Arise (Cruel and Beautiful World Book 3)

by L. Stoddard Hancock

  “One-hundred coin says she’ll be dead in five minutes,” said Elvira, raising her Element and walking down the steps.

  Quigley followed her with slow steps. He had no weapon, no plan, no regard for his own life. Part of him hoped that a shot would hit him as he stepped outside. On purpose, by accident, he didn’t care. He just wanted the pain to end.

  Lona walked farther onto the balcony, searching every face until she spotted him. Luka, looking very much like his old self as he fought off guards. He stood protectively in front of Xander’s friend Bronson, who was also fighting but far less confidently.

  Luka noticed her and called to someone over his shoulder.

  Lona moved toward him.

  “LONA!”

  She stopped, her heart nearly leaping from her chest when she heard that voice.

  Her eyes misted as she caught sight of Odette knocking people over as she struggled to get to her.

  Lona continued forward, breaking into a run and not stopping until she was in the arms of her big sister, holding on for dear life out of fear of losing her again.

  “How?” she asked.

  “Later,” said Odette, stroking her back.

  Neo and Luka had moved forward, protecting the embracing women in the middle of a battlefield.

  Arron Von watched his daughters from where he stood on the sidelines, anger boiling inside of him. He had tried to raise them right, he really had, but, clearly, he had failed.

  “Kill her.”

  Arron jumped. He turned his head and found Elvira standing there. “Which one?”

  “Lona. She’s obviously a traitor. Or kill them both if you’d like. I’m not feeling picky.”

  He didn’t move.

  “That’s an order.”

  Arron took out his Element and stepped onto the battlefield. He walked through the swarming guards with ease, keeping his gaze trained on his daughters. The two girls had pulled away from each other. Odette was giving Lona instructions as they both took out their weapons.

  Arron’s hand tightened around his Element. The president would punish him for disobeying Elvira’s orders, but he didn’t care. He knew what he had to do.

  As Arron approached them, Lona turned her head and looked right at him, instantly recognizing that her angry father was focused on Odette.

  “Odette, look out!” shouted Neo as Arron raised his Element.

  Lona was already moving. She shoved Odette out of the way and fired her Element.

  Lona was hit a mere second before her father.

  Odette screamed in horror as her sister hit the ground, her heart stopped in a death far less brutal than the blast she’d just used to kill their father.

  Odette fell to her knees, throwing herself onto her baby sister.

  In a matter of seconds, she’d become the last member of her family. Her sister, her father, her blood was gone.

  Oblivious to the secrets her sister held, Odette leaned against the button attached to Lona’s belt.

  BOOOOOOOOOOOM!

  Every last person was knocked off their feet as the bombs went off. The windows shattered outward and glass rained down on them.

  Flames spread through the tower, dancing through the open windows but leaving little damage to the exterior shell of the building.

  It was a good minute before the balcony stopped quaking and people were able to stand.

  “What the hell was that?” shouted Elvira, the first person back on her feet. She turned to where Odette still crouched over Lona. “Did she do this?”

  Odette opened her mouth to speak but found no words.

  Elvira stepped forward and aimed her Element. She fired, but someone kicked it out of her hand and the blast shot into the air.

  She looked at the culprit, her brow furrowing as she came eye-to-eye with Quigley, weaponless and unsure of what to do next.

  “Kill him!” Elvira shouted to whoever was listening.

  Every guard on that roof stood and aimed their Element at Quigley.

  The Resistance all jumped up and recommenced their fighting, distracting who they could from firing.

  Quigley closed his eyes and waited for his inevitable fate. But before the sound of multiple blasts shot through the air, someone grabbed him around the middle and slammed him to the ground, knocking the air out of him but ultimately saving his life.

  When he opened his eyes, Luka was crouched over him with a shield emitting from his Element, momentarily protecting them.

  “Th’fuck you doing coming out here without a weapon? Are you insane?” shouted Luka.

  “I-I ...”

  A blast shot at Luka. He was shoved out of the way before it hit.

