Gene. Sys. by Aaron Denius (best ereader for comics txt) 📕

again, but before he can, I pull his arms behind his back and pull him away. There is no denying his strength. Once he knows how to harness it, I will have a difficult time holding him back.

“Let go of me!” Titan says as he pulls away. As I let him go, he turns and throws a punch in my direction. I can feel the four knuckles at the top of his hand as they connect with my jaw. I stumble to the side and instantly taste the bitter saltiness of blood.

A calm rage builds through my body as I turn to face him. I see that the rest of the Genesys have all fallen silent. Their eyes are wide, and they stare at me, anticipating my next move. Like with Sil, I feel I need to meet this challenge to maintain control of the group.

Titan has taken an amateur fighting stance. His hands are down, and he has given away his dominant side. I smile as I speak slowly and clearly. “You will not land another punch.”

He furrows his brow and screams as he charges me. I dodge his attempt to knock me over and turn as he begins to throw punches. Anticipating his every move, I bob and weave around everything he throws at me.

I spin away from another one of his punches and create a little distance between us. “You still have a lot to learn, Titan.”

“Fight back, you coward!” he spits at me.

“Atom, don’t!” I hear Ev scream, but it’s too late.

I smile as Titan steps in and throws another punch. I catch his fist with both of my hands, and with one fluid motion, I twist his arm and slam it down against my leg. The crack of his bones breaking sends a wave of gasps through the Genesys.

The screams coming from Titan are deafening as he lies on the ground, nursing his now-limp arm. I have to step closer to the group so that they can hear me. “Sil, Ox, take him to the medical ward.”

It takes them a couple of moments to pull their stares away from Titan and look at me. A small hint of fear glazes their eyes.

“Now!” I yell.

They hustle to pick him up and place him on a mat. Together they use the mat as a gurney and carry him into the elevator. I look at the rest of the Genesys and can tell that I have perhaps alienated myself from them again. I might have let my emotions get the better of me, but if Rene wants me to be the leader, I can’t let anyone challenge that.

For a few moments, silence fills the room. I turn my back to the Genesys as I try to regain my composure. I know that whatever I do next will dictate how they perceive me. My mind struggles with wanting them to be my friends and needing them to fear and respect me as their leader. I take a deep breath and decide that—

“I hope that shuts him up.” I whip around, startled by the female voice. It’s Hydro. I’m shocked and don’t know what to say. The silence is broken by a few of the others mumbling their agreement. A smile graces my face as I realize that I might still be able to salvage some friendships.

“Okay, enough of that. Pick a sparring partner.” I look at the group. “Ev, match up with someone, but take it easy.”

Cal and Al pair off with each other, leaving the girls to form three pairs. Thankfully Ev does not match up with Fe, taking Mag instead.

I work them through the necessary fighting skills—stance, defense, weight distribution, and transfer. Ox and Sil join halfway through, and I catch them up to the rest of the group. I make sure to keep things simple this session. I want to make sure that they comprehend the proper techniques before teaching them advanced moves and how to use their physical skills to their advantage.

After an hour of sparring, I can tell that everyone is getting tired and nursing injuries. “Alright, everyone, I think that’s enough for today.”

The group lets out a collective sigh. I look around at the group, and all of them except for Ev have blood on their face. My heart reaches out to them, but I quickly brush it aside, remembering my first time with Grant. I definitely looked worse.

“Be sure to shower off and have another protein pouch before you crawl into bed. It will help speed up the healing process. You won’t feel most of these injuries by tomorrow.” I smile at them, but most avoid eye contact. Fe catches my glance, and I see nothing but pain behind hers. The guilt twists at my heart.

“Can we go?” Cal asks.

“Yeah,” I respond.

“Yes!” K turns for the elevator. Others follow.

“One more thing,” I say. The group groans. “Come down here whenever you want to keep practicing your weapons. I won’t be going over those again.”

They mutter their approval and head to the elevator. Ev lets the doors close and then doubles back toward me.

“What the hell is your problem? Did you really have to do that to Titan?” she blurts out.

I sigh and furrow my brow, not really wanting to answer. “I was left in charge. I couldn’t let him challenge that authority.”

Ev stares at me, obviously taking in what I just said. I don’t think she expected such a straightforward answer. Right as I begin to feel uncomfortable with her silence, she smiles and gives me a kiss on the cheek.

“Okay.” She turns and skips back to the elevator.

The second the elevator doors close, I feel the tingle on my cheek left over from her lips. It spreads from my cheek to the rest of my body, and I find myself wanting more. I want her to come back. I want to hold her in my arms and feel the warmth of her body next to mine.

After staring at the elevator and