ã€ŠAlex the Demon Hunter [Superhero Progression Fantasy with LitRPG elements]ã€‹


 Chapter 1: You did the right thing

    EIGHT YEARS AGO

    ¡°ALEX!!¡± his father boomed from downstairs.

    Sixteen-year-old Alex Hunter dropped his headphones on the desk and took a deep breath. He already knew what this was about.

    ¡°Alex! Get down here, now!¡±

    He did as he was told.

    Alex had always been a straight-A student, but that didn¡¯t mean he could get away with troublesome behavior.

    Especially violence.

    His parents were waiting for him in the living room. His father stood in the center with his arms folded; cell phone in hand, about to be crushed. His mom stood behind him. Not angry or menacing, just disappointed.

    They were both facing a chair that Alex was clearly supposed to take. He passed. He¡¯d rather stand for this.

    His father took a deep breath, which did absolutely nothing to calm his nerves. ¡°I just got off the phone with the principal.¡±

    ¡°I figured,¡± Alex replied softly.

    His father did not appreciate the smug tone. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can also figure what it was about?¡±

    ¡°Not a clue,¡± Alex lied.

    His father was about to burst a nerve, when his mom intervened. ¡°Honey, calm down. Let me talk to him.¡±

    ¡°Calm down? It¡¯s the second time this week!¡±

    ¡°It was the same guys,¡± Alex cut in.

    ¡°And that makes it better somehow?¡±

    ¡°It was self-defense, dad. You expect me to not fight back?¡±

    ¡°You hit them first!¡±

    ¡°They were ganging up on Kenny. They destroyed his bike!¡±

    ¡°Then go to the authorities! Complain to the teachers!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re completely naive if you think that¡¯ll achieve anything.¡±

    ¡°And what did you achieve by punching them in the face, huh? You got yourself expelled!¡±

    Alex suddenly felt numb. Reality hadn¡¯t quite sunk in yet. He had been expelled¡ªthe consequence of his own actions.

    No more high school. No more martial arts with old man Shiro after school; there was no way his parents were paying for that now. No more anything.

    Was it worth it?

    ¡°They hurt my friend,¡± Alex finally said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch. I did the right thing. But you would never understand!¡±

    Alex turned around and bolted out the house.

    ¡°That was a little too harsh, honey,¡± his mom said.

    ¡°It¡¯s the second time this week, Molly. Two of the boys have broken ribs, one of them¡¯s got a fractured jaw. If he keeps this up, he¡¯s going to get himself killed one day. Or¡­ or worse!¡±

    *

    Alex walked to Grandpa Shiro¡¯s Comics Store, briskly at first, but then slowing down on the seafront to gaze at the sun set over the ocean, basking in the orange glow.

    Grandpa Shiro¡¯s was the only place he could find some peace and quiet, especially on days like today. He wasn¡¯t actually his grandpa. The local kids who grew up learning martial arts from the kind old comic store owner all called him so out of love and respect; upon his own insistence, in his own native tongue: Ojii-san.

    But there was no rush. Alex took a seat on a bench nearby, facing the ocean and the orange sun. A few kids played tag on the beach. A father and son played catch. Care free.

    Alex clenched his fist as he thought about his future. No Ivy League college was going to accept him now. He¡¯d probably blown his chances for a sports scholarship too.

    His high school principal had made a fuss over nothing. Alex wasn¡¯t particularly a big guy. Sure, his martial arts practice had afforded him an athletic physique, but it was nothing compared with someone in professional boxing or MMA. He was 6 ft tall, medium build, some but not a lot of muscle. He knew his punches had power, but not enough to land those spoilt brats in the hospital.

    Their injuries may have been exacerbated. Their rich fathers probably paid off a hospital or a small doctor to make the damage seem way worse than it actually was, to compel the principal into making Alex¡¯s punishment more drastic.

    Sigh. Whatever. What¡¯s done is done.

    If the school wants to defend bullying, then fuck ¡®em. I¡¯m glad I¡¯m out.

    He got up and resumed walking toward Ojii-san¡¯s comic store, which also doubled as his home. As soon as he turned the corner though, he spotted Officer Langley burst out of his house and stumble over a snow shovel.

    ¡°Officer Langley, are you alright?¡± Alex called out.

    ¡°Ohoy,¡± he shouted as soon as he spotted Alex. ¡°Alex, you fine boy. Can you install one of those things on me computer that hides my internet activity from the government please?¡±

    ¡°I did that for you last week, Officer Langley. Did you forget already?¡±

    ¡°Oh you did, did you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Are you drunk again, Officer Langley?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not, my boy. Who¡¯s drunk this early in the morning?¡± He stubbed his toe on a trash can and yelped in pain before declaring, ¡°I¡¯m just high.¡±

    Some police officer, Alex thought. He waved an awkward goodbye and resumed walking.

    His mind was still disquiet.

    It¡¯s not like they didn¡¯t deserve it. Those guys¡ªno¡ªthose bullies¡­ They had it coming.

    But his parents would never understand.

    Maybe old man Shiro will.

    ¡°You look distressed,¡± said Ojii-san as soon as he opened the door. ¡°Rough day at school?¡±

    ¡°Just like any other,¡± said Alex, not meeting Ojii-san¡¯s eyes as he stepped inside.

    The familiar smell of old and new comic books was welcoming, as always. Alex took a deep breath in, and felt his mind clear of all the worrying and overthinking. The only thing that mattered, for now, was the latest, official English version of Berserk vol. 38, which he¡¯d been waiting on for months now. He quickly began scanning the new arrivals.

    ¡°It¡¯s not in yet,¡± said Ojii-san, knowing what he was looking for. ¡°Delayed. Again.¡±

    ¡°Crap,¡± said Alex. Absolutely nothing was going his way today.

    Alex browsed the shelves absent-mindedly. He was caught up on pretty much every comic and manga he liked, and he had zero interest in trying anything new right now.

    Ojii-san wasn¡¯t going to give up that easy though. ¡°Wanna tell me how you got that new one? I¡¯m certain it wasn¡¯t there before,¡± he said, pointing at his chin.

    Alex took a quick look at himself in the mirror above the cash counter. His dark brown hair was a total mess, and his black eyes looked tired; they still had that extremely faint red hue around his pupils¡ªa rare genetic defect, the doctors had said, but nothing of concern because it was never noticeable, unless someone was looking for it.

    Alex had developed a subconscious habit to check for it every time he looked in the mirror, believing that one day the defect would simply disappear on its own. No such luck so far.

    He found a shallow cut under his chin that he had missed before. It glowed red against his light skin, but it wasn¡¯t bleeding.

    ¡°I got into a fight,¡± Alex told Ojii-san. Even though he didn¡¯t feel like talking about it right now, he knew there was no point trying to defer this conversation. The old man could be annoyingly persistent.

    ¡°Again?¡± asked Ojii-san.

    ¡°Again.¡±

    ¡°Why this time?¡±

    Alex studied his face and tone of voice. ¡°You already know!¡±

    Ojii-san chuckled. ¡°Your mom called,¡± he said. ¡°She knew you were coming here. Asked me to talk some sense into you.¡±

    ¡°And?¡± Alex asked. ¡°Are you going to?¡±

    He smiled. ¡°Nah. I was thinking we fire up some Mortal Kombat in the back room. Go a few rounds. I kick your ass, again! Then, when I¡¯m finally tired of kicking your ass¡ª,¡± he paused for dramatic effect, ¡°¡ªwe could get back on the Path and continue looking for Ciri. What say you?¡±

    Alex sighed in relief, then smiled. ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s do that instead.¡±

    They moved to the room at the back of the store, which doubled as both living room and bedroom for Ojii-san. ¡°I don¡¯t need much space,¡± he¡¯d always say when questioned about why he just wouldn¡¯t buy a bigger place somewhere else. He certainly could afford it.

    However, contradicting his declaration of not needing much space, he did cramp a 65-inch OLED TV hooked to a PlayStation 4 in the living/bed room. ¡°No compromises on the important stuff,¡± he¡¯d tell everyone.

    His magician¡¯s kit was sprawled across the couch and table¡ªthe cards, the wand, and the bowler hat, among several other ¡°artifacts,¡± all of which he quickly cleared to make space for them to sit. ¡°Been practicing again?¡± Alex asked.

    Ojii-san looked like he was about to blurt something out prematurely, but instead he simply cleared his throat. ¡°That¡¯s for later. Let¡¯s focus on our duel now, shall we? Or are we eating chicken for dinner?¡±

    Alex smirked and grabbed the controller. ¡°Game on, old man.¡± He hardly ever won any rounds against Alex. But that didn¡¯t stop him from trash-talking.

    ¡°Guess I¡¯m the one doing the ass kicking after all, huh?¡± said Alex after he beat him three matches in a row. ¡°Ain¡¯t that right, Ojii-san?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that out of spite,¡± said Ojii-san. ¡°It¡¯s a title of respect for your old sensei!¡±

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Whatever you say, Ojii-san!¡± said Alex, with more emphasis this time around.

    ¡°Oh, you brat!¡± Ojii-san chuckled. ¡°One of these days I¡¯m gonna get you. I¡¯ve been practicing in secret, you know?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll need plenty more,¡± Alex teased.

    Ojii-san smiled absent-mindedly, as if he were having the time of his life despite just getting obliterated in Mortal Kombat. ¡°Alex,¡± he said softly. ¡°My son¡¯s on his way here. His flight from Kyoto lands tomorrow.¡±

    Alex smiled wide. ¡°Ojii-san that¡¯s great news!¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, smiling gently. ¡°He¡¯s bringing his wife and son too.¡±

    ¡°You must be so hyped,¡± said Alex. ¡°I am so happy for you!¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t believe it¡¯s been nine long years,¡± he said. His voice turned heavy. ¡°I¡¯ll finally get to see my grandson¡­ for the first time.¡±

    Alex gently put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Nothing to be upset about. They¡¯re finally coming, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not at all upset.¡± Ojii-san was smiling, but his eyes slightly moistened.

    ¡°We gotta show them everything you¡¯ve built here,¡± said Alex. ¡°I bet they¡¯re going to love spending time at the store. I don¡¯t know them personally, but same gene-pool, after all¡ª¡±

    ¡°Alex,¡± Ojii-san cut him off. His tone was now serious. ¡°Your parents love you. You know that, right?¡±

    Alex stayed silent. After a brief pause, he said, ¡°Yeah. I know they do.¡±

    ¡°I know they often overreact,¡± continued Ojii-san, ¡°God knows I¡¯ve done the same when it came to my children. But it¡¯s only because they worry about you, Alex. As to why they worry so much, well¡ª¡± he interrupted his own thought, shook his head, then let out a long sigh. ¡°I know you don¡¯t understand it all right now, but¡­ you will. In time.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± said Alex, nodding and smiling reassuringly.

    ¡°Alright enough soy talk,¡± said Ojii-san. ¡°I¡¯m beating you for sure this time.¡±

    He didn¡¯t, but they had a hell of a time. And without either of them realizing, it was past midnight.

    ¡°Oh shoot, look at the time,¡± said Ojii-san.

    ¡°Can I not just stay and game all night? It¡¯s not like I got school tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Your mother will worry,¡± Ojii-san said with a firm smile.

    ¡°Fine,¡± said Alex. ¡°See you tomorrow, then.¡±

    Alex walked out of the store, into the dead silence of the night. The street was dark and empty. A thin layer of snow blanketed almost every inch of ground, while thick fog covered the air. The faint light from the street lamps fell woefully short of doing their job.

    He was barely a block away from Ojii-san¡¯s comics store when he heard a shrill scream pierce through the silent night, and then get instantly muffled.

    Alex¡¯s feet froze. All his senses spiked. His heart began to pound, and the hair on the back of his neck rose. Something really terrible was going on.

    His instincts pulled him toward the source of the scream, so he followed. In a dark corner across the street, not fully illuminated by the street lamp, he could see three men huddled together, jostling and struggling with something.

    From their jackets, and the Harley-Davidson knock-offs that surrounded them, they seemed to be a wannabe biker gang. Confirmed by the tire marks littered across a small patch of ground near them, cleared of snow, which accompanied a strong smell of burnt rubber. They¡¯d been passing time doing burnouts before whatever it was they were doing right now.

    Bunch of thugs, thought Alex. Maybe they¡¯re just bickering over how to split the loot. Perhaps the scream was from one of them, just horsing around.

