Q: Major General, What do you think decides the outcome of a fight between Blessed?

  A: Some will give a longer answer, but this decides everything: do you know more about the opponent’s Blessing than they know about yours?

  -M.G. Myriad interview, published post-mortem.

  “So what happens now?” Shrinkman uttered behind the helmet.

  Jeremiah’s mind felt empty. Too fast, He thought. This is happening way too fast!

  Jeremiah was supposed to go through years of training and classes before this. He was supposed to know his Blessing inside and out, like it was an arm or a leg. He was supposed to be in some kind of fighting stance right now.

  He was supposed to be ready!

  But why would people like the man in front of him wait for that?

  Isaac and Ashley were by his side, equally motionless.

  “W-what h-happens now,” Jeremiah stuttered, his breath escaping him, “Is that we w-wait for the cops to show up.”

  In the corners of his eyes, Jeremiah’s peers reacted to his words with a start.

  Isaac slowly loaded a pebble into his slingshot, while Ashley’s telekinetic hands lifted up her phone.

  That’s right, guys. There’s hope. They’re coming for us.

  “Am I supposed to be scared now?” Shrinkman swiveled his knife between the three. “I’ve got three hostages right here!”

  With that, Shrinkman lunged at Jeremiah with his free hand, aiming for his collar. Jeremiah cried out and stumbled backwards.

  If I get grabbed now, it’s over!

  In the nick of time, a small thunk accompanied a pebble as it collided against Shrinkman’s helmet. Simultaneously, Isaac shoulder charged Shrinkman from his right as he blurred after the rock. It was ineffective, barely knocking Shrinkman to the side, but it managed to stop the man from grabbing Jeremiah.

  Shrinkman regained his balance instantly, and changed targets as he swung at Isaac, light reflecting off the clean sheen of the sharpened edge. As expected, Isaac could not be touched. Unlike the alleyway, it was an open area. There was no cornering him here. Meanwhile, Ashley enabled the flashlight on her phone and kept it floating close to Shrinkman, preventing his Blessing from activating.

  “Isaac! Keep him busy!” Ashley shouted.

  Jeremiah heard a stifled “Got it!” between high-speed bobs and weaves. Ashley turned to Jeremiah with a scrunched face.

  “Froggy, grab a weapon or something,” Ashley whispered. “Isaac can’t do this forever.”

  Jeremiah nodded, and began frantically searching the room. Without any light to call his own, Jeremiah could barely see a thing. Still, he strained his eyes as hard as he could. The sound of the fight behind him and his thumping heartbeat threatened to steal his focus. Nearly tripping on it, Jeremiah found a misplaced steel rod near a corner of the room. Jeremiah couldn’t contain his relief as he picked it up. It was heavy but it would have to do. Just before he was about to return, Jeremiah doubled back when he saw what was sitting on the unfinished window sills.

  Buckets of paint.

  Ashley jumped as Jeremiah returned, dropping a bucket of green paint next to her. She shook her head in disbelief at first, but in no more than a second, her eyes widened in understanding. Jeremiah gave a nervous smile as he hefted up the iron rod and turned to charge the criminal.

  As Jeremiah closed in, he could tell that both Shrinkman and Isaac were tiring themselves out. Jeremiah stood just outside of the range of combat, and finally felt that trepidation once again. It felt as if another world was a step in front of him. A world he never understood, and yet gravitated towards ever since he thought of becoming a hero.

  But if he didn’t step into that world right now, how much longer would Isaac last in it?

  Not for long.

  Shutting his eyes, Jeremiah bellowed as he leapt forward, using the momentum to level the iron rod above his head and slamming it down upon Shrinkman. A muffled scream erupted from Shrinkman. Jeremiah opened his eyes to see his weapon had struck his opponent’s shoulder. Somehow, a rush of disgust and almost sympathy had begun to plague Jeremiah. Get over it, Jeremiah screamed in his mind. He deserves this!

  “Fuck!” Shrinkman cursed as he moved to hold his shoulder. Isaac took this chance to back away towards Ashley, who shouted for him to come to her. Jeremiah tightened his grip on the rod, preparing to strike again.

  But he hesitated.

  Now, Shrinkman faced him with bloodlust beyond his helmeted face.

  “Don’t need three hostages, do I? You fat bastard.”

