Chapter 5 BRAIN PUNCHER

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Luckily for me i arrived the class before anyone else.

Normally,Rae whom i was anxious to see again usually

comes very early than i do so her lateness that morning

raised a kind of curiosity because it was very unusual. While i

waited,the door suddenly opened,revealing Rae and two other

classmates of ours. As soon as she saw me,the bag she was

holding fell from her hands after she jolted in surprise. She

paused a bit to confirm if what she's seeing is really

happening. Then quickly,she picked up her bag .

.

"Arthur??? Am i daydreaming?" She asked herself right from

where she stood. I only threw a toothy smile,stealing a glance

at her alongside.

.

"You're seeing me right? There's no need to ask yourself that

question because am very sure am not the one you're asking"

i replied. She immediately began advancing towards me.

.

"Arthur? I can't believe my eyes already....Where have you

been for the past three weeks?" Rae asked,drawing a seat

closer and sinking her butt into it.

.

"Well,i don't understand that myself....Just found myself on a

strange island" i lied. Rae threw a weird and unbelieving look

at me.

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"Wait a minute...Did you..." She was saying then i cut her

short.

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"Yes...Yes....i entered the mysterious rain exactly three weeks

ago and i...." I was saying when she cut me short also.

.

"That's awkward...i was actually going to ask if you

purposely decided to come to school very early this

morning...Anyway you blew the cover yourself" She

said,putting up a smile which i don't really understand.

"So,tell me about your experience where you found yourself"

She added. I heaved a sigh of relief and then faced her.

.

"Rae,there's nothing interesting about where i found

myself....Its rather awful than bringing back the forgotten

memories about the compromising situation i was in,exactly

three weeks ago....The huge flood washed me up somewhere i

don't even know but am very sure its not any closer to New

York city....Maybe another part of the opposite countries" I

explained,staring at the table before me. Rae placed a hand on

my shoulder and smiled. She then whispered something into

my ear,making me gasp in shock.

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"What did you just say?" I asked,to be sure if what i heard

was right.

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"You heard me right? I won't repeat it because i know you're

feeling same way I'm feeling about you,right?" She asked. I

stammered for a while before answering.

.

"Y...yeah sure...i...i do" i said,trying to hide my sudden

surprise and shock but Rae was someone who understood me

to the extreme and will notice anything about me in few

seconds to when the situation pulled up.

.

"Wait a minute....how am i supposed to take you around

without your wheelchair?" She asked. I gave her a long stare

and suddenly bursted into a hysterical laughter. I grabbed a

football resting on a nearby wall deck and sprang up,walking

to the front of the class. I made some few stunts with the ball

while Rae's mouth was agape in extreme shock. After few

seconds of stings with the football,i suddenly fired a kill

shot,disorganizing the bookshelf at the back of the class. I

walked back to my seat and sat down.

.

'What??? Am i dreaming or what? How did that happen?" She

asked,trying to sound like she wasn't shocked but i knew she

was very very surprised . Immediately she asked,then it

dawned on me that i haven't cooked up a lie to defend that.

.

"Um...um actually,i underwent a bone correction surgery last

weekend" i finally lied. There was a wide expression of

happiness on Rae's face as she couldn't believe her ears and

eyes. Over controlled by happiness,she suddenly hugged me

tightly,with slight tears dripping from one of her eyes. In the

middle of this reunion,Peter,the bully in school and his gang

of two suddenly barged into the class. I needed no soothsayer

to tell me that he was actually looking for me.

.

"Well well,it it isn't Arthur Griffo and his puny girlfriend,who

should it be again?" He said,slowly advancing towards me and

Rae's position. Immediately,Rae made to step forward but i

stopped her,stepping forward instead. This in many ways

surprised Peter greatly.

.

"Oh my...so you can actually walk again? Nice and also...bad

because that won't stop me from taking what I've always

been taking from you....Your lunch box" He said,chuckling

annoyingly. I immediately felt like hitting him but i was

restrained when Kenzie's warning flashed into my head. This

immediately pushed back my urge to hit Peter.

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"Alright...Take my lunch and leave us alone" i said. Rae

suddenly tapped me on the shoulder angrily.

