by Paul Ormond
Drak scrambled toward the edge of the arena, finding cover among the rubble strewn across the dirt floor. As he came to a stone wall leading to the lip, he leaped into the air, but stopped dead in his tracks when he came face to face with a dozen UAFC soldiers with orbs in their hands.
“Where do you think you’re going?” one of the soldiers said, pushing forward.
“I was just looking for the snack bar,” Drak said with a grin. “It’s quite the show they are putting on today.”
“Very funny,” the soldier said while he raised his arm. “Surrender now, or we’ll ice you right here.”
“Uh, what about the snack bar,” Drak said, looking for a way to escape.
As the soldier reached out to grab his arm, a flurry of light tore into the squad of soldiers, cutting them down in an instant. In shock, Drak looked to his right, and spotted several figures charging toward him.
“You better get moving,” a woman yelled before she fired a few quick blasts over Drak’s shoulder, falling an enemy.
“It wouldn’t be much of a rescue mission if you die.”
“I’ll never die with you on my side, General Varalis,” Drak shouted as he launched into the air.
“Don’t bet on it,” Varalis said while she fired another quick volley before blasting toward a crumbled exit. “Follow me. We need to fall back and relaunch our offensive.”
“What the hell is going on here? I thought our weapons were useless inside UAFC territory,” Drak said after diving into cover.
“They were until the Most Dangerous Man in the Multi-verse came along,” Varalis said, blasting at an approaching enemy. “They weren’t kidding about your friend, Mitch. He’s living up to the hype.”
“What do you mean?” Drak shouted while he fired an orb.
“I’ll explain it all later,” Varalis said before she retreated into a darkened hallway. “Just focus on staying alive. We’re falling back to let the civilians get clear.”
“But what about my friends? They are going to be killed if we leave them,” Drak said as he pulled back alongside General Varalis.
“You’ll be no use to them dead,” Varalis said before they met up with the other RGC soldiers. “The UAFC plans on handing them all over to the Masters. Don’t worry, we’re not going to let that happen. I’ve got a plan, but it won’t matter unless we can regroup.”
“What happened to Mitch?” Drak shouted after they came to a wide mezzanine and launched into the air.
“If he still lives, he has been instructed to get his butt down here as fast as he can,” Varalis shouted as she avoided incoming fire from soldiers on the ground.
“I’m pretty sure we can count on that,” Drak said.
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
STREAKING ACROSS A cloud-strewn sky, Mitch felt a hot burn as a blast of red light tore past his body. He glanced over his shoulder and spotted a dozen of the Masters soldier’s racing after them with orbs in hand. At the center of the group, KiGuan clutched his blazing red spear and thrust another blast in his direction.
Dodging to avoid the incoming fire, Mitch almost rolled into Kate as she cut through a thin cloud.
“Never a dull moment with you, Mitch,” Kate shouted while she blocked a burst of incoming fire.
“This is what you get when you hang out with the Most Dangerous Man in the Multi-verse,” Mitch shouted as they dove into a cloud bank. “We’re going to get cut to pieces if we stay up here, but I don’t know if we have the speed to pull away.”
“Then we’ll have to make a stand,” Kate shouted while glancing down at the desert floor. “That looks like some kind of ruined building. We can get some cover in there and take them out.”
“What about TaeJun and Gaelin?” Mitch hollered back after more blasts ripped past him.
“There’s TaeJun,” Kate shouted, pointing to her right. “And Gaelin’s over there. We’ll split up and meet at the ruins. It will be too easy to pick us off if we all go down together. Let TaeJun know. I’ll get Gaelin’s attention before I create a distraction.”
“What are you talking about?” Mitch shouted before Kate come to an abrupt halt and changed direction. Banking to her left, she cut into a set of clouds and disappeared from sight.
“That is just typical,” Mitch said to himself while he avoided more incoming fire. Rolling to his right, he pulled close to TaeJun.
