Dark Earth: The Prophecy - 8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: The Raging Tiger

“Wake up, right now!” Adriana screamed. I almost jumped out of my skin. “He’s gone, and it’s all your fault. Why do you have to be such a fucking asshole?”

“What do you mean gone?” I gasped.

“Cristobel left sometime late last night,” she said. I could feel her anger. She blamed me and rightfully so. I was being stubborn. Cristobel felt like he had lost me forever. If only he had understood that I just needed time. “Brian found his diary still open. I have an archive. Why don’t you read it yourself?” The last sentence horrified me. “I might as well be dead.”

I began sobbing uncontrollably. “No, he can’t be dead.” My heart was racing. I felt like I had just died and went straight to hell. “I…” I couldn’t even speak. My mind was going into overload. “I… I have to find him.” I was hyperventilating. I passed out. At least, I thought I did. I woke up in a chair. I couldn’t move. “Please, don’t kill me!” Wait, that’s not my normal voice. I was in Cristobel’s point of view.

“So you’re the one they call Nightmare.” The man was hideous. He had sharp teeth with orange fur and black stripes. He also had sharp claws. “They call me Raging Tiger. You’re going to understand what a nightmare really is. I’ll make you beg for death.” He scratched Cristobel’s face. I felt the sharp pain and blood running down his face.

I gasped as I finally awakened. “Julian, are you okay?” A familiar voice filled my senses. I looked around to find him. “You scared us. Did you have one of those vivid dreams?” Simon’s voice was more soothing than ever.

“Oh god, Simon,” I said. “He’s in pain. We have to save him. Raging Tiger is torturing him. We must save him!”

“That’s an understatement.” “Raging Tiger is bad news. We have to stop him. He’s one of the strongest rogues we’ve ever faced. If he kidnapped Cristobel, we have to take him out as soon as possible. I hear the army wants you to take him out.”
“Who is Raging Tiger anyway? I saw him in a dream, but all I know is that he is just as powerful as he is malicious.” I asked.

“He runs one of the rogue groups…” Simon sighed and rolled his eyes. “Personally, I think he should have been one of ours to take out. He’s a tiger feral. That’s bad enough. He transforms quickly from his human form to his half tiger form. What makes him dangerous is the fact that anger makes him stronger. Your anger is like food to him. Your attacks lose their effectiveness. You’re the only hope we have for destroying him. This is going to be your most difficult test.”

“When is the assault on his compound?” I asked eagerly. “I want to take him out as soon as possible. Tonight would be good.”

“I’ll talk to Colonel McKenzie.” He gave me a wink before he asked, “Who do you want with you? The rule of thumb is one of us.”

“Can we make an exception so there can be two?” He pondered my question for a minute or two. “Are you going to answer?”

“Who do you have in mind?”

“Calista and Dennis will work. Should I ask them?”

“Yes, please do. I’ll see if Colonel McKenzie can speak with us. She’s usually open to suggestions.” I hugged him and thanked him. “You should find Calista and Dennis as soon as possible. I’ll also ask if she can prepare for the assault by tonight.”

“You tell her that I will contribute to the cause,” I said confidently. “We also need to gather intelligence to confirm Cristobel’s kidnapping by Raging Tiger and his minions. Even in my dream, I could sense how disturbed he is. He’s a psychopath. The only emotion I sensed was sexual satisfaction with torturing another human being. He might even have a healer so that he can heal Cristobel just to hurt him even more.”

“We will get him back, Julian.” Simon was trying his best to reassure me. I was more determined than ever to destroy Raging Tiger and rescue him. He hadn’t ended his life, but he wandered into the wasteland by himself. I had been lucky not to be captured or killed by rogues myself. They had a strangle hold on the city and the surrounding areas. From the time I was a young child, Aunt Cassidy and Uncle Max told me to not to go to the wasteland by myself.

“Simon, is there any power that might break through the force field of rage?” I asked, hoping that there was an answer.

“There’s a rare power called shockwave,” he replied. “If you use the shockwave power, you should be able to defeat him.”

