“Why so?” Joseph asked of her. “I don’t know, but I heard that the final test will test you beyond your limits. They want you to give 125%. So, now, you both have to split up here and go to your respective training areas.” Syntyke told them both.
“I don’t think that’s fair or completely necessary.” Joseph said. “It’s not up to you. The boss has ordered everyone to move now. We don’t have a choice in the matter. Sorry pal. See you on the flip side.” Syntyke said walking away.
Joseph looks at Ron. They shake hands. “I’ll see you at graduation Ron. We’ll take this thing together.” Joseph said. “Yeah. We’ll take this on together buddy.” Ron said with complete confidence.
As they walked away from each other…it seemed that the world would fall apart and the confidence that once was disappeared from them. They felt the week pass over slowly as they trained for the coming time.
The day came for graduation. They found they were the only two there. How little did they know they were the first ones to be tested. Graduation was different for everyone. Theirs…involved something special.
They entered the area and their weapons were set before them. One year ago to the day they were now on, they had designed their own weapons per tradition. They were finally going to use them.
Joseph grabs his Staff with its beautiful blue, green, and golden hues over it. It was made of a strong wood with a fraction of titanium steel embedded under the surface of the wood to give it 30 times the strength of normal wooden staff.
Ron grabs his Cutlass. He had hand carved the handle and beat the sword from a strange metal. It was weighted and dangerous. He was very skill with the blade. He swung it a few times to make sure it was his, the one he designed for his special needs.
Had another took it, they would not fare as well. There was a weight weakness that only he could detect within the blade and use to his advantage. He smiled and looked at Joseph.
“Finally about time they gave us what we made huh?” Ron said waving his Cutlass in the air. “Agreed.” Joseph said nodding.
They looked up sensing two people walking into the control tower. Chang Fo sat in a tall seat and Paul O’Connor stood at the window. He opened the window and looked down below.
“Listen up maggots. This is your final test. After this, you will be part of the IOSTA in an official capacity. The test is to…kill your opponent.” Paul said. He smiled and looked at the wide eyed Joseph.
“If you think that I am going to kill my friend, then you’re wrong.” Joseph said. “I was given the responsibility to choose your test. I thought that I would like to know where your loyalties lied. Are they with us, or to your friend? We’re going to find out.” Paul said with a dark smile.
“Master Chang Fo. I don’t this test fits me. I can’t kill my friend.” Joseph said. “I cannot back out on my word. I gave him the choice of your test student. You will complete or fail the test. You know the penalty for failure.” Chang Fo said.
“I’d rather accept the death than to fight my friend.” Joseph said. “But is that how he feels?” Chang Fo asked of Joseph.
Joseph feels a disturbance in the Neutral Zone. He blocks with his staff and finds a Cutlass in his staff. Joseph looks in shock at Ron.
“Ron…” Joseph said. “I want to graduate. Sorry buddy. If I have to kill you, then I will.” Ron said spinning his Cutlass.
“Don’t make a mistake Ron. You won’t win. Stop. I don’t want to hurt you.” Joseph says softly. Ron laughs at him. “Hurt me? Please. You’re a sorry fighter.”
Ron starts swinging his cutlass at Joseph ducks under the attacks and spins around Ron. He kicks Ron on the ground and Ron rolls back to his feet. Joseph stands there with a straight face.
Ron runs and swings his blade at Joseph. Time slows down and the blade moves in Slo-motion towards Joseph. Joseph slides back and the blade continues to move forward. Ron looks in shock. Joseph shook his head at on.
“I’m telling you to stop. It’s not a suggestion.” Joseph said. “Please.”
Ron starts spinning his blade and swinging. Joseph keeps backing away and sliding away from the attacks. Ron gets angry and his attacks become more lethal. Joseph is cut on the arm. He looks at Ron. Ron smiles.
“Not as fast as you think.” Ron said taunting. Ron tries to run Joseph through and Joseph grabs Ron. He throws him into the wall. Ron slides down on his butt. He looks at Joseph standing in the middle of the arena breathing calmly.