    As he inched closer, he heard them giggling. He then caught a glimpse of a thin, white leg kicking through the huddle, with red heels on the feet.

    A woman.

    Alex positioned himself a fair distance away from the group and yelled, ¡°Hey!¡±

    A large man with his back still toward Alex said ¡°Shhh!¡± at something while still laughing hysterically. Another guy turned around and said to Alex, ¡°What¡¯s up guy? What you lookin¡¯ at?¡±

    It was after the guy broke off from the group that Alex was able to see exactly what was going on. A young woman was pinned to the wall, her face and shoulders bruised, and a look of pure terror on her face.

    These thugs were about to take advantage of her.

    No way Alex was going to let them.

    In a swift movement, Alex hurled a stone at the large man whose back was still facing him. It hit him on the neck.

    ¡°Yo, what the f¡ª¡± the large man squealed.

    ¡°Step away from her, now!¡± said Alex, with as much authority as he could muster.

    ¡°Yo! What the hell is your problem?¡± said the first guy to Alex.

    ¡°Are you going to let that slide?¡± asked the third guy to the large man.

    The large man swiped his hand behind his neck and observed it. It was red with blood. ¡°No,¡± he growled.

    The large man began walking menacingly toward Alex, but the first guy stopped him. ¡°Relax, big guy. We don¡¯t want a repeat of last time, do we? Let me take care of him.¡±

    ¡°Hmpf,¡± the large man grunted and smirked.

    ¡°Hey Miles,¡± the third guy called out to the first. ¡°He saw us. He¡¯s a witness.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know,¡± said the first guy. ¡°I know what to do. Relax!¡±

    Alex squinted his eyes to his right to see if all this commotion had woken Officer Langley. He briefly thought of barging through his door and dragging him here himself. But that¡¯d be too late. The thugs would be gone by then. And the girl would be dead.

    The first guy started walking toward Alex now. He slowly removed a long, heavy chain from his jacket. ¡°Dude, all you had to do was walk away.¡±

    Alex clenched his fists.

    His heart pumped so much faster than it had in any practice session or high school fight. His fists and nerves felt strangely warm.

    The guy swung the chain at Alex, which he easily avoided with a quick duck. From the low angle, Alex landed an upper cut square on the guy¡¯s balls, causing him to drop the chain and hold his crotch.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± the guy squealed in pain. ¡°This motherfucker!¡±

    Alex took a fighting stance. These guys were amateurs. He could easily take them.

    ¡°Who the fuck do you think you are, huh?¡± yelled the first guy as he charged toward Alex, despite in visibly horrific pain.

    Alex opened his fists, ready for what¡¯s coming.

    The man was about to tackle him. But the second before he connected, Alex bent low again, grabbed him by his jacket, and fixed his leg on his opponent¡¯s groin. With his back on the ground, Alex flung him behind, adding extra power to the throw with his hip and leg. The charging man¡¯s own momentum was used against him, and he went flying, crash landing into a parked car directly behind Alex.

    The car¡¯s alarms went off, and Alex smirked. This should surely wake Langley.

    ¡°Hey, hey, hey, this guy is something, eh?¡± said the third man. ¡°Jerry, take him!¡±

    The big brute nodded and charged. Alex was barely back on his feet a couple seconds when a gigantic piece of hard meat¡ªthe brute¡¯s arm¡ªslammed on his chest like a ton of bricks. If Alex hadn¡¯t reacted in time, it would have definitely cracked a rib.

    Shit, thought Alex. This guy is trouble.

    It¡¯s not like he couldn¡¯t take him; his fighting technique was non-existent. But he was massive; an entire weight class above Alex.

    ¡°You show him, Jerry!¡± the third guy cheered from the back.

    Alex struggled to his feet and presumed his fighting stance once again. The brute named Jerry smirked and walked slowly at him with a menacing look.

    Jerry started with a grab this time, but Alex was able to evade effortlessly. He¡¯s strong but he¡¯s slow, thought Alex. When on his side, Alex landed a swift low kick on the brute¡¯s shin, which made him drop to his knees and yelp in pain.

    It was Alex¡¯s turn to smirk.

    Assuming he had a few seconds before Jerry was back on his feet, Alex looked around for something that he could use as a weapon to finish the guy off. There was no point fighting fair in a street fight.

    Jerry recovered quicker than Alex anticipated, and was able to land a surprise punch on his chest. Alex, once again reacting quickly, was able to deflect most of the damage with a well-timed parry. But it still hurt like a bitch.

    However, the parry had now opened big brute Jerry for a knockout blow.

    Alex curled his fists and moved in to finish the job with an elbow jab on his thick skull, when he was suddenly grabbed from behind.

    It was the first guy. Apparently crash landing on a car wasn¡¯t enough to take him out.

    ¡°Finish him, Jerry!¡± he shouted, holding onto Alex as if his life depended on it; his mouth spraying spit and blood awfully close to Alex¡¯s ear.

    Jerry regained his balance and began to giggle like an overgrown child. He clenched his fist and landed it square on Alex¡¯s cheek. Blood and spit sprayed out of Alex¡¯s mouth this time, and he could now see stars. This brute was tough as hell.

    Alex¡¯s vision blurred, but he could still see the shape of a giant pull his humungous arm back, prepping a killing blow.

    Shit! thought Alex. This is it. If that lands, I¡¯m done for.

    Alex felt his body temperature shoot up. His heart was racing even faster than before, which should be impossible. His arms and feet were burning hot, and it felt like his very soul had been set on fire. Any moment now, he was going to raze it all. Reduce his enemies to ash and dust.

    A cold gush of wind swooped in from both Alex and Jerry¡¯s blind side. Jerry was tackled with such incredible force that he landed three feet away from his original position. After tasting dirt yet again, Jerry lifted his head to see who or what had hit him, when he was immediately smacked on the back of his head with a thick wooden cane.

    Big brute Jerry dropped flat on the ground, unconscious.

    ¡°Ojii-san!¡± Alex called out in celebration.

    ¡°You alright, Alex?¡± asked Ojii-san while Alex was still under the first guy¡¯s tight grab.

    Alex bashed the guy¡¯s jaw with the back of his head, which loosened his grip. He then turned around and punched the thug in the gut. The guy fell to his knees and rolled over, gasping in pain. He was out.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± Alex replied to Ojii-san. ¡°A little dazed, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Well, well, well,¡± said the third guy, dropping the woman on the ground, her legs now bound with thin but tightly wound rope. ¡°That¡¯s an interesting turn of events. I¡¯ve never seen Jerry lose a fight before. But then, you did do him dirty, didn¡¯t you, old man?¡±

    ¡°Come on, Ojii-san, we can take him!¡± said Alex.

    ¡°No!¡± said Ojii-san. His face was tense, focused on his opponent. Something was bothering him.

    Alex looked at the third guy¡¯s face. The guy wasn¡¯t scared. He was outnumbered two to one, but he was completely unfazed.

    ¡°Alex, listen to me,¡± said Ojii-san. ¡°Dive behind that car when I create an opening, and run to Officer Langley¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Alex protested. ¡°He¡¯s just one guy, we can take him!¡±

    ¡°Alex, listen to me, for once!¡± Ojii-san looked dead serious.

    Before Alex could utter another word, Ojii-san and the third thug disappeared in a puff of smoke. This was Alex¡¯s cue. He dived behind the car as instructed, and ran toward Officer Langley¡¯s house.

    ¡°Whaaaaat!¡± The third guy cackled in maniacal lunacy. ¡°A smoke bomb? Seriously? Are you a fucking ninja or something?¡±

    Alex smirked. That fool had no idea who he was messing with. Alex was confident that he could have taken that guy out by himself. But Ojii-san is on a whole other level. After all, it was he who taught Alex everything he knew about fighting.

    He banged on the bum officer¡¯s door repeatedly. It may have taken two full minutes for Langley to finally come to the door, still drowsy. How was he asleep through all that commotion was beyond surprising.

    ¡°Officer Langley,¡± said Alex. ¡°There¡¯s a bunch of hooligans assaulting a woman. Come qui¡ª¡±

    BANG!

    The deafening sound of a gunshot echoed through the silent night.

    Alex¡¯s blood froze.

    Nothing seemed to move for a long while. The snowflakes were suspended mid-air. His breath stopped halfway through his wind pipe. His eyes were fixed in the direction of the fight, as panic set in.

    Then, he blinked.

    And time began to flow again.

    Alex bolted toward the fight. Langley muttered something inaudible and followed Alex.

    He had a gun? That fucker had a gun?

    Relax, thought Alex. Ojii-san must have been the one to fire the shot, in self-defense. He must have brought a gun to the fight, concealed within his clothes.

    But Ojii-san hated guns, didn¡¯t he?

    He must have grabbed the asshole¡¯s gun then!

    Alex finally arrived. The woman was nowhere to be seen. Big brute Jerry was still unconscious on the ground, and so was the first guy whom Alex had taken out.

    The third guy was collapsed on his back, his head smashed in by something heavy. Like a thick cane.

    Alex found the cane lying on the wet ground a few feet away. And right next to it, streaks of blood painted the white snow.

    Alex followed the blood trail to find Ojii-san collapsed on the ground with his back against the wall, breathing heavily.

    There was a gaping hole above his abdomen. Blood poured out from it, and from his mouth.

    ¡°NOOO!¡± screeched Alex. ¡°OJII-SAN! NO!¡±

    Alex rushed to Ojii-san¡¯s side and dropped to his knees. ¡°No! No! NO!¡±

    ¡°Relax, don¡¯t move,¡± Alex told him. His voice quivered and his hands shook beyond control. ¡°I¡¯ll call the ambulance!¡± said Alex. ¡°Please don¡¯t move!¡±

    Ojii-san gripped his hand tight. A gentle smile etched his face, as if letting him know that it was okay.

    ¡°Let me call the ambulance!¡± Alex begged. He turned around and shouted, ¡°Langley! Call an ambulance right fucking now!¡±

    He turned to face Ojii-san once again. Tears poured through his eyes, blurring his vision.

    ¡°It was my fault,¡± Alex wept. ¡°This was all my fault!¡±

    Ojii-san shook his head with great difficulty. He moved his lips, attempting to say something, but failing. He finally managed to get the words out in a coarse breath.

    ¡°You did the right thing, Alex.¡±

    ¡°No, please no!¡± Alex wept, as Ojii-san slowly shut his eyes.

    *

    Officer Langley drove Alex home. The paramedics had already taken Ojii-san¡¯s body away. En route, Officer Langley had called Alex¡¯s parents, informing them of what occurred. His parents were out on the lawn, waiting.

    Alex hadn¡¯t uttered a sound throughout the drive home.

    His mom gasped looking at his bloodied clothes. His father ran to him as he got out the car and hugged his son.

    Alex was dazed. He could barely make out what his father was saying. ¡°Alex, are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Are you okay, Alex?¡±

 Chapter 2: Hell on Earth

    PRESENT DAY

    Crows hovered above the dim hue of street lamps that night, undeterred by the smell of gasoline and burnt rubber. It was as if they knew¡­

    The crows¡­ they knew.

    What else? Was it raining?

    He always thought it was raining.

    ¡­no. No rain. Only snow.

    And blood.

    And the deafening bang of gunshot.

    You did the right thing, Alex.

    ¡°OJII-SAN!¡±

    Alex woke with a jerk. His PlayStation 5 controller slipped from his hand and landed on the hard wooden floor with a thud. He sprang upright on his chair and frantically looked around, still dazed, slowly becoming conscious of his phone ringing.

    ¡°Hey Mom,¡± he breathed.

    ¡°Alex, where have you been? I¡¯ve been trying to reach you since forever! Are you alright?¡±

    Alex checked his phone to find nine missed calls. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom. I was on my computer and I must have dozed off.¡±

    ¡°Hard at work?¡±

    Alex thought about what to say. ¡°No, playing video games.¡±

    His mom chuckled softly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not here to put you on the hook. Did you respond to the email?¡±

    Typical Mom, thought Alex. She wastes no time coming to the point.

    ¡°Which email?¡± Alex tried to dodge.

    ¡°The email,¡± said Mom. ¡°There¡¯s only one email I¡¯ll ask you about.¡±

    That damned job interview. ¡°I¡¯ll get to it by the end of next week,¡± said Alex without a shred of conviction in his voice.