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"What? You've been facing this extreme oppression and I

didn't get to know about it? How the hell can you be

surrendering your lunch box to this nitwit everytime?" Rae

asked. She was speaking with extreme confidence because

she knew Peter wouldn't dare touch her right inside the college

premises. Seeing how angry she was,i drew her closer to

myself.

.

"Let him go,Rae....He's more stronger than we are....I wouldn't

want him to hurt you for me" i said to Rae in a whisper.

.

"What are you gonna do,grumpy girl?" Peter asked,eyeing Rae

weirdly. Rae didn't say anything this time. We both watched

Peter and his gang cart away my lunch box from the class....

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"But Arthur,this is kind of wicked...How the hell will he be

taking your lunch box everytime?" Rae asked. I smiled and

faced her squarely.

.

"You don't have to bother yourself about Peter and his

gang...A day's coming when I'll have his situation under

control....and i don't mean for myself alone but for the whole

school....I'm surely gonna curb his oppressing wings one

day...Trust me" I said. Rae was staring into my face,now with

a sober look. I looked around and when i saw that the class

was free of students that moment,i kissed her on the forehead

and urged her to seat beside me......

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Two days later,i resorted to visiting Kenzie and others right

after school hours. As i walked towards the path that leads to

their base,many thoughts kept running in my mind,including

the saddening news i saw earlier on the television. It was

about people found dead everyday with their brains gone. I

was thinking about this as i walked towards Kenzie and

others base. I hoped they'll know something about the

mysterious death and disappearance of people's brain. Few

minutes later,i arrived at the front of a wooden house which i

guessed must be my exact destination. As i made to access

the house,Kenzie spoke behind me.

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"Looking for us?" She asked and i immediately turned

around,facing her.

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"Yes..Actually i thought you'll be inside with others

already....What are you guys up to?" I asked,stepping down

from the high steps at the entrance.

.

"You know,i used to doubt if you really can keep your identity

hidden but it appears amazing wrong about my

thoughts...You actually kept it a secret" Boyka said,emerging

from the other end of the building alongside Victor.

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"Oh that? I can never blow that out...Have you guys noticed

anything happening in the city?" I asked. Victor

chuckled,taking a glance at Kenzie also.

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"We know what's happening already....People killed and

brains disappears" Kenzie said,making me swiftly look at her.

.

"Wow....amazing update...Any ideas about who's executing

that dangerous shit?"i asked,staring constantly at Kenzie.

Boyka took few steps forward and spoke.

.

"His name is Brain Puncher....And evil creature we just

discovered....He kills and take people's brain in order to make

him more stronger and probably boost his intelligence....He

was here four days ago....We followed him but couldn't catch

him because he beat us all" Boyka explained and i listened

attentively.

.

"Strange...This maniac needs to be stopped in no time....We

can't afford to see more people suffer his craziness" i

said,taking simultaneous glances at them all.

.

"Yes....but seems he has a human form which we're yet to

find out....His real self is still unknown to us" Victor said.

There was a short silence for a while and then,i broke it.

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"Well,that's by the way....Actually there's someone remotely

tempting me to beat him....He's been doing this for long since

when i was still in a trapped situation but even up till

now,He's still oppressing me" I said briefly. Kenzie stole a

glance at Boyka and then returned her gaze back at me.

.

"Sorry i don't understand....Trapped situation? How?" She

asked. That was when i remembered i didn't tell them about

my early life.

.

"Well,long before i became a human mutant,i used to be a

paralyzed kid who was strapped in a wheelchair due to an

accident where i lost my father and suffered a severe bone

damage....My mutation changed everything" I said. I wasn't

expecting them to be surprised because it's obvious they'd

have come across things like that even back in their respective

planets.

.

"That's interesting....Now who's this person pushing you off

limits?" Boyka asked. I looked up at him and heaved a heavy

sigh.

.

"There's this guy in my school....His name's Peter....Always

picking on me and my girlfriend...I almost hit him two days

ago but had to restrain myself somehow" I said.

.

"Well,you did the right thing that moment...But there's another

way to deal with him without revealing your powers" Boyka

said and then suddenly ,we all heard a rustling noise from the

left distant part to our position. We all exchanged glances and

suddenly,we broke into a run towards the direction as the

rustling noise of trees persisted....We all ran faster to catch

up...