The recruits found themselves back where everything had started for them. They had just finished running the Track and doing the obstacle course again. They all noticed a stark difference in their physical abilities. Kenji was still at the top by a large margin, but they all clocked inhumanely fast times. They all noticed they could run a full sprint for extremely long periods without fatigue; their top speed eclipsed olympiads. Dr.Varma also informed them the previous day that this was just the beginning.

  Their bodies were reborn, and they had no documented physical or mental limits. They could become countless times more robust and faster with time. And now, time was in abundance. Their longevity was massively increased, and they needed to fully explore those limitations. They had come to find that the Nano-Machines even acted as a Global translator, allowing them to speak and understand multiple languages they previously could not. Everything felt new and incredible to all of them. They were all extraordinary young adults, to begin with, and now their potential could be fully explored beyond their imagination. However, with such power often came hubris.

  “Where’s Zac? Is he afraid we might jump him now that we're Chasers?” A cocky recruit asked.

  Standing in for Zac, Franky looked at him like an idiot. However, it was Ume who responded,

  “It’s Instructor Zac, Sensei Zac, or Mr. Zac. Show proper respect. He’s preparing for tomorrow.”

  “Hehe, preparing? What? Is he Batman or something?” The same recruit asked mockingly.

  “Kinda, yeah. Well, I mean, Zac's not disgustingly rich like Batman but he has a lot of resources to work with. Adding on to that he doesn’t have a no killing rule.” Franky looked up at the mocking recruit with pity in his eyes. Franky knew that Zac would be at a heavy disadvantage against seasoned Chasers, but not these pups.

  “I think you guys have a misunderstanding about Zac. He’s not here as a favor to you.” Helena walked towards the recruits standing in the middle of the field. The other Mentors were trailing behind her.

  “He knows what your Programs are capable of, but he doesn’t know how you will use them. He wants to keep things fun for himself and stay in the dark. He even allowed us to come today and assist you for the next 10 hours.” An average-built Spanish male spoke. This was Micheal’s mentor, alias Duendes.

  When the recruits heard this, they began to tense up a bit. Was this still just a game to Zac? Many of them didn’t want to believe it; they had been tricked time and time again. They felt this was just their mentors trying to get under their skin. In their minds, Zac was impressive… for a human, but they were beyond that now and would continue to grow beyond him. The mentors all saw the looks on their pupils' faces and just sighed. These kids wouldn’t be satisfied until they had their faces beat in.

  “I hope you all keep that energy. That sadistic prick won’t be satisfied otherwise.” Alais Mawu, a youthful Black American woman, said as she motioned for Travis to follow her.

  Kenji was about to head off with Franky when he turned towards Ume,

  “Zac’s not here to assist you. Are you going to be fine by yourself?”

  “After talking with Mr. Devin and my Uncle yesterday about my Program, Sensei Zac was able to compile a thorough and detailed training regimen for me to follow. It details how I should progress without choosing a specific path for me. If I never saw Sensei Zac again, this regimen could hold me over for several decades.” Ume responded flatly as she walked away from the training grounds to find her own spot to play around with her Program.

  “Ah, alright… bye,” Kenji responded awkwardly.

  “You look a little disappointed,” Franky said as he looked over his shoulder at Kenji.

  “Just a little bit. I didn’t get the chance to copy her Program yesterday. I was curious.”

  “What?!” Franky turned around and stared at Kenji, the shock plain for anyone to see.

  Genkei was looking at a pair of vests and gloves that Helena had just tossed at his feet.

  “What the hell is this?” He asked.

  “Just something I had the Twins cook up when I heard about your Program. Put them on!!! But activate your Program first.” Helena shouted gleefully.

  “Okaaaay. Initiating Program: Stockpile.” Genkei said tentatively. He slowly put on the gloves and vest. He felt his body twitch, and then his mind opened up as he gained access to his abilities.

  “Now what?”

  “Now say ‘system start, Block Breaker,” Helena commanded.

  “Alright, system start, Block Breaker,” Genkei repeated. The gloves and vest lit up. That was followed by the sounds of something winding up. The sounds of endless thumping echoed. Genkei grunted and doubled over before he began to stabilize himself.

  “You crazy woman!! Why didn’t you warn me?!”

  “I did!!!!!! I told you to activate your Program!” Helena responded with a hurt expression. Genkei took in several breaths. She was right, and he should have known better. He hadn’t known her long, but she wasn’t hard to figure out. It didn’t stop him from being upset as he glared at her. His body was jolting from the constant pounding he received from the vest and gloves.

