“Manning’s?” He asked.
“All me, baby,” Simpson replied, grinning under his mask. “We’re gonna open up this line.” Simpson pointed between the remaining buildings that led towards the Skyborn. “Get as many of our guys through the opening as we can but they gotta be empty. For all we know there are innocents still hiding in those buildings that have been trapped their since the energy wall went up. Let’s go.”
Dustin nodded his understanding and followed Simpson forward who had returned to blasting the enemy with an assortment of what seemed like futuristic weapons.
“This is Abigail Adams reporting above the Skyborn building in the centre of New Belfast where an amazing and terrifying battle has broken out between members of the super powered community. We haven’t been able to get a quote from the police and we don’t know if the attack is government sanctioned but a large force, tens of thousands strong, marched towards the Skyborn Building via Austin Avenue and somehow managed to break their way through the force field that, now wanted terrorist, Vincent Kennedy somehow put up around his building and the surrounding blocks. While we can’t say for sure if this force is working for the government or has any ties to the police, we can see that the police have not entered into the dome behind the super powered. They seem to have reformed their ranks around the break in the dome, potentially to prevent anyone else getting in or maybe even to stop any of Kennedy’s people getting out. We haven’t been allowed to get anywhere near them recently and this view from the sky is the best we can give you folks. I don’t really know what to say about all of this, it’s the strangest and most terrible thing you would ever witness in your entire life. The opposing forces are using all manners of powers and weapons. We can see men and women dying by the dozen every few seconds. Explosions are going of everywhere and there are strange forces that seem to be supernaturally controlled like lightning, fire and ice. I witnessed a small tidal wave form from Kennedy’s ranks and wash over several dozen of the opposing force and when the water cleared they were nowhere to be seen. I didn’t see it myself but my colleague Dan witness a tornado rampaging through the middle of everything only to be somehow absorbed into one man’s mouth and spat back out causing many people to be blasted back. I think I saw a giraffe of all things running lose in the middle of all this chaos. I saw one man playing electric guitar as people’s flesh seemed to rip clean off of the bone in front of him. It really is like nothing you have ever seen before. I can tell you though several of the buildings that were left standing on the day Vincent Kennedy first revealed the dome have fallen and this new force is slowly making it’s way towards the Skyborn. More and more and more of Kennedy’s people though are flooding out of the standing buildings to reinforce their side who appear to be overcoming against the invading force.”
Mark wanted nothing more than to join the fighting but he and several other flyers and speed runners were under order from Manning to get the wounded out of there. It took all of five seconds for him to have to spring into action. People were dropping all around him. Part of him wanted to believe this would just be a fight, but in reality it was so much worse. The dead were piling up by the dozen. Every person he lifted to bring back outside of the wall that was only severely wounded made him feel a great sense of grim relief. He carried a woman with a large open stomach wound back outside to where the police and army officers were now assembled to protect the opening. Medical personnel had arrived at the scene in droves. Ambulances and helicopters were taking the dying away every few seconds to any hospital that could take them.
Marcus lay on the ground writhing in pain. Josiah had his hand on the Sufferer’s shoulder.
“I can’t imagine how awful this is man,” The police man told his friend.
“I can only take so many people’s pain,” Marcus began. “So many of these people are still in agony!”
“Just be smart Marcus. Don’t take too much. I know it’s harsh but you have to prioritise who gets relief. Don’t be taking someone’s headache if you don’t have to.”
“I… I know,” Marcus admitted.
“I’ll get you some water. Hang in there man.” Josiah stood and turned to get a bottle of water from the supply truck.
“Wait…” He thought to himself. “That Belgian guy was my pizza on the shelf wasn’t it?”
Josiah struggled to think clearly. “Oh… oh, no not this again…”
Warstone charged through the enemy with little to no resistance. He wanted nothing more than to run at full speed towards the Skyborn and find Kennedy himself, but he had to stay with the main group. Simpson was clearing a large path building by building towards their target. Every few minutes another building crumbled to the earth. He held no weapon, instead using his own body as an instrument of destruction. Suddenly a laser blast struck him in the chest. Finally, a force that slowed him down. Looking around the melee he scanned from left to right to find his shooter. Another blast from his left hit him which knocked him back a few steps. Looking up he saw a slender young man dressed head to toe in tight red battle armour. He had colourful energy emitting from his hands not unlike Jessen. Warstone smiled and charged at his foe.
“It’s going well,” Frank told his boss. “Our eyes in the sky are reporting back every few minutes. Their numbers are falling at a much higher rate than ours. Their injured are being brought back outside the wall and the number is growing larger and larger.”
“Good,” Vince answered. “But it’s taking too long and they shouldn’t have gotten this far.”
Vincent stepped away from the window looking out over the battle and walked towards the door.
“Tell Simon we’re coming down. It’s time for the Masterpiece.”
Frank knew not to push too much but had to ask once. “Ok. Sir, I wouldn’t be doing my job as your right hand man if I didn’t ask, just once, if you are sure about that?”
