by K. L. Lewis
There was nothing they can do now. More explosions erupted in the streets around them, collapsing buildings in their wake. Gun-toting humans in pale green and blue exo-suits stormed through the streets, firing at everyone around. The HDF? Again?
Then came Fara Torres on the rooftops with the Amalgam Concord, all in blue, black, and maroon as they shot back, firing rockets at the HDF.
“Come on! It’s not safe here!” Tyrone shouted, leading the sprint away from the clashing militants toward the bridge.
Bombs peppered around them and the explosions picked the gang off one by one. First went Sarah down in flames, then Mitch. The ground crumbled under their feet, sending Tyrone and Yue falling into the rift. DeMarcus turned back for them, seeing them clinging on a metal bar jutting from the sides.
He reached out to them, but Yue shook her head. “Just run. Save yourself!”
“Hell no!” he shouted. Like hell he’d abandon her like this. But as the bar they held bent, dropping them further into the abyss, DeMarcus froze as he watched her and Tyrone plunge into the darkness.
Gabby and Jade picked him up from the ground. “Come on! We gotta go!” Gabby said.
But everyone just died. What was he to do now?
“DeMarcus!” Jade shouted. “Stay with us! We’ll make it out like we did back in Brighton.”
She was right. Rising to his feet, he led the two girls through the city toward the bridge across the river. But another explosion threw them into the air with a wave of fire splashing below. DeMarcus slammed headfirst to the ground, his leg numbed and his neck spiking in pain. Rising back up, he saw the bridge was destroyed, split among the center as it collapsed into the river. Looking around the rubble, calling for Gabby and Jade, he saw a hand in the flames and…
“No!” He gasped.
There the girls were, blackened, lifeless, lying among the crawling flames devouring them. He limped at them, calling out their names until the embers crawled to his leg and ate through his clothes. The heat cut into his skin, burning it black as he fell to the ground. As the pain intensified, he shook and rolled on the ground to put the flames out. Suddenly, the pain stopped, and his eyes opened to a dark ceiling with his body lying under a thick blanket.
Where was he now? He rose from the sheets, feeling his body for flames that were no longer there. His face and chest were drenched in warm sweat, but his heart pounded hard in his chest. Then he realized he was in his room, and it was all just another nightmare.
He glanced at his OmniMorph. It was thirty minutes past midnight, and he hadn’t slept that long, but now he didn’t want to go back to sleep. He stumbled out of bed for the bathroom for a quick rinse of his face, beads of water dripping from his chin as his mind sorted through his nightmares: Fara Torres, the Fronties, and that raven-haired woman who attacked him in the city. The scar from her knife that had long since healed had a phantom sting to his stomach as her face reflected off the mirror. “The world could use less of your kind,” the reflection spoke.
Red filled his eyes, and his hands curled into fists as his veins bulged out. He was seconds from punching the mirror, but he shifted his rage at the objects on the countertop, knocking them to the floor before kicking the hamper next to him. He slipped on the towels spilling on the floor and broke a handle on the wall in his fall. He slouched on the wall, clenching his face. This was all because of that woman, that Red Phoenix, all of it!
A knock sounded at the door. “DeMarcus? You okay in there?” Jun asked.
He looked at the mess on the floor and quickly picked it up. “Y-yeah. I’m fine.”
“You sound upset. Can I come in?”
Not to this mess he made. “Wait a sec.”
“DeMarcus, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing! Nothing’s wrong.”
“DeMarcus…” The stern edge in her voice hurried him to open the door. Jun’s mouth was agape at the mess all around. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I…I don’t know,” he said.
“Just tell me what’s wrong?”
He didn’t know where to begin. It just didn’t make sense, this new life he had that gave him what he never did: close friends, a stable family, a trip across the world. All of it at the cost his old life, his mother’s life. Why?
He slumped on the walls, face cold as ice as he fought the urge to cry. “I’ve just been having these nightmares. It used to be ones where I lost my mom. And then there was one where I lost everything in a militant attack. They just don’t stop.”
