The sky above the lake turned into a churning, purplish-black canvas. The wind howled, creating small waves on the once-calm surface of the water. The rain began to fall, not as a gentle drizzle, but as cold drops that felt like icy needles. Lightning struck closer and closer, illuminating the grim scene with frightening flashes of light.
Tom Jacker stood in the middle of it all, completely unfazed. His hair and clothes were soaked, but the smile on his face didn't fade in the slightest. In fact, he looked up as if enjoying a show put on just for him.
"Not a bad show!" Tom shouted, challenging the wind. "But is this all you've got, Number Six?"
In response, a colossal bolt of lightning shot down from the sky, not just anywhere, but straight at Tom.
BOOOM!
The explosion shook the ground and sent a shockwave through the area. The earth where Tom had been standing was scorched black, leaving a small, smoking crater. For a moment, there was nothing there.
However, from within the smoke, Tom's figure stepped out. His clothes were in tatters and his entire body was blackened with soot, his hair standing on end as if he'd just been shocked by static electricity. He coughed once, letting out a small puff of smoke.
"Wow," he said, his voice a little hoarse. "That really tickled. Feels like drinking too much soda."
A momentary silence fell, with only the sound of the wind and rain remaining. Clearly, his attacker was surprised. Tom used that moment. He stretched his hand towards the dark sky.
"Alright, my turn!"
A brightly glowing, golden fireball formed in his palm, radiating intense heat. The heat from the Lumen vaporized the raindrops around him, creating a puff of steam and a light that rivaled the lightning. He then fired several projectiles of fire toward the storm clouds, not to destroy them, but more as a signal. "I'm here! I can play too!"
Suddenly, an attack came from an unexpected direction. A gust of wind so powerful it was more like an invisible wall than a normal breeze slammed into Tom from the side, sending him tumbling several times before he came to a stop. As he got up, he felt another presence, very close.
He couldn't see anyone, but his new Garde instincts told him someone was there. Invisible.
A swift, powerful kick landed on his back, followed by a chop to his neck. The attacks were fast, precise, and lethal. For a normal human or even a Mogadorian, it would have been enough to break bones. For Tom, it just felt like being pushed rather hard.
"A game of hide-and-seek, huh? I love it!" Tom exclaimed as he spun around, swinging his fist at the empty air where he felt the attack had come from.
His punch hit nothing, and a counterattack struck him again. This was Number Six. She was using the storm as a distraction and camouflage, while she herself attacked up close using her invisibility.
Tom started to laugh. He stopped trying to retaliate blindly. Instead, he used his Telekinesis in a clever way. He didn't try to catch Number Six, but he lifted the dust, leaves, and water from the ground around him, creating a sort of particle vortex that swirled around his body.
The next attack from Number Six left a momentary trace in the vortex of dust and water, a fast-moving, empty silhouette.
"Gotcha!" Tom grinned and fired a burst of Lumen at the silhouette.
A small cry was heard, and the figure of Number Six appeared for a moment as she leaped away from the flames. A young woman with dark hair, wearing practical clothes, and with a sharp, hostile gaze. She vanished again right after, but Tom now knew what his opponent looked like.
[System Panel]
- Target analysis in progress... 'Atmokinesis' ability detected. 'Invisibility' ability detected. Synchronization for copying can be initiated after the target is defeated.
"Atmokinesis and Invisibility," Tom muttered. "I have to have those!"
He began to play more seriously, or rather, more chaotically. He used Telekinesis to throw fallen trees in the direction he guessed Number Six was. He created walls of fire with Lumen to limit her movement space. The storm above them raged ever more fiercely as Number Six's frustration grew. Hail began to fall, and the wind blew so hard it could topple trees.
Their battle transformed the landscape around the lake. The ground was scorched on one side, frozen on the other, and littered with debris.
After some time, Number Six seemed to have a terrible realization. No matter how hard she attacked, no matter if it was with lightning, ice, or deadly physical strikes, this man in front of her always got back up, sometimes with a sarcastic comment. He couldn't get tired, he couldn't be hurt. He couldn't be defeated by conventional means.
Finally, the storm began to subside. The attacks stopped.