  Once again, Jeremiah felt the pressure of another world. He attacked Shrinkman from behind, like a common thug. But now, they both faced each other. Jeremiah won’t get a clear shot like that again.

  But he didn’t need it.

  “Green is the new black, Shrinkman!” Isaac shouted.

  Shrinkman turned, swinging his knife as he expected Isaac to be ambushing from behind. His knife found nothing. Floating above him, was a hastily painted green bucket. It tipped over in mid-air, coating him in the exact same color. Shrinkman’s helmet visor quickly became useless.

  Jeremiah regained his composure and swung again, landing a hit on the same place as last time and eliciting a screech from Shrinkman. If I can bust his shoulder, Jeremiah shook off the nausea, The knife won’t be a factor.

  But he was neither lucky nor strong enough to pull that off. With his free hand, Shrinkman freed himself from his helmet. The man was surprisingly young-looking, and couldn't be older than a college student. His hair was matted and unkempt, and his expression was just as scornful as Jeremiah had felt. The man leapt backwards, gaining precious distance from Jeremiah. Rubbing his damaged shoulder, he looked at his stained clothes, then to Ashley.

  “You got telekinesis, huh?” Shrinkman laughed. “Over green stuff?”

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  “You’re like, a little off.” Ashley said. “It’s over things that look green~”

  With those words, Ashley grunted as she threw her right hand upwards. The realization dawned on Shrinkman just as he was lifted by his once-black leather jacket and slammed onto the ceiling. It was like gravity was reversed for him and only him. Clearly exerting herself, Ashley swung her raised hand down with a shout. And so, Shrinkman detached from the ceiling and was flung back down to the floor.

  “It worked. . .” Jeremiah muttered, then he shouted. “It worked!”

  Ashley forced a labored smile as she prepared to do the same thing again, but her eyelids began to flutter. She held her head and moaned, teetering to the side. Isaac managed to catch her and prop her back up.

  “Huh? What’s going on Ash?” Isaac said.

  “Totally. . . never lifted something that heavy on my own. . .” Ashley groaned.

  As exhaustion took her, Ashley’s control over her phone and Shrinkman lessened. They both shook rapidly in the air before dropping to the ground. Worst of all, the phone landed on its back.

  The building quickly returned to darkness.

  Shrinkman began to stir from the ground. He craned his head up—blood trickling down his forehead—and a violent grin spread as he realized what had happened. In that singular moment, Jeremiah had a split second to respond. Their advantage had disappeared, and the phone was too far away for Jeremiah to reach. If Shrinkman activates his Blessing, it would all be for nothing. He would disappear.

  But then, Jeremiah remembered.

  They never found any physical trace of Shrinkman in that alley. No belongings of his, including the stolen goods. Which means…

  Jeremiah swallowed his saliva and dived onto Shrinkman, desperately grabbing for his jacket. Just as Jeremiah got a grasp on his opponent, his vision began to blur. The world became darker. The far-off lights from neighboring buildings had become even more distant. For a brief moment, it felt as if Jeremiah was falling. His stomach lurched, cursing him with near instant nausea.

  It soon stopped. Jeremiah saw that the pebbles that once littered the ground by his feet were now boulders that could easily stand at his shoulders. It worked! Jeremiah thought as he continued to clamber over Shrinkman. Jeremiah placed a knee to Shrinkman’s previously wounded shoulder. It worked as intended. Shrinkman began flailing and cursing, futilely swinging his knife around on the floor.

  “Stop your Blessing and give up!” Jeremiah shouted. “We could both get hurt at this size!”

  “Get off me, fat fuck!” Shrinkman replied.

  Jeremiah sighed. I should’ve expected that.

  “Fine, plan B it is.” Jeremiah muttered.

  Most Blessings are deactivated upon loss of consciousness. Shrinkman should be no better. But just in case, Jeremiah will put it to the test. Jeremiah tilted his head up, and activated his Blessing. He loudly retched and ribbited as his stomach began its escape. Hearing the grotesque sounds, Shrinkman’s flailing came to a stop. He watched in horror as an impossibly engorged stomach fell from the boy’s throat.

  “Oh, what the fu—”

  A horrific crunch sounded out for only Jeremiah to hear. Shrinkman went limp. Just like that, the Blessing came to an end. The same effects happened in reverse. The distant lights came closer and Jeremiah felt as if he were being pulled into the sky. Though his stomach was regurgitated, he felt it lurch nonetheless. Isaac’s faroff voice grew louder and louder.

