by Bryan Cohen
Ted looked into the eyes of the strange old man. "Thanks. Am I ever going to find out what was in this bowl?"
"Our chef never reveals his secret ingredient."
When Ted arrived back at Riu's house, he was surprised to see that the boy's mother had already packed his things into a small knapsack.
She still only glanced at him occasionally as she prepared the final few items. "If he dies, please make sure he has a proper burial."
Ted tried to follow her as she moved quickly through the house. "I don't intend for any of us to die. Do you have any idea if what I saw in that cave is definitely going to come to pass?"
She shook her head. "We all have our destinies, Ted. I can only consider mine."
Ted took the woman by her shoulders and tried to keep her attention. "I'm going to do everything I can to keep your son safe."
She nodded. "Thank you for that."
Ted watched Riu and his mother say goodbye. The boy glowed even brighter as he hugged the most important person in his life. "I'll be just like grandfather."
Riu's mother cried. "You'll be your own hero."
Ted and Riu walked out on the street together. The boy seemed to strut as he walked. "It's time to defeat the dark souls."
Ted grinned. "I couldn't have said it any better myself."
35
Erica stepped out of her building with a book in hand. She hadn't seen most of the residents of Treasure since their evacuations began several weeks ago. To look out at the people of Treasure with their hands linked together brought a tear to her eyes. Beside the humans was the biggest army the universe had ever seen. The angels and air ships above, the mermen and ships below, and the ground troops ready to use their impenetrable armor on whoever made the mistake of coming into contact. The forces had assembled and they were ready for passage to earth.
Natalie joined Erica's side and gestured for the person at the end of the chain to switch places with her. Mrs. LaPlante took Natalie's hand and reached out for Erica.
The woman smiled broadly. "I know you aren't really my daughter, but I'm proud of you. Now let's go take down this son of a bitch."
Erica grinned and opened the book. "We may not win this war, but this is going to be one hell of a fight."
Erica took her mother's hand and placed her other palm in the center of the book.
The amount of energy from over 1,000 souls staying connected surged through Erica's body. She felt as though she could reach out and touch every single piece of their collective essence. As the jolt of energy coursed through her, Erica directed it in the space before the giant armada. The portal needed to be ridiculously large to accommodate every single soldier. With the power of Treasure behind their efforts, Erica had no problem doing what needed to be done. The portal was the biggest one she had ever seen, and it stretched so long and tall that she could barely even see the edges of it.
Erica smiled as she watched the angels fly in, the mermen swim forward, and the rhinos charge in behind. Thousands and thousands of troops walked through the portal to Earth. The war of over 1,000 years finally had an army worthy of it.
Erica broke free from her mother's hand, though she was still somehow able to maintain a portal of incredible scope. Yoshi stepped to her side, decked out in full samurai garb. "Is my second-in-command ready to lead?"
Natalie growled at the samurai. "Let's just say I'm a co-general and leave it at that."
The samurai put on a sly smile as he jumped on the back of one of the angels and flew in through the portal at top speed. Natalie got on the back of another angel and looked toward Erica. "You are amazing. Thank you for taking me with you."
With all the power coursing through her, Erica couldn't do much more than nod, but that was enough for Natalie. The former MVP and her designated angel twirled through the air and flew through the portal. With the army all the way through, Erica let the power slip through her grasp. The portal slowly shut and the book fell from her hands. Erica went down to one knee, her mother immediately rushing to her side.
"Honey? Are you okay?"
Erica breathed heavily and nodded. "I'm okay. I'm tired, but I'm okay."
Just as the residents of Treasure were finished gaping at what had been an incredible site, a new smaller portal opened up. Erica look toward the gateway, which seemed to sputter in and out of existence. She watched in awe as a small glowing boy walked through the gateway. Following close behind was the living soul she most wanted to slap right now.
After the two of them were through, Ted spied Erica next to the mass of people from Treasure. He jogged over and ushered the boy to follow him.
Erica tried to gather some hatred for Ted, but she was simply too exhausted from creating the portal to do so. "Where in the multiverse were you?"
Ted smiled and gestured down to the boy by his side. "Riu, Erica. Erica, Riu. He's the one who is going to help us win this war tomorrow."
36
Dhiraj looked out onto the calmer-than-expected Atlantic Ocean. He wasn't exactly sure how the aircraft carrier and the neighboring ships had stayed safe all these weeks, but he was thankful for it. His stomach was beginning to get used to the gentle shifting of the water beneath him, and after a few solid meals, his natural color was starting to return to his cheeks. As he looked in the direction of the mainland, which was far out of view, he considered just what their chances were. Agent Vott must have had the same thing on his mind as he took the spot on the deck just beside Dhiraj.
"It feels kind of like the end of times, doesn't it?"
The pervasive nerves Dhiraj hadn't been able to shake continued to pulse within him. "When you watch all those post-apocalyptic shows, you think that only the strongest survive. But a lot of people couldn't make it over there."
Vott put his hand on Dhiraj's back. "We all lost people. But if your friend succeeds, maybe the two of our armies combined can pull this off."
Dhiraj pursed his lips. "I certainly hope so. How did we let this happen?"
