A few days pass. Isaac declines his dad's offer to drive him to school. "Nah, I'm good, Dad. I need to stretch my legs. The bus is fine." He waves off Kenji's offer. He heads out the door, backpack slung over his shoulder. Besides, I need to keep an eye on things.
The bus rumbles down the street, packed with the usual mix of students and commuters. Isaac leans against the window, watching the scenery blur by, but his mind is elsewhere.
Master Gorrie said that if I can feel the Ki around me, I can feel the malice in people's hearts. Easier said than done.
He scans the bus, his senses on high alert. He can hear snippets of conversations, the rustling of newspapers, the hum of the engine. But it's more than that now. He can almost feel the energy of the people around him, the subtle shifts in their moods, the barely perceptible movements of their bodies.
Alright, Beast Fist training, don't fail me now.
He's been putting in the hours, and he can tell it's paying off. His senses are sharper, his reactions faster. He still has a long way to go before he can even dream of reaching the level of the Fist Sages, but he is getting there.
Suddenly, a flicker of movement catches his eye. A guy in a worn-out jacket is inching his hand toward an old lady's purse.
Bingo.
Isaac takes a step closer, positioning himself behind the pickpocket. He inhales deeply, focusing his Fierce Ki. It's not a flashy move, nothing like the Rider Kick, but it's effective. He gently presses two fingers into a pressure point on the back of the pickpocket's neck.
The pickpocket stumbles, his eyes widening in confusion. He grabs the nearest seat to keep himself from falling. "Whoa… what the…" He mumbles, before slumping into the seat.
The old lady doesn't notice a thing. Isaac smiles to himself. Nailed it.
It's no spider-sense, but it'll do.
More than ten days of training have made a difference. Isaac's perception has leveled up. He can pick up on the little things now, the subtle tells that most people miss. Still far from the realm of 'precognition,' but he can sense the world around him with a clarity he never had before. Maybe I can get the hang of this superhero gig after all.
Standing at the classroom door, Isaac didn't rush in. Instead, he quickly scanned the room, his gaze lingering on a few familiar seats. Only after confirming he didn't see that beautiful blonde figure did he slightly relax.
"Isaac, why are you just standing at the classroom door, spaced out?"
Just as Isaac was about to step into the classroom, a hand gently patted his shoulder. The sudden touch made him tense up, and he almost instinctively threw a punch in retaliation. Damn it, reflex!
Quickly stepping forward a few paces to create distance, Isaac turned around. What met his eyes was Kara's face, radiant with a smile. Her golden hair shimmered in the sunlight, and her blue eyes were like clear lake water, without a trace of impurity.
"Kara, can you please stop appearing behind me so suddenly? Scaring people can really scare them to death!" He lets out a nervous laugh.
Ever since learning that he was classmates with the future Supergirl, Kara Danvers, and that they sat front and back, Isaac had intentionally kept his distance from her.
I mean, she's Supergirl. SUPERGIRL!
The power of a Kryptonian was too immense; even a slight misstep could lead to unpredictable consequences. He didn't want to find himself in danger due to an unintentional offense or Kara's inability to control her strength.
"Sorry, Isaac! I didn't mean to scare you," Kara says, her smile faltering slightly. "I just saw you standing there and thought you might be… I don't know… thinking about something."
"Yeah, well, try not to do it again," Isaac says, trying to sound casual.
The last thing he wanted was to keep talking with Kara. Isaac waved his hand, hoping to end the conversation. He gave a short explanation, "I need to get to class."
With that, he rushed into the classroom. He wanted to put some distance between them.
Making his way to the back corner of the room, Isaac found a desk by the window. Perfect. The seat allowed him to see the entire room, and most importantly, it was as far away from Kara as possible.
Alex raises an eyebrow, watching Isaac settle into the furthest corner like a skittish animal. "Kara, what happened between you and Isaac? It feels like he's avoiding you?"
Kara sighs, her shoulders slumping slightly. "I don't know, Alex. I just wanted to say hi, but he seemed really jumpy. He's been acting weird for weeks now. I thought we were becoming friends."
Alex studies Kara's face, her expression softening with concern. "Maybe he's just shy or going through something. High school boys can be strange. But if he's giving you trouble, you know you can tell me, right?"
Kara nods, managing a small smile. "I know, Alex. Thanks."
Alex, ever the watchful protector, scans the classroom again, her eyes lingering on Isaac. As a secret agent of the DEO, she's programmed to be wary of anyone who gets too close to Kara. In a world teeming with metahumans and alien threats, even a seemingly ordinary teenager could pose a danger, either to Kara or because of her. She makes a mental note to run a background check on Isaac Kondo. After all, in her line of work, it's always better to be safe than sorry.
Kara frowns as Alex makes her way back to her seat. Shaking her head in confusion, her gaze unconsciously darts toward Isaac in the corner of the classroom. With Alex mentioning it, Kara suddenly realizes that Isaac seems to have been deliberately avoiding her recently, but she has no idea why.
Did I do something wrong? she wonders, her brow furrowing slightly. He seemed so friendly and open when we first met. What could have changed?
Lost in thought, Kara stares at Isaac, trying to decipher his behavior. He's always got that phone out, but she can't think of any reason why that would make him avoid her.
Back in class, Isaac acted like he was all ears, hanging on every word Parker said about the homework. But let's be real, he was low-key keeping an eye on the door, checking out Kara and her sister. He just figured keeping his distance from the Kryptonians was the smartest move right now.
"Dude, Isaac? Earth to Isaac! You even listening?"
Parker waves his hand in front of Isaac's face. "Why are you even sitting over here today? You ditching me?" Parker gestures towards Isaac's normal seat.
"Nah, man, just felt like a change of scenery," Isaac said with a shrug, trying to sound casual.
He did his best to ignore the question, only to glance towards the classroom door. When he saw Kara was finally sitting down, he let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Even though Isaac thought he was being super sneaky, Kara was onto him. Alex had planted the seed, and now Kara couldn't shake the feeling that Isaac was intentionally avoiding her. This realization just made her feel bummed out.
The day slowly passed, and before anyone knew it, the bell rang, signaling the end of classes. Isaac quickly said "see ya" to some classmates who wanted to play ball, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and practically sprinted out of the school.
Seeing Isaac's hasty exit, Kara had been thinking about asking him to walk home with her. Maybe she could figure out why he was giving her the cold shoulder. But he was moving so fast; it made her feel a mix of annoyance and sadness.
Once Isaac made sure no one was tailing him, he ducked into a quiet alley. A few seconds later, he zoomed off on Golddash, heading towards his place out in the suburbs.
The reason for his mad dash? Today was a big day for his Alchemy studies. He was finally wrapping up all that boring book stuff and diving into some real hands-on experiments.
What had him even more hyped was the Alchemist's Ring X Wizard had hooked him up with. She said it would seriously boost his Alchemy game. Just thinking about it made Isaac's heart race, and he twisted the throttle a little harder.
"Alright, you've nailed the basics of matter manipulation, Isaac. Now, let's try matter conversion. Turn that sand into something you know and love."
X Wizard watched as the sand danced around Isaac's arm, nodding with approval. Her words were the green light for Isaac to level up his training.
"That which is below is as that which is above, and that which is above is as that which is below, to accomplish the miracles of the one thing!"
Hearing X Wizard's cue, Isaac nodded, holding up the Alchemist's Ring with its blue gem. As he softly spoke the Alchemy chant, the ring began to glow with a faint blue light.
At the same time, the sand swirling around his arm seemed to respond, shimmering with the same blue glow. The sand slowly gathered in the air, forming a vague outline, like it was about to take on a real shape.