Black Heart Inertia - 5. Chapter 5: Memento Mori

‘Why?’ I thought to myself and the memoires rushed to my head. Mrs. Dervings hitting me with the rolling pin and trying to feed me to her monstrous son.

I didn’t know that Clark had become a demon who had to feed on people in order to stay alive, and his mother helped. And I killed them both. I replayed the scene in my head as my foot came down hard enough to dent a car onto her head. I didn’t want to kill her but I just didn’t want to die. But I couldn’t help but feel horrible as I tried to choke back the sobs, but one still escaped.

Blake appeared in my line of sight. He was a little banged up too; with his left shoulder in a sling and bandages wrapped around his head too, but he seemed to be alright.

I started say something but he told me not to. “Shh, just sleep for a little longer.” I saw his hand push the button for more pain killers. “I’ll be here when you wake up, just get some sleep.” And I did

* * *

The Colonel walked in to see Blake standing over Chance. She was impressed that Chance had been able to figure out there was something going on when they hadn’t; it was her job to realize these things.

It wasn’t difficult to get the police to back off the case once she arrived. But what she found at the scene shocked her and amazed her at the same time. The replican body was still together with no signs of dissolving. Someone had made a better D class replica or whoever used Chance to invoke the replica knew the Obsidian Heart would make a better one. She sighed at what Henry would if his son rejoined the Acolytes, but she would have to worry about that later.

“Sgt Valens,” she said, waking him from his trance. “I need you to report to my office immediately.” Blake sighed and followed her.

They entered together but Blake still used the procedure. When she was seated, he pulled himself to attention and said, “Sgt. Blake Valens reporting.”

“At ease.” His hands rested behind his back and he looked to her. “Sgt. Valens, I’m not going to waste time on procedure. I am demoting you to Lcpl and you are hereby removed from the Shatterheart unit. I have made this decision based upon your lack of responsibility for your mission. Is there anything you would like to say?”

Blake wasn’t surprised to hear her words. He would do the same thing to himself. “All I wish to say is that I am deeply sorry for my restlessness. But may I ask one thing?” She nodded. “Who is taking my position?”

“Commander Breckinridge of Special Arcane Arte Unit will be his mentor.”

Blake looked horrified by her words. “You know the history between Chance and Wesley.”

“Yes, I know and my decision is final.” Her voice cold and biting.

He bowed slightly. “Then may I at least show Chance around and introduce us and the Nexus to him.”

“Very well.”

* * *

I was dreaming again. I was in the beautiful ice tower, looking at what seemed to be the aftermath of a fight. Two people laid face down with a thin ring of blood around their heads. The one of the right was only a teen, maybe twelve or thirteen but I couldn’t make out anymore than that. The other one was clearly a woman with long hair but neither were as interesting as what was going on the middle.

A little further ahead, atop a succession of stairs was an ice sphere. I could see someone sleeping inside. And a man stood outside of it, staring directly at the person. He was 5’11’ with long, pale blue hair. His skin was also a pale blue. He was adorned with white and blue robes and an intricate headdress that resembled a crystallized hair net. It stretched from the bang of his hair to the middle of his head.

He stepped into the sphere and held the person in his arms as though they were hurt. Light burst from the sphere, pushing back the shadow of the tower as it engulfed everything. Ice spikes bloomed forward cutting through the bodies as the light got brighter and brighter around the sphere.

I woke up again with no pain and oddly serene. I sat up and winced because of the sharp pain from my ribs. I was more banged up than I thought. My head was bandaged along with my ribs and right foot with in a light caste.

“Hey,” I jumped at the voice and winced again. “Oh, I’m sorry.” It was Blake with his deep voice.

“Water.” I asked my throat feeling like the Sahara. When my hand touched the glass, it fogged up. I could tell the water was cold as I guzzled it down but I couldn’t feel it. “Thanks.” I handed it back to him and watched as goose bumps raced up his arm as we both touched the glass.

“You’re welcome.” He shook the chill off his arm. “So how do you feel?”

I sighed, looking at the ceiling in a question. “I guess pretty calm for a person that just killed two people.”

“If it makes you feel any better, you only killed one.”

A jolt of relief filled me. “Mrs. Dervings survived?”

“No.”

“Clark?”

“No.”

He was pissing me off now. “Then how the hell did I kill only one person?” I shouted.

