Nova is such a strong woman. To know that Paris is controlling and manipulating her to the point where even she cannot fight back is terrifying. Will she be the same woman if Troy manages to rescue her? Can someone recover from being abused and tortured like she has been? There's no telling what other unspeakable things Paris has done to her.
Troy closes his eyes and decides that this line of thinking isn't going to help his composure. Instead, he blocks out the world except for Silver's hands. This is his one comfort now and he intends to take it all in.
* * *
"Mmm . . . Jayce . . ."
Troy wakes up to Silver's hands unzipping his pants from behind him on the floor. "Whoa! Silver, wake up."
"I don't want to get up yet, mon amour." He kisses the back of Troy's neck and continues whispering to him as he pulls his hair teasingly. "You know what I want to do?"
"No!" Troy squirms out of his arms and zips his pants. "Silver, hey Silver!" He kicks him in the side. "I'm not Jayce."
Gabriel pulls Silver away from Troy. "Troy, get over there. He's asleep. Hey you." He shakes Silver's shoulders. "Wake up and stop trying to have sex with your friend."
Silver eventually sits up and pushes Gabriel's hands away from him. He looks around the room as if he has no idea where he is. "That was a crazy dream. It felt so real. It was like I was touching Jayce."
Troy crosses his arms and glares at him. "You were touching me."
"Oh my God." Silver stands and backs away from him. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't trying anything . . . not with you. I thought it was all in my dream. I would never do that."
Troy holds up his hand. "It's okay. Don't worry about it."
"Don't hate me. I wasn't-"
"Silver, stop. I'm fine." Troy takes his hand. "Look at me. I'm okay. I understand."
"Thank you."
"Well, this is an interesting way to start the day." Blice laughs and leans against the wall.
The cell door is opened again as a guard steps inside and sets down a tray with four bowl of oatmeal. "Are you ready, Troy? Get your armor on and come with us. Today, you will be fighting for Jarred Cunningham's life."
Silver rolls his eyes. "My name is Silver."
"Whoever you are, you're next. Enjoy your last meal."
15
Troy stands next to Silver as the audience cheers and calls for blood. He has no way of knowing what awaits them today, but he knows that losing Silver may very well be the final blow to the wall he has put up to protect his fragile mental state. He feels himself losing control of his emotions, but he must keep them contained before they become his downfall. Despite everyone's close evaluations of the two previous fights, no one has been able to spot a weakness in the archons. Not even Gabriel.
Paris, dressed in a bright yellow cropped jacket that shows his stomach and green lace pants, waves at the crowds. He blows a kiss to Troy then holds up his hands. "Welcome to the arena! This is day three and my gladiator has yet to win a single match against my archons. Today, I have a very special surprise for them both. Let's get this started. Come on out here, Jolt."
Jolt? Who is Jolt?
Silver's mouth falls open and he turns pale.
This archon looks very different from the others Troy has been fighting against. Instead of metal, this one has pale skin and short black hair. Glittering dark purple wings like amethyst crystals are spread from his shoulder blades. Pale branch-like scars trail down his neck and disappear under his loose white shirt. A black cloth is tied around the archon's eyes. The very first thought Troy has is how much this archon looks like Zodiac.
Silver makes a gasping sound as the shock spreads across his face. His hands are shaking and he shakes his head.
Who is this person and why does Silver look like he has seen a ghost? Wait. Can that purple-winged archon be . . . Jayce? No wonder he looks so much like Zodiac. He's his other father.
The archon breaks the silence. "Bonjour, mon amour."
Silver clears his throat and manages to speak. "Are you who I think you are?"
"Of course. Cela fait depuis longtemps que nous ne nous sommes pas vu. Tu es si beau. You look lost. Have you forgotten all the French I taught you?"
"I . . . I . . ."
"Ce n'est pas grave. It doesn't matter. What matters is that I'm here now with you. I can see you a bit better with this new program in my mind."