Actually, I did run into a rogue while I was in the wasteland, not including the group Natalia, Nikita, and I dispatched. He was actually difficult to defeat. He had a power that I had kept hidden up to that point. His power was shockwave. Every punch was absolutely excruciating. In fact, his power was similar to that of Quake. The difference was that the shockwave power required contact. I finally figured out how to use my recoil power when he punched me the final time. The recoil had actually killed him. I spent the next day testing the powers on rock formations. The results were explosive. He must have been on the verge of a power surge on his own, because he had not exhibited this level of power. It may have been the combination with my super human strength, but I did not know for sure. Superhuman strength happened to be one of two powers Uncle Max shared with me.

“Simon, I hadn’t told anyone about that power,” I said in disbelief. “How the hell did you know about it?”

“Natalia and Nikita saw a corpse not far from where they found you.” It made sense. I had not moved far from the location when they found me. “They took a DNA analysis and found that the rogue had this rare power. Since your powers can cause a recoil, they surmised that you had defeated him and absorbed his power. They also determined that he was on the verge of a power surge, which means that if you used his powers, they were stronger than you could have imagined. They also noticed that some rock formations had been destroyed.”

“I’m surprised none of you have mentioned this to me before.” In fact, I was surprised. I thought telling others about this particular power would make others fear me. Most people with shockwave slowly lose their humanity. “Don’t you realize that this power can drive men into madness? Everything they touch is destroyed until they learn to control the power. It took me a day to master the power.”

“Julian, your absorption powers allow you to master powers more quickly than most.” I felt assured by his statement. I knew I learned to control powers more quickly than others did. Actually, he was only half-right about that. I was also born with the power to see into the future. Dreams often reveal answers to these problems. That fact ensured that I would learn to control powers even more rapidly. “Also, you can combine powers you have absorbed. I want you to test your shockwave power. You need to mix it with your super-human strength. Those attacks will destroy opponents. Natalia and Nikita rounded up some more EAS clones. I’m sure they can spare some.”

“Simon, there’s one other problem I see. What happens when I absorb feral powers? I don’t want to be permanently transformed into a tiger.” That’s exactly why I had not absorbed the powers of “Wolfy” the day before.

“Your senses will be heightened, but most ferals have a human form. If they don’t have a human form, I suggest not absorbing those powers. The wolf feral you dispatched yesterday is actually a good example. He had no human form. Raging Tiger has a human form. That means that he has had enough power surges to allow him three forms rather than two like the wolf feral. Now, I need you to find Calista and Dennis while I find General McKenzie. Meet me in the conference room in 30 minutes.”

Calista and Dennis were easy to find. Both of them were in the living quarters with Gabby and Brian. “Calista, Dennis… I need to speak to you both in the conference room.”

“Why don’t you talk to them here,” Gabby scoffed. “What? I haven’t forgotten about what you did to me. I did heal you.”

“Gabby, I’m sorry.” She seemed to be unconvinced. “What can I do to make it up to you?”

“Meet me in my bedroom in an hour. I hope you like to be dominated. A good spanking should suffice along with everything else I want you to do, slave boy. Simon tells me you like being submissive.”

“Oh, hell no!” Calista was practically ready to rip off her sister’s head. “I haven’t even had him yet. This is so not going to happen. Ouch! Okay, you can have him. You’re such a bitch, Gabby.”

“It’s a deal,” I said firmly. “I almost forgot what this was about. I might need Calista and Dennis to accompany me on an assault tonight. The army wants me to take out Raging Tiger. He is quite powerful so I thought the two of you might be up for the task.”

“Julian, I think Gabby is a better choice for this one.” Calista shocked me with her statement. I had no idea why she would pass up the opportunity. “Cryokinesis is weak against someone with rage absorption. Physical attacks are much more suitable. Gabby’s powers are a combination of psychokinetic and physical. Even she would not be able to face him alone though. You won’t be able to rely on electricity or fire either. I don’t even think telekinesis will be effective.”

“I appreciate the lukewarm vote of confidence, sis.” Gabby’s statement reeked of sarcasm and spite. The two had a very unusual relationship. Sometimes they were actually sweet, exchanging hugs and kisses on the cheek. Other times, they were bickering with one another. “Julian, I will go with you. Even though I love to dispatch rogues, that doesn’t mean that our deal is off, bitch.”

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I entered the conference room and took a seat in the middle. Simon was at the end on the left. A woman was at the end on the right. “Julian, this is Colonel Martha McKenzie,” Simon informed me.

“It’s nice to meet you, colonel,” I said warmly. I turned my attention back to Simon. “Have you reached a consensus?”

