"Seriously, how did you let the ringleader go?? He was the main objective!" Invisigal groaned as they entered the SDN building, after somehow accomplishing and simultaneously failing their mission.
"I got most ot'ers, though." Punch Up shrugged for what felt like the hundredth time. It was like he wasn't taking their mission seriously enough, focusing only on beating the scammers while forgetting what they were supposed to do.
"It doesn't matter without the ringleader. Another scammer group will just pop up at the next corner."
"Lass, t'ere were too many for me ta handle. Ya try debilitating someone wit’out crippling them, while six other people art runnin' away. I knocked te lad down, but he recovered too fast! T'ere was not'ing I could have done. Beside, t'e ticket said not'ing about capturing t'e leader." Punch Up's accent was especially thick after that mess of the mission. "I'm better at handling single t'reats, and for t'is it ended wonderfully."
Invisigal huffed, just thinking that Jin could have handled all of them easily. Even Coupé would have been a better matchup as well. It wasn't like they could be held accountable for this, though. Beating up a group of scammers sounded easy enough for the two, so they had figured it would be a walk in the park.
She shook her head. "Whatever, next time we'll just focus on what should be the main objective." Although she wouldn't say it out loud, she could have paid more attention to the ringleader as well, but she was too focused on retrieving the scammed money.
"Hahaha, that's the attitude." Punch Up's voice suddenly boomed, having already bounced back from their failure. "Eh? Well, look at that. Hehe," Punch Up pointed toward Malevola, clinging to the slightly shorter Jin. As soon as she saw that, a strange feeling rose in her stomach.
"Since when are they this close?" It was the first time she had seen just the two interact, not to mention Malevola hugging Jin's arm with her demon tits.
"Eh-" He shrugged his head. "Who knows? Young love develops quick."
"Urgh." Invisigal rolled her eyes at that comment. "Yeah, alright, Unc." Without a plan, she headed their way. Jin looked like he tried his best not to get distracted as he typed something into his phone, but also didn't make a move to extract himself, while Malevola looked like she was enjoying this shit a bit too much.
"So, how was the mission?" She greeted, causing the two to look at her. Jin gave her a thumbs up, while Malevola smirked as she let him go, her tail sliding across his shoulder.
"Let's continue this later." She added with a wink before leaving without looking back.
Invisigal couldn't help but narrow her eyes, feeling like she was losing without knowing what game they were playing. It wasn't like Jin and she were dating, and she wasn't really pursuing him either… Should she though? "Was she…? What's her deal?"
"What do you mean?" He asked as he put his phone away, making her stare at him, deadpan.
"Hmm, what could I possibly mean?" She responded with a sickly-sweet tone as she hugged his arm, making his eyes widen a fraction, and she felt a sense of satisfaction at that reaction.
"Oh, that…We just hashed out some details about healing people at the hospital." That wasn't something she expected. In fact, that came out of left field and left her buffering for more thoughts.
"What?" She intelligently uttered.
"One of her powers is to transfer wounds." Invisigal nodded at that. This wasn't something unknown about the demoness, that and her ability to use portals and swing that giant sword of hers.
"Right, and what does that have to do with you?"
"I want her to transfer the wounds of people to me. My body heals quickly, so we can probably heal a lot of people without really affecting me. It's also beneficial for my powers."
"Beneficial how?" From what she understood of the demoness' powers, it was what it said it was. The transferal of wounds was just that, a transferal, and with it came pain and possibly fatal injuries. He gave her a questioning look, making her frown heavily. "What?"
"Should you be asking about someone else's powers? I figured it would be taboo?" Hearing this, she rolled her eyes.
"All right, then. Keep your secrets." Although she knew she had overstepped a bit, it still upset her.
"Anyway, that's why I'll probably have to rely on her for the foreseeable future. It was best to somehow get past that limitation." With his hand pinching his chin, he muttered something that made Invisigal slowly realize it was some sort of plan. Due to his switch between muttering something in a low voice she could hardly hear, and his thoughts, she wasn't quite able to grasp what he was planning.
It was when they were about to head toward the elevator that he suddenly stopped. His eyes widened in pure shock, while his pupils constricted to pinpricks. She could even see the hair on his tail and on his skin bristle up. His breath turned shaky and shallow. Due to hugging his arm, she could feel his muscles tense. It was almost like the man turned into a statue of steel. His head suddenly snapped toward the entrance of the building.
