Chapter 23: Separate ways(Small update)

Salem's pov.

It's been a year since Aunt Minerva's trip to Japan and she came back from her trip to Japan and she said that she was glad to being able to understand people properly again.

Over time the pillars had gotten a little more famous as Daniella was sent to limbi some more times to purify it and over the past months she was close to finishing the job. People gave her the nickname Mama wati after the river goddess which led to her being famous around the country and being a top hero candidate in the future.

Vincent was taken to some parts of the country suffering from deforestation to regrow the much-needed vegetation back a little by little as he was still growing. But he was getting stronger and better just like Danella.

Then there was Suiw. They had been going to the gym to work out with Ms. Shupiwa giving her private lessons for obvious reasons. Suiw was taken to some orphanages to entertain them using her quirk to make them happy. Of course, she got put in a lot of videos and she wouldn't be left alone in school as she was basically becoming an idol.

Lusungu's quirk basically works as power multiplier as not only does it boast his physical stats like speed but additional boasts are added as he increases such as his senses in second gear which he was still getting used to. For now, all they did is advertise his skills in engineering as they recorded him making and fixing some high-level equipment.

All four of them are really becoming famous while I haven't done anything yet mostly due to Aunt Minerva telling them no but the professor and the minister were getting restless of introducing me. So, people are starting to have theories who the legendary fourth pillar was and his/her quirk.

Now I talked more with Nova and Will and became pretty good friends of mine. I recently found out that Nova was the daughter of the number two hero Kuyaka of Nyasaland while Will was the son of a famous music producer.

I was currently alone with Danella in the facility as the others weren't her yet. Though Lusungu won't show up for some time because he told me his grandpa was really sick.

"Wait so your internet celebrity now." I asked Danella who water bended a bubble around herself and was currently in the air and swimming around it.

"Yeah, most places I go people want to take a picture with me or put me on a video. Even people at school just follow me around." She made more water come out of the pool and orbit around her water bubble.

"Speaking of which I always wanted to ask you." She dived back in the pool and swam towards me. "Why don't you want to receive field training like the rest of us?"

"Because my aunt said no." I answered and I saw her flinch when I said that. "My Aunt is not going to eat you one day Danella."

"You don't know that." She argued. "Okay second question, why don't you want to be a hero? You're obviously the strongest out of all of us and have the best quirk for it so why not?"

"Meh never had an interest in the job and besides I thought of becoming a freelancer like aunt Minerva and use my quirk to earn myself some cash my way."

"No offence Chimwemwe but that seems like a waste of your quirk."

"Whatever I had this conversation before with others way too many times." Now I still came from different world and still had different values compared to the people of this world so maybe that's why being a superhero didn't have that much appeal to me as much as everybody else bd besides Bit, BIS and computer engineering were my go-to courses before I went to college so that still resonates with me.

She hummed then back pedalled using her tail and led on the edge close to me. I had to admit Danella was growing into a really pretty girl.

"Well, I can't really say I get your reasoning but okay." She smiled. "By the way don't you find it weird that we were the only ones here on time."

"Yep, it is pretty weird. But the elevator will open now." As I said that the elevator door opened revealing Vincent.

"Wow, how did you do that?" Danella looked at me in amazement.

"Master of electromagnetism." I simply answered.

"That's not really an answer." She rolled her eyes but then turned her attention towards Vincent. "Hey Vin, why were you late today you're usually the first person here?"

I saw Vincent look at Danella and turn away with a blush on his face as he tried to remain cool.

"I-I just got caught up with something, that's all." He crossed his arms.

"Really what?" Danella swam to him.

"Don't worry about it." He quickly left for the changing room.

Danelle got out of the pool and changed to the normal training clothes. Suiw showed up a little while later and said 'Hey' and went straight to the training room. Now the four of us were all in our exercise uniform and we had a free training day today meaning we can use any training method we want.

"Hey where's Lusungu?" Suiw asked.

"Oh, his grandfather got sick so went to visit him." I told them.

"Oh, I hope his grandpa gets better." The girls gave her condolences.

Then Mgaya walked in looking a bit more tired than usual.

"Morning children."

"It's two o'clock in the afternoon, Mr. Mgaya." I corrected him.

"Oh, sorry about that, listen there's going to be a big event in the next three days concerning all of you." He announced getting our attention.

"Vicent and Danella you two are both thirteen now and so you will be moving to standard hero practices soon."

"Wow seriously!" Vincet seemed really excited and Mr. Mgaya nodded.

"Wait, I'm still not actually in secondary school yet." Danella pointed out.

"Don't worry the minister has that covered." Mr. Mgaya said. "Thanks to all your hard work we will be having a big event sponsored by Mr. Mwamba in three days so please get ready. All of you, I mean." He said looking specifically at me. "I'll contact Lusungu about it. You all can stay and train or go home." He then left.

I than began packing and went to the changing room.

"Wait, Chicky, aren't you going to train with us a bit?" Suiw stopped me and I shook my head.

