Kry expanded his chest and narrowed his eyes. “And what if there was?”
Botulinia looked at him with curiosity. “There was what?”
“Someone stronger,” said Kry.
All the Blades laughed except Makai and Luka.
“Someone like you?” asked Kade, blowing his cigar. “You’re nothing to what they are.”
Kry grit his teeth. “How do you know?”
“Because we’ve all seen what the Shadow Government can do. They’ve been around for longer than any of us know. No one is stronger than them,” said Kade.
“Then why are they so interested in me? Why do they want to capture me? If I’m no threat, why do they want me?” asked Kry.
Botulinia walked to him and stroked his face. “Young and naive. You’re only an interest to them as a mere side thought. You’re more a hindrance than a threat. Somehow, your time in this university has made you think that you’re strong, but so far you’re a disappointment. One member of the Shadow Government could take all of us out with a single thought, but you—you can’t even protect anyone here.”
Kry looked directly into her eyes. “Have you heard of the disagreement about the lives of the two boys during the User Civil War?”
Botulinia was surprised. She turned to the other Blades who also looked at him curiously. “We know the story well. The Shadow Government had them killed.”
Kry looked at each Blade. “Are you so sure?” He was as calm as the breeze in the winter air.
There was silence for some time until Dice broke out into laughter. “Makai, why don’t you tell him?”
“Tell me what?” asked Kry.
Makai looked him in the eyes. “I was the one who killed them.”
Kry did not expect that answer. He stared at Makai, searching his eyes for the truth.
“Are you troubled by this?” asked Makai. “You didn’t know them. They didn’t suffer much.”
Kry clenched his fists and found himself lost. He was not sure of what to believe anymore. He had been so certain he was one of the boys. The dreams were so vivid that it all felt so real.
Botulinia whispered into his ear. “Did you think that you were one of those boys?”
Kry’s hands began to shake. “Why did they have to die?”
“They just did. We don’t ask questions when it comes to the Shadow Government,” replied Makai.
“Makai, tell him how one of the boys couldn’t stop crying as you grabbed him by the neck,” said Dice.
Boom, boom, boom. Kry placed his hand on his head. The pain was sudden and unbearable.
“What’s wrong with him?” asked Abbas.
Boom, boom, boom. Boom, boom, boom. Kry yelled out in pain; his voice carried right across the stadium.
Dice covered her ears. “Shut him up, Abbas.”
Kry shook his head from left to right. “Make it stop!”
Abbas grabbed him, but Kry instinctively threw him backward with some unseen force. Seekers rushed forward with their rods.
“His powers should be disabled!” shouted Botulinia. The other Blades took aggressive stances as the Seekers surrounded Kry.
Boom, boom, boom. The pain was intensifying. Kry could no longer contain the anger and the rage. “THEY WERE JUST CHILDREN!” A massive shockwave erupted from Kry, throwing the Seekers into the air.
“His eyes,” said Rafal in awe.
“I never truly believed,” said Dice.
Kade had thrown his cigar away and already had his bow equipped. “What a nuisance.”
Kry’s eyes glowed with white flames. The interference from the Seekers’ rods had no effect on him. The rage was building, and the ground beneath him was starting to shake.
“The power, do you feel it?” asked Makai. “He truly is an Ascended.”
Botulinia threw her dagger at Kry, but it dropped to the ground as it was just about to hit him. Kry then raised his arms into the air, and the stadium began to shake.
“Stop him!” shouted Botulinia.
Abbas was already back on his feet. He roared with anger and stampeded toward Kry, even though the ground was shaking beneath his feet.
Suddenly, a large field of energy erupted across the stadium, expanding in every direction. Blue light burst into the sky from the magnetic wave knocking everyone down. Kry was thrown off his feet and landed hard against the Cube. The white flames in his eyes were gone, and he could feel himself returning. The next thing he noticed was that all the Seekers’ rods had been switched off.
He looked across the field and saw the surprise in all of the students’ faces, but no one was more surprised than he was because the large blue field of energy did not come from him.
****
Rush and Rhea were suddenly thrown off their feet as an unexpected field of energy struck them. Neither one was hurt as they slowly returned to their feet.
“What was that?” asked Rhea in disbelief.
Rush had seen the blue field of energy pass through the machine. It touched his mind in a way he had never experienced before. “I’ve no idea, but let’s hope it works in our favor. How do you feel?”
“I’m fine. My knees are a little sore, but that’s it. The control room is on the next floor. What do you plan to do?” asked Rhea.
Rush led the way and climbed the ladder. “Improvise.”
She followed him up, and Rush was already outside the door to the control room.
“Give me a moment. This won’t take long,” said Rush.
Rhea was about to say something, but Rush opened the door and moved so fast she could hardly see his movements. Within seconds, every Bellum worker had been knocked unconscious. Rush returned to his normal state and began to tie up the Bellum staff with energy from his mind.
The Purifier began to descend rapidly. “Rush! You need to control this thing!” shouted Rhea.
Rush was already moving around the room, searching for the right controls.
