by Cohen, Bryan
Natalie raised an eyebrow. "There was no playing. Besides, I lost rock-paper-scissors. I didn't even get to play."
Erica piped up from the back of the room. "We'll go in through the portal, and we'll take out their weapons before the General even knows we were there. Any questions?"
Doren raised his hand. "This is what you're supposed to do, right? Am I raising my hand right?"
Natalie rolled her eyes. "What is it, Doren?"
Doren looked back and forth between Erica and Natalie. "I just wanted to see if it's true that Ted was here discussing late night strategy with both of you."
Natalie felt her cheeks warm as she glared at the beefy light soul. "Let's just get ready for the battle. Whoever I have late night strategy sessions with isn't much of your concern."
A few of the troops laughed as Natalie turned and exited the room. She couldn't help but wonder exactly what would have happened if she hadn't kicked out the living soul.
Natalie rode on the back of an angel as they flew through the air to their target. Without even taking any fire, her squad of winged assassins easily landed on the roof of the building. One of them caught Natalie's eye. "That was almost too easy."
Another angel spoke up. "I didn't see any troops for miles. Are we sure this is the right place?"
Natalie nodded. "We go where Erica says to go. Let's get inside."
With a heavenly kick, one of the angels busted through the door on the roof. They hustled down the stairs and waited for an alarm or any other indication that the General's people knew they were there. But none came.
Natalie caught a whiff of saltwater in the air. "What the hell is that?"
She hit a button on her com device. "This place smell familiar to you, Yoshi?"
There was silence on the other line.
"Yoshi, copy."
Silence continued to meet her.
"Something's wrong." Her chest tightened as she strengthened her grip on a sword she'd commandeered from the angels. "I need to get downstairs, now."
She led the angels with their retracted wings down the stairs as quickly as she could. When the smell of saltwater was almost overwhelming, she kicked through the door to the third floor. She saw Yoshi standing there in front of a massive glass tank of water. But it didn't seem to be the water he was concerned about.
The samurai was stoic before the familiar-looking seaweed in his view. "We have a traitor among us."
The rhinos looked among themselves, as did the angels. Natalie stepped forward and dipped a finger into the pool. It came back hanging with the same green glowing seaweed that she'd seen the mermen eating. The same seaweed that prevented Ted from using his mental powers.
Natalie looked toward Yoshi. "It could be a coincidence. The same memories that took us to your planet were ones the General already had."
Yoshi's eyes were like fire as they looked into hers. "Are you blind? Someone on our ship is working for the General. And now, they'll be protected from the living soul's greatest power." Yoshi tapped his com device. "Erica, you need to see this."
A minute or so later, a portal opened and a sickly looking Erica stepped through. She coughed a few times before righting herself with the tank. "I see what you mean. But even if we destroy this, he could have tanks like this all over the world. It's a setback, but it's something we can over—"
Dhiraj’s voice piped through their devices. "This is not a drill, this is not a drill. There is a nuclear signature headed your way."
Natalie's eyes widened in a hurry. "How much time do we have?"
"Thirty seconds and counting!"
Just then, Erica collapsed to the ground, the book that helped her create gateways to another world flopping open beside her.
Natalie dove to the ground and put her hands on Erica's face. "Hey! Hey! We need you up and touching that book to get us out of here!"
"Twenty-five seconds!"
The soldiers looked around stunned, as if they were unable to move.
Yoshi joined them on the ground. "Protector! Kikuchiyo!"
Erica's eyes remained shut, her skin as pale as Natalie had ever seen it.
Natalie's heart beat quicker and quicker with every passing second. Without thinking, she slapped her friend across the face.
Erica's eyes shot open with a gasp, blood trickled down out of her nose.
"Fifteen seconds!"
Natalie flipped open the book and pressed Erica's hand into it.
The protector let out a painful groan as the book wavered in her hands. A small blue portal opened up before them, but not big enough for even the smallest of their company to fit through.
The sound of a rocket shooting through the air filled Natalie's eardrums. She shouted into Erica's ear. "Bigger! Bigger!"
"Five seconds!"
Erica gritted her teeth and the portal opened wider. The angels flew through first, followed quickly by Yoshi. Natalie grabbed Erica and lifted her over her shoulder. Before she could tell her troops to go first, one of the rhinos lifted the two of them off the ground. "You must survive."
Natalie screamed. "Put us down!"
As the sound of the rocket grew closer, Natalie felt herself being tossed through the air and into the blue opening. As they hit the ground on the deck of the ship, Natalie watched the book fall from Erica's pale hand. Natalie turned back toward the portal and saw it close as an explosion engulfed the inside of the building they'd just been inside. She swore she saw one of the rhinos raise his hand to wave goodbye as the closing portal and the missile sealed their fate.
Natalie couldn't hold back the rage within her. She kicked at the nearest thing she could find: an exhaust pipe. After denting it with several powerful blows, she let out a powerful war cry.
Through it all, Yoshi remained calm. "The seaweed. The bomb. Do you question me now that we have a mole?"
Natalie wanted to throttle the even-keeled samurai. Instead, she knelt by Erica's side. "What happened? What's wrong with you?"
