by C. J. Lloyd
Steady like a drum, the rhythmic echo of the thunder became as subtle as a heartbeat. Violet could feel it in the fading light, comforting her even in the hellish situation they were in.
Violet hadn’t realized she was still on her knees, still crouched over, but Jen was standing. Her long locks blew in the warm breeze, the sun catching the golden bands that secured each one. Her shirt was still stained red, but the hole in her chest was gone. Only the caramel smooth texture of her flesh peaked through.
What’s happening? What is all this? Violet wondered. It wasn’t until the overwhelming brightness danced over Jen’s shoulders that Violet realized a golden aura surrounded them both. But not just them. Golden light bubbled from the crown of Jen’s head like a fountain and cascaded over her shoulders until it splashed in a glowing pool around her sneakers.
She looked down at Violet, who stood still in awe.
“Go back to the others, V,” she said. “I’ll be right over.”
Elric was apparently speechless. His eyes widened in awe by what he saw. Violet knew she had the same expression as she remained frozen. She still wasn’t sure, but she remembered what Terra’s mom, Roxanne said about the Light Titan.
“And as I cried those bitter tears, the darkness that I released was replaced by the warmth of love and a feeling of peace I couldn’t understand.” Violet remembered Roxanne’s story of her dying fiancé and someone saving the town from a beast. Someone who had the ability to control light. A love and a sense of peace that couldn’t be explained. That’s exactly what was pouring out of Jennifer.
Chapter 15
Hypocenter
The light was incredibly bright, shining at different angles with a bouquet of colors—colors Violet couldn’t begin to explain. A bluish-purple, a greenish-red, her mind couldn’t grasp it. All she knew was that pure, beautiful warm light radiated from the center.
“I understand, and thanks for coming when you did,” Jen whispered to herself.
Violet focused on Jennifer as she spoke to herself. Who’s she talking to?
Elric began laughing. “After all this time, it was you? The Titan of Light was right under my nose the entire time?” He clawed at his face. “I ate with you, spent my days with you, and even when those portal attacks came, you acted like you were defenseless. You hid your powers even from me? I hate you even more.”
Jen shook her head. “Elric, I didn’t realize who I was until Ermak. That’s where my powers awakened. You really think I would’ve let Mrs. Lee and my parents die if I knew about these powers?” Jennifer shook her head as the light glowed brighter. “Elric, I love you; I’ve always loved you, and I’ll never stop.” She held her hand out. “Please ... Come with me. You can turn away from all this, and we can start over somewhere else.”
Elric’s mocking expression widened with shock. Violet felt the spark of hope in him, but it was crushed by the blackness. His eyes softened.
“You’re just as bad as Violet and the rest of them.” Elric tightened his fist as the blackness roared around him, flowing over his shoulders and tearing at his clothes. “I guess after nearly killing you, it would be pointless to ask for your help in bringing peace to this world?” he asked sarcastically.
There was an abrupt shift in Jen’s emotions. Violet couldn’t see her face, but through the warmth, her heart was breaking. Violet watched Jen’s hand, glowing with light, fall to her side in defeat.
“I’m really happy I got to see you again, Elric.” Jen’s voice was soft.
Elric laughed. “Violet, it looks like you’ve finally found the Light Titan. I can tell by your expression you didn’t know either.” Elric turned to the Water and Fire Titans. “We’re all here now. United. Something that hasn’t been done in centuries. Not since the beginning of our existence!” He yelled loudly enough so they all could hear.
Calamity shouted, “Was this your plan all this time? To lure out the Titan of Light. These attacks, and putting the world in an uproar? And I thought you were just having fun.”
Elric nodded. “I wanted to prove to this world that once I destroyed the Titan of Light, then I could destroy hope. With no hope or faith left, the world will lose the will to fight and then have to give in to our demands. They won’t have any other choice but to choose peace.”