  “Jerry, where’d you go my—Ow!”

  Jeremiah grew back to normal size, and in doing so, headbutted Isaac from below. Isaac reeled back, whimpering as he held his mouth. Ashley, who Isaac supported with a shoulder, had to keep both of themselves from falling backwards.

  “Oh, uh, oopths.”

  “My. Man!”

  Shrinkman was motionless, save for the deep snore of a wholly unconscious man. Jeremiah’s so-called Plan B move was so improvised he barely understood what he was doing until after his stomach was out. Thank the Myriad for intuition, I guess.

  Ashley looked down at Shrinkman.

  “You got him.” She said blankly.

  Jeremiah crouched as he prepared to heave his stomach back into his mouth.

  “Yeah, I geth I did?”

  Ashley beamed through watery eyes.

  “You totally got him!”

  Jeremiah hesitated at Ashley’s expression, slowly and awkwardly returning his stomach to its rightful place. Jeremiah failed to remember a single time he was ever looked at the way Ashley did right now.

  Was this look of gratitude what all heroes get?

  But of course, Jeremiah. He thought. It’s why you’re doing this.

  The sudden guilt forced him to turn away from her.

  “You guys, uh, did good too. I don’t think I would have won alone.”

  “You might be right, but dropping a stomach on his head?” Isaac threw up a sign of the horns.

  “Freakin metal, Jerry! And Ash over here? Painting his clothes green to throw him against the ceiling? 1000 IQ, my man!”

  Jeremiah smiled.

  “Don’t act like you weren’t important either, Isaac.”

  “He’s right.” Ashley said. “Only your speed could go, like, toe-to-toe with him. If you weren’t there to stall him, we’d be donezo~”

  Isaac grinned stupidly.

  “Well, I guess I am the best, huh?”

  “Don’t get cocky.” Ashley said as she jabbed him in the side. The three laughed away the adrenaline, and exhaustion came after. The urge to have this day finally come to an end was unbearable.

  “They should be here soon, but I’ll give Roger a call to let him know we’re ok.”

  Jeremiah nodded. To think I took down a criminal. . .

  “Do ya think we’ll get a Heroic Deed for taking ol’ Shrinkman down?”

  “Good question,” Jeremiah said, turning to where Shrinkman laid. “This is supposed to be off the books but—”

  Jeremiah froze.

  Shrinkman wasn’t there. There was nothing but a tiny pool of green paint and drops of blood.

  “Ashley, turn your phone’s flashlight on and spin it in a circle now!” Jeremiah shouted.

  Ashley fumbled with her phone, enabled flash, and tossed it in the air. Her telekinetic hands quickly spun the phone, shining down upon the ground. They watched as the form of Shrinkman sprung out in the light. A few feet away from where he once lay unconscious, Shrinkman glared through the blood and dirt. Jeremiah saw what he did to the man. His nose was terribly shattered, giving him no other option than breathing raggedly through the mouth.

  Another obvious truth was made apparent. Jeremiah will be doing that to many other criminals in the future. Maybe even worse…

  Though he was far from being at full strength, Shrinkman still held the knife, swaying side to side with his weapon.

  “Fuck the plan, fuck all of it! I’ll gut you little shits. . .” He muttered.

  Shrinkman’s slurring, hateful words brought Jeremiah’s focus back. There was no time to think about what comes later. Worrying about what he could have done better will have to wait. Jeremiah wielded the metal rod once again. What was his best option? He didn’t know. Ashley couldn’t pull off what she did earlier. Isaac could only stall him out.

  What else is there to do than fight him head on?

  But then, another light shone from behind Shrinkman.

  “Gut them? That would be terrible, wouldn’t it?”

  Shrinkman woozily turned to face the man behind them. Jeremiah’s hands and legs gave out. His knees hit the ground in tandem with the iron rod. Isaac laughed incredulously, like he couldn’t believe his luck.

  “It’s about time~” Ashley said.

  Instructor Hill, halfway over an unfinished window, waved to everyone. His eyes glazed over the three, treating Shrinkman like something less than an afterthought.

  “It looks like you three are unharmed. That’s great!”