by Alex Leopold
“What's next?” She asked Cooper quickly.
“We free more Skymen. Then we stop the Directory from using the gateway.”
It surprised her how commanding she sounded. A week ago she was a seventeen year-old girl trapped alone with her sister on a farm in the Borderlands. Today, she was giving orders in the middle of a battle.
“The Chrysler building has more apartments. There will be more of our pilots there.” Ellis said
“Okay, let’s not waste time standing around here then.” Acadia said as he climbed on Cooper’s dragon. Mayat and Malthus joined Ellis on his colossal and they launched themselves back in the air.
“Where’s Riley?” Acadia asked her over her shoulder as they flew back into the battle.
“She's helping the other prisoners.” She lied, knowing if she told him the truth he'd be compelled to go in search for her.
Riley had lured Control away to give them the time they needed to free the city. All Cooper could hope was she could run fast enough to keep ahead of him.
Run, Riley, she prayed. Run like hell.
88
Riley tore down a passageway as fast as her legs could carry her, her heart hammering in her chest as she ran.
When she reached the edge of the building’s floor she saw a footbridge to another tower just two floors below. Without shortening her stride she switched down to it, her body crashing onto the wooden planks with a heavy jolt that almost caused her to lose her footing and fall over the side.
“You can’t hide from me, Riley. Remember, wherever you go, that's where I’ll be.” He tapped into her head as she kept running.
She tried to force him out of her head, knowing he was intimidating her for his pleasure.
Unfortunately, it was working. She wished it wasn't, but the icy shiver that raced down her spine told her a different story.
Either way she forced herself to remain focused on keeping him as far away from the battle as she possibly could.
Across the bridge, she covered the floor of another building in a matter of seconds, then switched the small gap that separated it from another tower.
“Remember what I did to your father?" He asked
He pushed the memory into her head of the moment when the bullet from his long-rifle had buried itself into her father's back.
“I’m going to do the same to your sister, and to your friends.”
She wanted to curse him. Tell him she was going to kill him. Instead she leapt down a stairwell and made for another footbridge.
“Nakano told you everything she knew about the prophecy, didn’t she?” He asked. “I’m going to enjoy hacking it out of you.”
“Get out of my head!” She screamed at him and banged a fist against her skull to try and drive him out.
Then he was right in front of her. His body stepping out of a blindspot in her mind to sweep his leg into hers.
She tumbled hard but got back up quickly to confront him. As she did she telescoped out the blades of her fighting staff and grew the spark in the palm of her free hand.
But, Varick had disappeared.
He’d used the sway on her again and had stepped back into the shadows of her mind.
“Show yourself!” She demanded, hating how her voice was ragged with fear.
“Why?” He asked back through the tap. His voice echoed off the walls of her mind, making it sound like he was everywhere.
Feeling hopeless she hurled the spark at a point in front of her.
“Was it my job to train you for this?” He added when the blue lightning-bolt burnt a whole in the wall.
Then he was in front of her again, stepping quickly toward her as his sword cut through the air at her neck.
“Or was it your father’s?” He shouted as their weapons clashed and she barely had the time to block his assault.
“He should've done a better job preparing you for this fight.”
He brought his sword down on her again and again. Each thrust was faster than the last and she was hopelessly outmatched against him. Finally, she left herself open for a fatal wound and looked at him in horror as she braced herself for the bite of his sword. Yet, instead of making the blow, he smacked the staff out of her hand and shoved her off her feet.
“Get up!” He ordered and kicked the staff back to her.
She did so and quickly. Pulling her weapon into her hand through the shift, she teleported herself to exit at his back and aimed her blade for his spine.
“Sloppy.” He announced with the condescending criticality of an instructor.
He’d anticipated her attack and stepped clear of her blade stroke. Then like before, he smacked the fighting-staff out of her hands and shoved her forcefully back to the ground.
“Get up!” He said again.
She raised her head and met his eyes and hoped he couldn't see that her lips were trembling.
It still felt unimaginable that this man was the same as the one she’d seen in her dreams. With his cold-blue eyes looking down at her with such hate, it felt that these two men couldn't be more different.
“Varick, please? Why are you doing this to me?” She pleaded, sounding pathetic.
“I know you’ve seen what I've seen.” She added her voice trembling. “The future where we're together.”
He said nothing. He simply pointed his hand at a mess of old furniture in the corner and used the shift to throw it at her.
She jumped through the switch to get out of its way then she was charging at him, hurling one spark after the other at his head as she screamed with rage.
“Better.”
He sounded almost pleased as he used the rush’s plasma ribbon like a shield to knock each one of her lightning strikes away from his body.
“But you're still too predictable.”
Then she was leaping at him, her fists swinging at his body, throwing punches the way Acadia had taught her.
“You're not disciplined enough.” He told her bluntly as he blocked everyone of her shots. “You fight like you know you can't win.”
“You know I can't!” She screamed back, feeling like a mouse being toyed with by a cat.
“So just give up.”
He shot his fist into her gut. When she bent over in agony, he smashed the back of his hand against her face.
Blood erupted from her nose and her vision swam. For a second, it was all she could do to stop herself from blacking out.
“I don't know how your father put you into my head, but he failed.” Varick declared with triumph, his voice barely audible above the ringing in her ears.
“The Directory is too strong within me.” He continued, pounding his chest, as he paced back-and-forth in front of her. “And you have been a distraction for me for too long.”
She felt something pulling her whole body off the ground and realized he was using the shift to lift her up.
“I'm going to take what I want from you.” He removed his gloves as he approached her. “Then I'm going kill everyone you’ve ever loved.”
He brought his hand to her chest almost casually, as if he had nothing more to fear. She knew exactly what he was going to do. He’s going to hack me, she thought with terror.
Then a bird with gray plumage swooped-in and began to attack his face.
“Fancy a little kiss, my darling?” Goose squawked, and as he flapped around Varick’s head he racked his talons at his neck.
Then Riley heard the loud pop of a long-rifle being fired. Varick moved back through the switch to get away from the bullet, but the temporary distraction forced him to release his hold on her.
“Run, Miss Riley!” Redtail shouted from where he was hiding and took another shot at Varick.
The Myrmidon once again dodged the bullet. Smacking the parakeet away with a hand, he turned his attention to the houndsman.
Redtail was firing from behind the safety of a half-wall that divided the floor into separate levels. To get to him, the Myrmidon would have to leave Riley, which he was
clearly reluctant to do. So he threw the spark at the ceiling above where Redtail was hiding and Riley heard the sound of stone collapsing to the ground.
“Don't worry about me!” She heard Redtail call out. “Run!”
“Where are you going to run too?” Varick asked her with amused curiosity when he returned his attention to her. “You have nowhere left to go.”
He was right. She'd been backed into a corner and there was nothing but sky behind her. If she stayed however, she was going to die. So, Riley decided to take the only option available to her.
She ran to the edge of the building then, with the city stretched out far below her, she leapt out into the air.
89
Cooper was stopped by a crippling ache that burned like wild-fire through her veins. Something was wrong with Riley, she sensed. Wherever her twin sister was, Cooper could tell she was in pain.
Her first instinct was to rush to her, but she stopped herself. She’d been the one who’d started this fight, she had to see it through to its end.
And, like it or not, that end was coming and soon.
By now the Directory would've used their broadcasters to contact Sancisco, she guessed. They would’ve asked the Archon to send his best men through the gateway to help them. So, unless she found a way to take possession of the portal machine in the next dozen or so minutes, this city would be crawling with Myrmidons. When that happened the tide of this battle would quickly turn.
They had to take the gateway, or die trying. Getting to it though, was proving to be impossible.
The focus of the battle was now centered on the rooftop of two towers. The blue tower which contained the gateway, and the grey tower next to it that held the power plant.
The Skymen had taken possession of the grey tower. However, the Directory controlled the blue tower. Hundreds of their soldiers crowded the rooftop and floors below ready to defend it with an endless supply of weapons.
In the air, a storm of draculats circled the blue tower from above and viciously attacked any dragon that tried to come close.
The only way for the Skymen to get across was a via a footbridge over a hundred feet in length connecting the two towers together.
“It’s a death sentence for any man who so much as steps foot on that thing.” Acadia had warned her, grabbing her by the arm and holding her back when she’d tried to rush it.
“So is doing nothing and waiting for the Myrmidons to arrive.” She’d argued back, peering her head out of cover to take stock of the bridge.
If Mayat hadn't pulled her back the spark thrown by one of the Directory’s anomalies would've cut her head clean off.
“Those crinks are good shots.” Malthus muttered irritably, then they’d shared a concerned look that didn't require words to be understood; the Myrmidons would be infinitely better.
“Signal for another wave to attack!” Ellis ordered his uncle, pointing to the dragons circling above their heads.
“And tell the others to fly lower!” He added, his voice growing hoarse from having to shout over the rifle-fire. “The draculats are still getting through.”
As he spoke one of the dark, winged-blends swooped down and lifted a woman off her feet and tossed her over the side of the building before anyone could stop it.
Hudson did what he was asked and conveyed Ellis’ orders to the riders above their heads with quick hand signals. Yet, it was clear he was growing impatient with their decision to remain on the rooftop.
“They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and again and expecting a different result.” He complained. “But let's try this again anyway.”
When he slapped a clenched fist against his chest, ten more dragon-flyers peeled off from the above air battle and attacked the Directory forces on the opposing building. They were carrying small explosives strapped to their dragon’s saddles that detonated into angry red fireballs when they hit the roof.
They flew quickly, tearing through the sky like arrows sprung from their bows. Yet, they weren't fast enough, and of the ten that started, only five made it through. When a pack of draculats swarmed the last dragon and his rider, Cooper had to turn her head away so she wouldn't have to watch them die.
“This is not working.” She whispered to Ellis but she was also talking to herself.
Then she felt her veins start to burn again and had to squeeze her eyes shut and bite down hard to force the pain away.
Oh Riley, what is happening to you, she worried.
“Tell them to attack again!” She heard Ellis order again.
“We should think about escaping while we still can.” Madison suggested, the sky-woman's wild-red hair dancing in the high wind. “We have almost everyone out of the cells.”
“But not enough dragons to fly them all to safety.” Ellis reminded her. “If we run now we're not going to get far. We’ll only succeed in delaying this fight for another day.”
Madison looked as if she was going to argue with him but he gave her a look that made her bite her tongue.
“Tell them to attack again.” He repeated, his voice almost cruel in its authority. Then he added. “And get the men ready to cross the bridge.”
Cooper didn’t need to look at the others to know Ellis’ plan was going to cost him the lives of many of his people.
“What can I do?” She asked him quietly
Placing her hand on his arm, she thought her show of concern might comfort him. But in his anxious state he misread it as one of pity and shrugged her off.
“I don’t know”, he snapped turning his back on her. “What can you do?”
I can switch, she thought to herself, judging the hundred foot gap in her head and feeling confident she could teleport across it.
Except, it wouldn’t mean anything if she just switched herself. She’d have to teleport along with everyone else on the rooftop in order for them to overcome the Directory’s forces on the other side. Had an anomaly ever done that before, she wondered? Could an anomaly ever do that?
The pain hit her again and this time it was so fierce she thought her blood was on fire. Riley is dying, Cooper realized.
Without thinking she grabbed Malthus and told him what she wanted to do.
“A hundred people?” He asked with mocking incredulousness. “Why don't you just move the whole building, it might be easier?”
She ignored his ridicule and continued.
“I need you inside my head.” She explained. “I need you to push me to get everyone across. Can you do that?”
His face turned serious when he realized she was going to go through with it.
“I can, but something like this...” He trailed off before finishing. “It might kill you.”
“Understood.” She replied irritably. She’d realized that already and didn't need him to remind her. “We need to start.”
Crouching down on one knee, she felt Malthus take a spot behind one shoulder, and Acadia gripped the other. On-and-on the rows of men and women knelt, fanning out in a spear-shaped formation behind her.
Without asking, Ellis crouched next to her and took her hand in his. The gesture almost shocked her but when she looked down at their entwined fingers she felt strangely stronger by it.
“Tell me when you’re ready?” Malthus tapped.
“Let’s go.” She said and began channeling her abilities into creating the portal.
Her first thought was that she’d bitten off far more than she could chew. And with each passing second, the task only felt more difficult.
Cooper groaned loudly as she channeled all of herself into the task. Yet, even as she pushed herself harder-and-harder the teleport did not open. Switching one hundred people felt like she was trying to move the whole nation.
She refused to stop though, and with Malthus in her head nor could she. Sweat poured from her brow and her muscles shuddered from the strain of it. Yet, she refused to let it overwhelm her. Instead, all she let into her mind were thoughts of Riley.
Around her the paving stones cracked and the steel in everyone's hands pulled towards her as if drawn to a magnet. That was when she sensed, if only for a heartbeat, that the switch could be done.
“Almost there.” Malthus tapped excitedly. “Push a little harder and we’re there. Can you do that?”
All she knew was that she had too. Her father had told her she might be one of the most powerful anomalies ever, she reminded herself. So, if anyone could do it, it would be her.
Sucking in another breath, she roared as she drove every ounce of strength down into her core and heaved.
“Switch!” She shouted as her nose wept blood and the veins in her eyes popped.
A hundred men and women came out of the portal and immediately laid into the Archon’s men.
Dozens of scalies, ratties and seviles in the grey uniform of the Directory could only stand in dumbfounded shock from what had just happened. The Skymen saw their confusion and took the opportunity to cut through them with merciless vengeance. These had been their captors for the past six-months after-all, the people who’d tortured and put to death friends and loved ones. They deserved no pity, and received none.
“You did it.” Ellis whispered to Cooper as he protected her body from the battle. Then he joked. “But don't think this sort of thing impresses me.”
She was cradled in his arms shivering from exhaustion. Her mouth tasted like vomit and her head pounded.
“We need to get to the gateway.” She whispered uncertain how it was that she still managed to think clearly.
The roof battle was as good as over. The Directory had been overwhelmed and the draculats had scattered into the wind to save themselves. As some of the Skymen chanted ‘victory’, Acadia scooped Cooper up in his arms and raced with her down flights of stairs until they were in front of the gateway machine.
“The shell is closing!” Acadia announced and they were just in time to watch the two ends connect and lock. Then the electrical tentacles leapt from the power relays and the first quicksilver tank began to drain through the glass tubes that wrapped the shell.
