by Kate O'Hearn
“They’ve been eating the clones,” Emily finished. “That’s why the CRU created them. They weren’t for an army to take over the world. They were growing them for food.”
“But I do not understand why,” Cupid said.
Riza’s eyes were unreadable as she said, “My guess is to absorb their power. They told you they intend to devour Olympus and Titus. So it’s logical to assume that each time they absorb someone with power, they absorb the power as well and it becomes theirs. We must also assume that in creating the clones, they were hoping that Olympian powers would be replicated. But only their physical strength was. They will need more power if they are to break free of their pit and enter the Solar Stream.”
“Their ultimate goal is to absorb you,” Emily said. “They want the power of the Xan.”
Riza’s face was filled with peace. Her elliptical eyes were calm and her iridescent, pearly skin smooth and unwrinkled. It gave nothing away. But Emily knew that Riza was part of her. Even if she didn’t show her full emotions, they were there and she was very angry.
“Well, they can’t have me,” she finally said.
Cupid came forward. “Please, you must send us to Olympus. There is no avoiding it now. Jupiter must be told about those Titans. Even if it means the destruction of Earth, they must be stopped before they escape.”
Riza shook her lovely head. “You know I care for Earl and Frankie and all the Olympians very deeply, but I can’t leave here yet. It is taking all my powers just to create a shield to hold back the destructive rays of the sun as it turns supernova. Should I leave, or even divert a bit of power to send you back to Olympus, millions of lives would be lost.”
“But they’ll kill Frankie and Earl,” Emily said.
“I don’t think so,” Riza said. “From what you tell me, they need to absorb beings of power. Humans don’t have that kind of power. They are more valuable alive, knowing that you care and will come back for them.”
Agent B shook his head. “This all seems so impossible, ancient Titans living under Charing Cross. We’ve crossed the universe and I’m surrounded by aliens.”
“These are the Rheans, and technically speaking, we are the aliens here,” Riza corrected. “This is their home. Or at least it was.” She pointed out the window. “Look out there and you can see their dying sun. Most of the planets in this system have already been destroyed. The survivors have moved here, to the outermost planet.” She looked at Emily. “It’s kind of like everyone leaving Earth and going to your system’s outer, dwarf planet, Pluto, to escape your sun. When we are ready, I will bring all the survivors back to Xanadu.”
She looked at Agent B. “This is what my people did for many, many millennia. We rescued the survivors of dying worlds and gave them sanctuary on Xanadu.”
“That is astounding,” Agent B said. He looked over at the silver-skinned people and nodded.
They nodded back.
“But what about Olympus?” Cupid asked. “Once those Titans escape their pit, they will devour it. They already have a lot of power. More than Emily has. She could not stop or even harm them.”
Riza frowned, and it creased her perfect face. She turned to Emily. “Even the Flame?”
“It passed right through them,” Emily said. “Nothing I tried worked. I’m sure it won’t take much more power for them to get out of there.”
Arious Minor appeared out of Emily’s ear. “But it doesn’t mean that they will reach Olympus.”
“Arious!” Riza said. “What are you doing here?”
The dot of light buzzed in front of Riza. “Well, since you couldn’t go, I had to. I couldn’t let them face the CRU alone. But what we encountered is more horrendous than anything we’ve ever seen before. I’ve been inside their computer’s mainframe. The human CRU agents have no idea they have been serving monsters. I fear should the Titans escape, they will spread their poisonous evil throughout the universe.”
Riza walked to the window and peered out into the swirling colors of the approaching supernova. “I can’t abandon this world. Without me, everyone will perish—the people, wildlife, flora—everything will be lost.” She paused. “But there is another way.”
“What?” Emily cried. “Tell us.”
Riza came up to Emily and grasped her hands. “Those mutant Titans are still trapped in their pit under Charing Cross. They need the power of the Xan to escape it and enter the Solar Stream. But with you and me here, they won’t have access to that kind of power.”