Jen turned and walked toward Violet. She helped her to stand. The moment Violet’s fingertips glided across Jen’s hand, she was immediately overtaken by the overwhelming light. There was a presence that brought tears to her eyes. Violet couldn’t stop shaking.
All of her anger, anxiety, and sorrows were washed away by unseen water. Violet searched Jen’s eyes and realized they were ablaze. Light poured from them that was so bright, Violet could no longer see Jen’s pupils.
Violet shivered, intimidated by the overwhelming presence. “Jen, I—”
Jennifer hugged Violet. “Thanks for doing this for me, but I need to do a few things with your help, okay?”
“Of course, anything.” Violet wondered what Jen could possibly need when she had this kind of power. Keeping a watchful eye on Elric and the others, Violet nodded and rose to Jen’s side.
“Get us out of here once I’m done talking,” Jen whispered.
Violet nodded slowly.
Jen let her go and turned to face the group who sought to destroy the world. “Elric. I never thought you would take this path. You always wanted to do good, to be a hero like the ones in your comics. And I ... I thought you’d always be right beside me, forever. Stupid to think that, right?” A hand wiped across Jen’s face. Violet wondered if she was crying. “We’ve come a long way from snobby yacht parties, comic books, and getting chased in the woods by Simon Cressey.
“Instead, we were thrown into chaos, and our pain, our suffering, our losses changed the path we were on. Back then, it was hard for you to express those feelings to me. It took the end of the world for you to admit something I had known for a while. So that’s why I’m telling you, in front of everyone, including that thing behind you, that I love you. And I’m coming for you,” Jen said, looking around Elric at Calamity.
Violet waited a second before receiving a terse nod from Jen. Then she took a deep breath, focused on everyone they came with, and vanished, returning them to base.
In the cafeteria, a group of soldiers came running over as Samantha demanded they get the pilot and co-pilot to medical aid. The cafeteria was already starting to come to life as questions came pouring in.
Samantha threw her hand up. “Clear out. I’ll have more for you when I put what has happened into words. Right now, go back to your duty stations and standby for orders.”
Still in shock by what happened moments ago, Violet couldn’t believe it herself. The person they had been looking for this entire time to help fight against Elric was the same person they hoped could change him.
The glowing aura around Jen faded along with the warmth and hope. Violet wished she could live in it and be constantly immersed by the warmth and power. She smiled, thinking about the hope she had regained in everything.
“I never thought I’d meet you,” Terra whispered. “The Titan of Light.”
Eden stepped beside Violet. “I don’t get it. Why didn’t you tell us? Why would you wait till now?”
“Because I wasn’t supposed to. My power … the voice inside me, it told me not to. He said he would make his presence known when the time was right.”
Violet leaned in. “He?”
Jennifer nodded.
“Well, what does he look like?” Sasha asked. “Is it some kind of frightening monster like the rest of the Devas?”
Jennifer shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know. To me, it’s just a voice. I feel this tingling sensation in my bones, then this overwhelming sensation of warmth, hope, and strength ignites me from deep within.”
Samantha folded her arms. “One hell of a description, but can we skip to the part where I ask why we didn’t stop them?”
Violet gnawed on her bottom lip
, wondering how Sam could ask such a question when Jennifer was almost killed. “Were we not all in the same place? We aren’t ready.”
Samantha’s eyes burrowed into Violet. “Violet, what is going on with you? You’re never ready. You were trained in the Citadel just like Zaroule, so what’s holding you back?”
With a beet-red face, Violet stepped to Samantha. They stood eye to eye, glaring, and neither one backed down. Those words, that awful place. The Citadel and Zaroule didn’t belong in the same sentence. Samantha had hit low, and she knew it.
“Jennifer being the Light Titan changes everything,” Samantha said, pointing to her. “We can take Elric down now. We have her and the rest of you guys .… We should plan an attack immediately.”
“No,” Jennifer said with a calm voice. “I’ve already told you that I’m not going to help you kill him. I still have a chance to change him back.”
