Chapter 24: Chapter 24

JULY, 2023

"Now tactical training isn't the basic training nor your powers training which you're versatile with. It's about combining your fighting skills, intelligence with your powers --"

"Yeah yeah, I know what it means. So stop teaching me like I'm a dullard or something."

Collins scoffed while The Trainer sighed. From the very onset he had known the teleporter, he was certain working with him would be a problem.

"Remind me again, where are the others?" Collins asked again as he strolled around the Containment room.

"With Doctor Roberts and Rita." He sternly quoted while Collins nodded as he felt the seamless walls.

"So why are we training here?" He asked.

He shared icy glances with Collins before letting the words roll out.

"The last time we had a warmup, you launched a bazooka that almost killed your teammates." He asserted in an infuriated tone. "This is just a precautionary measure for any of your outrageous antics." He flashed him a scornful smile.

Collins smiled too. One so sinister and prideful.

"Do you know I hate you?" He declared. His words sounding more of a statement than a question.

"It's a mutual feeling." He asserted cockily while Collins shrugged.

"Now let's get to business."

"About that," Collins pointed out as he sauntered towards him. "I hate to break it to you but I'm not inclined with this pathetic training of yours."

"Must you always be rebellious!" He growled whilst trying to contain his anger. This was exactly what he hated most about him. His atrocious pride and rebellion. He wondered why Doctor Roberts had chosen or even what he'd seen in Collins, in the first place.

"Nope." Collins smirked while he slipped his hands into his hooded sweatshirt pockets. Another thing, that had angered The Trainer.

The Teleporter was supposed to be dressed in the Shining's training suit not a hooded sweatshirt on a fitted jean.

"First of, I'm not a soldier. Secondly, I'm a teleporter. So just in case I land in trouble, I can travel to anywhere I want. Thirdly, I deal with weapons not combat skills."

He inched towards Collins, secretly wishing to smack him across his cheek or punch him straight under his jaw. But he held himself back. Breathing calmly to maintain his sanity.

"Collins," he called after an heavy breath. "Unlike the others, your powers basically play on the defensive. You need to have combat skills to support that." He explained but Collins huffed as he strolled inches away from him.

"It's my powers and I know what's best for me."

"Alright." The Trainer voiced as he pinched an area between his eyebrows. "Since you specialize in weapons, I bet you can't land a single hit on me." He wore a cocky smile.

"Now don't give yourself so much credit." Collins grunted. "Just because you beat me the last time doesn't mean you can outsmart me again."

"I'll give you fifty million Pillings if you can hit me." He responded with his gaze solely on Collins so both of them found it hard to waver. Collins smirked.

"Make it hundred."

"What if you fail?" He crossed his arms.

"In your dreams." Collins chirped.

"Shall we?"

Collins smirked once again and then teleported. In a second, he had appeared few metres away but with something else.

"A bat!" The Trainer blurted from utter disbelief but Collins clutched unto the silver coated metal object tighter.

"Is this even a weapon?"

"It's a weapon, if used in the right way." Collins retorted with a proud grin. "It's my favorite weapon." He added while he massaged the object.

The Trainer sighed as he wriggled his head.

"So of all weapons you can master, it's a bat?" He queried. His disappointment blaring evidently in his tone.

"I swear, it will be so euphoric hitting your head." He chuckled sinisterly but The Trainer scoffed.

"We'll see about that." He voiced and in a blink of an eye Collins teleported.

The Trainer's eyes exclaimed and with his sharp reflexes, he was quick to notice Collins behind his back. He turned briskly,  caught Collins's bat with his left hand, flung it away and dashed a powerful blow across his abdomen.

But before Collins thudded to the floor, he teleported again. Appearing behind his back again with another bat. The Trainer donned a mischievous smile, dodged the weapon and then flung Collins to the wall roughly.

Collins grunted under his breaths before teleporting few metres away. Empty handed.

"Is that your best shot?" He joked, enjoying the pained look on Collins's face.

Collins suddenly donned a devilish smile. His eyes briefly glazed a glossy orange. The bat on the floor fell through a shady orange portal. It diminished and another one appeared above Collins and the same bat fell into his hands.

The Trainer exhaled from awe. Up until now, he thought Collins could only teleport himself.

"Am I supposed to be scared now?" He responded even though he was a bit nervous.

"You should." Collins growled in an overly hoarse voice as he tossed the bat upwards repeatedly.

