Chapter 11: Chapter 11
Yuki watched him with fearful eyes. 'Take me!' Accelerator closed what little distance was between them. 'Take me where? Am I... getting kidnapped?'
Just before Accelerator could even touch her, his eyes shot towards the window as a shadow grew larger and larger. In a flash, he jumped back just in time.
CRASH!!
The sound of glass shattering filled the room as a figure slammed into it. Yuki closed her eyes, a small shriek escaping her lips. Instead of getting cut, she felt a gentle hand fall on the top of her blue hair. "Sorry for being late," a gentle yet gruff, familiar voice rang in her ears, "but it seems I got here just in time." Meekly, she lifted her head, her eyes slightly teary. Seeing the man standing next to her fallen figure brought a sense of relief, which showed on her face. "Jason," she whimpered, "you came."
Accelerator eyed the man with narrowed eyes. He was tall, with golden blonde hair and indigo eyes. His face was well-structured, the epitome of every woman's dream, with a gentle smile and kind eyes as he looked down at the girl. But Accelerator could see it—the hidden, calculative, manipulative look in his eyes.
'This guy's trouble,' he thought to himself, taking a quick glance at Yuki's starstruck face. 'And the kid doesn't even know it.'
Yuki's heart raced as she stood herself up closer to Jason, feeling the tension in the air. She clutched Jason's sleeve, her small fingers trembling. Jason's presence, though comforting, only intensified the strange energy filling the room. The shattered glass on the floor glittered like tiny diamonds, reflecting the dim light and the chaotic scene unfolding.
Jason kept his gaze fixed on Accelerator, his expression unreadable. "Yuki, stay close to me," he said softly, his voice a mix of authority and reassurance. His hand remained protectively on her head, a silent promise of safety.
Accelerator's mind raced, calculating his next move. The man's appearance might have been disarming, but his eyes told a different story—a story of danger and deception. Yuki, oblivious to the underlying menace, clung to Jason as if he were her savior.
"Dangerous move there, Prince Charming," Accelerator said in a dull tone, crossing his arms. "If I hadn't deflected those shards of glass, your princess would have some pretty nasty scars by now."
Jason maintained his faux gentle smile, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "Are you expecting me to show gratitude to someone in the process of a kidnapping?" he asked, tilting his head as if genuinely perplexed. "Forgive me, but I think I'll pass."
Accelerator smirked, leaning against the wall with a casual air. "Oh, I see how it is," he chuckled, the sound low and dangerous. "You need the princess, but you don't need her in one piece, do you?" Yuki glanced at Accelerator in confusion, her brow furrowing before she buried her head in Jason's chest, seeking comfort from the only person she thought she could trust.
Jason's face grew cold despite the lingering smile. His grip on Yuki tightened possessively, in a manner that didn't seem quite… right. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said, his voice steady but icy. "I don't think I've introduced myself properly." He gave Accelerator a confident smirk, exuding a deceptive charm. "Jason Olas. I'd say it's a pleasure, but really, it's not."
Accelerator straightened, his expression mocking. "Your parole officer," he quipped sarcastically, the tension in his voice palpable. "Time for your regular check-in, Charming."
Jason's eyes darkened, though his smile remained fixed. "You've got quite the mouth on you, don't you? I'm guessing you're the type to always assume you know everything. But let me tell you, there are layers to this you can't even begin to comprehend."
Accelerator chuckled, pushing off the wall and taking a step closer, fully conscious of how close his target was to the shivering fearful yet oblivious girl. "Layers? Oh, I'm sure there are. Layers of lies and manipulation, right? How long do you think you can keep up this act before the kid sees through you? Gonna kill her when she figures out who or what you are"
Jason doesn't look flustered in the slightest as he lets out a sarcastic chuckle. "You talk like I'm the danger to her, but actions speak louder than words. And my actions have kept her safe, kept her protected from the real danger, from people like you."
Quick as lightning, Jason raised his hand, snapping his fingers in Accelerator's direction. The sound was sharp, like a gunshot, but Accelerator was faster. He sprang into action, muscles coiled like a predator ready to strike.
'I have no idea what his magic is, and until I do, I need to play it safe,' he thought, a flash of a memorable fight that led to his first loss shooting through his mind. 'I won't make the same mistake twice.'
A loud bang reverberated through the small classroom. The sound was deafening, like an explosion. The impact sent a shockwave of wind that hit Accelerator hard, making him stagger in surprise. Sunlight poured into the room through the newly created opening in the collapsed wall, dust and debris swirling in the golden beams.