Samantha’s eyes burrowed into Jen’s. “Are you kidding me? The kid just tried to kill you. If it weren’t for your powers, you’d be dead. He doesn’t want to be saved.”
Jennifer folded her arms across her chest. “The hardest thing to do in life is to forgive. That’s especially true when it comes down to someone who’s done something unforgivable. I know why you all want revenge and why you think Elric should pay for what he’s done, but I can’t help you destroy him.”
“Then you’ll be thrown in jail and arrested for treason.” Samantha scowled.
Violet threw her hand out. “Wait. This is getting out of hand. Samantha, we know you mean well and that you care about the safety of our country. I also understand Jennifer’s predicament, but you know locking her away and keeping her out of the fight will only make things worse.”
“Violet’s right,” Jen said. “Besides, when the time comes, I’ll deal with Elric, and there will be no prison or cage or law that’ll keep me from what needs to be done.” She walked out of the cafeteria.
No one said a word or tried to stop her, not even Samantha.
Samantha lowered her head. Violet could tell the reality of her situation was setting in. Sam knew she didn’t have a choice. Without Jen, they wouldn’t stand a chance against Elric and the others. But the point had been made. In the reality of everything, what prison could hold any of the Titans?
“What were the chances of her being the Light Titan?” Alfred asked rhetorically, fixing the scraps of clothing around his waist and underwear. “How can someone that mean be so good and beautiful?”
“Regardless, we need her,” Eden said, crossing his arms. “And now that it’s an even fight, three-on-three, we should be able to stop another attack.”
Sasha snorted. “Don’t get cocky, Eden. I wouldn’t dare take Calamity lightly. Especially if she took down Sage as she did,” Sasha said, trying to find comfort in the new situation. “You really think Jen can stop him?”
Manie nodded. “ I think she can. Maybe we should have more faith in her. I know she can be nuts sometimes, but she means well. That accounts for something, right?”
Violet met Manie’s green eyes which were filled with worry, and she gave him an assuring smile. She sat down on the bench, taking in everything that just happened.
In the last hour, her world had done a complete one-eighty. Sam was right about having Jen as the Titan of Light, but there was also the dilemma that Elric was willing to kill her even though Jen wasn’t willing to kill him.
“Look, I need to check in with leadership to see what the hell happened out there,” Samantha barked with frustration. “I need to know how that airstrike got initiated by some random woman.”
“She’s not a random woman. Nobody’s going to know,” Violet spoke sharply. She took a deep breath, calming herself. “Sam, Calamity can take on the form of anyone she wants. That’s how she’s been manipulating the world from the very beginning.”
“I’ll worry about military business,” Samantha commanded. “You all need to worry about getting Jennifer ready for war. Got me?”
Violet hid a twitch of her left eye and buttoned her lips tight against a response. It was beyond frustrating. Sam wasn’t taking in the knowledge she was receiving, or rather, she didn’t seem to care to. She just made decisions.
“Sam’s right,” Eden said, pacing back and forth. “Elric’s not going to hold back, especially now that we have Jen.”
“What can we possibly do?” Alfred asked, throwing his hands up and scratching his tight dark curls. “She doesn’t want to fight him.”
Eden turned beet-red with anger and darted toward the barracks. “I’ll go talk to her.”
Sasha chuckled. “And do what? End up like Alfred, maybe worst? I don’t think you’ll stand a chance, and I thought the same even before finding out she was the Light Titan.”
“Let her be,” Terra snapped at them. “Ain’t she dealing with enough right now? Can’t imagine how she feels. Don’t want to either. All that power, and you might have to use it to stop someone you love. Nope. Don’t want that burden. Not even a little.”
Eden threw his hands up with a deep groan and made his way out of the cafeteria, thankfully, in the opposite direction from where Jennifer went. He needed to blow off some steam. Hopefully, he didn’t take it too far and destroy anything on base.
“Now what?” Terra asked.