Vott raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Dhiraj looked far out into the ocean. "How did we let ourselves get taken over? Were we just unprepared? Is it really just the fault of a few people, like me and Ted?"
Vott considered the question for a long moment. "Sometimes, a civilization can get too confident. Maybe we worry too much about comfort and convenience and not enough about protection. Either way, there's no going back, so we'd better do everything we can to honor the memories of those who didn't survive our mistakes."
Dhiraj couldn't shake his guilt, but he agreed that they all now had a responsibility to own up to.
Later that day, Dhiraj and Jennifer sat on the other side of the table from Vott, Harding, and a few other officials that had survived the trip. In the last few hours, they'd undergone extensive testing to make sure they were both human. Even from being on the other side of the exam, Dhiraj knew it wasn't an exact science. He hoped that nobody had slipped through the cracks, or they'd all be doomed.
Vott looked at Jennifer as he spoke. "We're vulnerable here. We all know that. Do you have any idea exactly how long it will take Ted to finish assembling his army?"
Jennifer shook her head. "They didn't exactly share their itinerary. But they know that time is of the essence. Hopefully they'll be done soon."
Dhiraj could tell that the answer didn't appease Vott one bit.
"As far as we can tell, most of the world's military might is under the General's control. All we can do is hope that he doesn't discover us. We're going to keep moving, but it's no guarantee of our survival."
One of the other officials turned his attention toward Dhiraj. "Is there anything you learned from being inside of the White House?"
Dhiraj's mind went to Kristen. A new wave of guilt washed over him. "They're not all on his side. One of my guards at the White House. Jennifer's father when he came back. Not everyone is going to follow his rules. We could mobilize the moles and somehow get them to know we're still figh
ting; that could definitely help turn the tide."
Vott looked to Harding. "How hard would it be to get a signal into the White House itself? To take over the coms and get a message to all the guards on the inside?"
Harding seemed to work the calculations over in his head. "Give me a few days and I may be able to pull it off. It's good to know that not everybody from the other side is a jerk."
Before the meeting could continue, a red light bulb on the wall began to light up as a loud siren filled their eardrums. Dhiraj could sense his heart picking up the pace. "Please tell me this is a drill."
Vott shook his head. "Let's hope it's just an abandoned fisherman's boat like the last time."
Vott and Harding filed out with the officials as Jennifer came over and grabbed his hand. "Let's stay close just in case."
Dhiraj nodded. "Of course."
They picked up the pace and followed closely behind the officers. As they reached the deck, it became incredibly obvious that this was no abandoned boat. A trio of armed men packing large, imposing weapons came into view.
Vott screamed. "We've been breached! Everybody take cover."
Dhiraj once again heard the all-too-familiar sounds of gunfire as he grabbed Jennifer by the waist and pulled her down to the deck. Several of the officers from the meeting didn't respond in time, and the Navy-SEALs-turned-dark-souls easily dispatched them. From the corner of his eye, Dhiraj watched Vott and Harding take out their weapons and fire at the SEALs.
Dhiraj's hands shook as he saw the two former DHS agents push back the first wave of SEALs.
Jennifer tightened her grip around him. "How did they find us?"
Dhiraj peeked briefly above the barrier that protected them. A half dozen more infiltrators pulled themselves up over the side of the deck.
His throat tightened. "I'm not sure. But we should probably get below to somewhere safe."
Just as he spoke the words, he saw a grenade land by their feet.
Without thinking, Dhiraj grabbed the weapon and tossed it back in the direction it had come from. It had made it about 10 feet away when the explosion rocked his world. He felt the heat and sound blow him back as he slammed his head hard on the deck. The only way he knew he was still alive was by the fact that he reached for the swelling back of his scalp and cursed softly beneath his breath.
The pain seared through his neck. "I'm really tired of getting my butt kicked."
Jennifer hustled to his side. "That was incredible. Are you okay?"
Dhiraj groaned. "Who knew that being a hero came with so many concussions. Sure, I think I'll live."
As Dhiraj turned to his side, he saw that the SEALs were not alone. Three submarines pulled themselves out of the water and headed for their position.
Jennifer helped pull Dhiraj to his feet. "We need to get below. We're sitting ducks out here."
Dhiraj held up his hand. "Wait. What's that?"
As he pointed to the water beyond the oncoming subs, a sight to behold came into view. Silhouetted figures with wide wings stretched across the sky in the hundreds. Beneath them, Dhiraj could see creatures he didn't recognize swimming at top speed toward them. There were wings, scales, and armored skin heading in their direction. Unless the conquered US Army had pulled from the pages of a fantasy screenplay, something very different had just arrived on Earth.
A smile came to Dhiraj's aching face. "Looks like the cavalry has arrived."
37
Ted had seen that look on Erica's face before. Though she appeared to be exhausted, he could see that underneath it, she was royally pissed off.
The protector stared through him as if he was the lowest creature imaginable. "I know that timing isn't exactly your thing, but you left right at the moment we were about to get together and deploy the army that you wanted to come up with. What the hell were you thinking?"