"You- what's wrong?" His reactions made her heart seize up. It was clear he was scared- no, he was absolutely terrified.
"W-who?" He was barely able to utter while trying to get his breath under control. "W-ho is that?" She followed his gaze, but didn't know who his question was directed toward. There was a small group in front of the entrance. They parted as a man appeared among them. It didn't take her long to recognize him with his brightly colored costume.
"You don't know Phenomaman?" She asked in disbelief before remembering that Jin had problems with his memories, so he might have forgotten any knowledge about him. "He is SDN's number one hero. Why?" Why was he afraid of the man? The alien was recognized as the greatest superhero of SDN for a reason, operating not far from their branch, just over at Downtown Los Angeles.
Jin didn't answer her question, just watching Phenomaman enter the building with shaky breath before it smoothed out as the alien stepped closer. His fingers cracked from clenching his fist. There was a sudden intensity around him, and with it she felt being physically pushed away from Jin. It was subtle at first, but it grew as the number one hero closed the distance.
Invisigal had to take a few steps back to ease the pressure. In the corner of her eyes, she saw furniture being pushed away slightly. Jin had turned into the epicenter of an invisible force, and his intense glare was obviously noticed by the one it was directed at.
With bated breath, Invisigal waited for the clash. After all, the atmosphere wasn't one of hugs and greetings. She wouldn't be surprised if Jin just started swinging.
"You look tense, fellow hero. I have not arrived for a crisis. There is no catastrophe endangering you." Phenomaman spoke with confidence. With his chest out and a reassured demeanor that could only be gained through sheer power.
"You are strong," Jin stated with certainty, direct to the point. As if introducing himself or any other socially polite form of starting a conversation took the back seat. One second, he asked her who the other man was, and now he somehow knew that he was talking to one of the most powerful people in the world.
"I am." Phenomaman nodded as a smile appeared on his face, seemingly taking it as a compliment despite Jin's stern expression. It was like he didn't know he was talking to what might as well be a bomb that seemed to be triggered by his presence. Or perhaps he did know, but didn't care. "Even among my people, I am stronger than most, but compared to you squishy humans, I am extraordinarily strong."
With the way he said that, Invisigal wasn't sure whether it was supposed to sound as boastful as he intended it. For some reason, this borderline arrogant response was what snapped Jin out of his funk. The tension in his body slowly relaxed, and this invisible force that Phenomaman seemed to have not noticed eased away.
"Human? Aren't you human?" Jin asked, making it obvious how oblivious he was to the man standing just an arm's length away from him. They were almost the same height, with Phenomaman being slightly taller. Their musculature was similar as well- that observation made Invisigal realize how much weight Jin had gained in these few days. And from what was shown through his hero suit, it was mostly musculature, indeed.
"Yes, fellow hero. I am originally from the planet Urgot-52dc. I find it interesting that you don't know of me. From my understanding, I am quite the 'celebrity' as I was titled by a few of your magazines. Is this what you wanted to ask?"
"Do you know of an alien race called Saiyans?" The question reminded Invisigal of their conversation right after his accident. He had said something about 'Saiyan' not being a name but the designation of an alien race.
"Saiyans?" There seemed to be some form of recognition as Phenomaman's eyes widened slightly, looking clearly surprised. "Oh, now I remember! I've heard about you. People said you weren't a nice person."
His words seemed to return more sense into Jin as he opened his mouth to retort before nodding. "Indeed, I've not been the nicest. I'm trying my best to be better."
"That is admirable." Phenomaman clasped Jin's shoulder. "As for your question. I've wondered why someone would've taken that name, especially since-"
"Phenomaman!" Blonde Blazer's voice called out from down the corridor. "I didn't expect you this early."
With the interruption, Phenomaman turned toward his girlfriend, brightening up as he saw her. "Blonde Blazer." There was a certain grandeur with the way he said her name. He hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. "I was just excited and wanted to collect you earlier for our evening date."
Invisigal knew that Blonde Blazer had a boyfriend, but she had rarely had the opportunity to meet him, and the situation just now made her hesitate to approach. Jin seemed equally hesitant about interjecting himself in what appeared to turn into a private conversation.
"S-sure we can leave. I've already finished with everything. Jin. Invisigal. Did I interrupt something?" She glanced at the moved furniture.
