Impact: Regenesis Part 36

Mizuno rubbed his eyes and muttered something under his breath in a language Nick didn't know. "It means that whoever killed Tony Winchester looked like Drake, but wasn't Drake...meaning it's possibly the same person you're looking for."

Nick didn't say anything for a moment. Mizuno continued to unpack the headsets and set them on the table. He walked away from Nick and into the background for a minute before he returned with a cooler, which he harshly dropped on the tiled floor next to the table with the plates, cups, and napkins.

"You know it's going to take time to actually find whoever this is, right?"

Nick slowly nodded.

"And you realize that even if you do find whoever this is, you won't stand a chance of stopping them?"

He nodded.

"Then don't feel bad."

"I do though," he whispered. "My friend's dad is dead, and the guy who killed him was the same guy who killed my brother." He looked at Mizuno and asked him how he couldn't be sad then.

Someone coughed politely behind them near the trail of lanterns that led from the dead escalators toward where they were. He was a thin j.a.panese man who was clean shaven, kept well combed hair, wore an expensive suit, and carried a metal briefcase.

He apologized and asked if he should come back later. "I don't want to interrupt anything if you two need to talk."

"No it's fine," Mizuno quickly told him. "Nick, this is a good friend of mine, Ke Kitayama. He's the founder, owner, CEO, et cetera, of the Kitayama Corporation in j.a.pan."

Nick was surprised to hear who he was, as Nick knew of some of the games his corporation created, and wondered why someone like him would even be a part of Mizuno's group. "Why are you here?"

Mizuno answered for him, "Ke joined the group for personal reasons," he glanced at Ke, who walked past him without making eye contact with Mizuno over to the table in front where the headsets lay. "I only approached him because I learned that his astounding engineering was more than just something he studied in school."

"What do you mean?"

"His ability allows him complete innovation over various bits of technology, among other things." Mizuno kept his eyes on Ke and asked him, "Are you still working on the regenerating battery idea?"

"The what?"

Ke nodded. He looked at Nick and explained that it was a prototype power source that was self-contained as well as rechargeable. The general idea was to eliminate the need for a charging method for the batteries, and that if the prototype was successful the battery would recharge itself when it wasn't in use. "The thought was to cut down on the amount of materials used in your average battery as well as creating an energy source for military use so all of their radios, lights, and anything else that required that form of power would be"

Mizuno stopped him, "Unfortunately you'll have to explain everything later, as our other members have just arrived."

Nick listened as a group of what he thought was five people enter the building and noisily walk through the pitch dark store. He could tell that they were all guys from the way they talked as well as how loud they were. Nick also couldn't understand everything they said, but as they climbed the escalators he realized they weren't speaking English.

Mithra led the small band with a red cooler in his hands. The other four carried a six foot long sandwich, a large box filled with various bags of chips, a cookie platter, and two trays of vegetables. They each set the items on or near the table and immediately opened everything and dished themselves up without regard to Ke, Mizuno, Nick, or the remaining five people who Nick knew would arrive shortly.

Mizuno, who didn't budge, only rolled his eyes and told Nick that they would all be introduced later, as none of them were too familiar with one another either.

Ke and Mizuno walked over to the table to speak with Mithra while two men who Nick guessed were identical Chinese twins talked amongst themselves with their drinks and plates of food, and a Korean who wasn't much older than Nick and a man Nick guessed to be close to Mizuno's age took their seats near him. He listened to the conversation between the Korean and the guy Nick thought might have been an American, but they both spoke in a language he didn't know, so he stopped paying attention to them.

The second batch of members arrived in the same basic fas.h.i.+on as the first, chatty, though with two exceptions. A young man who looked to be Nick's age walked up the steps with Melanie and a Russian girl at his heels. A third young woman joined the fold after another moment, though she was quiet. The final member to arrive was a forty year old man who seemed relieved to finally be there. Nick watched as the man walked over to the cooler, take a bottle of water, uncap it, retrieve two white pills from his pocket, and quickly down them He was larger than Strom, but in contrast he had a bald scalp with very short hair around the back of his head. The man walked over to where Nick sat and muttered, "I swear if I am ever stuck in a car with those three again I will quit."

Nick wasn't sure why the man singled him out, but he tried to play along just as much. "Was it pretty bad?"

He looked at Nick sideways for a moment before he introduced himself, "Bruce Lord." He took the young man's hand and shook it so hard Nick honestly believed it would break.

Nick tried to act as if it was nothing, but couldn't help but shake the pain away and ask, "Is that your p-pow..." He stopped, took a breath, and asked again, "Do you have super strength or something?"

"No, I'm just stronger than you," he told him flatly, "I have heightened senses."

"What do you mean?"

"If you fire a gun at me, I have the reflexes to dodge the bullet, move it, or catch it," he told Nick while he rubbed his temples.

Nick's eyes widened, "What? That's so cool."

"Yeah...What can you do?"