In the chaos, Jason moved with precision. Seizing the opportunity, he scooped up the shivering Yuki, her small frame almost weightless in his arms. Without hesitation, he leapt through the gaping hole, the shattered remnants of the wall framing their escape. Yuki's eyes were wide with fear, her blue hair streaming behind her like a banner.
"Fuck!" Accelerator cursed, his voice raw with frustration. He lunged towards the opening, his senses on high alert. The scene outside was a blur of movement and noise as he tried to track Jason and Yuki. The acrid smell of pulverized concrete filled the air, mingling with the scent of fresh earth from the garden below.
He reached the edge of the breach and peered down. Jason was already several feet ahead, moving with the fluid grace of a seasoned predator, Yuki clutched protectively to his chest. Accelerator's heart pounded in his ears as he calculated his next move. He couldn't afford to lose them now.
With a determined growl, he vaulted through the opening, the adrenaline surging through his veins. The chase was on. As he landed, the ground shook slightly beneath him, the force of his impact sending a ripple through the dirt. He took off at a sprint, eyes locked on Jason's retreating figure.
'Don't know where the old geezer's at,' Accelerator muttered, using his surrounding vectors to propel himself as fast as he could. Going too fast risked destroying the surroundings, which would draw Heroes into the fray quicker than he'd like. 'But losing Charming here will make it harder to find him again, especially if he decides to go under with the kid.'
The geezer hadn't replied to any of his messages. A troubling thought gnawed at him: Did this fucker get to him?
Glancing behind him, Jason let out a huff. 'He's keeping up with me. Not bad,' he thought. Accelerator's figure, though distant, was growing closer by the minute. 'He's as dangerous as I expected. With how little information there was on him, I have no doubt he's stronger than what was written in the report.' Yuki let out a whimper, dragging Jason's attention back to the teenage girl in his arms. 'I need to get Deep Blood far from here,' he thought, tightening his grip around the oblivious teenager. 'I've come so close… I won't lose now.' Gritting his teeth, he extended his arm toward a nearby building.
Accelerator's eyes widened as he realized where Jason was aiming.
A building where a group of pre-schoolers were gathered, alongside a few bystanders, all oblivious to the oncoming danger.
"Heaven's Light," Jason whispered, releasing a loud, blinding flash. A wave of white light shot off so fast that Accelerator barely had time to react. With a deafening crash and creak, the building began to topple over, causing shrieks and screams of despair.
Bystanders pushed and shoved, trying to escape their impending doom. A toddler, in a hurry to flee with his group, stumbled and hit the ground with a cry. The shadow of the falling building loomed over him. Too terrified to look up, he curled into a ball.
When nothing happened, he slowly looked up in confusion.
A massive piece of debris – no – all bits of the fallen debris were hovering just inches above him and the gground, held in place by an unseen force. Accelerator stood nearby, his hand outstretched, his face a mask of venomous anger and irritation. He gritted his teeth, veins bulging as he manipulated the vectors, defying gravity itself.
With a mighty heave, he redirected the debris away from the bystanders, sending it crashing harmlessly to the side. He glanced back at Jason, ignoring everything and everyone else, fury burning in his eyes. "You're not getting away," he muttered, propelling himself forward with renewed vigor. Only to stop, realizing his target was nowhere in sight.
"Damn it".
Accelerator's foot tapped loudly against the pavement, nearly drowning out the ringing of his phone. "Damn it! Answer already!" He still hadn't managed to reach Asphalt, and it was starting to get on his nerves.
'He's supposed to be the veteran here… why the hell is he so useless at his job?' Finally fed up, he hung up and dialed a new contact. The ringing continued until—
"Hello?" A familiar female voice answered in a sleepy tone. "Who is this?"
"Where's Asphalt?" Accelerator demanded without hesitation.
"What?" she replied, confused and drowsy. "What are you talking about?"
"Asphalt's on his 'day off,' I suppose, if that's what you'd call it."
"Do his 'days off' usually involve hunting down magical, manipulative criminals?" he remarked sarcastically.
"…Oh, that son of a—"
"Later! Right now, I think he might have been kidnapped… again."
"Kidnapped? By who?"
"Some smug prick named Jason Olas."
"OH, THAT MOTHERF—"
"I don't know who you mean, and I don't care," he cut her off, irritated. "My calls aren't going through. Got any ideas?"
"I can track him!"
"How? And how fast?"