Simon cleared his throat and said, “Colonel McKenzie had already planned for the possibility of carrying out the assault tonight. She agreed to have three instead of two as per your request. Colonel McKenzie will be the team leader. Colonel McKenzie, do you have anything to add?”

“As a matter of fact, I do. I have decided that you will be second in command on this assault. We also have our own weapons and hand-to-hand combat specialists. Do you want to have a weapon, Julian?”

“Yes ma’am, I do. I would like to use my staff,” I replied confidently.

“I understand that you can teleport. Is this correct?” Colonel McKenzie was definitely on top of her game. In less than five minutes of conversation, I could tell that she was a gifted leader.

“Yes, I can teleport. Would you like a demonstration?”

“No, you don’t need to do that,” she replied stoically. “If Raging Tiger is isolated, I want the three of you to teleport to his location. I understand that Rapid Strike and Hydrafreeze are on the team. Is that correct?”
“Actually, Misery and Rapid Strike are on the team. Hydrafreeze stated that her sister would be a better candidate for the mission. I read what the archives have to say about his powers. Physical attacks are much more effective than cryokinetic attacks. I agreed with her assessment.”

“Very well then,” Colonel McKenzie replied. “We’ll be meeting in the army conference room at 1800. Now, I understand that Simon wants you to practice a new power. I suggest you practice before the conference. Good day, gentlemen.” Colonel McKenzie made teleported out of the conference room.

“Are you ready to practice?” Simon asked?

“I agreed to meet Gabby in her bedroom,” I said as my faced took on a pale red hue. “Apparently, she’s a dominatrix.”

“Dude, I love it when she whips my ass.” Simon was blushing as well. “Don’t worry. She’ll let you return the favor. I bet Calista is unhappy about this.”

“Well, she’s not exactly happy about it. I’m not completely happy about it myself. I’m worried about Cristobel.”

“I am too, Julian. But we need the distraction. Besides, sex is the best way to prepare. Trust me. You’ll be in good hands. I’m glad you two are friendly again. Now, on a personal note, I need to spend some time with Calista. I’ll keep her out of your hair. Oh, tonight we need to show Collin and Steven what it’s like to be real men.” I had never seen such an evil grin upon Simon’s face. We still had yet to expose those two to the joys of bisexuality.

“It will be my pleasure, but I might need to spend some quality time with Cristobel.” I gave Simon an evil grin and a wink of my own.

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I pushed the button outside of Calista and Gabby’s door. “Come in,” Gabby said in her bedroom voice. The door opened so that I could walk through it. She handed me some leather chaps and said, “Put these on, bitch! You better undress slowly, or I’ll spank you harder.” I complied with her orders. There was something hot about having this hot blond babe barking orders at me. I was already aroused and dripping with pre-cum.

Once I was dressed, she ordered me to get down on my hands and knees in front of her. “Lick my boots, bitch.” I wrapped my hands around her left boot and started licking feverishly. I loved every second of it. Occasionally she would reach down to smack my ass with her paddle. It stung, but I derived much pleasure. I was instantly reminded why they say, ‘hurts so good’. “Now, lick my pussy.” I wrapped my hands around her ass cheeks to brace myself. I placed my nose up to her mound and absorbed its fragrance.

I started rubbing her snatch with my right hand. She placed her right nipple closer to her mouth, started licking in a circular motion, and moaned with pleasure. I placed two fingers inside her while I gently caressed her clitoris with my tongue. I could feel her juices flowing onto my fingers as she grabbed my hair tightly. I removed my fingers so I could have a taste. “You taste good, babe.” I decided to slide three fingers in and out of her as I continued licking her swollen clit.

“Oh god, I’m gonna cum!” she yelped. Her body stiffened and I felt even more of her juices flowing onto my fingers. After she recovered from her daze she decided it was time for a change of pace. “Turn around now, slave boy.” I obeyed her order without hesitation. “I’m gonna spank your ass so hard. You won’t be able to sit down for a week.” I hoped she wasn’t going to be quite that rough. “Now, whenever I spank you, you WILL say, ‘Thank you, ma’am. May I have another?’ Do you understand, bitch?”

“Yes ma’am,” I replied.

“I didn’t hear you, bitch boy! Say it!”

“YES MA’AM” I yelled.