    She paused, probably massaging her temple like she always does when something stresses her out. ¡°Alex, they¡¯re expecting a timely response. I put in a real good word for you. Such opportunities are rare, and the job is right up your alley.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s corporate finance, Mom,¡± Alex reminded her.

    ¡°Yes, but, close to fifteen percent of their clientele is from home d¨¦cor, which is an artistic industry, and not very different from video games since video games are also art.¡±

    Alex rolled his eyes. ¡°Mom, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Look, Alex.¡± She let out a long sigh before continuing. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, no matter what you do. And if you want to spend the rest of your life finding insects in video games¡ª¡±

    ¡°Bugs,¡± Alex corrected her.

    ¡°¡ªbugs, insects, whatever. That¡¯s your decision, and I¡¯ll support you no matter what. But you and I both know that you¡¯re more than overqualified for this. Alex, you¡¯ve got incredible capacity to bounce back, once you see the error of your ways.¡±

    Alex winced at that last part.

    ¡°You¡¯ve done it before,¡± she continued. ¡°After that¡­ dreadful night, you never engaged in violence again. You earned your place back in high school, worked your way through college, and graduated top of your class. I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯d do all that just to scrape the bottom of the barrel at some video game startup.¡±

    ¡°Because I like it, Mom.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the point,¡± she said. ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is¡­ I¡¯m proud of how you turned your life around then. And I want you to do it again. Respond to the email. Live up to your potential, like you were meant to do.¡±

    Alex stayed silent. There was no point discussing this over the phone.

    ¡°Just think about it,¡± she prodded on. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say yes right away. Take the day, and make up your mind by tomorrow. Don¡¯t wait until next weekend, that¡¯ll be too late. Okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay, Mom.¡±

    ¡°Okay. So. About the high school reunion. Did you go? Did you have fun?¡±

    ¡°N¡ªYes. Yes I did, Mom,¡± Alex lied.

    ¡°Okay,¡± his mother sighed. ¡°Good. At least you¡¯re trying to have an active social life.¡±

    Alex shifted in his chair uncomfortably.

    ¡°And finally, Alex¡­¡± Her tone changed. Alex knew what was coming.

    ¡°Call your father,¡± she said. ¡°He misses you.¡±

    ¡°How is he?¡± Alex asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s fine. You can talk to him right now if you like¡ª¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Alex cut her off. ¡°Not now. Maybe later.¡±

    ¡°When? It¡¯s been more than two weeks¡ª¡±

    ¡°I gotta go now, Mom. Kenny¡¯s calling me right now. I¡¯ll talk to you about this later, okay? I promise.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± she sighed. ¡°You take care, Alex. I love you.¡±

    ¡°Love you too, Mom. Bye.¡±

    He hung up. There was no incoming call from Kenny. He hated lying to his mother, but he really did not want to discuss his father right now.

    Alex looked at his gaming controller crash-landed on the floor, hoping it wasn¡¯t broken. He was planning on getting a few hours of Doom in, at least, before heading out.

    Or he could just stay in and play all day.

    Tempting.

    But he had promised Kenny, hadn¡¯t he?

    His phone rang again. This time it was Kenny.

    ¡°Remember, it¡¯s a pact,¡± he said through the phone. ¡°And pacts are sacred.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t we do it another time?¡± Alex sighed.

    ¡°Look out your window,¡± said Kenny.

    Alex found Kenny looking up at his first-floor window, waving slowly. ¡°Don¡¯t you bail on me again,¡± he said with a smile that somehow seemed both welcoming and sinister at the same time. Welcoming if Alex complied, sinister if he refused.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be down in twenty,¡± said Alex over the phone. As he disconnected the call and moved away from the window, he heard Kenny shout from below, ¡°Don¡¯t make me come up there and drag you out.¡±

    Alex looked in the mirror, about to get dressed. Out of habit, he noticed that the faint red hue around his pupils had almost completely disappeared.

    Twenty minutes later, Alex was dressed in his bomber jacket and bike gloves and met Kenny downstairs, who stood leaning against his Harley. Alex kicked his 2023 Triumph into life and set off on a motorcycle ride through Sol City Nature Reserve with his childhood friend, as he had promised he would.

    Alex lived close to the coast on the west end of Sol City, while the nature reserve was all the way out the east exit. Which meant they had to ride through almost the entire expanse of the city to get there.

    Sol City was a modern American utopia. There was almost no poverty, except on some parts on the outskirts and the deep alleys of Old Town. Almost no crime¡ªat least on the surface¡ªexcept for the occasional petty thefts, and the once-in-a-while murder. But they were all resolved in no time. The city council was not corrupt. Everyone was welcome here.

    Alex had originally moved here just to attend university, but the city had grown on him. It wasn¡¯t too far from the suburbs both he and his parents grew up in. And everything he needed or could ever want for was around him, which was little else than comic book stores, gaming cafes, and convenience stores.

    The sun gleamed through the tall buildings nestled between lush green trees that were intentionally placed, which somewhat counteracted the pollution. To further promote the idea of trees as carbon sinks, the city council constructed an expansive central park, which was a perfect circle surrounding the city council building.

    As Alex and Kenny flew past the edges of the park, Alex noticed that a sizeable crowd had gathered around the council building, with carnival music blasting through giant speakers and balloons of varying sizes drifting in the air. There was a sort of celebration ongoing; or a music festival, perhaps.

    Kenny opened his helmet and mouthed something incomprehensible, pointing at a banner on a nearby building that said ¡°Founding Day 2024!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s speed it up,¡± Alex mouthed to Kenny, gesturing with his wrists. He didn¡¯t want to be slowed down by any surprise crowds.

    They sped past the park, dodging streets that looked like they could get busy. They were soon out the east exit and into the nature reserve.

    The air was much cleaner here; soft and rejuvenating. He could hear the birds whistle through the dense woods, amidst the distant rustling of dry leaves. The sun striking through the gaps in the green cover overhead was nothing short of therapeutic.

    He may have preferred staying indoors and slaying demons on his PlayStation, but now that he was here, he wasn¡¯t so sure anymore.

    Kenny gestured to follow him. After a few sharp curves through the dense flora, they arrived at a clearing atop a small hill. A viewing deck was on the farther end¡ªwith concrete flooring, benches, and thick steel rails¡ªoffering a full panoramic view of the sprawling city. Alex and Kenny decided to park their bikes and rest.

    ¡°Wait, is this¡­?¡± Alex asked, a faint memory slowly resurfacing.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Kenny. ¡°The same one. We came here on a school trip in eighth grade. That jerk Mark was threatening to fling a few nerds over the railings, so you beat him to a pulp.¡±

    Alex chuckled. ¡°Yeah, I remember. Mr. Willoughby punished all of us.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well,¡± said Kenny. ¡°He wasn¡¯t exactly the brightest.¡±

    They took the benches with the best view. Kenny took out a couple cans of ginger ale from his backpack. For a few minutes, they drank in silence.

    ¡°So, how does it feel?¡± asked Kenny.

    Alex inhaled a deep breath of fresh air. ¡°Like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders. If only for an hour.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. I told you it was a good idea.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well. You were right. It¡¯s just that¡­ sometimes I just feel¡­ glued to my chair.¡±

    Kenny chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t we all?

    They drank silently for a few more minutes.

    Then, Kenny spoke. ¡°So there¡¯s a martial arts camp in our high school next month. Maybe you can go, show them a few moves.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s swell,¡± said Alex. ¡°But I don¡¯t fight.¡±

    ¡°Come on, Alex. You were one of the best.¡±

    Alex clenched his jaw. ¡°Still¡­ I don¡¯t fight.¡±

    They drank in silence again. Alex noticed a couple of squirrels briefly arguing over the ownership of a nut, eventually deciding to settle their differences over a not-so-friendly tussle. Meanwhile the nut rolled downhill, so they paused the tussling and chased after it.

    Alex was bemused.

    Kenny cleared his throat. ¡°So the real reason why I asked you to come with me here today is¡ª¡± He stopped abruptly, unsure how to proceed.

    Alex looked at him curiously.

    Kenny continued. ¡°¡ªis that I have an announcement to make. I¡¯m going to ask Madeline to marry me. Tonight.¡±

    Alex¡¯s face lit up. ¡°Kenny, that¡¯s wonderful news! Congratulations!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s gonna be home all day today, getting bored, missing me¡ª¡± Kenny chuckled, thinking ahead, ¡°¡ªshe¡¯ll never see it coming! Once we¡¯re back in the city, I just got a few more things to pick up, and then go surprise her in the evening, with this.¡± He revealed a shiny diamond ring. ¡°I¡¯m thinking sunset is a good mood.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll say yes, no matter what time of day it is,¡± said Alex, patting him on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m happy for you both.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Alex. I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re finally here.¡±

    ¡°Me neither.¡±

    They gulped down the remainder of the ginger ale and tossed the cans into a dumpster nearby.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Kenny began, this time a little uncomfortable. ¡°About that job.¡±

    Alex lent back and ran his fingers through his hair. ¡°Oh don¡¯t tell me my mother put you up to this.¡±

    ¡°She knew I was meeting you today. We¡­ may have spoken on the phone.¡±

    ¡°Jesus.¡± Alex sighed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see the problem. It¡¯s a top-tier position, your mom used her best connections. And the pay is off the charts.¡±

    Alex shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t care what the pay is.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± asked Kenny, amused. ¡°What happened to becoming the two richest people in the world so that we could start our own private space agency and colonize mars?¡±

    Alex chuckled, recollecting the memory from when they were in middle school. It was all so different then.

    ¡°I gave up on that dream long ago,¡± Alex said. ¡°Now¡­ I just want to be left alone.¡±

    Kenny thought about his next words carefully. He cleared his throat and said, ¡°Well, I know he liked video games too but he wouldn¡¯t want you to just stay cooped up in your room all day and ignore the world.¡±

    Alex leaned back once again and looked up at the clouds. It was true. He wouldn¡¯t have wanted this for him. He wouldn¡¯t have wanted¡­ a great many things.

    Alex felt his eyes moisten. Tears streamed down his cheeks; he couldn¡¯t control them any longer. He bent forward and buried his face in his palms.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± said Kenny, gently rubbing Alex¡¯s back. ¡°I miss him too.¡±

    ¡°It was my fault,¡± said Alex, echoing his own words from eight years ago. ¡°It was all my fault.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Kenny. ¡°It was their fault, and theirs alone. You can¡¯t continue blaming yourself.¡±

    ¡°I should¡¯ve been strong enough to take them out.¡±

    ¡°Alex, the guy had a gun.¡±

    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t have mattered.¡±

    ¡°Jesus, Alex, you¡¯re not a superhero.¡±

    ¡°Well, then, I should have been!¡±

    Kenny remained quiet, unsure of the state of mind Alex was in right now. A brief but uncomfortable silence crept in between them.

    ¡°And since I clearly wasn¡¯t,¡± Alex continued, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have tried to act like one.¡±

    ¡°Alex¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kenny. I shouldn¡¯t have dumped all this on you, not today.¡± Alex was smiling again, if only for Kenny¡¯s sake. ¡°Can we just go back to planning your propo¡ª¡±

    Alex was suddenly interrupted by a¡­ what was that exactly?

    ¡°Kenny, you saw that?¡±

    Kenny frantically looked around, confused. ¡°I saw it. What the hell was it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know! Some kind of a¡­ a flash?¡± said Alex.

    A flash that blinded the sun for a split second? How can that be?

    ¡°I know it sounds crazy,¡± said Kenny. ¡°But it felt like all light was sucked out of the sky for a second there, and then put back in. Like someone switched the sun on and off again or something. Like a light bulb.¡±

    Alex observed the city skyline in the distance. A thick mass of dark grey clouds had gathered above the city center. It looked like it was about to rain heavily, but only in a small, targeted spot.

    A fairly strong breeze brushed through his hair, and it felt oddly warm. Alex looked at the large expanse of trees between them and the city. The tree tops had now begun to rustle; slowly at first, and then violently. Soon, a few hundred birds emerged out of the trees and flew away, in panic.

    The birds. They always know.

    ¡°Kenny,¡± said Alex, panting. ¡°I think something bad is happen¡ª¡±

    CRACK!

    It happened again, only this time, it was here to stay. All sunlight felt like it had been sucked out of the sky, just like Kenny had described.

    But now, they could both see the cause behind this weird phenomenon.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    A thick bolt of lightning had struck the center of Sol City from the dark clouds that had gathered above it earlier, splitting the sky in half.

