Gaia's Champion Ch. 05

Jason walked back to his bedroom and went into his closet, picking out a pair of khaki work shorts and an old T-shirt. Once he got dressed, he headed on back, collecting his backpack, water bottle and lunch bag, stuffing the smaller items into the large one. He picked up his keys, tossed on his work boots and walked out the door, locking it behind himself.

Jason walked on down the stairs, not trusting the elevator in such an old building. Plus, there was the fact that he wanted to test out his new legs some more today, to see if he could catch the early bus today. It was rare that Jason would make it to the stop in time, as he usually woke too late to be able to get there. Now that his stamina was greatly improved, Jason hiked up his backpack and took off for the stop.

Jason thought to go with a moderate jog, as it was a pace he was barely able to maintain for long. His legs ate up the distance and rocketed across the pavement, closing the distance easily. The landscape went by his vision in a blur, as he focused on his destination.

He could see the stop just ahead and seeing that the bus wasn't there yet, Jason figured that he must have missed it, yet again. When he stopped and checked his phone, Jason saw he wasn't late at all, but rather he was early, by at least seven minutes!

Smiling to himself at how he had made to the stop in record time, Jason sat on the bench and waited. Several other people who took the bus at this hour walked on up, all of them absorbed with their phones. They paid him no mind as he sat there, taking in the sunshine of what would be a beautiful day!

He heard the bus coming around the corner and stood up as it neared them. Jason then saw someone looking at him out of the corner of his eye. He saw that it was this girl who was always on the early bus whenever he caught it. She was a Latin girl who had this wild child vibe, and dressed the part as well. He had always noticed her, but she had never noticed him. Until now.

The bus pulled up, and he boarded, paid his fare and found a seat, as the other patrons did the same. Jason then took a beat and expanded his senses, just to see what that girl was experiencing, if he could sense her. He sensed some of the other people who on as he reached out. An old woman who was having issues with someone close to her. An older guy who was busy wishing he was home with his pet cat, and a married couple who had a satisfied vibe rolling off them.

He finally caught up to the girl and found that somehow, she seemed both pleased and excited. She stole another glance at Jason, and he could sense her heartbeat speed up, like she was crushing on him. Maybe she was, Jason couldn't be sure unless he asked her, but he left it. He had promised to Liz and Amy that they would keep things between each other and no one else.

Though, he was sure that this only applied to other human women and not his fairy lovers. Though it was dishonest there was also the fact that he still hadn't figured out who put the blocking rune on him in the first place. Though he was sure he could rule them out, as he sensed nothing evil or malicious from either woman, the people they knew, he wasn't sure of. Jason didn't want to put either of them in harm's way if it could be avoided.

Jason lost himself in thoughts of who it could have been that he almost missed his stop. The moment the bus stopped, he looked out the window and saw the construction site nearby. He got up and headed for the open doors, retracting his senses as he went along.

The readings he picked up on hadn't changed much, though the Latina's had spiked considerably as she was constantly staring at Jason. He could only imagine what was going through her head as he stepped off the bus and wondered what to make of it. He knew what his dick made of the situation, as it had hardened once he sensed her feelings. He let that fall by the wayside, for now at least.

Focusing on the workday ahead, Jason was glad to get there earlier than usual, as the bosses had just picked up a new client. This was the worksite for said client and she had wanted to meet the crew she had hired. It was big to do, as this client was very wealthy and with such wealth, often meant a sizable bonus, as long as everyone brought their A game.

Jason walked over to where the rest of the crew was assembled, waiting on the bosses to arrive. There were a few new hires, people Jason hadn't seen before, but he didn't concern himself with them. He moved to where his new crew waited for him and he was glad to have these folks under him. Not just because they were good workers, but good people as well.

Terry, Tomas, Wendy and Karen had been with the company nearly as long as Jason had, each one of them having a stake in seeing it do well. Terry was a larger-than-life Scotsman with a boisterous attitude for life. Tomas was quiet and reserved Russian man, who kept to himself mostly. Wendy and Karen were a couple friends who had gotten the job together and stuck together in whatever they did.