She spanked me hard. It stung like hell. “Thank you, ma’am. May I have another?” She obliged. She spanked me ever harder. Every time she spanked me, I repeated, “Thank you, ma’am. May I have another?” By the time she was finished, my ass was numb. She gently rubbed lotion on my ass. “I hear you like getting fucked. I have a 10-inch strap-on. Do you want me to fuck you, bitch boy?”

“Yes, I would love you to fuck me, master. Fuck me hard.” She lubed my ass thoroughly before generously lubing her strap-on. It was huge. She pressed the rubber dick against my rosebud and tried to gain entry. Slowly the dildo went deeper and deeper inside me until I could feel the rubbery “balls.” Her strokes were gentle at first, but she slowly increased her rhythm.

“Do you want me to fuck you harder, bitch?” she asked gruffly.

“Yes, fuck me harder, master,” I yelped.

She removed the strap-on from my ass and ordered, “Turn over. I want to see my face and stroke your cock while I fuck your ass.” I rolled over just as she ordered. I spread my legs and placed my legs over her shoulders. Soon the object was deep inside me once again. Her strokes were harder and faster than before, but it didn’t hurt. In fact, it felt good. I could never have imagined it would be that good. A man was better though. She had also lubed my cock. She stroked it fast and hard, keeping up with her powerful thrusts. I was in ecstasy. It didn’t take long before I felt my impending orgasm. “I’m gonna cummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!” I yelled. “Uhhhhhhhhh! Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh goddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd.” I shot a massive load all over my chest, my abdomen, and all over her hand. She slurped every singled drop from her hands and my body.

It was my turn to be the master. First, I made her get down on all fours and I spanked her ass until she went numb. I handcuffed her to the bed and blindfolded her. I fetched some ice. I rubbed the ice all over her body until she pleaded for mercy. I tickled her body with a feather. Then, it was time for the main event. My cock was hard once again, so I grabbed a condom and placed it on my throbbing member. I spread her legs and impaled her sweet pussy. I fucked her just as hard as she had fucked me. It wasn’t long before her body became rigid and spasmed uncontrollably. Soon after, I shot my load into the condom. I let my cock slide out of her as it deflated. I removed the condom and spread the my seed all over her abdomen. I licked it all up and snowballed her with my own cum. Our tongues danced as we savored my salty load.

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After I got dressed, I went into the training center. Simon was waiting patiently in the middle of the main training room. As I entered the room, a metal wall slowly raised out of the floor. It must have been 20 feet high and at least 30 across. “I want you to punch this wall. You must use your shockwave power to destroy it. I doubled up my fist. I felt the shockwave energy building in my fist. I felt invincible… untouchable. I punched into the wall. The shockwave surged the metal wall. The shockwave actually shredded the metal structure into thousands of tiny pieces. The floor was littered thoroughly with tiny pieces of jagged metal. It was amazing.
Moments later I found myself surrounded by clones. One of them took a swing with his electro sword, but I dodged the attack. I could feel the shockwave building in my foot as I kicked him in the back of the head. The shockwave ripped his body apart. One of the ribs somehow remained intact. The bone impaled another clone standing behind him. His screams were music to my ears. I pulled out my staff and filled it with shockwave energy. I hit two more clones with my staff. The shockwave energy cut right through both of them. It was so unreal. Chunks of flesh and powdered bone dust filled the air along with a bloody mist. I used my staff as a spike to secure it into the ground. I was still surrounded by clones. I grabbed onto the top of my staff, using it to swing around in a continuous kick. My feet sent shockwaves into all the clones, seven in total. A thick mist of bone dust, blood, and tissue filled the air before falling to the floor. The impaled clone was still alive but barely. I built shockwave energy into my finger and gently tapped him on the forehead. His body exploded on impact.

The robot began the arduous task of cleaning up the mess. My skin was covered in a blood and powdered bone. The combination gave my skin and clothing a pink hue. The robot toiled frantically as the room’s cleanliness was restored. The robot turned its attention to me. The robot flashed a blue light all over my body until no evidence of the bloodbath could be found. I couldn’t speak. I had witnessed power beyond my wildest dreams, and I was the source of this amazing power.

I looked at Simon. His skin was flushed… his eyes wide open. His mouth was wide open. “Simon, I can’t believe I did that. I don’t know if I should be more amazed with the robot’s cleaning skills or the clones I destroyed.” Simon laughed at me and shook his head.

