The Virus Within (Original rough draft)

Chapter 15

Nina looked excited about my acceptance. She smiled and glanced at the town below, "How about a race to that truck over there?"

I looked over, the truck was just outside of the town. I glanced at Daniel who nodded and stood up. I set Liz down, "Go see Marissa for a bit, okay?" She nodded and walked away.

I walked to the edge of the roof and lightly vaulted over the parapet to land lightly on the ground. Daniel hit the ground a mere second after me. Apparently heights didn't bother him either. That didn't surprise me. I heard footsteps and looked up as Nina came into sight with her watch in her hands, "Okay, when I yell go race to that truck. Stay there and we will see who can hear the best at that distance. Ready, set, Go!"

I had dropped my human facade and pulled my Nightstalker abilities out as I hit speeds that humans couldn't touch. My footsteps echoed around me as I traded my silent stalk for speed. Daniel easily pulled ahead and beat me by a long shot. I slowed as I reached the truck, keeping an eye on Daniel as his red eyes showed that his Terror abilities had come out to play.

Nina's voice reached us as she called out, "Grab the front bumper of that truck and see how hard it is to lift it."

I glanced over at Daniel, who waved me ahead to have the first attempt. I reached under the bumper and lifted. My muscles strained, but the front tires came off of the ground. I held it for ten seconds before lowering it back down. I backed up and moved well to the side to let Daniel have a shot. There was some tension in the air between us and I gave him a fair bit of space.

His muscles tensed with the weight, but he didn't seem to be as strained with lifting it as I had been. He put it down after ten seconds as well. He was obviously faster and stronger than me. I had already known that I wouldn't be able to outrun or outfight a Terror, but having that fact flaunted in front of me was a blow to my rather over-inflated Nightstalker pride. I wasn't used to being outdone, it had never happened since I had turned.

Daniel spoke, "How long do you think you could have held it?"

"Maybe a couple of minutes. You?"

"Probably an hour or so."

I nodded while hiding my envy as we turned to face the hotel where all the humans were watching with interest. Nina called out, "Stay there. I am going to call out words and you raise your hand if you can make them out."

We waited where we were. "Sunshine." I raised my hand as Daniel also raised his. Each word was called out more quietly. Soon enough my hand remained by my side while Daniel raised his hand while his head was cocked to the side a bit while he listened intently. Five attempts later his hands also remained down. That was interesting, unless Nina had really dropped her voice those last times, his hearing didn't outstrip my own hearing by as much as I had assumed.

Nicky handed a bag of something to Nina, and Nina turned to us, "The wind is blowing toward you. Call out the scent we are using when you pick it up."

Mere seconds later I called out, "Lavender."

Daniel glanced at me in surprise while sniffing deeply. It took him ten seconds to catch it before he also called out, "Lavender."

Time after time I caught the scent way before Daniel. Much to the surprise of both of us. He gritted his teeth as his frustration built. The scents started getting fainter, they weren't spraying as much into the air. I sniffed and growled faintly in disgust, "Ben, put a cork in it. You passing gas was not part of this test."

Nicky disappeared from view as she hit the floor rolling around in laughter. I shook my head before calling again, "Smells like a bounce sheet. I have no idea what to call that scent though."