    Unlike normal lightning, this one was bright, neon red. It was so bright that it dimmed the sun, covering the entire sky in a red and black hue. Also unlike a normal bolt of lightning, it was almost perfectly vertical, and it did not disappear in a fraction of a second. It was here to stay.

    To Alex, it seemed like someone had opened a portal.

    Alex shook his head. Why would he think that? Was he losing his mind? Was any of this real?

    Alex and Kenny glared at this unusual spectacle in awestruck silence. Soon, they saw explosions erupt from the buildings and streets close to the city center. They then heard screaming.

    This was not some weird natural phenomenon.

    Someone¡ªor something¡ªhad attacked the city.

    As the same realization hit Kenny, he gasped in horror.

    The only word he managed to get out was about the one person he cared for most in the world: ¡°Madeline!¡±

    Kenny bolted for his motorcycle in a state of panic.

    ¡°Kenny, wait!¡± Alex called out as he followed him. ¡°Kenny, we don¡¯t know what this is!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what it is!¡± Kenny bellowed before kicking his bike to life and zooming toward the city.

    Alex swiftly got on his own bike and followed suit.

    His heart pounded through his chest, exactly how it did that night eight years ago¡ªwhen he first heard that deafening bang of gunshot.

    *

    Kenny zoomed through the curved path through the forest at breakneck speed. Alex closely followed suit.

    They soon reached the east exit of Sol City, but then they had to come to an abrupt halt.

    The entrance to and exit from the eastern part of the city was jam packed. Hundreds of vehicles and thousands of people were on the street trying to scurry out in mass panic and hysteria. In the background, smoke, fire, and explosions erupted from inside the city.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way we¡¯re getting through here,¡± said Alex to Kenny as he halted close to him.

    ¡°We go all the way around and take the south entrance,¡± said Kenny. ¡°Most of the crowd will be running east. The south entrance should be way less crowded. Once we¡¯re through that, it¡¯s a straight path to the council building, and my home.¡±

    Kenny could be right. The southern part of the city opened toward the coast. If people were running out in panic, in their cars and on foot, they¡¯d head for the east exit, not the south. Coming out the south exit would be a long way around, therefore totally unintuitive. So once they realize that everyone else had had the same idea, it¡¯d be too late. They¡¯d all be packed in a jam. Which is exactly what they were seeing right now.

    ¡°Come on!¡± said Kenny before zooming away toward the south entrance. Alex followed.

    It was as Kenny deducted. The south exit was far less crowded than the east. However, it was still a challenge to push through then slow-moving stampede. Kenny went straight in, without hesitation.

    It felt like swimming against the tide. Alex tried to keep Kenny in sight as much as he could, but it was tough. When they were near what seemed to be the end of the crowd, Kenny zoomed through a quickly closing gap.

    Alex tried to follow through, but a massive truck claimed the gap before he could reach. Dammit. He was stuck. And Kenny was out of sight.

    It¡¯s alright. He just had to carve a new path around. And once he did, he¡¯d be out of the deadlock in no time.

    It was going to be okay. He wouldn¡¯t be too far from Kenny.

    Alex calmly looked around and finally found another gap about to close. He accelerated as quickly as he could and squeezed through just in time.

    He was out.

    The streets were clear now, but also eerily empty. Most of the people must have surely evacuated in time.

    Right?

    Alex looked around, slowly absorbing the state of the city. Idle cars on the street were on fire. Windows of most of the adjacent houses and buildings were smashed, with chunks of shattered glass spread on the ground, amidst elaborate streaks of some reddish liquid, which was everywhere.

    Blood.

    The hair on the back of Alex¡¯s neck stood up. What the hell happened here?

    A loud zap from the stabilized red lightning dead ahead pulled Alex¡¯s attention away from his thoughts. It glowed bright against the darkened sky; its outer edges quivering and waving like bolts of electricity around a tesla coil. It also seemed to be getting progressively brighter as Alex got closer. He gazed at the sheer immensity of the bolt, which, from this distance, felt truly larger than life.

    There was no time to linger. Kenny surely hadn¡¯t slowed down. His house was straight ahead, near the circular central park¡ªwhich probably was the source of the red lightning.

    They were headed straight toward the epicenter of whatever kind of disaster this was.

    Alex gulped, bracing for whatever was coming next.

    Still a couple blocks away from Kenny¡¯s house, Alex suddenly hit the brakes. He spotted Kenny¡¯s bike lying flat on the ground near a totaled car. Alex got off his own bike and examined the scene. Had Kenny skid on the slippery road and crashed? He was going too fast after all.

    Alex looked around, trying not to panic. Kenny should be close.

    He looked toward Kenny¡¯s house and let go a huge sigh of relief. He spotted Kenny standing on his own two feet. Which meant he wasn¡¯t injured.

    ¡°Kenny!¡± Alex called out as he ran toward him, but it was as though the voice never reached him.

    Something was wrong.

    Alex stopped and observed closely.

    Kenny stood still in the middle of the street, glaring at his house. He looked shell shocked.

    Alex inched a little closer, and he could finally see what Kenny already had. There was a huge boulder where Kenny¡¯s house was supposed to be. Judging by the roughly round hole in the adjacent building, it looked like it had flown all the way from the park and crash landed on Kenny¡¯s house, reducing it to rubble.

    Crushing everything, and everyone, inside it.

    Kenny wouldn¡¯t move. Somehow, Alex needed to get him out of here as soon as possible, but¡ª

    Thud.

    Alex felt the ground tremble.

    An earthquake? No. It was more like¡­ footsteps.

    Something incredibly huge and unimaginably terrifying was approaching them.

    Alex once again ran toward Kenny, but immediately stopped dead in his tracks.

    A creature, about fifteen-feet tall, had just turned the corner, and was slowly making its way toward Kenny. It had bulging, yellow eyes and a protruding snout, similar to an alligator¡¯s. It seemed reptilian, with thick black hides covering strategic parts of his body, as though he were wearing black scale armor. Its own scales were light red. Like a demon¡¯s.

    It walked on his hind legs with a forward hunch, while his muscular fore arms shuffled the upper floors of the decrepit buildings, looking for something.

    It stopped looking once he spotted Kenny.

    Its pace increased as he walked toward Kenny, a newfound determination in its step.

    Chills ran down Alex¡¯s spine. He needed to get Kenny out of here.

    Alex tried to move again, but his feet suddenly felt heavier than steel. He tried to move, but his whole body seemed to have frozen in place. He was stuck. Immobilized by fear.

    No sound escaped his mouth when he tried calling out for Kenny again.

    The demon slowly moved closer to Kenny, like a predator stalking an unaware prey. Alex¡¯s mind began to race faster than his heart.

    He had to do something, quick. Or else¡­

    Or else Kenny will be eaten.

    ¡°No!¡± said a dark voice from somewhere inside him. The voice did not feel foreign to him. It was his own. But different.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything,¡± said the voice. ¡°You cannot do anything. Remember what happened the last time you tried to meddle?¡±

    ¡°That was different,¡± Alex argued.

    ¡°It was the same. Try playing the hero again, and you¡¯ll only make this worse.¡±

    ¡°How can it get any worse?¡± Alex asked. ¡°The demon is almost on top of him!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll make it worse by dying alongside him.¡±

    Alex shuddered. ¡°I can still save him,¡± he protested.

    ¡°You are still the same kind of fool,¡± said the voice. ¡°Nothing¡¯s changed from back then. You couldn¡¯t save him then, and now, you can¡¯t save your friend. But you¡¯re lucky. The beast hasn¡¯t noticed you, yet¡­¡±

    The voice now merged with the thug¡¯s voice from eight years ago. It was as if they spoke in a coarse, hybrid, and unholy unison:

    ¡°All you have to do is run away.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Alex screamed.

    Loud enough for the beast to hear.

    The beast demon was upon Kenny, but he was momentarily startled by the noise. Kenny¡¯s knees finally gave up, and he collapsed on his side. The demon noticed and seemed confused seeing Kenny drop on the ground like a dead fly. It picked up Kenny¡¯s body with two giant opposing fingers. The large nails pierced Kenny¡¯s sides, spilling out blood.

    The demon tossed his body aside, discarding it like it were some piece of unwanted trash. Kenny¡¯s body crashed on the rubble of his own house, motionless.

    Alex remained frozen. The fact that Kenny was probably dead seemed to have registered somewhere in his brain. But nothing felt different. He wasn¡¯t crying, like he had the night Ojii-san died. He wasn¡¯t running to Kenny¡¯s side in panic, trying to resuscitate him. He couldn¡¯t do any of it.

    He couldn¡¯t even move a muscle.

    The only thing that was different was that the demon¡¯s gaze was now on him.

    Alex managed a few deep breaths. If this was it¡­ if this was how he was going to die¡­

    He¡¯d rather go down fighting.

    The thought seemed to have spilled a warm calmness through his veins. Slowly, he regained control of his arms¡ªwhich he now rested on his side¡ªand clenched his fists.

    He had no idea the kind of opponent he was facing¡ªwhat its moves were, where its weaknesses lied.

    But it didn¡¯t matter. He will figure it out. Or he¡¯ll die trying.

    Calmness, once again.

    The demon noticed that Alex was willing to put up a fight. Suddenly, he seemed way more interested, excited even. His pace steadily increased; he would soon begin charging at Alex.

    The calm spread through Alex¡¯s veins like wildfire. He felt the same heat that he¡¯d felt eight years ago¡ªwhen that brute¡¯s final blow was going to finish him off¡ªradiating through every cell in his body.

    He was ready.

    And he was sure he was facing certain death.

    A different kind of heat whooshed from behind him, leaving a white and blue streak in its wake.

    Alex had barely noticed it. But the speed with which it passed him knocked him off balance.

    It crashed through the demon beast with immense force, leaving behind a gaping hole below its thick chest and above its gluttonously large globule of a belly.

    The demon looked confused once again. He tried to crane his neck down to see what had happened to him, but before he could lift it back up, his body collapsed on the street with a loud thud.

    He was down.

    Whoever¡ªor whatever¡ªhad killed him, now rose from behind the demon¡¯s collapsed body. It hovered above it, examining it, floating in the air like some kind of a¡ª

    Superhero.

    His body was made of white metal. He had thin streaks of blue light flowing through his entire body, but mainly concentrated around the center, where his chest should be. The light was particularly bright around his chest, emanating from something that looked like a hexagon.

    His head was made of the same white metal as his body, but with a wide circular gap of black in the middle, made from glass, presumably so that his eyes could see through. Not so different from a bike helmet.

    The hero must be inside the white suit of armor!

    Alex¡¯s gaze shifted at the demon¡¯s motionless body. It was dead, no question about it. The flying hero had killed him in less than a second. He had arrived just in time to save Alex¡¯s life.

    Alex wanted to thank him.

    The superhero noticed Alex moving toward him and gestured him to stop. When he spoke, his voice sounded robotic, and a blue light emerged from the black glass on his helmet, waxing and waning as he spoke. ¡°Run away,¡± he told Alex, in a calm yet authoritative tone. ¡°This is not a video game.¡±

    Alex never thought that it was. Maybe the hero had seen Alex manning up against the demon earlier and thought he was an insane person.

    Well, could you blame him?

    Still, Alex didn¡¯t appreciate the tone.

    Alex nodded to him in response, and the superhero steadily gained altitude. He turned around and effortlessly launched himself mid-air, flying straight toward the red lightning.

    Alex dropped to his knees. This can¡¯t be real. None of it can be real. He was definitely home, still asleep on his chair, with his controller in hand.

    All he had to do was wake up.

    But what if it wasn¡¯t?

    If it wasn¡¯t, Kenny lay dead there.

    The warm calmness was instantly swept away. He spotted Kenny¡¯s body lying on the rubble, still motionless. The cold, dreadful, and paralyzing fear was back.

    But it didn¡¯t win over him this time.

    Alex ran to check on Kenny. He was badly bruised, and one of his arms seemed to have twisted, possibly broken. There was a lot of blood on his sides where the demon¡¯s nails had pierced him, but there was also¡­

    A pulse.

    Alex let out a huge sigh of relief. Kenny was still alive.

    All he had to do now was carry him out of here.

    Alex hesitated. He wasn¡¯t sure whether that¡¯ll be a good idea owing to all the bleeding. Maybe calling an ambulance was better.

    An ambulance? What was he thinking? The entire city seemed to have been wiped out by actual demons. Were emergency services still operational?