"Nope." Invisigal raised her hands defensively. It wasn't her who had almost thrown hands with their boss's boyfriend.
"I hope to finish that conversation another time." Jin didn't want to drop the subject entirely.
Fortunately, Phenomaman nodded with a smile and responded positively. "Of course, I'll tell you the little I know of that alien race." Blonde Blazer had practically question marks written on her face as she looked back and forth between the two before deciding not to broach that particular subject.
"Thanks, and a nice evening." Jin took a step back with a polite smile before he walked toward the stairs.
"So, that was awkward. Mind telling me why you wanted to punch Phenomaman?" Invisigal asked as she followed him downstairs. His face adorned a deep frown, taking a moment before answering her.
"I felt his presence. He was strong, even stronger than Blonde Blazer. It was… overwhelming, like I was standing in front of a literal sun. I felt like I would perish just standing close to him." With that, he pinched his chin again. "I have to find a way to spar with him regularly. Do you know whether he likes fighting?" He glanced at her, making her shake her head.
"How would I know? Never talked to the guy." She shrugged as they entered the workroom of the Z-team's personal gear manufacturer and repairer.
"Oh, you brought company." The team's geek was tall, even taller than Jin or Phenomaman. "I think it's done. I hook you up, brotha, and den we test it!"
"Nice, man!" Jin looked like he could barely contain his excitement before seemingly remembering something. "Hey, mind waiting for a bit?" Jin addressed her, looking at her like he was expecting an answer, while Royd attached something to his temples and wrist.
"I mean, yeah, if I can stay and see whatever you two are doing." Her response made him smile appreciatively. There wasn't a reason for her to leave now after having strolled in with him. She was curious what the two were planning, and besides, they still had thirty minutes until they met up with the others for the next sparring session. She was barely able to contain her excitement for that little surprise they had concocted.
"Of course. It's nothing we need to keep a secret-" As he said that, he thought for a moment before turning toward Royd. "Hey, Royd. It is nothing we need to keep a secret about, right?"
The giant geek chuckled. "Na brudda. It's nothing illegal we're doin'. Well… don't tell anyone any details about the materials then we good."
"…There you have it." Jin nodded at Invisigal as if Royd's way of saying that wasn't completely suspicious.
"Right. My lips are sealed." Invisigal said as she hopped onto an office chair as the two got to work. Jin stepped into the room behind the glass, where a metal box was waiting for him. Without hesitation, he stepped inside what looked to be a mostly empty box that was barely as tall as a phone booth before he was told to stick his hands above his head and his feet into some grooves.
"Alright. I removed de head connector, so only limbs. De convertors can take more punishment, so don' worry and give it ya mana."
"I'm still starting slow though." Jin's voice came from the speakers. They could still see him through the big window of the room and the little round window of the metal box. Royd gave him a thumbs up as he opened some data dashboard.
At the top, there was a decimal with a capitalized G, which seemed to be the most important metric. Then on the left, there were a lot of details and abbreviations like EF, RI, and panergite saturation, and a lot of other stuff she wasn't understanding. The only things she was understanding were the titles and some of these metrics.
At the top there was the field status. Field radius and height. Simple enough to make sense to Invisigal. Gravity Uniformity wasn't something she quite got, but it told her what the field was about. Some gravity field, and given the measures of 1.5m and 2.5m, it was clear that this was contained inside the metal box, which seemed to be stable if she interpreted that Containment Integrity of 100 percent correctly. They were creating some form of artificial gravity confined inside that box, she realized. This also meant that the 1.9G at the top meant it was almost double the normal gravity, which continued to rise steadily.
Below the field status was energy input, categorized in something that was called GM, and below that, GW. Then there was energy storage, pangerite core, field coils, and to the right side by itself, user status. The user status was just Jin's heart rate and his energy output. At the bottom was a field titled warning, though it was empty. Invisigal assumed that something would pop up there once it needed attention.
The numbers were colored, so even Invisigal could follow that their experiment was going well. Everything was green, except for the conversion efficiency in the energy input section, which had turned yellow when it reached 3.5G. In the field coils and pangerite core, both had a point for temperature and cooling capacity. Both had turned yellow as well.
"It seems like there is too much heat." Invisigal finally commented as she saw Royd fixate on his typing, while the cooling capacity had turned red and some warning about critical heat came up.