Wendy was a shorter, Danish girl by descent, as evidenced by her facial structure, grey eyes and dirty blonde hair. Karen, on the other hand, was tall and solidly built woman, whose ancestry Jason guessed was English. They were both striking to look at, having picked up a fair amount of looks from guys both on and off the job. Though no one dared to tangle with or take advantage of them, as they were Muay Thai enthusiasts.

Jason had only recently been promoted to foreman of the second crew, as Bruce had quit once he had found a better offer closer to home. Smiling at his crew, he greeted them all in turn, bidding them a good morning. Terry, always being the thoughtful one, had already purchased coffees from Tim Hortons before he arrived. He passed them out and commented on Jason's chipper mood.

"Well, aren't we a bit cheery this morning? Have yourself a good weekend Jay? See yourself some action with a lass or two?"

"I was devoured like a scone at tea time, repeatedly. I tell you, being passed back and forth between a couple of women is one hell of a way to spend the long weekend," Jason fired back with a smug smirk on his face.

Wendy and Karen's jaws hit the ground while Tom shot Jason an incredulous look. Terry was taking a swig of coffee when he stopped mid swallow and sprayed it out in front of him. He fought for breath as he tried to stand straight and keep from spilling his coffee at the same time. He looked at Jason with a mixture of awe and disbelief and would have questioned him about it, but that was the moment that the bosses arrived.

Joe and Henry MacLeod were the owners of Earthworks Landscaping and good men. They were two brothers who had founded the business years ago and were kind men and fair as far as employers went. They paid their crews well and made sure that everyone, regardless of gender, race or sexual orientation, was treated well. Most of the people they employed looked up to them much like father figures, which both men appreciated.

This time, they were not alone, as a woman accompanied them. She stood easily as tall as both men, at least six feet in height and had a lithe figure that was easily displayed despite her business attire. She was busty for her height, looking to be around an E cup and her hips were equally round, looking to be forty-one inches around. She possessed raven black hair and light brown eyes, which complimented her fair skin.

The way she carried herself said that she was in her forties, but she didn't look like it. She looked like she was maybe in her late twenties, maybe early thirties. She was dressed in a black business suit that wouldn't have looked out of place in a boardroom. She walked with the grace of a ballerina and had an aura of dignified authority, which made everyone snap to.

"Everyone, this is Mrs. Carlotta Van DerBrandt, our new client for the eco community that we are helping build," Joe told the group as they all quieted down. "She wished to meet you all before we started working today, so she could take stock of what kind of crew we run here. Mrs. Van DerBrandt, the floor is yours."

Carlotta looked over the group with an appraising eye, taking mental notes on everyone she saw. Her gaze lingered longer on Jason and she was surprised that she stared as long as she did. There was something about the man that had caught her attention, but she couldn't figure out what. Tucking that instance away to be analyzed at a later date, Carlotta then spoke.

"Good morning to you all! It is good to see such a robust and healthy-looking crew here and I am especially glad to see such a diverse group! As you all know, Van DerBrandt Inc. has invested heavily in this project. We have hired everyone who the best in their respective areas, as we deliver nothing less to our customers."

"The reviews that have been left behind by your clients have prompted us to hire you for this project and I am eager to see just how well you can do! I hope that you all put your best foot forward in this endeavor and will finish everything to the best of your abilities! I have already informed your employers of what awaits those who perform admirably, so I do hope that you all continue to measure up to your reputation! With that said, I will leave you to it then," she finished, before handing the floor back to the two brothers.

With that, Carlotta turned on her heel and left, heading back to the large trailer in the distance. Joe turned to the crews and gave them their assignments, before they all headed off to the trucks that were loaded with supplies. Jason gathered his crew and headed over to the truck they were assigned.

He had a quick look at the trees and sod they had, then stole a quick glance over at the other truck nearby. Brad's crew was already piling in and the snarky shit had the audacity to smirk at Jason before hopping in and driving off.

"Son of a bitch!" Tomas glowered. "That bastard swapped out our best stuff with his worst!"

"Again?!? I swear, someone has got to get here at an early hour to stand guard over our truck! That asshole always keeps taking the best of everything while leaving us with the worst of it!" Wendy groused.