"How is this possible?" Silver's voice wavers. "I don't understand. You . . . you can't be Jayce."
"Do you doubt me? Ask me anything and I will answer it."
"Where did we meet?"
"At the android auction in Paradise. You were working security and I needed a new owner."
"What happened to your creator?" Silver asks.
"I killed her for beating me and forcing me to sleep with her."
"And those scars on your neck and back?"
Jayce touches his collar bone. "From where my creator tried to electrocute me. I nearly died. I had to escape so I killed her in her sleep and ran. That's when I found you."
Silver's eyes brim with tears. "What is your favorite flower?"
"White tulips. You gave me one for every year I was alive on my birthday. You used to write little love messages on the petals."
"What is my sniper rifle's name?"
" René. I named it, after all."
"What were we doing when we had our first kiss?" Silver asks.
"You were trying to ride a bull and got stepped on. You broke your femur and I had to set it. You were always such a show off. But what did they expect to happen when they sent two fifteen year old boys to tranquilize some bulls in the middle of the night?"
"What's this?" Silver pulls out a bullet on a necklace and holds it up."
Jayce smiles. "The necklace I gave you on our wedding day. I dug that bullet out of you after one of our missions went wrong. I believe our son has mine, oui?"
"Y-yes. That's right. All of it is right."
Troy looks from the blind archon back to Silver. "What the hell is going on here? Why is Jayce an archon? I don't understand."
"I was turned into an archon by Evans's partner. It was all a part of some twisted plan to make an army of power armor robots."
Interesting. "Like the archon army Paris has now."
Paris struts up to Jayce and strokes his hair. "Exactly. The prototypes were destroyed, but the winged versions were quickly developed. But this beautiful man here is Jayce, one hundred percent. He had one of those older microchips so we were able to revive him. Whereas Isidore and Evans merely had a simulated consciousness, every part of Jayce's mind is real and authentic. The man you are looking at is your husband, Silver."
Silver looks to Jayce. "What do you want me to do?"
Jayce smiles and whistles a high pitched note.
As if being summoned, Silver goes to him obediently. He reaches out with a shaking hand and delicately touches his husband's face after so many long years apart.
"Don't cry on me now, Jarred. You've always been so emotional."
"Shut up and kiss me."
Jayce grins as he runs his finger over Silver's beard. "So forceful. This isn't like you at all."
"I've had to be so strong. I had to carry on without you."
"Well, I'm here now. Let me take control."
Troy isn't buying it. As he watches them kiss, he has the insurmountable feeling that something isn't quite right. These two pieces just aren't fitting together.
Paris's demonic giggling fills the air. "Aren't reunions wonderful? We don't have all day, though. Well, go on, Troy. Kill the archon."
And now it all makes sense. Paris is actually pitting Troy against Silver. Jayce is only part of the game. "Silver, get away from him! That's not Jayce. Paris made him resemble Jayce so he could trick you into siding with him. Don't let him manipulate you."
"I think I would know my own husband."
"That's the problem. Don't you see? You've been ensnared in his web of lies and traps. You wanted to b
e with Jayce so much that you aren't seeing the danger here. Remember why we're here. Remember how much Paris manipulates everyone!"
Silver steps in front of Jayce and holds up his fists, ready to fight. "Do your worst, Troy. I will not let you kill my husband."
"Are you serious? Archon, I don't know who you are, but I do know who you aren't. You are not Jayce Cunningham. You are a program, an unfeeling simulation, an illusion."
"Don't talk to him that way! I will defend Jayce from any dangers, including you."
"Use this." Jayce draws a serrated combat knife from the back of his black jeans and thrusts it into Silver's hand. "Don't let him kill me. Protect me, mon amour."
"I will."
Without warning, Silver races towards Troy and swings the knife at him, pushing him roughly onto his back. Troy rolls away and tries to find a wound, but there's nothing, not even blood.