"Tsk. Alright, bruddah, that's enough." He finally said as the cooling capacity reached 95 percent. Jin's output and all the other numbers immediately decreased. After a moment, Jin stepped outside, looking rather happy. His face was slightly sweaty after having sustained a couple of minutes of that high gravity.
"That felt great." He said as he stepped outside of that enforced room. "So, what's the problem?"
"Ya mana produces too much heat. I have to think about somethin' to keep everythin' cool." Royd rubbed his chin in thought.
"Too much heat. Is it my Ki that has too much heat itself, or is it the conversion into energy for the machines that produces the heat?"
"Both… Are you saying dat you could make ya mana produce less heat?"
"I might be able to. It should be possible if I willed it. How about we try again?"
"We can't." Royd shook his head regretfully. "Some of the finer stuff has probably melted. I'll need to check it."
"Shit- Besides thinking about reducing the heat, maybe we should also think about storing energy as well? It might be better for our goal of having a chamber where I can walk around in."
"So, you guys are building a room that increases the gravity inside?" Invisigal questioned, not really seeing why they would do that.
"Yep."
"Why though?"
"To train in," Jin responded as if that was the only conclusion for why someone would want a gravity room.
"Right, or, wild idea, lift weights like any other person."
"I could load an entire barbell with weights without feeling strained. Also, gravity training will be more effective to train every part of my body simultaneously while keeping a balanced physical awareness of my body."
"…Whatever. We should probably head towards the arena for our spar."
Jin nodded. "Indeed, we shouldn't make the others wait for us. By the way, Malevola will join us as well."
"Urgh, her too? Aren't we too many then? I told you that I invited Golem as well." Although she said that, she had expected it.
"That's actually perfect. We can do two vs two vs two or three against three or-"
"Yeah, I get it."
…
"So, the two of us a pair. You're moving quick, eh?" Malevola's voice almost felt like she was about to purr.
"We will be rotating soon enough, but in the first round, we will have constellations that most are best in. Coupé and Punch Up are already a well-oiled team, as are Invisigal and Golem."
"I haven't seen you in action, so I'm not complaining. Since it’s a capture the flag, I'll teleport us to it, and you just defend us as we bring it back."
"Sounds like a plan." As a response, Malevola pulled out her giant sword, letting it rest on her shoulder. A second later, a bell rang out loudly, urging Malevola to point in front of them. A portal of red energy formed in front of them. They jumped through it without hesitation. Sean's perception wasn't what it was used to, so even though it was just a split moment, he recognized that the portal didn't just connect two places with another.
There was space in between, which was lit up with what could only be described as hellfire. The reddish stones he saw in his periphery seemed imposing with the way they formed into sharp points, while the air seemed thick. For a moment, Sean's Ki sense instinctively scanned for threats but found nothing as he exited through the other side. The portals were maybe a centimeter apart, and the flash of the portal's light, coupled with the darkness of the portal itself and then the flash of this place in between, would have made it almost impossible for most people to notice things, but he had.
It was this extreme perception that made the switch to the other side that much disorientating. However, even having suppressed his abilities to five percent made him pretty much the strongest in this spar.
"How the hell are you here already?" Malevola shouted as they saw Coupé diving toward them, while Punch Up was right beside Malevola. He swung at her. She blocked with her sword. The force pushed her back, which she slowed by stabbing into the ground.
Sean's arm was already cocked at that point.
KIAI
His fist shot forward. The force generated was invisible, but Coupé had already anticipated this. She tried to dodge, but was clipped anyway. Her wing was impacted, turning her flight into a plummet. Sean obviously knew they would change tactics to confront him, and since he didn't want to seriously injure them, he had widened the range of impact instead of increasing the speed.
RRRRAAAHH
A roar sounded out as a metal barrel headed his way. Sean backhanded it away before dodging to the side as he felt wind heading toward his waist.
Pft Ting Pft Ting
Several nails bounced off the reinforced concrete ground before Invisigal revealed herself holding a nail gun. "Huh, a nail gun is actually quite a good idea, takes less to learn than a bow," Sean commented as he looked at it. Obviously, it had been modified by someone and was that much deadlier.
"Take this!" Golem's deep voice sounded out as his massive arm swept out. Sean jumped just over it before his leg snapped into his face, sending him crashing into the empty container, denting it deeply.
"Hey Malevola, we should probably-" Sean sensed her being pushed toward him with Punch Up, making him look over, only for him to lean out of a burning sword slash. "What the-" He raised a knee, saving himself from a nut shot.