“Your girlfriend is at it again,” Mitch shouted while he looked to his rear.
“Yeah, I saw that,” TaeJun shouted after another blast narrowly missed him. “Can’t stay up here much longer.”
“Let’s get to those ruins and cut down some of their numbers,” Mitch shouted.
“They’re after you most of all. Lure them down and I’ll help Kate,” TaeJun yelled before banking away.
“How come nobody listens to me?” Mitch asked as TaeJun dropped into cloud cover.
Breaking course, Mitch shot up into a cloud and activated his spear. A green glow poured out of the bulbous tip while he cornered hard through a wall of mist. With the spear clutched firmly in hand, he manifested a translucent cloak and accelerated toward the ground.
As he emerged from the cloud, he sent several blasts into the massive structure before darting toward the husk of a tower damaged in an ancient battle. Three thunderous explosions burst into the air at the center of the ruins, and Mitch raced to the left while spires of smoke rose skyward.
Hoping the explosions distracted his pursuers, he dove into a pile of rubble at the base of the tower and found cover behind a large stone.
Several shrieking sounds caught his attention, and he peered out of his hiding spot to see KiGuan, accompanied by his soldiers, drop out of the sky backdropped by the smoke rising out of the explosions.
Gulping as he pulled back into cover, Mitch listened while KiGuan shouted instructions out to the soldiers.
“We know you’re out there, Mitch,” he hollered. “Running away like this is only making things worse for you.”
Baffled by what he heard, Mitch listened in shock as KiGuan’s voice rang out through the ruins.
“You have been led astray, but there is still hope for you,” KiGuan shouted. “We can make everything right. There is no reason to fight anymore. This is all Teron’s doing. We were deceived by him, but it doesn’t have to be this way.”
“This is madness,” Mitch whispered to himself before he retreated further into the ruins of the enormous building towering overhead.
“There is nowhere to run to,” KiGuan shouted again. “The planet is surrounded by the Masters. You can either surrender or die. There is no other choice. I know how you feel about the Masters, but things have changed, and not everything is what it seems. Just give me the chance to explain, and I am certain you will see the light. Right now you are the most wanted man in the Multi-verse, but I can change all that and together we can bring about a golden age of harmony. There is a reason we received these weapons. Throw off the shackles of the past and allow yourself to find the truth as I have.”
The sound of rocks crunching to his right caught Mitch’s attention, and he saw a shadow moving against a rock. A thin blade manifested along the length of his hand and he readied himself to strike. As the soldier came around the corner, Mitch lunged forward and drove the blade into the man’s back and he cried out before he crumpled to the ground.
The sound caught KiGuan’s attention, and Mitch heard more soldiers approaching his position.
“Hiding like this is getting you nowhere,” KiGuan shouted. “It is time for you to end this insanity. You may think of yourself as a conquering hero, but to the rest of the multi-verse you are nothing more than a lowly terrorist. But you hold in your hands the power to fix all of that, the power to change the narrative. We have a destiny to fulfill, you and I. Can’t you see that the multi-verse has chosen us to lead humanity into a new era. The Emperor is not the evil force you think he is. I am born from the seed of his strength, and I have seen what he is capable of. You must
turn toward the light of his love, or I will be forced to destroy you.”
“You sound like an absolute lunatic,” Mitch shouted. “After all we’ve been through, I can’t believe I’m listening to you spew this poison. What happened to you? Did the Masters do this to you?”
“You have no idea what you are speaking of,” KiGuan shouted before Mitch heard a humming sound approach from his left. Rounding the corner, Mitch found himself face to face with a snarling soldier. Without another option, Mitch torched his opponent with his spear. As the man fell, an eruption of flame blasted into the air, revealing his position.
“We see you now,” KiGuan shouted. “Just come out and we can end it. I know you do not want to continue fighting like this.”
Before Mitch had a chance to respond, several blasts of lights tore into the soldiers closing in on his position.