    What if they weren¡¯t?

    Alex began to panic again.

    But it was washed away almost as quickly as it had arrived. Alex heard sirens approaching from behind him. Thank god, he thought. They were here.

    He turned around to grab their attention; but instead, he found himself face-to-face with a smaller, much quieter demon, about a couple meters away from him. It had clearly planned to take them out stealthily.

    Suddenly, Alex heard what he could only describe as a war cry. ¡°Keep your hands off my citizens, you devilish abomination!¡±

    It worked. The noise caught the demon¡¯s attention and it turned away from Alex.

    It let out a piercing shriek before it was silenced forever. A fire truck had come to a swift halt nearby. Someone very large had launched themselves off the fire truck and struck the stealthy demon on the head with a red axe, splitting his body in two.

    Alex watched as the large man recovered himself from the strike. The butchered demon¡¯s blood sprayed on his face, but he was smiling. Maniacally.

    The maniacal smile disappeared as the man regained himself. He turned to Alex and spoke in a calm, measured voice, ¡°Your friend is injured, but it looks like he¡¯ll make it. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve got EMT coming in.¡±

    What was going on?! Was he also a superhero?

    ¡°What are you?¡± asked Alex, gazing at the absolute giant of a man. He was probably six foot five, heavily built, dark brown skin, and hair cut so short that he appeared bald. He wore a tank top, and he looked military. But something about him was off. What the hell was that smile back there?

    ¡°I¡¯m not some alien psycho, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re wondering,¡± the man replied. ¡°I¡¯m Dan Connors, United States Military. Pleasure to meet you.¡±

    So the military was finally here.

    Dan stretched his hand out to help Alex up. Alex took it, but instantly regretted doing so, since it was moist with demon blood.

    Nevertheless, he helped Alex get back up on his feet. ¡°What are you two doing here anyway?¡± he asked. ¡°This area had already been evacuated.¡±

    Alex felt a rush of relief flow through him. If that was the case, then there was a chance, however small, that Madeline had made it out.

    ¡°We were just¡­ coming back to get someone,¡± Alex explained.

    ¡°Futile effort,¡± said Dan. ¡°But noble.¡±

    The EMT had arrived. They were now checking Kenny, prepping him to be boarded into the ambulance.

    Alex walked further out into the street and turned his gaze toward the red lightning. It was still there; solid, unwavering. The fight wasn¡¯t over yet.

    Alex observed a bit more closely. Only now did he notice that there was a small cloud of thick, brown smoke covering the spot where the central park should be. The street with Kenny¡¯s house on the side led straight to the council building at the center of the park. But neither the park nor the council building was visible, both veiled behind the smoke screen, which was almost four storeys tall, and wide as far as the eyes could see.

    The smoke cloud on the ground mimicked the thick grey clouds high up in the sky. Alex was sure they were linked, somehow, with each other, and with the red lightning. And this was all going down in the council building straight ahead, now shrouded out of vision.

    The armored superhero from earlier had flown straight in through the smoke.

    Was he okay?

    Had he managed to defeat whatever monstrosities lay behind the smoke screen?

    If he had, why was the lightning still up? Why hadn¡¯t the smoke cleared?

    Was he in some danger?

    Alex owed the hero his life. Would it be crazy if he were to go after him and try to help him, any way he can?

    Alex gazed at the brown smoke screen at the base of the red lightning. Every cell in his body seemed to be compelling him to go toward it.

    Snap out of it, Alex! This is exactly the kind of shit that¡¯s landed him into trouble all his life.

    The kind that might just get him killed, today.

    ¡°Man, what a sight,¡± said Dan. Alex had barely noticed him walk up beside him. ¡°It would¡¯ve been beautiful, you know, under different circumstances.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Alex asked.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± said Dan. ¡°The smoke screen covers the central park like a dome. No ariel surveillance would reveal anything, once it gets here. Unless we get an AC130 Gunship with heat vision, now that baby¡¯s something else. But getting her here would take even longer.¡±

    ¡°I thought the military was already here,¡± said Alex, confused. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were military?¡±

    ¡°I am, but,¡± Dan began to explain, ¡°I¡¯m not on duty. None of us are,¡± he said pointing at his crew who seemed to have been following the fire truck in a jeep. A group Alex had only just noticed.

    ¡°We were here on vacation, you know, Founding Day and all, when shit hit the fan,¡± Dan continued. ¡°We¡¯ve been helping with the rescue effort, while also contributing to the city¡¯s defense.¡±

    ¡°All clear,¡± said a voice over the radio in Dan¡¯s hand. ¡°Roger that,¡± Dan responded. ¡°Great,¡± he said to Alex. ¡°Looks like this fuckwat was the last one. At least on the outside,¡± he said, pointing at the smoke screen.

    Alex gazed at it once again.

    ¡°Call me crazy¡ªand you¡¯d probably be right¡ªbut¡­¡± Dan began, studying Alex¡¯s face. ¡°It seems to me that you can¡¯t stay away from this one, can you?¡±

    Alex looked at his feet. ¡°I don¡¯t fight,¡± he declared, more to himself than to Dan. ¡°I¡¯ve learned my lessons.¡±

    ¡°So you say,¡± said Dan, ¡°and yet, your body says otherwise.¡±

    Alex looked down at his hands¡ªthey were trembling. His entire body was trembling.

    Was it in excitement? Or in fear?

    Was it something people felt when they were about to do something incredibly stupid?

    He looked at the smoke screen once again. His very soul seemed to be gravitating toward the red lightning and the brown smoke cloud, wanting him to pierce the veil and peek inside.

    Wanting to make sure that the hero who had just saved his life hadn¡¯t met a gruesome end.

    Like Ojii-san.

    Alex closed his eyes and shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t explain it,¡± he said. ¡°But it¡¯s like every muscle in my body wants to go in.¡±

    ¡°So why don¡¯t you?¡± Dan asked. ¡°In my experience, I¡¯ve never gone wrong trusting my instincts.¡±

    Alex gazed ahead blankly. ¡°Every time I try to fight, or play the hero¡­ bad things happen.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to do either of those things,¡± said Dan.

    Alex turned to face Dan. He wasn¡¯t aware that Dan was asking him to do anything at all in the first place.

    ¡°Look,¡± said Dan. ¡°I told you earlier that we¡¯d been helping with the city¡¯s defense, but the truth is, the city had no defense. All this demonic bullshit was way out of their league, and ours. We were getting our asses kicked on all fronts, until he came along.¡± Dan pointed toward the armored superhero. ¡°He wiped the floor with them. Those demon motherfuckers¡ªthey didn¡¯t stand a chance! Oh you should¡¯ve seen him. Cruising around, fucking lasering them down to ashes and smithereens. It was quite the sight.

    ¡°So we followed him. He took out the bigger demons, and we cleaned up after him, finishing off the smaller pests, and providing rescue and support to anyone who needed it along the way. We lost a lot of lives today, but we still managed to get a lot of good folks to safety. Only¡ª¡±

    Dan shifted uncomfortably. He turned to look at the smoke screen himself, and continued, ¡°¡ªOnly that we¡¯ve been ordered to not try and cross that. A wise move, given that we know absolutely nothing about what lies beyond. The National Guard, along with the Military, are on their way, but any incoming ground forces face obvious resistance with so many civilians blocking the exits. I believe it¡¯ll be another thirty minutes or so until they get here. God knows how many lives we¡¯ll lose by then.

    ¡°I can¡¯t risk sending my men in with zero intel.¡± Dan¡¯s expression turned intense. ¡°But if you tell me that there¡¯s even one person trapped inside there who could use our help, then hell. I¡¯m willing to risk getting court martialed to get them out of there, not to mention, my life. But I need the intel first. Understand?¡± Dan studied him closely. ¡°Recon and report, that¡¯s all you gotta do.¡±

    Alex exhaled and felt his beating heart. ¡°So no fighting?¡±

    ¡°Hah! You talk like you stand a chance against those vicious spawns of hell!¡± He laughed, the maniacal expression from earlier was back. ¡°I like your spirit, but no. No fighting. Recon and report. That¡¯s it.¡±

    Alex remained silent.

    Dan¡¯s radio buzzed again. ¡°More demons spotted in old town.¡±

    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s my cue.¡± Dan turned to leave. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do it. But just in case you¡¯re just as crazy as me¡­ well, at least we¡¯ll get something out of it.¡± He hopped on the fire truck, which prepared to leave. ¡°And if you end up dying,¡± Dan shouted after the truck began moving, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure they remember you, and your valiant sacrifice!¡±

    Alex stood alone looking at the transmitter, then at the smoke screen, and then at the red lightning, all over again.

    What if he died as soon as he crossed the veil?

    Somehow that seemed to him like a ridiculous thought. Something inside him, not very different from the voice that spoke to him before, told him that nothing beyond that smoke screen could harm him.

    But the same wasn¡¯t true for the armored superhero. Somehow, he didn¡¯t seem to fit the equation. Like he was the odd one out here.

    He was going to die.

    NO! Alex gasped. He had to go save him; he owed him his life.

    But he¡¯d promised. He¡¯d promised he would never fight again.

    Every time he tries to do the right thing, something bad happens.

    Right?

    Alex grasped his knees and tried to breathe. His instincts were at war with his thoughts.

    ¡°Ojii-san,¡± he breathed. ¡°What do I do now?¡±

    As Alex remained immobilized, this time by doubt rather than fear, a hole popped open in the bubble that was the smoke screen cloud. Something emerged from it, flying toward the sky at first, then curving its path and falling on a downward trajectory, on a collision course with the ground.

    Alex realized that he was standing directly underneath its crash-landing zone.

    He sprang sideways and dodged just in time. The concrete on the ground cracked, small pieces of rock flew everywhere like bullets. Alex had taken refuge behind a thick concrete slab which tanked all the fallout. Then, he peeked out.

    It was the armored superhero, crash-landed on the ground. His body had dug a small ditch in the concrete by the sheer impact of the force with which he¡¯d crashed.

    The hero turned his head around and spotted Alex.

    ¡°You,¡± he said. ¡°I told you to run away, didn¡¯t I?¡ª¡±

    He couldn¡¯t finish his sentence.

    Something massive had just landed on top of him, with an even greater force.

    Alex caught sight of the thick, reptilian, scale armor covering a massive leg that was bent over the armored hero¡¯s throat, pinning him down.

    A demon.

    But this one was much larger, and far, far more threatening, than the braindead beast that had attacked Alex earlier.

    Alex gasped for breath.

    No time to debate anymore. The fight had come to him.

 Chapter 3: Superhero vs The Low-Rank Mercenary Trifecta

    Chapter 3

    Superhero vs The Low-Rank Mercenary Trifecta

    TWO HOURS AGO

    ¡°Get it to work the first time,¡± said the fatter of the two gremlins. ¡°At least this time around.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t order me around like you¡¯re the boss!¡± The smaller gremlin shoved him away as he had gotten too close to him, trying to peek inside the control box of the black tower.

    The fatter gremlin smacked him on the head. ¡°Take it from me, or you¡¯ll have to take it from The Chancellor himself.¡±

    ¡°Quiet!¡± yelled the demon priest who stood overlooking them. His voice was not louder than a soft whisper, but they could hear him as if he¡¯d spoken right next to their long, pointy ear flaps. ¡°Or you¡¯ll be forced to know who the true ruler of your fate is.¡±

    The smaller gremlin spat on the ground and turned his attention back inside the control box. With a greedy look on his face, he carefully connected two wires, and¡ª

    ZAP!

    ¡°Ehehe,¡± laughed the smaller gremlin. ¡°We almost had it!¡±

    The fatter gremlin smacked his thick head with his thick hand, but poking himself in the eye in the process. ¡°Shut up and try again!¡± he barked at the smaller gremlin, while silently squealing in pain.

    ¡°Let me focus¡­¡± said the smaller gremlin, sticking his tongue out as he went in to mess with a few wires once again.

    Zzzap!

    ¡°Ahhh,¡± said the demon priest, his eyeballs reflecting the bright, red gleam of the vertical light. ¡°There it is,¡± he said, completely mesmerized. ¡°Finally here¡­¡±

    He closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath in, before announcing: ¡°Let the carnage begin!¡±

    TWENTY MINUTES AGO

    The one they called The Chancellor looked out of his ship at the vertical red lightning. What a glorious sight!