Violet focused on the television. Boston was on every news network, and the body count continued to rise. She found a new drive from the sight of it all, the destruction, the death. Boston was the worst failure she had ever experienced, but things could get worse.
“I have an idea .… A bad one, but it might work,” Violet said, focused on what was left of Boston.
Violet thought her plan through for hours before she sprung her idea on Sam. Even she thought the move would be gut-wrenching and painful, but if it would help Jen awaken to the reality of Elric’s damage, then she was willing to give it a try.
“This is not just going to affect Jen, but it’s going to affect you, too. You understand that, right?” The concern in Samantha’s voice gave Violet hope that she wasn’t too consumed by her mission to take down Elric and the others. “You and the others have seen death before ... but not like this, not this close to the chest.”
Violet cleared her throat, thinking about the death of Zaroule, how he’d died in her arms, then Sage. “I’ll be fine. Trust me.”
As if to show remorse, Sam closed her eyes. “Violet, where we’re going is far worse. This is war. You’re going to see …” She hesitated, her eyes welling with tears. “You’re going to see things that you shouldn’t see. Things that I’d hate for you to see. Please, just please understand that.”
Violet swallowed and nodded, embracing the bitter harshness and sadness that slipped from Samantha. Violet took in Sam’s emotions. She hoped it would allow her to understand the stress she was under a little more.
They walked to the barracks. A large open bay—separated by a vanilla makeshift wall on wheels—supported both males and females. All four girls stayed on this side of the room, and only with permission did the boys come over.
Jen was by herself, sitting on the floor, legs crossed, silently tapping her head against the mattress.
“Jen, how are you doing?” Samantha asked.
She sneered. “Funny that you care about how I am now?”
Violet could feel the feistiness in Samantha bubbling up, so she stepped in. “I—we, wanted to show you something. Something important that I think you need to see to understand where we’re all coming from concerning Elric.”
A deep exhale blew from Jen’s nostrils. Violet could feel the unsettling emotions. They didn’t jive with what she felt earlier. They weren’t the feelings of love and overwhelming warmth that had poured from Jen back on that island. No, this was regular Jennifer, the same girl who would blacken your eye, tell you off in a heartbeat, and belittle you no matter who you were.
Violet watched as Jen climbed to her feet. At first, she cast her gaze on the ground, her l
ight-brown eyes longingly seeking something, searching. Violet knew for whom.
“Jen, we want you to come with us to Boston. We need you to see,” Samantha said with a cracking voice. Violet could tell Sam was putting her pride aside. “If you come, I won’t imprison you. Not right now. Deal?”
Jen swallowed. “Whatever.”
Violet took a deep breath. She readied herself for anything. “You’re going to see things that you shouldn’t see.” She thought of Sam’s words, and chills raced down her arms at the thought of what was to come. But she embraced it all the same.
She focused on both of them. “Everyone ready?”
They both nodded, and the purple light enveloped them. In a flash, they appeared at their destination. Violet rested her eyes on the cracked streets. Water crashed against the soles of her shoes, and from her peripheral vision, a blood-stained article of clothing blew daintily from a bent traffic light. Once again, failure plunged jagged fingers into her. Violet gripped her chest, stumbling forward. She swallowed, fighting to keep herself from throwing up. She took another breath and stood, taking in the hellish scene.
“Violet, where did you bring us? We’re a little bit away from the hypocenter, right?” Samantha asked.
Samantha’s question was a faraway whisper drowned out by Violet’s beating heart. With every breath, she relived the battle. That massive water dragon smashing into the buildings. Fires devouring structures and the horrible darkness that consumed them in misery. She wanted to cry, her heart in her mouth, lips trembling as she gave it her all to fight the pain back.
Terra. This was the same thing Terra felt when she broke down in the bay. I understand now. Her breaths were deep, competing with the heavy thuds of her heart. Stay focused, back straight, exude confidence. Now’s not the time to waver or crumble.
