by Paul Ormond
After blasting the guard with an orb, Robert manifested another long blade and shoved it straight up into the rotors, shredding the blades on contact. Whirling out of control, the helicopter plummeted toward the ground, but Robert reached out with his other hand and caught the right skid, steadying the aircraft.
Descending to the ground with the chopper over his head, Robert dropped the craft to the ground and saluted the stunned guards as he floated away.
“Despite what you think of me, Gerald,” Robert said after joining his companions streaking across the night sky. “I am one of the good guys.”
“Prove me wrong all you like,” Gerald said. “But just know that all the good you do can be wiped out with one simple act.”
“That I know all too well,” Robert said. “But I think we can put aside our differences for now, can’t we? We just busted the worlds most dangerous terrorists out of one of the most secure facilities on the planet. And that terrorist happens to be the man that attempted to destroy my company through a nefarious plot. I look forward to having words with him when he rises from his slumber.”
“I’d bring some tissues, or make sure you are on the other side of some glass,” Gerald said, wiping his brow. “This one has a funny way of getting his point across. Did everybody get out all right? Are we all here and accounted for?”
“The cloak is down and I’m on the move,” Christine said.
“XiaoFan and I have eyes on you,” Sanchez said. “We’ll be joining you shortly.”
“I’ve got Allan with me here,” Jamison said. “We made it out in one piece. A couple clicks out.”
“And we’re right behind you,” Gaelin said. “Ramon’s big gun is watching our rear.”
“I’m sure it is,” Kate said while she and TaeJun streaked in from the left. “I bet he can’t wait to get his big gun all over your rear.”
“That’s the plan. But after we get out of here,” Ramon said. “It looks like the chopper was all they could muster. We’re all clear on the back end.”
“I did what I could to keep their coms jammed while we left, but there is only so much I can do,” Gaelin said. “It’s only a matter of time before they get the word out.”
“We’ll be long gone by then,” Gerald said. “Let’s keep pushing to the mountains. Once we’ve got some cover, we’ll head to ground.”
“Uh, is anybody seeing those lights?” Gaelin asked.
“Is that what I think it is?” Ramon asked.
“Looks a lot like Kunming if you ask me,” Sanchez said.
“I’ve got multiple objects moving in on both sides,” Christine said. “We’re going to have contact in less than two minutes.”
“Are these the guys you were talking about?” Gerald asked as the glowing lights closed in on their position.
“It’s looking like it,” Ramon said. “Get ready for a fight people.”
“Babcock and Davis, make a B-Line for the rendezvous point,” Gerald said. “The rest of you form a perimeter. How much juice have we got for a cloak, Christine?”
“We’ve got a bit, but we will compromise our shields,” Christine said.
“Dammit, we’ve got to engage,” Gerald said. “We can’t have these guys tailing us. If anybody gets wind of our location, we can kiss our resistance goodbye.”
“Buckle up, buttercups, we’ve got incoming,” Kate shrieked while several orbs of light tore across the sky in the direction of the party. “Are we allowed to go after these guys, Gerald? Taking out those puny guards and their analog guns was just no fun.”
“You’re clear to engage, just don’t kill anybody,” Gerald said, spotting several figures in the distance. “But no matter what, we keep moving. If anybody gets separated, find cover and wait until you receive contact. We’ll reach out when things cool down.”
“Come on, TaeJun,” Kate said after she peeled to her left. “Let’s show these amateurs how it’s done.”
“Lead the way,” TaeJun said before manifesting an orb in his hand.
“Robert, get out front and clear the path,” Gerald said, coming up behind Davis and Babcock.
“So I’m the guy that does all the heavy lifting around here,” Robert said, manifesting a long blade. “Don’t worry, Gerald. I’ll be your work horse. I am a team player. Just wait ’til these guys find out what happens when people get in my way.”
“Nobody dies,” Gerald said. “They’re on top of us. Everybody push for the mountains.”