  “What the hell is this?” Genkei asked.

  “A prototype. Small pistons constantly bash your body, allowing you to store kinetic energy without relying on your target. It was made on short notice, so bare with it for now. But this should be good enough to see how much you can store. And help us figure out if you can simultaneously store kinetic energy from different sources.” Helena explained, and Genkei nodded his head.

  “Wait, how are you going to test that second bit?” Genkei asked.

  “Initiating Program: Blow Back.” Helena sent a punch in that instant, and a concussive force blew Genkei off his feet. Program: Blow Back; allowed Helena to manipulate and generate powerful concussive waves. This should make Genkei a terrible match-up for her under most circumstances. However, in her mind, it made him the perfect training dummy.

  “You better focus!! You might die!” Helena’s laugh filled Genkei’s ears as he looked up to see her crash down on him from the sky with an ax kick. Genkei dodged out of the way instinctively but was blown away again by the concussive force that followed her kick.

  Akiko once again found herself sitting in a lotus position with a katana resting in her lap.

  “Our Programs are simply a tool. If it can assist us on our path of the sword, then great. If it can not, then it is simply a hindrance. Program: Flare is the ability to increase heat values and manipulate those bodies of heat. Ejecting heat into your blade can make it more deadly but weaken it. So tell me. Will you abandon your Program or the way of the sword?” Hachiman asked.

  Akiko had not moved; her eyes remained closed as she meditated. She had thought about this already. Chasers had enhanced regenerative capabilities. However, if she cauterized wounds with her heat, it would be impossible for them to heal or reach the same healing level they usually could.

  However, doing so would compromise the integrity of her blades. Even if it was made with modern techniques, and they could make heat-resistant weaponry, she still ran the risk of warping her blades. She didn’t honestly believe that Hachiman wanted her to abandon her Program. Her fighting style had to be an expression of herself. Abandoning her Program would be abandoning a piece of herself. She opened her eyes and stared at Hachiman,

  “Neither.”

  “Good, so what will you do?” Hachiman was satisfied with her response.

  However, the fact remains that heat did not mix well with the blade. There were several synthetic materials they had to alleviate the issue. Still, nothing could stop the heat she could produce from negatively affecting her blades.

  “If blades can not handle my heat, I need to make a blade of heat.”

  “And how will you do that?” Hachiman asked.

  He knew the Flare Program could manipulate bodies of heat, but he didn’t think she’d be able to control it to such a degree, at least not as a fresh recruit. He was correct in his assessment, and Akiko had already thought of this.

  “Argon gas.” Is all Akiko said.

  The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  A smile stretched across Hachiman’s face as he motioned for her to follow him.

  “Where are we going?”

  “We’re going to see The Twins. They head up our R and D department. They use a Unique set of Programs that are strictly utility in nature. Program: Blueprint and Program: Creator. Blueprint allows the Chaser to determine the logistics and components needed to make nearly anything. Creator allows the Chaser to assemble anything they have a clear vision of, with their mind, as long as they have the needed materials. Working in tandem, they can make just about anything in a matter of moments. I’d assume they’d be fairly busy today.” Hachiman chuckled as the two of them left the training room.

  “Are they in Japan?”

  “No, they are in Finland. It’s about a 4-hour round trip. So spend that time in meditation.” Hachiman said.

  Akiko had a confused look on her face. 4-hour round trip? There was no way they could get to Finland that fast from Japan. But she then remembered what her sensei had just told her. The Twins could make anything if they had the needed materials. Making an aircraft that could accomplish such a feat may be possible. Akiko smiled as she started to rethink her initial idea. She could get a little more creative with her designs if they could do such things.

  “Initiating Program: Ion,” Watabe said as she extended his hand and shot a bolt of electricity toward Devin. Devin extended his hand and swiped the electricity away.

  “The fundamental use of this Program is the discharge and control of electricity. There is so much more you can do with it.” Devin spoke.

  “I know, manipulating charged particles, I understand the power I could wield. However, I’m going to university for a degree in business, not particle physics.” Watabe sounded annoyed.

  “Then maybe you should change major. I’m not kidding.” Devin spoke seriously.

  Watabe reluctantly nodded his head in understanding. This was going to be his future; if he could learn to better control his Program by going to class, there was no downside. Outside of attending particle physics courses.