“Because Clark wasn’t human. He was a replica.”

“A copy? So, how many Clark’s are running around?”

“He was the only one.”

“So his parents didn’t resurrect him?” I said mostly to myself.

“Yeah.” He said, sitting on the bed. “He was a replica of Clark. Nothing more than living doll with Clark’s personality.”

I bit my lip for minute and said. “Why was he eating people?”

“That’s what he needed to eat in order to survive. Each of those kids had energy in them called Nexus, it’s basically magic and that’s what he fed on but he didn’t have another way of getting the Nexus out besides eating them.”

“Then where’s the real Clark?”

“He’s dead along with his dad. The mom fed the dad to the replica.”

I started to think about the replica Clark. He seemed so real besides the teeth, claws, and cannibalism. “Are all replicas like him?”

“No, he was a low class.”

“They have more than one type?” I asked cynically.

He put his elbows on his knees and kept his eyes on me. “The world is much more complicated than everyone thinks.” He said to himself. “What are you afraid of most?”

I didn’t take me long to answer. “Spiders.”

“Why?”

“Because they’re creepy, evil little things.”

He nodded and asked, “Why?”

“Because they’re sneaky and small and they can crawl into you.”

“No, no, why are you afraid of them?”

I started to look at him sideways. “Because…they can hurt me.”

“Hurt you?”

“Yeah, they can kill me.”

“Bingo.” He jumped up suddenly, “That’s what everyone is afraid of. Every fear someone has is connected to death, the thing that scares them is only how they die.” I waited for him to make his point. “Death is what drives us in everything we do. It is the reason for everything. We strive for the best because we want to make our mark on this world. We do it because we try to make the world better for our kids so they can have an easy and long life.”

He was started to sound crazy. His eyes had changed; they started to drift to more of a solid red-green color. “What is your point?”

“What would want to do if your kid just died?”

“I would want him back.”

“What would you give?”

“Anything.”

He nodded again. “That’s the point. What if I walked up to you after your son died and said I can’t bring him back to life but I could give you one just like him. An exact copy. What you would you say, what would you do?”

“I don’t know.” My answer bothered me. I could see where he was going with this. If I did have a kid and he was taken from me, I really couldn’t say I wouldn’t take Blake’s offer. “I could go either way.”

“Many, if not all, would say the same thing. Replicas are dolls with life given to them by the Nexus and programmed with the same exact personality of that person. They’re simple to make. All you need is few things that can symbolize them. If they played a sport, just take their letterman jacket. If they were smart, take their notebook and used that. The Nexus will take care of the rest.”

“What is the Nexus?”

He started to breathe slower. I don’t think he knew how worked up he was getting about this. “The Nexus is the life-blood of the universe. It makes everything go; it’s what keeps the universe going. It’s why atoms move. That’s where the energy comes from.” He sat back down. “But with people, the Nexus is like a god who gives powers to its Acolytes. And that’s what you are, an Acolyte.”

We were quiet for a long time, he just staring at me as I thought. Replicas, Nexus and Acolytes, made everything seem too much.

“I need to take a bath.” I said, catching a faint odor and hopped out of the bed. I screamed bloody murder when my foot it the ground. It hurt like someone had put barbed wire in my ankle and connected it to my tendons.

Blake settled me back down and checked my ankle, “Your heel has a slight fracture so you really shouldn’t walk on it.” The pain died down as he massaged my heel. “Your ribs are a little bruised but they’ll be okay. You know, normally we would have you healed but too many people saw your injuries so you’ll have to keep them.”

Frankly, I didn’t care about what he was saying; only that he kept massaging me. “Can you help me to the bath?”

“Yeah.” He scooped me up in his arms, wincing at his arm.

“Are you okay?”

He grinned at me. “Yeah, just a little sore. I can’t be healed either.”

He settled me in the shower and waited outside. The bathroom was decorated with neutral gray wall paint and tiles with a glass shower. The bathroom only had a shower, no tub. I looked around to see if I could balance on my left foot and shower but I couldn’t even get my underwear off.

“Uh, Blake?”

I could see his shadow move under the door. “Yeah?”

“Do you have a cane or something?”

“No, why?”

“I can’t balance to take a shower.”

“Oh.” He was quiet for a second. “Just hold on.”

