Chapter 146 Free-for-all
After Xavier revealed that he had killed for the first time and told his 5 unit leaders, including Zack and Karim, that they may have to do the same in the future, there was a moment of silence. The atmosphere was difficult to read, but it eventually became awkward with them all sitting around Xavier, who was injured and had just been interrogated by them.
They hadn't taken the time to consider how he had felt, which they regretted. And after hearing that he hadn't managed to sleep and had done it with the Outlaw Gang's best interests in mind, they felt terrible. In his situation, they likely would've wanted to do the same but would have also struggled to do so. Remaining calm despite having his life on the line and fighting trained assassins in a pitch-black environment was not something that many could claim to be capable of.
And in the end, he saved 3 lives that would benefit them, as well as his own, so they couldn't say that he was wrong for what he did. Meanwhile, it wasn't like they would have even if he was, and in the process, he had gotten shot twice.
The least they could do was ease the burden on his shoulders as much as they could. However, he ended up being the first to speak after the room fell silent and he had pulled them all out of their deep pondering.
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"Why's everyone so quiet and serious?" asked Xavier, trying to bring back the jovial atmosphere that usually surrounded him.
Not receiving an answer, he slapped Achara on the back of her head.
As soon as he did, she snapped out of the daze she was in. Deep in thought, Xavier could tell she was thinking about everything that had happened in the past with Nora and also noticed that Sam was in a similar state.
"Hey! Asshole!" she yelled.
Then the usual bickering began.
Trying to hold her off of Xavier, Connor could tell that it had been hard for his friend to even slap her and move, let alone fend her off. But as he attempted to do so, he knocked over a small plant that Achara had been tending for a few months.
Turning to her giant oaf of a friend, Achara set her sights on her new target. She unleashed a flurry of punches his way, which he blocked with ease and wasn't fazed by in the slightest.
"The bigger they are, the harder they fall!"
Knowing that in a slugfest she had no chance against the beast-like fighter that was more than double her size, she began kicking away at his ankles, aiming to take him down. However, even then, her attacks barely had much of an effect, especially since she didn't have much space to move around and find his weak points.
Grabbing hold of each of her arms, Connor lifted her into the air before him. However, despite his incredible grip strength, she managed to wiggle her way out before she dashed out of her home and into the dojo.
"Why don't you come out here?" she taunted, knowing that in close quarters, she had no chance against him.
Connor smiled and was getting fired up as he chased after her, ready for an intense sparring match without any protective gear. Within seconds, Sam couldn't restrain himself and rushed into their spar, making it more like a 3-way free-for-all that caught everyone's attention.
They watched as Achara elegantly but efficiently pranced around, dodging most of the attacks thrown her way. Meanwhile, Sam used his speed, explosive power and technique while trying to take on the skilled hunk of muscle that Connor was as well as Achara. Leaving Connor to try to keep up with the speed of his 2 opponents, as well as cover all of his weak points.
Highlighting the difference in skill between them and all the others, even Xavier was impressed by how much they had improved and what they were capable of. However, he didn't want them to get too carried away or accidentally injure each other before they took down the 2 small gangs.
And so, despite wanting nothing more than to rest, he headed over to them and joined in on their scuffle.
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"You're injured. What are you doing?" called out Karim, before trying to stop Xavier.
However, as he put his hand out to grab his arm and try to stop him, he somehow missed the young boss he had run after. Zack then tried to do the same and experienced the same thing, yet neither of them saw the youth make any sudden movements.
Baffled, and knowing how stubborn Xavier could be, they gave up on trying to get him to change his mind. Instead, they joined the others present to see how things would unfold.
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After almost losing his life and feeling physically drained and weak, Xavier found that physical power wasn't as paramount as he once thought it was. It was more of a subconscious and instinctive discovery, but he quickly caught onto it and studied what exactly it was he had realised.
Karim and Zack trying to grab him helped him solidify what he had experienced, and it seemed to be a positive side-effect of Expert Precision. After trusting it wholeheartedly to face the assassins, it seemed as though his understanding and mastery of it had improved. And using it, he realised that his entire perception of his surroundings and gauge of timing could be fine-tuned to suit his needs.
That would allow him to compensate for his lack of physical ability, but it would not completely take away the advantage of having a well-trained and developed body.
In this case, he could discern the trajectory of a projectile or movement. Then he could use a minor movement that didn't require extreme speed or explosive power to avoid it. That would allow him to face opponents that were faster than him if there were any out there. Making him even more of a force to be reckoned with. But in his current state, it was just about enough to make up for his injuries and the fact that he wanted to hold back so that they could recover.
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Sensing Xavier behind him, Sam instinctively spun around with his leg out, aiming to strike Xavier's jaw with the heel of his foot. However, before he had even lifted his leg, just from his stance, Xavier saw the attack coming from a mile away. His Martial Arts Talent and Gangster Instincts were invaluable to him when doing so. Unknowingly, Xavier was starting to synchronise the use of all he had gotten from the system, potentially enhancing their abilities, and in turn, his own.
Leaning to the side ever so slightly and shifting to the side, Xavier narrowly avoided the kick without making any sudden movements or straining his body. Meanwhile, Sam was knocked off balance and baffled as to how his kick hadn't landed.
If Xavier had blocked or dodged it by making a large movement, he would have been able to respond with a second attack or back away. However, his target hadn't done either. That led him to believe that his attack would succeed and that he could follow through.
Even Connor and Achara had frozen, worried that Xavier was about to be knocked out by the kick, expecting the same as Sam, seeing how slowly he had moved. And yet, he was completely unharmed and continued approaching them as if nothing had happened.
Taking a split second to understand what had just happened, they realised that Xavier had moved before Sam had even attacked. He was also so confident in his judgement of distances that despite only leaving an inch between himself and Sam's kick; he didn't even flinch.
How that was even possible? They were unsure. But Connor and Achara were eager to test whether it had been a fluke, despite the fact that he was injured.
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Working together to catch Xavier off guard, Connor charged at him from one side, while Achara prepared to attack him from another.
No one could dodge 2 attacks coming from different directions without making large movements, right?
However, Xavier saw their intentions in their eyes. Then, watching all the minor twitches and movements of their muscles, he gauged the type of attack they planned on using against him. Once he did, all that was left was to find a position in which none of their attacks would land.
But this time, he also noticed that they had caught on to what exactly he had done against Sam. They weren't sure how to replicate it, but it was enough to have an indication of how it was done. Meanwhile, Sam had also gotten up to attack Xavier from behind, slightly embarrassed by how easily Xavier had avoided his attack, but more overcome by awe.
The 3 of them wanted nothing more than to learn from Xavier and improve, and what better way to do so than to test their boss's limits?
Sam, who was usually docile and laid back, was always fiery, focused and passionate about combat. It was the same with easy-going Connor and emotional Achara.
However, after what happened when the 3 of them attempted to attack Xavier simultaneously, they doubted that catching up to their young boss was ever possible...
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