CHAPTER 28: CH 28: REPLICATION.

The Mechania Faculty.

A tad more complex than the other Faculties— the Mechania was where the world’s natural flow of Aether and the man-made creations met at an impasse.

The perfect example?

Cara Collins’ Aether Complex suit. Cold sharp steel and yet extraordinary capabilities. The suit was made by her father the moment he realised what his daughter’s affinity was.

All powered by a single source of energy — more potent than radiation, cleaner than wind, and more abundant than solar.

Aether.

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""And your task for tonight," Collins said, stepping back, "is to stop her... without being impaled."

He motioned for Mirage to stay behind him.

~Shnk!~

Cara’s HUD helmet slid back as she turned towards the awakened.

Her HUD eyes glowed ominously, circuitry shimmered more brightly— she drew upon Aether and channeled it into the suit.

A few awakened took a few nervous steps back— but the strong wouldn’t relent.

They circled her, pacing about the field— they watched her.

"Arrgh!"

The first growled as he sprang forward.

His skin visibly turned to a metallic alloy— obsidian black as it bounced the moonlight off it.

He raised an arm for a punch— she didn’t move.

~CLING!~

The sound of metal against metal rang out as his fist connected with Cara’s helmet.

The impact brought her face down— but just for a second. She slowly lifted her gaze back to him.

Nothing. Not a scratch. Not even a smudge.

~BAM.~

She lifted her foot and drove her boot into his chest and sent him flying across the field.

The others froze— not sure what to do next.

’How strong is that armour?’

Aegon swallowed hard and tried to stay as far away as possible.

Her HUD slid back in. A brash grin spread across her cheeks. "Is that all you got, no wonder you’re at the bottom."

She took a cocky step back, arms spread in arrogance. "You’re all supposed to be awakened, superhumans— not punching bags."

The HUD slid back on as she curled her fingers in a silent gesture: Come on.

They all lunged for her.

Fireballs, water waves, air blasts and forces that couldn’t be seen were all hurled at Cara.

It didn’t matter if they hit her or not— the armour was too strong. She knocked most of them down with single punches or plasma blasts from her suit’s palms.

With most of them now on the floor— Cara’s gaze finally trailed around the room to a weird figure.

He didn’t fight. He didn’t attack. He just stood there observing the entire thing unfold even as his "teammates" were getting demolished.

Aegon’s blood ran cold as he saw eyes in his direction. The wish for the ground to swallow him had never been this strong.

~BOOM.~

She closed the distance between them within a microsecond— Aegon ducked to the left by a hair’s breadth.

He shuffled back onto his feet and hoped someone— anyone — was back on their feet.

But no one was.

She turned back to him. Although he couldn’t see her face, Aegon was so sure she was grinning from ear to ear.

Cara could’ve ended this in seconds if she wanted to, but like a Jaguar watching a antelope try to run— she loved the hunt too.

Sweat beaded Aegon’s forehead, he whipped his head to Collins’ and Mirage who couldn’t look more indifferent.

They knew she wouldn’t kill him and as long as she didn’t— all was fair.

Flicking his head back to her— the circuitry glow of her suit intensified, she knees bent slightly. She was about to finish this.

And it was going to hurt bad.

He backpedaled as fast as possible, there was, unfortunately, no escape.

The lower she bent the longer time stretched.

She burst forward, legs in the air in full thrust as she closed the distance between them— arm raised for the final punch.

Aegon’s eyes went wide, his hands met the back of an awakened sprawled on the floor.

With no other choice, he drew on Aether and pulled from his affinity, replication.

~BAM!~

Cara’s fist met Aegon’s arm and spent him flying back— or at least it should have.

Aegon’s arms hardened like black diamond, he instinctively crisscrossed his arms over his face and braced for impact.

A slight tremour rattled underneath their feet as an eerie silence fell over the field.

For the first time. Aegon had used his affinity.

He had copied the affinity of the awakened sprawled next to him and hardened his body.

The timer ticked in his head. [15 seconds.]

Cara, immediately after regaining composure drove her left fist into his guts.

Even with hardened skin he could feel his stomach jump to his throat, a sharp pain engulf his centre and the air ripped out of his lungs.

Her right arm was already raised for another punch, straight for his jaw—

He caught her fist, turned his back and drove her into the ground.

His hardening wore off. His skin turned back to normal— weak, fragile and vulnerable.

’God, I hate this novel.’

Aegon placed his hands on his knees as he drew heavy breaths.

Just before he felt it, the presence hovering silently over him. He opened his eyes to see the suit’s shadow on the floor.

She lifted her hands towards him— plasma already converging within her palms.

He jumped to the side — dodging the blast, but just barely.

Cara remained in the sky, her plasma blasts cratering all around the field as it chased Aegon’s escaping figure.

Each dodge brought him closer — until his hand brushed another fallen awakened.

He finally stopped. His hands stretched forth— trying to stop her.

The helmet finally slid back down. Her face sweaty and breath shaky yet she spoke joyfully.

"You should’ve never fought back."

Her hands converged together — it’s parts reshaping themselves into one. Its barrel smoothing out— just before it began to light up.

Her last blast was coming. And packing a more powerful blast than the others.

Mirage tried to stop her, opening his mouth to end this— but Collins’ raised a hand before him to stop him.

Because he seen it. He’d been carefully watching Aegon’s movements— he wasn’t running for survival, he was planning something.

The incessant crash of the waves stopped, the once lively lake in front of them suddenly just stopped.

The water rose behind Aegon, spiraling skyward like a tornado before crashing forward in a towering arc.

All eyes darted up towards the top of the water wave and then back down at Aegon.

~WHSSHH!~

The wave came crashing down onto Cara.