The Purifier continued to descend, and Rhea was struggling to keep her balance. “Hurry up!”
Rush moved from computer to computer, trying to understand the machine. The Purifier was picking up speed. Rush closed his eyes and linked his mind to the computers. A thousand wires appeared, and dots of energy darted across the circuitry. Inside, one source of energy glowed brighter than the rest. He reached for the source and then opened his eyes. A computer screen was in front of him. He tapped the screen, and basic functions of controls appeared. It was a simple setup, and he soon found the right touch points. The Purifier stabilized and began to rise.
Rhea regained her balance. She had never been more relieved. “Rush, I’m not sure if I like your improvisation.”
Rush winked at her. “I never said this was going to be easy.” He was now in control of the main movement of the Purifier. “This thing moves so smoothly. Dr. Rhodes has done an incredible job.”
“What do you want me to do?” asked Rhea.
Rush pointed to another computer. “That one is for weapons.”
“How do you know?”
He pointed to his head. “User.”
“Of course…” said Rhea as if that were a natural thing. She went to the computer that Rush had indicated.
“We’re going to take this for a spin, but first we need to make a quick detour and drop off some baggage,” said Rush.
The Purifier accelerated into the air and moved so fast that they had already traveled a great distance.
“Where are we?” Rhea could only see small rice fields in every direction.
The machine jolted as Rush tried to land on an open field. “Sorry, I’m still new to this.”
Rhea watched him leave the room. “Where are you going?”
He was gone. She heard the sound of the doors opening below. She came to the viewing window and saw Rush holding her father and the Seekers over his shoulders. He lay them down on the field and then blinked away. She turned around to see Rush picking up the Bellum workers. He blinked again and placed al
l of them outside. The door behind her opened.
“You’re supposed to be in your room.”
She turned to see the guard from her father’s quarters.
“Where’s your father?” The guard looked around and saw the control room was empty. “What have you done?” He tried to grab her, but then suddenly he disappeared.
She turned back to the window and saw Rush holding the unconscious guard over his shoulder and placing him with the others. Rush had even taken the guard who she had left locked in her room. Rush blinked back into the control room.
“I think that’s everyone,” said Rush.
Rhea was surprised. “We’re just going to leave them here?”
“They’re safer here than where we’re going,” he said. “They’ll be alright. I can’t have any distractions this time. You can stay with your father if you still want to.”
“No, my choice is made. He wouldn’t accept me back after what I’ve done.”
“Never be so sure. A father’s love is unconditional.”
“Not mine,” replied Rhea.
Rush pointed to the computers. “I need you to operate the weapons. There are only two of us, so it’s going to be rough, but we’ll manage.”
Rhea was concerned. “I don’t think I can kill innocent people. Even though the Bellum workers are against us, they’re not themselves.”
Rush gave her a look of understanding. “The weapons of this machine are powerful, but they have a disabler, too. Use the computer on your right. There’s a weapons display.”
She looked at the screen and saw that there were symbols for rockets, energy pulses, and a host of other dangerously looking functions, but there was one symbol which stood out. “I found it. If we can disable the other Purifiers, then we have a chance, but there are so many of them.”
Rush pretended he was holding a gun and pointed his finger in the air. “Bang bang! Better make sure we don’t miss then.”
****
“The Seekers’ rods have been disabled!” shouted Yujin.
The blue field of energy had cleared all the students’ minds from the interference, and their powers had returned.
Eclipse was already on her feet before any other. “This is our only chance!”
Yujin and Seranay were back on their feet, and one by one all the students began to rise.
Eclipse blinked and picked up her weapons which had been dropped by Luka when the energy field had knocked them all down. She raised Kuro into the air. “There’s only one way out! We have to fight them!”
Students turned on their barriers. The sound of energy humming was euphoric as different colors spread out across the field.
“We are many; they are few!” shouted Eclipse. “The Shadow Government has taken this world and our freedom. We are a new generation, a young generation. We had many factions here, but there are no factions anymore except one: our family. One faction which has been bonded under tyranny and duress!”
The Blades were already getting back to their feet, and the Seekers were in a state of confusion having lost the power of their rods.
Eclipse thrust Kuro into the heart of a Seeker. She pulled Kuro out which was now dripping with blood and raised it into the air once more. “Rise of the young! Rise of the young!” she shouted.
Students everywhere began to shout the same words.
“Rise of the young!” shouted Aiyax who regained her whips and wrapped them around the throats of two Seekers.
“Rise of the young!” shouted Akira.
“Rise of the young!” said Whisper, his words touching the minds of every student.
“Enough!” roared Botulinia who jumped into the air and spun around in a flurry of energy. Energy-infused knives darted across the field slamming into the barriers of the students. A few students whose barriers were not strong enough were instantly killed as her knives pierced their chests. “Children of war!” Botulinia’s voice traveled far into the distance and into the minds of all the Bellum workers in the Purifiers. “Kill them!”
The Purifiers on the ground began to rise while many of the Purifiers in the air started to direct their weapons to the ground.