  “Right now, you should just focus on the feeling. Don’t worry too much about fooling around with particles you don’t understand; just focus on being able to feel them and sparking their electrical properties. Your Program is highly complex but equally as powerful. Don’t rush.” Devin instructed Watabe.

  “Have you fought someone with this Program before?” Watabe asked.

  “I have; my old mentor had it. The strongest person I’ve ever fought, and second deadliest.” Devin said with a smile on his face.

  “What happened to him?”

  “Long story short, I became ‘The Renegade’, and with the help of his daughter, we killed him. Almost died in the process. That was about 5 years ago. Hopefully, our relationship won’t end the same.” Devin spoke with a tinge of remorse layered in his tone.

  Watabe didn’t ask any more questions. He just nodded his head and began to focus as Devin had instructed. If Devin needed assistance to deal with his old mentor, that meant even Zero Chasers weren’t unbeatable. Kenji had become a Zero, as he had feared. However, that did not mean he would fall behind. In fact, he could eclipse him. Watabe smiled as electricity arched off his fingertips. He looked towards Devin’s feet. Devin then instinctively jumped away as electricity sparked in the spot where Devin was standing.

  “Are you going to use your Program, Sensei?”

  “My Program wouldn’t allow you to practice thoroughly. You’re not at a level of understanding, where you can resist my Boot-Up.” Devin said placidly.

  Watabe’s eyes squinted. Was Devin Boot-Up enough to take out Chasers? From how he spoke, Program: Ion had ways to counter it. Watabe took a deep breath; there was much for him to learn, but he was thankful he had a Program that could keep his interest. Watabe’s eyes flared with lightning, and the air around Devin became charged as lightning struck him from all sides.

  “Not bad.” Devin smiled as he waved his hand, dispersing the electricity.

  Kenji and Franky stood in a large barren room. There was a steel floor and ceiling, with about 300 square meters of space. Franky had a worried look on his face,

  “Before we talk about your Boot-Up. I heard they told you about your parents yesterday.”

  “Yeah, so?” Kenji's smile faded from his face.

  “You wanna talk about it? It is one of my jobs as your mentor, you know?”

  “Not really.” Kenji responded curtly.

  “Come on kid. It’s not something you should bottle up, it can affect your performance. Did your mom ever tell you anything? About your dad? Anything at all?”

  “Dad left before I was old enough to understand that he was even there. Everytime I brought him up, mom got visibly depressed. So I stopped bringing him up.” Kenji responded.

  The anger towards his father had begun to subside, now he was more empathetic to his existence.

  “Well at least you know that he never really left you guys. He was always around.” Franky tried to comfort him.

  “Yeah, around but out of reach; that somehow makes it worse. So can we drop it? You suck at this.” Kenji chuckled as he looked at Franky’s flustered face.

  “Yeah, yeah I know. Anyway, you’re telling me your Boot-Up, can not only scan and copy the Programs of other Chasers but also enhance them? What did you name it again?”

  “Replica, and yeah, more or less. Although I didn’t get to copy Ume’s before she left.” Kenji said with a slight chuckle.

  “That means you copied my Program just now?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then show me,” Franky commanded.

  “Alright. Cycle, Program: Full Arsenal.” Kenji called out, and his body twitched. He then stood there with an embarrassed look on his face. It wasn’t that it didn’t work; he just couldn’t physically use the Program as things were.

  “Thought so. So you’re enhancing doesn’t push the Programs beyond their original scope. Let’s test it out. Initiating Program: Full Arsenal. Assimilate this.” Franky’s body twitched, and then his skin wiggled. Mist was released from his pores and manifested into a gun. He then tossed it at Kenji. After Kenji caught the weapon, it shattered into mist and entered his body. Kenji flexed his fingers, and then the gun reformed in his palm.

  “Fire at the wall over there,” Franky commanded.

  Kenji did as instructed; the gun sounded and blasted into the metal wall. There was no sign of a bullet, just a burn mark at the point of impact. Franky nodded, manifested a gun of his own, and fired at the wall. Franky’s shot left a burn mark about twice the size of Kenji’s. Kenji’s eyes widened; his Boot-Up should have enchanted the ability.

  “Full Arsenal. It allows me to absorb any weaponry and fully understand it. I can then modify and manifest anything I have absorbed at any time. Using bioenergy, that I generate by burning my blood, I can create an energy source and energy-based ammunition for my Arsenal.” Franky explained as he looked at Kenji with a smile.