“Just took out a couple of them, but there are more incoming,” Kate said, darting over a tree-lined hill under the moonlight. “Like a lot more.”
“Goddamnit,” Gerald said after dozens of figures appeared over a far hill accompanied by three black helicopters. “How the hell did these guys get here so fast?”
“We’ve been crossed once already,” Ramon said, readying his weapon. “I can’t verify every single contact within the Cells network.”
“Well, somebody told somebody,” Gerald shouted. “Cause these guys look like they knew exactly where we were going. Kate, TaeJun and I are going to go and create a diversion. Everybody else, push on and stick with the plan.”
“Are you calling us in for a special mission, boss?” Kate said as she pulled up to Gerald’s flank.
“Flying in outnumbered is exactly the kind of task you are programmed for,” Gerald said. “Get ready to show these guys how they do it on the other side of the portal. We want them to chase us, but whatever you do, don’t get caught.”
“I know how to play that game,” Kate said while peeling away. “TaeJun, get ready to light these guys up. After we give ‘em one on the nose, we’ll make for the tree line and pull them in after us.”
“You certainly are my kind of girl,” TaeJun said, following after Kate before a storm of orbs exploded in the night sky.
Dodging under the attack, Gerald let loose a blast of his own before banking toward the ground. A group of soldiers broke rank and followed after them with a chopper in a support.
As he skimmed over the ground, Gerald felt the heat of the incoming orbs pounding into his shield. Ahead of him, the tree line loomed at the top of the hill. Thrusting ahead, he was forced to change direction as the chopper flanked him and he found himself caught under a spotlight. He rolled to the right and shot a volley of fire at the base of the aircraft to little effect.
While he attempted to escape, the second helicopter blocked his path, and he was forced to change course again. With the helicopters directly behind him, he shot for the tree line, but the final aircraft cut off his path.
Surrounded on all sides, he spotted the several dozen soldiers fill in the gaps between the helicopters, cutting off any escape.
A flash of light from nearby blinded him before a pulse of energy tore through his body, pinning him to the ground. In agony, he thrashed against the restraints holding him down, but he was unable to break free.
Filled with rage, he heard boots hit the ground nearby as a pair of men approached.
“It looks like we got one of them,” a soldier said.
“One might be all we’ll need,” the other soldier said. “Did that taser make him take a dump or something? It smells like crap.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
“IS IT JUST me, or are the walls closing in,” Gareth shouted after he scrambled into cover behind a marble wall.
“The tunnel, it’s shoving us out,” Sage said, looking over his shoulder. The stone slab that had sealed the passage advanced upon them, pushed by some unseen mechanism triggered by the entrance of the dragon. “We need to find cover now.”
“Get the hell over here,” Candace shouted while crouching behind a rock wall at the base of a pillar.
Another shock wave filled the cavern, followed by a tremendous thud that knocked Sage off his feet. Scrambling toward Candace, he shuddered as an ear-splitting roar rattled his skull.
“Did you get a look at that thing,” Sage asked, pulling up next to Candace.
; “I am way too scared to look,” Candace said before another roar erupted nearby. “Where is Shaundra?”
“I’m here,” a meek voice said from behind a rock. “And I’m terrified.”
“Don’t worry. Just sit tight and we’ll figure this out,” Candace said while giant footsteps echoed through the cavern.
“Gareth’s over there,” Sage said, spotting his friend hiding behind a low wall next to a marble staircase. “I’m going to take a peek and see if there is a way out of here.”
Raising his head above the stone, Sage found himself staring directly into the fiery pit of the monster’s right eye. As he dropped down in a panic, the dragon let out another roar before lunging forward.
“It’s right there,” Sage shouted before he grabbed Candace by the arm and dragged her to safety. “Get out of here and find someplace to hide.”
“What about Shaundra?” Candace shrieked while a massive paw slammed into the ground a few feet away.
