The Virus Stealer

3 - Headstrong. [REWRITTEN]

Alek stand still with a sword in his grip. Jacob stand in front of him, meters away. They are at Jacob's house, where Jacob lives alone. They stand in the basement, which was one open room, empty and cold.

But his home was great with his people. Till they all died.

Alek sprint at him, thrusting his sword at him. Jacob avoid the sword by moving to the left, twirling. He thrust his leg up at Alek which cause him to push back. Alek only manage to be push back for a couple of feet, for him to spin around to swing his sword again. It caught Jacob off guard but he still manage to dodge it.

Jacob grip on the blade of the sword and snap the blade in half, letting the pieces drop to the ground. The sounds echos in the room.

"Yo, I have a question," Alek ask. He put his back against the stone wall of the basement. Jacob joins him.

"Hm? What?"

"Is it true that this isn't your home?"

Jacob stay quiet for a while after that question. He light up his cigarette with his lighter and stick it between his lips. You can hear his breathing. Taking the smoke in and out.

"Yeah," he finally answer. "This home originally belong to me and my.. Brothers. My wife. My kids."

"You have kids?" Alek was almost surprise, to see Jacob having a family. Creating one.

"Had," he exhales again, yet he pull his cigarette out of his lips to stare at his ceiling. He push his head back against the wall. "I had four. I don't know where they are now. I assume they are dead, like the others."

"Your brothers are dead because of the demon I encounter? What about your wife?" Jacob glance at him, looking almost triggered. Alek notice his mistakes and stopped with the questions. He look back to the ground, staring at his legs.

Jacob sigh. "Yeah, well. They all died from war, our war. I smoke because it's stress relief."

"Yeah, I can see that. Smoking is one purpose for a person due to sadness."

"Heh. You're showing pity for me?" Jacob chuckle.

"Perhaps," Alek smirk.

A knock echo through the room from the door.

"I think Den's here," Jacob said, getting up. Alek stands up too.

"I'll get the door, you keep training," Jacob heads out of the room, to answer the door. You could hear people talking from above because the floor wasn't that thick and the door for the basement was open.

"Alright, you would need to know some physical moves, such as kicks and punches," Den said.

"I'm not a beginner you know?" Alek mention, but was ignored.

"Den, you know that the kid can use his abilities as a weapon instead of giving him a weapon, right?" Jacob mention, which wasn't ignored.

"You can do that?"

"Yeah, it's like manipulating, but since this is a disease pretty much, I think he'd have to use this.. disease itself as a weapon," Jacob glance at Alek, examining him.

"Just saying, I'm not sick. I don't even feel sick," Alek mention again but was still ignored.

"That's true. So what can he do?"

They all sit down on fold able chairs that was taken from a wall. There is a lot of them leaning against the wall, which was not just for Jacob back then.

"Looking at the disease, the aura of it, the wave of it feels similar to an element," Jacob lean back at his chair. He put another cigarette to his lips, and light it up with his lighter.

"The element is physical poison, which the color for him is purple. Why it is physical poison is because his signature move for this type of element is injecting poisons to others," he continues.

"That's why I call it physical poison. I don't know how to explain how it is physically poisonous but I guess you could say that the disease Alek has, is producing it's own fluids which is like acid in the human body, which is normal."

"So I can inject people with my body juice? That's disgusting, I hate this power." Alek pout.

"Stop being a crybaby. Blame the demon that gave you it."

"Alright, let's test that theory!" Den stand up from his chair.

"Hold on cowboy! It isn't easy. You see, this disease isn't some ordinary human disease, it's literally a disease for demons from hell. It's abnormal," Jacob cut him off, explaining more.

"So we can't just eject this from his body?"

"Only he can eject his fluids to other people, injecting it to people and killing them. If we try to eject it from him, that would only injure him and the fluids inside, as if we are corrupting it when it's so pure,"

"How are we corrupting it, exactly?" Den ask, sitting back down.

"It's sensitive for it to shiver and then dies out," Jacob explains.

"That doesn't make sense," Alek said out of no where.

"Ugh, uh.." Jacob ponder for a moment. "You know what a Shameplant is?"

Den nods, Alek shakes.

"It's a herb plant that is sensitive to anything that touches it's leaves. If a human touch it, it would instantly fold it's leaves to defend itself from predators,"

"So my disease is like that?" Alek ask.

"Pretty much. It doesn't want to leave the owner's body," he said,

"Am I the only one that has this type of power?"

"As a human, yeah. Probably. As a demon? Probably not. It's a rare power for demons, but legendary for humans."

Den fire his grappling hook at Alek, yet he only roll to avoid the hook. His sword was aimed and taken away from Den though, which left Alek weaponless. Den fire again, shooting a grappling hook with a launcher that is attach around his wrist. The hook grips on Alek's wrist, which catches him by surprise. He struggles and pulls back but the hook firmly stayed.

Den pull Alek, which drag Alek to him, yet he takes this as a chance.

He wrap his hand around the chain of the hook, as he grips on the hook and turn to face towards Den. He pull the chain to his hip, pulling Den to him as well. As soon as they were in an appropriate range, Alek slam his forehead against Den's, headbutting him. It'd knock Den to the floor, and leave Alek standing, stumbling.

"Nice one. But that was a dumb move," Den groan.

"How was that dumb?"

"Don't harm yourself in order to harm  your opponents! It's not worth it."

"Should I only do that if it's absolute necessary?"

"If your willing to make a sacrifice, you probably did that without thinking," Den trigger the hook to let go of Alek. Alek take the opportunity to rub his head.

"Well, you could say I did that, headfirst," Alek said, chuckling.