Jun held him close. “It’ll be okay, DeMarcus.”
Yue stood outside the bathroom, with half-tired eyes as she scratched her head. “What’s going on? Who trashed the bathroom?”
“DeMarcus is having a breakdown,” Jun answered.
“Is that what’s wrong?” Yue asked. “It’ll be alright, DeMarcus. We’re all here for you when you need us.”
She came in for an embrace. It was a soft hug, one that soothed his nerves as he caught his breath. “Thanks. I appreciate that.”
Yue smiled. “Now, let’s clean this stuff up and go back to sleep. Don’t want Amy coming in and complaining.”
CHAPTER 25 – REPORT
A woman passed through a thin crowd on her way east through Grand Detroit. A human with long auburn hair, her eyes were covered by large shades that tagged the nearby soldiers and police with a glance, marking them as she moved into the Eastern District of Grand Detroit. It was a whole new world in the months undergoing reconstruction—an area once sparse with traffic, where craters and fractures still littered the streets and sidewalks while rec-workers and drones repaired them.
Her eyes scanning the district, the woman made a slight lift of her brow at all the new sights and scenes that were around. More people traveled here than ever before, walking back and forth on its walkways for the many Coalesce stores and centers that were built. The sections of the Eastern Ruins were different, once shanty neighborhoods that transformed into small apartment complexes thanks to the assistance of Coalesce Industries.
A small crowd gathered and murmured by a public screen of an attack at the Pewter Tech Shipping Center 12. The woman walked over, her eyes widening at an image of a short haired human by the name Fara Torres flying around the outskirts of the city, leaving a trail of dead militants in her path.
“They finally got an image of one of the Amalgam big shots,” a parahuman said in earshot. “Wonder how long that took them?”
The woman kept silent, listening to the people as their heads bobbed up and down from their OmniMorphs to the news-screen. She heard a few quips of praise while others mocked the Amalgam militant who was now identified by the National Bureau of Investigation. Then she backed away, splitting from the crowd toward the mini mart a block away from the Coalesce Emergency Clinic.
Despite the rebuilt areas, this was the one spot that was left unchanged, where mountains of collapsed buildings and hills of rubble still made most of the Eastern Ruin’s landscape. Passing the Clinic for the mini mart, she scanned the surrounding area, catching two people leave the mart before her. On her way in, the parahuman behind the counter greeted her. “Afternoon, ma’am.”
The woman peeked around the aisles. There was a human loading the drinks, giving the woman a suspicious glance over his shoulder before returning to his work. “It’s quite a mess outside,” the woman said. “I’m surprised the Monumans haven’t hit this place.”
She removed her shades and held up her OmniMorph, flashing five yellow bars in an A-shape under the cashier’s scanner. The cashier’s computer greeted her, “Identity confirmed. Welcome, A-1.”
The cashier stood erect. “Captain Torres?”
Fara smiled. “You can thank the Monumans for slowing me down after our ‘message’ to the Representative. So, what’s this about those rogues of ours getting captured in Europe?”
“Intel from the Euro-Bloc reported them getting busted in the British Isles by a multinational task force,” said the cash
ier. “There was something they planned to hand to the Monumans. And that’s all we gathered before our comms were cut.”
“Has anyone else reported in before me?” Fara asked.
“Iya dropped off a group of girls at the Emergency Clinic, then Lian reported by himself,” said the cashier. “Beyond that, we’ve been dark until you arrived, ma’am.”
“That’s good to hear,” Fara said with a smile. She glanced at the human man by the drinks. He looked through the windows, then gave her a nod.
All clear.
The cashier pressed the bell beside the register, opening a passage in front of the stand that descended underground. Fara removed her wig as she went down the incline, reaching the underground where soft pings echoed through the halls. Dozens of Amalgam militants and engineers scrambled through the halls, pausing in salute as Fara passed them by before they resumed their tasks.
Entering the main chamber, she spotted Lucas standing over the militant’s, directing them to their tasks before turning and saluting Fara approaching him. “What’s our status?” Fara asked.
