Dark Earth: The Prophecy - 11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Treachery and Valiance

“What the fuck is going on Adriana?” I gasped. I had just spoken to both sisters less than an hour before. How could something be wrong with them? “What do you mean? What happened to them?”

“Calista has been kidnapped. She and her sister went down to the army level of the facility in search of their brother. They had been worried about Alex for the past few days, saying that he wasn’t being himself. They visit him almost every day, Julian. He won’t talk to them at all. He’s changed ever since we took out those hybrids. He went out to Lucifer’s Sanctum after the assault.”

Lucifer’s Sanctum was a bar in the underground. Rogues often entered Lucifer’s Sanctum from a passageway that led to the dome on the eastern side of Centropolis. Ironically, I had used the same passageway to escape Centropolis. I never told Natalia or Nikita that rogues at Lucifer’s Sanctum had threatened me. That was my main reason for escaping the underground. I was not yet confident in my powers. Yes, I had defeated EAS agents, but these rogues were mean and powerful. I spent the days running from them. I knew how to fly, but I could only fly for a few minutes before I could no longer continue. Knowing that Alex had been to Lucifer’s Sanctum explained a lot about why he might have been acting in a peculiar manner. Quake’s partner in crime could easily have blended in, since Lucifer’s Sanctum was the only place where rogues interacted with vampires and the evoloids who lived in the underground.

“Who kidnapped Calista?” I asked. I was terrified. Calista had always been nice to me. She was always concerned for everyone else’s well-being.

“We have three suspects,” Adriana said angrily. “One of the suspects happens to be her brother.”

“Alex wouldn’t…” I said.

“Actually, he probably would,” Quantas interrupted. “They kidnapped Audia and Lucky Star as well.”

“We need to seek answers,” I said gravely. “I’m going to Lucifer’s Sanctum.”

“Julian, I must take you to Gabrielle first. They left her in the smaller conference room to die when they kidnapped Calista.” Adriana teleported us to a small conference room on the army level. In front of us I saw her. Gabrielle was on the floor barely clinging to life.

“Julian, help me.” Gabrielle could barely speak. She was fading quickly. I knelt down beside her. “I want you to have my powers. As close as I am to death, this will be my final act. You must find my brother and the others. They’ve joined Quake. They have Calista. Julian, promise me you’ll save her.”

“I’ll do everything in my power to bring her back alive. Gabrielle, I can’t do this. I don’t want you to die.”

“Put your hand on my forehead.” I didn’t argue with her. I placed my right hand on her forehead and closed my eyes. I had gained her memory too. I relived the moment when she was mortally injured. Alex used his power to slice her open. I could feel her pain and agony. I could also see his coconspirators. They were Steven Marks and Collin Jackson. They had all betrayed us. Why? Why would they betray The White Knights and kill one of our own. I vowed to destroy all three of them. I couldn’t allow them to survive.

I opened my eyes and realized that Gabrielle had died. I decided it would be best to heal her wounds to restore some dignity to her lifeless body. I waved my hands over her wounds and closed my eyes once again. I felt the energy traveling through my body and into my arms. I felt the warm energy escaping my hands. I could feel the wounds disappearing. At the same time, I could feel a coldness entering my body. I knew I had to seek revenge for her. Alex had to perish along with his coconspirators. I knew it was going to be difficult. Though I had the same powers as Alex, he was still a threat. The other two were quite dangerous indeed. The rage absorption aura might help but only if they become angry.

“Adriana, we need to go to Lucifer’s Sanctum,” I insisted. “If that’s where they found Quake’s partner, we’ll have to start there. Maybe somebody has seen something. We must find out who he is. Simon will make sure Gabrielle’s body is taken to the cryogenics lab.”

“Julian, try your animal form,” Adriana suggested. “If we can track a scent we may be able to locate them.”