“I had always been told how amazing shockwave is, but the wildest depictions in my mind could never compare to what I just witnessed. I don’t know if I should puke or jump for joy.”

“I’m feeling nauseated myself. That was disgusting.” This time we both laughed, but I really did feel sick. Being covered in blood and bone dust isn’t exactly my idea of good clean fun. “I can’t wait to take out Raging Tiger. What if he kills Cristobel before we get to him?”

“Raging Tiger is simply taunting us,” Simon replied. He didn’t seem 100% confident with his answer, but he was hopeful. “I don’t understand why my brother wandered into the wasteland. He should have sucked it up and given you time. He is too impulsive.”

“Should I give him a big hug and kiss or kick his ass when I see him?” I asked playfully. “Then again, I can’t let him take all the blame.”

“It will all work out. You just have to have faith. He’s stronger than you think.” I wanted to believe him with every fiber of my being. Cristobel was definitely not a wimp. Raging Tiger made chills run down my spine. I had never seen anyone who had the power to cause earthquakes. The thought made me cower in fear. His razor sharp teeth claws and his ability to absorb anger made him one of the most feared rogues of all.

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I arrived in the conference about five minutes early, taking the end seat to the left so that I would be facing Colonel McKenzie. Dennis sat down in the chair to my left and Gabby to my right. About 20 soldiers, including Daniel Murphy, entered the conference room and sat down, filling all the seats except the one reserved for Colonel McKenzie.

Colonel McKenzie sat down. She wasted no time and spoke. “The Caporila is fueled and ready. Tonight we are taking the rogue group known as Tiger’s Minions. This group is quite dangerous. Most of them are ferals, including their leader, Raging Tiger. He is one of the most dangerous ferals in the entire city. He is a tiger feral. He also absorbs the anger and rage of anyone who is within his proximity.” She looked at me, giving me the cue to address the group. “I believe Heartbreaker has some words as well.”

“Thank you, Colonel. First of all, I am honored that I was selected for this assault,” I said warmly. “The plan is to enter the compound from the south end. A small flight of stairs leads to Sub-level 1. Sub-level 1 is where they house their generator as well as their weapons cache. These weapons are similar to our own. Some of these ferals have other powers such as telekinesis and electrokinesis. They use these weapons the way we do. Ferals have intensified senses and physical advantages, especially in their mixed forms. “Misery, Rabid Strike, and I will deal with Raging Tiger. DO NOT attempt to fight him on your own. Only fight him if he corners you. His rage absorption makes his physical attacks and his defense against psychokinetic attacks more powerful. He and other ferals are resistant to attraction and mind control. They also tend to have speed and agility. Some of the reptilian and arachnid ferals are venomous. Colonel, do you have anything else to add?”

“Yes, I do. Thank you, Julian. In total, there will be 45 of us participating in this assault. Major Haas and the others are watching this conference on the holographic interface in the secondary conference room. Everyone in this room will be on the Caporila. Major Haas and his team are taking the Drabidoni. They are Wave 1. We are Wave 2. They will concentrate on sub-levels 1 and 2. We will proceed to the first floor of the compound via the stairs to the left. Wave 1 will join us on the upper levels once they finish dispatching all rogues on the lower levels. If Raging Tiger is isolated, the three Protectors will be teleporting to his location and taking him out. If not, they will stay with us. We are not taking any captives. All rogues shall be dispatched as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

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Once I arrived on the scene, I closed my eyes. I scanned the entire compound until Raging Tiger came into view. He was in a place called “The Tower.” In fact, it was a place where he tortured and maimed victims. Cristobel had scratches all over his body as well as bite marks. Unfortunately, Raging Tiger had some guards around. I knew the three of us could easily take out the guards or Raging Tiger but not both. “What did you see, Heartbreaker?” Colonel McKenzie asked of me.

“It looks like they have Cristobel in the tower,” I said gloomily. “He’s still alive but barely. Raging Tiger and his guards have been torturing him for hours.”

“Julian, remember to stay calm,” Colonel McKenzie said soothingly. “We can take him out. Wait until you see my powers. I’ll be with you every step of the way. Wave 1 has secured Sub-level 1. Are you ready?” I nodded in affirmation. I didn’t even bother walking. My flying ability took over as I glided into the compound. I looked to the left and found the stairs. I flew above the stairs. I glanced over my shoulder to see if the others were ready. I blasted the door off its hinges with a burst of psionic energy.