Pegasus nickered and snorted.
“What am I suggesting,” Riza said to him, “is that you all stay here and help me.” Her eyes landed on Emily. “Especially you. If we combine our powers, we may accelerate the rescue of these survivors. The moment we get them to Xanadu, we can then deal with those evil Titans once and for all.”
Emily looked back at the silver-skinned people. The danger the Titans posed was immense. But the danger these people faced was more imminent. “You’re right,” she said. “Tell me, what can I do?”
12
“YOU!” VULCAN CHARGED AT THE agent. The weapon the agent carried discharged, but the bullet only lightly grazed Vulcan’s skin. It was enough to enrage him further. Vulcan reached for the lapels on the agent’s coat and easily hoisted him over his head. “Where is my Stella? Bring her to me!”
The agent shook his head while another agent charged forward and pointed his weapon at Joel. “Drop him right now or we’ll shoot Joel. I’m sure he’s still human enough to be hurt.”
Chrysaor squealed and charged two of the agents threatening Joel. The angry boar knocked them over, and his sharp tusks cut into their legs. He turned to charge at the others.
“Stop him,” an agent cried, “or I swear we’ll open fire!”
Joel knelt down to Chrysaor and placed his hands on the boar’s head. “It’s all right. Please stop. They’ll hurt you. They’ll hurt all of us.”
Chrysaor calmed slightly and squealed softly at Joel.
Joel looked up at the agent. “He’s very protective. If you threaten me again, there’s no telling what he’ll do.”
“Then you’d better keep him under control, or we will.”
Vulcan dropped the agent onto the wet ground. “I am warning you, humans, if any of you dare touch the boy, you will have me to deal with!”
The agent who’d been dropped rose shakily to his feet. He rubbed his neck and slowly recovered his breath. “That was a mistake, old man. Who do you think you are?”
“I am Vulcan. Joel and Stella are both my apprentices and under my protection. Now you will bring Stella to me or you will face my wrath.”
“If you want Stella, you will come with us.”
Vulcan looked at the others and nodded. “Agreed.”
“Fine, we’ll take you to her. But be warned, if you try any of those Olympian tricks, we won’t hesitate to start shooting.”
“And that,” Vulcan said darkly, “would be your first and last mistake.”
Several agents ran into the road and stopped traffic as the large procession crossed the Strand and made their way toward the busy entrance to Charing Cross Station. They walked through the entrance alcove and into the spacious terminal. Despite the numerous CRU agents, the station was packed with travelers.
Information boards before them announced the arrival and departure of trains, and other signs directed travelers to the London Underground. High overhead there was a glass ceiling in a Victorian framework.
Paelen and Joel looked at each other but said nothing. This was unlike any other time they’d been captured by the CRU. Nothing about it felt right.
“This way,” one of the agents called.
The other agents were holding the public back as they streamed through the busy station. Directly ahead they saw a sign indicating that the restrooms were on the next level down. When they started to descend the stairs, Paelen looked back at the agents. “Thank you, but I do not need to go.”
He received a shove
in the back in response. That upset Lorin, who summoned a flame in her hand. “Never touch my Paelen again, do you understand!”
Paelen caught hold of her arm. “Not yet,” he said while eyeing the agent. “Let us wait a bit, and then you can set them all on fire.”
That comment raised a spark of fear in the young agent’s eyes.
“This is Lorin of Titus,” Paelen explained. “You might have heard of her from the disaster in Hawaii. You know that incident at the volcano when it erupted? Or perhaps you heard of the events at the zoo when she took on Pele, goddess of the island. Do you really wish to make her angry now?”
“Shut your mouth, Paelen,” the senior-looking agent said. “We’ve been briefed on all of you. I know about the trouble you like to cause. Your threats mean nothing to us.”
“Who said they were threats?” Paelen finished.
When they reached the bottom of the stairs, the agents pushed them forward. To the right they saw the signs for the men’s and ladies’ restrooms, but past those was a plain-looking gray door at the end of the hall.
