Jackan lunged for me and I had to scramble in midair to get out of the way.
He landed on the roof of the next building. I flew to the other side of the
building and floated five metres from the roof in case he attacked again.
“What’s the matter, Jackan?” I asked him.
He didn’t reply, instead, he attacked again. I was hovering close to the edge and the building behind me was taller than the building he was coming from. I knew he could make the jump if he wanted to, but to get to me he would have to go too vertical. He wasn’t stupid, dumping his watch before coming after me proved that, so he probably knew what he would do in case he didn’t catch me, but I couldn’t risk it. I blasted him before he made it halfway. The telekinetic force knocked him off his feet but he was up immediately after he’d fallen.
I pressed a button on my watch and informed the others. “There’s something wrong with Jackan. His watch is gone, and he’s trying to hurt me.”
The others didn’t reply but I could see their lights heading in my direction. Jackan had heard me make the call. He looked from side to side, probably for an escape route. I had no illusions about defeating him, but since I didn’t know why he was attacking me, I couldn’t let him flee. I flew down to the roof to make myself a target again. He wasn’t interested, he bolted. Like I’d said earlier, I couldn’t let him flee so I followed him. I waited until he was in midair before I blasted him. The blast sent him crashing into the side of the a building, but rather than fall down, he shook his head and climbed. His claws had already dug in by the time of the impact.
Just so we’re clear, I wasn’t trying to kill him, I knew I could carry him with my power if he was unconscious.
He looked angry when he made it to the roof, growling. He’d shown he wasn’t stupid so I landed on the adjacent roof to make him believe he could catch me. He readied himself for a jump, but before he could follow through, Black Steel caught him from behind. Black Steel was much shorter than Jackan, but he managed to bring Jackan’s head down and restrain him in a headlock. Jackan struggled but it seemed Black Steel was stronger because he did not budge. Jackan changed tactics, he tried to push his head forward. There was little progress but he caught Black Steel by surprise when he suddenly forced his body backwards.
Jackan landed on top of Black Steel and got to his feet first. He tripped Black Steel before he could stand and ran on all fours to the other end of the roof. Black Steel stood, then charged him. Jackan slid on his abdomen, moved his legs below his body, and thrust his entire body upwards from below Black Steel. The move sent the steel clad hunter flying. Damn. I flew as fast as I could around the building and saw him falling. He was descending too fast and was too strong for me to catch him with my power so I had to catch him the old fashion way.
I had learned to manipulate my shield to increase my strength and speed, but all my training had been on the ground where it’s easiest, so I hurt my right arm when I caught him. I didn’t drop him though.
“Thanks,” Black Steel said.
“Don’t mention it.”
“Drop me on the pavement. I’ll find my way up.”
I did as he told me and flew back to the roof. Taylor and Kirsten had landed on the other side from where Jackan was and there were four spirits advancing on Jackan. Kirsten’s creations. I could differentiate them from ghosts because of their colour. Their faces, hair, and clothes were all pure white whereas ghosts usually had a little colour to them. Jackan watched them for a moment before obliterating them with his fists.
He charged the girls. Kirsten covered her entire body with her cloak and it fell to the ground by itself. She appeared where Jackan had originally been standing. Taylor simply ran through Jackan and stopped at Kirsten’s side. Her ghosting abilities at work. You needed a human ghost to be sealed inside you to have those abilities. She hadn’t told me who was sealed in her but she had told me it was a spectre, the weakest kind of ghost. Qualifying as a hunter meant she could easily kill it, and I didn’t think it was worth the trouble having something inside you, giving you terrible visions and bad dreams just for phasing. Unless it wasn’t hostile.
Jackan pulled something out of the sleeve of his bodysuit. It was a dagger. Permanent werecreatures didn’t like human weapons so they went for the discreet ones for when they faced phasing. He could hurt Taylor, now. I decided to intervene. I blasted to the ground. I tried it again but he could resist it when he knew it was coming. Black Steel re-entered the fight and Jackan turned to look at him. Probably who he believed to be his biggest threat.
