Bully Lord

Part-24

Fear urged him to run, to disappear into the night before Tony regained consciousness and alerted the rest of Lemon's gang.  Uncomfort gnawed at him for the brutal beating he'd unleashed.  But a sliver of something else, a newfound confidence, flickered in his heart.

He knelt down beside Tony, checking for a pulse. Tony was unconscious, but breathing steadily.  

Without wasting another moment, James scrambled to his feet and bolted.  He didn't dare look back, the image of Tony's crumpled form forever etched in his memory.  The adrenaline rush subsided, leaving him trembling and deeply unsettled.

What had just happened?  How had he dodged Tony's punch with such unnatural speed?  Where had this terrifying power come from?  And what exactly was this "Fire Fly" company Tony had mentioned?

He ran blindly through the quiet streets, his mind a whirlwind of questions and anxieties.  The delicious cake sat forgotten in his hand, a stark contrast to the violence that had just unfolded.

As he reached the safety of his doorstep, he collapsed against the door, gasping for breath.  He looked at his hand, the one that had delivered the thunderclap slaps. It seemed normal, unassuming.  Yet, he knew it held a terrifying power, a power he barely understood.

James slumped onto his bed, the forgotten cake box lying neglected on his desk. He was exhausted, both physically from the fight and emotionally from the rollercoaster of events.  His heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic counterpoint to the unsettling silence of his room.

His gaze drifted upwards, drawn to the familiar blue window hovering in the corner.  With a trembling breath, he focused on it, and the details of the "Thunderclap" skill flickered into existence.

**Thunderclap Skill Details**

* Skill Name: Thunderclap

* Move Type: Slap

* Skill Type: Attack

* Cool Down: 0s

* Rank: F (9/100)

* Description: It can deal 30% of player attack power with each successful hit. When connected to the opponent, they will feel like an electric jolt coursing through their cheek.

The information stared back at him, cold and clinical. It offered no explanation for the surge of power he'd experienced, the inhuman speed that had allowed him to dodge Tony's attack.  It was just a name, a function, a weapon.

A wave of nausea washed over him.  He hadn't meant to hurt Tony so badly.  The memory of his whimpering form on the ground sent a shiver down his spine.  Was this really him?  This brutal, vengeful stranger?

Burying his face in his hands, James let out a groan of frustration.  He didn't ask for any of this.  He didn't want to be a bully, a fighter.  He just wanted to be normal, invisible James.

But normal was gone.  The "incident last nigh," the Bully System, the strange new abilities – they had irrevocably altered his life.

He squeezed his eyes shut, the blue window seared into his vision even through his eyelids.  He had to understand this.  He had to figure out what was happening to him, how to control this power before it spiraled out of control.

With a newfound determination, James sat up straight.  He wouldn't let fear paralyze him.  He would investigate this system, this "Fire Fly" Tony had mentioned.  He would learn everything he could about his abilities and find a way to use them for good, not violence.

He glanced at the cake box, a symbol of normalcy now tainted by the events of the night.  He picked it up, the weight a grounding reminder of the life he was trying to protect.

Taking a deep breath, James pushed himself off the bed.  He wasn't sure what the future held, but he was determined to face it head-on.  He was no longer just James, the invisible boy.  He was James, the boy with a mysterious power.  And he would use it to write his own story.