Sky of Dust: The Last Weapon (14 page)

My head started to hurt from all of the information that I had just absorbed. I had so many more questions
,
but I
did
not think I would be able to handle
the answers
right now.

“
Bed sounds good
,“
I said.

I got up and grabbed the bag full of my clothes and walked into my room, closing the door behind me. I fumbled
around
until I found a lever that I pushed up to turn the lights on.

I set my belonging
s
on the chair next to my bed. Everything looked so clean. I looked at my hands
,
which were still covered with dirt. I was filthy.

I took off my clothes and stuffed them in a trash bin in the bathroom.

I stood in the shower
probably close
to an hour. It was so relaxing letting the hot water trickle over my body. Hot water was a treat back at home, especially with so many people living in the same house.

By the time I got out
,
my body was shriveled like a raisin. It did not matter though
;
I felt the
cleanest
I had ever been in my life.

I walked over to the bed and sat on it. I sunk a few inches into the foam mattress and my back cracked. I had been sleeping on a mattress that
was
probably
eighty
years old
,
with
springs
popping out, back at home.

I slid under the blankets and closed my eyes.

I woke when I heard the
apartment
door shut.

Dad must have left for work.

I turned over and closed my eyes, determined to get a few more hours of sleep before I started my day.

My heart jumped when I heard
footsteps
approach my door and stop.

Maybe D
ad did not leave, I thought.

The door opened
,
and Abigail walked in.

“
Ugh, put some clothes on!
”
s
he cried as she grabbed my bag and threw
it
at me.

“
Don’t you knock!?
”
I asked in
embarrassment
.
I was mostly covered I thought. I hope.
“
How did you get in here anyways?
”

“
Your dad let me in when he was leaving
,
”
s
he told me with her back turned towards me.
“
I figured I would show you around. Mary is giving Peter a tour already. We will meet them for lunch later on.
”

“
And Casey?
”
I asked.

“
Your dad is giving him a private tour
,
”
Abigail responded in an uneasy voice.
“I guess your dad thinks he can get Casey to realize that we were…are trying to help him.”

I hoped D
ad would be able to convince Casey, but that’s just not something you could let go so easily. Even if Casey came to terms of what happened, I feel like our relationship would never be the way it was.

I pulled on my clothes and grabbed my green hoodie.

“
Al
l
right, let’s get going then
,
”
I said.

Abigail turned around
,
and her eyes widened. I felt like I was being sized up for a slaughter.

“
What?
”
I asked.

“
Nothing
,
”
s
he replied.
“
Just you clean up well.
”

I almost felt happy until she
opened her mouth again
.

“
I almost thought you would stay gray forever
,
”
s
he added.

I sighed.
“
Do you ever say anything nice?
”

“
All the time
,
”
Abigail responded.
“
I just tell the truth.
”

As we left the apartment
,
I grabbed a few apples for breakfast.

“
So what’s on today’s agenda?
”
I asked.

“
I figured I would show you the training areas, the armory, and then do some shopping
,
”
s
he replied.

“
Shopping?”
I said.

“
Not for you dummy, for me
,
”
s
he said
,
rolling her eyes.
“
Today is July 4
th
. There will be a party in the shopping area. They will clear out all the booths and turn it into a giant ballroom. There will be food, concerts, and dancing.
”

“
So what does that have to with shopping? And what’s special about today?
”
I asked.

Abigail’s face got red.

“
Well, I have nothing to wear
,
”
s
he admitted.
“
And t
oday is Independence Day
, w
hen the original US won their independence.
”

As we walked
,
I began to fill her in on what my dad told me the night before.

“
So that’s why he wants us to help him? He needs people he can trust?
”
Abigail asked once I was finished.
“
I can’t believe that we will be invaded. And work together with Renatus
?
I
t does not seem very likely.
”

I had to agree with her. It did not seem possible
,
but I guess we did not have many options.

We reached an area that reminded me of a gym but about twenty times bigger. There were weights, stair machines, four boxing arenas, punching bags, and a whole lot other things that were new to me.

“
This is one of the training areas
,
”
Abigail told me.
“
This is mainly for warm ups and to stay in shape. The best one is the one that you see from your dad’s balcony.
”

“
Have you been
there
?
”
I asked.