  “Your first shot was approximately 20% more powerful than my first shot when I acquired this Program. So, we can assume your enhancement is a flat 20% in destructive power. This probably applies to capacity when power enhancement is not applicable.”

  “Ok, but how is yours so much stronger than mine?” Kenji was still confused.

  “I have spent years increasing my efficiency. While the Nano-Machines can stimulate mass blood reproduction, it wouldn’t help me if I ‘burned out' in the middle of a mission. I have learned to produce more bioenergy with less blood. What I did just know was barely a drop. How much did you burn?” Franky asked curiously.

  “A lot more than a drop,” Kenji said in a defeated tone as he rubbed the back of his neck.

  “I thought so. That Boot-Up of yours is something wicked. You can have any known Program at your disposal, this makes you very flexible, but there are drawbacks. While you may initially have more potency than the original user, you’ll never be able to match their abilities over time. A Replica is still just an imitation.” Franky warned Kenji rather bluntly.

  “So I shouldn’t use the other Programs I’ve copied?” Kenji asked.

  “I wouldn’t say that. I’d just avoid the more complicated ones, like mine, for instance. I’ve also learned how to burn external biomass to use as bioenergy. Did that thought even cross your mind?”

  “No, it hadn’t.”

  “I bet, and there’s a lot of tricks of the trade that make using that Program several times more lethal. It’s a heavy time investment. Watabe’s Ion and Micheal’s Pulse Programs are much the same. If you’re going to use them, I’d suggest just using the basics when the situation calls for it. You’d be better off focusing on your actual Program and picking Programs you’ve copied that synergize with it as your main focus.”

  Kenji took mental notes of everything that Franky was telling him. He was glad about it. Kenji initially thought of going through and learning every single Program. Kenji had concerns that he wouldn’t be able to match the original users. Still, he figured the enhancing feature would mitigate the gaps that would form. He had underestimated the ingenuity of the human mind and the benefits of having a primary focus.

  “So what can your Program do?” Franky asked.

  All Zero Chasers had Programs that were specific to them alone, and they all were outside the scope of what was possible for most other Chasers. It was the reason why Franky was gobsmacked by Kenji’s Boot-Up. He already had a Program that would put most others to shame; did he need the ability to copy others?

  “Momentum Manipulation. I can control anything in motion that I can perceive.” Kenji replied.

  “Can you use your actual Program in conjunction with those you have copied?”

  “Yes. I can use up to 2 copied Programs in conjunction with my own,” Kenji clarified.

  Franky started to chuckle as he listened to Kenji describe his Program. It was simple yet potent. Controlling anything in motion that he could perceive? What he could perceive could vary depending on the copied Programs in use. It was a perfect Program to accompany such a Boot-Up sequence. With that in mind, he smiled and said,

  “Kenji, I will teach you how to properly use Full Arsenal. We will combine that with your Program and the basics of Ion.” Franky began to explain what his idea was.

  He was going to turn Kenji into a monster. It had been a long time since Franky was excited about something. Full Arsenal allowed Franky to take on monstrous forms and do incredible things when used to its total capacity. However, he always felt that something was missing, that if he just had a little more, he could make this Program genuinely shine. Now Kenji, this glorious little Taboo Child, fell into his lap. The holes and flaws in his Program that he could not find answers to, the solutions to everything were given to him, through Kenji. It took everything in him to stop himself from laughing like a madman.

  Within his team, Franky came across as the most normal. Hachiman was a freak for his sword and its improvement; he lived to engage in battle and find worthy opponents to sharpen his blade against. His alias Hachiman, the Japanese God of War, was a testament to his mindset. Helena craved destruction and had a twisted sense of enjoyment in the pain of herself and others. Her alias is Helena, the namesake of Helen of Troy, a beauty responsible for the death and suffering of countless heroes.

  Zac, “The Anomaly." He was so inventive and cunning that even without a Program, he struck terror into the hearts of Monsters and Chasers alike. Devin, “The Renegade '', the person almost single-handedly maintaining the balance of power between the Chaser Organizations. Then there was Franky. Someone who was just a normal guy wishing he had a normal life, who found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, Franky is the embodiment of the phrase, “All it takes is one bad day,” and that day had long since passed. In many ways, he had more ingenuity than Zac and was more twisted than Helena. Alias, Franky aka Frankenstein.

  “I’m going to make you something special, kid.”