  “What are you doing?”

  Bronson grabbed Quigley by his collar.

  “Why the hell would you come onto a battlefield unarmed?”

  Looking at his friend, Quigley’s eyes flooded. “I ... Fiona ...”

  “Yes, I saw.” Bronson pulled his friend until they were hidden behind a post.

  “Bronson, I’m sorry, I -”

  “I fucking know, Quigs!” shouted Bronson. “But committing suicide isn’t going to solve anything! If you’re not going to fight then go!” He released his friend and pushed him toward the exit, although the burning stairwell didn’t exactly look appealing.

  Quigley stumbled for a few feet, but then turned back. “But I -”

  “Fucking go, Quigley! You’re the last of my family and I won’t see you die today! Not like this!”

  Quigley gulped. He nodded slowly and turned away from Bronson. His best and oldest friend. His brother. He got as far as the doorway before he turned around, his eyes scanning the crowd and catching glimpses of the few people left in the world who mattered to him. All of them fighting for the future they’d talked about.

  What was he doing?

  Quigley was many things, but a coward wasn’t one of them. He couldn’t let the others fight without him. Not when leaving meant losing even more than he already had. He looked around until he found a sharp piece of metal that had fallen from one of the windows when the bombs went off. He clutched it tightly and returned to the battlefield.

  It appeared that the real battle had officially started. Enough Resistance members had been carried onto the balcony and the numbers were finally even.

  The horrible stench of fire and burning flesh infected the air. Down on the streets, Resistance members and citizens marched through the open gate to Inner City, manholes were tossed aside and tunnelers poured into the streets and alleys, finally joining the fight.

  It was chaos.

  The mind-controlled guards showed no mercy and the Resistance had no choice but to do the same.

  As Deryn and Xander fought their way across the balcony, their eyes set on Elvira, they tried their best to make everyone faceless, because that was the only way to truly detach themselves. But then there was a blast. Xander grabbed Deryn, put up a shield and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the lifeless body of Danny landed in front of him, splattering blood onto his shield.

  That was when it became real.

  Xander silently wondered if any of his blood still ran through Danny’s veins.

  Across the balcony, Luka and Bronson were trying hard not to lose sight of Xander and Deryn. They knew as soon as Elvira appeared that she would be their target, and while Luka very much wanted to kill his father, it would have to wait.

  But Barath had other plans. He’d kept his eye on Luka the entire time, trying to get to him. Finally, he was close enough to strike.

  Barath fired a blast in front of Luka, forcing him to stumble backwards into Bronson. Luka turned his head, his face growing hot the moment his eyes landed on his father.

  “I’ve been looking for you, Son,” said Barath.

  “Have you?” asked Luka, straightening up. “I thought you’d be busy collecting on those bets you made regarding my memory.”

  “While I do enjoy being proven right, there are more importa
nt matters at hand.”

  “Like my death?” said Luka, cocking an eyebrow.

  Barath’s smile softened. “No, Luka. You are my only son. My heir. You will not die. At least, not until you’ve fathered a child.”

  “And you really expect me to cooperate -”

  “Of course not,” interrupted Barath. “Which is why a mind-control chip will be installed in your wristband the moment this battle is over. I don’t particularly want you to have those creepy white eyes so we’ll do it the old-fashioned way. But he -”

  Barath motioned his head toward Bronson, who was standing faithfully by Luka’s side.

  “He will die.” Barath moved his Element so it was aimed at Bronson and fired.

  Luka shoved Bronson out of the way. Then raised his Element and shot a blast at his father.

  Barath dodged. “No son of mine will ever be a fag!” he spat, his eyes cruel as he changed the setting to wind and sent Luka flying backwards.

  Bronson steadied himself and raised his weapon. He was just about to fire when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. He leapt out of the way as white-eyed Gordon Mackey fired at him.

  Gordon smiled, a strange gesture that none of the other mind-controlled guards seemed to be exhibiting. “Time to die.”

  “I want to kill that one, Gordon!” shouted Barath. “You keep Luka busy!”