I asked Adriana to turn around before discarding my clothes. I stretched out my arms. I felt a strange sensation enter my body. My hands and feet became paws and soon I was covered with orange fur with black stripes. I could smell their scents. I had met them all and knew which scent belonged to each man. I could also smell the pleasant essence of Calista. I followed the trail until I reached the hangar. There was a small door for human traffic to the north side. The bay door for the aircraft was on the east side. I followed the trail to the smaller door. I knew they had gone that way. In my tiger state, I could still open the door with my telekinesis. I sprinted outside the door, until I came to the end of the scent trail. I transformed into my half form.

“Do you have my clothes, Adriana?” I asked.

“They’re right here.” She gave me my clothes.

“You should turn around.” She followed my suggestion. I transformed into a human and got back into my garments. “You can turn around now.”

“Well, what happened to the trail?” Adriana inquired impatiently. “We have to find them.”

“They took some kind of vehicle.” I replied. “The trail ends here.”

“Well, we have other options, Julian. We’re going to Lucifer’s Sanctum.” Adriana used her teleportation, sending us to Lucifer’s Sanctum. I remembered the same roughneck bar from my first time there. The room was rather dark and the smell was decidedly unpleasant. Everyone was staring at us. While the evoloids from the underground liked living close to us, they did not like us at their bars. The rogues were likely to attack us. That is part of the reason Adriana wanted me there. We went to a table on the eastern side of room, about twenty feet from the bar itself. There was a man seated at the bar. He was middle-aged and had a laid-back disposition.

“Hello Ernie,” Adriana said warm-heartedly. “I need some information. I need to know if you have seen these men with a strange feral.” Adriana produced holographic images of Alex, Collin, and Steven. Ernie examined them closely, trying to decide if he had seen them recently.

“They were here last night,” Ernie confirmed. “They were talking to a goat feral. There was something off about him. That one…” he said before pointing to Steven, “was uncomfortable because the goat feral was rubbing his leg.”

“I thought those horns looked familiar,” I said meekly. “Do you know the goat’s name?”

“I think his name was Caprican.”

“That makes sense. Capricorn is a goat symbol,” I added.

“All I know is that he used to be good, at least he seemed to be,” Ernie said drearily. “It’s as if he were possessed.”

“That could be, but it is unlikely,” Adriana snapped.

“Adriana, I know you have experience with mind control. You can completely take over someone else’s mind and body. I have seen you do it, so your judgment is the best for this situation.”

“We will investigate, Ernie,” was my reply. “We will find out if he is evil or not.”

“Correct, Julian,” Adriana replied emphatically. “You will find the answer to that question. This is your new mission in life. If he is in fact evil, you shall destroy him. I will leave that decision to you as long as you bring the head to me.”

“Are you going to mount it somewhere?”

“Of course I am,” Adriana replied. “It’s not every day you acquire the head of a mutant goat.”

********************

After visiting with Ernie for an hour and having some drinks, we tried teleporting back to headquarters, but we ended up on top of a pile of rubble. Nobody was there. It was unbelievable. I did not sense anyone there at all. I knew I was in the right location. Someone had destroyed everything. Moments later, Adriana arrived. She had stayed to talk to Ernie for a little while longer. “Tell me this isn’t happening,” Adriana begged. “Are they…”

“Adriana, everyone is safe,” said a voice in the distance. “Your mom told us to leave immediately, so we did.” We both turned around to see Simon. “This was Quake’s doing. Your mom would have told you personally, but there was not any time. Everyone else took a portal to Empire City. We need to regroup there. We must go there now.”

“Julian, he’s right. Your ‘new mission in life’ can wait for now. We should join the others in Empire city.”

“Why would you want to leave now when the fun has only just begun?” said the eerie voice from my vision. We looked toward the east and noticed the apartment complex across the street had been turned to rubble. Quake stood on top of the remains of the ruin, smug in his abilities and misdeeds. Beside him was Caprican. I could not determine if there was something wrong with him. All I knew was that it would have been futile to face them both at once given our situation at the time.

“If you know exactly where we’re going, teleport us now,” I said to Adriana telepathically. I could sense others with them. Quake had created a small cave-like structure in which they could hide. I could smell them with my elevated sense of smell, a sense that was present even when I was in human form. As powerful as the three of us were, a fight with Quake and his cohorts would be our destruction.