Tom stood in the middle of the chaos they had created, looking around. "Done playing already? It was just starting to get fun."
From behind a tree, Number Six emerged, not in invisible mode this time. Her face was pale, her breathing ragged. She no longer radiated an aura of pure hostility, but one of deep confusion and wariness.
"What are you?" she asked, her voice firm despite her obvious exhaustion.
Tom just gave her the most cheerful and infuriating smile he could muster.
"Me? I'm your new problem."
Number Six stared at Tom Jacker, her fists still clenched tightly at her sides, ready to attack again even though she knew it was futile. The rain had subsided to a light drizzle, the remnants of the storm she had created. The man before her, who should have been ash or at least a pile of charred flesh, instead looked fresher than ever, as if the fight had been a refreshing spa session.
"A new problem?" Number Six repeated, her voice cold and sharp. "You're not a Mogadorian. You're not Garde. So I'll repeat myself, what are you?"
Tom tilted his head, considering the question for a moment. "Hmm, tough question. I'm... a fan. Yes, let's go with that. I'm a fan of people with special talents like you. And like a true collector, I love to collect rare 'items'."
Number Six frowned. The answer made no sense. It was the answer of someone who was mocking her. "What do you want from me?"
"I already told you, didn't I?" Tom said lightly. "I want your powers. Your ability to create that storm, so dramatic, I love it. And your invisibility? Very useful for sneaking the last cookie from the kitchen. I want them both."
Number Six fell silent. She tried to process those words. Take her powers? It was a concept she had never heard of. She assumed the man was insane, or he was playing a complex psychological game for a purpose she didn't understand.
"You're insane," she hissed.
"Insane is a word often used by people who lack imagination," Tom retorted with a shrug. "Just look around us. You can create lightning from the sky. I can get hit by that lightning and just feel a tickle. In our world, what is 'insane'?"
Tom's twisted logic silenced her again. He was right. Their world was already insane. But this man was on a different level of insanity. He was an anomaly within an anomaly. Number Six was a pragmatic warrior. She knew when to fight and when to retreat. Continuing this fight was a futile, suicidal act.
She had to leave. She needed information. She needed to find out what or who this man was.
"You won't get anything from me," Number Six said with emphasis, more to convince herself than Tom.
"Oh, I will," Tom replied with absolute confidence. "It's just a matter of time. But I'm in no hurry. This game is too much fun to end now."
Number Six stared at him intently for a few seconds, trying to find a loophole, a weakness, or any sign of a lie. She found nothing but pure amusement in her opponent's eyes. With a heavy heart, she began to step backward, slowly, ready to flee if Tom made a move.
Tom just watched her, not moving at all to stop her. He crossed his arms over his chest, as if giving her permission to leave.
Seeing that Tom wasn't giving chase, Number Six turned and bolted, her body blurring and disappearing among the trees. She didn't use her invisibility, as if to show that she was leaving of her own accord, not out of fear.
After she was truly gone, Tom let out a satisfied sigh. "Tough girl. Her powers are even better than I imagined."
He looked at his hands, then at the sky. The fight had given him a clear picture of what he could gain. Maximum-level Atmokinesis would give him control over large-scale weather phenomena. Maximum-level Invisibility would make him the perfect ghost. The combination of those with the Telekinesis and Lumen he already had... the potential for chaos and fun he could create was almost limitless.
"Alright, she's on the run now," Tom muttered to himself. "That means the hunt begins again."
But this time was different. It was no longer a hunt for an unknown shadow. It was a personal game between him and Number Six. He knew who his opponent was, and she knew who he was. Number Six would be more careful, more cunning. She might try to set traps or find unconventional ways to deal with Tom.
And Tom Jacker couldn't wait for that to happen.
He looked in the direction of Number Six's escape, a sly grin forming on his face again.
"Run and hide all you want, Number Six," he whispered to the wind. "It'll only make it more fun when I find you."
With a renewed purpose and a burning enthusiasm for a more challenging game, Tom began to plan his next move. He might have to track her, or maybe he just needed to make an even bigger commotion to lure her out once more. Whatever the method, he knew one thing: sooner or later, Number Six's powers would be his.