Chapter 344 - 344. Spooky Powers

The entire school knew the name, James. He had long been considered the top student in academics overall and when he received his super power he had made it in to the best super power as well. However, the addition to his name was a second matter. 

James's super power was known as ghostly. That would be a bit different if it wasn't for the fact that James had used his higher intellect to figure out new abilities of the ghostly super power that scientists had not realized or even figured out because it was such a rare and odd super power. 

The fact that there might be ghosts in existence that science had not understood yet was a taboo subject that was mostly ignored. Therefore, when James began to speak about spirits he was told that he was making up imaginary friends and at his age, it was in bad taste. Yet, when he began to show off the things they taught him to do when it came to his super powers along with every so often going to speak to a family about a deceased member, people started to avoid him. 

The unknown was scary after all and James was a mix of unknown and genius. The combination led to a powerful presence that was thought to be well beyond the high school level and even approaching college graduates. The only reason he stayed in school to slowly follow the path was that he had been told that taking life too fast would lead to sadness in the end. Since he said he was told this by multiple spirits, people didn't believe him much. But this state of mind seemed to work for him better than anything else.

Other than being able to float off the ground and phase through solid objects, James had a myriad of other abilities that he was experimenting and learning about. Some had seen him move small objects, become invisible, and even create small illusions. The reports from students were a mix of truth and lies in the gossip. One thing was for sure thigh, whatever James's abilities were, he was powerful. 

The last student to challenge James to a straight battle had been easily controlled and beaten. However, the reason everyone refused to battle with James again was not the strength he had but the method he used. The student he had fought was fairly powerful as well. The problem came when James dragged the fight out for an hour to turn it in to a grueling training session. 

The opponent had ended up exhausted and pushed beyond their limits. Surprisingly, they did not fault James in the least. That year that student had jumped fifteen ranks in academics and gotten a scholarship to their school of choice. They still attributed their success to the lessons they learned from the single hour long battle with James. It had shaped their mind in to that of a more determined person. 

If all of this didn't add up to an incredibly over powered future super hero, then the fact that he had charged the scientists for the tests and information he offered, did. He used those funds to pull his family from the upper lower class right to the top class of society. He had a charity that supported those who had inconvenient super powers like gigantism. Along with the fact he could use the money he earned to go to all kinds of training camps and extra classes. Not to mention tutors to continue to increase his intellect. 

"Just keep running and he shouldn't be able to trap you. Don't believe the sounds you hear. Don't look in his eyes. And whatever you do. Do not let him touch you." Cara gave the hushed Warning and sprinted ahead. James was still human and he was constantly training himself. But due to his super power he had not been able to grow much muscle or really improve his physique much. Compared to the group, he was at a disadvantage. 

Cara knew that they could outrun him but it would still be an extremely tough. This was proven when Art found himself stumbling. And unseen force had untied his shoelaces causing him to trip and nearly fall over them. This had nothing to do with Asher and everything to do with the laughing figure in front of them.

James had once had black hair and brown eyes. But now he held a white flowing hair and two piercing green eyes that seemed to glow when he looked at anything. His ghostly laugh was a telltale of when he used his super power to his own advantage. Art was the first to hear it when he noticed his shoe laces tripping him up. 

"What do you mean I should fly back to the school. You know I can't…" Sammy caught herself replying to a voice that no one had heard. Cara's warning had barely caught her from stopping the sprint she was in. 

The person that seemed most affected was Louis. He was running just as hard as everyone else but found that the exit to the school grounds seemed to get further and further away with every single step. So much so that he was better off traveling backward around the opposite side of the world to get to it. 

In a burst of annoyance he whipped his hand out and a look of surprise shot over the ghostly pale face of James. He knew that Louis had power over lighting and that it was possible to fire it from his body. However, he knew there was a limit to this and it meant that as long as Kames was away from Louis he would be safe. 

Unfortunately, this was not the truth and James was ill prepared. Unlike other people, lightning was double effective against him. One thing that scientists and he had learned early was that he had a strange relationship with electricity. If it was weak and charged in the air he would become stronger and be able to use his super power more efficiently. Yet, when it was condensed and contained more energy than he could manipulate, the electricity caused him to lose control over his super powers. 

The first test of this caused a host of poltergeist phenomena in the testing room that even spread to the neary observatory room. It was a valuable experiment and one of James's weaknesses that he strived to hide. 

The lightning that zapped him caused the floating ability to cease and his body to sink partially in the ground. Leaves blew up from the ground and panic seemed to set in on James's face. Louis found that the school grounds exit was actually much closer than he had thought and proceeded to sprint towards it with all his strength. 

The entire group did not look back and pushed themselves all the while a strange paranormal scene played out behind them mixed with the wailing of an annoyed and aggravated James. 

"Well now, isn't this a surprise. I thought you wouldn't be making it out of the school let alone the gate. I have to say. You did OK." Garnet was standing right outside the gate as the group collapse breathing behavior in front of her. "I hope you liked the challenge. You will be working together like that every single day in some form or fashion. Now let's go back to the classroom and walk through what you did right and wrong."

Garnet expected them all to up and move right there and then. She did not even turn around when they didn't follow her. They already knew the consequences of what would happen if they did not listen and dragged themselves up to follow. 

James had miraculously disappeared and so had the other students that had been there. The only reason the group knew that all the things they had done actually happened was the fact that there were the remains of the battles and broken door. 

GHarnet brought the silent group right to the window that Sammy had said she would try and jump out of to get out of the school. "I had doubts at first. But here is where the best decision was made. The one that you kept for the entire event even if you did not mean to do it after a certain point." The group may have been tired but hearing praise was something that they wanted desperately after the hard day they had had. 

"You stayed together. A fool would have separated and everyone would have been taken down in that way. If Sammy jumped she would have been captured by the four students that can fly and all of you would be one person short. What you did wrong, "Garnet pointed at Jackson, "Was loudly break the door. You should be strong enough to slowly bend the metal in the door until it opened quietly." She shook her head at the group and they all felt down again immediately.. The words were too harsh.