Adriana wasted little time as the purple haze surrounded me. I could feel the rumbling below as Quake was trying to kill us before we could depart. Luckily, Adriana maintained her concentration as we teleported to Empire City. “It’s about damn time,” Cristobel snapped. “I’ve been worried about all of you.”

“Cristobel, kiss my ass,” Adriana shrieked.

“He’d enjoy it,” I quipped. “I had no idea we had been talking to Ernie for so long. Now I am in what I presume to be Empire City’s underground.”

“Your presumption is correct,” said an unfamiliar middle-aged evoloid. In evoloid years, I estimated his age at 250 or so. “You must be Julian. Here we all go by our codenames most of the time. I am Talon Rider. I am the leader of Empire City’s Protectors.”

“I prefer using first names, Jan,” Adriana snapped. “We only use codenames in the field. If you call me Purple Haze…”

“Relax Adriana,” Talon Rider replied. “I won’t call you Purple Haze unless we’re in battle. Now let’s address the issue of introducing Julian to the rest of Empire City’s Protectors.” Talon Rider led us into a conference room. There were plenty of unfamiliar faces. One face was unmistakable, that of Lady Valentine.

“What the hell is he doing here?” Lady Valentine asked grumpily.

“You two stop it now,” Talon Rider insisted. “We are here to discuss the assault on the EAS headquarters. You two can work out your differences later.” The Empire City Protectors had already completed their assaults on rogue safe houses around Empire City. Adriana insisted upon staying aware of their activities since Empire City was our second home. The Protectors of Empire City were the first to start taking out safe houses, in part, because there were not as many safe houses. Their system was different, because they were involved with every assault along with the army.

I had not been given the names of any of The Protectors of Empire City, with the exception of Talon Rider. Adriana mentioned him from time to time. For some reason, she did not like him. I had no idea why. He seemed like a wonderful man. Adriana was finicky and extremely competitive. She saw him as her biggest rival. Part of it was her desire to make her parents proud. She had always been competing with others in the organization in an attempt to gain their acceptance. It was her determination that elevated her to her position of power. The Mancinis never made things easy for her. In fact, the opposite was true. She had to fight harder than anyone else to be promoted to the leadership position of The Protectors of Centropolis.

“I want to know why she is here,” I said defiantly. “What happened to her commune in Centropolis?”

“For your information, Julian, Lady Valentine replaced a Protector who disappeared weeks ago,” Talon Rider replied. “I want her here. As for the commune, they still have one. Now, can we get down to business? We have more people here, so I want to take advantage of our numbers for the fight against the EAS. We want to destroy them. Does anyone object?”

“No, he does not,” Adriana insisted. “We are here to serve you in any capacity you deem necessary while Natalia finds a new location for our headquarters.”

“Very well,” Talon Rider mused. “The EAS headquarters is in the center of Manhattan. The EAS clones are subservient to an elite group of evoloids. Unlike Centropolis, there is not an EAS spy. This will not be a simple task. From what we have gathered, the elite members of the EAS are quite powerful. Reaper is the one of the fiercest evoloids anyone has ever encountered. He has the power to steal life forces. Thornos manipulates plants. He is a rare evoloid, because he cannot survive outside the city. Radia creates toxic radioactive beams. Julian, I understand you can absorb powers. I do not want you to absorb Radia’s power. That power is too dangerous.”

“I don’t want her power,” I said defensively. “I am being careful about the powers I absorb. The last powers I absorbed almost killed me. I am not in a hurry to absorb anymore powers.”

“That’s too damn bad,” Adriana snapped. “You need as many powers as you can possibly collect, Julian. We are going to be facing one of the most dangerous rogues in existence.”

“Who might that be?” Talon Rider asked.

“His name is Quake,” Adriana retorted. “He is a powerful Earth manipulator. He may be the most powerful ever. He can cause an earthquake in a person’s body with a powerful beam he absorbs from the planet itself. He reduced our headquarters and an underground apartment complex to rubble. He also has a sidekick named Caprican.”

“Say it is not so!” Talon Rider gasped. “He is the member who disappeared weeks ago. It’s not like him to be evil. This cannot be!”

