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The Silhouette and The Forge
Chapter 12
A needle-thin blue stream flies across the room illuminating briefly everything in it, making the shadows grow long and ominous. The Blue needle stretches out further before impacting a dummy standing at the end of the room.
Upon hitting the target, electricity spread visibly from the area of impact at its chest. Not very far surprisingly since electricity shouldn't work like that but it's fueled by a more supernatural power that laughs at physics and science like the little nerds they are. The arcs spread near the shoulders and just below the pectorals. The point of impact is slightly blackened at the point of impact.
I continue to keep the stream going for as long as I can holding my hands in the hand sign necessary to keep the jutsu going. I breathe heavily with sweat pouring off of me. And to think this was enough to do this to someone with as many upgrades as I have had to my body. The beam flickers momentarily before I redouble my concentration.
The flickering form stabilizes albeit weaker and far dimmer than it was before. I feel the aches and bone-deep exhaustion in me at using so much chakra. This was only the fifth jutsu I used for today's training session. The beam is the one I use to finish off all the sessions by expending the last of the chakra I had at the end of each session.
As time drags on the beam gets dimmer with each passing second. Eventually, it fades away and I stand letting out a heavy breath and lowering my hands to my sides. Wiping some sweat off of my face with a rag I walk up to see my handiwork.
The dummy the engineers had made for me is sporting a nice black burn Mark about the size of my thumbnail at the center of the chest. I smirk at seeing the visible improvement of not just my chakra control and capacity but the damage the jutsu is now capable of. Before it would be a needle-tip-sized burn mark with the electricity barely leaving the point of impact.
Now it does as the scroll described, hits the target leaving a visible burn mark at the point of contact and paralyzing the part of the body it hits with electricity visible to the naked eye. A flashy minor electric jutsu that is a method of capturing or subduing people and if the practitioner got good enough with it could kill the target.
Of course that would be useless since there are more efficient and better jutsu for things like that but it's good for starters to get used to the lightning element and help increase chakra capacity. Speaking of that, I stopped and glanced over at the stopwatch that had stopped just as the light show ended. I managed to go for 17 seconds with what I had left in the tank. An improvement over last week's 9 seconds.
I nod my head satisfied with my rate of improvement. Wiping myself down as best I could I walk over to a bottle on the shelf and take a long swig of it. Just as I empty the bottle an alert pops up on my contacts. Time to get cleaned up if I want to look presentable.
…
Walking down the cracked and cratered sidewalk side stepping the occasional piece of trash on it. I pointedly ignore all the graffiti that is on the sides of the buildings. You can’t even tell what anything was with how many layers had been sprayed onto it. I didn’t mind graffiti when it looked stylish and cool. But this just looks like a rainbow vomited all over the place.
I see several other teenagers heading for the same building we are. Some look like they just don’t care, others a look of acceptance that this is the end of the road for them. And some have a look of confidence. I even see a few stern-looking older women talking to them. Oh boy, your mother's even making sure you know you can’t afford to screw this up.
“I distinctly remember telling you that the schools here don’t give you much of a chance at a future didn’t I?” Jade says beside me in a low voice, not happy with what to her must appear to be a colossal waste of her time. The other things I had her do can be argued to be training. Not so much this.
“Oh, I remember. Which is why I am going to be skipping the lesser school system and jumping for a higher education.” I say casually, not bothering to look at her expression when she starts putting it together.
“Wait. You are taking the test administered by the Wayne Foundation to get into Gotham University?” Her realization of this makes me chuckle and I ignore the glare she throws my way.
“Yes. That very same test. The one I had you prepare for with all of that sparring we had done while making you answer questions for me.” I say back with a smug smile Jade in the past several days didn’t think much of it other than a method to get her better at multitasking. To be fair that was a part of it but not a major one.
She is oddly silent, not saying much now. I place my hand on her shoulder making her stop, some teenagers move around us with one trying to shove me out of the way but I bump him back. He stumbles a few steps out onto the street while I remain firmly rooted where I stand. Looking enraged and about to say something before a loud horn makes him scramble to get back on the sidewalk.
