Project ZERO: Chapter 2

Chapter 2

                  Clarence couldn't stop his body, no matter what he tried to do. It just kept running and running. “I don’t know what’s going on, BUT GET OUT OF ME!”, pleaded Clarence at the top of his lungs.

 “No can do, buddy! We got things to do, people to save!” said the voice quite proudly.

“Can you slow down a little at least?!” asked Clarence in a desperate attempt to protect his already fragile body. Clarence could feel his body stumbling, having difficulty as he shot down the sidewalks. He had never felt his body go so fast before, and although he would never admit this to the other entity invading his body, he found super exciting and exhilarating. Part of him never wanted this rush to end.

                   “Nope! Gotta move fast. Only have 45 seconds left!” said the voice.

“45 seconds? What happens after 45 seconds?” Clarence thought to himself.

They arrived at the bank skyscraper that was engulfed in flames extremely quickly. At this point the building was already evacuated and there was no one in sight. Clarence’s body shot up the stairs of the building as if they were made of springs. Clarence, now slightly cooperating, suggested that they take the elevator, but the voice quickly responded saying that would be too easy. He finally reached the exploded 49^th floor and looked around at all the blue flames. A complete, open view of the sky was now where the roof  and the rest of the 51 floors should have been.

                  “YOU!” yells a voice from a wall of blue flames. The flames parted to allow a blue fireball flying at break-neck speed straight towards Clarence’s face. Clarence’s body easily dodged the fireball by bending backwards in a way he could have only imagined in movies. As he was still bent, he collapsed to the ground.

“OW! What’s going on?!” exclaimed Clarence as he started to realize he had regained full control of his body.

                  “Sorry kid, you’re on your own now.” said the voice.

“WAIT, WHAT?!” exclaimed Clarence, now panicking and scanning the room for a quick escape. This situation was over his head. He had just let himself go along with this because this entity had seemed to have everything under control, and then this happens. “What do you mean, I’m on my own!?” yelled Clarence in a wild confusion.

“I can only control a body for 1 minute a day. I have to wait till 12AM until I can take control again.”, the inner entity explained.

“12AM? Not 24 hours?”, asked Clarence slightly confused. “PSSH, I don’t know why it’s like that! It just is!” the voice spat back.

“Are you done talking to yourself, fool?!” The wall of flames parted once again to reveal a dark figure.

“Wait, I know that voice!” exclaimed Clarence. Out of the flames walks Ken, hands in his pocket, staring down Clarence, giving him cold looks. Clarence had shivers continuously sent down his back. His body was frozen, he couldn’t move.

“Why are you here?! ANSWER ME!” yelled Ken.

“I-I-I…” stuttered Clarence still trying to get over the shock that the boy he met only moments ago was behind this giant explosion and then proceeded to shoot a fireball at his face.

“Calm down, Ken.”, said a demonic voice coming from Ken’s mouth, “It’s because of that imbecile within him, Zero.” Ken’s eyes look straight into Clarence’s, which immediately makes him feel super uncomfortable. “So, Zero, it seems that even after that warp, your choices are as poor as ever.” Says the demonic voice and chuckles.

“So your name is Zero?”, Clarence asked the entity within him, still slightly offended that the poor choice was referring to himself.

“It was! But I don’t want that name anymore! Too cliché in this era. So I’m gonna be, um… Co-… Sup-… Power… Kamen… No, no no… Um… Saga! For now, my name is Saga.” He responded proudly.

“What do you mean ‘for now’?” asked Clarence.

“I like to change my name every so often so I can keep ‘covert’, know what I mean? Plus, it’s a cool name don’t cha think?” said Saga.

“No, I don’t know what you mean! Saga?! That’s so stupid! Can’t I just call you Spirit and just keep this simple?” asked Clarence sighing.

“SPIRIT?! I ain’t no Spirit! What do I look like? A horse?! Get that shit outta here!” Saga retorted.

“Enough!” yelled the demonic voice and shot a fireball at Clarence’s feet.

“AH! Spir- I mean Saga! What do I do?!” asked Clarence frantically, just barely dodging the attack.

“Ummm… Fight?” Saga responded with an obvious tone in his voice.

“Okay, and how do you propose I do that, smart guy?!” asked Clarence still dodging and endless barrage of fireballs.

“I don’t know. Shoot an energy ball at him?” Saga responded casually.

“I CAN DO THAT?!” Clarence responded surprised.

“Yeah, that wasn’t obvious?” Saga said once again casually.

“NO! NO, IT WASN’T!” Clarence spat angrily.

Clarence drifted over the broken particles on the ground and coolly came to a stop. He took a deep breath and tried to analyze the ridiculous situation he was dragged into. 

“So, how do I do this?” asked Clarence calmly, now coming to terms with what was going on.

“Focus all of your energy in your palm, then release. Make sure it’s quick or you’ll burn yourself out.” Saga explained.

Clarence stood up straight, fists clenched, closed his eyes and focused. All went silent. He could feel his body getting warm. He could feel a sort of light weight push down on his body, but it wasn't oppressive. In fact it felt right. He could feel all the power circulating through his body.

Suddenly, Saga’s voice broke the silence of his concentration, “DON’T CONCENTRATE ON YOUR BODY. FOCUS IT IN YOUR HAND.”

“Wait, what? Why?”, asked Clarence.

In an instant, Clarence’s concentration was broken. He felt the power he had just built up snap. Clarence looked at his hands and watched physical energy radiate off his hands and arms. The destroyed building around them started to shake.

“Ken, this is bad. We’re getting out of here now.”, said Ken’s demonic voice.

“Grr. Fine!” says Ken and stares directly at Clarence, “This isn't over! You hear me!?” Ken’s body springs upward and out of sight. The building, now shaking more violently than before, begins to show signs of falling apart.

“Saga! We have to get out of here!” yelled Clarence as he started to run for the stairs.

“No! We can’t yet. You need to release all your excess energy first.” said Saga.

“Wait, what? But this building is falling apa-” Clarence was cut off as his body let off a huge energy shockwave that completely obliterated the top floor of the building putting out all the fires and sent rocks, debris and large chunks of concrete into the air crashing down into the streets below.

Appalled at the amazing strength his body just sent off, Clarence could barely muster words to speak in sheer utter amazement. “Saga… What just happened?”

“That’s Nexus. You’re going to need to fight him.” Saga paused. “Oh, and we need to go. Now.”

“FIGHT?! Are you kidding me?! I don’t know how to fi-” yelled Clarence and then paused. Incoming emergency sirens could be heard racing in the streets below.
“Yeah… Let’s talk about this later.” said Clarence quickly as he raced towards the remains of the broken staircase. ­