“He is evil according to Ernie,” Adriana said harshly. “At least, that appears to be the case. Julian was supposed to find out, but we had to escape Centropolis for a while. He was there with Quake. They reappeared when we arrived at site. There may be something wrong with him, but he seems to be recruiting for Quake. Maybe you were wrong about him all along. You’re fortunate he didn’t harm you or one of the other members. He went to Centropolis. There is a reason. I have doubts about the reason being an innocent one. He actually killed a young woman named Erica. She was dangling from the edge of a cliff, hanging on for dear life until he stomped on her hands.”

“I have to go with you to Centropolis,” Talon Rider insisted. “I will leave Mystic Warrior in command while I am there.” I had not yet been formally introduced to Mystic Warrior. The name intrigued me. “I have to find out why Caprican left for Centropolis and joined Quake’s group. I thought I knew him. He was the only one I ever recruited personally. In fact, your parents have never met him.”

“I doubt they ever will,” I said with devious intent. “If he is in fact evil, I will destroy him.”

“You can’t destroy him unless you have proof,” Talon Rider barked.

“How much proof do you need?” I asked with irritation. “He killed a woman in cold blood.”

“I don’t believe you,” Talon Rider sputtered.

“Cristobel, show him,” I ordered politely. “After you show him the dream I had, he will have no choice but to believe us.”

“You will prove nothing,” Talon Rider chided, sniveling at the suggestion. “Go ahead, Cristobel. Let me see this so-called dream of Julian’s.” Since Cristobel had already seen the dream, I did not have to be involved. I decided to excuse myself from the conference room, signaling Lady Valentine to follow me immediately thereafter. Lady Valentine, sure that she would regret her decision, followed me out of the conference room.

“We have to try to get along, Julia,” I said firmly. “I know I hurt you with what I did, but there was no reason to interfere.”

“How dare you suggest that it was my fault, you ungrateful son of a bitch,” Julia shrieked. “You had no right. I am not a human piñata. However, there is a way you can make it up to me.”

“How is that?” I asked verbosely.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Julian. We have some unfinished business. You know resistance is futile. I always get what I want.” Julia wrapped her arms around me, pressing her lips against mine. I was not going to ruin what I had built with Cristobel. I repelled Julia with my powers, knowing it was the only way to stop her.

“We are not doing that,” I said in disgust. “I am committed to Cristobel. You will not destroy our relationship. What happened before was only a taste of what I can do to you.” Julia, enraged by rejection, attempted to attack me telepathically. Her attack was unsuccessful, instigating uncontrollable laughter from me. “Did you actually think such an attack would work against me, Julia? I am the most powerful evoloid you have ever encountered. I know how to repel attacks like the pitiful one you attempted.” I could feel her anger growing stronger, fueling my rage aura. “Yes, your anger feeds me. Do you have any idea what I could do to you? You cannot win this fight, Julia. Stop before I destroy you.”

“You will do no such thing,” Talon Rider warned. “Please, stop this fight now. We do not need a bloodbath here.”

“I would love to see one,” Nikita remarked, “especially if it involves that cunt’s blood splattering all over the wall.” Julia’s eyes widened. Her anger fueled my rage aura even more. I knew what she was attempting.

“If you do it, I will destroy you,” I warned. “I am not going to let you hurt Nikita. Nikita, you should back off too. I won’t destroy you, but I will stop you. I cannot handle all the anger right now, because I cannot fully control the aura yet.”

“I suggest listening to him,” Talon Rider said confidently. “We will resolve that issue, Julian. Oracle told me about the meditation. Mystic Warrior knows some techniques. You should spend some time with him.” Talon Rider winked at Mystic Warrior, confirming his identity. I decided to take some time to chat with him. I walked by him and motioned him to follow me, which he did.

He touched my arm to attain my attention. “I will take you to my bedroom.”

“You will do no such thing,” Cristobel growled.

“We’re not going there for that,” Mystic Warrior sighed. “Why don’t you come too? I know some great meditation techniques. The two of you need meditation to acquire balance. I can sense great hostility. I can sense that as your weakness.”