The first agents punched a code into the keypad and the lock clicked. They pushed through the door.
“This way,” they ordered.
Paelen took hold of Lorin’s hand as they passed through the doorway into another corridor. Joel and Chrysaor were close behind, followed by a grumbling Vulcan. They were led to an extra-large elevator.
“What do you need it so big for?” Joel said. “Elephants?”
The agents around them said nothing as they waited for the elevator. When it arrived, the doors opened and Vulcan peered inside.
“What is this?”
“Don’t ask questions. Just get in the lift,” he was ordered.
Vulcan peered in again. “What lift? I see nothing to lift any of us.”
Joel said, “He means for us to get inside. This is an elevator. It’s like a giant box on cables. It transports people to other levels so they don’t have to use the stairs.”
“What is wrong with stairs?”
“Just get in!” one of the agents said as he shoved Vulcan brutally against his metal wings.
Vulcan turned on him. “You touch me again like that, boy, and I’ll have your head.”
The agent backed off, but his face remained hard. Then the senior agent came forward. “If you really want to see Stella and the others again, you’ll get inside—now!”
“It’s all right, Vulcan,” Joel said. “I’ve used elevators many times before. They’re normal.”
“Nothing about this ridiculous world is normal,” Vulcan grumbled as he followed Joel into the elevator. “The sooner we get back to Olympus, the better.”
Ten agents piled into the elevator with them. The senior agent leaned forward and pressed the sublevel twelve button.
Vulcan jumped as the elevator doors closed and they started to move.
“I do not like it here,” Lorin whined as she squeezed Paelen’s hand. “There is a bad feeling and it is getting worse.”
Paelen felt it too. As they descended, the feeling intensified.
Everyone on the elevator watched the numbers flash above the doors, increasing in negative value as the elevator descended down into the lower levels beneath the station. The lead agent frowned when they reached twelve and didn’t stop. He pressed the button again, but they still kept descending.
He quickly pressed fifteen, but the elevator kept moving. The same thing happened when he pressed twenty. The agent held up his weapon. “Okay, whoever is doing that, you will stop it right now.”
“Doing what?” Paelen said.
“Taking us down.”
“It is not I,” Paelen insisted. He looked at Lorin and saw the fear sparkling in her eyes. “Are you doing it?”
“No,” she whimpered. “They are.”
“Who?” the agent demanded.
“Those that live below—the evil ones.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. There’s nothing down this deep but holding cells, and they’re all empty.”
“No, they are not,” Vulcan said. “Lorin is correct. There is something very sinister down here.”
“Stop it!” cried another agent. “You’re just trying to spook us.”
“Look at Lorin,” Vulcan commanded. “Does she look like she is trying to spook you? She has more power than all of us and senses more. She is terrified.”
“They know I am here,” Lorin whimpered, clinging to Paelen. “I do not want to see them!”
“See who?” the senior agent demanded. His face was reflecting the same fear as all the agents in the elevator.
“Lorin, use your powers,” Joel cried. “Stop this elevator. Take us back up.”
“I have tried. It does not work!” Lorin cried desperately. She physically touched the steel wall and closed her eyes. The whole elevator trembled, and the cables groaned in protest as she poured more power into stopping them, but they continued down. “They are stronger than me. I cannot stop it.”
The numbers were just reaching thirty. “We’re at the bottom,” the agent said. But before he finished, the elevator kept descending. “Wait. This is impossible. The facility doesn’t go down below thirty.”
“Yes, it does,” Paelen said as his heart started to pound. “And there is something very evil at the bottom of it.”
Vulcan opened his bag and pulled out one of the swords. The agents around them raised their weapons to his head.
“Put those things down, fools. This is not for you. It is for those at the bottom. And if you are very smart, you will be ready to fight when we stop.”
The agents looked to their superior.
“He’s right. Something isn’t right here. Get ready.”
