Chapter 187: Class Clown

Everyone had taken a deep and heavy breath. Through their control of every muscle, the group was able to fill their lungs which as much as air as they can. And by their control of each little body part, they even stored some of the air in their stomach.

The view was amazing and everyone contained their emotions and didn't even look as they took that last step and started to fall into the ground.

It was said that falling at such a height, the fall would be one of the last things that kill you. The first would be the lack of oxygen of being so far out in the Atmosphere. The cold would also kill you. As the cold falls way below freezing point, a person may have frozen to death.

And lastly, there was the battle of the mind. Without resistance coming from the wind, the speed of the fall would increase so greatly that it would easily go beyond the speed of sound. And so, many may even die from shock or fear.

The group employed one of their practiced tactics to counter the cold. With the Unlocking and the control of their body, they started to cause every cell of their body to shiver.

The heat generated was amazing and it was actually eating up a bit of the calorie they stored.

Their lung capacity easily fought off the lack of oxygen. And Since they could retain air in their stomach, they could easily hold their breath throughout the first part of the fall where the air is so thin.

The challenge, however, was that of the mind. They were all confronted with the increasing urge to shout and panic. And if they did, they would surely die.

"Brace yourself! Remember the of this fall!" Cliff called out. With the level of his unlocking and the past experiences of terror and fear, he was the one who managed to control his body well enough to speak and retain air at the same time.

"Contain the emotions! When we go beyond the speed of sound, I won't be able to talk anymore!" Cliff commanded. His mind retained one specific memory. It was his recollection of his conversation with Seeker.

The night that Seeker and Cliff managed to talk to Lara and Charm, Cliff was immediately called in to report to Seeker.

"Right. So you'll be jumping off the Sky Satellite. Arthur will soon manipulate New Great Britain to use their weather technology to create a storm that will hit Australia. The storm will block the sky and give you the cover that you need. Of course, since we don't know what technology they have that could detect you, we won't be using any parachutes and since you'll be thrown off into a storm anyway… and not an average one… It's a storm with strong winds. So using gliding suits would be pointless."

"Wait. Is it that tornado storm?"

"Yes, but it shouldn't have tornadoes at its position. Arthur's making it look like that it's headed for Australia. Still, the wind should be strong at that point."

"So how do you want us to get there from the sky satellite? I'm no genius but I know that from that height, falling into the water would kill us. and even if we send a team of Unlocked humans, the math suggests that we would pass the speed of sound by then. That's a terrifying speed! Humans would die even before they hit the sea!"

"Ah...  Getting better at your math, I see. It's an experimental method. It would kill normal humans and even humans who have had genetic improvements. But since you guys are tougher than that we can increase the stress and pressure. You will utilize a new rubber suit that Harker developed with Lennox's design. It's a rubber suit that can protect you from the pressure and coldness of the temperature at the point of your drop."

"What about our landing?! Unbecomings can easily withstand the g-force of that drop even if we pass the speed of sound!"

"You are jumping from a height of over one hundred fifty thousand feet. At some point, you will be traveling faster than the speed of sound. And you will be only increasing in speed as gravity does its marvelous work. So to make your descent slower, the small slits on the front areas of your suit allows you to make air pass through it. In doing so, it will make your drop a little bit slower when you reach the part of the atmosphere with air."

"So it's like a mini-parachute?"

"Not really. You'd still be falling at an incredibly fast speed. It will slow your dropdown. That's all."

"Slow down our fall?"

"It's very technical. Aerodynamics, Physics, Unlocked Biology, and other specifications all have roles to play. Basically, the suit is made to slow down the speed of your descent."

"How slow?"

"It's not slow enough to make your fall safe if that's what you're asking."

"Then how are we going to survive?"

"That's when you use another aspect of the suit. You can blow air into to make yourself like a balloon."

"You want us to inflate our own suits?"

"Yes. Unbecomings have greater lung volumes and capacity. You should be able to do that easily. The plan is that you will start puffing your suits at the last safest distance just to avoid detection. The suit will have two inner chambers of air if puffed to its maximum capacity. These chambers are meant to absorb the shock of the impact when falling. Of course, it will hurt still like hell. If not for your current state and resistance, you would die."

"Oh boy." Cliff sighed sadly.

"The storm should be able to distort their sensors. But of course, the typhoon will make using parachutes or gliding techs useless. So we opted for this crash landing method. This also gives us a moment to train our little Unlocked elite team."

"What do you mean?"

"The truth is; we don't know for sure if you guys will survive the drop. We are confident as it follows Lennox's own design… but of course, since we never really tested it, especially in a sea with a large storm brewing over it."

"What else is new? You've been giving me missions like that for the past three months. I only pity those kids coming along with me."

"Yes. That's why I'm sending you. You are a cheat. Your memories of the previous battle allow you constant recollection of that feeling. Because of your experiences, you are braver. Which was the most terrifying experience you've had so far?"