“Take out the other two. I’ll handle Mitch,” KiGuan instructed the other soldiers.
“Do you really think you can handle me?” Mitch shouted after he leaped out of his cover and sent a massive torrent of light in KiGuan’s direction. Evading the blast, KiGuan slid to his right and pulled up to his full height.
“What have they done to you?” Mitch said as KiGuan struck out at him.
“I was a husk of a man after that battle, and I am lucky to be alive,” KiGuan said after Mitch fired on him again. “But I received a reprieve for my insubordination, and I have been made anew.”
“It looks like they made you into a monster,” Mitch shouted while he blocked KiGuan’s attack by manifesting a thick blade at the end of his staff.
“You’re the one who has become the monster,” KiGuan shouted before he lunged toward Mitch.
“These are all just lies spun by Mother and the Masters,” Mitch shouted while he dodged to his right. “Have you heard the new title I have been granted?”
“Yes, your fame precedes you where ever you go,” KiGuan said, striking out again. “Did you ever imagine that you would be the villain in this story?”
“I’m only the villain in the eyes of some,” Mitch shouted. “But I cannot believe you fell for their lies once again.”
“You are the one believing the lies,” KiGuan shouted before he thrust his spear toward Mitch. “But it appears nothing will sway you from your path of destruction. Do you really believe you can beat the Masters at their own game?”
“I’m not trying to beat anyone. I’m just trying to get home,” Mitch shouted, dodging KiGuan’s attack. “The problem is: every time I try to go, somebody else has other plans.”
“Therein lays the truth of your predicament,” KiGuan shouted, slashing out with his blade. “You cannot escape your destiny, and the more you resist the harder the multi-verse fights back.”
“They really got to you, didn’t they,” Mitch said as he blocked KiGuan’s attack. “The more I hear you speak, the more I know I need to keep on fighting, or else I’ll wind up just like you.”
“You can joke all you want, but just know that you will be brought before the Emperor, dead or alive,” KiGuan said before thrusting forward with his spear.
“I’m not joking, and I have certainly questioned my sanity,” Mitch said, deflecting KiGuan’s blow. “But here’s why I know the multi-verse is on my side. Every time I think I’m done for, I somehow find a way to win. I don’t know if it’s luck or what, but I’m not going to question it. All I know is that I’m not dead yet, and I’m will not stand aside and let you and your Emperor take whatever you want.”
“Then you will fall under my blade,” KiGuan shouted.
A shadow passed over Mitch as he evaded KiGuan’s powerful strikes. Glancing over his shoulder, he spotted a thick stone tower rising into the sky. At the base of the tower, an ornate entrance stood crumbling and covered in sand. Blocking one more of KiGuan’s blows, Mitch shot for the opening as KiGuan recovered.
“I’m afraid there will be no running away today,” KiGuan shouted.
As he entered a narrow tunnel, Mitch blasted the stone on both sides of the passageway and the tower began to cave in on itself. Passing into a chamber at the center of the tower, Mitch shot a stream of energy directly over head. As the tower collapsed on itself, he cut a hole through the other side.
Bursting into the daylight, he didn’t look back while the tower fell in on itself. As he rose into the air, he made a direct line toward a cloud bank and disappeared from sight. Pulling up his panel, he spotted three blips narrowing in on his position.
“Didn’t enjoy yourself at the dance?” Kate said, streaking through a thin cloud.
“Lousy dancers and boring conversation,” Mitch said while TaeJun and Gaelin flanked him on his right. “I heard there is a better party up ahead. Want to join?”
“I’m always down to party. How about you guys? Feel like gettin’ down?” Kate asked before she rolled over Mitch and came to TaeJun’s side.
“You know me, I can’t resist a good time,” TaeJun said, narrowing his eyes on the skyline.
“I hope there are refreshments,” Gaelin said after he pushed through a streak of mist.