I heard him dropping something and stepped in completely naked. I felt blood rush to my face as I stared at his body. It was better than I thought. He was built like a star quarter back with his wide chest and slender waist. His abs rippled as he walked to me. I felt slightly guilty as my eyes finally landed on the darker blonde pubes that curly perfectly around his soft penis and balls.

I struggled to find my voice, “Wh-what are you doing?”

He grinned bashfully with slight color in his cheeks. “Well, I needed to take one anyway so I thought I might be able to help you out. Lean on me.” He picked me up with his hurt arm and debriefed me. “There, just stand on my feet.”

He shivered hard when I wrapped my arms around his neck and laid my head on his chest. “Sorry, I’m so cold.”

He patted my head and whispered, “I don’t mind. I’m here for you.”

I smiled at that and the fact that we were both naked. He didn’t smell like he need a shower, maybe some deodorant but not a shower. He walked over and turned on the shower.

I pulled back to look at his eyes, “What are you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you an Acolyte too?”

He shook his head and tested the water. “I’m a guardian of an Acolyte. I mostly deal with newbie’s like you.”

I tilted my head to the side, “So, you’re my handler?”

“Yeah, actually I am.” He dropped a few drops of water on my shoulder, only for them to turn to ice. “I guess I can’t ask if that’s warm enough for you.”

“I guess so.”

Blake settled his hands on my lower back and put us both under the spray. I could feel warmth like the sun shining down during a wintry day. “Let’s get clean.”

* * *

It wasn’t hard for Nico to find out the Blake was the Acolyte agent in Fall Oak. He saw Blake get thrown into the wall, that would’ve broken any human body, yet survived but he still wasn’t much help to Chance. Kyra would’ve killed him if Nico hadn’t intervened then Chance and Blake would’ve been dead. He also found out that Chance wielded another Heart. It had been a long time since anyone was able to wield two Hearts at once. Even their arcane expert could barely wield the Amethyst Heart, yet Chance bound one and commanded the other. He had rushed to his superior but he was still in a meeting with Eric.

He stood up when the door opened. “Hey Eric, nice face.” He said smugly, seeing the red anger marks on Eric’s face.

“Half Breed.” Eric replied.

The Middle Eastern man cleared his throat. “If you two are finished. Nico, come to my office.”

It was furnished just as Nico expected. He was surrounded by old tomes, manuscripts, and scrolls that were almost as old as their owner. His furniture was dark wood mahogany with a light finish. The sculptures that were spread all over the room were to boost Nexus reactions and negate all negative reactions. Nico couldn’t use the Nexus inside these walls.

“You said you discovered the Acolyte agent.”

“Yes sir. After I left the search party to follow Valens, I overheard him telling Chance that Clark was a replica. After that, Clark threw him hard first into the wall but he didn’t die. No human can survive a throw like that but a soldier of the Acolytes can.”

Viktor smiled and nodded. “Good, you’ve done well. You’re going to make your mother proud.”

“Thank you, sir.” He said, bowing.

“I just have a few more questions. Have you found the third party yet?”

“No, I haven’t sensed anyone twisting the Nexus except Chance.”

“That’s fine, we’ll find them later. Now, the Black Heart. What is your plan to draw it out?”

Nico seated himself. “As you know, when Chance was recaptured by the Acolytes, he left two hearts here and kept the other two. He bound the Obsidian Heart with the majority of his powers and left himself only able to use the Diamond Heart. I say if we can force him to use all of the ice nexus he would be forced to unbind the Black Heart it to use the rest of his powers.”

“How would you make him use his powers?”

“I’ve started Replican experiments with a local. I will have him throw every replica at him until he uses the Black Heart.”

“It’s a sound plan, but how will you keep track of his progress?”

Nico smiled wolfishly, “I am my mother’s son.”

They both laughed throatily at that and Viktor bade him farewell.

* * *

My stomach wouldn’t stop growling until we made it to the cafeteria, which cut into our tour. Blake refused to get me crutches and forced me into a wheelchair. The layout of the Acolyte base was built like a honey comb, built underground with a one story house above it. The base was supposed to be as big as the Red Square in Russia and around three miles deep into the earth. I looked around the cafeteria to see all the people walking around and eating.

Blake came back to the table with two trays in each hand. “Here you go.” He pushed my food in front of me. “It’s salmon and brown rice. We’re all on a certain diet to boost our abilities.”