There were plenty of ferals ready to fight. I electrified my staff and went to work. I was hitting everything in sight. I started working over a wolf feral. He was quite tough. He was scratching and biting at me with unparalleled fury. I couldn’t even hit him. This wolf was well trained in martial arts. I opted for a sonic shriek. My attack sent the wolf flying into a wall, leaving a huge crack. I focused on my staff, filling it with a powerful nightmare ball. The wolf charged at me at full force only to be bludgeoned with the force of my powerful staff. “Sweet dreams, Wolfy.” I opted not to absorb my reward, as I wanted to be a tiger instead.

I had no time to celebrate as a snake feral coiled herself around me. I couldn’t breath as the coiled tightened around me. I fueled my body with shockwave energy, shredding the serpent into millions of tiny pieces. Her lover, yet another snake feral tried to shoot venom into my eyes. Telekinesis sent the venom flying back at him. As my new opponent was blinded, I took full advantage. I surrounded my staff with fire and struck the snake in the head. He hissed and screamed as his flesh burned.

I found myself surrounded by six lizard ferals. Rapid Strike saved the day. He took out 3 of them with a flurry of rapid punches, kicks, and palm thrusts. The remaining was at my mercy, or lack thereof. They shared their fates with their serpent cousin. Their bodies were inflamed as they begged for death. I obliged with my staff full of shockwave energy. Tiny pieces of burnt fleshed littered the floor.

As the first floor was contained, most of the soldiers had made their way to the second floor. I flew up to the second floor to join the action. I opted for hand-to-hand combat and put away my staff. Most of the ferals on this floor were spider-like freaks. One in particular caught my attention. She was trying to bite every soldier in sight. I gave her a powerful psionic blast, knocking her into the wall behind her. She shot webbing at me, rendering me unable to move. I electrified my body to burn the webbing. I swished my hands around, producing a massive nightmare ball. I sent the ball crashing into her chest, sending her into a deadly nightmare that was to be her last.

“Let’s go to the tower,” Colonel McKenzie ordered. She had been correct about her power. Her hair was razor sharp. She twirled herself around, slicing and dicing any rogue stupid enough to take her on. A staircase and a large metal door separated me from my love and the rogue leader that I wanted to destroy. I melted the door with a powerful laser beam.

Once I entered the tower, I noticed at least a dozen feline ferals sharpening their claws and hissing at me with evil intentions. I focused my efforts on a panther feral. She was scratching at me with expert accuracy. My body was already covered in a crimson mask and a rather painful stinging sensation. A sonic shriek sent the kitty flying. She managed to brace herself with her sharp claws, preventing a full force collision with the wall. She retracted her claws and came at me with full force. I punched her in the head with a powerful shockwave, leaving tiny fragments of bone dust and blood in my wake.

“Colonel, I think the soldiers can take the rest. Let’s get Raging Tiger.” She simply nodded. I couldn’t see him but I sensed him at the top of the tower. I teleported the colonel, Misery, Rabid Strike, and myself to the top of the tower. Apparently, we were not calm enough. Raging Tiger was in mixed form surrounded by a thick red glow. Cristobel was chained to the wall. He was naked and covered in bites, scratches, and dried blood. I unsheathed my staff ready to pummel Raging Tiger into oblivion. He came at me and slashed me. The force of the scratch sent me crashing into the wall behind me. As I recovered, my three comrades punched, kicked, and sliced at him in continuous fury. I flew over to Raging Tiger, swiping at his head with my staff. The shockwave fueled blow knocked him into the wall, removing his precious red glow.

Raging Tiger recovered quickly as he latched onto Rapid Strike’s throat with his sharp teeth. I punched the tiger feral in the back with shockwave energy. He released the hold on Rapid Strike who was bleeding from the throat. The colonel and I maintained his attention while Gabby healed Dennis. I decided to combine my strength and shockwave power. I punched Raging Tiger directly in the breastbone. A mist of bone dust and blood filled the air, covering me from head to toe. I reached out and grabbed the orb. I fell to my knees as pain seethed into my body. The pain was so excruciating that my body went into shock. The world around me became black as I faded into unconsciousness.

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Author’s note: The remainder of this chapter is from Cristobel’s point of view.

