed her. As the rougher looking man turned to look at his friend Luna reached towards him, trying to shock him, but the man grabbed her hand and tossed her away.

"You could come at me in the hundreds. Wouldn't make a difference." The man took one last hit from his cigarette, before dropping it. The last thing the kids saw was the embers dancing around on the ground, before the entire street was filled with smoke. "I am Chainsmoker! I control smoke! Now give me a reason to spare you!" Chainsmoker words came from every direction confusing the coughing children. The sounds of struggle were heard in the distance where Ginna and the young stranger went, but Lunas vision was scanning for a sign of Iiwa. Taking one step toward what she thought was the right direction only resulted in Chainsmoker's fist digging into her stomach. "You know, I don't like hurting kids, let alone girls, but you attacked me." Luna flailed at her enemy desperately, but he jumped back in the smoke. "Your power is electricity, so as long as I keep my distance you cannot hurt me, little girl!"