by C. Louis S.
Leon flung a small, plastic ball into the air with only a thought. He made a baseball mitt appear on the other side of his backyard with his green energy. The ball crossed their white picket fence. The green glove flew backwards at Leon’s command to be in the right position to catch it. Leon missed, and the ball landed in their neighbor’s yard.
The glove scooped up the ball and threw it back towards Leon. It almost hit their tin shed on the way back, and Leon had to give it a tug towards him or else it wouldn’t have made it back to his hand. Leon felt proud of himself and turned to Kali with a smile. She wasn’t watching.
Kali was basking in red light from her phone. When the light shut off, Kali went back to typing at break-neck speed. An aeronaut flew by overhead and Leon noticed black storm clouds approaching. I don’t have much time to practice before that storm comes.
Instead of playing fun games on her phone, Kali did what most girls did. She chatted with friends and shared pictures and videos. Videos that she liked, she passed along to other friends. There was some sort of points system, that Leon hadn’t taken the time to figure out, that let her bask in light after posting so many pictures or passing along enough videos from other people.
It sounded boring to Leon, but Kali spent the whole day doing it until she had enough red energy built up to fly for a minute and then it was back to socializing.
Kali and Aidan had helped Kali the day before begin her flight training. Even Mother and Father had been in the backyard cheering her on. By the end of the day she had been exhausted, but she was able to fly for almost a minute straight. She really needs to work on her landing, though. She’ll have bruises for weeks at this rate.
Leon shook his head and went back to his game of catch with himself.
Before he could throw the ball, he noticed something about his reserves of energy. He hadn’t had to fill up on green or blue light the whole afternoon. He played games for most of the morning by escaping his chores, but even after playing with both powers for a few hours, he still could feel large reserves of energy.
It’s the most energy I’ve ever felt. And after the last two nights of training with dark energy, I think I feel this constant buzz of dark power. I think I was right that dark energy multiplies your energy. It’s like I have unlimited mindbending power! Just a few more nights of training and Tommy and Randall will be sorry they messed with me.
With his new understanding of his powers, he created a baseball bat and made the ball hover in front of him. Taking hold of the bat, he swung it. It crashed into the ball just as he released his mental grip on it.
The ball went flying over their fence. It was headed for at least three backyards away, when suddenly it stopped. Leon stared at it curiously. What’s happening? Have I lost control of my powers? Am I making it hover there without knowing that I’m doing it? Why isn’t it moving?
Leon noticed something move in the corner of his vision. He turned to see Randall walking around the side of his house. He scowled, though Randall didn’t see it because he was staring at the ball.
Leon looked back at the ball and saw it coming slowly back to him. It landed just inside his fence and rolled to his feet.
Leon looked back up at Randall. He shivered and felt goosebumps on his arm. There was something different about Randall. His clothes were normal: cargo shorts and a blue t-shirt. But he looked shadowed and gloomy despite the broad smile on his face.
“Hey Leon! My mom sent me to your house. She said I was being a pain today and she had to get ready for work. What are you up to?”
What does he want? Did he come here to gloat? Leon’s scowl deepened. “You’ve got a lot of nerve coming here,” he said.
Randall stopped mid-step. He looked confused. That’s a nice act, you’re putting on, Randall. But I can see right through it.
“What do you mean?” asked Randall.
“You know what I mean. How dare you come here after you betrayed me like that?”
“Betrayed you? You’re just jealous because I got to play and you didn’t.” Randall continued walking toward Leon. His smile grew larger while Leon’s temper flared within him. “Dude, it was so awesome. I had so much fun. I can’t wait until you can play, too.”
“So much fun laughing at me? Watching me almost get pulverized?” He is not my friend anymore. He is my enemy.
Leon unexpectedly felt dark energy surging into his muscles. It surprised him, but it fueled his anger.
Randall’s face grew solemn. “I’m really sorry about that. It was pretty lucky that your dad was there to save you. Tommy’s a really cool guy once you get to know him.”
“Oh, I got to know him. I got really acquainted with his fists!” Leon shouted.