Vulcan removed another sword from the bag and handed it to Joel. He gave another to Paelen.
“What about me?” Lorin whimpered.
“You have your Flame,” Joel said. “Be prepared to use it.”
With no numbers to guide them, they had no idea how deep they were going. Eventually the elevator slowed and then stopped. The doors remained closed for a good full minute before opening.
Vulcan was first to react when they finally swished open. He gasped. “Shadow Titans!”
Paelen’s voice croaked when he saw the monsters waiting for them outside the elevator.
Vulcan roared and charged forward, swinging his sword at the nearest creatures. His blade cut through the leather and chopped pieces off the Shadow Titans. But even with missing limbs, the hollow creatures kept coming.
“Paelen, Joel, go for their heads!” Vulcan commanded.
Paelen quickly joined the fight and so did Joel, slashing away at the Shadow Titans with their swords. But it seemed there was a limitless supply of the creatures coming after them.
“Lorin,” Vulcan shouted. “Use your Flame. You have the power to destroy them!”
Lorin stood back in the elevator, her eyes wide with fear as the others fought. The agents used their guns but soon discovered they were useless against the attacking swarm.
“Lorin, burn them!” Paelen cried.
Snapped out of her terror, Lorin raised her hands and started to fire blasts of flames at the monsters. With one shot, she could destroy more than the others put together.
Emboldened by her success, Lorin came out of the elevator and fired at the Shadow Titans going after Paelen.
But for all their success, they were being swamped. The agents were the first to be subdued, followed by Joel and then Paelen. It took many Shadow Titans to knock Vulcan over and get him down to the ground and even more to keep him down.
Lorin tried to blast the creatures away from Paelen, but her aim was off and she hit him in the chest. He howled in pain and collapsed to the floor, clutching his burned chest.
“Paelen!” Lorin shrieked. She stopped firing and tried to run to him, but the leather creatures quickly captured her.
“Lorin, keep fighting!” Joel shouted as he struggled against the creatures ho
lding him.
“No!” a strange female voice sounded. “If Lorin continues to fight, we will have our Shadow Titans finish Paelen off.”
“No!” Lorin cried. “You will not harm him.”
“Then you will stop fighting us,” the female voice ordered.
“Bring them to us,” a high, male voice said.
The Shadow Titans pulled Paelen to his feet. The wind had been knocked out of him and he hadn’t felt pain like that in a very long time. Looking down, he found his shirt was burned away and the skin of his chest was black and blistered.
“Paelen, I am so sorry,” Lorin wept.
He looked back at her and saw the tears and horror shining in her eyes. “It is all right,” he said softly to her.
Lorin shook her head slowly. “No, it is not. It will never be all right again.”
They were led through a long corridor and down a steep ramp at the end. The area opened up into a large room filled with cages. Many of them contained the same type of clones they had encountered at Area 51, but other cages held stranger beings. At the very end, they saw one cage containing two people they knew very well.
“Joel, Paelen!” Earl called. “You shouldn’t have come here.”
Two Shadow Titans crossed to the cage and opened it up. Earl helped draw Frankie out and over to them.
They immediately noticed that something was very wrong with Frankie. His eyes were haunted and his face was gray. He didn’t react to seeing them, and Earl had to keep his arm around him to get him to move.
“Is he all right?” Joel asked.
Earl shook his head. “He’s in shock. He ain’t spoken a word since them monsters in there ate Emily.”
“What?” Joel cried. “What happened to Emily?”
“It was awful. There’re these big Titan blobs down here. They’re the ones that started this whole CRU business, not these dumb agents. This whole thing, all of it, has been a trap for Emily because she’s part Xan and they want her power. When they had her, one of them blobs swallowed her whole. But then she blasted a hole through it and everyone disappeared ’cept Frank and me.”
Earl looked at the agent prisoners. “Yes, you stupid morons, the CRU is a lie. You are nothing but slaves to Titans.”