I took a bite of the food and frowned. “It tastes like cardboard.” It was the salmon. “They don’t have a salad or something?”

He chuckled at my words. “If I got you anything else it would taste the same. They infuse the food with the Nexus.”

I stared at my food like I was poisoned. “Are we supposed to eat it?”

Blake ate another scoop of the bland rice with no problem. “Well, the Nexus is in everything we drink and eat, this is just more concentrated. So, what do you think of the place?”

“Why is “Memento Mori” plastered all over the place?”

“Can you guess what it means?”

“Mort is the French word for dead or death so “Mori” is the Latin version and memento, I guess, in this phase is “remember”. Remember Death?”

“Close but no. “Memento Mori” means “remember that we die”. We have this to remind us that we shouldn’t fear death because if we do, replicas come forth and fuck everything up.”

“Okay, new subject. Why is everyone staring at me?”

Blake stopped shoveling food in his mouth long enough to see the eyes focused on us. “Oh, you’re Chance the Prince of Hearts.”

“I’m what?”

“Well, look who’s here men,” A guy interjected. “Chance Shatterheart, you’re back.”

“And you are?”

“I’m Wesley Breckinridge.” The name didn’t ring a bell. “So you have forgotten everything.” He said awfully happy. “I thought the Colonel was joking when she said I would be taking Blake’s place, but I guess I get an early Christmas present.”

I turned to Blake. “What does he mean by him replacing you?”

Blake stared daggers at Wesley. “The Colonel kicked me out of your unit because I allowed you to get kidnapped.”

Wesley bent forward and whispered into my ear, “I can’t wait to get you alone.”

I shuddered and the water turned to ice. “I advise you to back off.”

A sadistic glint appeared in his eyes. “I’m gonna have fun with you.”

My hand found his throat without me looking. He clutched my hand but the ice had already claimed his throat. I smiled wickedly, my mouth against his ear. “Now, I’m not really sure how my powers work but it would be a blast to learn how to control them with you as my test dummy.”

I felt a buzz in the air like I did in the basement but different, A pulse followed the buzz and crashed into me in the form of the word, “Stop!”

Wesley sat up; rubbing his throat with a red outlined hand to take away the ice. Blake pulled me up and stared straight ahead. I followed his stare to see everyone either holding their heads or holding someone else. Walking around in the confusion was Blake’s mom, with a look of rage on her face.

She stopped short in front of us. “You three my office.”

We were too slow to move, the buzz returned and my hand shot out, the glyph pulsing. As she infused the Nexus in the word “Now” the power rushed out of me. “Silence!” I shouted and she reached for her throat and fell.

Several people rushed her, their hands glowing in every color possible. Then a few turned to me, hands aimed. Blake barked something at them but they didn’t respond. The buzz returned and their powers struck me. Something wrapped its fingers around me. My tongue became thick, my breathing became relaxed, and my eyes closed.

* * *

Chance batted his eyes a few times before they began to focus. His head was swimming and his foot was throbbing. His neck ached because of the strange position he was put in. He wasn’t in the cafeteria or the med room, this one was poorly lit. He sat up right in the chair, looking around. There were two people sitting next to him and one across. Blake was on his left, Wesley on his right and the Colonel across. They were arguing.

“I demand that he be charged with treason!” Wesley shouted, pointing at Chance. “He not only attacked a superior but you, ma’am!”

Blake controlled the impulse to slam his fist into Wesley’s head. “Ma’am, you know what Chance has been through in the last few days. Colonel, you know the impulses that the Nexus can cause in a person. He doesn’t have enough control to stop the impulses. Especially when he’s so sensitive to the Nexus now.”

“He’s dealt with them before!” Wesley rebutted. “There’s no excuse.”

“Oh, really? What would you do if you were kidnapped when you were taking a vacation with your parents and tortured until you gave up 3 hearts and when you’re finally rescued your mother is killed in front of you while you’re powerless to do anything.”

“Gentlemen!” She tried to stop them but it was too late. They turned to Chance, wide eyed with tears free flowing one moment then freezing and dropping from his face like small diamonds. “Commander, it is time that you left.” The Nexus twisted around Chance, ice spikes bloomed to block Wesley’s sorrowful gesture.

“Chance-.” Blake’s feet were stilled by the ice.

