Adventures After School: Recovery

Chapter 13: Unlocked

A/N: Hello! I'm back with a new update, and I'm sorry. School has been taking over most of my time and as such, I apologize for a month's go without an update. Hopefully I can find time within my busy schedule to update again, so... without further ado, chapter 13!

* * *

Dave looked closely at his best friend. He could see the regret in Hazuki's eyes. The shadow mage decided to aid his team in battle. Using his shadows, Dave dashed to Laura and launched himself at her. After Dave's successful tackle, Hazuki appeared from above and jabbed the butt of his sword onto Laura's midsection.

Kilra took the vial out of her undershirt. Though it hung on her neck, she always hid the vial to keep it from being snatched off. She opened the vial, pouring spirit water into her palm. She used the water to heal the burn on Shauna's arm.

Warren wasn't unconscious anymore. He aided Sucre in combat, though he felt like rushing things. It had been five minutes since he started using Kilra's powers, and he only had ten more until his time was up. The fire mage didn't seem to notice how much of a hurry Warren was in.

But something seemed to have sparked a reaction in her.

He noticed her eyes were glowing orange. She was moving faster this time, launching herself upward with her flames and flanking Laura. Warren decided to put up an ice wall behind the ghost. As he approached her, he was interrupted.

"Oh, let's break it down!" Another girl said, running past Warren as he tried to process what was going on around him.

The girl had strawberry blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. She seemed to be shorter than Warren. But what fascinated him was her power.

Suddenly, everything around him seemed louder. Sucre roared defiantly, dashing to Laura and attempted to kick her, but she missed. The Ghost Witch caught on and grabbed the fire mage's right leg. Sucre was smarter than Laura anticipated, the fire mage using her left leg to kick the ghost on the other side of her face.

"Warren, what the hell are you doing?!" Kilra yelled. "Go help her!"

Warren nodded hesitantly. As he ran to Sucre, he drew water from thin air, forming a whip he could use to aid her later. He stopped when she jumped away from the Ghost Witch, marking his cue to crack the whip.

As soon as he did, the blonde girl who interrupted him earlier aimed glowing rings at Laura. Some of the rings missed, but most have hit the ghost from behind.

The hell are you?

Warren closed his eyes for a brief moment. He opened them again. He could hear her thoughts, but he didn't have any time to waste.

Can you hear me?

The strawberry blonde girl put her hands over her ears.

That's an invasion of privacy! Why'd you link up with me?!

Warren sighed, drawing water from the air and freezing it. He aimed the projectile at Laura, only falling after the projectile hit her.

His time was up. Now he has to fight with his bare hands as there were no other weapons in sight. He hoisted himself on one knee, the strawberry blonde girl suddenly materializing to help him to his feet.

"Are you okay?" She asked.
"Y-yeah." He groaned. "I use Astral Plunder. Every power I nab only lasts fifteen minutes."
"That's a shame," she sighed. "I forgot to tell you what my name was. I'm Olivia Waller."
"I'm Warren Derek Gaster." He introduced himself. They both shook hands.

Olivia smiled. "As soon as I saw you guys fighting that ghost, I felt like I had to join. It's such a waste that most of the school's older Casters aren't fighting anymore."

"There used to be a brigade for that type of matter. They disbanded it because the members were dying one by one for an odd reason... but the last member—his name was Dave Parker—only remained alive."

"One of the previous brigade's members had the ability to travel to alternate realities. She came back from a doomed reality informing us that their deaths there were worse. Hell, even the doomed reality had some being going around, dismembering people's legs!"

Warren listened. With his classmates fighting the Ghost Witch now, he had to make good use of the information Olivia was giving him.

"I never joined the brigade because of the piling death count. I was a converted Caster and I... I can't be of use to those who are natural-born. The converted Caster minority is subject to discrimination here."
"That's fucked up."
"Yes, Warren, it is. But it's 2013 now. Right now, converted Casters are starting to receive equal treatment as the born ones. The discrimination happened back in 2009 and lasted up to last year. But now, it's okay."
"I can totally relate to that. Everyone used to accuse me of stealing their powers... mainly because I had Astral Plunder. Natural-born Casters who have Astral Plunder can have a certain power for so long until they find someone who can replace their current power."
"Converted Casters who have Astral Plunder can only use the power they leeched off for only fifteen minutes. Believe me, I know how it's like to be part of a minority."

* * *

Shauna couldn't fight. Jack has broken his leg. Sucre was trapped in a platinum cage, determined to burn the bars before it can remind her of her battle with Veronica Winstrate.

Only Carla, Hazuki, and Dave were the last ones standing. Warren was missing in action, and so was Olivia. Carla recognized her, though the others couldn't.

"I'm incorporeal," Laura breathed. "But it seems you have found a way to hurt me."
"Spare the hyperbole and fight!" Carla growled, sprinting towards her enemy. She threw her spear at the Ghost Witch, but Laura redirected the spear and—

The bespectacled girl clapped her hands together, forming a shield after the clap echoed throughout the parking lot. She had all the students to thank for not having licenses yet. The spear bounced off the shield and faded away as soon as it hit the concrete.

Dave formed two shadow orbs, flanking around Laura as he tried to look for a weak spot he can hit the orbs on. Hazuki gritted his teeth and threw his weapon away, dashing towards the Ghost Witch as Carla followed behind.

As soon as Dave finally hit the orbs, Hazuki kicked Laura in her midsection and Carla finished their exhausting battle with a flurry of punches to the ghost's face. When she started, she couldn't stop. Her eyes were already glowing blue. Laura's form was fading with every fast-paced punch.

When the Ghost Witch has completely faded, Carla landed a last punch on the cement. Her punch formed a crater, and she collapsed due to exhaustion.

Kilra and Dave immediately ran to the unconscious girl. The shadow mage carried Carla and brought her to the water mage. Hazuki looked at the unconscious girl, and then back at Sucre. The fire mage's hair was starting to turn red at the fringes up to the sides. Her knuckles were bruised as she hopelessly punched the platinum bars. As Hazuki ran to release her, Sucre enveloped herself in flames. She roared as she pushed herself out of her cage with brute force.

He noticed something else on her skin. He saw scales covering her wrist and hands, but not her arms. Her nails had become black talons. Her sclera were orange, and her eyes a bloody red. Her fringes and the bottom parts of her hair have become red.

It hit him right there. She was close to achieving her Ultimate.

"Finally," Sucre breathed. "The dragon within me is free..."

The half-dragon caught Hazuki's eyes. "It's high time you tell me who you are."