“Stop.” Joseph said in a definite and dangerous tone. “I warned you. I don’t want you to get hurt.” “You think you’re better than me. I’ve learned just as well as you have.” Ron said getting up, “The star pupil is not what he thinks he is. Now…I’ll show you what I can do.” Ron said dropping his Cutlass on the ground.
Joseph drops his staff on the ground. Ron runs at Joseph and punches him in the gut. Joseph bends over and Ron starts to beat him in the back. He then kicks Joseph into the wall. He grabs Joseph by his head and starts to beat his head against the wall.
Joseph tries to push Ron off but Ron throws Joseph into a pile of rocks. Joseph hits them and tears the skin on his back up. Joseph screams and rolls over. Ron steps on Joseph’s back. Joseph tries to crawl away but Ron grabs him by his hair and lifts him up.
Ron frowns at Joseph. He shake his head and steps on his dropped cutlass and it springs back into his hand.
“You should have fought you pathetic excuse of a friend.” Ron said. “I tried to warn you.” Joseph said calmly.
The blade ran into Joseph’s hand and shattered. Ron let go of Joseph’s hair and backed away. Ron was surprised to see that Joseph had learned a special fighting skill. His glowing golden hands were the ancient art of Iron Fists.
One must train rigorously to make their hands stronger than steel by beating them with steel likewise. They could cause their skin to become harder than steel at will.
Ron had no special skill as far as that went. He was flabbergasted that Joseph had never shared that with him. Joseph frowned and his eyebrows turned downward.
“So now you show your true colors. You should have never pushed my patience Ron. I was truly trying to be a friend.” Joseph said calmly.
Joseph socks Ron in the face and breaks his jaw in one strike…but without his Iron Fists skill. Ron flew across the arena. Joseph picked Ron up and started to strike him with quick and powerful attacks that rattled Ron’s body.
Ron found himself ten feet in the air. As he fell back towards the ground, Joseph’s staff smashed him into the ground. Ron rolled over beaten up badly. Joseph kicked him over and Ron breathed with great difficulty.
“Finish him.” Paul said tightening his fist. Joseph looks up at Paul. He shake his head. “No. I don’t kill people out of hate or anger. Plus, I don’t kill people I consider or considered my friend.” Joseph said defiantly.
“Doesn’t matter. You’ve shown us you might be able to take what we have in mind.” Paul said. He snapped his fingers and men came out. Joseph feels then in the Neutral Reality something dangerous to him.
He tries to jump but find he can’t move. The air was filled with paralyzing toxin. He looks at the men placing a collar around his neck. He blinks quickly and the men back away. The collar pricks his neck and he knows that he was injected with something.
The world began to spin got him. His irises turned a blood red color. He breathed out and swallowed in a large huff of air. He blinked quickly and his eyes rolled back into his head. The men backed away quickly and Joseph’s eyes returned to their normal color.
He fell on the ground and rolled around. He grinded his teeth.
“So angry…WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!” Joseph said getting up. His mind went blank and he found he was like a beast. The men on the ground were running away. He growled and ran after them. He beat them near death. But he happened to see Ron crawling away. He snarled and leaped to Ron.
He landed on the ground and grabbed Ron. He threw on the wall. Ron broke his back against the stone wall. And fell in the dirt. He didn’t move. Joseph picked up his staff and held it tightly in his hand.
“Try and kill me will you?! NOW YOU DIE!” Joseph said. He brought up his staff and ran Ron through his heart with the staff. Ron gasped and perished in that same instance. Joseph pulled his staff out and had a straight face. He felt nothing towards Ron’s death at his hand and that is when he snapped out of his beast mode.
Joseph looks at Ron dead and he felt nothing…he felt nothing for Ron. He was neither hated nor loved. It was…emotionless, hard to describe. Joseph blinked quickly and looked up at Chang Fo. He was clapping at the spectacle and Joseph frowned.
“What happened? What did you do to me? Why don’t I feel anything?” Joseph asked with anger. “The test is a success. You have been what we’ve been looking for student. We have injected you with the beast formula. It is to make you a powerful creature beyond that of human’s nature and give you immunity to death as far as emotions go. Should anyone die, you have no emotions regarding death.