"Excuse me." Mizuno broke into their conversation, "Bruce I need to borrow you for a moment."

"Alright."

Nick let out a breath as they walked away, though he couldn't rest too long, as the man with the Korean fellow quickly asked him, "Do you know what the most valuable commodity is?"

Nick really didn't. He also didn't care, but realized no matter the answer the man would go off and explain to him everything about whatever commodity he rattled off. The answer wasn't what the man wanted to hear; he wanted to talk.

"I don't know...rice?"

He shook his head and told him it was oil. "Oil prices regulate how expensive rice is, oil is what allows us a majority of our travel, oil is what makes our plastics and rubbers, and that's just to name some of what it's used for."

Nick nodded.

"Kyle Strife," he told Nick as he stuck his hand out and shook Nick's hand. Kyle wore an unb.u.t.toned long sleeved s.h.i.+rt that was well ironed with a tee s.h.i.+rt underneath it of some cartoon character Nick a.s.sumed was from some anime. Kyle also wore rectangular gla.s.ses, kept a short goatee, and had a rather large watch on his left wrist.

Nick let out a small breath and admitted that he didn't plan on staying with the group for very long, but told Kyle who he was anyway.

"Not from what I've heard. You're supposed to be Hiros.h.i.+'s," he stopped briefly to correct himself, "Mizuno's, star find, and I hardly think that he'll let you go so easily."

"I don't think it's up to him."

"You're stupider than you look you know."

Nick ignored the slight and simply agreed with him for argument's sake.

Kyle smirked and put his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair before he asked, "So what do you do anyway? You don't look like we need you at all."

"I guess that'd be because you can't see the big picture."

"More than you know."

Nick gave up. He got out of his seat and headed for the escalator before Mizuno stopped him. "You can just ignore most of what he says you know," Mizuno told him in reference to Nick's conversation with Kyle.

"I'm not trying to leave if that's why you're here," Nick said. "I just want to use the bathroom."

Mizuno's eyes gleamed and he rolled his eyes. "Sure. Just be back soon, as I'd like to get things started."

Nick wasn't one for conversations. He liked people just as well, and talking amongst his friends never bothered him, but being surrounded by a dozen people he didn't know made him uneasy.

His walk was as quiet as it could be, though the dull chatter from the second floor echoed throughout the vacant store. He didn't bother bringing a lantern with him, though he regretted it once he walked into one of the empty shelves. Nick just swore under his breath, felt his way to the floor, and sat there.

He wasn't sure why he was there at all and honestly he didn't want to be there. The plan Mizuno orchestrated didn't interest him and as each day pa.s.sed by Nick questioned whether it was all worthwhile. Initially he wanted to stop Victor's killer, but it'd been weeks since his brother's death and all Nick thought about was whether Victor would even care if Nick did track down the killer.

"So why aren't you with the group?"

Nick nearly shouted when he realized someone sat on the other side of the shelf he leaned against. His heart slammed into his chest and he tried to catch his breath as the man apologized.

"I thought you saw me."

"Who are you?"

"Take a guess kid."

Nick listened to his voice closely and asked, "Strom?"

"Yes."

"What are you doing here?"

"What do you think I'm doing here? Mizuno asked me to continue to train you," Strom told him.

"I-I thought we were done."

"Hardly," Strom scoffed. "You didn't even realize I was here, which means you're not ready."

"Ready for what?"

"Anything really," he told him. "Mizuno wants you to basically be combat ready, should the need arise."

"Why would it?"

Strom was quiet a moment before he chuckled and said, "You really have no idea? Nick, think about everything you've seen since you met Mizuno. He introduced you to the existence of people with super powers, he killed a member of the Dafu out of a crowd of hundreds, and he knows me. Doesn't all of that add up?"

"What do you mean? What are you talking about?"

"Nick, you need to go figure out what all of this is about." Nick heard Strom get up off the floor, heard his duffel bag shuffle with him, and listened to him take three steps before Nick lost him.

Nick got up as well and slowly returned to the group. He took a seat in a corner away from Kyle and his Korean friend, though neither of them noticed his return. Mizuno however saw it and then ordered everyone to their seats.

He first pa.s.sed out all of the head sets and ran a brief test by having everyone verify that it worked. "Good. I'd first like to again thank everyone for accepting the call into this group. I originally extended it to a group of about forty, but this was all who took a true interest in it. We'll start with introductions and brief bios so everyone can get to know one another, as we'll be working closely from now on."

He started with Ke, "This would be Ke Kitayama, head of the Kitayama Corporation. His abilities include a range of innovative techniques involving electronics. He's capable of taking a handheld gaming system, a microwave, a digital camera, a laser pointer, and forging a weapon with microwave emitting capabilities strong enough to give the target cancer within minutes." The announcement of his ability surprised and impressed a good majority of the group. "And so everyone is aware, Ke speaks j.a.panese, Korean, English, and Cantonese."

