Portal Combat

by Bryan Cohen

  Judging by the silence, Jennifer and Dhiraj didn't know how to respond, either. Travis took the opportunity to continue.

  "It sucks, though. I had good friends in those classes, but not anymore. And half the football team was in the GHA. Ever since I gave Ted that tape and got Cobblestone locked up… I'm not exactly their favorite person. Now I've got nobody."

  Travis shifted away from Natalie and stood up. "Maybe it was a bad idea to do this. I'll walk home."

  Natalie reached for Travis, but she wasn't the first to get to him. Dhiraj stood up and used his arm to block Travis from leaving.

  "Wait, man." Dhiraj let out a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I didn't know about all of that."

  "It's ok. I'm sorry for trying to beat you up and everything the GHA did."

  Dhiraj nodded. "Why don't you stick around?"

  "You want me to stay?"

  "Want is a strong word."

  Jennifer socked Dhiraj in the side.

  "Ow!" Dhiraj rubbed at the forming bruise. "What I'm trying to say...." He looked at Natalie. "Maybe if we talk it out, I can figure a way for you to go to college with a partial scholarship."

  Travis gave Dhiraj a dubious look. "You'd do that for me?"

  Dhiraj looked back in her direction. "If Natalie's willing to give you the benefit of the doubt… then so am I."

  Natalie realized she was holding her breath and let it out all at once. Travis smiled at her and extended his hand to Dhiraj.

  "Thanks."

  Dhiraj hesitated but eventually accepted the gesture. "You're welcome."

  Everybody sat back down, and the next three hours were much lighter in comparison. As Natalie watched Dhiraj and Travis laugh together, she let all the tension melt out of her.

  This is how it's supposed to be.

  She looked across the table at Jennifer, who raised her eyebrows and smiled. Natalie grinned back.

  One more year. And it's gonna be a good one.

  Chapter 25

  Yoshi watched as Erica stared back at her parents' house. She looked every bit the teenage girl whose body she inhabited. He could hardly believe she'd bested him during their bedroom tussle. Yoshi wondered if Erica had felt the same attachment to the people around her when she died in Kikuchiyo's body so many years ago. After all this time, a part of her was still the best friend he ever had.

  Yoshi pulled the car out onto the highway. "You've gotten soft."

  Erica chuckled. "Can I blame it on being a teenage girl?"

  Yoshi had gone years without hearing a single joke, but the last couple of weeks was starting to warm him back up to humor. He almost smiled. "No."

  Erica looked at her phone before tucking it away. "I was part of a family, Yosh. If it hadn't been for the attacks, I might've kept up this lie for good."

  Yoshi had been beside Kikuchiyo's body when the protector crossed over into his friend's life. There was no need for keeping secrets among the members of the Academy. They knew all there was to know about the Realm of Souls and the ongoing war. Yoshi's mind went back to the battle that pulled them apart. He thought of flames, blades of ice and the charred flesh of his dearest friend.

  "Do you remember Japan well?"

  Erica leaned her head back into the chair. Yoshi still hadn't gotten over the fact that this skinny teenager held the memories of over a dozen lives.

  Yoshi felt Erica's eyes upon him.

  "The memories of my other lives come in and out of this one." She took a deep breath. "Ever since you came here, I'm remembering a lot more from Japan. You fought well that day."

  Yoshi felt the regret bubbling up to the surface. "Not well enough to save you."

  Erica leaned her elbow against the passenger side window. "I was there to protect all of you. By sacrificing my life to save others, I achieved my mission. It's part of the job description."

  Yoshi stared out at the cars ahead of him. "I knew you'd return in another form. I thought the only way I'd ever see my friend again was if I was chosen as the living soul." His blood simmered. "But Ted received the power. Not me."

  Yoshi glanced over at Erica. He could tell she weighed her words carefully before responding.

  "The light souls chose well with Ted. They would've chosen well with you, too."

  Yoshi looked back at the road. "Who would you have chosen?"

  Erica smiled. "Thankfully, I'm not involved in such high-level decisions."

  Yoshi let out a small laugh. It felt good to do so.

