Chapter 6: Sponsor
Jax threw another one of those creatures across the gym like it was a stuffed animal. The thing hit the wall with a loud crash and didn't get back up. He was breathing hard but he felt good. Really good.
"Holy shit, Jax!" Tommy shouted from behind the bleachers where most of the group was hiding. "How are you doing that?"
"I don't know, man," he called back, grabbing another dog by the scruff of its neck. "But I'm not complaining."
He had always been strong. Captain of the wrestling team, could bench press more than anyone else in school. But this was different. This was like having the strength of ten guys all rolled into one.
When the earthquake hit and these monsters showed up, something inside him just clicked. Like his body finally matched what he had always felt he was meant to be.
Diana was watching him from the sidelines with this huge smile on her face. She looked proud, which made him want to show off even more.
"Babe, you're amazing," she said when he tossed another creature aside. "I always knew you were special."
"Yeah well, today everyone gets to see it," he said, wiping sweat from his forehead.
There were maybe twenty students crammed into the gym with them. Most of the athletes had been here when everything went to hell, plus some random kids who managed to find their way inside. They all looked at him like he was some kind of superhero.
"What do you think happened to us?" Diana asked, walking over to stand next to him. "I mean, where did your strength come from?"
"No clue," he said. "But right now I'm just focused on keeping everyone safe."