Chapter 207: Quirk: Cheater

There was another white door and I half expected there to be another waiting room. Luckily, it was just a classroom of sorts with weird looking desks. We all took a seat in a group, each of us sitting down in the tear-shaped desks. 

A man was in the room, or he was now. I never saw him when we entered and the room was almost completely white, and he was dressed in a dark blue outfit. The man gave us all pointed, but then glared at me. What the hell did I do to this guy?

"You need to sit at the front, away from the girls and distractions."

"But, they can sit together?"

"You may not know this, but we have a machine in the cameras that can measure the aptitude of the applicant. It is so we can turn away those that don't fit the required requirements to become a bounty hunter. Sit up front, Mr. Dave, all of your scores are very high even among your party, but your concentration and intelligence are the worst I have ever seen."

"Ahh, the old your stupid so you sit at the front?"

"Exactly, stupid. I am instructor Branson, I will also be your contact to get and turn in bounties," Branson explained.

"Don't make a big deal about it, Dave. We still all love you, so don't worry, and maybe you will learn something?" Graced told/asked me.

Great, even the girls thought I was an idiot, but then again, looking back, I could see why they might think that I was a bit light between the ears. Fine, I got up and sat at the front, but then went to sit in the front desk. The death glare I got from Branson said that he didn't think I was funny for sitting in his seat.

"Alright, we will start off with the basic…"

[4 Hours Later]

"...And now you are ready to become hunters, well most of you…"

My head was spinning and I wasn't sure if I heard half the shit he was saying. There were only the five desks we sat in left in the room, turns out Branson has a very short temper. After about fifteen minutes of his metronome, I was almost ready to fall out of my chair in boredom. The was about the time the first kick came speeding at my head, and only me rolling out of the desk saved me from taking an unplanned nap. 

After the first time, I decided to pay attention, but I was off in Lala land as soon as he started talking about how were are to treat civilians during an altercation with the bounties. This time I had to tip out of my desk, taking it with me to block the oncoming desk that flew at me. Both desks shattered into parts, but I pretended as nothing happened, this was starting to get exciting!

Thankfully, no Dave's were seriously injured in this bounty hunter lesson, but I was ready for the next part! Branson scowled at me at the end, but then guided us through another door. This time we ended up in a gym-like area with mats, and Branson got us to all gather around him, as he explained what we would be doing.

"I want you all to get into pairs, Dave, you will be my partner. I will be showing you some basic takedowns and ways to defend yourself. I am sure you all have experience with most of this stuff, so treat it as a refresher," Branson explained.

Aquina and Latisha paired up and Grave paired with Kierra, and I was left with my new best friend. I was extremely surprised about how quiet the girls were being, but now that I was closer to them, I could hear snippets of their conversations in low tones. Yup, they were all just talking about how funny Branson was, easy to joke when you're not the target of this crotchety instructor!

'Dansei, you there?'

'Fire away, Captain! What's up?' -Dansei.

'Is there anything I can do that doesn't involve using a weapon? I don't want to kill him, but I am getting tired of him picking on just me!'

'Ha! I got just the thing! So, all you have to do...is become smarter! That would fix all your problems! If you are going to be a meathead then you need to be meathead strong, but that isn't your area of specialty.' -Dansei.

"Then what am I good at?' 

'I feel like if I say nothing, you're going to get mad at me.' -Dansei.

'Is it national pick on Dave day? Okay, I get it, I dumb, but then what am I supposed to be good at?'

'Your systems, you know how to use them, better than all the rest. You need to use what you are best at, and that's friggin cheating! Stop playing by the rules!' -Dansie

I watched Branson stand across from me, looking ready to beat the stuffing out of me. How was I supposed to cheat? Then my brain started to churn, the Armory, I wonder if it is considered a weapon? I tried to summon it, and I was surprised when the red cape appeared on my shoulders.

"What is that? Is that cape supposed to make you stronger or something?" Branson asked with amusement as he cracked his knuckles.

"Oh? This old thing? It's not what you should be worried about."

Branson gave me a strange look as I reached behind me, but a single bracelet appeared in my hand. I wanted to be disappointed, but I wasn't going to give this guy the satisfaction. I opened the metal band and snapped it on my wrist, and something strange happened. 

My body was filled with so much energy, that I thought I would explode. It was like I was filled with pure power, unbridled strength that had no limits. The power radiated off me in waves, but I guess Branson was tired of waiting, because he rushed me, so much for the lessons, this was a fight.

"If you are going to use shit like that, then I won't hold back anymore!" Branson yelled as his fist flew at my head, but then time slowed and I was hit with a wave of messages on my HUD.

[Hyde-The Gate] Equipped.

[The Gate] Is activated.

[Power Charge] Complete.

[1/15 gates] Are activatable.

Activating [The Gate]

The power was strapped down and I was back to feeling normal, but when the first gate activated, time sped back up. Branson's hand crashed into my face, but I didn't budge, not a centimeter. The impact should have knocked me into the wall, but I was unmoved, like a brick wall.

"What the…"

I backhanded him, well, I meant to slap his hand out of my fast, except I knocked him into the wall. I was also sure I felt some bones break as I hit his arm, but the man got back up with a smile on his face, uh-oh. Branson didn't have a scratch on him, the wall was the one that would need medical attention!

I noticed that we were the only ones on the floor of mates now, the girls had gone to sit down and watch us boys have fun. Okay, so, that didn't hurt him, then what the hell was this guy? 

"Didn't I just break your arm? Why doesn't it look like it's mangled? I felt the bone break in at least two spots, how does it look normal?"

"Better question, why do you have his power? There hasn't been another leader to give me a run for my money like this since…"

"...You fought my brother?"

"That monster is your brother? How? You two are nothing alike!" Branson said in surprise.

"So I keep hearing. I, personally, have never met the guy that I can remember. Everyone keeps telling me how awesome he was, but now I just keep getting told how cool he was and what a monster he was."

"If Hyde was your brother, then I will try to be less of an asshole. Not because you're his brother, but because of the person your brother is. Fiercely loyal and will stop at nothing to save his friends, I am sure you are the same, but you are younger than him in spirit and he played throughout the games twice, so I will try to give you a break."

"So does that mean we are done here?"

"Oh hell no, now that I know you are the freaks brother, I'm going to whoop your ass for the last time he handed me my ass!" Branson said while dropping into a fighting stance.

Great, it seems my brother likes to make friends wherever he goes, but I wasn't opposed to hashing it out with Branson, this guy was a prick, and I would relish putting him in his place. I reached back and found another bracelet, but I didn't have time to look at it.

I just snapped it open and snapped it on my wrist. A single message popped up, and I wasn't sure what the hell it meant, but I was about to get a face full of fist in a second if I didn't move. What the hell did Convenience mean?

[Bhan-Convenience] Equipped.

I wasn't going to move fast enough, Branson had turned up whatever the hell his power was and it felt like we were almost the same strength now. I could feel his overwhelming presence pressing against my own presence, but then something extremely weird happened. One second I was about to be punched in the face, the next, I was an exercise ball.

Branson's fist connected with me and I was sent back into the wall at hypersonic speeds. Then I hit said wall and reversed my course and head back in the direction I had just come from, but then I turned into a fridge right before I hit him. All of this happened in a fraction of a second; what the hell was this ability?