Xander And The Blaze

1...User detected...

In a class full of mostly unserious student, a beautiful and young female teacher stood in front of them to explain the topic of the day and ask questions. 

Alec was present in the class, sitting quietly like he has no life. He took several deep breaths to calm his nerves, but it wasn't working. The huge boys sitting at the back of the class made him feel apprehensive, and anytime he summons little courage to rotate his head to the back, his eyes would always lock with their fierce ones and he knew right away that he is a dead meat, all for saying 'hi' to the only girl that was nice enough to wave her right hand and say 'hello' when he was getting his books from his locker before class started. 

Alexander Todd, known as Alec, is a poor boy who is usually bullied in school. He has a father who gets sick frequently and still tries to work to provide for their daily needs, and he has no mother. His mother died from a dementia disease.

Alec doesn't have much of a choice than to accept every bad events that comes his way, he is aware of the type of world he lives in, and anytime he tries to standup for himself and other people like him, it ends in disaster. 

In the city he lives, the city of Koach, there are people with special powers. The power of money, of Fame, of the brain, of strength. Alec doesn't fall into any power category. Everyone knows only people with those powers are allowed to rule the city. They form alliance with other power people from other cities to exploit the value of common people like Alec. 

"Alec, can you tell me what you understand by cellular respiration?" The teacher asked, staring at him. She got no response from him. His eyes were expressionless as he stared into space. 

 

"Alec?" She called questioningly. 

"Alec?" The teacher called again, but still no response. 

"Alec!" The teacher screeched and that brought him back to reality, causing a slight jump from him. 

"Huh?" He looked confused, but his confusion was quickly turned to the joke of the class. They laughed so loud like it was the comedy of the year. 

"Shut up!" The teacher ordered the class, then she turned to Alec "I asked you a question earlier"

"You did?" He asked nervously. 

"Yeah, but you spaced out" The teacher said. 

Alec swallowed, he knew disgrace was coming right his way. After the teacher repeated her question, Alec could only stare at her blankly. He does not know the answer to the question because he wasn't listening in class. Most of his classmates bursted out laughing again and called him different names. 

"Dummy"

"Dullard"

They continued until the teacher called the class to order.  

With shame, Alec sat quietly on his seat with his head down. 

***

Alec opened his locker to get his books for maths class, on turning around after grabbing his books, he met two huge guys with a threatening stance right afront him, and he recognized them right away. 

"Sam, Kevin, please just..." He shut his eyes for a second and opened them "Leave me alone. Why do you target me everyday for your bullying? Don't you have work to do?"

What Alec does not understand is that they always find fun in bullying him everyday because he is weak, they would be able to show their powers by tormenting him. 

Kevin took a step closer to him till there was no space between them and punched him in the stomach. Alec grunted, his books falling from his hand. Passers-by would never know the pains Kevin is causing to an innocent boy right here with the discreet way he had to punch him. 

"You're an idiot. You were supposed to stay silent" Kevin whispered with an angry tone.  

"Honestly, Kevin, you're one crazy fellow" Alec retorted which earned him another hard punch from Kevin. 

"What the hell is happening here?" A deep voice boomed in the hallway. 

At first, one would think the voice belonged to a teacher but as the two bullies saw the owner of the voice, they let out an exasperated sigh and threw Alec a meaningful, angry glare not to say a word to anyone about what just happened. They scowled at Alec's saviour before walking away with the arrogance they possess.  

"Are you okay?" Alec's new savior asked concernedly, standing confidently in front of Alec.  

"Ye...yeah" Alec lied, but his new friend saw right through his lie. 

He smiled "Maybe you should take a little rest before going for class. It helps" He advised, then left without even introducing himself. 

***

After classes were over, Alec grabbed his bag and began to head home immediately.

The sky became dark, and it looked like the rain is about to pour down. 

Alec reached the parking lot, but he was unaware of the big guys of his class waiting for him to show up so they could surround him and beat him up. 

Alec was in haste to get home for two reasons. The first reason is to avoid the bullies and the second reason is to get home before the rain starts to pour down. He didn't know his classmates had surrounded him. He had to look around before he understood what was happening.  He wondered how they were able to get him this way despite trying his possible best to avoid them. 