"Well, there's nothing for it right now. We might as well do the best we can with what we have," Jason told them.

"Seriously, that guy always gives us a hard time! Why doesn't someone do something about that asshole?" Karen moaned.

"I wouldn't fuss about that guy too much. Brad will either be bitch slapped or assfucked by Karma. If there's one thing I know about Karma, is that she can a cruel, evil, nasty dyke bitch when she's crossed," Jason said with a laugh.

This statement had the girls snorting with laughter, while Terry roared in his mirth. Tomas crinkled his nose and moaned at the imagery that played through his head. After they finished loading, they headed off to the first home that needed the land sculpted and they set to work.

Jason, as quietly and nonchalantly as he could manage, tapped into his druidic powers, drawing from the life force of Gaia. He set his bare hands into the dirt and poured a smattering of these energies into it. He willed the earth to help the half dead plants and sod take root and grow strong. Jason also made sure to touch each item they planted, so they could all be seeded with Gaia's power.

The sun rose high in the sky and before they knew it; it was lunchtime. Everyone took an hour to sit, relax and eat, as they would be going well into the afternoon before their day was done. Jason, having done this work for a while now, relished in the physical labor of the job. Though many found it tiring, he always enjoyed it and now that he was a Druid in training, he found the work practically invigorating.

The crew continued their work after lunch, finishing the landscaping on one house, before moving on to the next. By the time the alarm they had set for the day had gone off, they had finished the lawns of several homes and had planted a good deal of trees. Jason was proud of his crew and the speed at which they got their work done.

As they were working, Jason, at the badgering and insistence of both Terry and Tomas, told them of how his weekend went. Taking care to leave out anything that would out him as a Druid, he told the guys some details of what went down between him, Liz and Amy. The guys grinned at this and were sweating even more, as they imagined just what went on up by Teardrop Lake.

The girls overheard this and judging by their glances, Jason couldn't tell if they were disgusted, or envious. Jason was tempted to reach into his power to see what was going on, but he was tired after putting his energies to use today. That and he wanted to leave the girls be for the time being.

They packed up their equipment quickly and headed back to the staging area, where they would load in more trees, sod and such tomorrow. Jason walked with everyone back to their vehicles, as he was the only one who took the bus to get there.

"Seriously, I'm curious as to how Brad has managed to stay employed here!" Jason griped. "I remember that he got a serious dressing down from Henry for accosting you ladies! I half expected that Henry was going to fire him on the spot!"

"That did happen. Brad was fired, until both Joe and Henry came up and apologized to him for losing their cool like they did," Wendy told him.

"WHAT?!?"

"Aye. I heard it that way as well. Supposedly, Brad is related to Mrs. Van DerBrandt in some way. A distant nephew or something I believe, and a favor was called in to keep him employed. That's the story anyways," Terry told him.

Jason didn't believe it, not for one second. Brad was always a pushy asshole who like to think he was more important than he really was. He'd gone to school with Brad and knew that both him and his father, Dustin, were real pieces of shit. How someone like Brad had gotten away with the shit he'd pulled was beyond him, but there it was. Just as everyone was approaching their vehicles to leave, Brad pulled up in his shiny new truck with rock music blaring on the speakers.

"Surprised to see me here Jay? I'm a tough guy to get rid of, so expect to see my handsome mug wherever you go!" Brad taunted.

His goons, who were in his truck with him, hollered and jeered at Jason and even made catcalls and innuendos at the ladies. Normally, Jason would have let this slide, but for some odd reason, Brad was setting him off today. Having had enough of his shit, Jason turned to face the arrogant son of a bitch and barked at him.

"That's quite enough you cocky piece of shit! Piss off and leave my crew be!"

"Or what?" Brad drawled, smiling.

"Or you will have to deal with me," Jason told with a stoic finality. Chuckling, Brad got out of his truck and sauntered up to Jason, his intent perfectly clear.

"You know, you really need to know when you should keep your mouth shut. It's going to get you in serious trouble. Remember what happened last time?" Brad sneered at him. Jason remembered well, as he'd had the living piss beaten out of him by Brad, who knew how to fight. Undeterred, Jason stepped up to the arrogant prick, so they were nose to nose.

