Blood. Bruises. Pleading voices.
"Help us… Amari… Daniel…"
Amari bolted upright, sweat running down his face. His chest heaved as he stared into the darkness of his room.
Daniel stirred. "What's wrong?"
"I… I dreamed of them. Mom, Dad, Grandpa… they were begging for help."
Daniel rubbed his eyes, still half-asleep. "It was just a dream—"
Amari cut him off, voice sharp and loud.
"No! It wasn't just a dream. This is the last day of training. Tomorrow—we set out!"
Daniel blinked at him, startled. "Wait, why end training now?"
"BECAUSE MOM, DAD, AND GRANDPA ARE IN TROUBLE, THAT'S WHY!" Amari roared, fists trembling.
Silence filled the room for a moment. Then Daniel looked down, guilt on his face. "…Sorry. You're right. This is just… so stressful."
Amari's tone softened. "I know, Daniel. But that's why today, we give it everything we have."
Daniel nodded firmly. "Alright. Let's do this."
⸻
The brothers entered the underground base.
"Sam," Amari called. "Tomorrow, we're leaving. We'll need the teleportation device ready."
Sam's voice replied steadily. "Understood. What will today's training be?"
Amari's eyes hardened. "Give us 150-pound full-body weights. No excuses."
"Very well."
Panels opened. The weighted suits slid forward. When Amari and Daniel put them on, the crushing weight nearly forced them to their knees. Their bones screamed, their muscles trembled. For a moment, they could barely crawl.
But slowly… they stood tall.
"We… can do this," Daniel gritted out.
"Yeah. For them," Amari said.
⸻
Inside the training room, sweat already pouring, they dropped to the floor.
"Two hundred pushups."
Their arms quaked.
"Two hundred sit-ups."
Their cores screamed.
"Two hundred jumping jacks."
Their hearts pounded.
"Two hundred squats."
Their legs felt like lead.
And still—they did not stop.
⸻
Finally, Amari straightened, chest heaving. "Time to spar. This time… Daniel, use your eyes."
Daniel's expression grew serious. His eyes flared green and black. "You sure?"
Amari nodded. "I don't want the easy version of you. I want the real you. Don't hold back—just because I'm your brother."
Daniel smirked faintly. "Alright then."
⸻
The fight began in a blur.
Amari launched forward with a kick aimed at Daniel's head. Daniel caught his leg mid-air and tossed it aside, countering with a strike—Amari barely dodged.
They exchanged a flurry of blows, fists and feet colliding like thunder. Daniel suddenly swapped places with Amari, appearing behind him. His fist drove into Amari's ribs.
"Gh—!" Amari gasped, but retaliated mid-fall, blasting a green beam into Daniel's face.
Daniel dashed in, fists striking at rapid speed, each blow like a hammer. Amari blocked desperately, sparks flying with every impact.
Clash. Clash. Clash.
Amari swept Daniel's leg, punched him in the face—Daniel vanished and reappeared, swapping places again. A brutal punch to Amari's jaw sent him flying into the wall.
Amari roared, blasting himself forward like a rocket. His fist slammed into Daniel—only for Daniel to swap places again, striking him full force.
CRASH! Amari hit the ground hard, fury boiling in his chest.
"Why… why can't I keep up?!" Amari screamed.
Daniel smirked faintly. "Because I'm not holding back."
Something inside Amari snapped. His vision blurred, his body shook—
Then his eyes ignited.
Green and black, burning with raw power.
"I… WILL NOT… LOOOOOOOOSE!"
Amari's speed surged. His strength multiplied. His sight sharpened—Daniel's movements slowed, every twitch visible.
Daniel's eyes widened. "He can… see me now?"
Amari's hands blazed. A roaring dragon of emerald energy spiraled into existence, its body made of pure beamlight.
"DRAGON BEAM!!!" Amari bellowed, releasing it.
The colossal blast slammed into Daniel, consuming him in a storm of green light and shaking the training room to its foundations.
⸻
When the smoke cleared, Daniel was battered and sprawled against the far wall. He coughed, but smiled. "Heh… nice job. So that's your eyes, huh?"
Amari panted heavily, his eyes dimming back to normal. "…I guess so. Looks like I get a power and speed boost. And… I can see fast movements clearly."
Daniel chuckled weakly. "Basically… an upgraded version of my powers. Figures."
Amari helped him up, both brothers smiling through their exhaustion.
"That's enough for today," Amari said. "Tonight, one last workout. Tomorrow… we move."
⸻
That night, they strapped on the weights one final time. Their bodies screamed in agony, but they endured. Pushups, sit-ups, squats—everything until they could barely stand.
When they finally peeled the weights off, their limbs felt light as air.
Daniel laughed. "I feel like I could fly."
Amari grinned. "Then tomorrow—we soar."
They changed into pajamas, ate a quick meal, and collapsed into bed.
For the first time, Amari didn't just feel like a kid with strange powers.
He felt like a warrior.
And tomorrow… he would fight as one.