They still somehow found a way to get him alone in the parking lot, near their expensive cars. 

"Not you dickheads again" Alec sighed "What the hell do you want from me?" He asked slowly. 

A punch came his way the instant he dropped the question, he tried to dodge it, but he failed miserably, it landed on his nose. Blood started to tickle down.  

"You guys are assholes" Alec remarked despite being in pains, and he secretly hoped the guy who had saved him earlier today would come to his aid again. 

Alec's comment riled the guys and from there, the real strikes started. Alec fell to the ground, whimpering as they kicked him hard. They stepped on him, cursing at him till no sound was heard from him. 

They stopped amd stared at his figure on the ground which is now in a bad shape courtesy to their non stop strikes.  Alec neither moved, nor made a sound. He looked lifeless. 

"Weird. He is not making any sound" Sam observed, staring down at him. 

"He knows he's supposed to keep his mouth shut" Kevin said, giving another kick, but Alec stayed still. 

"Hol'on a sec, Did we kill him?" Sam whispered, looking panicked. "Did we?"

"He is not supposed to die" Kevin replied. 

"Yeah" One of them named Jim, supported. 

"But..." Sam paused, trying to observe the unconscious boy "Why does he look like he is not breathing?" 

Kevin narrowed his eyes at Alec who was still laying motionless on the ground. "Shit! We've gotta go. Now!" He whisper yelled at the others. "Now!"

They got into their cars hurriedly and sped out, leaving unconscious Alec on the ground. Soon, the rain began to pour down on him, then the lightning bolt struck, while Alec still laid motionless on the ground. 

***

A sound in Alec's head which rang like an alarm, woke him up. With his eyes half shut, his hands found the alarm on the bedside table and he pressed on it to stop the noise, thinking the sound was from the alarm.   

He opened his eyes sluggishly, and sighed. Everywhere looked blurry to him at first, but when his vision got clearer, he was able to take in his fremd environment properly. 

He sat up on the bed, looking around frantically, scared he has been kidnapped. He noticed he was now in a white shirt and he wondered how he got into it. The last thing he could remember was receiving brutal beatings from the bullies in his school which caused him pains all over his body.   

The sound which woke him up minutes ago, rang again in his head. He held his head in both hands, twisting his lips in displeasure. 

The ringing stopped after few seconds, but a voice which is in between masculine and feminine, began to talk in his head. 

"User detected"

Alec frowned, completely mystified. 

"Power transfer starts at the count of 5 to get us binded"

Alec was in a total confused state at what was currently happening to him. He began to think it was signs of mental instability. 

"1..2..3..4..5"

A wide screen looking like a projector appeared right in front of him. He blinked repeatedly, thinking he is hallucinating the sudden appearance of the screen. 

The screen showed the progress of the power transfer from zero percentage which will lead to getting him binded to the system.

"0%....10%....20%....30%....40%....50%....60%....70%...80%....90%....100%...Complete"

After two seconds, the voice confirmed the completion of power transfer and binding "Tranfer of powers completed. We are now binded"

Alec blinked "Binded?"

"Yes, host" 

"Jesus Christ!" Alec exclaimed with wide eyes "Did I just get a reply from a voice in my head?"

"Yes, host" 

"I'm definitely going crazy. Confirmed. I'm crazy" Alec muttered to himself. 

"No, you are not going crazy"

Alec rose his brows "I'm not?" 

"Yes, host"

Alec took a deep breath to calm his edginess. "This is a dream, Alec, It's a dream, okay?" He gently slapped the side of his head to keep his mind straight. 

"It is not a dream" The neutral voice spoke in his head again. 

"Holy shit!" He whispered, widening his eyes. "Who the hell or what the hell are you? And why are you in my head?"

"I am the system, and the system has chosen you as its host, Alexander Todd"

"Oh man, you even know my name" Alec whispered tiredly. "I'm really fucked now, am I not?" He pressed a palm on his forehead and fell back on the bed.