  Erica cleared her throat. "So, what'd the school think of you leaving?"

  Yoshi thought about his dozens of requests to leave the Academy and the equal number of refusals. He remembered the crimson that covered his blade after he'd slit the throats of two Academy guards. He'd wiped the sword on fresh snow before he took a path along the side of a slick mountain to get away undetected.

  "They begged me to go. They knew my skills could help your mission."

  Erica nodded. "We're glad to have you on board." She turned on the radio and blared music for the rest of the afternoon.

  Later that night in the room of a four-star hotel – Erica's parents wouldn't have permitted anything less – Yoshi watched as his friend emerged from the bathroom. He wondered what he would have thought if Kikuchiyo had come before him wearing all pink with a suggestive phrase printed on the backside.

  Erica took the toothbrush out of her mouth. "What?"

  Yoshi realized he was staring. "It's nothing."

  She finished brushing and spat into the sink. "I know. I'm a girl." Erica began speaking in Japanese. "But remember, I'm also an old friend. I'm glad we can take this journey together."

  Yoshi grinned. "Me, too."

  After Erica fell asleep, Yoshi took a long walk out on the balcony. The warm air reminded him of the Academy's heat training room, where they would fight with sweat dripping from head to toe. Yoshi wiped some perspiration from his brow just as his phone buzzed against his thigh. Yoshi noted the familiar number and walked far out of earshot of their hotel room.

  "Yes?" He paced in the parking lot. "Everything's going as scheduled." Yoshi nodded as if the person on the other side could see it. "I won't let you down, Senator Kable. Goodnight."

  Yoshi hung up and looked into the sky. "It won't be long now. I'll have Kikuchiyo. I'll have the power." He looked back at the door to his hotel room. "And there's only one person who can stop me."

  Chapter 26

  Ted brushed the dirt off his clothing and felt the sting of sweat pouring into another unwashed cut. His bleeding arm pulsated, but he did his best to ignore the pain and dizziness. He tried to levitate himself off the ground to see if his powers were still blocked. Ted strained his muscles and visualized himself soaring through the air. Despite his best efforts, his feet stayed firmly planted.

  Back to average.

  One of the Lychos let out a large growl and swiped in Allison's direction. Ted couldn't see her clearly in the darkness, but he heard the pop of her tranquilizer gun. A yelp of pain shot through the forest as a dart made a direct hit. But as with the first creature, the substance inside the dart seemed to make little difference.

  "Ted!" Allison ran further away from the beasts, darts shooting over her shoulder as she went.

  Ted dashed off in her direction.

  Think. What would Erica tell me to do?

  Ted passed by a three-foot long tree branch.

  She'd say to use my surroundings.

  Ted whistled as loud as possible. One Lychos turned around, and then the other. As the moon reflected off the hairy beasts, Ted could see three darts sticking out of one and five out of the other.

  She is one hell of a shot.

  Ted waved the stick in the air. "Hey, puppies. Good puppies."

  Ted watched as the creatures' eyes followed the stick. "Just like big dogs. Let's see if they like to fetch!"

  Ted tossed the branch in the opposite direction. The two creatures watched the piece of wood as it made an impact with the ground. Th
en they looked right back at Ted.

  "It was worth a try."

  Ted started to run, and the Lychos immediately gave chase. He placed each footstep as carefully as he could, knowing that one trip could result in death by giant dog. Ted's heart pounded and he could feel his lungs being pushed to the limit. The crisp, green smell of the trees was quickly being replaced by sweaty fur and dog breath. The growling and barking sounds behind him grew louder as he dashed through a patch of trees that were closer together. Ted sidestepped through them and looked behind him. The Lychos slowed down, unable to squeeze between the trees as Ted had.

  Ted grinned as his chest heaved. "Looks like we need to put you guys on the diet dog food."

  As the Lychos unveiled their claws, a sound like a perfect sword coming out of its sheath rang through the woods. They sliced several trees at once, clearing a path for themselves in just a few moments.

  "Next vet visit, we're clipping those nails." Ted went back to running and spied the clearing in the forest from earlier. As the Lychos gave chase, he knew he couldn't keep this up forever. His heart was beating even faster than it had during his multi-state flight.