"Why am I not surprised." Vicent crossed his arms and glared at me. Over the past year he had been challenging me to fights and it had not been going well for him.

"I-I was r-really hoping we could have a little spar here." Suiw said and I saw the surprised look on the faces of Vincent and Danella.

Now I thought about it and the two of us never really fought before and she has been working hard at the gym. I was a little curious how far she's come so I didn't see the problem with a quick spare with her.

"Okay then Suiw, let's see if you got your hands." I told her and she smirked excitedly. We moved to a spacy part of the training room and the others just sat down just to watch.

"You ready?" I asked her.

"Heck yeah!" She answered with excitement.

She quickly made eleven sharp diamonds sent them at me and I dodged them but I was surprised by the speed they were made and how fast they travelled. Suiw seemed to have gotten better at her control as they continued to come after me. She then ran for me a throw a proper coordinated punch clotted in diamonds to my face which I intercepted but she threw some more punches at me which I dodged but I back away from her as five diamonds stabbed the ground.

'Is she trying to kill me?' I raised my eyebrow.

Suiw slammed her diamond clotted fist together and as the ten diamonds orbited around her. She threw them at me once more but I used my lighting to destroy them and ran at Suiw and punched her in the stomach but I felt her clotted the part with diamonds. I quickly bent backwards dodging her left hook than flipped backwards kicking her away but also dodging small diamond spikes coming out the floor.

Suiw twisted in the air and threw diamonds at me like darts. I dodged but one cut my cheek slightly and my shirt. I shot a bolt of electricity at her which she couldn't properly dodge and electrocuted her. She got up and made two giant diamonds like fist float in mid air waiting for command.

They flew and fast and tried pummeling me but I intercepted and the aftermath caused by them was destroying the floor. I threw two electro balls at them destroying them as Suiw didn't put or compress enough carbon in them making it easier to destroy. Suiw ran towards me and threw a strong diamond clotted high kick trying to knock my head off but dodged and caught her bare leg and used it to slam her to the floor.

But wasn't done as she shot a sharp diamond at me and barely caught it and destroyed it using my quirk. My micro radar alerted me of something else coming behind me and so I let go of Suiw's leg and moved out of the way. They looked like two blunt diamond daggers and floated next to Suiw who sprung herself up and held them.

"Suiw put those things away before you hurt yourself. You don't know how to actually use weapons." I advised.

"Shut up! Of course, I can watch this!" She brought the two together linking them and made it longer, making a diamond bow-staff and began spinning it around. "See no need to worry." She smirked smugly but the stuff smacked her head. "OW!"

"Tried to warn you." I laughed at her and I heard Vincent and Danella chuckling.

"Shut up and fight!" She yelled as she splints to staff into multiple diamonds and threw them at me. I destroyed them with my electric.

"Okay." I electricity danced around my hand and flared shooting it at Suiw and I thought she would be able to dodge and she tried to dodge but the attack hit her directly shocking her and bring her down.

"AAHH!!" She screamed as she fell to the ground.

"Didn't you take it too far Chimwemwe."

Danelle looked at Suiw in concern.

"I didn't put much voltage and current in that attack." I reassured her as Suiw got up and looked dazed on her face. "See she's fine."

"I can't believe I lost it so easily." She sighed in frustration.

"Don't worry Suiw at least you cut my cheek." I touched the cut part of my cheek which was dripping a little blood.

"You're right, even Vincent couldn't do that even after challenging you over and over." She boasted herself up.

"Fuck you rich girl." Vincent grumbled.

"Suiw where did you learn to do fight like that?" Danelle asked the younger girl.

"I've been going to gym over the past year and the owner Ms. Shupiwa has been help with perfect work, a plan and basic hand to hand combat~." She flexed her muscles a bit but flinched in plain.

"You should go to the medical bay a little Suiw." I said I left for the changing as I was going to attend some business.

Outside the building

"Hey auntie." I called my aunt.

"Hey chicky are you done with the excises already."

"Yep, but I am just calling to let you know I'll be home a little later.".

"Chimwemwe you're in the central east side of the city do you honestly think that I'll let you run around alone?" She said seriously.

"Don't worry auntie, I just need to go to Matthew's place. His mom told me he's been feeling really down so I wanted to pay a little visit."

"Isn't Matthew's house here on the west side too? I could just drop you off there."

"Auntie you're outside the city now I can't have you dropping whatever you're doing just to get me to my friend's house."

"Alright but only go to Nguzu's house and if you're not home by the time I get back I will hunt you down."

"Got it auntie byeii~."

"Bye~."

I cut the call and left for a bus to Matthew's place. Now Matthew has been stranger this past year as he has been doing his best to avoid Suiw and I at school. When I headed to his house sometimes, he was never around. I even asked his brother but he just looked at me coldly and said Matthew was actually making real friends.

I know it's true me and him have grown apart over the years but this naturally happens to people in life. They meet new people and fall into different friend groups as they get older, sure there are still those you still keep. The thing is I could have left it alone but his mom has been saying that he had been hanging out with me which raised question marks.