  Gordon nodded obediently. He tried to hit Luka with a streak of blue light, but Luka was quick to dodge.

  Barath fired his Element at Bronson again, but Bronson ducked and fired at his legs. It missed.

  Bronson groaned in frustration.

  Xander glanced over his shoulder when he heard Luka shouting at his father. Barath was going after Bronson. Luka was trailing them but having a hell of a time as Gordon tried to whip him. Deryn followed his eyes and gasped. She started to move but Xander kept a firm grip on her hand.

  “You’re not leaving my sight!” he said. Then he looked around frantically, his eyes not stopping until he located Finley fighting close by with Dakota. “Finley!”

  She turned and looked.

  “Help Luka and Bronson!” He motioned with his head.

  Finley nodded. She quickly killed the guard she was fighting and ran off.

  Dakota watched her for a moment before ultimately following Xander and Deryn. He saw where they were headed, toward the wild-eyed woman just a few feet away. The bitch who’d taken his mother from him.

  Elvira was currently fighting Cress and Autumn. They kept trying to blast her while she put up shield after shield. Elvira smiled as they fought, her mouth slightly open.

  Xander knew that look. She was watching their form, counting the time between their movements, calculating a plan. As much as Xander hated Elvira, he couldn’t deny that she was a good soldier. The best in Utopia, and that included him.

  Before Autumn and Cress knew what hit them, Elvira made her move. She swung out her arm and knocked Cress back a few steps. Then she twirled around him, making it impossible for Autumn to fire without killing him.

  Elvira fired a blast over his shoulder.

  It hit Autumn in the neck, splattering her head and chest. Her stump of a body collapsed. Xander and Dakota were close enough that her blood and flesh splashed across their faces, but Deryn moved. She grabbed Cress’s arm and flipped him over her shoulder. He was out of Elvira’s clutches a mere second before she would have jammed a knife into his back.

  Elvira aimed her Element at Deryn.

  “That flipping move is getting old.”

  Before Elvira could fire, Xander took his shot. But she spotted him and got a shield up just in time.

  Deryn had barely straightened again when a guard shot a blast at her. She dodged and fired back. Missed.

  Another guard joined the first.

  Cress jumped to his feet and entered the battle. Talon and Nita were fighting close by, trying to reach Deryn but meeting too many guards along the way.

  While Dakota went for Elvira, Xander followed Deryn. She looked at him and shouted, “Xander, no! Finish this! I’ll be fine!”

  One of the guards fired another blast. She dodged, then shot him in the forehead. Xander and Deryn locked eyes. He nodded and went after Elvira.

  “Xander. I was wondering when you were going to come for me.” Elvira smiled as she shot a blast at Dakota, who easily dodged. “Do you even see the pathetic army you’ve allied yourself with? Oh, how the mighty have fallen.”

  “I haven’t fallen quite as far as your husband did when he jumped over the edge,” quipped Xander.

  Elvira’s face fell. “You had another mind-control chip, didn’t you? You twisted little -”

  “Is that what you’re telling yourself?” Xander laughed. “We didn’t need mind-control, dearest Elvie. Soren let Deryn go on his own. He brought her to me and then he took it upon himself to create a diversion so we could escape. I had no idea he was going to jump, but I wouldn’t have done anything if I had. Soren was at the top of my kill list. Just below you.”

  Elvira lifted her nose high in the air. “And you are at the top of mine. Right above your father.” She smiled wickedly. “Who I heard died quite painfully. Just like your mother.” Her eyes moved to Dakota. “And yours.”

  Dakota’s body burned. “You will pay!”

  He raised his gun and fired. Blasts were shot left and right but Elvira always managed to evade them. As the fight continued, it became quite clear that she wasn’t aiming to kill. She was too busy playing with her food.

  Xander tried to sneak around Elvira’s back while Dakota kept her busy, but she turned to and fro, giving them equal attention.

  Evangeline, who had just killed a guard close by, faced Elvira. She activated her gravpack and sped toward her.