He missed. If there is one thing anyone knows about Jarred Cunningham, it is the undeniable fact that he knows how to fight and to kill. That's what he has done in order to survive since he was twelve years old. Troy was wide open and vulnerable, but Silver missed. Silver's wink confirms Troy's suspicions. He knows it's not really Jayce. He's playing along with Paris until they find the opportune time to strike together.
"Now, Troy!"
Silver hits the archon hard and grabs his waist as Troy reaches to his side and draws his gladius. The archon kicks Silver in the groin then turns around to pry the sword out of Troy's grasp and slam his elbow into Troy's face, sending him sprawling at his feet. The archon stands on Troy's injured shoulder, digging his heel into the wound.
Silver groans and manages to stand. "Hitting below the belt? I knew you weren't really my husband."
The archon chuckles and shrugs his shoulders. "In the end, it doesn't matter. You can't do anything with those shaky hands of yours."
Silver turns his back on the archon and walks a few steps away. In a split second, he spins around and releases the knife.
The archon gasps as he clutches the combat knife that is buried to its hilt in his neck. Blood spews from the severed artery as he drops to his knees, freeing Troy. The gurgling sound makes Troy's skin crawl. He has to end this now. He picks up his gladius from where the archon had dropped it and straddles him. Troy plunges the blade into the archon's back, over and over until he stops moving.
Paris squeals in a voice that sounds hauntingly worse than nails on a chalk board or a dying cat. "For the first time, we have a new winner. Archons: two. My gladiator: one. Congratulations! You don't get to die today, Silver. Is our beloved gladiator finally learning, or did he simply get lucky? Only time will tell. Come back tomorrow to find out. It will be the final fight before he faces my champion."
* * *
Mistress rubs Zodiac's shoulders as they watch Silver and Troy being led back down below the arena. "Zodiac, are you okay?"
"So that was what my other father looked like."
"You resemble him."
"I've always wanted to meet him, to know what he was like. I would have given almost anything to see his face, but not like this. When Troy is king, I hope he outlaws all of this simulated intelligence stuff. Let the dead remain dead. It only hurts people to bring back their loved ones in altered forms. Yes, death is a painful thing, but this doesn't make the grieving process any easier. It's inhumane."
"You believe that Troy will find a way to be king?" Mistress asks.
"There's something you need to know about Troy. When he wants something, he will go to hell and back to get it. He is beyond stubborn when he sets his mind to something. However, you and I both know he couldn't have defeated the archon if it wasn't for Silver's help. If Troy is alone in tomorrow's fight, I honestly don't think he will be able do it. Then there's the question of who this champion is."
"There is one more fight before then, but two people still in there with him who haven't fought yet. That's Gabriel and Blice."
"Do you think one of them is Paris's champion?" Zodiac asks as he looks out the window. What was that sound?
"Gabriel is an archon."
"Good point. I don't like where this is going. But then again, I haven't liked any part of this up until now. Speaking of Gabriel, have you found a way to get his button to him? It's kind of an emergency, don't you think?"
"Paris has that entire city locked down tight. If we fly there, we will be shot down as soon as we enter the airspace."
Zodiac grabs Mistress and pushes her down to the floor. "Get down!"
The building shakes as plaster and bricks fly over their heads, filling the room with dust and smoke. The security system begins blaring the loud alarms as the heat from the explosion become unbearable.
"What's going on?"
Zodiac pulls Mistress through the billowing black smoke. "Just follow me. Here. Put this around your face. Don't breathe the smoke." He pulls off his t-shirt and hands it to her.
"You need clothes."
"Baby, I don't need clothes where I'm going. We need to get out of here. Where are Donnie and Seraph?"
Mistress coughs as she ties his shirt around her face. "I don't know! Oh gods, I hope they're okay."
"I'm more concerned about getting me and you out of here alive."
A second explosion sends the ceiling collapsing, blocking the hallway in front of them. Mistress screams and grabs onto Zodiac for support. "What now?"
"Just stay calm. I'll get you out of here."
