It had been around four days since Robert had kidnapped, and subsequently returned, Eliana. And the teenager felt that her life at the gym had improved quite a bit. After seeing that her apprentice willingly came back Sabrina had been allowing Eliana to visit the city occasionally. The girl's favorite thing to do was go to the arcade. She wasn't one for video games, some were fun but most weren't to her tastes, but she enjoyed the atmosphere. The loud, chaotic noise, the flashing lights, the sea of faces, it was all a sensory overload that she found strangely calming.
It was a stark contrast to the quiet, controlled environment of the gym, a world of psychic energy and silent communication. Here, in the arcade, she was just another face in the crowd, a teenager blowing off some steam. No one knew who she was, no one knew what she could do. It was a liberating feeling, a brief escape from the heavy weight of her powers and her mentor's expectations.
She was currently playing a fighting game, her fingers a blur on the buttons. She was winning, of course. Eliana had no qualms whatsoever about using her abilities to cheat, it's not like anyone could tell. Her opponent, who didn't look much older than her, maybe by a year or two. A tall teenage boy that had a head full of dark red hair and light blue eyes, and he was getting frustrated. He was mashing the buttons, his face a mask of concentration and anger.
"Come on!" he yelled, as Eliana's character delivered a final, devastating blow. "How are you so good at this?"
"Practice makes perfect!" Eliana cheekily said, really psychic powers were so convenient.
"Whatever you say, anyways good game," The boy held out a hand, a bright smile on his face. "Name's Gabriel,"
Eliana stared at it for a second before taking his hand, "Eliana."
"I haven't seen you around much, you new around here?" Gabriel asked, walking towards another game.
Eliana followed behind him, "I guess so, I'vebeen here maybe three months."
Gabriel paused, turning around with a confused look on his face, "Really? I think I would've seen you before!"
"Yeah, well Sabrina didn't start letting me out of the gym until recently." Eliana pointed out, looking at the new game Gabriel bought them to. This time it was a racing game, there were various types of motorcycles to choose from. And the controllers were mock steering wheels, connected to a large screen. There were enough controllers to let four people play but the two teenagers only wanted to go against each other.
"You're a psychic type trainer?" Gabriel raised an eyebrow at her as he picked up one of the controllers.
"Got a problem with that?" Eliana hoped he didn't, she was actually enjoying talking with Gabriel. He was a good player, and he was keeping up with her even though she was cheating.
"Nah it's just ironic, I'm training at the dojo next door!" Gabriel let out a loud laugh as he began selecting the motorcycle he wanted to race with, "I think I have you beat on this one, I have the high score!"
"Don't be so sure about that!" Eliana snored confidently choosing a pastel pink motorcycle decorated with rainbows and hearts, "I heard that the dojo and the gym are mortal enemies, should we really be playing against each other?"
"I'm not a black belt, so I can't say I really care about the beef between them," Gabriel picked out a bright teal motorcycle covered in lightening bolts. "Besides you're cool, we can battle after this if you want to!"
"Sure, after I wipe the floor with you in the race I'll do the same on the battle field," Eliana chirped as the race started.
Eliana's rainbow motorcycle shot ahead with a speed that should have been impossible, a psychic nudge here, a small telekinetic push there. Electronics were easily affected if you knew what to look for. And Eliana had been experimenting with the games since the day she found this arcade.
Gabriel, on the other hand, was a genuinely skilled player. He weaved through the virtual traffic with an expert's touch, his hands steady and his focus absolute. He was good, better than most from what his high score showed. But being simply good wasn't enough to beat Eliana. Not when she was controlling the very laws of the game's physics.
"No way!" he shouted, as her bike took a corner at a gravity-defying angle. "You're hacking!"
"I'm just that good," Eliana replied, a smirk playing on her lips. She wasn't just playing the game; she was conducting it, a symphony of digital chaos and psychic precision.
Gabriel stuck his tongue out at her as he did his own moves and took a shortcut. Eliana could tell by the way he was moving the pretend steering wheel that he had to know all the shortcuts. The girl briefly thought about looking into his mind to see, with Sabrina's training under her belt, Eliana knew she could do it without him noticing. But that'd take the fun out of it, it was the most exciting when each player used their own strengths, especially those no one else knew about. So she'd let him keep his secret methods for now.
By the time the finish line was crossed, Eliana had won, of course. By a large, almost insulting margin. The screen flashed with her new high score, a rainbow-colored monstrosity that gleefully shattered Gabriel's previous record.
"I... I don't even know what to say," he stammered, shaking his head in disbelief. "That was unbelievable."
"Told you I'd wipe the floor with you," Eliana said, putting the steering wheel controller back on the console. "Now, about that battle."
"Right, the battle," Gabriel said, a competitive glint in his eyes.
"It doesn't have to be official," Motioning for Eliana to follow him, Gabriel began heading out of the arcade. "There's a bunch of training fields just outside the city that the young people use for mock battles."
"That's fine with me," Eliana told him, "I just want to battle with someone different for once."
"Great, it won't take us long to get there." Gabriel laughed once they exited the building, running off as soon as the doors closed behind them, "Try and keep up!" He called out. Eliana followed behind him with little trouble, the boy wasn't nearly as fast as he liked to think.