“
I have
been there a few times
,
”
s
he said.
“
A few times a year they hold a competition, a war game. They also have an obstacle course there that you must pass in order to be in the higher ranks of the US military.
”

“
Is that the one we have to pass in order to join my dad’s team? Have you tried to do it?
”
I asked.

“
Noooo, I have not tried to do it. And yes, that’s the same one. It is extremely hard I hear. Jason was able to finish it
though
,
”
Abigail said with pride.

Great, another mark for why Jason is great and I am a loser.

“
This training area is mostly for the normal people. We have a separate training area
,
”
Abigail informed me.

“
We?
”
I asked.

“
The ones with abilities. It'
s safer to keep everyone separated when we
are learning
to control our abilities
,
”
Abigail told me.

She led me a bit further down the hallways and
into
an elevator.

We exited in
to
a wide open room with scattered weapons and debris all over.

“
Do they ever clean in here?
”
I commented.

“
Yeah, it gets messy in
here when some of us let loose,
”
Abigail replied.
“
Your dad comes down here every once in a while to try and teach new comers how to control their abilities.
”

“
Really? How?
”
I asked.

She looked at me shocked.

“
He hasn’t told you?
”
She asked.

I shook my head.

“
Dalyn, he helped create
the
watches,
”
s
he
answered.

Abigail smiled and started to
wave
.

I turned my head
,
and Jason was heading towards us.

“
He has an ability too?
”
I mumbled loudly.

“
Yep, he is amazing
,
”
Abigail swooned.

“
How are you two doing?
”
Jason asked us with a smile as he approached us.

“
We are fine
,
”
Abigail answered.

“
And you?
”
Jason directed towards me.

“
Uhh, just
in
a bit of a shock
from
being somewhere new
,
”
I replied.

“
You will fit in perfectly
;
don’t worry about it
,
”
Jason assured me.

Great, he is a nice
guy
on top of being a pilot, handsome, having abilities, completing the impossible obstacle course, and being smart. Nope, I have no shot.

“
Thanks
,
”
I said.

“
Listen, Abigail told me how good of a fighter you are. Do you mind being my sparring partner for a bit?
”
Jason asked.

“
Jason, I don’t think that is such a good idea
,
”
Abigail said with concern in her voice.

“
He’s fine. If he is half the fighter you say he is
,
then I should be the one who is worried
,
”
Jason told Abigail and winked at me.
“
Besides we will both be padded down
,
so neither of us will get hurt.
”

“
Why
not?
”
I said. Even with my shot being zero
,
I could not chicken out.

Jason helped me fit on a pair of boxing gloves
,
and Abigail helped me secure my padded helmet.

“
Al
l
right
,
”
Jason said.
“
Abilities are fair game.
Yell ‘Uncle’ if you give up.
”

“
What’s your ability?
”
I asked.

Jason smiled.
“
You will see.
”

I had taken basic combat classes in school
,
so I was familiar with fighting
—
I just happened not to be that good
at it
. I usually just
ran
away until I was caught and beat.

Jason took a step forward
,
and I started to back up
,
but I stopped and raised my arms.

Jason was an arm’s length away.

He stood with his arms to his side, like he wanted me to hit me.

I swung
,
and my right glove connected with the side of his face. Jason’s
head snapped to the side then straight
ened
. He
smiled.

A wave of anger rushed through me. This smug guy is just playing with me.

I swung again, this time connecting to his right side.

He lurched a bit and
straight
ened up, still smiling.

“
My turn
,
”
h
e said as he jabbed forward.

I was caught off guard
as
his glove connected
with
my chest.

I felt pain on the right side of my face, my chest, and on my lower right side.

I stumbled back a few paces
before collapsing
in pain. How was he able to do that? It felt like he had hit me three times with just one hit.

“
Where ever you hit me, I can hold the damage and push it back at you just by touching you
,
”
Jason gloated
like he was reading my thoughts
.

“
Jason, that’s enough
,
”
Abigail pleaded, but Jason ignored her.

Jason walked closer to me
,
and I got to my feet. My mind was racing. I could not be so pathetic.

I replayed what just happened in my head. He had been hurt when I
first
hit him; it just took a second for him to contain it. If I could somehow overwhelm him without being hit myself
,
then I may stand a chance.