The flames fill this half of the building. The heat of the inferno makes Zodiac's eyes sting. What now? He looks around frantically for any clear path, but when a third explosion sounds behind them, he knows he is out of options.
Mistress points to the doors on the inside of the hallway. "Those automatic doors aren't working! The control panel is right there, but you can't fix it without electricity."
"How . . . convenient. Do you love me?"
"What?"
Zodiac takes her chin in his hand and looks into her deep black eyes. "Just tell you love me. We don't have much time. I have to hear you say it."
"I love you."
"Then this might actually mean something to you." Zodiac digs in his pocket and hands her the keys to his motorcycle. "Take my bike. Ride until you reach Athens. Sneak your way into the city and find Gabriel. Give him the button and end this."
"Why can't you come with me? What are you doing?"
"Saving you, just like I promised." Zodiac closes his eyes as he opens the control panel and places his hand on the fuses. He rips the sensor from his arm and shoves it into the disconnected wires. With the energy from his sensor, this should jumpstart the entire system. He flips the breaker.
* * *
Gabriel's large golden wings shimmer in the bright morning light from the window as he paces back and forth in front of Troy. "We've already seen that you can't defeat those archons on your own. Also, don't think for one second that Paris will simply surrender or give up his power if you do manage to defeat his champion. You know as well as anyone that he wants you dead. He's just playing with you first. If we don't come up with something radical, all of us will die what appear to be extremely gruesome and unpleasant deaths."
"What am I supposed to do?" Troy asks as he shoves another handful of the grey flavorless oatmeal in his mouth. "They're so strong, especially in their power armor."
"You have power armor as well."
"Yes, but I can't fully use it."
"Or can you?" Gabriel asks. "I would normally never suggest doing something as reckless as this, but I think now calls for desperate measures. When you go out there to fight today, I want you to remove those lead studs from your ears. Use your dark matter and defeat the archon."
"Are you crazy? If I unleash those nanobots unchecked, there's no telling how much destruction it would cause. All of those innocent people in the stands would be in danger. You saw how powerful I was when it first happened. Six years later, I could be unstoppable."
"That's a good thing."
Troy wipes his mouth on the sleeve of his shirt. "It's a dangerous thing. I won't do it. I can't kill them."
"Don't play like you're so innocent, Troy. I know about you murdering those people when you were younger. You believed they weren't fit to live anymore because they had violated your opinion of justice and the greater good. What is the greater good now? Are those people out there truly innocent? They can't be. Is it good that they come here to watch you fight and bleed? Is it good that they cheer as they watch your friends be tortured and killed? Listen to me and listen well. You have to figure out what means the most to you. Either you risk harming some of those people who you have no allegiance to, or Nova will die. Everyone will die. There are civilian casualties in every war, no matter what precautions are taken to prevent them. You have to do the right thing. We are counting on you. The universe is counting on you."
Troy stands and turns his back to them then stares out the window at the sea of people who are completely oblivious to the true danger they are in. They go on with their daily lives with blinders on to shelter them from the truth of their bleak and mortal realities. He watches the happy children swinging their wooden swords and running around their doting parents. They're just children. They don't know any better. They are the innocent ones, just like Paris used to be innocent. Unlike Paris, they have a chance to grow up with a nurturing family, far from the abuse and torture he was put through for no reason other than the perverted pleasures of a madman. They deserve a chance to thrive.
It is in this moment that Troy makes up his mind. "I can't do it. They're children."
"Not all of them." Silver says plainly.
"It doesn't matter. Children are innately innocent. I cannot harm them. I physically can't do it, especially not after what just happened to Orion's children. Too many innocent lives have been ripped away."
Silver sounds agitated. "If you don't do this, they will all certainly die when Paris decides to end the universe."
"At least then, I will die knowing that their blood is not on my hands."
"But it will be! Don't you see? Open your eyes, Troy! You have a chance to save so many other children, all across the galaxy."
Paradise Forgotten Trilogy Page 56