Black Steel made the first move. Jackan saw him coming, bent his knees and feinted a jump. Black Steel bought it and was in the air looking for a Jackan that wasn’t there. Jackan caught one of his legs and slammed him to the ground. He spun Black Steel around and sent him flying, again. Black Steel crash landed on the side of a building, but like Jackan had done, he’d managed to grab on. No need for a rescue this time. I had to admit, Jackan was good. He had twice outclassed an opponent who was stronger and faster than him.
Taylor unsheathed her sword, Kirsten pulled her spell book from pocket, and I made two balls of telekinetic energy.
“Don’t hurt him,” Taylor said. She waited a moment before adding, “Too much.”
I sent the balls to him. He demolished one with his fist but the energy released was enough to make him take a step back. The second ball crashed into his chest, knocking him off his feet. Black Steel was already next to him when he got up. He punched Jackan twice in the face, kneed him in the stomach, and elbowed him on the back of the head.
“Black Steel!” Taylor shouted.
Black Steel’s head snapped back and he slowly backed away from Jackan. Weird, after what he’d done it looked like he was afraid of what Taylor might do.
Kirsten ran to Jackan and put her hand on him. “He’s out,” she said.
“Why did he attack you?” Taylor asked me. She was worried, but it didn’t sound like she was accusing me of anything.”
“I don’t know. He just … attacked”
“He attacked all of us and his watch is gone,” Kirsten said. “He may be under some sort of enchantment.”
“My father’s a telepath,” Taylor told us. “Problem is, I can’t guarantee he won’t see things Jackan wants to keep to himself.”
“Do we have a better option?” I asked her.
She looked at Kirsten who shook her head. “Okay. Follow me and Kirsten." She looked at Black Steel. “You carry him.”
“Okay,” he replied.
Kirsten raised her hands and both her broom and cloak came to her. The girls mounted the broom and flew north.
“Can you manage?” I asked Black Steel.
“Yes.” He lifted the werecreature easily and put him over his shoulder. “I can’t believe he beat me.”
“What’s the matter, Jackan?” I asked him.
He didn’t reply, instead, he attacked again. I was hovering close to the edge and the building behind me was taller than the building he was coming from. I knew he could make the jump if he wanted to, but to get to me he would have to go too vertical. He wasn’t stupid, dumping his watch before coming after me proved that, so he probably knew what he would do in case he didn’t catch me, but I couldn’t risk it. I blasted him before he made it halfway. The telekinetic force knocked him off his feet but he was up immediately after he’d fallen.
I pressed a button on my watch and informed the others. “There’s something wrong with Jackan. His watch is gone, and he’s trying to hurt me.”
The others didn’t reply but I could see their lights heading in my direction. Jackan had heard me make the call. He looked from side to side, probably for an escape route. I had no illusions about defeating him, but since I didn’t know why he was attacking me, I couldn’t let him flee. I flew down to the roof to make myself a target again. He wasn’t interested, he bolted. Like I’d said earlier, I couldn’t let him flee so I followed him. I waited until he was in midair before I blasted him. The blast sent him crashing into the side of the a building, but rather than fall down, he shook his head and climbed. His claws had already dug in by the time of the impact.
Just so we’re clear, I wasn’t trying to kill him, I knew I could carry him with my power if he was unconscious.
He looked angry when he made it to the roof, growling. He’d shown he wasn’t stupid so I landed on the adjacent roof to make him believe he could catch me. He readied himself for a jump, but before he could follow through, Black Steel caught him from behind. Black Steel was much shorter than Jackan, but he managed to bring Jackan’s head down and restrain him in a headlock. Jackan struggled but it seemed Black Steel was stronger because he did not budge. Jackan changed tactics, he tried to push his head forward. There was little progress but he caught Black Steel by surprise when he suddenly forced his body backwards.
