The Ghost

Number Twenty-four

The entire team was ready to go. Delta, Overdrive, and I were in the front of the squadron while the rest of the soldiers were behind us. Clouds completely covered the sky, blocking the sun, I couldn't even tell where the light in the sky was coming from. Overdrive ordered everyone to move, and we followed. The jungle was cold, but my suit kept me warm, sometimes I wish it was easier to take off.

"You know," I said to Overdrive as we walked towards our destination. She had woken up in a good mood today, so I decided to ask her a personal question. "Sometimes I think, 'hey, is your name really Overdrive?" Overdrive sighed, she turned her head to me as she kept walking.

"Obviously my name isn't Overdrive, Michael-"

"Yeah, I know but-"

"I just prefer to use that name rather than my real name," Said Overdrive. "I can tell you, but I'd rather you not call me by that unless you need to."

"Oh, ok then," I said as I walked over a tree stump. "Well, I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"My real name is Aria," She said, walking over another tree stump.

"And your last name?" I asked.

"I don't know," She said. "I was only ever called Aria. No last name, at least none that I know of." We continued walking. I looked over at Delta, seeing him talking with one of the soldiers, he had also woken up in a good mood, but I already know his name.

"What about, Daniel?" I asked. Overdrive instantly turned her face to me and punch my arm, looking over at Daniel.

"Don't call him that!" She said. "He hates that name."

"Why?" I asked. Overdrive looked back at Delta to make sure he wasn't listening.

"His father abused him, his name was also Daniel," Said Overdrive as she looked back. "He hates the mere mention of his name. He only allows the people who were with him before he chose the name Delta to say it to him."

"You were there when it happened to him?" I asked Overdrive.

"I met him after, it happened months after he had his powers," Said Overdrive. "It's actually kind of interesting, we were in a school at the time, learning about the delta symbol, which means: an incremental change in a variable. In his situation, his variable is his velocity. He learned about the word, and he decided to go by it." I nodded, I finally understood why he was mad at me when we were escaping the military base.

"And how did he get his powers?" I asked. Overdrive opened her mouth, but before she could answer, she put her hand over my chest, turned around, putting her index finger on her mouth. All of the soldiers immediately put their guns up in the air, pointing at the trees above us. I ignited my hands, generating electricity, and lifted myself up. Twenty feet in the air, I looked around the treetops, nobody, in the branches as well.

"What was it, Overdrive?" I asked. She looked up at me and pointed in front of her, where the group was heading. I brought myself down to the ground and lead the group deeper into the jungle. There were rustling sounds all around us, the soldiers began aiming their guns wherever they heard a noise. I turned around, looking in all directions, along with Overdrive. Delta sped his way through the forest, searching for something. I could hear him speeding his way all around us. He eventually found his way back to his original spot. He stopped running, faced the rest of the group, and shook his head.

I powered my energy down, Overdrive nodded, she signaled the group to keep walking. The moment she turned around, a villager covered in white paint held a blade up to her neck. I immediately ignited my hands again, sparking lightning onto the ground, but then another blade appeared right on my neck as well. The soldiers pointed their guns at the villagers holding the knives, too distracted to notice more villagers by their feet, rising up, placing their blades against the leftover necks. Delta was about to run, but multiple people jumped on him, pinning him to the ground.

"I guarantee you," I said to Overdrive. "There are at least 3 other people right behind me in case I fight. I also guarantee you, they all have the order to kill command ready to be delivered."

"We understand you." Said the man holding the blade against my neck.

"That's fantastic," I said. "Now let me talk to whoever the hell gave you the order to attack."

"Be careful what you ask for," Said a voice from the treetops. "You might get something you weren't expecting." I looked up to see a glowing, white body floating above everybody. There he was, white. Theoretically the most powerful person in the universe... currently.

"Actually," I said as I watched the person float down from mid-air. "This is exactly what I wanted. I literally just asked for you." The person landed right in front of me and Overdrive. He was white, obviously. His skin was white, he seemed to have black, short hair and was a lot taller than me. He seemed to be around Delta's age, a teenager, which is weird. He walked up to me in my face, glowing and everything... so I decided to glow too. I ignited the energy inside of me, causing lightning bolts to emerge from my body. The boy bounced back a little, surprised by my power, but he wasn't scared, which got me scared.

"You're just like me," Said the boy as he looked at all the energy literally bouncing out of me. "It's a beauty, a wonder. You're all-powerful as well!" He jumped up, excited, immediately removing the fear I had for him mere seconds ago.

"I'm so fascinated that you're so fascinated," I said as I looked him in his glowing, white eyes. "But can we please discuss this in an environment where our lives aren't being threatened every second?" The boy nodded, signaling the other villagers currently holding us hostage.

"Alright then," He said as he powered down, revealing that he was actually white, had short, black hair, was still taller than me, and still looked a lot like Delta... which was weird.