  Elvira raised her Element, unsure of what was coming for her at an incredible speed. She switched the setting and sent a heavy gust of wind at Evangeline.

  The wind proved stronger, sending Evangeline flying backwards.

  Luka heard the whistle of wind and turned just in time to see Evangeline coming at him. He grabbed her arm and pulled her body against his, but the heavy weight from the gravpack threw off his balance and they went tumbling to the ground.

  Hit with a dizzy spell, Evangeline tried to focus her eyes on her savior.

  “L-Luka Voclain ... I believe you knew my gra .... grandmoth ...”

  She pressed her head against his chest, closed her eyes and tried to focus her mind.

  “Who’s the girl?”

  Luka looked up. Wenton stood above him. He hugged Evangeline closer to him.

  “She’s a pretty one. But, of course, pansies like you wouldn’t notice such things. Perhaps, when this is over, I can keep her as my pet.” He poked Evangeline with his Element.

  Luka hit Wenton’s Element away. He didn’t want to leave Evangeline lying on the ground, so he stood up and carried her with him, pushing her gravpack straps off of her shoulders and propping her up with one arm. She was at least aware enough to yank the headband connected to the pack off of her head.

  Wenton laughed. “Are you really going to fight like that?”

  “If I have to,” said Luka.

  “I’m fine,” said Evangeline, trying to stand on her own but failing. “Just ... Equilibrium. Off.”

  “Leave the girl, Luka. She’s not worth your life.”

  Wenton pushed Luka. He and Evangeline fell back to the ground.

  Wenton aimed his Element at her head.

  As he pressed the button, someone wearing a gravpack sped by and kicked his Element so it went hurdling into the air. The blast fired at nothing.

  Everett landed a foot away and shot Wenton in the head. He hurried over to Evangeline and knelt beside her.

  “You okay?” he asked, taking her face in his hands. He glanced up and noticed Luka glaring at him. “I get that you hate me for whatever reason, but right now we’re fighting on the same side and you’re going to have to let that go.”

  �
��You killed my girlfriend.”

  “I thought you liked men.”

  Evangeline kicked Everett.

  He grunted. “Okay. I’m sorry I did that, but I’m sure I was just defending myself.”

  “Helena would never have fired first,” said Luka.

  Xander appeared next to them and picked up Evangeline’s discarded gravpack. “Borrowing this,” he said, slipping it on. “Get off your fucking ass, Luka. Everett’s annoying but he’s not the bad guy.”

  Evangeline stood with Xander and helped him put on the headband.

  Luka and Everett refused to look at each other as they rose to their feet.

  “Xander, look out!”

  Xander spun his head at the sound of Finley’s voice. A blazing ball of fire was headed for him and Evangeline, but there was no time to react. He stared in horror as it approached, time slowing enough for him to picture Deryn and the future they would never have, but not enough for him to get his Element up to protect them.

  “No!”

  Everett shoved him and Evangeline in opposite directions. The fireball singed Xander’s arm and Evangeline’s hair but, otherwise, they were untouched.

  As soon as Xander hit the ground, he shot up again. He looked at the spot he’d just been. The spot where Everett was now lying, blood gushing from his mouth and horribly charred chest.

  “Everett!” Evangeline crawled over to him. “Why?” she cried.

  Everett reached out and took her hand, squeezing it as his body convulsed. “E-Eva, I ...” Gulp ... “I l-lo ... love you.”

  Evangeline shook her head and said, “I don’t deserve that.” She whimpered and gave his hand one final squeeze. “I love you, too.”

  A lie, at least in the way that he’d always wanted, but perhaps it was a lie that needed to be told. Everett smiled softly before his eyes went still, his body stiffening as his grip on her hand loosened until it was nothing.

  “Evangeline, we need to move,” said Xander, who was guarding her with Luka while she mourned her lost comrade.

  Evangeline nodded. She wiped her eyes and charged after the guard who’d sent the ball of fire, determined to avenge Everett.

  Xander leaned down and closed Everett’s eyes.