"Amir Mann. Next would be Primer Elionios."

"The arms dealer? But… Oh right. You kissed him." Seeker laughed.

"What's this have to do with anything?" Cliff immediately changed the topic.

"You may not have noticed it, but because of your Skill and memory, you already developed a state which most Inhuman's in my original timeline failed to develop. We called it the Prime State."

"Prime State?"

"It was a state of being able to master emotions below Ranked Hero. As you noticed, the feelings and emotions you feel are hindered but never really denied. Anger will still arise especially when the body wants to be angry or pushed to an extreme. Fear can arise even among the Unlocked if the facts they see before them urges their fear to surface. And if the human body gives in an inch, the full effect of fear happens."

"I have a question about that. Why haven't you guys used drones or exoskeletons that would be piloted for those under Unbecoming?"

"Most weapons in the future are easily disabled by the technology the Aragarians have. And so, the need to deploy humans in the field where necessary. The Aragarians could easily hijack our signals and take control of these weapons."

"Ok. I get it…So this Prime State is…?"

"It's rare among Inhumans. Basically, anyone who reaches Ranked Hero must have this." Seeker explained as he gave a meaningful smirk at Cliff.

"You've been abusing me… because of this state?"

"Yes. Hence the missions I've been giving you. Now, you will be guiding a team of Unlocked agents and your goal is to help them reach the Prime State."

"I don't understand. What exactly is the Prime state? I don't see how emotional control is useful."

"The ability to act, unaffected by emotions, isn't something to be disregarded. I wasn't lying when I said that only you can be sent to fight Amir Mann. You see, if I compare you to Lynd and Meryl, because of that state, you have a higher chance of coming out alive. Think for a second. Meryl and Lynd only won the previous battles because of our many preparations. Meryl and Lynd were leaps and leaps further when compared to Typical's power at that time. Yet from what I heard, it was a close call for all of you."

Cliff nodded.

"Lynd and Meryl received my Path which helped them advance in their control on emotions. You assume that they also have this Prime State, right?"

"Didn't you baptize us with your Reaper's Breath to make us immune to this?"

"That is exactly the reason why I'm sure they don't have the Prime State. What they got used to, is a specific fear. It's like how an animal tamer loses the fear of handling poisonous snakes after so long. It does not mean that his fear of everything else disappears. They got used to my Breath and while the constant near-death experiences I gave them helped, the problem I had was that they had faith in me."

"Faith was their problem?"

"Yes. Once they got over the barrier of that fear or somehow got used to it, they reverted to a mindset of trusting me. It had its benefits because as long as they know I'm around, they had this confidence. But without me… they'd panic and fall into fear. You, on the other hand, didn't have that trust. In fact, you feared me."

Cliff unconsciously nodded. He remembered the earlier days when he was forcibly enrolled in Seeker's Save the World Club.

"And of course… fear isn't something that I cannot give to those two. They trust me too much, that if I want them to actually fear me, I'd have to seriously try to kill them. Either way, I lose. If they lose faith in me, then it's even more problematic. That's why I never sent them to missions that would bring real fear and terror in them. You know what I'm talking about, right?"

Cliff took a deep sigh.

Of course, he knew Seeker was talking about facing a Near-Overcomer.

"The fear I felt that day… haunts me even to this day."

"And yet, you managed to continue. The unlocked usually have a higher tolerance in resisting PTSD or other expected disorders when going through something terrifying… but not all resist it. Even among the Unlock, many succumbed to the fear and became half-soldiers. They were burdened with the fear and shock they encountered and couldn't even fight properly. Imagine if I sent Lynd and Meryl who never had a true fearful experience face, Amir Mann?"

Cliff considered the possibilities and simply nodded.

"In a way Cliff, you have another aspect in you that surpasses Lynd and Meryl. And that's why I needed you to lead this new team. Only you dare to go through the fear once more, and have the wits to help others." Seeker explained.

"Will it be enough? Wits to overcome fear?"

"Probably not. But what choice do we have? Either you make a miracle, or you find one. That's how desperate we are despite all our advantages." Seeker sighed.

Cliff continued to keep all these memories into consideration as he guarded the group.

"Tyler should be able to control his emotions until later… Dara and Stanley are the biggest problems. Danny and Asterisxx might give in to the fear a little after Dara. Roselyn should have the same tolerance as Titan and my boys…. Let's see… What about Gardo."

At that moment, Cliff was stunned to see Gardo actually playing around with his fall.

He continued to adjust his pose to various battle positions and trademark flying poses made by certain fictional characters.

Cliff immediately changed his position to make his fall slower as he moved closer to Gardo.

"Gardo! Help me keep these kids calm!" Cliff shouted.

Gardo was surprised and took a closer look at the others and his carefree expressions suddenly changed.

He moved towards the closest group as fast as he could and Cliff readjusted his position as he moved towards Stanley and Dara slowly pulling them closer to where he was.