It makes you completely dangerous. You kill out of necessity. You have no problem taking out people, but you will never take someone out hate, violent anger, or any other bad emotion. You son, are the future of the IOSTA.” Chang Fo said.
“I killed Ron…” Joseph said. “Yes, out of necessity. You didn’t know if he would try again, so you ended him here and now. The test was a success. Sorry about your friend there, but for the furtherance of science…some people must be sacrificed.” Chang Fo said, “Welcome to the
IOSTA.”
Chang Fo gets up and walks out of the room. Joseph looks at Ron and feels nothing. He walks away from his dead friend and the beaten men at his hand. He returns to his room and looks in the mirror.
What have I become? I’m monster. I feel nothing, but I know what I have become is wrong. I shouldn’t be this way…no one should be this way. It’s inhuman…I’m not a man anymore! Joseph thought to himself. He smashed the mirror. He looked at the picture of him and Ron and thought about all the times they had together. The formula embedded into his cells negated all feelings towards the dead man.
Ron was nothing to Joseph. He looks away from the picture and then at the broken shards of mirror of himself. He felt complete shame. He knew that this was not the life for him. He couldn’t work for a people that wouldn’t care if he was heartless…no, make people heartless. He had to leave.
He grabbed his few clothes and staff. He twisted the middle of the staff and it retracted within itself. He places it to his side and planned to leave by night.
Night came for him and he walked through everyone with no one paying attention to him. He neared the door and found 300 men waiting for him. Joseph eyebrows came down and he frowned at the men. Paul was in front of them. He took out his long sword.
“Where do you think you are going? You are an investment of the IOSTA. Once part of the IOSTA, forever part of the IOSTA.” Paul said pointing his sword at Joseph.
“No. I won’t be part of this anymore if it means that I can’t be human anymore.” Joseph said. “I’m sure that we can convince you to return to us.” Paul said.
“Don’t fight me.” Joseph said. “I tell you what, you get past all of us, and you can go anywhere and we won’t follow you.” Paul said, “By the name of Chang Fo.” “Fine.”
Joseph twisted his staff and it came out. He spun it behind him and brought it forward.
“Put him down.” Paul said. Men started to run at him. Joseph started to pound them into the ground. They found themselves strewn across the front door within mere minutes. Joseph hadn’t broken sweat. The last man standing was Paul O’Connor.
“Of course you beat them all. You have hidden skill son. It’s something that we can use. Stay, be a part of the future.” Paul said. “This? We’re killers and that is wrong.” Joseph said. “You don’t care.” “No but I do care that I don’t care. You can’t destroy the conscious, no matter how hard you try. Now, move out of my way.” Joseph said.
“You think you can beat me? I almost feel sorry that I’m going to beat you into a pulp.” Paul said. He runs a Joseph and swings his sword. He cuts Joseph in the face. Joseph groans and walks back.
Paul smiles. Joseph starts swinging his staff at Paul. He blocks the attacks with his sword. His sword cuts Joseph all over his body.
“I’ve got years on you boy! Don’t think you can beat me.” Paul said. But I can…Forgive me for this. Joseph said to himself.
Joseph starts to throw out attacks that Paul could not stop. Paul was hit by the staff in the face and Paul found himself smashing through the glass doors. He flipped back to his feet and ran at Joseph.
Joseph spins his staff and smashes Paul in the face. O’Connor falls on his back. Joseph grabs Paul’s blade and runs him through with it and sticks it in the ground. Paul would not die but he was stuck until help arrived. Joseph continues to walk.
“We’ll get you! We will get you! You hear me boy! Your days are numbered…just like the rest of this world. We will rule and you will be part of the dead bodies that dare oppose us!” Paul screamed.
“No. You can’t beat me. Stay away if you know what’s good for you. I don’t have time to put you down.” Joseph said blending into the dark.
Men came out and pulled the blade out of Paul. Paul gets up with anger. He looks at the men.
“He’s gone. It’s time to move on to Part B. It’s time that I gained control of the IOSTA. Take me to my room.” Paul said.