A beat-up car drives by slowly with a gruff man staring down the boy. The other teenagers are looking and chuckling while a few others remain silent pointedly looking at me and Jade.
Two of them are grizzled-looking men who have been taking the occasional glance at me more than necessary. Much like with a handful of people who would eye me more than anyone else.
Jade is now sporting a smirk at that little display as my attention briefly is on the kid. “You almost killed me!” The little punk with a gray hoodie points at me accusingly.
“Play a stupid game and you get a stupid prize.” I respond and turn away from him and focus on Jade who is just enjoying the free show. Ignoring whatever the kid is saying, I look over to Jade to give her my attention.
“You don’t have to use what I am teaching you to get into college. I will train you regardless. I just figured I would extend an offer to you if you ever wanted to see if college might be of interest to you. Just think about it. You never know you just might want to go and see what it’s like one day.” I say to her with genuine honesty. Who wouldn’t want a chance at a free ride to the university if they pass a certain threshold on the test? That’s the whole point of the Wayne Foundation setting this all up.
Find the diamonds in the rough in this city. By no means a bad idea. One could argue that Bruce and his company should give more to the school system and try to create more jobs so people do not resort to crime in this city. The problem with that is he did try. After checking up on some history of this place, Bruce made several attempts in the past to make more jobs and set up ways for the people to not resort to crime to survive.
Same thing with the schools getting more funding. The issue was so much corruption made it nearly impossible to achieve and the simple fact most of the people who resort to crime have practically become career criminals. It’s second nature to a lot of them. Even if a legit well-paying job dropped in their lap, they are likely to stick to what is more familiar to them.
Same thing from my old life. A friend or colleague had the opportunity to get a better-paying job in a better workplace and they turned it down. They were comfortable where they are now or another excuse was they had already invested so much time into the job they have now. And the few that did take the chance blew it by stealing from work or doing other stupid things that cost them dearly.
Even if Bruce got rid of the corrupt individuals responsible which was already a tall order legally with them having people as either friends or dirt on them to get their help. A giant spider web of corruption slows down any legal avenue of approach. Then Batman shows up and cracks down on said people, only for them to be replaced with just as corrupt if not more corrupt people with the occasional straight and honest person stepping in.
This test is a remnant of that, one of the few things Bruce left since trying it the way he did originally is just asking for someone to pocket the money and skedaddle out of town. Jade looks at me with surprise evident on her face, “So I’m not being forced to do this in the future?” She says back to me with a glance over my shoulder at the idiot still going off at me as more bystanders are stopping to watch. The kid's face is getting redder and redder when he realizes we don’t give him our full attention regardless of how many insults he throws my way.
“No. You can take the test if you want to. If you don’t then that’s alright. Just figured I'd give you the opportunity to try it out and see if you might like it.” I say, turning around to walk away still ignoring the shouting kid who I see out of the corner of my eye. If looks could kill I would be dead a thousand times over with the smoldering glare leveled at me. I just give him a cheeky grin and fan my hand at him in an obnoxious wave.
“You know what? I think I will one day take up that offer when you put it like that. After all, the local schools may not have any future for me, but the college might.” Jade says to me eyeing the kid before chuckling at my response to him making his face more red than it already was as he grinds his teeth. Smiling as we move along with the kid resuming to yell at me.
When the kid looks like he is going to reach for something, he stops hesitation clear on his face as he seems to finally remember that there are several cops around here looking in his direction. Bringing his hand away from where it was reaching he glares in my direction before walking along trailing behind us. Some of the other kids who passed us let us through and joined him. Must be his friends.
Walking across the street that is long overdue to be repaired to the stairs leading into the nondescript building that is in surprisingly good condition. The security guards on duty with the ever-familiar white W and a few cops sprinkled here and there give a sense of security here. Or at least as much as any place in Gotham can give. At least they managed to get all of their ducks in a row after nearly two weeks of postponing this test along with several schools still being shut down after the gang war.
We get in line to enter the building with a lot of people in front of us. Little by little the line gets shorter and we get closer to the security point with a metal detector and various other scanners.
A guy who wouldn’t look out of place in a school sitcom comes up in a white shirt with suspenders on and tan dress pants holding a clipboard and pen in hand while bringing up a finger to adjust his glasses. “Names?” He speaks in the drollest voice I have ever heard. Sounds almost like Ben Stein from Ferris Bueller.
“Daniel Cunningham.”
“Daaaaniel Cunnnningham. And you?”
“Not taking the test, I was just here to see my friend off and wish him good luck.”
“Very well then, please leave miss. And you?” He then turns to face the next several people in line alongside several other people with clipboards with looks on their faces like they want to be anywhere but here.
“Talk to you later.” With that Jade turns and leaves forcing her way through the crowd and down the stairs.
Going through numerous security checkpoints shows that these people are taking things seriously. A metal detector, several trained canine dogs sniffing about, and other various methods of catching someone with something they shouldn’t have. After several minutes of this, I finally make it to a large hall with several guards and staff members watching while the people here to take the test lined up on the sides of the hall with numerous doors aligned on it.
Getting next to some emo kids who glance at me before going back to talking about one of my projects that has taken off. “You tried that new horror game that came out for free that has ads all over the internet?”
The other guy with his hood up indoors laughs, “No I haven’t. I thought that was a scam?”
His friend shakes his head, “I did too till Jeremy decided to take the chance on a dare and come to find out the game is good! He said it was the best horror game he has ever played.”
“For real? What’s the name of the game?”
“Silent Hill. Hard to believe someone made it and the other games for free. If they need money for a bigger, better game on the site then I’m all for chipping in.”
“Alright if a horror game aficionado like Jeremy touts this game as the best horror game then it has to be good…”
After that, I stopped paying attention to their conversation, pleased that the engineers had done a fantastic job developing some games from my old life to garner interest in the website I had them make. Nothing quite like a free and high-quality product to be the bait and hook so they would be interested in what comes next.
I look around the hall taking note of both the people waiting for the tests and those who are here to do their jobs. Several people who wouldn’t look out of place in an office complex occasionally come in and read off the names of several people, getting them to follow them further down the hall.
The background noise of the workers and the test takers in the hall chatting I ignore while thinking over what I will need to do to enhance my chakra capacity and efficiency once this is done. Not long after that, an older woman with graying hair dressed in a skirt and white blouse comes forth listing off my name alongside several others. I follow her alongside the others, which someone tries to shove into me only to get bounced back out of the line making others glance at him. He whips his head about with eyes wide like a deer staring at some headlights.
Ah, one of the boys that walked past me and Jade. Must be trying to get even for what I did to his friend despite him fully deserving it. The woman turns around upon taking notice of the disturbance, “Young man, get back in line and no fooling around. This is your only warning. If you slow down progress you will be escorted out of the building and have any chances at retaking this test denied.” The older woman fixes him with an ice-cold glare that could rival Dad and Furgus’s. That is impressive.
“We do not have time to waste on your childish antics, do you understand me?” She says, making him throw a quick glare in my direction. I smile innocently while batting my eyelashes at him. His expression turned from anger to apocalyptic. He looks so adorable when he gets indignant like that I think while fighting off a laugh.
“Yeah yeah…” He mumbles while putting his hands in his pants pockets, not even looking at her.
“Yes ma’am. Say it or you are out.” She all but growls at him making him look at her and the guards coming up giving him a stern look.
With wide eyes, “Yes ma’am. I won’t do it again.” He says realizing he is on thin ice as he swallows with an audible gulp that everyone hears.
He gets back in line next to a few of the others that were a part of their original group with none other than the dingus who tried to shove me. I think I’m going to have fun screwing with them. Ignoring the hole he and his friends are trying to stare into the back of my head, I enjoy the silence while texting with Jade on the contacts. She is getting better at using it compared to her first attempts.
We stop at the end of a hall with an open door and the woman gestures for us to enter. Numerous school desks for one person to sit at fill the room with several pencils and papers on the desks with several bigger desks at the front of the room. On said desks are the scanners to scan our tests with two people sitting behind the bigger desks in comfortable-looking chairs that of course they get. We get stuck with uncomfortable plastic or hardwood chairs.
The woman lists off to us where we each sit quickly and efficiently. Sitting at a desk near the far wall with the two boys who tried to assert dominance standing adjacent to me near their desks. Both give me vicious smiles like they just got the best present they could have asked for. I just smile back at them before taking a seat at my desk. The one I bumped onto the road walks closer to me to get to his desk but I notice his leg tensing like he is going to kick my desk.
Oh no you don’t. Thanks to my senses I picked out the obvious cameras while the Sigmas had mapped out the other hidden ones to help detect if someone was cheating. Seeing a small but narrow blind spot in the cameras my leg quickly shoots out faster than anyone can see but light enough to not seriously injure. Just as his leg is raising to kick the next moment he is sent falling to the floor. Pushing himself back up with a look of confusion before he looks at me.
Everyone is looking at him, myself included, and I make sure that my expression shows nothing but curiosity about what happened to not betray the fact I caused him to fall. “Young man, get up and to your desk, before I have security throw you out!” The woman’s voice makes him go pale as he hurriedly gets up and hustles to his desk with the lady staring him down for several uncomfortable moments.
I snap my head to the front of the room where the lady who led us here stands clearing her throat getting everyone's attention, and pointedly staring at the two idiots. I can see the tensing of their hands closing into fists with their breathing picking up hearing the air leave their noses like a riled-up bull’s with me snickering with a few others in the room.
“You will have two hours to complete the test, and you will be supplied with only five pencils. You will be given a blank piece of paper for any calculations alongside a calculator. If you attempt in any way shape or form to cheat or help another cheat we will know.” She says walking slowly forward with her arms behind her back, looking rather similar to a drill sergeant.
“The obvious cameras in the room,” She gestures to the several cameras overlooking us in the room's corners, “And the other personnel in here are not the only things observing you. When you do cheat we will know and you will be promptly removed and have a mark on your three chances to take this test removed if not worse depending on the severity.” She walks further down the rows of desks making some students sweat bullets before turning away. She turns her gaze in my general direction, her gaze slowly going over all in the room.
Once she seemed satisfied with what she saw she turned around and walked back to the front of the room. “Know that this test is your chance at a future. If anything goes wrong or you don’t get the score you desired then that is on you.” Pointing out a finger and sweeping over the room.
“Do you want that chance at a better future? Then you must earn it and prove to us that you are worth our time and resources.” She says this pointing at herself with her thumb before gesturing to the others at the front of the room. “You are only given three chances to prove that you have what it takes. Now it is time for you to begin your test.”
At that we all get started with the sound of pencils scribbling on paper can be heard. The desks are just far enough apart that most people can't see what the other person is writing. Combine that with the staff keeping an eye on us alongside other things besides the cameras.
Not wasting time, I go over the questions and quickly answer the multiple choice questions moving at a far faster pace than the others around me if the difference in sounds that the pencils are making is any indication. Moving on from the true and false questions to the written portion.
Questions range from advanced math to science and all kinds of differing academic subjects. No wonder not many manage to get to that score threshold to get a free ride to Gotham University. After some time I finished writing down the answer to the last question and set my third pencil down.
Rising from my seat many of the testers' eyes look up at me barring a few who are engrossed in their test. Glancing over to the two guys who hate me, I just smirk at them before looking away. Hearing something shift near my leg I move my foot further up while making it look natural and avoid a leg kicking out to try and trip me. Someone clears their throat making everyone's gaze look up to the front seeing the lady stare down the kid who tried to trip me with a glare that would freeze hell over.
Nervously pulling his leg back in, a burly man opens the door in a security uniform with tattoos evident on his forearms and walks over to the young man not knowing what is happening. “Get up.” He says to him.
“What?” He responds confused.
“You are disqualified. You are not worth our time with behavior like that.” The woman chimes in.
A look of shock quickly morphs into anger. “Screw that, he is the one you should be removing!” He points at me accusingly while I sport a surprised look hiding my inner joy at him losing his composure.
“Yeah, he is the one who has started all of this.” His friend Roady says, rising out of his seat and pointing at me, not happy that his friend is getting removed.
“I would recommend you stay silent unless you wish to join him.” She all but orders him to shut up. He complies with the abrupt closing of his mouth whatever he is about to say goes unsaid slowly sitting back down in his seat.
The guard, having had enough just grabs his outstretched arm and hauls him up out of his seat as he starts kicking and screaming at him before the door slams shut and his voice dies off with it closing.
Our guide who brought us here stands up from her seat and raises one white eyebrow at me as I walk up to her. “I think I don’t need to warn you again of the possibility of cheating,” She glances down to a clipboard she looks at, “Mr. Cunningham.”
“No ma’am, and I know words mean nothing. So let my actions and the contents of my test speak for me. Also thanks for handling that.” I say holding it out to her. I almost think I see a ghost of a smile gracing her face but it remains in a frown as it has the entire time I have seen her.
“You don't need to thank me for doing my job, but the gesture is appreciated. You do know that once I take that test you can’t get it back to correct any answers?” She asks me neutrally.
“Yes. I know.”
“Very well then.” She takes the test, brings it over to one of the desks, and slides it into the machine. “You may leave Mr. Cunningham. If you have done well, expect mail or an email to be sent to you in a few days.”
I move to walk out of the room but there's one last thing I need to do. Despite having not fully recovered all my chakra I still have enough for one trick. With a mere thought, energy rushes to the tip of my finger and out of it weaving through the room invisible to all in it. Finding its target and latching onto Roady’s arm he doesn’t notice until his hand stops writing. He looks at his arm and hand with a confused expression before his arm pulls back and tosses the pencil across the room.
The pencil sails just ahead of me hitting the wall of the room before falling to the ground. A sharp intake of air can be heard as the older woman looks at where the pencil landed before her gaze is leveled at the one who did the deed. His mouth hangs open as he babbles and mumbles to himself not understanding what just happened. The rest of the room all stares at him as he half stands from his seat looking at everyone as he tries to figure out what just happened.
Not having stopped during that event despite glancing in his direction. The door opens with two security guards moving in I let them move past me before leaving myself. They quickly grab him on both sides, restraining him as they carry him out of the room. He doesn’t even struggle while being carried away. Not bothering to watch the show of him being carried off I walk down the hall with several members of security watching me as I message Jade.
How are you doing?
Dong well.
Want to join me to celebrate passing the test?
Som1 is confidnt thy passd.
First, you have improved with the message functions of the contacts. But you still need to get better. I feel like my inner grammar Nazi wants to strangle you for the affront to English. Second, it’s not confidence when I know I passed.
A lengthy pause ensues as I walk out of the building getting my phone and wallet among other things back. Checking my wallet to see if nothing is missing I nod to the guard and he smirks back at me while nodding. Walking down the steps Jade manages to message me back.
It is hard to use these things.
Well, that doesn’t mean you take the easy way out. And you never answered me. Do you want to celebrate with me? I waited for a moment for a response, and after some time I began to wonder if she was going to respond again. Then more text comes up far better than it was prior.
Alright, I will try to get better. And sure. Where will we be going?
Color me surprised by that response. I was expecting her to be sarcastic with that iconic snarkiness of hers.
Where it all began for the both of us… I text back cryptically.
So where do you want to meet up? She asks me while I text her the street to meet me at and leave it at that as I walk my way across several blocks. The city is looking like it’s going to take some time to recover with all the bullet holes, scorch marks from numerous fires, and who knows what else got used in that gang war. Even after two weeks they still don’t have an exact number to the death count let alone repair all the damage that had been done.
I see the street and Jade is waiting for me at a nonfunctioning stoplight. Seeing my approach she walks up to me and begins with the big question for her.
“So where are we going?”
