What is power...
The streets buzzed as the golden rays of sunlight crept over the horizon, the tall skyscrapers casting long shadows over the busy roads as SUVs drove past the parallel roads.
On one of the side walks, Zach sighed as the automatic door slid open with a soft hiss, greeting him. "Welcome!", the receptionist behind the counter greeted him softly. He nodded in response grabbing one of the trollies, the place wasn't too crowded, in fact it felt unusually empty today, Zach noted.
After picking his items Zach headed for the counter, but just as he turned to the counter a burly man slammed shoulder frist into him.
*Splash*
The wine bottle in the black man hand dropped hitting the white tiles, shattering into pieces, red liquid wine bleed across the whit pristine surface.
"What?!!" The man's hoarse voice echoed as his enraged eyes locked onto Zach, Zach looked calm as the brute grabbed him by the collar without warning.
"I was having a good day?, why'd you have to ruin it" the brute snarled, tighten his grip around Zach's collar.
"Let go of me..", Zach's calm dark grey eyes, unblinking, locked on the brute as those calm words sipped from his lips.
"Oh, your tryin' to act tough..huh?", The man grinned pressing his face close to Zach, his mouth reeking of cheap beer and ginger.
"W-What's going on?", a worried shopper asked, as the brute free hand clenched, "This arrogant little prick spilled my bottle wine, do you know how much those cost?!!", he his grin twisted. The commotion had attracted the attention of all the customers, including the receptionist.
"How are you going to compensate for this?!" One of the shoppers asked.
Zach maintained a neutral expression.
"So that's what this is all about, Zach eyes calmly gazed at the security camera located on the corner of the roof. "I get it now.." he spoke.
"You guys want me to pay for his drink, right?".. Zach grabbed the brute's wrist.
"Is that why all of you have hidden weapons?", The onlookers eyes widened in shock.
"Don't think I didn't notice it, you bumped into me on purpose and when you started shouting your friends came in to pressure me into paying for your drink, were you also going to make me pay for everything you bought too?!", with a brutal twist, a crackling sound was heard.
"AARRGHH!!!", The huge guy collapsed on his knees clutching his broken arm that faced an unnatural angle.
"St-stop that!!!, the receptionist shouted, "I'm going to call the cops!".
"Call them then" Zach said, eyes locked on one of the bandits.
The supposed normal shoppers all pulled out hidden daggers from different regions.
"Tch..figures".
All the daggers were matching, and the supposed onlookers tried to silence him once he exposed them, classic thieves.
"Sigh.."
Shelves collapsed, as Zach dodged yet another kick from one of the bandits and with a swift motion swung his fist hitting one on the lower rib.
The bandits tried using their knives, but Zach moved precisely, ducking under a swing as he elbowed an youths face, bone cracking, groans and screams echoed as Zach swiftly dealt with them.
In a couple minutes, the entire mob of bandits, curled up in the ground wailing, Zach tried his best to break as few bones as possible.
The sight of broken glass, fallen shelves and red stained walls greeted his sight, he sighed...
' who's gonna pay for this.. yeah.. not my bill'he thought.
Police sirens wailed in the distance as he stood there, "it's far better to stay here and explain yourself to the police rather than running, which would pin you down as a suspect, Zach knew this better than anyone.
The rate of crime had increased since the war with Spain, which lead to many casualties, some even say that an internal conflict is brewing within the empire and it's just a matter of time before the anxiety of the people take over them.
"Don't move!!?, officer clad in black body suits and swords rushed in, filling the store within minutes, Zach complied quietly, raising his hands to signal his surrender.
You're under arrest for destruction of public property" one of the officers spoke as he removed a black hand cuff.
"Obsidian huh.. I guess even rankless scrubs get the Divine treatment these days"
"Watch it", an officer chaining him retorted.
The gang members were dragged to the station along side Zach, Zach cooperated, putting his hand up when instructed to and following the officer without resistance.