“Whatever,” Cristobel grumbled. “If you really think these techniques will help, I will give them a try.” I noticed how quickly Cristobel’s attitude changed. Mystic Warrior was capable of mind control. That was certain. It was the subtle form I had yet to fully grasp. I wanted to learn to control all of my powers, which was not a simple task, considering the overwhelming power of the rage aura. Attacks like electrokinsis and telekinesis were simple for me. Rage aura was not at all similar to any of my powers, because it was tied to emotions. I had to release my emotions, especially the negative ones, to control it.

We entered Mystic Warrior’s bedroom. It was similar to the room we had had in Centropolis. Mystic Warrior began to speak, and we listened to his instructions. “I want both of you to lie down on a bed and close your eyes. I want deep breaths, in through the nose and out through the mouth.” Most of the words after that are a blur to me. He actually used hypnosis to send us both into a deep meditative state or so I thought at first.

I found myself revisiting events in my childhood. My friend, Tommy, was sitting next to me on a park bench. “Just give me a minute, Julian. I have a headache,” he said.

“Take as much time as you need, Tommy.” I could sense the increasing agony of his headache. He could not even remain seated upon the bench. “Tommy, what’s going on?” I asked in a panic. Without warning, a powerful force pushed me into a tree. Tommy’s headache became increasingly worse. A crowd gathered around the park. They were mortified.

“Oh no, it’s an evoloid! Someone call the EAS!” A woman screamed. The woman’s wish came true within a minute. There were six of them. I had seen EAS agents in Centropolis, but for the first time, I was seeing them in action. One of the clones pulled out an electro sword. I was horrified, but I was helpless to stop them. The EAS agent chopped Tommy’s hand off first. Blood gushed everywhere, especially upon the clone’s armor. I could hear my friend begging for mercy. The clone’s idea of mercy was to remove his head. I had never witnessed such cruelty. Since I was wearing a protective bracelet, I had not developed any powers. This was a decision Aunt Cassidy made. She did not want me to grow up in the underground. She had been one of The Protectors before I came along. She knew there was no choice but to leave the underground. Instead of being protected from the harsh underworld, I witnessed the EAS’s most violent actions.

I came out of my trance. “Why are you doing this to me?” I asked bitterly. “That is one of my worst memories. Those bastards killed him!”

“I’m sorry, Julian,” Mystic Warrior replied. “I used Cristobel as a conduit into the source of your anger. Obviously, he found it.” Mystic warrior could sense my anger. He still had Cristobel in a trance. He used Cristobel once again to make me fade into unconsciousness. I saw Tommy once again. It was so unreal. It was as if he had never died. He was an adult. His hazel eyes sparkled with life; his golden blond hair glistened in artificial sunlight. He was so beautiful. I realized why his death hurt me so much. I had had feelings for him, even if I had not admitted it to myself.

“Hello Julian,” he said sweetly. “How are you?”

“I didn’t realize it until now, but I had feelings for you,” I cried. “They took you away from me.”

“We were so young back then,” he whispered. “The events of that day made you so angry, Julian. I may be dead, but you are still alive. You are supposed to save the world in so many ways. Let me go, Julian. I am still in your heart, and I will be your guardian angel. Don’t forget to thank Necrolo for me.” I had no idea what he meant. Could it be that I was talking to the real Tommy’s spirit? It seemed impossible.

“He must be one of The Protectors from Empire City.”

“Yes, he is. You must also realize that he has not reached his full potential. He can do something even more amazing. Someday you will need to help him realize that power, but you must save Centropolis and Empire City first.”

“What is his ultimate power?”

“I cannot tell you what it is. You have to discover it on your own. I will tell you that he can arrange séances like this one and he can create zombies. He also has the touch of death. These are the powers he knows. You must discover the other. This ultimate power will help you save four planets, Julian. It is of the utmost importance for you to help him discover it. There’s something else.”

“What’s that?”

“I also want you to forgive Lady Valentine. You agreed to that situation. She shared such an important power with you. I don’t want you to be mad at Mystic Warrior either. He is one of the few with enough power to overcome the attraction power. He will keep her in check. Also, you should not be at all susceptible to mind control. You must let go of the past. You are so angry. You must rise above it. Let me go, Julian. We were friends, and I treasured every moment we had together. You are so amazing. I’m so proud of you. Don’t let me down.”

“I…” He disappeared before I could say anymore. There was so much more I wanted to say, but I could not. He was gone once again. I knew I had to let him go… to still remain fond of him and appreciate our friendship, but he was gone for good and in a much better place.

I opened my eyes. Mystic Warrior smiled at me. “How was your séance?”

“I want to thank all of you for that,” I beamed. “I never realized how much Tommy really meant to me.” I looked over to the man standing beside Mystic Warrior. “You must be Necrolo. Tommy says, ‘Thank you!’ I would like to thank you too. I can finally make peace with his death.” I had no idea what his secret power was supposed to be. He was purposely vague. Was I missing something about my destiny? I was unsure at the time.

“We did this for the world,” Necrolo replied. “Cristobel and you have an important destiny.” Little did Necrolo know, but he too had an important destiny.

“I do not like being used,” Cristobel said annoyed. “but I can understand why you did it. I love you Julian, but sometimes you are angered too easily.”

“I know,” I replied ashamedly. “I didn’t realize how important he was to me. That day changed my life. I became angry because of what happened to him. All of you have helped me realize how important it is to let go of my anger.”

“I can sense your newly found serenity Julian,” Mystic Warrior observed. “I believe our work is done for now.”

********************

I walked into the living quarters, and stumbled upon a heated conversation. “Before we take out the EAS headquarters, we need to rescue the others in Centropolis,” Adriana said firmly to Talon Rider. Adriana did not want to wait. She knew Calista and the others were in grave danger.

“Adriana, it’s too dangerous,” Talon Rider snarled. “You are reckless! You’re going to get us all killed!”

“It sounds like we need to vote on this issue,” I strongly suggested. “Obviously, the two of you cannot solve it.”

“You should watch your tone,” Talon Rider sniped. “Who the hell do you think you are anyway?”

“Stop it,” Mystic Warrior interrupted. “This solves nothing. Julian is right. We have to vote. We can start with the three of us and Simon. Julian can break the tie.”

“I can live with that,” Talon Rider sighed. “Where is Simon?”

“He is in the training room killing some captured EAS clones,” Adriana replied in an annoyed tone. Julian, please go get him.”

I closed my eyes and concentrated on finding Simon with my mind. The teleportation power allowed me to scope locations and find familiar people easily. I saw him in the training room. With my destination in mind, I traveled instantly to the entrance of the training room. I opened the door to investigate.

“I will destroy you all!” Simon said. “You pigs won’t take me out.” Simon followed his statement with a series of sword swipes. His katana was on fire! He sliced one clone’s mid-section. The divided body burst into flames, the clone screaming in agony. Simon removed the next clone’s head. He was enjoying it so much; I could not interrupt him. His katana skills were breathtaking. Why would I want to interrupt such art? The third clone lost an arm. As he was inflamed, he was running and screaming like a banshee. He accidentally set one of his comrades on fire as well. Since they were the last two, he decided to take each of them out with a massive wave of fire. The results were splendidly explosive. Charred remains were scattered all over the floor.

“Wow, you certainly leave an impression,” I said in a state of astonishment. “Ummmm… they need you upstairs.”

“I’m glad you liked the show,” Simon said in a seductive tone.

“You know those days are over, don’t you?” I asked.

“You can’t blame a guy for trying, can you?” was his reply.

“I figured you and Adriana were still open,” I snickered. “That’s not for me. Besides, I love your brother.”

“I understand, but if you ever change your mind…”

“I don’t think so. Thanks for the offer. You are awesome in bed, but now I see you as more like a great friend. That will never change.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t…”

“I will keep that promise. We are friends until the end, Simon. I don’t want you to forget that.”

“You shouldn’t think about something like that, Julian. Events change people sometimes. For all you know, I could do something to make you no longer have any faith or trust in me. For the same reason, you shouldn’t promise my brother forever. These times are difficult. Sometimes, we lose ourselves on the perilous path.” He let out a sigh. “We should go upstairs.”