Luka pulled out his silver katanas as students surrounded him with glowing barriers. “A sad day this will be.”
Dice laughed hysterically and rolled her dice in her hands. “So many numbers, and so many more deaths to have!”
“Rise of the young!” the students roared together as one voice.
And then there was the sound of fighting as the students clashed against the Blades, the remaining New Order, and the weakened Seekers. All the while, the Purifiers were preparing to fire.
****
“There they are!” shouted Rhea.
From the control room window, she could see many of the Purifiers hovering in the air and more were rising from the ground. The Purifiers had started to target the university again, but this time their fire was concentrated toward the large stadium.
“Time for some slick moves! Get ready to activate the disabler and make sure you hit every one!” said Rush.
“There are too many!” protested Rhea. “How can we stop them all?”
Rush moved his hand around the computer at lightning speed. “You have me.” He winked back at her. “Just hit the button every time I say ‘now.’”
She looked at him, and his confidence was reassuring. “I hope this works.”
“We don’t have a choice,” said Rush.
The machine tilted to its side, and Rhea felt the exhilaration as Rush moved them closer toward the other Purifiers. Her heart was beating faster and faster as they drew closer.
“Now!” shouted Rush.
Rhea pressed the button on the screen for the energy disabler. A bright blue ball of energy darted forth toward the Purifier in front of them and passed through the firing sphere of the machine. There was a loud crackle, and the Purifier veered away unable to fire.
Rhea smiled to herself and then almost fell backward as Rush moved their machine and lined up another Purifier.
“Now!” he shouted.
She acted quickly and pressed the screen. Another blast knocked out their weapons. Again, and again, Rush moved the machine so fast that she soon was constantly tapping.
“Now! Now! Now!” said Rush.
And Rhea kept tapping.
****
Eclipse killed Seekers all around her. Without their rods, they were simply shells of their former selves. The inability to form barriers made it easy for her to cut through them. They fell by her black blade as Kuro cut against their clean white robes.
She looked above and saw the Purifiers in disarray. There was a rogue Purifier attacking the rest. She sensed an energy that she had not felt for some time, and her heart fluttered at his presence. “Rush,” she whispered.
Eclipse turned, and she could see that the students were struggling against the might of the Blades. Even with their numbers, their power and skill were nowhere near that of the combined power of the Blades. Kry was somewhere in the mass of fighting, and she needed to protect him and to talk to him.
Shouting and cries from dying students were all around her. Sonus and his remaining faction still sided with the Blades, and they were gaining ground. She turned as a blast of fire came her way. She struck the fireball away and saw New Order students blinking toward her. With ease, she blinked and evaded their attacks. She returned to them and thrust Kuro through their barriers. Kuro flashed with energy as it pierced their hearts.
Above, other Purifiers were beginning to turn their attention on the rogue machine.
She turned again and deflected another energy blast with Kuro. Luka was close by and killing students with ease; she could hear the sound of his silver katanas breaking their barriers. Eclipse held Kuro firmly and walked through the battlefield toward him.
****
Kry could no longer feel the rage he once had. When the blue field of energy passed through him, he became calmer, and the ang
er had subsided. The knowledge of Makai killing those two boys had triggered an emotion within him that brought forth his rage. The rage had come so suddenly it took him by surprise. If Makai had killed those two boys, then everything he thought he understood was wrong. Maybe he was not one of those boys after all, and David and Julia were his real parents. He was confused and lost, but one thing was certain: Makai had to die.
He marched through the fighting and located Makai’s energy. Strangely, it was outside the stadium. Makai was not among the fighting. Kry’s only thought was to hunt Makai and ignored everything else. At that moment, something touched against his barrier, and he turned to see Michael staring back at him.
Michael’s eyes were questioning. “You betrayed me, Kry.”
Kry did not want to waste time. He could feel Makai moving away. “Michael, what’s happened to you?”
“I think you should ask yourself that question,” said Michael.
Kry’s eyes flickered with annoyance. “I didn’t betray you. I chose a path which was essential for me to become stronger so that I could save you. You saw how little I could control my powers back then. I wasn’t strong enough, and people died.”
“Well, you’re right about that. They all died because of you, and more will die today because of you. Look around! Everyone is fighting because of you,” said Michael.
“They’re fighting for themselves against the Shadow Government. Wake up, Michael. Whatever Botulinia has done to you, it can be stopped,” said Kry.
“You wake up! Botulinia is not as bad as you think!” screamed Michael.
“Botulinia is the cause of all this. Bellum has to be stopped, Michael,” replied Kry.
“You’re the cause!” shouted Michael. “You left me to die while you and your new friends enjoyed your time here!”
“I don’t have friends anymore. And I made a choice, Michael. If I could have saved you all, I would have. I chose to rescue Rhea first when Bellum separated you both, but I always had the intention of saving you, too,” said Kry.
Michael’s eyes darkened as if something had changed inside of him. “Kry…I don’t know…Botulinia…”
Rise of the Young: Warriors are not made; they are forged (The Ascended Book 2) Page 50
