The sweet scent of lavender alerted him to Botulinia’s presence. She appeared from the crowd in her alluring purple dress and red high-heeled shoes. “Resourceful, aren’t you? How did you manage to get past the Seekers?”
“As you said, I’m resourceful.”
Botulinia glanced to Blackhat who then punched Rush in the stomach. Rush groaned and dropped to his knees.
“How did you escape?” demanded Botulinia.
“There is always a way,” said Rush, unwilling to reveal the truth.
“You’re an interesting man, Rush. It’s a shame that the Shadow Government no longer needs you since we now know where Kry is,” she said, smiling. Her bright red lips matched the color of the thousands of Bellum staff behind her.
He remained silent.
“You aren’t willing to talk anymore? I thought you enjoyed talking. Well, since you are so insistent to escape, I’m just going to have to take you along for the ride. Unfortunately, it’ll be your last.” Botulinia then levitated above the ground, high enough that she was able to look over all her staff. Her voice boomed as if she were speaking through an amplifier. “Children of Bellum! Children of War! In the morning, we go to war! Glory will be ours, and the machines that stand before you will be your weapons for justice! The Shadow Government demands retribution, and the one who is called Kry must be brought in for his actions against us! Stand with me, my Children of War!”
A rapturous cheer came from the thousands of Bellum men and women. The cheering soon ended, and they began to chant ‘Children of War.’
Rush looked on with a bitter taste in his mouth at what Botulinia was making them do against their will.
Botulinia looked down at him. “You’ll see firsthand the beauty of the Purifiers in their first ever test run. The International University of Users will be a fine target with enough resistance to highlight my new weapons. Who would have thought that you would have sent Kry there?”
Rush shivered as an icy chill swept through the courtyard. He knew who it came from.
Bellum employees stepped aside as Geminae entered. “So, it’s true? Kry is there?”
“You’ll have vengeance soon enough,” promised Botulinia.
Geminae turned to her coldly. “You don’t need to pretend to be a good girl to me. We both know we hate each other, and you were no friend to Dominus. Let’s just get this business over with.”
Botulinia returned a gaze just as cold. “Careful. You’re in my domain, Geminae. I am the Queen here.”
Geminae looked away, saying nothing more, and left just as quickly as she had arrived.
“Crazy one, that one,” said Botulinia. She looked at Blackhat. “Lift him up. We have much to do.”
Blackhat pulled Rush up with an almighty jerk.
“You can be a little more gentle, you know?” said Rush.
“Quiet, or I’ll smack you down again,” said Blackhat.
“Charming,” said Rush. From among the crowd, he saw another group of people who were not Bellum staff; their faces were covered in dragon tattoos.
Botulinia followed his gaze. “I think you’re familiar with the Dragon Wang-Tu Clan,” she said. “Tai-Lao, I believe you and Rush know each other.”
The members of the Dragon Wang-Tu Clan parted for their leader. Tai-Lao appeared with his green silk dragon robe. Rhea was beside him dressed in a similar way, except her robe was pink.
“Botulinia, we stand ready,” said Tai-Lao. He made a quick distasteful glance at Rush.
Rush was bewildered as he saw Rhea. He did not understand.
“Oh, don’t look at her like that. She’s innocent,” said Botulinia.
Rhea had her eyes cast down to the ground.
“Dominus, that ogre. The woman survived the fall. My staff found her washed up by the river bank. She was close to death, but she clung on,” said Botulinia.
Tai-Lao bowed. “A deed I can only repay a thousand times over. My only daughter means everything to me.”
Rush was taken by surprise. He looked from Rhea to Tai-Lao, but he could see the resemblance. Rhea would not look at him.
“Rush, you will see firsthand the destruction of the university you sent Kry to, and after you’ve seen it crumble before you, only then will I hand you over to the Shadow Government.” She then looked around the crowd. “Where is Michael?”
“Here, my lady.” Michael appeared from the crowd dragging Dr. Rhodes with him. Michael was garbed in red with golden epaulets fastened to his shoulders, and an ornate badge was embroidered on the right side of his uniform.
“Dr. Rhodes, are you hurt?” asked Rush.
“Silence!” Blackhat slammed his fist into his stomach.
Dr. Rhodes tried to come forward and help, but Michael held him back.
“He’s fine, as long as I’m happy. Michael, it’s time. You’ll accompany me into battle in one of the Purifiers.”
“An honor,” said Michael.
Rush could not believe how he had changed so much. Michael’s eyes glowed with madness as he looked at Botulinia with admiration and lust. Botulinia’s charm was powerful.
“Dr. Rhodes, I hope you’ve done enough to fix the problem you caused us. Otherwise, your son will be the first I kill when we arrive at the university,” said Botulinia, coldly.
Dr. Rhodes shook visibly. “I’ve corrected what I could in the little time I had. Please, my son is everything—”
“Enough. I’m sick of you. We shall see what we find, and I’ll make my judgment of your son when I arrive. The other Blades will be joining us from different parts of the world. It’s going to be a magnificent slaughter,” said Botulinia.
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” declared Rush.
She turned to him with questioning eyes.
“In the end, the young always topple the old. That university trains the finest Users on the planet, and you’ll find it a harder task than you think,” said Rush.
She smiled with malice. “Not this time.”
Rush locked eyes with her.
“These machines are like nothing this world has seen before. Both User and non-User will fear them! The Purifiers have been created with an energy source that resembles the energy found in a Seeker’s rod. And just like a Seeker’s rod, a Purifier has the power to disarm Users by severing the link from mind to body. The Purifiers will be their downfall. The Blades and Seekers will take care of everything else. It’s always best to kill them young, so they don’t get too strong to have thoughts of retaliation later.” She then looked toward Tai-Lao. “Take Dr. Rhodes and Rush with you. Keep them close and make sure that they get a front row seat to the coming destruction.”
Blackhat led Rush to Tai-Lao and pushed him forward.
“As you wish,” said Tai-Lao. His eyes showed anger as he grabbed Rush’s arm. “You’ll regret killing my brother.”
“He was a sore loser and awful at poker,” said Rush.
Tai-Lao turned to Rhea. “See, this is the man you’ve been trying to defend. He killed your uncle!”
Rhea remained silent.
“He tried to kill me first,” interjected Rush.
Tai-Lao was about to strike him, but Botulinia’s voice boomed across the Bellum compound. “Men and women of Bellum. Soon, the world will know our name. In every corner of the globe, they will know it and fear it. First, we will strike the university and kill the ones who betrayed the trust of the Shadow Government. Once victory is achieved, you’ll be sent across the globe to secure all the major resources available on this planet. Everything will become property under Bellum, and energy will be rationed! Governments, starved of resources, will bend to our will. All countries will submit to our new world. They will have no choice. Long standing alliances among states will fall, and there will be another world war—a war of resources. The Purifiers will be the new weapon that countries fear! Nuclear weapons will be nothing compared to what our machines can do! The recycling of humanity will start with us! For the glory of Bellum!”
&
nbsp; “For the glory of Bellum!” replied the thousands of Bellum workers.
“We will hang the unjust and bring them to their knees. No one defies the Shadow Government and goes unpunished. The professors have conspired to hide Kry from us, and for that, they must die. For the glory of Bellum!” shouted Botulinia.
“For the glory of Bellum!” replied the Bellum workers.
“Whether student or professor, there will be blood. Children of Bellum, you will smash our enemies! Children of War, you will kill those who betray us!”
Thousands of Bellum men and women shouted in unison, their eyes lifeless and dead. “Children of War! Children of War!”
Rush felt the chills down his back as they chanted continuously. He could see the fear in Dr. Rhodes’ eyes and the guilt he bore for creating the monstrosities in front of them.
Botulinia raised her arms in the air. “Yes, my Children of War!” She turned to the Purifiers behind her. “Begin the preparations. We go to war!”
Chapter 30 – Rematch
They had been waiting in the classroom for twenty minutes, and Professor Himura had yet to show up.
“It’s unlike a professor not to attend the class without any warning,” said Akira.
Eclipse had other things on her mind than to care about where her professor was this morning. A week had passed since the party took place. The professors had decided that classes would be suspended until further notice, and today was the first day they would return to study. For many students, the time off was good news, but to her, the classes were a good way to take her mind off the issues that she continued to have with Kry. He had grown more aloof since the party and avoided her at every turn, not even once willing to stay and talk. There was little she could do except keep trying, but every day that passed seemed a day that Kry distanced himself further.
The doors of the telepathy room opened, and President Katar walked through. Something was wrong. She could see the concerned expression on his face. Katar strode toward the front of the class.
“I’m sorry you had to be kept waiting this long. I will be taking over this class for the remaining time scheduled,” said Katar.
A student raised his hand. “Where is Professor Himura? Is he sick?”
Katar pressed his lips. “Professor Himura is currently missing, and we do not know where he is.”
Many students turned to each other confused as to why their professor had suddenly disappeared.
“I’m sure he’ll return soon, but for now since he is absent, I will take over for the time being,” said Katar.
Eclipse could see something else hidden beneath his words. Even his eyes showed doubt about whether Professor Himura would return. Katar began the lesson, and she sat in silence hoping that Rush would make contact soon. She hated to admit it, but she actually missed him.
****
The cafeteria was busy as students came in for lunch. Many looked happy that the classes had restarted and were beginning to feel the challenge of competition once more.
Whisper and Thrace walked through the cafeteria and joined Eclipse, Akira, and Inessa at the table.
“Kry?” Eclipse asked them.
Whisper shook his head. “He doesn’t even talk to me. He’s kind of like Abel now and just sits in the back and remains quiet.”
Eclipse always hoped Kry would walk through those doors with Whisper and Thrace after class, but every time she was disappointed; this time was no different.
“Where’s he now?” asked Akira.
“No idea. After the class ended, he just took off. We couldn’t even catch him to say a word,” said Thrace.
“How was he in class?” asked Eclipse. “Did he do anything strange?”
“No, as Whisper said, he just sat quietly in the back and kept to himself during the class exercises,” said Thrace.
“There was one thing I did notice, though,” said Whisper.
“What is it?” asked Eclipse.
“During the class, I did see Kry and Abel exchange glances several times,” said Whisper.
“Their egos are as big as each other,” said Inessa.
Eclipse thought it was more than that. “No, I think they’re planning to fight soon. Abel told us what Kry said to him after the party, but we’ve no idea when they’ll go about it.”
“Athena looks miserable, too,” commented Thrace. “It seems she found herself stuck in a weird triangle between them both.”
“Can you imagine being stuck between those two? Poor girl,” said Inessa.
“Are you glad to have me?” asked Thrace with a cheeky smile.
Inessa leaned over to kiss his cheek, but she turned away at the last moment. “Maybe,” she said, winking back at him.
Whisper was uncomfortable with their show of affection and hoped to change the subject. “How was your class?”
“Good question. What class?” asked Akira.
Whisper did not catch his meaning.
“Professor Himura didn’t show up for the class, so President Katar took over midway, but there was no structure to the lesson. I think even Katar didn’t know he would take the class, and it was obvious he had hadn’t prepared anything,” said Eclipse.
“What? Where is Professor Himura?” asked Thrace.
“Nobody knows,” said Akira. “Even Katar didn’t have any idea where he was.”
“That’s really strange. I’ve never heard any professor just skipping their class without a reason. Katar must be angry,” said Thrace.
“To be honest, he looked more worried. He only told us the bare minimum,” said Eclipse.
“I hope he returns soon because he was the one professor I liked. He even said he could help me overcome my problem of not being able to speak,” said Whisper.
“He was certainly better than some of the other professors. I would’ve preferred if Zero had been the one who had gone missing instead,” said Thrace.
“Oh, come on. Zero might be strict, but he knows what he’s doing,” said Inessa.
“He knows too well what he’s doing. Sometimes, it just seems he’s bored with teaching,” said Thrace.
Eclipse recalled the night of the party and then remembered something. “The last time I saw Professor Himura was during the party. It was dark, but I was sure Zero and Himura were arguing. It was just before the student brawl.”
“You don’t think Zero has something to do with his disappearance?” questioned Thrace.
“I don’t know, but that’s the last time I saw him,” said Eclipse. “It looked pretty heated.”
“I doubt Zero had anything to do with it. Professors argue all the time I bet, and what would Zero gain from it? I’d be more inclined to believe this if it was Katar who was missing. Zero looks like he’s a power hungry guy,” said Thrace.
“But what if Zero did have something to do with it?” added Whisper. “I’ve never trusted him.”
Eclipse was not sure either. Zero was estranged from the other professors, but she could not make out any motive that made sense. She did not know Zero well aside from his aggressive teaching tactics, but Zero was a man of results; she was sure of that.
“What’s up with Sonus?” Akira pointed to the large table where some of the New Order students sat. Their numbers had grown so much in the last few months, and it seemed like at least half of the tables were occupied by New Order students.
Eclipse forgot all about Zero and looked to Sonus’s table. He sat with his eyes glued to the floor as if he had something heavy on his mind. The other New Order students sat quietly eating. What was also surprising was that all of them had brought their weapons. It was common for faction leaders to bring their weapons to the cafeteria as a sign of dominance, but for the whole faction to all bring them was unusual.
A tremendous crash through the cafeteria doors caused the place suddenly to become quiet. A student had tripped while running through the door. He was panting heavily, and there was excitement in his eyes as he tried to catch his breath. “It
’s happening!” the student shouted.
Many students laughed at his sudden appearance.
“Don’t trip over your words!” shouted Gustav. The European faction members all joined in on the laughter.
The student was one of the many factionless students. Eclipse recalled seeing his face only a couple of times, but like many of the factionless students, they often were lost in the sea of other students. Sometimes they were bullied, sometimes not. Only strength was considered important here.
“The Cube! They’re in the Cube!” The student leaned against a table trying to breathe.
Many continued to laugh.
“What’s he on about?” asked Thrace.
Eclipse had no idea, but the cafeteria was so packed and filled with talk that it was almost impossible to hear what he was saying.
“Who’s in the Cube?” Ilya pulled the toothpick out of his mouth and threw it at the factionless student.
The student moved his head to avoid the thrown toothpick and shouted something, but Eclipse could not quite catch it.
The laughing began to stop, and the talk among the students died down.
“What did he say?” Eclipse asked.
“I couldn’t hear myself. He’s too far away,” said Whisper.
There was a commotion as many students rushed out of their seats, some tripping over as they ran toward the door. Table by table the message was passed to the next, and the cafeteria soon was in chaos.
“They’re fighting in the Cube! Kry and Abel!” The student ran past their table and scrambled for the exit.
Eclipse immediately got out of her seat.
“Now? I didn’t think it would be this soon!” said Whisper.
Thrace was excited. “This is going to be good!”
Eclipse could not believe they were doing this. “Let’s go.”
There were hundreds of half-eaten meals and empty seats as they followed the other students outside. The only tables that did not join in on the excitement were those of Sonus and the New Order; they ignored everything and sat quietly finishing their meals.
Rise of the Young: Warriors are not made; they are forged (The Ascended Book 2) Page 43