    The gremlin brothers were little more than loud-mouthed bottom-feeders in his view. But they were reliable where it mattered, after all. A generous reward awaits them, he thought.

    The Chancellor gazed gleefully at the planet from a height little above the buildings in the distance that surrounded them. The beautiful planet that shone blue just a few hours ago, was now deep red.

    The ritual had begun. Soon they will be here. And after they¡¯ve had their feast, the planet would be all his.

    Ah, Earth. What a find. He couldn¡¯t believe a planet such as this was hidden from the archives for so long. Had he known about it earlier, he wouldn¡¯t have wasted a single day.

    He ought to locate the anonymous tipper once they were done here, and shower him with wealth, and whatever else he may desire. What a diamond in the rough had he managed to dig up in this wasted corner of the galaxy.

    The Chancellor chuckled, looking forward into his golden future. This planet was going to make him immensely rich, and ascend the League to heights never seen before!

    And what about its defenses? The Chancellor laughed. According to intel, this planet was so weak, the Galactic Order would never have even bothered to give it a rank, had they even known about its pitiful existence in the first place.

    On the other hand, he had the gunslinging bounty hunter and the venomous python¡ªboth E-rank warriors¡ªand, not to mention, the D-rank controller witch, Carla. All positioned strategically inside the smoke cloud, ready to defend the black tower from all sides, with their very lives.

    ¡°All clear with you three?¡± The Chancellor buzzed over the radio.

    ¡°Honestly, boss,¡± said the bounty hunter. ¡°You don¡¯t need these two. You¡¯re wasting precious coin.¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± said the witch. ¡°I can take these pathetic idiots out right now if you give the go ahead, boss. They¡¯re so useless; and besides, I¡¯m way more pleasant to look at.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you all and drink your blood!¡± shouted the python at the top of his¡­ lungs? Does his species even have lungs? Or was it gills?

    What species was he anyway? He¡¯d never seen a snake walk on its hind legs, like a monkey!

    ¡°Enough out of you clowns!¡± The Chancellor growled. ¡°Focus on your duties. This planet will probably offer no resistance, but I fucking hate surprises. So stay on guard!¡±

    Each of them grunted callously.

    Bunch of mercenary degenerates, thought The Chancellor. But then again, they were picked from the bottom of the barrel.

    However, they were enough to take over this weak-ass planet.

    The Chancellor began to smile again. Soon will the Legion arrive through the portal. And soon will the prize be his.

    As he scanned the scene that sowed the seeds of his imminent dominion over this sector, his eyes inevitably fell upon the demon priest.

    The only thing that was wrong with this picture.

    If he could have had his way, the blasted priest would be nowhere near here. But his little brother had insisted.

    Scheming little shit, his brother. The Chancellor chose to meet his enemies head on, in battle, like any honorable warrior should. But no, not his brother. He¡¯d always had his own way of doing things.

    And history had taught The Chancellor that he should never doubt or go against his brother¡¯s plans. He¡¯d done so much for the League, after all. And his schemes had never failed before.

    Still, thought The Chancellor. A dark aura surrounded these mystical cultists. They¡¯ve always had schemes of their own, not too unlike his little brother.

    He ought to keep an eye on that priest. The way he¡¯d been carrying himself, ordering the gremlins around, as if he were in-charge of this operation¡­

    He¡¯d teach him a valuable lesson in hierarchy soon enough.

    ¡°Chancellor!¡± His pitiful servant squeaked from behind him.

    He wanted to punch the little worm¡¯s nose in through his skull for disturbing his quiet revelry. But he needed him to fly the ship. So he simply growled, ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Our sentries, Chancellor,¡± he spoke in a quivering, frightened voice. ¡°And our brutes¡­ in fact, the entire outer swarm¡­ they¡¯ve all been taken out!¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± The Chancellor smiled. ¡°So the planet¡¯s defenses are finally here. Good. Let them come.¡± He was least concerned about this puny planet¡¯s so-called defenses.

    ¡°No, Chancellor,¡± the squealing worm continued. ¡°Their armies are still far away. This was just one warrior.¡±

    ¡°One? One warrior you say?¡±

    The worm gulped. ¡°He even defeated the colossal.¡±

    For the first time today, The Chancellor¡¯s face was full with quiet rage. ¡°Bring him to me. Now!¡±

    ¡°According to the trackers, Chancellor¡ª¡±

    The worm lost his voice, which enraged The Chancellor even more. ¡°What?!¡± he growled.

    ¡°He¡¯s already here.¡±

    The Chancellor looked out the window of his ship and spotted a white armored warrior, hovering in the air, take position facing the black tower¡ªthe source of the red lightning and the portal. Apparently, he had pushed through the smoke barrier without hesitation.

    The warrior wore a smooth, full metal body armor, which was slender¡ªpresumably just like his body inside it¡ªand had no gaps. At the onset, the warrior didn¡¯t look at all threatening. One could find cleaning robots with a similar physique.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    However, something about this warrior felt odd, yet strangely familiar.

    The warrior looked like he was about to extend one of his slender arms, but then he suddenly stopped and looked around. He looked¡­ confused.

    ¡°Intruder alert!¡± announced his worm assistant over the radio.

    The Chancellor¡¯s chosen warriors swiftly moved in.

    The bounty hunter was the closest to the invading armored warrior¡¯s position. He quickly fired a kill shot from his long-barrel silver revolver, but the armored warrior¡­ dodged.

    This seemed to have put the bounty hunter in a state of shock and awe.

    ¡°Fool,¡± said The Chancellor over the radio. ¡°You won¡¯t get him that easily.¡± What was it about this mysterious warrior that seemed so familiar? Had he fought his kind before?

    His warriors must exercise caution. ¡°Restrain him until the witch is close!¡±

    The bounty hunter switched ammo and fired a thick bolt that spread into a wide net. The armored warrior easily dodged that too. But the bounty hunter had anticipated this, and threw a golden lasso in the direction of the armored warrior¡¯s dodge. The lasso found its target, looping around the armored warrior; his slender arms now bound tight to his body.

    He was caught.

    He could dodge a speeding bullet, but was easily caught by a golden fucking lasso?

    The Chancellor was disappointed. He was expecting at least somewhat of a fight from the terrifying armored warrior who¡¯d single-handedly taken out the entire outer swarm, including the colossal.

    Pity.

    Perhaps he had overestimated him, in the na?ve hope of witnessing at least one entertaining battle.

    The witch and the snake were finally here. All three of them now surrounded the trapped armored warrior.

    ¡°How is it fair?¡± cried the witch, annoyed. ¡°Why do you get all the fun?¡±

    ¡°Set him loose!¡± commanded the snake. ¡°So I can eat him!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a brilliant idea!¡± said the witch, now smiling; her eyes popped wide open. ¡°And it came from you little snakey! Mama snake would be so proud.¡±

    She moved in to free the armored warrior herself, but was instantly zapped with an acute electric current as her hand came close to the armored warrior¡¯s body.

    ¡°What the hell? You wanna know what I¡¯m made of, you absolute moron?!¡± she snapped at the bounty hunter.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me,¡± said the bounty hunter in calm annoyance. ¡°My lasso is divine. It doesn¡¯t rely upon cheap tricks.¡±

    The Chancellor could hear it all through the radio. ¡°Stop fooling around and bring him in!¡± he growled.

    The bounty hunter pulled on the lasso to move the warrior along, but it wouldn¡¯t budge. He was confused a third time.

    The lasso was supposed to make the entrapped creature obey the will of the master, thought The Chancellor. It¡¯s pretty standard issue, so why hadn¡¯t it worked?

    Something was wrong.

    ¡°A ballistic ranger, a venomous nuker, and a simpleton crowd controller,¡± the armored warrior¡¯s voice suddenly popped through The Chancellor¡¯s radio. ¡°You must be the low-rank mercenary trifecta! The dream team of the cheapskates.¡±

    The witch pointed her staff directly at the warrior¡¯s armored head. ¡°Just who do you think you calling a simpleton?¡±

    ¡°Now, now,¡± said the armored warrior in his static voice, which somehow felt very¡­ artificial. ¡°Let¡¯s not get too emotional, shall we? And besides, facts should never hurt your feelings. Isn¡¯t it true that the whole lot of you are low-ranks? Isn¡¯t it also true that your¡­ um¡­ contractor could have hired one single C-rank for this job, and yet, he hired all three of you, to split the loot amongst yourself. You¡¯d think he¡¯s being generous, hiring three instead of one, but whatever all three of you are making, combined, isn¡¯t worth half of what he¡¯d have had to spend on a decent C-rank. Ergo, he¡¯s a cheapskate. And there¡¯s a good chance you won¡¯t see any of the loot.

    ¡°So¡­¡± said the armored warrior, his voice now slow, calculated. ¡°Why don¡¯t you point his position out to me right now, and go home with your lives. Hell, I might even share all the precious goodies he¡¯s carrying in his ship right now with you lot. What say you?¡±

    The mercenaries nervously looked at each other.

    ¡°Come on,¡± said the armored warrior. ¡°It¡¯s not complicated! If you do the math, it¡¯s all pretty simple. Right up your alley, witch!¡±

    ¡°Not another word!¡± she snapped, pushing her staff closer to his metal face.

    The armored warrior loosened his arms; the tightened lasso failed miserably to hold them in place.

    ¡°Shame,¡± said the warrior, now slowly rising above ground. ¡°I genuinely believed we could have had an understanding. How about you goggles?¡± he said nodding at the bounty hunter. ¡°Care to defect? Those shades are too last century on your planet, by the way. Trust me, I know!¡±

    The warrior gained altitude. The lasso now fully off his slender metallic body.

    ¡°Or you snakey?¡± he said, pointing a finger at the python. ¡°Actually I¡¯m not sure what you are. How can you be a snake and still have four limbs but walk around like a bipedal? It all seems so counterintuitive.¡±

    ¡°They go in when I slither!¡± hissed the python.

    ¡°Good to know,¡± said the armored warrior sarcastically as he kept rising higher. ¡°At least confirm this much for me: Is your boss is, in fact, a demon? I don¡¯t want to kill you if I don¡¯t have to.¡±

    The mercenaries were totally out of their wits, but one thing was certain: they hated his guts!

    So the armored warrior wasn¡¯t bested after all, thought The Chancellor, smiling. He had faked his capture to confirm whether this was indeed a demon invasion.

    But why go through all that trouble just for that measly bit of information?

    Something told him that the armored warrior wasn¡¯t letting a whole lot on. He likely still had a few cards up his metal sleeves.

    Why the hell did he look so familiar?

    The armored warrior hovered high up in the air once again, assuming his original position directly facing the black tower; a good twenty meters separating him from his objective. He extended one of his arms and supported it with the other, pointing it toward the tower. A blue light gathered energy at the tip of his outstretched hand.

    A plasma cannon!

    The smug smile on The Chancellor¡¯s face quickly vanished. ¡°Stop him!¡± he blasted on the radio. ¡°Attack him! SHOOT HIM DOWN NOW! Before he takes the shot!¡±

    The armored warrior shot the plasma bolt, but mere milliseconds before he fired, he was hit by one of the demon priest¡¯s miracle blasts, messing up his aim. The plasma bolt missed the black tower by a few inches, but obliterated the gremlin brothers crouched next to it.

    That damned priest had proven useful after all!

    ¡°Now that¡¯s more like it,¡± said the armored warrior as soon as he spotted the demon priest. A satisfied expression on his blank face.

    ¡°I want everyone on him,¡± The Chancellor growled into his radio. ¡°Do not let him charge another shot. Take him out, now!¡±

    The mercenary trifecta quickly spread out, prepping a swift counterattack.

    The bounty hunter opened with a barrage of bullets from his twin revolvers. But the armored warrior dodged it all, effortlessly.

    His aerial maneuverability was quite impressive, noted The Chancellor. Perhaps even better than my own. The Chancellor winced at the thought.

    Annoyed, the bounty hunter whipped out a long chain, clearly meant to trap the warrior in place, just like the lasso did, but this time also deliver a high-voltage electric shock¡ªusually very effective against cybernetic types.

    But in this case, thought The Chancellor, it was a lethal mistake.

    The armored warrior caught the chain and wrapped it around his arm once. Before the bounty hunter could engage the shocker, the chain shot to a temperature hot enough to melt all of the bounty hunter¡¯s fingers. Then, in a swift motion, the armored warrior wrapped the melting hot chain around the bounty hunter¡¯s body, and left him on the ground to slowly burn away.