"His shadow. It's a unique type of spell," she explained, and he could hear rustling in the background. "Hold on, I'll be right there. My flight doesn't leave until tomorrow. I have time."
Before Accelerator could respond, a notification pinged on his phone. He glanced at the screen, his eyes widening slightly. "Never mind!" he called out.
"What?!"
"Asphalt's calling me now."
"What! Accelerator, wai—"
Without hesitation, he answered the call. Placing the phone to his ear, he growled in irritation, "Where the hell are you, you dumb geezer?"
It was silent for a second before a vaguely familiar voice rang through, "Is that how you treat your senior?"
A chill ran down Accelerator's spine. "…Jason," he growled lowly, "what do you want?"
"What I want?" Jason remarked in faux surprise. "You can't give me what I want… you don't have that power." His tone carried an air of irrefutable certainty. "I mean, you could… assist. But I already know you won't."
"Then why contact me? Why not ditch Asphalt's phone after you were done with him?" Accelerator asked, trying to make Jason slip up, hoping for some confirmation about whether Asphalt was alive or not.
"To deliver a message. Well… one warning and one message," Jason's voice dripped with arrogance. "Don't get in my way… I've come too far for all my plans to go down the drain just because of one arrogant boy who doesn't even know how to respect his elders."
Accelerator's eyes narrowed before he regained his composure. "You know, it's a little hypocritical to say that when you're keeping an old man captive. What, are you into stuff like that?"
A low chuckle came through the line, making Accelerator's eyes narrow even further. "And what's so funny?" he asked dangerously.
"Oh, it's nothing," Jason replied with a smirk in his voice. "Just my message… Don't you think you're worrying about the wrong person?"
"I don't speak in code. Wanna clarify?"
Another cold chuckle echoed in his ear. "I'm saying, no matter how powerful you are… you can't be in two places at once."
Accelerator's breath hitched in his throat.
"Careful not to spread yourself too thin." The call ended with a smug tone, leaving Accelerator standing in stunned silence.
The weight of Jason's words settled over him like a dark cloud. For a moment, he felt frozen, but then adrenaline surged through him, propelling him into action. He took off running, his mind racing even faster than his feet.
The city blurred around him as he sprinted, dodging pedestrians and weaving through traffic with a singular focus. Buildings and faces flashed by in a dizzying haze, each step echoing like a drumbeat in the cacophony of the city. He could almost feel the devil breathing down his neck—or maybe it was the other way around. The urgency of the situation drove him forward, every step pounding with a mixture of fear and determination. His breath came in sharp bursts, his heart a relentless drumbeat in his chest. As he ran, one thought consumed him: Eri.
Memories of Eri flooded his mind, each recollection was like a dagger, spurring him onward. 'Not again', was all he could think.
As he sprinted through the crowded streets, the world around him became a blur of colors and sounds. He darted between pedestrians, leaped over obstacles, and narrowly avoided collisions with cars and remarks of 'calling a Hero'. The city's noise was a distant roar, drowned out by the pounding of his heart and the rush of blood in his ears.
His mind raced, analyzing Jason's cryptic message. 'You can't be in two places at once.'
His teeth clenched tightly.
"Eri!" Saki called out with a smile, "I'm almost done here, are you ready?"
The light blue-ash-haired girl glanced at the older woman before hurrying to put away all the pencils and crayola's spread on the table.
TAP! TAP!
Saki and Eri, both looked towards the door.
Accelerator pushed his body to its limits, feeling the burn in his muscles and the ache in his lungs. He navigated the city with a frantic determination, every step driven by a desperate need to protect Eri. The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows that seemed to reach out and grab at him, slowing him down.
He turned a corner sharply, almost slipping on the slick pavement. His mind was a storm of fear and anger. Jason's smug voice echoed in his ears, taunting him. The thought of Jason's threat made his blood boil, but he couldn't afford to let his anger cloud his judgment.
Finally, he arrived at the apartment building where he had left Eri. He took the stairs two at a time, his heart hammering in his chest.
"He's back!", Saki muttered in surprise. Elicting an excited gleam from the little girl, who was ready to put her 'training' into practice. Excitedly she bounded towards the door.
"Eri wait!" Saki exclaimed in surprise as the toddler rushed past her.
As he reached the door, he hesitated for a split second, gathering his thoughts and calming his breathing. He had to be clear-headed, for the kid's sake.
The excited child, unable to restrain herself, swings the door wide open, "welcome home!" she eagerly calls out.
Only to be taken aback, as the figure standing before her was not Accelerator.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone