by Kate O'Hearn
“That’s not possible,” the senior agent said.
“You’re dumber than a bag of hammers, ain’t ya?” Earl continued. “Look around you, boy. Do these leather monsters come from around here? No, they’re with the Titans.”
“But what about Emily?” Joel cried.
“She’s gone and took the others with her.”
“What about Riza?” Vulcan asked.
“She wasn’t here.”
“Enough talk,” one of the male voices boomed. “Bring them in. I grow impatient to leave this pit. Bring them now!”
They were roughly shoved forward out of the room and through another long corridor. When they reached the silver doors at the end, Frankie started to scream and claw at the Shadow Titans.
“No! I won’t go back in there!”
But the more he shrieked and struggled, the harder the Shadow Titans handled him.
“Leave him alone!” Earl and Joel shouted together. But the Shadow Titans wouldn’t listen. Finally one of them struck Frankie on the head and knocked him out. When he fell to the floor, Earl picked him up. “Just leave him be, you dung-eatin’ escapees from a shoe factory!”
The silver doors whooshed open, and everyone gasped when they saw what lay behind them.
“Yes, Vulcan, come in and see us,” a voice teased.
Paelen’s pain vanished and screams were stolen from his throat as his eyes landed on the horrors before him. They couldn’t be Titans. In all his life, he had never seen anything like them.
“They are from my dream . . . ,” Lorin gasped.
“You dreamed about them?” Joel cried.
Lorin covered her face with her trembling hands. “We are all going to die.”
“No, we are not,” Vulcan said as he broke free of the Shadow Titans and fearlessly stormed into the room containing the Titans. “Who are you?”
“Don’t you recognize us?” the female said coyly. “Granted, it has been a few thousand years, but have we really changed so much?”
The Shadow Titans shoved everyone else into the large dark chamber and then stood back by the doors, blocking the only exit.
“I do not know you,” Vulcan challenged. “But if you try to harm anyone here, you will answer to me.”
“Brave words from an Olympian failure,” the higher male voice said. “Trying so hard to fit in when everyone laughs at you. Your mother, Juno, rejected you at birth, and even your own wife, Venus, will have nothing to do with you. The only one who ever cared about you is Stella. But she herself is too broken to realize what you really are.”
“You speak cruel words,” Vulcan said. “But do you have the courage to tell me who you are? You, who claim to know so much about me.”
“We know more than you would imagine. When the monster, Emily, murdered us in Tartarus, she also created us. And thus we grew in strength and power.”
“Emily couldn’t have murdered you,” Joel said. “She doesn’t do things like that. . . .”
“Ah, yes,” the female voice said. “The famous Joel—love of Emily’s life. You know so little about her. But don’t worry. We’ll tell her how you died, right before we absorb her!”
“You are the ones who are going to die,” Paelen spat.
“Don’t think we don’t remember you, too, Paelen,” the male voice said. “A decrepit old man, surviving off the scraps of Vulcan’s forge. The only bravery you’ve ever shown was at the end of your pathetic life, when you sacrificed yourself to save Vulcan and Stella.”
“You do not know what you are talking about,” Paelen spat.
“No, you don’t. But now, at the end, you will learn. You will see it all, as Emily saw it and we did.”
Paelen’s head burst with pain as his mind was suddenly filled with memories that weren’t his own but contained him. He saw himself through Emily’s eyes as a very old man sitting on a creature that looked a lot like Brue of Xanadu. But the large, two-headed purple creature had changed. She was ferocious, with long, sharp teeth and tearing claws. He also saw Pegasus, looking old and frail, being protected and cared for by Emily. Then he saw Joel, Stella, and Agent B fighting together against the Shadow Titans and real Titans. All the stories Emily had told about the other time line and more now flashed in bold, living color in his mind.
When the visions ended, Paelen collapsed to the floor. Joel fell beside him, panting hard. Chrysaor squealed softly and shook his head.
Paelen looked over at his friend and saw the haunted expression in Joel’s eyes. They had seen all of Emily’s memories from the time, including how close she and Joel had become—and heard Joel tell Emily how much he loved her. That he would always be with her, no matter what.
It was one thing to hear the stories of a strange time that had never happened for them, but it was something else to actually see the horrors they had experienced and their part in the ancient war.
The Titans started to chuckle, and the female said, “Now do you see what Emily did for you? What she surrendered when she destroyed Saturn’s weapon? How do you feel now, Joel, knowing you turned away from her when she needed you most?”
“Shut up!” Joel shouted as he climbed to his feet and charged the Titans. “You don’t know anything about me or how I feel about Emily!”
“Of course we do,” the female said. “We saw it all in your mind. How you won’t see her or how you’ve hurt her because you’re just an insecure little boy—frightened that you’re not good enough for her now that she has changed so much. You can’t believe that someone so special could ever love you, or that you would even deserve her love. You are quite right, Joel. You aren’t good enough for her, and you don’t deserve her love. . . .”
“Shut up!” Joel shouted again.
“I think we have struck a nerve,” the male Titan said. “Yes, Joel, we have seen everything in your mind, and we’ll let Emily know just how much you loved her, right before we absorb her.”
“You won’t absorb her, do you hear me? You won’t. Emily is going to stop you!”
“Such brave words from one about to die,” the female said.
“So, who first?” the light male voice asked. “They all look so delicious.”
“The Olympians,” cried the other male Titan. “Let us each absorb one and share in the feast! We can save Lorin for last!”
Paelen screamed as he was suddenly lifted off the floor by an invisible force. He kicked out his legs and fought against the grip that held him, but nothing worked. Vulcan and Chrysaor were both hoisted off the ground with him.
“No!” Lorin shouted. “Let them go!”
“Stop!” Joel cried. “You can’t do this!”
“Watch, Lorin. Watch and see the fate that awaits you!”
“Lorin, do something,” Joel cried, running up to her. “Kill the Titans!”
Lorin summoned the Flame and destroyed the Shadow Titans running toward her. Then she charged at the three Titans and fired a steady stream of Flame at them. But her flames shot right through their clear bodies without doing anything at all apart from burning a large, smoldering hole in the wall behind them.
Paelen kept struggling to break free, but there was nothing he could do. He was raised higher above one of the creatures and closer to its mouth. He looked up to the ceiling and saw the old brickwork.
“Lorin,” he shouted. “Go for the ceiling. Bring the station down on us. Kill the Titans!”
“Yes,” Vulcan shouted. “Forget us. Destroy the building. Bring it all down!”
“Do it!” Joel agreed. “Do it now!”
Lorin raised both her hands and fired a full blast of flame at the ancient brickwork over the heads of the Titans. The moment the intense flame struck the bricks, large chunks of ceiling exploded and came crashing down onto the clear creatures.
“Keep going!” Paelen cried. “Destroy it all!”
The Flame that Lorin shot at the ceiling intensified. “Release the others or I will bring it all down!” she cried.
“
Stop,” the female Titan shouted. “Or we will all perish. If you surrender to us, we will release your friends!”
Paelen cried, “They are lying. Do not do it! Destroy the building!”
Moments later, Paelen, Vulcan, and Joel began to scream as the invisible hands started to crush them.
“Let them go!” Lorin cried.
“Stop your Flame and we will!”
The breath was being squeezed out of Paelen, keeping him from calling out to Lorin. But when the pressure increased, he started to see stars before his eyes, and he knew he was suffocating.
Lorin screamed and finally stopped the shooting Flame and left only fireballs in her palms. “Release them now, or I promise you, I will destroy us all.”
“You would kill your precious Paelen?”
“He will die anyway,” Lorin said. “But I will make the trade with you. If you release everyone, you can have me.”
The pressure stopped as quickly as it started and Paelen could breathe again. “What?” he rasped. “Lorin, no . . . We can defeat them. Bring the ceiling down!”
“She can’t defeat us and she knows it,” the female Titan cried. “She contains some power of the Xan but not enough to destroy us. But if she surrenders to us, you will all live.”
“So you will trade my life for theirs?” Lorin asked.
“Yes,” the three Titans said as one. Paelen, Chrysaor, and Vulcan were lowered to the floor of the room. “Everyone is free to go, but only if you stay.”
Paelen staggered over and put his arms around her. “Lorin, no, you cannot sacrifice yourself for us.”
Tears rimmed her eyes. “I must. They are stronger than me and will kill you if I do not. You are all that matters to me, Paelen.” She reached out and gently touched the wound on his chest. “I am sorry I hurt you.”
Like Emily, Lorin still retained her healing powers. At her touch, the deep burn on his chest healed.
“No,” Paelen wept. “Please, do not do this. Do not leave me.”
“I am not leaving you, not really. I will always be with you in here. . . .” She pressed her hand to his heart as tears sparkled in her eyes. “I love you, Paelen.”
“No. I will not let you do this.”
Lorin pulled him close and whispered in his ear, “Paelen, I am dying—each day I have been getting weaker. When I asked Riza, she confirmed it. I have very little time left. Let me give up that time to save you.”
“What . . . ? Dying?”
She nodded. “I was never meant to live. But you gave my short life meaning. I love you, Paelen. I have always loved you. . . .”
Lorin kissed him with such intensity that Paelen felt his heart breaking. When she released him, he whispered, “I love you too. . . . Please, give me your final days, not them. We can do this.”
She stepped back and shook her head sadly, then looked over to Joel and then Vulcan. “Keep my Paelen safe and tell Emily and Pegasus that I am sorry.”
She raised her hand and used her powers to lift everyone, including the CRU agents, off the ground. They were carried over the heads of the remaining Shadow Titans and through the exit doors.
“Lorin, no!” Paelen shouted as he tried to run back in. But her powers held him firm.
“I love you, Paelen. I will always love you. . . .”
Paelen watched Lorin turn away from him and face the three creatures. She dropped her hands, extinguished her Flame, and lowered her head as she surrendered herself to them.
The last thing he saw before the doors slammed shut was Lorin being lifted off the floor and brought closer to one of the mutant Titans.
The final thing he heard through the doors was Lorin starting to scream.
13
“LORIN!” PAELEN SLAMMED HIS FISTS against the doors, trying to get back in. Somehow he could feel her—her love for him, her pain, and finally, her death.
“No,” he howled as he collapsed to the floor.
From behind the doors they heard cheering and celebration. These were suddenly followed by the terrible screams of the higher-voiced Titan, as though he was in great pain.
“She’s getting away!” Joel shouted.
“No. Lorin is dead,” Paelen wept.
“Then what’s going on in there?” the senior agent asked.
“I don’t know, and I don’t wanna know,” Earl said. “Let’s just get outta here before them monsters change their mind and decide to have us for dessert.”
“Paelen, I’m so sorry,” Joel said softly as he knelt down and put a comforting arm around his best friend. “Please, we can’t help her now. Come on. We must go.”
“I cannot move.” Paelen sobbed. He raised his tear-filled eyes to Joel. “Lorin was dying. She gave up her remaining time for us.”
Vulcan put his hand on Paelen’s shoulder. “No, Paelen. She gave it up for you, so that you would live. You do not want to dishonor her sacrifice by remaining here and being destroyed by them.”
“He’s right,” Joel agreed. “We can’t waste this opportunity she’s given us. If we wait much longer, those things will come after us again!”
“What about them?” one of the CRU agents asked as he pointed at the cages of clones and aliens.
“Leave them!” the senior agent said. “Let’s just get to the lift while we still can!”
Vulcan rose to his feet. “No!” he howled. “I will not leave them here to be devoured by those creatures. Set them all free!”
The agents looked from their senior officer to Vulcan. Moments later, they followed Vulcan’s command and started to open the cages.
“I said leave them!” the senior officer cried. “Leave all the Olympians down here! This is their war, not ours!”
“You fool!” Vulcan cried. He charged over and caught hold of the man. “What is wrong with you? This fight involves all of us. Those creatures in there do not care whether they kill humans or Olympians. Your only hope is the Olympians, and our only hope is to get back to Olympus so that Jupiter and his brothers come here to stop them. So for once, put your prejudice against us aside and work with us, not against us!”
Vulcan threw the agent down and looked at the others. “Can you not see this?”
The senior agent got up. “You’re lying. This is your fault. . . .”
Before he could finish, Paelen rose to his feet and punched the CRU agent with enough force to send him flying across the vast chamber. “My beautiful Lorin died so that we may live. We either work together or we die together. Which is it to be?”
The other agents turned from their superior and nodded. “Work together.”
It didn’t take long to open the cages. But as the large group ran from the cage room through the corridor and to the elevator, they realized they had another problem. There were no stairs and only the one elevator. It was large but not large enough to carry them all.
“All right, Vulcan,” the senior CRU agent challenged, rubbing his bruised chin. “You seem to know so much. Now what? There’s only the one lift, and we all can’t fit in it.”
Paelen looked back at the large gathering of clones and even stranger creatures. There had to be at least thirty Dianas, Cupids, and Paelens, plus two large Pegasus clones. Their frightened, innocent eyes looked to them in hope.
Vulcan came forward and poked his finger in the chest of the senior CRU agent. “You will take your human agents and anyone here that cannot fly into that metal box and get back up to the surface. Set off your alarms. Warn the others what is down here and get everyone out. You were never an agency of science. You were set up and used by those demented Titans to escape this pit. Because of you, they now have the power they need to get out. Soon they will be free to destroy us all.”
“That’s a lie,” the CRU agent said. “We didn’t serve them!”
“You’re too stupid to live,” Joel spat. “Of course you did. But now the CRU are finished!”
The ground beneath their feet rumbled and started to shake as though there were an earthquake
.
“Do you understand now?” Vulcan raged. “In absorbing Lorin, they have the power to free themselves! Get in to that metal box and take everyone out of here.”
The intensity of the rumbling increased, and the sound of deep cracking started. The sickening laughter of the Titans filled the underground area.
“Go!” Vulcan roared at the agents.
The agents piled into the elevator with the Diana and Paelen clones. Several small, gray-skinned creatures with large black eyes also followed them on. The gray creatures turned back to Vulcan and nodded in gratitude.
“Earl, Frankie, go with them,” Joel said.
“No way!” Earl said. “We’re sticking with you no matter what.”
Paelen leaned in to the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor. “Do not stop. Get out of here now!”
The doors closed, and the whine of the elevator started as it carried its strange cargo away.
The rumbling in the ground increased as Earl shook his head. “They won’t do it, you know. Them CRU agents will stop at one of the agency floors and try to lock up them poor clones again.”
Paelen was filled with so many emotions—grief, guilt, and loss—but hearing Earl’s comment caused a burning rage to rise to the surface. “Oh no, they will not! If I have to push that elevator all the way to the top, they will not keep those clones!”
He stormed forward and used his Olympian strength to pry open the outer elevator doors, exposing the wide shaft, and peered up. The elevator was still climbing. “I will follow them to make sure.”
“Good idea,” Vulcan agreed. “We will all fly up right beneath them. If they try to stop, we will push them up!”
Just as the first cracks in the ceiling appeared, Joel ran up to the Cupid clones. “All right, you guys, I know you can understand me, and I know you can fly. So you are going to use your wings to follow us up. Two of you are going to carry Earl and Frankie, and the rest will do as we do. When we say push, you will push. Do you understand?”
There was fear in the innocent eyes of the Cupids, but they all nodded their heads.
Just as they prepared to move, a large chunk of the ceiling crashed down near where they were standing. There was an even deeper rumbling as the chamber holding the Titans started to collapse.