    The python was next, but his venom would be no match against a metal armor. So he switched to corrosive acid. Effective, if he could get close enough. But that would be quite the task for a slithering reptile¡ªbuilt for on ground and sub-terranean assault¡ªagainst an airborne cybernetic. The python was promptly cut in half with a high-intensity laser fired from the center of the armored warrior¡¯s metal helm.

    He was smart. He knew when to keep his distance, and use his natural advantage effectively.

    The Chancellor banged his fist on the ship¡¯s console. This only left the controller witch, and the¡ª

    The Chancellor frantically looked around.

    Where was the damned priest?!

    Curse those cultist little shits, the whole lot of them! He must have fled assuming that the battle was already lost.

    To hell with him!

    The controller witch was now close enough. She raised her staff and prepared to cast a powerful binding spell.

    ¡°That is premature, you fool!¡± growled The Chancellor into the radio, but to no effect. She was already in trance.

    Had she not seen the projectile escape the armored warrior¡¯s back?

    The armored warrior stopped, hovering a few meters above the witch. She cast her spell confidently and the armored warrior was immobilized. She smirked, confident that the job was done.

    The next second, a minuscule but extremely fast-moving bullet pierced through her skull from a downward angle. Blood spilled from between her eyes, and she was down.

    The binding spell was thus broken.

    ¡°PRIEST! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?¡± yelled The Chancellor into the radio. But there was no response.

    The armored warrior prepared to launch himself at the tower.

    He thinks the coast is clear, thought The Chancellor. But he won¡¯t risk charging another plasma blast, since the priest is still missing. He thinks he will be interrupted again, so he¡¯s moving in for a quick finish from melee range.

    Little did he knew that the cultist shit had already fled!

    The Chancellor was now fuming. If only he had a warrior of this caliber on his side¡­

    He sprang from his position without bothering to open the ship¡¯s windows first, which shattered as he breached through them. The ship lost its stability and tilted downward, making his worm assistant slip and fall into the ship¡¯s console.

    The Chancellor made it just in time. The armored warrior was only a few inches away from making contact with the black tower, before he was grabbed by his metal head.

    The Chancellor, still holding the armored warrior by his head in one hand, and without losing momentum from his jump, spun in place once to add extra power, and flung the warrior into the sky, far away from the black tower. The warrior flew backward, unable to gain control of his body, piercing through the smoke cloud perimeter with a distant pop.

    The Chancellor smirked. Despite all his expert aerial maneuvering, the armored warrior couldn¡¯t recover from the overwhelming force of his mighty throw.

    The smirk vanished as quickly as it had come, as The Chancellor realized his mistake.

    In an effort to prove to himself that he was decidedly stronger than this mysterious warrior¡ªwhich was completely unnecessary¡ªhe had grossly underestimated him.

    He should have finished him when he had the chance!

    ¡°Drop the smoke screen,¡± he ordered his crew aboard the ship through the radio. ¡°The metal shit will use it for a stealth attack.¡±

    ¡°But Chancellor,¡± protested the worm. ¡°It is the only line of defense between the planet¡¯s approaching military and the black tower!¡±

    ¡°Drop it!¡± barked The Chancellor. ¡°No army will ever get through me!¡±

    The Chancellor launched himself into the air once again. He passed through the smoke cloud just as it disappeared, and found the armored warrior collapsed into the concrete ground.

    The Chancellor¡¯s smirk was back.

    He landed on top of the armored warrior knee first, which pressed against his neck, pinning him down and pushing him further into the ground.

    This was it. He had him. All he had to do now was crush his metal skull.

    The Chancellor felt a strange warmth coming from his left. He instinctively turned to look.

    A human male stared at him from behind a crumbling piece of concrete with bright red eyes. A terrified expression etched onto his face.

 Chapter 4: Clark vs The Chancellor

    Chapter 4

    Clark vs The Chancellor

    Alex¡¯s body was burning hot. It was fortunate that he could react just in time to avoid being crushed by the superhero¡¯s fall.

    But how was he supposed to avoid this¡­ monster?

    He was sure that the demon was going to crush the superhero¡¯s body to pieces, any second now. But something distracted the demon just as he was about to go through with it.

    The demon had somehow detected Alex¡¯s presence. He turned his giant face to look directly into Alex¡¯s eyes.

    Alex¡¯s entire body went numb.

    What happens now?

    ZAP!

    It felt like a second red lightning had erupted dead ahead, straight out of the superhero¡¯s helm. It hit the demon in the face at point blank range, and he growled in pain. The sudden red flash blinded Alex.

    The superhero had used his foe¡¯s momentary lapse in focus as a perfect window to counterattack and free himself from the choke hold.

    The impact of the hit had pushed the demon back, making him stumble on his giant legs for a couple seconds. Both his giant palms were clasped on the wound above his right eye caused by the laser strike.

    The smoke cloud had now cleared. Alex could see a tall black tower at the center of the circular park, which stood where the council building once was. The red lightning emerged out the its summit.

    So this was the source.

    Alex shifted focus to the giant demon, still struggling in pain. He noticed that this demon¡¯s armor was much higher quality than the scale armor on the reptilian demon he¡¯d encountered before. It even had intricate embossing and a strange sigil on the breastplate, coupled with a dark maroon cape. Was he some kind of demon royalty?

    Now that Alex had had a good look at him, he could tell that this demon was actually noticeably smaller in both height and size than the reptilian demon. Perhaps because he had first seen this second demon from such close proximity, it had skewered his perception of the demon¡¯s size, making him feel way bigger than he actually was. Alex now reckoned that he might be ten feet tall, and almost half as wide as the reptilian demon.

    But Alex was right about one thing, the first time around: This demon was far more threatening than the previous one.

    His sophisticated black armor also made him look quite authoritative. Was he the leader? The final boss?

    Did that mean that the superhero had defeated all other demons inside the smoke cloud?

    Alex was impressed. A glimmer of hope ignited within him. Maybe this would all be over soon.

    The armored superhero is super strong!

    But the newfound hope was soon extinguished as Alex realized that it had taken the superhero less than a second to finish off the reptilian demon.

    Why then was he struggling with this one? Was this boss demon really that tough?

    Alex examined him more closely. His skin was magma red, with undertones of pink here and there, and a strange, very faint glow coming from under his thick, hide-like skin. He wasn¡¯t reptilian like the last one. Instead, he could¡¯ve passed for a buffed human male, if not for his glowing red skin, bright orange eyes, and muscles the size of a small car.

    His black armor was clearly meant for a king or leader. He had no horns or anything of the sort, as far as Alex could tell. But who knew what he looked like underneath his black helm, which covered his entire skull, and seemed oddly similar to a Viking¡¯s, minus the horns.

    His skull might be covered but his face was laid bare. He had a square jaw, and his features reminded Alex of some ancient Norse god that he must have encountered in a video game. Only that there was no beard. And that this was no god.

    His royal armor or his godlike-aura wasn¡¯t fooling anyone. This was a demon. And he was here for total annihilation.

    He must be brought down as quickly as possible!

    The superhero found his footing in the air, just above ground. He hovered to the left of Alex, preparing himself for his next attack. On his right was the boss demon, slowly recovering from the hit he¡¯d taken. His face now covered in his own red blood.

    ¡°Cheeky little bastard, aren¡¯t you?¡± the demon growled at the superhero.

    Given everything that he¡¯d deduced so far, it shouldn¡¯t be a shock to Alex that the demon could talk. But he was still taken aback.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just a scratch,¡± said the superhero smugly, in his static, robotic voice. ¡°Soon, it won¡¯t hurt anymore. I promise.¡±

    ¡°Oh, please. Do not gloat,¡± said the boss demon. ¡°I should have finished you when I had you. This¡ª¡± he pointed at the wound above his eye¡ª ¡°is simply punishment for my own mistake.¡±

    The boss demon presumed an attack stance. The vertical red lightning shone bright behind him. ¡°I will not make the same mistake again.¡±

    The superhero appeared stoic, prepared for whatever came next.

    The giant demon charged at the superhero with a surprising burst of speed. How could something so big move so fast?

    The superhero dodged an attack that Alex could barely see. The boss demon was almost too fast for Alex to keep up with. He attacked the superhero with quick yet powerful strikes, each delivered with the intention to kill. He was not holding back.

    But it was nothing that the superhero couldn¡¯t handle. He was in control of the fight, dodging every single strike fluidly, even though a few cut in too close.

    The armored superhero moved his body in inhuman ways. He could twist and turn and bend in a manner no normal human could.

    What was he?

    Whatever he was, he was holding his ground against a terrifying, other-worldly, demon boss. Alex was thankful that he was on their side.

    There was no one else on Earth who would be capable of this.

    Suddenly, the rhythm of the battle changed. The boss demon¡¯s strikes became progressively more aggressive. And the superhero seemed to be struggling with his dodges now. He clearly couldn¡¯t keep this up forever.

    The demon went for a quick overhead punch that the superhero was forced to block. But it was a bluff. He quickly switched stance to grab the superhero¡¯s hand, and shove his gigantic knee into the hero¡¯s metal torso. This froze the superhero in place long enough for the demon to pivot mid-air and land a spinning back kick in the exact spot where he had kneed him.

    The superhero went flying back once again and crashed into a building, smashing glass and concrete.

    The boss demon gloated. From his body language, Alex could tell he wanted to rush in and finish the job. But the superhero was now out of sight. So the demon held his position.

    Based on his observations thus far, Alex could now tell what the flow of battle should be like for both opponents. The demon had an edge in close ranged hand to hand combat. The superhero will have to leverage his speed and size to land several hits before he can even think about damaging the giant demon¡¯s tough posture. For the demon, however, the plan was simple: Tank as much as he could while waiting for that critical moment to land a deadly strike.

    How will the superhero deal with this?

    The superhero blasted through the roof of the building, spreading chunks of rubble in the air that fell down like concrete rain. He extended his arm, pointing it at the boss demon as if it were a gun.

    Alex noticed a small laser dot on the boss demon¡¯s chest. The next second, he was hit by a quick blast of blue energy.

    The boss demon stumbled for a much shorter duration this time, quickly regaining his balance. The blast had clearly made an impact, but not a significant one. ¡°So we switching to long range now, are we?¡± growled the demon. ¡°No problem. I can do long range.¡±

    From under his cape, he revealed a giant crossbow; it was the same black, metallic color as his armor. How was he carrying something so big under his cape, and still moving this fast? It too had thick, intricate embossing all over it, a sophisticated piece of weaponry.

    The boss demon held the long crossbow in one hand and pointed it at the superhero. He fired a barrage of shining red bolts from the crossbow at the superhero high up in the sky, who rhythmically dodged every single one of them.

    Alex wasn¡¯t sure whether the projectiles qualified as crossbow bolts. They glowed burning red against the darkened sky, similar to anti-artillery fire. The constant stream of bolts owing to the high rate of fire made them seem like red laser beams.

    The demon could have taken down several hundred F-16 fighter jets with that thing.

    Alex gulped. What kind of a monster was this? Why was he here? How quickly could he have taken over the planet if the superhero weren¡¯t here?

    Alex shrunk behind the concrete slab even deeper. There was no space behind him if he wanted to run. And if he tried bolting out the sides, there was a good chance the demon would spot him.

    He obviously knew that Alex was here somewhere; he had gazed straight into his eyes just a few minutes ago. But right now, the superhero was keeping him occupied.

    Still¡­ he couldn¡¯t risk running out. Who knows how quickly would the demon react once he felt Alex¡¯s presence again. The demon might think that Alex was trying to ambush him with a sneak attack, and eviscerate him in an instant with his massive laser-firing crossbow.

    Alex shuddered. The fear glued him in place.

    The superhero continued dodging the barrage of hand-held anti-artillery fire, before it suddenly stopped. The demon must be reloading, thought Alex. During this brief pause in fire, the superhero bent into a downward curve and glided toward the demon in a straight path.

    The crossbow was now fully loaded, and the demon resumed fire. The superhero evaded the incoming barrage through a spiral maneuver, but did not change course. He was still headed straight for the demon.

    Something long and sharp gleamed bright in the superhero¡¯s hand in the backdrop of all the red light from the crossbow bolts and the orange glow from the surrounding city fires. A shining steel blade. Was it a sword? Or simply an extension of the superhero¡¯s arm?

    This was it, thought Alex. The superhero plans to gather as much speed as possible in spite of the barrage trying to slow him down, and use the momentum to slice the demon in half.