“Yes, we should,” was my reply. I decided to teleport Simon and me into the living quarters. When we returned, there was yet another spirited conversation.

“You must think that you can do whatever you want because of who you parents are,” Talon Rider raved. I noticed that Mystic Warrior had just returned to the room. He was visibly displeased by the conversation.

“Honey, you need to calm down,” Mystic Warrior reasoned. “Adriana worked hard for what she has accomplished. You should know how much she went through. Do you not remember the time when she was here? She worked her ass off as a grunt in the Army. Why do you always give her a hard time?”

“Silence!” I shrieked. “The anger in this room is giving me a headache. Let’s stop the bitching and start the voting! All in favor of a Centropolis rescue, raise your hands.” Adriana and Simon raised their hands. “All not in favor, raise your hands.” Mystic Warrior and Talon Rider raised their hands that time around. “I have to break the tie. I vote in favor of the rescue attempt.”

“This is going to be suicide,” said Mystic Warrior.

“We don’t need the entire crew for this,” Adriana said boldly. “In fact, Julian and I can do it. We can take also Cristobel with us. That’s all we really need.”

“That’s fine by me,” Talon Rider replied. “We can plan the assault on the EAS. We’ll need two plans, one in which you’re with us and one in which you’re dead. Either way, I like tomorrow night.”

“Can we use the conference room?” Adriana asked surprisingly politely.

“Be my guest,” Talon Rider said insipidly. “You have an hour.”

********************

“Julian, have you scanned for Calista’s location?” Adriana inquired. “My teleportation does not have that capability. I have to know exactly where I’m going. You don’t.”

“I’ll concentrate on her location,” I assured. I closed my eyes, searching for Calista with my mind. There was only static at first. I initiated a meditative state to block outside forces. My mind traveled back to Centropolis. I found what I needed to find. It was the same hillside compound from my dream. Calista was in the same place Erica had been. Audia and Lucky Star were both tied up beside her. Caprican and Quake were nowhere in site, but they had Alex, Collin, and Steven as guards. My eyes opened widely in anger. “I know where they are. We’ll have three guards to take out. We can destroy our traitors and rescue the others at the same time.”

“Did you figure out a good place to land?” Cristobel asked? “We cannot teleport in to plain sight.”

“Yes I do. We need weapons. I want a bow staff.”

“Julian, I don’t have them. Natalia is still in Centropolis finding a safe location for our temporary headquarters. We only have those weapons because of her powers.”

“Can we find her first?”

“That’s a great idea!” Cristobel said gleefully. “Nobody can stop us with those weapons.”

“Julian, I happen to know where she is. She is actually looking at Queen Bitch’s compound. I’ll teleport us there now.” Adriana’s hair and eyes turned red. A thick, red haze filled the room. I felt the floor disappear, instantly being replaced by rocky soil. The cloud disappeared instantly.

“What are you doing here,” Natalia interrogated. “None of you should be here. There are rogues pillaging this area. I can hide myself easily, but I cannot say the same about all of you.”

“We need weapons Natalia,” Adriana said firmly. “I want a katana and so does Cristobel. Julian wants a bow staff.”

“Why do you need weapons?” inquired Natalia.

“We’re on a rescue mission,” I said boastfully. “We’re going to kill the traitors too.”

“I want to watch,” Natalia purred. “Count me in. If there is a fourth, I’ll have some killing of my own to do. If not, I’ll have a show to watch. Too bad Nikita isn’t here to watch. She would love this.”

“Where is Nikita anyway?” I asked.

“She’s in White Knight City,” Natalia sighed. “Apparently, my brother wants to know every detail about what happened and formulate a strategy. That strategy was not supposed to include a rescue mission either. Tempest already said something about collateral damage.”

“My father pisses me off sometimes,” Adriana grumbled. “Why does he have to be such a fucking asshole?”

“If I had the answer to that question, I would tell you.” Natalia muttered. She extended her right hand and curled it into a loose fist. Her hand started to glow. The beams of light extended from above and below her hand. Soon there was a bow staff just for me. With a devious, delightful smile, Natalia handed me the bow staff.