Vince stopped in the doorway and looked Frank in the eye.
“Tell him we’re coming down,” he ordered.
“Yes sir,” Frank obeyed.
“And send the rest out.”
“All of them?”
“Every last one. No point in being protected in here by a small force. The priority is that they don’t make it in this far, even if it leaves us unprotected inside.”
Invisible Stan made his way down the emergency stairwell. Panting for breath, he had to pause for a moment to regain his composure. He would have taken the elevator but Kennedy’s security and his monsters were constantly riding up and down in them. This was safer. He was all the way up on the thirtieth floor before and was now trying his best to get down to the secret lab Kennedy was holding Jessen in. He didn’t care if it cost him his life. He didn’t care if Kennedy saw the knife or the gun floating around in the air. He was going to do his utmost to end all of this and kill the billionaire psychopath.
A loud bang from above startled Stan who looked upwards through the handrails of the winding metal stair case. Someone was running down them quickly towards him.
“Oh no!” he thought to himself. “If he collides into me I’m done for!”
The loud banging footsteps were getting closer and closer. Stan pushed himself as far into the corner of the landing as he could, figuring someone who was trying to get down the stairs as fast as they could would be using the inside rail and not the outside one. When the on comer was just two flights above him Stan could make out through the gap that it was one of Kennedy’s security personal, dressed head to toe in black body armour and carrying a machine gun with hand guns strapped to each thigh.
The man came running down right in front of him at full speed and without thinking Stan stuck out his foot.
Metalcore could see from his vantage point above the battle that it wasn’t going as well as hoped. Their fighters were falling in greater numbers than Kennedy’s. Manning had been able to kit out a lot of their people with all kinds of weapons and armour throughout the years, but it was extremely limited compared t
o the resources that Kennedy had. His force was not only larger but more powerful as well. Metalcore flew back to the wall and took out his notepad and pen. He had to distance himself from the fighting to have time and safety to write. He quickly scribbled something out then flew back to the front line to find Israel or Greyfall. He saw Israel first, downing an enemy that appeared to be made of metal with his wrist coils. He wrapped up the metal man’s legs and hit him high in the body to knock him backwards. A blunt coil to the head knocked him out. Metalcore flew down to land beside him and held out the piece of paper.
“Not going well,” he had written. “We have to get through to the building ASAP. Flyers and runners attack?”
Israel read the note. A severed arm flew out of nowhere and struck Metalcore on chest, startling him.
“Damn it!” Israel said. “It feels like it’s going ok here. You sure?”
Metalcore nodded.
“Yeah, yeah I guess you have a better idea from up there,” Israel said as he dodged a spear thrust from a stealthy opponent. Grabbing the shaft of the weapon he pulled it and the enemy towards himself. Both Israel and Metalcore punched him on both sides of the face together and he fell to the ground unconscious.
“No offence but I think we’ll need more than the flyers and runners we’ve got,” Israel said as he looked up into the sky for another flyer. One was nearby that he recognised as one of their own and he sent out his blunt coil into the air to nearly miss the woman who immediately looked down to see where it had come from. When she locked eyes with Israel and Daniel they summoned her down.
“Israel right? What’s going on?” she asked as she landed.
“What’s your name?” Israel asked.
“Rachel.” she responded.
“Rachel, we’re going to have to split the force. We need the majority to launch and all out attack towards the Skyborn and some to fall back to secure the hole in the wall. If we all charge forward we could leave the wounded and the police outside vulnerable. Daniel can’t talk so I need you to spread the word. Use flyers and speeders to get the message around. We’ll just go geographic with it. If you’re in the front, go forward. If you’re at the back, go back. We don’t have time to assign individuals.”
“Yeah understood,” Rachel replied.
“When we get to the building the flyers and speeders need to get in and make sure everyone is out. Every prisoner or experiment that you find in there, we’re rescuing all of them.”
“How many are there? How will we know if or when we have them all?” she asked.
“There’s a guy in here somewhere.” Israel looked around at the madness going on around them. “Dustin. He knows his role. He can sense people. He’ll know when it’s clear and he has a communicator to let us know. When we make our big push forward everyone needs to unload absolutely everything they’ve got. If anyone has a one-time-only power, that will be the time to use it. Any questions?”
“No. Good luck boys,” Rachel responded as she lifted into the air. Israel turned to join the fight once again.
“The boy,” Kennedy said.
“Manning’s boy? You think he can hold the power?” Frank asked.
“He was once next in the queue before Manning kidnapped him. I’d like to see what he can do. If he dies, so be it, we’ll post his head to Manning for kicks. It’s win-win as far as I’m concerned. Send the word out to the force.”
As Frank stepped away to communicate with the fighters outside, Simon dabbed at the blood oozing out of Jessen’s mouth.
“Sir…” Simon began.
“I don’t want to hear about the dangers Simon,” Kennedy interrupted before he could hear any more warnings.
“No not that sir. Hade doesn’t have much more time.”
