(Outdated) The King of Elements

Face to Face With Death

Gunshots rang out in the mile-long target range as Michael gunned down four more Edge Walker-shaped targets. He brought his enhanced reflexes to their limit, taking down each target as quickly as they appeared. Soon enough, every eye in the room was on him, staring at him in awe as he laid prone, destroying numerous targets with ease. He knew this, but he couldn't let their praise get in the way of his practice.

Don't let anything distract you from your mission, Michael.

He aimed his bolt-action sniper rifle at the head of an Edge Walker and fired the moment the reticle was slightly over his head. Judging by the distance, it would be a guaranteed head shot.

He pulled the bolt of the rifle back, and took aim at the next target. His finger barely pulled on the trigger as a bystander painted on a plank of wood hovered by. Sweat fell from Michael's brow as he raised his head up from the scope. Since the magazine had a capacity of eight bullets, it left him with only two bullets left. The question was if he was daring enough to try and take on the next wave of Edge Walkers with the two bullets, or waste them by reloading. He enhanced his vision, allowing him to see down the mile to the target. It took the target three and a fourth seconds to fall, so whatever decision Michael came up with, he'd have to do it now. "I'm probably going to hate myself for this." He repositioned his eye back in on the scope, wishing that Brianna would just let him take it off.

"Damn," he said to himself as five targets appeared after the bystander sunk back under the city-like venue. He shot the head off of two target before they had a chance to get into position, and using his strength-enhanced arm, chunked the magazine towards the remaining three targets. Snapping another magazine in the rifle, he pulled back the bolt and took out two more targets. The magazine soared down the mile-long range and shattered the final target as it was lowering into the ground. A bit risky, but it definitely showed the few Amians watching him that just because he was Human didn't mean he was weaker.

Weak enough to show how you feel towards your group, he heard a voice say at once. Since he's been with the group, he had tried to distance himself as far from them as he could, particularly Dre. It wasn't because they were bad people, of course, but it was because of a deal that he had made, a deal that granted him his life back. As ordered by Death himself, he was supposed to find the King of Elements and report to him once he was found. Michael figured that if Death wanted to see someone, chances are his time was up, and that Michael himself would be the vessel to end Dre's life, someone that was like beginning to feel like a little brother to him. A little brother that he'd never have.

His scar began to burn on his throat, Death's way of telling Michael that he had grew impatient, and refocused him back on the firing range. A target had already lowered back in the ground and two more were following. He cursed to himself as he quickly shot both down, shooting one in its head and the other in its neck. So much for a perfect round.

"Time!" Brianna called out through the speakers. He heard the crowd groan at his miss as he stood. I'm not here to put on a show for you, he thought as he released the magazine, placed the rifle and magazine on the rack, and walked out of the bulletproof glass door. The students went back to their own targets, signaling to the person behind the controls to begin.

"You took down forty-nine targets out of fifty, one with a melee from a mile away, and scored forty-seven headshot. Damn, kid, you sure you're a Human?" Brianna asked, just shy a few inches of standing eye-to-eye with Michael.

Michael said nothing, but simply nodded.

"Keiko! You're up!" she called to the almost-empty spectator area behind the target range. Keiko stood up and skipped towards Brianna and Michael, displaying a wide, child-like smile. "What type of weapon are you going to be using?"