Punch Up grinned like a maniac, only for it to falter a bit as Sean pointed his palm at him.
KIAI "HAAA!"
His body was flung into the ground, bounced off before smashing into a Jersey barrier. It shattered into pieces, though Sean knew he would survive it. His focus shifted again. Side-step. Weave left. Bob underneath the sword before counterattacking.
A Spartan kick to her stomach. He couldn't enjoy the hit as he had to dodge. Swoosh Swoosh Knives pierced into the ground he was standing on. Nails followed him as he headed toward the flag. He dived behind a wooden box filled with sand next to the flag. Thud Thud Nails pierced into it, but didn't penetrate.
His tail curled around the flag, securing it as he oriented himself. Obviously, the others had abandoned the original objective to jump him, but someone had to stick to the rules. His Ki sense told him where they were and that they had even called for reinforcement.
"Hello, Mister Champion," Prism called out as she pointed her fingers at him. Bursts of light headed his way, which he avoided by jumping 15 meters into the air. The attack was as fast as bullets. He had almost been clipped. Before he could rejoice in his dodge, two figures headed his way. The rest of the reinforcement he had sensed.
They flew a bit low, anticipating his fall, but Sean had already learned to glide. Given the practice area, he figured this was the best opportunity to try and fly or at least hover. His ascent had peaked, and he wasn't falling. He drifted a bit, but this was enough. With both arms cocked, he concentrated on making it a fan rather than a cannon.
His arms thrust at Sonar and Flambae. They both seemed to have been briefed as they dodged to the side before flowing in an arc, heading toward him. Sean's left arm blurred into action. Picking off several knives heading his way. With a flick of the wrist, he sent Coupé, Punch Up, and the aiming Invisigal sprawling.
"I'll show you that even you can burn." Flambae threatened with a smirk on his face.
"Bring it on." Sean taunted before grimacing slightly as Sonar hit him with a sonic screech, disorienting him for a moment. His flight height fell slightly before he sensed someone approaching him.
"Since when are you this good at coordinating- HaaaAA!" He couldn't help but ask as he stretched out all his limbs and pushed his Ki out in all directions.
Flames, knives, and nails were pushed aside, but the piece of concrete Golem chucked at him arrived just a second afterward. It broke against his guard.
A lean back to avoid Punch Up, who came out of a portal. "I really need to put in some work, huh?"
…
"Alright, people, great work. You did it, you won." Sean admitted.
"Why did it feel like we lost- fuck" Invisigal asked before hissing as she moved her arm.
"Because he beat the shit out of us?" Malevola commented as she limped to grab her water bottle.
"We won because we burned the flag," Golem announced, sounding proud of that accomplishment.
"Fucker burning the flag isn't capturing." Although he had been the key component in 'winning' this, he seemed to be the least satisfied with the result.
"Hey, you really put me through the wringer. At some point, I was almost entirely on the defense." Sean comforted, though it seemed to have the opposite effect, given their groans.
"Fuck, you're so annoying! Stop trying to make us feel better. You barely have any scratches on you!" Invisigal cursed, which earned agreement from the exhausted team.
"I'm not trying to. I only state facts. You can be proud of your coordination and teamwork. Malevola, could you?"
Malevola took a moment to understand what he was asking for. "You sure?"
"Of course, please."
They then went around and had Malevola transfer all the damage onto Sean. At the end of it, his body was littered with injuries the team had sustained fighting against him. Cuts, bruises, and what appeared to be sprains. Some injuries overlapped, so they got worse when transferred over. Sean tried his best to keep his Ki as suppressed as he could, and slowly he felt Malevola's ability settle.
Whatever magic coupled with Ki enabled her wound transfer, it took some time for it to truly turn into his injuries and not be washed away by his Ki. It was something he had theorized after the first time, and now the injuries had turned into his own. After healing those the normal way, it ought to give him a decent Zenkai.
He couldn't help but grin at the prospect of future growth. He would just have to rough up his team a bit. At that moment, he realized that his team was staring at him with a worried expression.
"Oh, hell no!"
"I'll tell Blonde Blazer on his ass!"
"Lad, if you spare me, I'll pretend I didn' see your true evil self."
"I see the darkness in your heart. You'll have to control it. Fight it!"
"Kinda hot"
"…"