At the same time, he tried to decipher what thoughts Collins was entertaining. Collins suddenly flung the bat in his direction but before it reached him, it entered into a shady orange portal.

The Trainer gasped as he felt a portal open inches away from his face. He narrowly escaped the flying bat before focusing on Collins that appeared at his back with another bat. He briskly pulled out a gun behind his back and pressed the trigger. The Rubber bullet projected to Collins's head. Causing the Teleporter to  thud to the ground, groaning in pain.

"How did you---" Collins blurted as he held his forehead, rolling on the floor.

"Amateur. You're lucky I don't have powers." He smirked before strolling away in a proud fashion.

"Training is over. You can leave."

"No it's not!" Collins argued.

"Shut up and leave."

"You're not going to tell me what to do!"

The Trainer scoffed as he disdainfully eyed Collins.

"That is exactly your problem. You don't listen and

If you keep on dancing to the tunes of your ego, I'm certain you'll be the first person to die."

He pursed his lips as Collins face morphed into faint pain.

"Leave."

###########

The Elevator door pinged open and his eyes widened as Lola sauntered into the Containment room. Dazzling and ever graceful in her beauty. Her dark hair were longer than he remembered and her Hazel eyes gleamed. Enchanting him as usual.

"Lola? H-" he stuttered while he nervously raced his fingers across his tousled hair. "Hey." It took him every ounce of courage to let those words roll out.

"Hi." She pitched softly as they stood inches apart. Their eyes bonding with smiles imprinted on their faces.

"You look stunning than I imagined in this suit." He mumbled as his eyes reviewed her back training suit streamlined with touches of Pink.

She giggled.

"And you look YOU." She responded as her finger poised at the weapons arranged neatly across his vest and down to his legs.

"Thank you?" He joked while she chuckled again. "Alright so let's start from level one."

"And that is?" She asked.

"Try to attack me and then I can improvise your open spots." He voiced gently.

"I've never done this before." She laughed but his heart only raced. Mesmerized with her laughter. He didn't want to loose focus but at the same time, she easily distracted him.

"That's bad!" He chirped with laughter minting in his words.

"I know, right!" She giggled.

"Okay let's start with a punch." He offered. "Try to hit me."

"Come on, Lola. Can't you do that little?" He teased, noticing her hesitation. She smirked before throwing her right fist across his face. But he easily caught her blow, inching closer so their breaths grazed each other's cheeks.

"Firstly," he mumbled as he admired those Hazel eyes again. "Your blow is slow and weak. Secondly, your stance isn't rigid and thirdly," he paused as his eyes darted to her heart-shaped lips. "Be fierce. We aren't building doll houses here in The Shining. We're going on a mission with lives at stakes."

A cocky smile parted her lips.

"You're forgetting something." He arched his eyebrow in confusion.

"I have lightening." She chirped. His eyes flowed to her other arms already glowing a dazzling shade of blue sparks. As she projected the sparks towards him, he dodged briskly and swayed her around. His left arm cusped around her waist while her palms clung unto his vest. This time, only a tiny space separated them.

"Holding my waist isn't part of my training, is it?" She smiled as she eyed him like a seductress.

He flashed a grin.

"Flirting with your eyes isn't part of your training, is it?" He queried rhetorically. She giggled and his heart started to pick pace again. Her lips were beckoning for them to be kissed and he just couldn't hold himself back anymore. He missed her, he missed the weeks they spent apart training, their talks, their fun but more than ever he badly wanted to hold her tight in his grasp.

"Can I--" he stuttered while she maintained her gaze on him. "Can I kiss you?" He asked with heavy dose of anxiety hinting. Ever since his wife's death, he had remained stone hearted but all that changed easily when he met Lola.

Her smile deepened but her lips refused to express words. Nevertheless, their heads inched closer until their lips locked. His grip on her waist tightened as their kiss grew bloomed with lust and passion.

"Kissing isn't part of the training, is it?" Doctor Roberts suddenly chattered behind them. They quickly disengaged, standing side by side in an awkward fashion as Doctor Roberts smiley face greeted them.

"I'm sorry, Doctor Roberts." He apologized. Loathing himself for being in oblivion of his environment.

"Oh there's no need to apologize. It's hormones." Doctor Roberts chuckled. "But I'll appreciate if you guys have your tryst outside working hours next time."

They both nodded.

"Now onto why I'm here, I have a gift for you. Lola."

The Doctor grinned.

"Gift?" Lola asked as she glimpsed between him and the Doctor.

"Oh you're gonna love it!"