“Ma’am. We’re trying to reestablish contact with other groups, but we’re limited to proximity range for the time being,” Lucas answered. “Also, aside from our new ‘recruits’ getting caught in Europe with data from our R&D, the Euro-Bloc mentioned someone else in Europe having something on our facilities here in this region. There’s risk of another breach if they get leaked.”
Fara pondered on what to do, and locked eyes with Lucas. “Continue to link up with any groups you can and deploy scout teams in the ruins and the city. The Monumans have yet to find us, so we should have time before we transfer to Torvil.”
Lucas leaned to her ear. “Also, there’s reports that our old ‘friends’ from before are closing in on this place. I have a plan to deal with them in the meantime, but we’re still sitting ducks in the event they discover us.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” said Fara. “Establish a link with High Command as I go check on the scientists.”
Lucas saluted and went on his way as Fara separated for a small laboratory where Dr. Koss and Vai jotted down their notes on their tablets. The doors slid open on her way in, standing beside Dr. Koss who was none the wiser to her presence. “Still overpowers the immune system, risking necrosis,” Koss mumbled. “Some samples show accelerated cellular repair, replacing damaged tissue…then necrosis.”
Fara eyes moved around the organized clutter of tablets and vials on the table. “Seems everything’s okay here,” she said, spooking Dr. Koss.
“Captain Torres! We weren’t expecting you,”
“I got held up on the way over here,” said Fara. “How goes the research? I heard we had some stolen data.”
“I know everything looks like hell, but things have gone well on our end. That stolen data on the Red Phoenix was just a duplicate file, so we’re still able to continue our work as normal.”
Fara nodded. “At least the Monumans won’t have it.”
“As far as our progress goes, it’s not much,” said Dr. Vai. “We found some enhancing properties, DNA repair, and stronger myofibrils. Some samples went so far as to duplicate functions of other organelles before necrosis.”
Fara blinked and stared in silence.
“What Dr. Vai means,” Koss continued, “is that before it kills a subject, hypothetically speaking, it grants the host a miraculous health boost: resisting cancer, stronger muscles, it might even slow aging!”
“No wonder the Monumans want it,” Fara smirked.
Lucas entered the room and saluted. “Captain, long-range comms are online. High Command wants to speak with you.”
Leaving into the corridors and following Lucas past her troops for the Comm Room, Fara stood on the grey pedestal and saluted the ghost white avatars of the Amalgam High Command projecting before her. “Afternoon, Captain,” Cobalt greeted. “I’m sure you’re aware of Monuman soldiers coming all the way to your operating area, along with the news networks identifying you. Care to explain why you were at one of Pewter Tech’s shipping facilities?”
“Ma’am, the devil’s in the details. The Monumans were present for a special product the Fronties were offering,” Fara answered. “Allers was generous enough to tip us off to the deal prior to our discovery of Monumans in the country.”
“What product?” Iridium asked.
“Three young women,” said Fara. “Not sure what for, but based on that and the data they didn’t get in the British Isles, I’m sure there’s a connection. Iya warned us they caught wind of it, and apparently there were a few moles within those new recruits you sent that were caught in the British Isles. At least there’s nothing in the data to trace back to us.
“Well, job well done, Captain,” said Iridium. “That should allow us to continue our focus on the HDF. With the Monumans present, they’ll have everyone in the nation distracted, and the HDF will use this moment to rebuild. Is there any progress on Red Phoenix?”
“We’ve discovered some benefits like regenerations and enhanced strength,” said Fara. “But there’s the problem of killing any test subjects should we undergo a trial phase.”
“Other groups came to similar conclusions,” said Cobalt. “The Iuvian’s certainly made this a difficult puzzle to crack. Given the state of conditions in your area, it’s too risky for you to remain there. We’ve expedited the transports that will relocate your operating group to Torvil before the Monuman’s discover your location. They should arrive within the next few weeks.”
“We’ll manage, ma’am. I’ll have a few teams ready for a stay-behind in the region to keep an eye out.”