“Mr. Shatterheart, I’m asking you to control yourself before you see your friend hurt.” She said, calmly as the ice began to creep up her skin. She couldn’t call out to the Nexus to stop it.

She never saw Chance in this state. The child she met all those years ago was full in control of 5 hearts. She saw him walk alone onto a battlefield and with a flick of his wrist, destroy the enemy and heal his friends. This child was different. His eyes scared her, the blue glacier’s had turned into a blizzard of pure white. Her survival instruction with a trained Cryo-Acolyte came back to her; he said the tundra was crueler than a desert. It surrounded you by water but it was untouchable. It sneaked into your body and stole your soul without giving you a chance. The desert allowed disrespect but the tundra was unforgiving. His eyes told her that as the feeling in her legs disappeared.

“Chance.” Blake started to shake, his body sapped of warmth. “Chance.”

The connection was cut, the Nexus relaxed; giving Chance his eyes again. The ice faded into mist and Chance sat back down, crossing his legs. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, you didn’t hurt me.” Blake fought the urge to shake. His body cried for heat but he couldn’t leave Chance even if touching him gave him frostbite. “I should I apologize for saying that.”

“No-.”

“You shouldn’t have to apologize Lcpl Valens, Chance should.” The Colonel snapped. “Do you know what you just did?”

“I tried to turn you into ice cubes.”

“This is not a game. You just started the beginning stages of Diamond Dust. If Blake hadn’t snapped you out of it then we would be dead. What do you know about your powers?”

Chance looked up briefly, “My powers come from the Nexus but it’s picky about who it gives its power and how much.”

“Yes, you’re correct but did you know that the Nexus wasn’t as free giving with its power before?” He shook his head. “In the beginning, people who earned the favor of the Nexus could barely light a candle much less freeze people in ice. Do you know where such a boost of power came from?” She didn’t wait from him to reply. “They come from humans with unbelievable power.”

“You’ve heard the biblical story of the flood, yes?” He nodded. “Do you know another name for it?”

He thought back and said, “Zeus’ Deluge.”

“Yes. In those days, power like that came from years of meditation that you could only use once and it would most likely kill you. The power that we use today comes from humans that went to the Wellspring of the Nexus and brought the power back and when they died, they left the power they accumulated in things called Nexus Hearts. They boost a certain type of Nexus. The one that has you involved is the one you have bound within you. The Obsidian Heart commonly called the Black Heart.”

She waited for the look of realization to cross his face before she continued. “Yes, your dream wasn’t a normal dream. It was an attack called a Mind Rapier. They used it to make you unleash it.”

Chance unconsciously clutched at his heart, trying to feel the second one. “Why? What is the Black Heart?”

“The Black Heart is the heart of all bad magic, or should I say, all things that we deem wrong.”

“Like?”

“Necromancy, replication, chimeras, reflecting equations, and mind control. The Black Heart is the strongest and purest catalyst of black magic. If you were correctly trained, you could chop up anyone and with a bat of your eyes, you could bring them back.”

“So that guy in my dream, wants the Black Heart? Why?”

“The guy as you call him is a replica, a copy of a once living person. He belongs to an organization called the Court, a group of replicas with a hidden agenda. We don’t know what they want with the Black Heart for but we can protect you and teach you how to protect it and yourself.”

Chance listened to her words, waiting for the catch. “What do you want in return?”

She smirked. “Perceptive.”

“No, just no ones that altruistic anymore.”

“Our job is altruistic.” Blake defended. “We fight for people who can’t protect themselves from illusions.” Chance stared at him as Blake was getting heated again. “We help the victims of replicas; we do this for a real world. WE-.”

“Blake, calm down. I’m sure Chance only meant my motives not the entire Acolyte base.”

Blake breathed, feeling the blood back off his throat. “Sorry.”

“Words are dangerous around you, aren’t they?” Chance asked Blake.

She cleared her throat. “We have the tools to protect and train you but we have no clue who knows you have the Black Heart.”

“And you want to use me as bait. Okay, I’ll join on a few conditions.”

“They are?”

“You keep Wesley on a short leash; I think he had a hard-on for seeing me in pain. Uh, the second thing, I want Blake to stay with me. I mean, uh, on the team.”

She smiled, “Yes, of course.”

Chance fought the urge to smirk. “Um, one question though?” She nodded. “Does my dad know about this?”

“Your father is the leading scientist on the Nexus Hearts.”