As their fall moved to pass several thousands of feet, the speed and perspective made many of them frightened.

"Here it is. The flaw of the Unlocking." Cliff complained as even he could feel fear surfacing in him.

Because of their precise vision, everyone could accurately see and feel their fall. The sensations of moving faster and faster and being able to see and feel the distance of their fall. They broke through the sound barrier and even with their slow time perceptive, the fear kept increasing.

Cliff continued to observe everyone's expressions.

They were approaching the most dangerous part. The mask they wore did not protect them from the cold and pressure, nor did it give a large amount of oxygen.

"Damn it. I guess about now?!" Cliff cursed in his thoughts and rushed towards Stanley and Dara.

With the speed that they were traveling, Cliff was extremely gentle and despite how critical the situation was, Cliff contained the panic and fear and gracefully reached out his right and left arm and began chocking Dara and Stanley.

He glared at Dara and Stanley to recall their talks of what they should be doing if he did that.

Dara was the first to come to her senses and nodded and soon Stanley did so.

Cliff did several hand gestures and adjusted his position to move to another flyer. He then glanced at Gardo who was randomly imitating his recent actions by chocking the other members of their troops.

Cliff chocked as he almost shouted in anger at Gardo's stupidity.

Cliff made several angry actions to which Gardo retreated to the back and somehow, people could tell that he was sorry and like a little boy who would quietly hide in the corner when chastised by his parents.

Luckily, those whom he chocked didn't panic but gave visibly confused reactions as to why they were being chocked. Others started to contain their emotions by laughing at Gardo's actions.

It was then that Gardo gave Cliff a thumbs up and relaxed.

Cliff was stunned as he realized that Gardo's actions made everyone calmer.

Cliff observed his teammates and many were slowly focusing on their own emotional states.

"Was that a… Skill?" Cliff wondered as he readjusted his position seeing that nobody else needed the reminder of containing their emotions. He gave a quick glance at Gardo.

Gardo gave Cliff several finger-guns before Cliff couldn't help but give a contained chuckle.

Gardo was now falling while posing in a way that could only be named as the "Paint me like one of your French girls pose."

"He's like a class clown." Cliff pondered as he noticed everyone giving glances at Gardo.

"Is that… a Skill?"

The continued to fall for a few minutes. Their lungs held a large amount of air that made it easy for them to not breathe.

Minutes passed and soon a sudden wave of resistance was passing through their suits. The air around them was thicker and their descent started to slow them.

Cliff was the first to try it. He opened his mouth and took a deep breath.

"Alright. It's safe to talk again!" Cliff shouted.

And with that clarification, everyone removed their masks and started to scream.

The pent up emotions of their fear and the pressure urged them to shout their loudest.

"Remember that feeling, guys! That fear is only a foretaste of what's down there!" Cliff shouted.

The expressions of many started to have a grim expression.

"I've been telling the Small Time Drug Dealers this since the beginning. If an Overcomer is down there, you will fall into fear. Every training you've had so far… those are things that you should not compare to what we will be facing down there. Our respective bosses and leaders never wanted to kill us. Those guys at the bottom do! So what do we do when fear comes?" Cliff asked everyone.

"Overcome!" Everyone shouted in unison.

"Right! We overcome! If you all want to be Overcomers, this is the first step! You don't hide, contain, or deny your emotions. You meet it straight on!" Cliff continued to give his falling lecture.

"The next part is coming! Our speed will slow down again because of the clouds! But the night lights won't help us see anymore. We'll be falling blind. It will be scarier down there. But don't give in to the fear!" Cliff ordered as the dark clouds grew darker and darker as they approached.

They all knew that if they pierced through the clouds, they would be unable to see. The clarity of their sight accounted

The Gamers, soldiers, and drug-dealers all gripped their fist as they readied the small slit by their thumbs.

Cliff noticed the expressions of everyone and couldn't help but have a nagging feeling.

"This isn't the expressions they have when they are at their best," Cliff recalled.

"Hey, Gardo!"

Gardo was surprised at Cliff's shout.

"Err… Anything you like to add?" Cliff asked.

"Hmmm… It's kinda hard to top off your speech…" Gardo mumbled loudly so that everyone could hear.

Cliff sighed and was about to consider other options.

"Oh! I know!' Gardo remembered.

Everyone suddenly turned their attention to Gardo.

"One Piece Exists!" Gardo declared adamantly and with a voice of dignified expression.

Cliff was confused at Gardo's strange mumbling but noticed the others laughed.

The ones who were laughing the most were soldiers Tyler, Scribs, and Earl.

"What?" Cliff asked.

"It's a One Piece joke. A classical anime of the Post-Modern era." Stanley explained.

"Oh." Cliff nodded. But then he saw that everyone's expression was the same expressions they had when they were at their best.

Cliff couldn't help but smile.

"Alright, guys! Clouds approaching! Let's do this!"