“Good to hear. Fight for all, Captain. And watch your back out there,” Cobalt dismissed. The projections disappeared, and Fara went to work.
CHAPTER 26 – HEATED CRISIS
August 15, 892 RNC. The first day of school. The gang were now Level Five students, but the thought of returning to the Iyrons Academy was far less exciting compared to the British Isles.
Schedules were pinged on every student’s OmniMorphs and tablets, and DeMarcus already wished for it all to be over with. There was also the love in the air – while Tyrone broke off to speak with his girlfriend Jasmine, DeMarcus stole a glance of Crystal and her clique passing by. With the feeling of Gabriella’s soft lips pressed against his as fresh as he could keep it, he wasn’t sure what to think about Crystal anymore. His memories of his vacation made him scoff at her a bit, knowing he could do better with Gabby and Jade. But then again, those two ladies were thousands of miles away.
Meanwhile Crystal was right in front of him. She returned a sharp glance back, then she looked away and carried on with her clique. It was as if she hooked her eyes into his chest and yanked out his heart, which DeMarcus wish he couldn’t feel. It grew more complicated with Sarah scowling at Crystal, while much to his surprise Yue paid Crystal no attention. Probably another a hint of disgust.
None of that had the same impact of seeing Rafeal talk to Crystal and wrap his arm around her waist as they went into the Academy. That sent a clear message to DeMarcus – the two must be dating.
He shrugged at the sight. So what if they were dating? He was over Crystal. Yet for some reason, he felt like hitting something. Why was he even feeling like this? He couldn’t still care about her. He really didn’t want to.
But he did. He knew he did, even if he didn’t want to admit it.
Not like he had to, his disgruntled face giving everything away that Jasmine held him back with a calm hand on his shoulder. “It’ll be okay, DeMarcus. I know how you’re feeling, but there’s plenty of other women out there.”
Right, there were. He already had a taste of it. But that was then, and this was now.
All of that tension flushed out of him the moment he began Language Arts as his first period. DeMarcus and Tyrone laughed at the memories of their vacation from the beach, the girls, the gunshots—yes, the gloomy bits, too. But once Crystal entered the class along w
ith Alanya, a girl whose cold presence made DeMarcus uncomfortable, that fiery tension came right back.
He kept his eyes on his tablet, reading up news on recent militant attacks, trying his damnedest not to look at them. When class began a “What Did You Do This Summer” session, that tension subsided in place of excitement of him and Tyrone eager to share their experience. They hooked the class over their vacation, and for once, DeMarcus loved the attention he got. At least until Ty let slip the part about Gabby and Jade’s affection towards him.
DeMarcus almost jumped through the roof as embarrassment set in. “Hey! They don’t need to know that!”
“Oh, sorry,” said Tyrone.
Some giggles filled the air, and DeMarcus grinned a bit until he caught Crystal flashing a coy smile at him on the way back to his seat. He avoided her gaze and Alanya’s eye roll as the class continued until the bell. The students spilled out into the halls, and he soon found the tension surging right back into him with his mind on Crystal once again. “Did you see the way she looked at me,” he asked Tyrone.
“Who, Crystal?” Tyrone asked. “Yeah, looked like she was into you.”
“Funny, ‘cuz she wasn’t into me before.”
“Don’t sweat it,” Tyrone brushed off. “It’s probably nothing.”
DeMarcus slumped on the lockers and pressed on his head. “It’s never nothing with her!”
Tyrone grasped him. “DeMarcus. Stop. Stressing!”
Easier said than done had Crystal and Alayna not passed them by. They gazed over their shoulders, with Crystal giving that same coy smile that ate at DeMarcus. He looked away, focusing on Tyrone who made a hard blink at the sight. “Okay, maybe there is something,” he said.
There was something alright.
Relaxing under a solar tree during lounge hour, DeMarcus and Tyrone told the rest of the gang about their classes, and despite knowing full and well how Yue would react the two told the gang about the whole matter.
“So, after I mentioned Jade and Gabby, Crystal was eying all over DeMarcus,” Tyrone blurted out.
