Second Reality: Surge of Power

Chapter XIV: Changed

Two weeks have passed since the children started training with Hook's group. Winter has arrived.
Blinding white snow covered the land wherever the eyes could see. Piercing cold winds descended from the mountains into Younen village. Like a world frozen in time, not a squirrel in the trees, sometimes a bird chirping. Other than that, just serene silence.

"ACHOO!" A sneeze so loud it could disturb a slumbering bear echoed between the houses of the village.

"How could you catch a cold? Your power is ice with a capital I." Niel's perplexed rosy cheeks looked at his friend.

"Yeah, and not virus with a capital V. I am still susceptible to a common cold."

"Just say you are sick! Less syllables!"

"Not as sick as you are of Hook."

"It's not Hook. It's the training. We just exercise and spar. No real fights since the first training day. The next time we get attacked we are going to squat them to death?"

"It is plenty for most of us. Terry, Marco, and Rosa are especially tired after all that training. But how are you? Have you made any progress?" Ren looked at his friend hoping for a positive answer.

"Still nothing. All of you have awakened your powers but me. And nobody enjoys that more than Ken..." Niel kicked a stone as he averted his gaze from his friend.

"Don't worry about him, you are still on par with him in strength."

"That's the weirdest thing. Because that means my additional abilities, my strength, speed, reaction time are all of an overhuman's, but I have no main power like the rest of you."

"You will figure it out Niel. And I know you will be awesome with it."

Niel nudged his friend's shoulder in a friendly playful way as they arrived in front of the school.

Ren sighed as they looked up at the great building. "One more week and it's winter break time."

"One more week of the usual..."

What the "usual" meant for the pair was a hectic amalgamation of tasks they made into a ritual. Exams where Ren would help his friends. Conflict within the team which they resolved with Niel's brawn and Ren's brain. And training which sometimes even felt like meditation after a long day of school.

The first one of these tasks was a math exam.

SLAM! The math's teacher jumped in front of Niel and tore the piece of paper out of his hand. "So this is how you passed with mediocre grades all this time! Ren just slipped you a note right?"

"No! You misunderstand teach! Just don't open it." Ren tried to bargain with the teacher.

The teacher opened the note to see a picture of a rat smoking a cigar. "What is this?!"

"Just a funny picture I drew. I call him Vincenzo" Ren smiled at the teacher. She was puzzled by the weird drawing and at Ren's reaction, but without any cheating to bust she walked back to her table. What she didn't know is the other note that Niel got. And though the teacher had every reason to be suspicious, without any evidence she gave Niel the passing grade.

"Yes!" Shouted Niel with unreasonable happiness, as he got a passing grade at the end of the class.

Ren looked around proud as all his classmates passed the exam. The relieved smiles that looked back at him empowered the boy for the rest of the day.

Later that day at lunchtime Terry was ready to dig into his food his mother packed for him but before the first bite Ken grabbed his lunchbox, walked past Faul and slammed it down on his own desk. He looked around to see some disapproving but powerless faces. He sat down and started eating. By the time Niel and Ren entered the room Ken took the final bite. They looked at each other Niel with frustration and Ren with sadness. Niel was ready to go to Ken and fight him, but Ren held him back. "There is nothing to fight for. But I have an idea."
They both walked up to Marco who was still stuffing his face with something that could only be described as a three-course meal. "Hey Marco! I see you brought a lot of food. Would you mind giving some to..."