As I was on the bus the man sitting besides me looked at me creepily and I scouted away from him a bit. He kept on looking at my phone as I was playing a game to pass the time.

"You here alone kid?" He asked me and I didn't answer him. "Oh, don't worry kid, I am not going to hurt you or anything." He tried to be friendly.

"I was told not to talk to strangers." I finally spoke.

"Oh, whoever told you that is right. But I am not like those bad people." He said trying to get me comfortable and I just rolled my eyes.

Before he could speak again the bus came to a stop and saw I was my stop which I sighed in relief. I got up and was about to leave when he suddenly grabbed my shoulder.

"Hang, maybe I could help you ba-AAHH!" He squirmed as I used my hand to crash his.

"Nigga back off." I harshly said and pushed him back to his seat. The people just noticed what was going on and looked at the man who was sweating and jumped out of the window of the bus and ran far and fast. "Well, that happened."

I got off the bus and walked to Matthew's neighbourhood. When I got there, I saw a huge crowd consisting of the residents in the neighbourhood gathering around one person who was badly beaten and bloody.

"THIEF!" "THIEF!" "THIEF!"

I heard them chant as they continued to beat on the guy some more. This always happens to thieves, criminals or villains who were caught by the people around here they get severely beaten till they're crippled, dead or unless a hero or law enforcement steps in. I saw Matthew in the crowd watch in sadness as the guy was beaten.

I snuck past the crowd and appeared behind him. Now Matthew had been changing over time in appearance. For one he was much bigger than a regular ten-year-old, he seemed to be transferring his weight into muscles, and his elephant head seemed off.

"Sup Matthew it's been a while." I said, making him jump and look back, facing me in shock.

"C-Chimwemwe?" He said in surprise as he saw me.

"You know the three likely finishers for this and the only good one isn't going to happen so do you still want to stay or can we talk someplace else." I asked him.

"I-I was the one who caught and stopped him from committing his crime. He was coming out of my neighbors house with their stuff and tackled him to the ground and blew my trunk to alert my neighbors for them to call the police. When the rest of the people got involved and it turned into this, the least I can do is watch." He said solemnly. "My first attempt to be a true hero turned to this."

I hummed and watched the people beat him more and more some even used their quirks. The man begged for mercy and pleaded for mercy and for a hero to save him. The man tried a last-ditch effort to say that he wanted to use the money to help feed his family but the crowd did listen.

Matthew was about to jump in but I held him back and shook my head as it would be bad for him too. The mob put tires on him and drenched him in gasoline and lit him on fire.

"AAAHHHH!!" The thief screamed in complete pain as the fire slowly killed him.

Matthew turned away from the violence but for me it was quickly different as I was getting a very different feeling from it that I couldn't explain but horror or fear was not it.

"Let's go before the law comes to Matthew." I seriously told him and he nodded.

After some time, we were sitting on a small dirty hill in silence. Matthew was still contemplating what he saw while I was still trying to make sense of my own personal feelings.

"So why are you here?" He forcibly asked me.

"I came to see how you were doing." I answered and he snorted. "What?"

"Yeah, sure you are since when did you care again?"

"What?"

"You heard me since when did you start caring again?"

"Matthew, I know we sort of have been going in other ways but…"

"But nothing Chimzey you have no idea how rough things are for me but how could you. You have a great family that can afford a lot, you have an amazing quirk which would easily let you be a top hero with ease if you trained yet you don't even care and I was stuck with this elephant head getting me bullied even more. Do you know much that pisses me off ? E-Even Suwi she she you…" He struggled with the last sentence.

I didn't interior him and let him continue.

"No, let's not make it complicated, Chimwemwe. Like you said we've both gone our ways and let's. We've grown apart over the years. You've got your cool new friends better than me. I got ones who will actually support me and help me with my dream of being a hero!" He screamed with tears in his eyes and I just looked at him.

I never told he could or couldn't be a hero with his quirk. I know it may be a little harsh but I didn't think he could be like the costume heroes because at the end of the day no matter how much you sugar coat if he was basing sole on quirks, he couldn't. But as he violently got up an inhaler fell out of his pockets.

"Since when are you asthmatic." I asked him as I stared at the inhaler.

"I-I t-that's none of your business!" He yelled as he quickly grabbed the inhaler and I just looked at him suspiciously.

"Okay Matthew I won't argue with you and if you're saying you found new friends that you could rely on and make you then that's okay with me." I said a little sad and got up and Matthew looked surprised how fast I accepted everything. "See you at school tomorrow." I walked away.

"You didn't even put up a fight. Guess they were right it's so fast for someone like you to toss your friends aside" I heard him mumble as I left.

Elsewhere in west Lusaka

At the top of a building where two individuals dressed in matching grey.

"So, when do you think the kid will pass by here?" One of the individuals asked his partner.

"Soon." He answered. "Remember what they said we can kill him if that too."

"So, we're going to kill him" The first one asked insanely.

"Haha! Yep, pretty much plus its extra pay." The second one answered.