"What who's gonna pay for all this?!". The receptionist shouted.
"Don't worry ma'am the government will provide full compensation for the destruction of your store". The officer spoke, Zach and the bandits were lead by other officers to an armored suv.
The officer didn't posesse any guns, only sheathed katanas, since human evolution guns were deemed useless by the public, so the government had to allocated specific resources into funding of cold weapons for military and the security forces.
"Damm it!, this is the third time we've been in jail this week"
Zach sat cross-legged in a corner, he's bored expression evident as the harsh buzz of the dangling bulb, where the only source of sound in the cell. The tight two meter box reeked of sterilized steel and burnt incense.
On the other end of the cell the bandit cursed and groaned quietly, Zach listened as the only source of conversation was the rambling of those idiots.
One of them scratched the metal bars, or at least tried to, but the bars were electrified, this room was designed so any sudden swift movement will cause the whole room to be electrocuted, including the inmates.
So even the bandits had to sit still.
"Stupid awakened cops.." one of them grumbled, "10 years ago they would never cuff someone that has not even entered the sixth ring with an obsidian cuff, now the government thinks we're sword saint.. But wait?, aren't those cuffs really hard to make?"
Zach's eyes didn't open, but he listened.
"Yeah ever since the Divinity accord appeared to humans and the broken realm opened, everything completely changed, I heard back in the days people used unique weapons... I think they call them guns."
"Guns?, I've never heard of that?"
"Yh a rod with a tip, capable of sending shards of metal at the speed of sound"
"Wow that's cool, but it won't work against anyone who's truly awakened and peeked at divinity."
"Actually it could, people who haven't reached the sixth ring couldn't possibly dodge that"
"I guess you're right, unless their astra is tied directly to speed.
"If we were born back then life would have been easier.. now?, you have to go to a martial school, work your ass off, and pray that your talent takes you higher in life."
Outside the cell heavy boots echoed across the sterile hallway, the air tensed as Zach opened his eyes.
"Zachariah keal?"
The officer looked like he belonged in a warzone, his black body suit shimmered faintly adorned with golden lines, a katana rested sheathed across his waist, the hilt inscribed with ancestral markings. The most dreadful feature is his scar that stretched across his face.
The officer nonchalantly glanced briefly at Zach.
"You've been bailed out.."
He said like he didn't approve But Zach stood calmly, brushing non-existent dust from his sleeves, his calmness contrasted the gritted tension of the officers jaw. The law could trust people like Zach—flow users, those who could survive attack other couldn't walk out from, and show up in places no one could explain.
But they couldn't just simply detain him, he hadn't done any wrong.
..Yet.
As the cell door hissed open one of the bandits spat, "you think your better than us?, you flow born freaks think you are gods...".
Zach didn't even glance back.
The hall way stretched like a surgical ward, monitor displaying inmates energy levels, and officers armed with katanas walked by occasionally.
The waiting area was quite, only the receptionist stood behind the desk organizing work sheets as the news broad cast hummed.
"Tensions begin to rise between the paladins and the knights, some say that there at war as small skirmishes for resources increase over the past few days.."
...
"Many fear another war is brewing at hand, meanwhile the empire has denied any accusations of corruption within it's ruling factions.
Zach sighed, stepping into the evening light.
In the parking lot filled with armored suvs, an old man stood at the entrance of a beautiful von (a type of revered car brand).
The sun had long set and the dazzling radiance of the moon shined over the lit city, occasional cars drove by as the nearby shops display light illuminated the side walks.
"Sir keal", Zach happily ran at the old man.
"Zach you arrogant prick"
"Thud* a heavy knock landed on Zach's head.
"Ouch !!, that hurts...old fart", Zach mumbled, numbing the pain.
"This is the third t...wait what did you just call me?"
"Nothing?.." Zach grinned, strolling to the other side of the car as he got in.
"Come on we can talk on the road".