Erica's voice was hoarse as she spoke. "I don't think I should use the book anymore. I should have known that it was never meant for me."
Natalie clenched and unclenched her fists. "Would have been good to know that a few minutes ago." She thought of the seaweed and her fallen troops on the other side of the closed portal. "He's not getting away with this. Whatever we have to do, he's not getting away with this. Now where the hell is Ted?"
8
Ted smiled broadly as he looked upon his sister's face. They sat alone beside a makeshift campfire. He wasn't sure if, even on the multiple camping trips their parents had forced them on, they'd ever had a conversation just the two of them.
Christina's face showed off the flickering light, the dying flames. "So you were evil for a little while. Kind of reminds me of my freshman year."
He shook his head. "I don't think you breaking hearts quite matches up with me cracking skulls, but I'm glad you're taking things so lightly."
She used a long, thin tree branch to stir the embers. "Only way to survive in this new world is to develop a thick skin. I already had a head start from becoming the first sister of a superhero. A relatively crappy one, if you don't mind me saying."
He scrunched up his nose. "Of course I mind you saying that. Who would you consider not relatively crappy?"
She smirked. "I'm just teasing, little brother. No need to get your tights all up in a bunch. Speaking of which, you really should have had tights and a cape."
He fake-stared her down. "All I'll say on that is that Dhiraj had them made for me and I declined them. If I tell you that photos exist, will you promise to never look for them?"
She laughed as loud as was permissible when in hiding. "That is definitely a promise I can't keep." She pushed around the glowing red pieces of wood. "I was worried there for a second. I saw the other, just as ugly, version of you on TV. I just thought you'd let all this superhero business go to your head."
"No, not yet. Much like my childhood, having a strong woman
around kept me modest."
Christina tossed the stick into the fire. "Speaking of which, who are you dating now? The chick from another world who takes over people's bodies or the superstar basketball player who could probably still kill you in a fight?"
Ted breathed in the smoky air. "Neither of them actually."
"Leave it to my little brother. The most powerful creature in the whole universe, and he still has absolutely no game."
"You know I can take back these soldiers, right?"
His sister stuck out her tongue. "All I'm saying is that you should ditch the skinny cheerleader and take a little action with Natalie Dorn. It's the best advice I have to give."
"Thank you for the sisterly advice."
The two of them looked off to the other side of the camp. Several of the rhinos laughed heartedly with the humans in Christina's squadron. His sister had told him that their numbers used to be twice as large. Some of them defected out of fear. Other ones fell to several dark souls they had encountered along the way. Christina hadn't told him how she'd become the leader of the group, but it's not like that fact surprised him. After all, she'd been team captain of every sport she'd been a part of since kindergarten.
Ted nudged his sister. "Hey! What do you think would have happened if I hadn't been the one to get powers?"
Christina rubbed at her chin like she sported a long, white beard. "Aside from me being able to use my real name in public? I don't think things would have turned out that much different."
He raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
His sister put her arm around him. "You could blame yourself for all the bad stuff that has happened, but it comes down to it, you're just not that special."
"Thanks for that."
"You're welcome. The dark souls were coming for us no matter which way you slice it. We were going to have to fight back, and you're a better choice than a lot of people would have been."
He gave her a goofy grin. "So, you're admitting I'm not the worst then?"
She chuckled. "You're still the worst at a lot of things. Besides, with all this happening, I didn't have to look for a job after college. One of the few benefits of all hell breaking loose."
One of the rhinos shuffled over to Ted and his sister.
Without even attempting to read his mind, Ted could tell something was very, very wrong.
"Report?"
The rhino's face looked grim. "There was a trap. About a dozen soldiers. Some of us didn't make it."
Ted's brain spun with the many negative possibilities. What if Natalie died before he had a chance to share his feelings?
He stood up. "Who did we lose?"
The rhino swallowed hard. "Three of my brethren fell to save the protector and our generals."
Ted's heart remained heavy, though he felt a bit of guilt for his relief at hearing that Natalie and Erica were safe.
"I'm sorry for your loss." He turned back toward his sister. "I better go." An idea went through his head. "I could take you to mom and dad, you know. Is that what you'd want?"
Christina shook her head. "The soldiers you brought should help. My place is here with them."
As his sister opened her arms wide, Ted wrapped her up in a brother hug.
He squeezed her tight. "Stay alive out here. We have a lot more awkward family photos to take."
She laughed. "Promise me something."
Ted pulled back and looked into her eyes. "Sure."
"If we do survive and take a family photo, can you find an adult version of that sailor suit mom and dad put you in?"
Ted bit his lip to stop from laughing. "You are terrible. I'll wear the sailor suit if you wear the pink princess outfit."
"Brother, I think you've got a deal."
They hugged once more before Ted walked away from his sister and fell into step with his fellow soldier.
"What kind of attack was it exactly?"
The rhino looked almost afraid behind his nearly invincible exterior. "They said over the radio that it was nuclear."
Ted wasn't sure if his skin actually turned white, but it certainly felt that way.