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I couldn’t understand why Julian was pushing me away. Sure, I made a mistake, but I didn’t know how serious he was about us having a night to ourselves. The relationship was still new. I already knew I loved him, but the council’s orders were clear. Unbeknownst to Julian, Lady Valentine and Carculius decided that I should seduce Adriana again. I felt terrible for doing it. They had the audacity to inform me that the plan was to destroy Adriana and my brother’s relationship. “Tempest wants them separated for good. They have other plans for Simon.”

I thoroughly expressed my protest against the plan that they concocted. If they had any decency whatsoever, they would have left Adriana and Simon alone. They were two people who loved one another deeply. They had their fun on the side. Adriana needed the occasional touch of a woman while Simon had his affinity for younger men. When Julian first came into our midst, we made a bet about who could have him first. I won that bet, but he was able to have some rolls in the hay with Julian as well. For him, (at first) it was mostly about having sex with a new friend. To me, it was much more than that. Before Julian came along, I occasionally got my jollies with some of the soldiers, most notably, Daniel Murphy. (Daniel was an unabashed, well-hung bi man.)

When Julian pushed me away, I felt like my whole world was falling apart. I realized at that moment how much I loved him. There was not even a word to describe how I felt. I loved him more than life itself. The thought of not having him in my life was unbearable. After I finished my diary entry for the evening, I left. I had always been told to avoid the wasteland, but I didn’t even care. I made my way to the tunnel that led to New Los Angeles. The tunnel contained smaller tunnels that led to the surface. I figured I could go into the wasteland looking for rogues to kill.

I found myself in a bad situation. Six feline ferals surrounded me. They instantly recognized me as a Protector. They had heard about the assaults we were planning. They figured they could intimidate the others by kidnapping me. One of the ferals took a quick swipe at my head, rendering me unconscious. When I woke up, I was shackled to a chair with tape over my mouth. I had seen pictures of him, but I was shocked to see Raging Tiger. He took a swipe at my abdomen. The tape muffled my screams as he relentlessly clawed my body.

I had to contact Julian. Despite our differences at the time, I knew he would want to rescue me. Our minds were always accordant, so it was easy for me to help him go to sleep no matter how far away I was from him. I closed my eyes and searched for him. He was recently awakened, and I could sense that. He was clearly agitated as well. His panic made it easier for me to force him into peaceful slumber (fainting). I let Julian hear me begging for my life. He could even feel my pain and suffering. I knew he would want to destroy Raging Tiger. I also figured Raging Tiger’s powers would be a gift to serve him on a silver platter.

Julian didn’t see or feel the worst of it. Raging Tiger in his infinite cruelty poked and prodded my body with a branding iron. The pain was so excruciating that I faded in and out of consciousness. He also enjoyed biting and tearing off chunks of my flesh. “You taste so good.” He decided to hurt me even more as he ordered his cronies to shackle me in an upright position with my naked body against the wall. He had an assortment of torture devices as well. He had whips, giant dildos, several branding irons, and hot pokers.

When Gabby, Dennis, and Julian arrived with the army, I was unconscious from shock. I woke up to the familiar sounds associated with fighting. I couldn’t see anything. I was too weak to turn my neck so that I could see any action. I patiently waited, wondering when they would finally dispatch Raging Tiger. When Colonel McKenzie unshackled me, I almost fell to the floor. Dennis caught me and slowly lowered me to the floor.

My pain slowly faded away as Gabby healed my wounds. Bites, bruises, burns, and scratches completely disappeared from my body. I had a couple of fractured ribs as well. Gabby healed my ribs flawlessly. I felt absolutely no pain in the physical sense. Gabby helped me to my feet. I turned around and I saw something horrific. Julian lay on the floor convulsing. I panicked. I wanted to talk to him. Instead I watched him on the floor in great pain and agony. The pain overtook him as he lost consciousness. “We need Adriana now!”

Gabby pressed her comlink and yelled Adriana’s name. “We need you here right now.” Moments later, the familiar purple haze appeared next to Gabby. Gabby quickly pointed to Julian. Adriana was stunned. She teleported Julian, herself, and me back to the infirmary on the lowest level of the building. Dr. Fred Kirschner ordered his nurses to place Julian into bed.

“I need you to check his vital signs immediately,” he barked at the blond nurse. She walked over to a cabinet on the right side of the room and collected the vital monitor. She briskly walked over to Julian’s bed. “I need all of you out of here. I’ll give you an update as soon as I can.”