A sharp gust of wind reminded Leon of the impending storm. The air grew chilly.
“What are you doing?” Randall squeaked, pointing timidly at Leon’s hands.
Leon looked down and saw green, translucent fireballs in either hand at his sides. He didn’t remember thinking about fire or consciously willing them to appear, but his anger felt like fire running through his veins. He looked up at Randall with a twisted smile.
“Don’t do it, Leon.” Randall took a defensive stance. His eyes were wide with fear.
Leon hurled the fireballs at Randall’s head with all his might, but Randall threw up a force shield that shattered them instantly into tiny green specs of light. Leon was suddenly shoved backward by an invisible force. He landed on the grass and continued to slide backward.
Kali screamed. “Are you two fighting for real? I’m going to tell Mom.” She floated upward in her sitting position until she was high enough for her feet to dangle below her and then made for the porch door.
Using his mindbending, Leon slid the glass porch door closed right in Kali’s face. He pulled on her body, hoping to not let her walk inside. She struggled and shouted, but Leon was able to keep her from moving forward.
While still concentrating on holding Kali in place, Leon stood and made a giant-sized fist appear in the air and swatted at Randall. He pushed it backward with his mind. Leon continued to add pressure, but Randall was keeping the fist at bay.
If only I could concentrate just on crushing Randall. He’d be so easy to beat.
With a sudden flare of strength, Randall sent the giant fist flying backward. Leon let it dissipate and focused on Kali. She had been inching closer to the door and now was almost grabbing the handle.
Leon lifted her up a few inches off the ground. She felt pretty heavy to his mindbending muscle, but with great effort he flung her into the air. She screamed something at him, but then flew away.
Leon didn’t have time to see where she was flying, because Randall had flung him back onto the ground. He checked his energy reserves and still felt a large well of power within him.
The wind was increasingly stronger. The storm clouds were almost overhead.
In his mind, he cried out to the dark energy, coaxing it, persuading it to come into him, to give him power. His anger increased as the dark energy flowed into him, strengthening his muscles and his power reserves.
“I can do the same thing, loser,” shouted Randall.
Leon stood. He saw that Randall’s face looked darker, shadowed. “All you know how to do is throw me backward, so bring it, coward.”
With a bo staff in hand, Leon charged at Randall. Why isn’t he pushing me back? Why is he just waiting? Is he really just going to use his shield? This is going to be easier than I thought.
When Leon was just a few feet from Randall, he swung the staff with both hands aiming for Randall’s shoulder and neck. The staff was inches from striking, when Randall disappeared. Leon almost lost his balance with the force of his swing and the sudden surprise.
“So, you can teleport now. You think you’re so cool?”
Randall laughed. He apparated on the deck and then again near the shed. He apparated just behind Leon and Leon felt a swift punch to the back of his head. He stumbled forward as Randall apparated
once again. Leon’s head bumped right into Randall’s stomach and Randall shoved him backward.
I will not lose to him. He’s a traitor and a wuss. Looking up into Randall’s eyes, Leon flared dark energy and pushed Randall back with his mind. Randall countered by pushing on Leon. He slid back several feet in the grass.
Leon begged the dark energy to fill his body and he could feel it pouring in. His blue reserve of energy was limitless and growing. He used all of it that he could muster, pushing against Randall with his mind.
Randall must have been doing the same, for even though Leon could feel his power growing, he continued to slide backward in the grass. They pushed for what seemed like long minutes. Leon’s mind was growing tired and even his muscles ached from the strain.
At that moment, Leon heard something that threw a wrench in his concentration. It was the shrill voice of an angry mother, and she was calling Leon’s name.
With his loss of concentration, Randall’s mindbending force threw him backward through the air. He crashed against the metal shed. His body broke the door down with great force and he knew he would have a large bruise in the shape of corrugated tin on his back.
He laid there dazed for several moments. When he finally got up, Randall was nowhere to be seen, but Mother was standing just outside the glass porch door with her hands on her hips and an angry face that would scare away a demon.
chapter 9
Villian's Disgrace