  Ted reached the railroad tracks and heard a train whistle in the distance. He spied a faint white light that was getting brighter with every passing second. The Lychos exited the forest with a snarl and looked around for Ted. Seeing them outside of the tree cover made the creatures look even more intimidating. Their legs and teeth were twice the size of anything he'd ever seen on TV. It was something straight out of a nightmare.

  Ted heard the train whistle again and stepped off the track. "This is where I make my last stand."

  He pounded his hands together and screamed as loud as he could. The Lychos both jumped at the noise before realizing it was just the diminutive hero headed in their direction. One creature swiped at him, but Ted kicked his paw away. He rolled forward and kicked again with all his might. His shoes made impact with the beast's knee, causing the Lychos to fall forward. Ted jerked his body to the side to avoid being crushed.

  The other beast immediately leapt on top of Ted. He gripped the creature's wrists to avoid being sliced. As it snarled in Ted's face, he wondered if he'd ever smelled something so putrid. It was like a landfill mixed with a gas station toilet.

  "You must be a hit with the lady Lychos."

  When the creature lunged for his face, Ted released the grip in one hand and punched the creature right in the neck. When it clutched at its throat, Ted rolled away and pushed himself up to standing. The train grew louder as it approached.

  As Ted tried to bring the fight closer to the tracks, one of the creatures snatched him up by the back of his neck and lifted him off the ground. He felt the claws cut at his skin. Ted jerked back and forth until he slipped through the creature's grasp, sending him back to the ground. He got up right away. When the Lychos reached for Ted again, he jumped over the paw and grabbed hold of the creature's shoulder. Ted pulled himself up onto its back and started boxing it beside the ears.

  "This is for going on the carpet."

  The Lychos howled in pain and lurched forward, flipping Ted into the air. He landed on his feet before viewing the white light of the train fast approaching. The ground shook beneath his feet.

  "I'm gonna have to time this right."

  Both Lychos seemed to have already recovered from his assault. He watched the saliva drip from their sharp fangs. The creatures extended their claws until they looked like pale, white knives.

  "We got off to a rough start, guys, but with enough training, I think we can get back on track."

  The beasts charged after him and Ted slipped underneath their claws, running at full speed for the train tracks. He wondered if Natalie would be proud of his fifty-yard dash time as he pushed his legs to bring him up the slight incline. The sound of the train surrounded him and drowned out the noise of the approaching creatures. Ted's eardrums rattled and the ground shook beneath his feet as he reached the edge of the track. The train's whistle blared as the operator saw the boy on the tracks. Ted continued to run at full speed with the beasts right behind him.

  I'm not gonna make it.

  The train bore down on him and sparks flew as the operator tried to use the breaks. Ted put every last ounce of strength into his legs. He leapt past the other side of the tracks, his left foot barely clearing the engine as he tumbled to the ground.

  He barely heard the loud "whap" sound over the skidding of the breaks, but when Ted turned back, he saw that the train had smashed into the creatures at full speed. The locomotive sent both of the Lychos flying, with one ending up on each side of the tracks. Sparks from the train's still-engaged brake system illuminated the broken creature nearest Ted. His powers restored, Ted felt himself lift off the ground and move toward the beast. The massive creature was broken and bloody. He sat down beside it. On one of its arms, he spied the black tattoos that indicated it was a dark soul.

  "As if you needed an advantage." Ted watched as the train finally came to a complete stop. With the noise diminished, he heard something else.

  "Ted!"

  Between two cars, Ted saw Allison come into view. One arm hung limp at her side, but at least she was alive. Ted flew through the gap and landed in front of her.

  "Hey, are you okay?"

  Allison wrapped her good arm around Ted. She was shivering from the ordeal.

  Ted hugged her back. "Don't worry. They're dead."

  He looked to his left to verify. The Lychos on that side of the tracks appeared to have been struck even worse than its counterpart had. Ted looked back at Allison. The sweet smell of her hair filled his nostrils.

  She breathed deeply into his chest. "I have not been trained for this."