“Thanks,” I said with an evil grin and added a devilish cackle.

“You’re very welcome,” she replied with a satanic smirk of her own. Next she extended both of her hands out. The glow was followed by the creation of beautiful katanas. With jubilation and greed, Adriana and Cristobel each took a katana into his or her possession. I raised my bow staff into the air, fueling it with teleportation power. My three cohorts touched the bow staff and we teleported to a safe location on the roof of Quake’s hideout. We looked over the edge where the hill had been flattened into a stone patio. Alex, Collin, and Steven were each at a different corner of the patio with their prisoners on the fourth.

Adriana began whispering, “Julian, you can take Collin. Cristobel, Alex is yours. Steven is the most dangerous for both of you. I will take care of him. If something should happen…”

“Nothing will happen to you Adriana,” Natalia said adamantly. “I have your back. I will be in the middle of the patio. “Adriana, use a haze to add an element of confusion. Each of you needs to wear one of these.” Natalia opened a satchel containing NVGs. They won’t be able to see us but we can see them. If others arrive on the scene, they will be just as blind. I think we should allow Julian to collect their powers. Therefore, he must be the one to kill them. Any questions?”

“You certainly love usurping authority, Aunt Natalia,” Adriana remarked playfully. “Let’s do it.” We donned our NVGs without delay. Adriana filled the battlefield with red haze. Cristobel and I flew to our respective targets as Adriana teleported Natalia to the center of the patio.

I kicked Collin in the back of the head, causing him to fall onto his face. He turned himself over and shot a cloud of poison aimlessly into the air. I used telekinesis to banish the cloud into the air. Somehow Collin managed to leg sweep me. I electrified my staff and hit swatted him in the ribs. The attack sent him flying towards the edge of the cliff. It reminded me of Caprican having Erica exactly where he wanted her, but I decided on a much more severe mode of killing my defeated foe. I used telekinesis to lift him into the air and turn him around. I put away my staff and levitated into the air behind him. I placed my right hand under his chin while my other hand rested firmly against the back of his head. With force, I pulled his head to the right until I broke his neck, severing his spinal cord and killing him instantly. I felt the immediate presence of his intoxicating power running through my veins. I moved into the center of the arena, awaiting my added bonus powers.

Adriana teleported to the center with Steven’s unconscious body at her feet. I knelt down with me knees just behind Steven’s head. With telekinesis I forced open his mouth before shooting poison into his mouth. He woke up instantly in pain and agony. I had to muffle his screams by using telekinesis to snap his mouth shut. Within seconds, the poison killed him, releasing an orb that I grabbed esuriently. I knew instantly how to use the power, but I had a much more fitting end of Alex Donovan in mind. Cristobel dragged Alex into my presence. He had used a nightmare ball to knock him out. Also there were several slices on his body. I decided to add another, the same wound that ultimately killed his sister. As I did to Steven, I used telekinesis to muffle his cries of dolor. I decided not to delay the inevitable. I set his body ablaze and used telekinesis to decapitate him, thus releasing extra healing and sickening powers.

With cover of red haze, we ran to the prisoners. I used telekinesis to help them out of their electronic shackles. Adriana cleared a circle around use with red haze swirling around it to keep us hidden from others but allow us to see each other without NVGs. “I’m so happy to see you all,” Calista said in a state of relief. “How’s my sister?”

“Calista, there’s something we have to tell you once we get back to Empire City,” Adriana said carefully. “Let’s go there now.” Adriana teleported all of us back to Empire City. Calista wanted more details. “Calista, you’re not going to like this.”

“What is it Adriana?” Calista asked hesitantly.

“Gabrielle is dead,” Adriana screamed with tears in her eyes.

“NO! MY SISTER CAN’T BE DEAD. I LOST A BROTHER AND SISTER ON THE SAME DAY? THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING!” Calista fainted and I caught her in my arms.

“Take her to the couch Julian,” Adriana ordered.

“We were successful,” Adriana said to Talon Rider. “You should know how I am when I am determined.”