Ted hoped he could somehow deflect his ex-girlfriend's ire. He presented the young boy by his side. "This is Riu. The little boy I dreamed about." His face cringed. "I know that sounds bad, but—"
"I'm so glad you followed your vision quest and kidnapped a boy from his parents, but this is neither the time nor the place."
Riu gave a confused look. "Are we not in the right place?"
Erica growled. "We don't have time for this. The army is mobilized and ready to strike."
Riu puffed out his chest. "Then the moment of my destiny has arrived."
Ted could tell from Erica's frustration that she wasn't exactly convinced.
"I know the kid doesn't look like much, but he's a weapon. He's the one that could end this war once and for all."
Erica put her hands on her hips. "Okay. What exactly does he do, Ted?"
Ted looked to the boy. "Well, if I'm near him, he blocks my powers."
"That doesn't exactly sound like it would help us in this fight."
Ted could feel his face growing warm. "No, no. He's great. He's going to set things right again."
Erica tapped her foot impatiently. "That sounds pretty vague. I'm still not sure why you put this entire war in danger for—"
"I will end this war." The boy's high-pitched voice was confident. "You need me to save your planet."
Erica sighed and gave Ted the stink eye. "I can tell this is important to you. Otherwise, you wouldn't have made me want to kill you just to retrieve him, but until we can figure out how this magical kid is going to do what you think he can, he should probably stay in the Realm of Souls."
Ted nodded. "You're right." He turned to Riu. "I'm going to leave you with my parents for now. Once everything is settled on earth, we're going to figure out exactly how you can end this war. Just like we talked about."
Riu stood like a statue. "I am willing to die for the cause, living soul."
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that." Ted tried his puppy dog eyes on the protector. "I'm sorry I disobeyed your orders. Do I still get to fight the bad guys?"
Erica's look could best be described as disgusted. "Go deal with the kid, and then let's go stop some dark souls."
After Ted had dropped off Riu with his absolutely delighted parents, he suited up for battle beside Erica.
He thanked his lucky stars that Erica had calmed a bit in the intervening minutes.
She frowned at him. "Even if this kid could do what you say he can, and I'm not at all convinced that he will be able to, returning everything to normal could kill us. Ripping out my spirit and taking away your powers, nothing like that has ever happened, other than with the kid's grandfather. And that's a dubious myth until I see otherwise."
Ted took a deep breath. "I know. I know we have no idea what would happen, but if it ends this war forever, it'll all be worth it."
Erica met his eyes. "I promise that if we make it through this first day on Earth with the army, we can experiment with the kid."
Ted felt slightly less nervous at that. "That's all I ask. You ready?"
She gave a half-smile. "Open sesame."
Ted stretched his hands out in front of him and opened a portal to Earth. The moment it had stretched wide enough for the two of them, he could already hear the gunfire on the other side.
38
Natalie didn't have time to appreciate the wind flying against her cheeks as the angel carried her through the sky. From her high perch, she could see the deck of the aircraft carrier under attack. She turned toward Yoshi, who rode atop an angel of his own. "I'll take the sky if you'll take the sea?"
His features seemed hardened for the upcoming event. "Finally, a battle worthy enough for warriors like us."
She smirked. "Something like that. Don't get killed."
The samurai stuck out his tongue ever so briefly as he guided his angel downward.
Natalie peered over her back shoulder as three-dozen angels withdrew their swords. The battle unfolding beneath her was a loud, choreographed thing of beauty. She watched as the rhinos riding the mermen leapt off their noble, watery steeds and landed on the top of the dark souls' submar
ines. She could see one of the impenetrable fighters tear into the outside of the watercraft with his bare hands. To the side, she watched the now-unencumbered mermen take out their spears and toss them toward the smaller boats of the Navy SEALs. She smiled when she thought how the General had expected this battle to go. She wished she could see the pissed off look on his face.
In the distance, Natalie could see a half-dozen ships arrive and a half-dozen planes arrive in the sky for aerial support. That's where she and her team came in.
Natalie felt powerful as she grabbed on tight to the back of the lead angel. "You know what to do. Let's take these bastards down."
The angels' cheer was almost melodic as they flew toward the oncoming jets. As gunfire ripped through the sky, her angel spun to the right. He easily avoided every bullet and came closer to the attacker than any airplane could have. The lead angel swung down with his sword, slicing through the left wing. The jet spun out of control and crash-landed in the ocean. Natalie let out a whoop as the rest of her team made quick work of the additional planes.
She patted her angel on the back. "You take control of the team. Can you get me down on that deck?"
The angel nodded and sped toward the top level of the aircraft carrier. When her ride was close enough, Natalie loosened her grip and leapt downward. She landed with a forward roll and grabbed the nearest Navy SEAL by the back. With all her might, she tossed him over the side for a long trip down into the ocean. When the SEALs saw her, they opened fire. But before a single bullet could get near, three rhinos that had been dropped on deck as well stepped in front of the gunfire. The bullets ricocheted harmlessly off the invincible creatures. When the SEALs realized their guns were useless, they switched into hand-to-hand combat.
As Natalie's impenetrable troops walked slowly toward the dark souls, she spied something that warmed her heart. Running across the treacherous deck, Natalie crouched down low beside Jennifer and Dhiraj.