  Ted smirked. "What? They don't simulate an invasion by giant dogs from another dimension?"

  Allison pulled away from Ted. "Nope. I'll tell them to update the manual."

  As Ted felt the adrenaline leave his body, the train and the forest around him began to spin. He reached for his head and bent one knee onto the ground.

  Allison crouched down and put her arm over his shoulders. "Ted?"

  Her voice seemed to echo as everything started to go dark. He looked at his makeshift tourniquet. The blood had seeped all the way through and it was damp to the touch.

  "Hospital."

  Ted watched Allison pull out her phone as he grew more and more weak. Ted swore he heard Allison calling his name when the world around him slipped away.

  Chapter 27

  Jennifer was trapped. Sandra, the former waitress and now devilish dark soul, stood to her left. Yarrick, the Russian brute from Nigel's gang, was to her right. If she tried to run and jump off the stage, it was likely the Torello twins would kill her. There was only one complication. Mr. Faraday, a teacher whose praises she'd sung throughout the school, was in Yarrick's clutches. She fought back tears and looked at her options.

  I need to help him. They'll kill him for sure.

  Sandra cackled. "Come on, Jen. Aren't you going to save your teacher?"

  Yarrick tightened his grip around Faraday's neck. Her teacher struggled to get air past the Russian's massive forearm.

  "Jennifer." Faraday's voice was all rasp. "Please!"

  Jennifer's heart felt primed to explode from her chest. She took a few steps toward the Russian.

  "So timid." Yarrick grinned. "It is like she wants teacher to die."

  Jennifer felt Sandra closing in on her from behind. She took one more step toward Yarrick before she cut toward the backstage door.

  "Jennifer!" Faraday's scream was loud and clear despite the blocked airways. "No!"

  Jennifer's very being wanted to turn around, but she resisted the effort. She gripped the handle to the backstage door and slammed it behind her.

  She expected to be in the hallway that led to two adjacent dressing rooms. Instead, she saw the high ceilings of Mr. Patel's office building. Her hand was no longer on the door to the school auditorium. It was g
ripping the handle to the large glass door that had locked behind her.

  "What're you doing?!"

  She caught Dhiraj's eyes. He appeared to be filled with terror. She turned away and saw the brainwashed mob approaching on the other side of the glass.

  "Come on!" Dhiraj ran back toward her and pulled at her arm.

  Jennifer was petrified and couldn't move a single muscle. "I can't!"

  Dhiraj grunted as he tried to lift her. "We need to go!"

  The members of the mob began pounding on the glass. While it had previously seemed impenetrable, cracks began to show.

  "I'm too scared." Jennifer could hear the defeat in every syllable she spoke. "Let me die."

  "No!" Dhiraj lifted her off the ground.

  He'd only taken a single step when the glass shattered behind them. As broken shards landed on the ground, a series of hands reached through the door and pulled at Dhiraj's back. Jennifer fell to the ground, landing on the broken glass. When she looked behind her, Dhiraj had been completely pulled through the door.

  "Jennifer!"

  The mob began tearing at her boyfriend's clothes. She once again felt helpless. Jennifer reached toward him.

  "I'm sorry, Dhiraj." She turned away and ran. "I'm sorry."

  Dhiraj's pained screams echoed through the lobby as Jennifer hit the elevator button. She stepped inside and the doors closed behind her with a ding.

  When they opened up, Jennifer was no longer indoors. She walked out into the forest clearing just outside the Treasure city limits. Jennifer saw two people in the distance and walked toward them. She could feel her body shivering, though she couldn't tell if it was from the cold or the sights she'd seen. As Jennifer got closer, she made out the figures before her.

  Erica LaPlante, clad in her cheerleader attire, had just put her arms around Deputy Daly.

  Jennifer felt the life seep out of her. "No."

  She watched as Daly pulled a knife out of his jeans. Jennifer stared straight ahead. It was as if she were a tree planted in the ground, unable to do anything but witness the impending murder. Daly thrust his knife into Erica's side. As her friend crumpled to the ground in pain, Erica looked straight into Jennifer's eyes.