“Where you and I first made our deal.”
“Really? Out of all places to go celebrate, you choose a rundown restaurant?” She says with disbelief clear in her tone with what sounds like disappointment. Wow come on now cut me some slack girl…
“It wasn’t that bad Jade, and I feel… how should I put it? That place has become significant because of our meeting and the deal that was struck there. Like a national monument except instead of to the country, it is to this city of what was formed here.” I say getting all attached about a burger joint of all things. But I do mean what I say in how it holds importance to me. Similar to that jacket I had that Light managed to repair from my old home, it’s not the prettiest thing but it has a history to me. And that’s what matters.
“You think that place has become something? Like a symbol or something more because of me meeting you? Wow good to know my feminine charm had you ensnared from the beginning.” She says swishing her hair about while holding her head up high.
“Uh Huh, whatever helps you soothe your ego, Jade because you looked like an anorexic dust bunny to me at the time.” I say with a cocky smirk making her stumble a few steps as we round the corner for Tony’s place. I ignore the glare she sends me because I knocked the wind out of her sails.
Walking up to the door and holding it for Jade who just walks in and I am not far behind her. We walk up to one of the tables along the wall and take our seats while I notice there are a decent amount of customers in here enjoying a meal. Good to see this place has some business.
The same waitress who had taken our orders when we first showed up here comes to our table. “What can I get for ya?” She asks all business while chewing on some gum with a few other younger waitresses moving from table to table getting orders.
“I will take some water,” Blasphemy I know, but they don’t have any pop around here that I can enjoy. Might have to fix that sometime in the future. “And I will have Tony's special supreme mushroom Swiss burger with fries please.” I say to her as she sports a smirk at my order while writing it down on a pad she pulls out.
“It looks like someone is either starving or something good happened!” She looks over to Jade, “And what about you hun?”
“I will go with some lemonade and… how is your steak?”
“Oh it is killing it today, we got some nice tender ones today.” She gestures to a few customers eating it, one an older man looks at us putting his fork down and giving two big thumbs up with a big smile on his face.
“Steak with a salad then.” Jade orders with a look of hunger in her eyes. So much for her looking down on this place.
“Alright, Tony's special with fries and a steak salad combo coming right up. So is this order together or separate.”
“Toge-” I stop as Jade clears her throat.
“Separate.” I corrected what I was going to say as Jade just leveled me with a look with that ever-present smile of hers. The waitress, looking at her name tag ‘Debbie” looks between us with a quirked eyebrow while I look at Jade. Okay.
Shrugging my shoulders, “Separate it is then.” Debbie nods her head while the corner of her lips goes up before she walks away.
“So what was that?” I ask her with confusion, lacing my voice.
“I have money now, I can pay for my meal. And shouldn’t you be happier with this celebration and getting ready to enjoy our meals?” She counters back.
“Fair enough.” I let the topic drop, assuming it’s because she does not like the idea of me providing everything while she feels like a dead weight. Even if the money she pays with is my money.
At that, I and Jade make small talk about the things happening across the city that we have personally seen ranging from absurd funny stories to darker things. When it arrives the burger looks excellent, a massive one-pound behemoth with a thick stack of mushrooms with Swiss cheese melted to the burger and a platter of fries. Jade's food looks quite amazing as well, a big thick juicy steak alongside a surprisingly colorful salad.
“Here is your food, if you need anything else just get my attention kids.”
“Thanks, Debbie.” I say to her before she walks away.
“Wow, a polite young man in Gotham, I think I can say I have seen it all. Miss, you better hang on to him otherwise I think I will be playing matchmaker for my daughter!” She says with a chuckle before walking off. Jade gives her a pointed look at that comment which I ignore in favor of the food in front of me.
After some time me and Jade walk out of Tony’s with full stomachs and set up the next sparring session along with scholarly pursuits. We say goodbye to each other before going our separate ways. As I wait at a crosswalk for the light to flash a man walks up beside me.
Turning to look down at me as I look back at him. “You got some nerve defying my orders in this city.”