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
THE GUARDS SHOVED Gerald and the others down a long stone tunnel as the sounds of battle echoed in the distance.
“Get them inside now,” Captain Juvius shouted while the ceiling shook.
A guard at the head of the procession swung open a heavy metal door, and the prisoners were shuffled into a large storage facility filled with staging equipment.
“Keep them in there until I give you further instructions,” Captain Juvius said while he backed away. “I’ve got to get the grid back online before all hell breaks loose. There are reports of uprisings in every quadrant.”
“Yes, sir,” the guards said in unison.
“I’ll send reinforcements as soon as I can,” Juvius shouted from down the hall. “In the meantime, no one goes inside that door. Guard it with your life. If any of the prisoners attempt to escape, you have my permission to execute them on sight.”
“Yes, sir,” the guards repeated after the Captain disappeared down the hall.
“If any of you get any ideas, I’ll cut you down without hesitation,” the first guard said, turning to face his captors.
“You heard the Captain,” the second guard said. “You’d better be on your best behavior. I’ve got any itchy finger, and I’m a little disappointed that I’m missing out on all the action outside. Don’t give me the opportunity to waste you all here and now.”
“The only way out of the room is through this door, and if anybody comes close to it, they will find out just how serious we are,” the other guard said while the door slid shut, sealing the prisoners inside.
“Nobody, panic. There’s got to be a way out of this,” Gerald said while he looked over his companions.
“Did you hear what that guy said,” Jamison whispered.
“Something about getting the grid online,” Davis responded.
“What did Mitch say before he left?” Babcock asked. “This place, the republic or whatever, has some kind of system to block the use of all unregistered technology. Do you think this is what he was talking about?”
“Sounds like it,” Gerald said. “That’s how all those rebels could attack.”
“Then that means our powers are back online,” Babcock said, looking down at her suit. “They didn’t think we would be wearing our devices already.”
“No, they did not,” Robert said, stepping out of the shadows. Energy rippled down the length of his suit as he stood over the others with his arms crossed.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Gerald said.
“I’m getting us out of here,” Robert said, striding for the door.
“Not on your life,” Gerald said after he stepped into his path.
“That’s cute, but it’s not going to play out how you think it is,” Robert said.
“We’ve been down this path you before,” Gerald said, locking eyes with Robert. �
��You can’t just go around doing whatever you want.”
“Hey, I’m on your side here, like it or not. I’m about to rescue us all. You can either come with me or stay in here, but I am getting out,” Robert said before he took another step forward.
“That’s where you’re wrong,” Gerald said. “You may have all the firepower you need to cut through that door, but you’ll be going on your own. It will only be a matter of time before the Masters find a way to take you down. You keep trying to convince all of us that you are on our side. Why don’t you try acting like it for a change?”
“You still don’t believe me, do you,” Robert said, looking around.
“We want to believe you, but give us one reason to trust you,” Gerald said. “You’ve done nothing but serve your own interests your entire life. Why should we believe that you are going to do it any different now?”
“You don’t think I can change? Well, that’s where you’re wrong, Gerald,” Robert said, suppressing his anger. “You want to take charge of this operation, go right ahead. I’m following your orders. There, are you happy now?”
“I’ll be happy when you put your money where your mouth is,” Gerald said. “But if we want to survive this, we’re going to need a plan.”
“As long as it involves me getting my revenge then I am all ears,” Robert said.
“Revenge should never be the purpose of any undertaking,” Kalis said, cutting Robert off. “It clouds one’s judgement and distracts from what is necessary. But Robert is correct, we need to act fast.”
“Finally, somebody on my side,” Robert said.
“No one is taking your side,” Kalis said. “If we were to follow you out of that door right now, we’d all wind up right back in the Masters’ hands.”
“Wait, what?” Robert said, looking at Kalis. “Why wouldn’t we want to go out there and fight these guys?”
“Because we need to get out of here intact,” Kalis said. “And to do that we need SoHee.”