Jackan landed on top of Black Steel and got to his feet first. He tripped Black Steel before he could stand and ran on all fours to the other end of the roof. Black Steel stood, then charged him. Jackan slid on his abdomen, moved his legs below his body, and thrust his entire body upwards from below Black Steel. The move sent the steel clad hunter flying. Damn. I flew as fast as I could around the building and saw him falling. He was descending too fast and was too strong for me to catch him with my power so I had to catch him the old fashion way.
I had learned to manipulate my shield to increase my strength and speed, but all my training had been on the ground where it’s easiest, so I hurt my right arm when I caught him. I didn’t drop him though.
“Thanks,” Black Steel said.
“Don’t mention it.”
“Drop me on the pavement. I’ll find my way up.”
I did as he told me and flew back to the roof. Taylor and Kirsten had landed on the other side from where Jackan was and there were four spirits advancing on Jackan. Kirsten’s creations. I could differentiate them from ghosts because of their colour. Their faces, hair, and clothes were all pure white whereas ghosts usually had a little colour to them. Jackan watched them for a moment before obliterating them with his fists.
He charged the girls. Kirsten covered her entire body with her cloak and it fell to the ground by itself. She appeared where Jackan had originally been standing. Taylor simply ran through Jackan and stopped at Kirsten’s side. Her ghosting abilities at work. You needed a human ghost to be sealed inside you to have those abilities. She hadn’t told me who was sealed in her but she had told me it was a spectre, the weakest kind of ghost. Qualifying as a hunter meant she could easily kill it, and I didn’t think it was worth the trouble having something inside you, giving you terrible visions and bad dreams just for phasing. Unless it wasn’t hostile.
Jackan pulled something out of the sleeve of his bodysuit. It was a dagger. Permanent werecreatures didn’t like human weapons so they went for the discreet ones for when they faced phasing. He could hurt Taylor, now. I decided to intervene. I blasted to the ground. I tried it again but he could resist it when he knew it was coming. Black Steel re-entered the fight and Jackan turned to look at him. Probably who he believed to be his biggest threat.
Black Steel made the first move. Jackan saw him coming, bent his knees and feinted a jump. Black Steel bought it and was in the air looking for a Jackan that wasn’t there. Jackan caught one of his legs and slammed him to the ground. He spun Black Steel around and sent him flying, again. Black Steel crash landed on the side of a building, but like Jackan had done, he’d managed to grab on. No need for a rescue this time. I had to admit, Jackan was good. He had twice outclassed an opponent who was stronger and faster than him.
Taylor unsheathed her sword, Kirsten pulled her spell book from pocket, and I made two balls of telekinetic energy.
“Don’t hurt him,” Taylor said. She waited a moment before adding, “Too much.”
I sent the balls to him. He demolished one with his fist but the energy released was enough to make him take a step back. The second ball crashed into his chest, knocking him off his feet. Black Steel was already next to him when he got up. He punched Jackan twice in the face, kneed him in the stomach, and elbowed him on the back of the head.
“Black Steel!” Taylor shouted.
Black Steel’s head snapped back and he slowly backed away from Jackan. Weird, after what he’d done it looked like he was afraid of what Taylor might do.
Kirsten ran to Jackan and put her hand on him. “He’s out,” she said.
“Why did he attack you?” Taylor asked me. She was worried, but it didn’t sound like she was accusing me of anything.”
“I don’t know. He just … attacked”
“He attacked all of us and his watch is gone,” Kirsten said. “He may be under some sort of enchantment.”
“My father’s a telepath,” Taylor told us. “Problem is, I can’t guarantee he won’t see things Jackan wants to keep to himself.”
“Do we have a better option?” I asked her.
She looked at Kirsten who shook her head. “Okay. Follow me and Kirsten." She looked at Black Steel. “You carry him.”
“Okay,” he replied.
Kirsten raised her hands and both her broom and cloak came to her. The girls mounted the broom and flew north.
“Can you manage?” I asked Black Steel.
“Yes.” He lifted the werecreature easily and put him over his shoulder. “I can’t believe he beat me.”