Mizuno moved on to introduce Mithra next, and briefly explained that he could make all creatures, human and animal, become blind within a set radius of where he was. (Mizuno also mentioned that Mithra spoke Hindi, Arabic, and English before he moved on to Melanie). Melanie's ability included complete control and manipulation of radio waves, meaning she could control all radio transmissions within a given area. Mizuno mentioned how he wanted her to expand on her power, though she rarely pushed her own limits. He told them she spoke English and Spanish.

"Next we have Bruce Lord, who served during the war in Iraq from twenty-ten through twenty-thirteen. His power is actually quite vital to our team, though I'm aware of how valuable you all are. Bruce will be our primary combatant after myself, as his senses are so heightened that he can evade shots from AK-47s, sniper rounds, and much more." Mizuno added that bullets were just one thing he could evade, though the list was numerous. "Bruce speaks English, German, Spanish, Arabic, and French."

"" that comment drew some remark that Nick didn't hear from Kyle, who sat next to him. Kyle spoke to the Korean who sat adjacent to him. ""

"" Mizuno told them. Nick took off his headset once again and realized that Mizuno was speaking everyone's native tongue when he spoke about them. David didn't get up, didn't wave, and didn't make any reply; he just continued to entertain the young ladies that surrounded him. He had dark curly hair and smiled a lot. ""

Mizuno continued, "" Alisa stood up briefly and immediately retook her seat. She was short (Nick guessed five foot two), had dark brown hair, and her eyes never left David. "" Mizuno waited a moment for her to pay attention, which didn't happen, so he briefly finished up by stating that she spoke Russian, English, and French.

"" he said with a smile and pointed to her as she stood up. Nick saw how she kept her eyes low and trembled slightly with all of the group's attention on her. "

Mizuno then introduced the Korean who sat next to Kyle. "" Yong either didn't care that it was a joke or didn't realize it, but pumped his fist in the air once he heard his name. "" Nick looked as Yong reclined in his seat and nodded his head at each of his own achievements. "" Yong stood up and took a bow once Mizuno finished introducing him.

"Next we have"

Music interrupted Mizuno's introduction as Kyle stood up and cheers played though the translator. He introduced himself, "I am Kyle Strife, and although I was once born here in America, I renounce my citizens.h.i.+p and declare myself to be Korean." Yong snickered at the start of his friend's rant, but mocked that he listened intently. "I have the power to completely manipulate the internet and any computer on the earth. There isn't a single pa.s.sword, security system, or firewall that I can't break through because of it. You all can call me Wor1d," which some people laughed at him when he said it, "Or you all may call me REFIOA, as I am its creator."

At that moment everyone was silent. Nick didn't know what it was, but everyone else there seemed shocked at the claim. Kyle smirked at the sudden attention he garnered, and added, "I am also the only member of this group who Mizuno cannot use his ability on."

Whispers broke out amongst David, Alisa, and Melanie, as well as some chatter amongst the Chinese twins. Mizuno covered the microphone of his translator and muttered something under his breath before continued. "Thanks so much for stepping up and giving me a break Kyle," Mizuno threw out sarcastically. "Next we ha"

"Why can't you scan him?" David interrupted.

"" asked one of the Chinese twins.

Mizuno rubbed his eyes and admitted that he wasn't entirely sure why it didn't work. ""

"" asked the other twin.

Mizuno took a heavy breath and muttered that there wasn't any 'us' at all and that things were out of hand. ""

"Are there any other people you can't scan?" Bruce asked him.

"Alright!" Mizuno finally relented. "This is what I've figured out about my own powers. Firstly, I cannot ever forget anything that I've learned. I remember everything from around the end of July of two-thousand and eleven up until this current moment in time. I became familiar with my second power nearly a decade later and still haven't managed to completely discover everything about it or my first ability."

Melanie asked him why he hadn't.

Mizuno felt he needed to explain something else to them first. "The reason I know how each of your abilities works is because I can scan you and figure out how you work from knowing each and every moment in your life."

"But we don't each remember everything in our lives though," David reminded him.

Mizuno nodded, "That's true, but from what I can gather it seems as though an imprint of everyone's lives are within their own mind. It's sort of how you can have vague remembrances of something in your life, like from your childhood, and even though you can't quite remember it exactly to the detail, you can barely recall it. It's also how a certain word or thought can trigger distinct memories you might have believed you'd forgotten."

"Then what if we've completely forgotten something?" Alisa asked him. "Can you see it then?"

"Theoretically no. If, let's say the name of a restaurant wasn't within your memory I wouldn't be able to see it. However, I generally find information, such as the name of a restaurant that you believed you'd utterly forgotten, because that bit of information is retained within your mind, even if you don't know how to access it."

"And because of both of your abilities you're able to remember all of our lives, right?" Kyle asked.

Mizuno nodded and confirmed it. "That's why I know nearly every martial art on the earth as well as every language."

"" Yong asked him.