“I got her. Just get moving,” Sage said as he spun around and spotted Shaundra frozen behind a rock. He looked up to find the creature lunging forward, pinning him against the stone wall. Two searing eyes looked down upon him over a scaled snout, and a pair of smoking nostrils large enough for him to leap into stood a few feet from his body.
Glancing to his left, he spotted Shaundra cowering against the sheer size of the creature. As he caught her eye, he gestured toward the gap at the side of the creature’s thick body, and she scrambled away. The dragon sensed her movement, and it broke its gaze for a split second. Not hesitating, Sage curled himself into a ball and sent out a shock wave from his chest, stunning the creature for a second.
Rearing up in anger, the dragon let out a rage-filled shriek, but Sage shot through the gap between its thick forelimbs and rocketed toward the center of the cavern.
After the dragon crashed down to the ground in search of its prey, Sage spotted Candace, Shaundra and Gareth hiding behind the two pillars at the far end of the cavern.
“We were just about to dive in there and rescue you,” Gareth said.
“I bet you were,” Sage said, joining his friends. “At least we know we can hurt it.”
“But that doesn’t mean we can kill it,” Candace said.
“Then we’ll have to figure something out,” Sage said before the creature spun its hulking body around and roared in anger. “Because we’re not going to last long in here against that thing.”
“What did it say on those pillars back there?” Shaundra said before the creature leaped into the center of the cavern and snorted.
“I took screen shots,” Gareth said, pulling up his panel.
“Hopefully you can read them on the move,” Sage said while pushing off of the pillar. “I think we’ve been found.”
The dragon roared again before it locked its eyes on the far end of the cavern and leaped into the air. As it rocketed forward, a stream of fire burst out of its gaping mouth, engulfing the cavern in flames.
Dropping under the blast, Sage guided his friends to the far wall, and they dove into cover behind a statue of a woman holding a rectangular shield.
“Locked inside the tomb, no light shines brighter than the star of mother’s womb,” Gareth said, reading from his panel.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Sage asked.
“It’s what it said on that pillar,” Gareth said while the dragon searched the rubble at the opposite end.
“Obviously it’s a clue of some kind,” Candace said.
“Shield yourself against the fires of Wralgon’s rage, the light of the sun will dawn the age,” Gareth said, scanning through his screen shots.
“That’s something,” Sage said before the Dragon spun around and launched into the air again. “But we’d better get moving cause our friend just figured out that we didn’t stick around for the cookout.”
“Beast in blackness lurking, burn, burn, burn the light of truth, a warning.” Gareth said as the Dragon shot toward them.
“I’ve heard stars, and shield and sun,” Candace said, following after Sage. “Keep your eyes peeled for anything we can use.”
“I think we already found the shield,” Gareth said while racing toward the statue of the woman before the dragon let loose another burst of flame.
“Up there,” Shaundra said, pointing toward the roof of the cavern. “It’s a giant disc or something. Could be a sun.”
“We’ve got a shield and a sun,” Sage said. “We just need some stars.”
“On those pillars,” Candace said. “I count four stars, one on each of the main columns.”
“I think you’re right,” Sage said while the dragon spun around. “But what the hell are we supposed to do with all that.”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Gareth shouted, cutting across the cavern. “There are four of us and four stars. That’s not a coincidence.”
“Yeah, but what do we do with them?” Candace said, diving into cover behind a pillar.
“Haven’t you played this game enough to figure it out?” Gareth said while leaping out from behind the pillar. He blasted the dragon in its back with an orb, giving Candace enough time to escape. “This whole mission is about using the upgrades. Whoever built this cavern wants us to use our powers together to defeat the dragon.”
“Fine, but how?” Candace shouted after pushing past the creature's head and letting loose another blast of fire.
“We need to shoot those stars,” Gareth said. “That will trigger some kind of event. I’m guessing it is going to have something to do with that sun and the mirror.”