9
On a command from Natalie, Erica had been on bed rest since the attack occurred. The books had all been moved to a safe location, and a guard stood watch outside the room to make sure Erica did no work whatsoever. She felt slightly stronger after re-hydrating, but when she dabbed her nose, she felt another trickle of blood headed toward her mouth. She plugged it up with a piece of tissue as someone hammered on her door.
"You're sick and you wouldn't tell me!"
Erica sighed and took a sip of water. She swallowed down the taste of iron as she let out a feeble croak for him to enter.
As Ted entered, the guard on duty gave an apologetic shrug.
The living soul entered with both sound and fury. "You collapsed? You were bleeding?" His voice softened. "You're bleeding right now."
Erica took another sip of water to moisten her throat. "You're very observant."
Ted reached the edge of her sheets. "You're not seasick. What's wrong and why wouldn't you tell anybody?"
Erica attempted to force a smile. "I hoped it would pass."
The living soul shook his head. "So, you knew it was happening. You knew it was getting worse, and you put everybody else in danger."
Erica could barely lift a finger, but she could still stare down her ex with the best of them. "I'm giving myself enough guilt for this, Ted. No need to add to it."
Ted wrinkled his nose. "Tell me everything. I don't know how you're blocking my powers, but I can tell that you are."
Erica squinted. "I'm not blocking your powers." She crossed her arms. "Besides, I'm happy to tell you everything."
Ted put his hands on his hips. "I suppose there's a first time for everything."
Erica coughed and stood up on the opposite side of the bed. She kept her eyes away from Ted, though she could feel his glare on the back of her head.
"I had a feeling that the books were starting to get to me about a week ago. Creating that massive portal with the help of the people of Treasure really wore me out. Since then, I've been getting nosebleeds and feeling faint. But I didn't want to compromise the mission. We saw today what can happen if the General uses his nukes."
Ted let out a huff of air behind her, as if her words had broken his anger. "I don't think sacrificing your health or your life should be part of the mission."
She turned back toward him and looked deep into his eyes. "Sacrificing my life is always part of the mission. I am the one who dies over and over again so you can live. That's how it works."
Ted cautiously stepped closer. "But that isn't how it has to be."
"When something has always been a certain way, you've got a good chance that it has to be."
After a few seconds of silence, Dhiraj's voice crackled over a speaker. "Ted and Erica to the principal's office. Ted and Erica to the principal's office."
Ted looked up at the speaker and back at her. "Do you need my help?"
She looked at him coldly. "I wish I could say no, but I think it's a good idea."
Ted held out his arms and Erica lifted herself into them. She felt like an invalid as the living soul created a portal and walked through it. Within moments, Ted stood in a room surrounded by the generals.
Erica ignored the eyes upon her as she slowly lowered herself from Ted's arms. She kept an arm on his shoulder for support. "What's happening?"
Dhiraj gestured toward a video display above. "I'm not sure how, but this is live."
Erica looked up to see a familiar face. While he looked like Ted, the man on the screen had known her longer than anyone else alive.
"Nice of my ex-fiancée to join us." The General smiled, though she could tell that something was off in him as well. "I hope you didn't mind me killing some of your indestructible troops. It was really just a test."
Ted tensed up beside her. "No need to try to be funny, General. How about you just tell us what
the hell you want?"
The General chuckled softly. "I hope everybody realizes he got that killer instinct from me. Who knows exactly how much of the Ted Finley you knew is even still alive."
Natalie growled. "Can it, lookalike. You were about to gloat about your evil plans?"
The General set his sights on Natalie. "Ah, basketball star. I wish I was right there with you so I could smell you up close again. Taste your lips upon mine."
Ted shouted above the noise. "Enough! Your mind games aren't going to work here."
"Then I'll tell you what will work, Mr. Finley. I will send another nuke to a location of my choosing every day until you surrender."
Erica's voice broke as she responded. "That's not going to happen."
The General let out another chuckle. "Then millions of people will die." The General's smile seemed to take up half of the screen. "And it will be all your fault."
Erica walked away from using Ted's shoulder as a crutch and pressed a red button that shut the feed right down.
Natalie punched a wall so hard, she bent the metal in its wake. "That guy is a real turd."
Yoshi spoke from the shadows. "No arguments here."
Erica felt the full weight of her voice come back in just the time she needed. "New plan. We end this soon."
Ted's brow furrowed. "How soon are we talking?"
Erica looked toward Yoshi. "How soon until Riu is ready?"
The samurai looked confused. "Three? Maybe four days?"
"You have two."
She turned her attention toward Ted. "I want you and Riu in the capital as soon as possible."
A smile crept over Ted's face. "I like where this is going."
Erica stood as straight as her body would let her. "The General is going to know we're coming. That means we need to be twice as fast and twice as smart. If he knows about the seaweed, then he probably knows about the boy, too. But if we can amplify his power enough, maybe we can still get the drop on him."
Natalie nodded. "Just let us know when you need me and the troops."
Erica did her best to show off confidence with a smile. She wasn't sure if it worked. "Good, because if we don't end this war in the next 48 hours, the General might end it for us."