"That is the last time you will ever get the drop on me. No one pushes me around. Least of all, a snarky piss ant like you," Jason retorted.

"I don't think so!"

With that phrase, Brad reached back and swung with his right arm, looking to knock Jason to the ground in one punch. Such a maneuver had worked before, but Jason was different now. He saw the blow coming and acted accordingly, using his left hand to catch Brad's fist, grabbing it and stopping it cold.

Brad looked at his fist in disbelief, before launching another punch at Jason with his other arm. Jason stopped that one too, which left Brad bewildered. He didn't think Jason was even near his strength level, much less capable of surpassing it. If Brad had known the true power that Jason possessed, he would have shit his pants and run away in terror.

Brad tried to push forward, to use his larger size and weight to push Jason back, but Jason did not yield. Surprise dominated his face as Jason then began to push back, forcing the man to step backward. Pain then lanced through his hands, as he felt his fists being crushed by Jason's hands. This was impossible! There was no way that Jason should have been able to do this to him, yet he was!

In a single motion, Jason then shoved Brad back, forcing him to fall back against the door of his truck. Brad fell to his ass in the dirt, his head knocking against the door of his vehicle. He looked up to his buddies, hoping they would intervene and was disheartened by what he saw. His cronies had gone quiet at Jason's display of strength and were now looking at the man with a measure of respect and fear.

"Never bother me or my crew again. Do I make myself clear?" Jason breathed, catching Brad's attention. Brad looked up at the man hatefully but knew that it would not intimidate him. He quickly picked himself up and got back into his truck, putting it in gear.

"This isn't over!" Brad swore to the rest of them as he took off, fear driving him to leave.

"Coward," Jason scoffed at the retreating vehicle. He turned back to his crew and saw they were all just as thunderstruck as Brad's goons were.

"How the fuck did you do that?" Tomas asked, stumped as to how Jason had asserted his dominance as the bigger man against Brad, and won. That was something that Brad never allowed, as he always found a way to bring people low, so he was the dominant one.

"Aye! Teach me how to do that!" Terry begged him.

"While that wasn't necessary, thank you! It's both a relief and good see that assholes like Brad can be put in their place!" Karen told him, grinning ear to ear. Wendy echoed that sentiment and was looking at Jason in a way she never had before. Jason didn't need to use his powers to know that both women present found what he did, an incredible turn on.

Though he desperately wanted to tell them the truth, Jason maintained his cover story about taking up climbing recently. He also went and detailed how he was taking classes to build his confidence and learning to stand up for himself. When pressed for details about these things, Jason told them they had to figure out what worked for them. Just because what he did worked for him didn't necessarily mean they would have the same results.

The guys nodded, accepting the logic of that, but were excited to start looking into it, now that they had a basic framework to go on. After bidding everyone goodbye, Jason headed on over to the bus stop. After boarding his bus, he figured that he'd stop by the local Safeway and pick some groceries, as he was a bit low on food at the moment.

Stepping off the bus, Jason spent about half an hour cataloging what he needed and what could wait. Once he paid for his food, Jason meandered out and decided to walk home, since his apartment wasn't far. He enjoyed the walk and late afternoon air as he trundled up to his apartment, whistling a merry tune.

After he got into the building, he went to the stairwell and after seeing that no one was around, Jason ran on up. He hated that he had to conceal his true capabilities from everyone else, but considering what he had learned from Emalia, it was necessary. Plus, he wasn't sure that humanity as a whole, was really up for learning that the creatures they viewed as fantasy, turned out to be real.

He made it up to his apartment and walked in, putting his groceries away immediately. Once he had that done, Jason shed his clothing and hopped into the shower, looking sluice away the dirt and grime accumulated from the workday. He made use of his Druidic power, scrubbing spots that he felt needed it more.

Stepping out, he dried off with a towel, before heading back to his room. It had been a long day at work and though he still had a good deal of energy left, he felt he could use a nap before dinner. Without any preamble, Jason flopped down onto his bed and was zonked out within a minute. The last coherent thought Jason had was that right now, he couldn't picture life getting much better than this.