Kennedy walked over to where the unconscious Jessen Hade hung from the wall in a crucified stance, tubes and wires coming out of his body every few inches.
“Do what ever you have to do to keep him alive.”
“I already am sir but the thing is…”
Elaine heard the orders and surveyed her position in the battlefield. She could see her brother flying at the front of the line, fighting hand to hand in mid air with several of the enemy. No doubt Greyfall, Israel and Warstone were all in there somewhere. But her heart sank as she had to be honest with herself; she was at the back. She wanted nothing more than to rush to the front and fight alongside her friends but if everyone at the back did that there would be no one left to defend the wounded and the police. Reluctantly she slowly began stepping backwards along with those that surrounded her. Kennedy’s people kept attacking as the back of Manning’s force made their way towards the hole in the energy wall. It took several minutes of fending off attackers with solid ice weapons and shields but she was now close enough that she could make out the faces of the police men standing guard on the other side. Something seemed to be off. The men simply looked wrong, like there was confusion amongst their ranks.
Getting closer something else about the energy wall took her notice and she gasped.
Inside Kennedy yelled at Simon. “What do you mean it’s shrinking?!”
Elaine walked right up to within feet of the energy wall. Gazing through it she could clearly see several meters of scorched earth beyond.
“Is that where the wall had stretched out to?” she thought to herself.
There was no time to contemplate the matter as she was soon under attack. The battle was now split in two. Elaine looked around to see who she had with her and breathed a sigh of relief to see the solid group of fighters surrounding her. Silvercord and her eighty warriors and the entire Stirling Forty were uninjured and defending the gap.
“If this thing is shrinking… does that mean the gap is closing?” she thought to herself.
Chapter 26
The fighting now had two front lines. One in front of the hole Greyfall had smashed in the energy wall and one that was surging forward as hard as they could towards the Skyborn. Silvercord hacked and slashed her way through the enemy, her sword never stationary. Elaine froze and smashed countless foes and used her ability to create shields and slides to void attack where necessary. The Stirling Forty attacked wildly, swinging axes and hammers brutally and effectively. As Jessen slowly died in the depths of the Skyborn, the energy wall outside closed back in on itself. The entry gap was getting smaller and smaller, now only twenty yards wide. Silvercord yelled to anyone nearby who could hear her.
“When the gap closes, we regroup with the others!” she ordered.
Elaine wasn’t far. “If we’re still alive,” she said aloud to herself.
On the other line Greyfall, Israel, Metalcore, Warstone and Simpson led their force in an all-or-nothing full frontal assault on the enemy, never taking a moment to compose or catch their breath. The order had been spread across their ranks to attack with everything they had and concentrate all efforts into breaking through to the Skyborn. Dustin, The Reader, confirmed with Simpson.
“Last one. Empty,” he told the military warrior.
Simpson shot at the final building in their way which came collapsing down in a dusty heap just like the rest of them.
The path was wide open now. They surged forward with everything they had.
“Is the other shoe meant to be basketball in age?” Josiah thought to himself. “No wait. I’m going to die!”
“Mmm… Marc…” Josiah stumbled back to The Sufferer who was now on his feet and surveying the scene. Dozens of police and army men where cowering in fear behind anything they could shield themselves with. Some were running around as if they were trying to find something they had lost. It was a sorry state of affairs.
“We’re not gonna make it!” one officer yelled. “The freaks have betrayed us and joined Kennedy!”
The man raised his gun and fired eight bullets into the bulwark wall. They dissolved into nothing.
“I told you it was the red ones. They always get the cupboard back from fifty!” another yelled.
“Josiah this is madness. What is happening to all of you?!” he asked.
“Fff… felt this… before…” Josiah struggled to say. “Ssp… spirits! Oh man they’ll kill us all in pitta bread!”
“Spirits?” Marcus repeated, feeling his heart sink. Turning to look back down Austin Avenue his fear was confirmed. Slowly, coldly and confidently walking past the squad cars and ambulances was Nagra. To his sides as always were Spirit of Fear and Spirit of Confusion.
Marcus put his hand on Josiah’s shoulder. “You’re not gonna die in pitta bread buddy.”
Josiah fell to the ground and sat on his back side like a child. Marcus stepped away from the officer who was now mumbling to himself and walked out to the very centre of Austin Avenue, twenty feet away form Nagra and his Spirits.
“It’s church boy!” Spirit of Fear mocked. Marcus ignored him and simply stood confidently in the middle of the road.
“Why do you not cower like rest of these pathetic insects?” Nagra asked coldly.
Marcus looked Nagra dead in the eye. Staying silent he held up his index finger to signal for them to wait there. Spirit of Fear and Spirit of Confusion looked to Nagra, confused themselves as to what was happening. Marcus walked back towards Josiah who was still sitting on the ground.
“Josiah,” he called out to him but the police officer ignored him. Fear had overcome him. Marcus took a deep breath through the nose and spoke loudly and confidently.
The Hade War Page 27