“Makes sense,” Sage said, flanking Gareth as Shaundra joined on the other side. “But how do we do it with that thing chasing us?”
“One of us is going to have to get its attention and lure it away while everybody else gets in position,” Candace said before the dragon lashed out with its enormous paw.
“Why is everybody looking at me?” Sage said, dropping under the strike.
“You know what I’m going to say,” Candace said.
“What ever happened to all that girl power?” Sage said while he rose to the top of the cavern and shot an orb at the dragon’s head.
“We’ve all got our roles and talents,” Candace said, letting loose an orb of her own. “You’re the leader. So obviously it should be you that distracts the dragon. You’ve done it once already.”
“Fine, if that’s what you want, but I’m bringing this up at our next team meeting,” Sage said. “Get yourselves to the pillars. I’m going to shoot for the shield and draw it to me. Wait until I blast the star on the right before you let loose.”
“You’re my hero,” Candace shouted while Sage rolled to his left and blasted the dragon between the eye.
“And this is how you reward me,” Sage said before the dragon spun around and roared in his direction. “Get to the stars and be ready.”
Dropping to the floor of the cavern, Sage rolled to his right while a surge of fire blasted past him. He kicked off the ground and pushed up a staircase as the dragon lunged toward him, but he dodged behind a thick pillar. Slamming into the column, the dragon smashed through the obstacle like it was snapping a twig and struck out at its prey with a wide swipe.
Sensing the creature behind him, Sage kicked to the right and changed direction, narrowly missing the dragon’s thick claws.
A few hundred feet ahead, Sage spotted the statue of the woman clutching her shield in anticipation of an unseen attack. Overhead, a large star sat embedded in the center of the final pillar on the opposite column.
Sucking in a big breath of air, Sage rocketed toward the shielded statue and spun around to find the dragon bearing down upon him with its jaws fully extended. Before the creature had a chance to let loose a spray of fire, Sage blasted the star with several orbs.
Upon contact, the star burst into flames and a bright beam blasted out of a hole left in the pillar and connected with the disc over head. Shocked by the explosion, the drago
n looked toward the center of the room before three more explosions occurred on opposite sides of the cavern after his companions hit their marks.
Undeterred by the explosions, the dragon turned its attention back to Sage while four beams of light converged on the center disc. As the creature lunged toward Sage, a thick pulse of light shot out of the disc and connected with the shielded statue. The beam reflected off the shield and struck the dragon directly between the eyes.
Imbued with light, the dragon shrieked in agony before its figure faded into a cloud of dust.
“That seemed a little too easy,” Sage said, shooting toward the center of the room in search of his friends, but he came to an abrupt stop after a single figure emerged from the cloud of dust that had been the dragon.
“It appears you and your companions have a knack for riddles,” the voice of Mitch Mythic said as the figure stepped into the light.
“Anybody could have figured that out,” Sage said while he dropped to the ground. “But don’t tell me that is was you inside that dragon. Is there a reason that you are trying to kill us?”
“It is DeathWorld, isn’t it?” Mitch said.
“Yeah, but you are the one that told us to come here. This is the second time you’ve stuck us in the room with a monster,” Sage said while Candace, Gareth and Shaundra dropped down to the ground beside him.
“Consider it an exercise in teamwork,” Mitch said. “You worked together to overcome the dragon and your party has grown stronger.”
“So this was a team building exercise?” Gareth asked.
“It is up to you how you wish to perceive your experience. The dragon was and will continue to be a security measure built into this location,” Mitch said. “Welcome to the Mythic HQ in DeathWorld, by the way. This will be your new operating center in the game. Here we will train recruits and prepare them for the battle to come.”
“What battle are you talking about?” Candace asked.
“The battle for planet Earth, of course,” Mitch said without cracking a smile. “A time of darkness has come to this planet. As we speak, an evil force amasses beyond our sight. We must prepare ourselves or the human race will perish.”