    If he could just reach him¡­

    The firing intensified as the superhero spiraled closer and closer. At the last moment, the demon suddenly stopped the fire and pivoted on one foot, twisting his entire body to one side to narrowly avoid the superhero¡¯s slash.

    The attack had missed. Alex caught the demon smirking.

    But the smirk quickly disappeared.

    The demon noticed two small, spherical balls under his feet that beeped red.

    The next second, BOOM! An explosion right under him blasted the giant off his feet and into the air. He hovered a few meters above ground for a split second, when¡ª

    A thin and barely visible metallic wire wrapped around the demon¡¯s body. Alex craned his head up to see that the superhero was already directly above the demon¡¯s body as it was suspended in air. It was him who had wrapped the wire lasso around the demon.

    The superhero boosted himself upward with small rocket bursts emerging from the soles of his feet and his back, yanking the demon farther off the ground and straight up in the air. As they both gained altitude, the demon twisted and turned so that he could face the superhero, which ended up tightening the metal lasso¡¯s grip.

    ¡°Cheap fucking tricks!¡± the demon growled. ¡°Face me head on like a true warrior!¡±

    Suddenly, he was eerily still. A visible electric bolt had shot through the steel wire, paralyzing the demon¡¯s body.

    Then, the superhero stopped his ascent and turned to face the demon directly below him; both suspended high above ground, connected via the electrifying wire.

    ¡°You talk too much,¡± said the superhero, pointing his metal arm down at the demon.

    All five of his fingers spread outward to reveal a metallic grey cavity in the superhero¡¯s palm, which looked like the boosters at the end of a rocket ship.

    Blue energy gathered at this cavity, forming a small orb which increased in size with each passing second. It was the same blue blast that the superhero had used earlier, but now he was charging it. At the same time, the hexagonal sigil on his chest also shone bright. Within a couple seconds, the ball of energy glowed bright like a star; a shade of purple now added into the mix. It looked like¡­ plasma.

    The plasma blast fired downward from the superhero¡¯s arm and hit the demon dead in the chest. The energy beam shoved the demon¡¯s body through the air, in a collision course with the ground.

    The demon smashed into the concrete below, back first. The impact created a wide crater around him, sending shockwaves in all directions which blew Alex off balance.

    But the superhero was not done yet. He added more power to the beam to push the demon deeper into the crater.

    Alex took cover as the intense heat from the blast almost scorched his skin. The beam lasted a full seven seconds before finally dying out.

    What a fantastic combo, thought Alex. There is no way the demon survived that!

    The superhero slowly descended upon the crater, examining the devastation that he himself had caused.

    A sound of a few crumbling rocks came from deep inside the crater. Then came the sound of a much heavier rock being shoved aside.

    Alex peeked out to look closer.

    The demon emerged slowly through the crater, limping and stumbling.

    But still alive.

    How the hell did he survive that?

    The demon¡¯s firing hand held the now destroyed crossbow glued to his chest. A circular film of metal, severely damaged, seemed to have emerged from the top of the crossbow, that looked an awful lot like a¡­

    A shield?

    Alex clenched his jaw as he looked closer.

    The crossbow shield seemed to have tanked most of the damage, but was obliterated in the process. Moreover, the demon¡¯s intricate armor now had a giant circular gap on almost the entire torso region, which is where the plasma blast had hit him. His now bare skin was charred. Burning flakes dropped on the ground as he limped out of the crater.

    ¡°A little hypocritical, don¡¯t you think?¡± said the demon, struggling to speak. ¡°You trash-talked my minions the entire time.¡±

    Apparently, banter mattered way more to him than the near-death experience he¡¯d just had. He was already over it, shaking it off like it was nothing.

    But the current state of his body spoke otherwise. The damage was real.

    ¡°That was before I fought them,¡± the superhero explained. ¡°I was silent during the battle, when I took them out one by one. I¡¯ll be silent when I take you out too. Or I can sing you a lullaby as you head toward the darkness, if you want.¡±

    The demon grunted, but remained in place. He probably would have immediately charged the superhero for that sneer, if he could.

    Perfect, thought Alex. He¡¯s weakened now, and completely exposed. Move in and finish him off!

    What was the superhero waiting for?

    Alex smiled as he saw the superhero gearing up to rush in. Maybe he just needed a moment of respite after delivering such a devastating attack.

    But the demon simply scoffed. Perhaps he was blissfully unaware of his own current vulnerability.

    Or did he still have something up his sleeve?

    The superhero was just about to launch forward, but then¡ª

    ¡°I finally remember where I know you from,¡± said the demon, bumping his fist on the palm of his other hand.

    This seemed to have frozen the superhero in place.

    Was he hesitating?

    Why? Why now?

    ¡°It was bugging me this entire time!¡± continued the demon. ¡°You¡¯re from the children¡¯s stories. We learned all about you when we were young; how you and your kind were the scourge of the Old Empire.¡±

    The superhero¡¯s cold and casual demeanor suddenly disappeared. He was now visibly uncomfortable.

    And the boss demon noticed.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± he said. His tone was different now, as if he was the one in control. ¡°Is it possible¡­? Nah¡­ Or is it?¡±

    The superhero still did not move.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    The demon finally laughed. ¡°Oh shit!¡± he said, cackling. ¡°You have no idea who you really are, do you?¡±

    The superhero remained silent.

    ¡°Funny,¡± continued the demon. ¡°Frankly, I have no idea why you are here defending this pathetic little planet. But I¡¯m grateful for the opportunity to destroy you and push your kind one step closer to extinction!¡±

    The demon now opened his arms, his fists clenched, as he took a deep breath in. Hot steam poured out of the wounds on his torso and above his eye. It seemed like the wounds were¡­ healing.

    Regeneration?

    Shit, thought Alex. This could only mean one thing¡ª

    If we don¡¯t finish him off in one go, he might just keep regenerating!

    Things just got way more complicated.

    Come on, hero, Alex pleaded. Don¡¯t fall for it. He¡¯s clearly buying time!

    After a long pause, the superhero finally spoke. ¡°As I said, you talk too much.¡±

    The demon smirked, sure of himself that he¡¯d touched a nerve. ¡°Bring it on then,¡± he said in a whispered growl. ¡°I¡¯ll show you why they call me The Chancellor.¡±

    The one they called The Chancellor was now ready to fight again. White hot steam continued to pour out of his wounds.

    The superhero lunged forward at breathtaking speed. His steel blade was back out, which Alex could now confirm was indeed a part of his arm.

    So his body could transform into different shapes and tools, Alex thought. Including a massive plasma cannon!

    The Chancellor chuckled as he watched the superhero approach. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯m weak just because I¡¯m healing.¡±

    The superhero slashed with his arm-blade as soon as he was close, but The Chancellor managed to dodge. The superhero then unleashed a quick flurry of swings, but The Chancellor evaded each of them successfully, although not without struggle.

    He had been significantly weakened by the plasma blast for sure, Alex deduced from his movements. But it hadn¡¯t slowed him down.

    Perhaps the regeneration had already reversed most of his injuries and stamina loss.

    Alex was running out of ideas. Was this demon simply invincible?

    The Chancellor¡¯s movements seemed odd. His body moved and reacted to each of the superhero¡¯s attacks in a weird, unnatural fashion. As though his movements were simply reflexes, rather than deliberate reactions.

    It must be a cost of the regeneration!

    Alex was sure that the superhero must have noticed it too. Perhaps he could find a way to exploit this?

    The superhero, however, also seemed different than before. His attacks were no longer swift and confident. His movements were sloppy. And he seemed wholly incapable of reading The Chancellor¡¯s reflexes.

    What happened? Was he hesitating?

    In a swift whoosh, the demon¡¯s body accelerated to the point that Alex completely lost track of him. He reappeared only a split second later, holding something long and slender in his hand.

    Alex shifted focus at the superhero, and a cold chill ran down his spine.

    The hero was missing an arm. The same arm that he had used earlier to fire the plasma cannon.

    How can he continue fighting with one arm?

    The demon was now behind the superhero, and it seemed like he was about to use his super speed once again, to strike the hero from a blind spot!

    Fortunately, the superhero understood this and turned around to hit him with a quick blast from his head laser just in time, while simultaneously launching backwards, putting some much-needed distance between him and the demon.

    The Chancellor let out a loud, cackling laugh, as he waved the superhero¡¯s severed arm around. It was completely robotic. Electric sparks flew out of its torn end. No sign of any muscle, or blood.

    The Chancellor continued to laugh, mocking the now one-handed hero. ¡°Holy Hellfire, you¡¯re a fake! A copy. A damned robot clone! Why then are you protecting this blasted planet?!¡±

    The superhero was frozen in place once again. But something felt different this time.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to just take it and burn it down to ash and dust, but WHAT IF I DO?¡± The Chancellor continued to mock. ¡°What is it to you? You¡¯re not even the real thing! You are NOTHING!¡±

    The superhero gazed at the ground below him, motionless.

    It felt like the demon had finally crossed a line.

    The bright blue light emanating from the black glass on his helmet and the hexagonal sigil on his chest glowed the brightest that it had until now. All that light made it look like a strange blue aura now surrounded the hero.

    He seemed to be gathering himself.

    The Chancellor did not care, nor take notice. ¡°I¡¯ll let you in on a little secret, robot,¡± he said in his continued tone of mockery, pointing the severed arm at him. ¡°Perhaps one more plasma blast would have done the trick. But too bad.¡± He smashed the robotic arm on the ground and crushed it with his giant foot. ¡°No more cannon fire.¡±

    A moment of unexpected silence fell between them.

    Then, the superhero raised his head, looking straight into The Chancellor¡¯s eyes. He was now ready.

    The Chancellor¡¯s expression now turned serious. ¡°Come at me you little robot shit!¡±

    The superhero launched himself once again; but this time, with a loud crack, as though he¡¯d broken the sound barrier. He zoomed past Alex at such incredible speed that he was almost invisible. Only a blue streak of light left in his wake.

    There was a flash of steel the moment he connected with The Chancellor. The demon¡¯s reflexes kicked in; but this time, they weren¡¯t fast enough. The superhero slashed wide, inflicting a huge gash into The Chancellor¡¯s bare chest.

    And he wasn¡¯t done yet.

    The superhero swiftly followed up with a devastating chain of attacks using his remaining arm and both his legs. His body moved even more unnaturally than before, making full use of his inhuman flexibility.

    The Chancellor¡¯s body still dodged most of the swipes with nervous reflexes. But several smaller cuts now began to show. Hot steam poured out of the new wounds.

    Both the reflexes and the regeneration couldn¡¯t keep up with the superhero¡¯s newfound speed and determination.

    The Chancellor grew visibly annoyed; frustrated, probably because he couldn¡¯t accept that the superhero, despite losing an arm, was still such an immense threat to him.

    Rage built up on The Chancellor¡¯s face. He was done with defense.

    Alex was surprised to see the superhero present an easy opening, which the demon immediately took advantage of by shoving his giant fist into the superhero¡¯s slender torso.

    The hero was stunned in place, such was the impact from the demon¡¯s attack.

    Alex was confused. The superhero should have been able to dodge that hit with ease! Especially with his new speed.

    Was he growing weaker? Had the buff already worn off?

    The Chancellor grinned, proud of the fact that he had finally bested the superhero. He raised both his arms over his head and joined his hands together, interlocking his fingers, preparing to hammer down the unmoving superhero with all his might.

    Alex held his breath. He should be able to dodge this!

    He needs to dodge this!

    The Chancellor swung his arms downward. The hero did not dodge.

    Instead, he blocked the hammerfist attack with his only arm, extended horizontally in front of him. A blade extended outward from his forearm, with a visible bolt of electricity quivering along its edge.

    Alex smiled, letting out a huge sigh of relief. He was baiting The Chancellor to attack him all along!

    The Chancellor screamed in pain. The electrified blade had cut deep into his giant hands, inflicting serious damage!

    ¡°Cheap fucking tricks, yet again!¡± The Chancellor barked. He looked down at the blood spurring out of both his palms and wailed in pain. He raised his head back at the superhero and said, ¡°You¡¯re a disgra¡ª¡±

    But before he could finish, The Chancellor was hit with a barrage of miniature rockets fired from the superhero¡¯s extended arm and back. The rockets attached themselves deep into The Chancellor¡¯s skin, quickly covering his entire body.

    In a coordinated move, the rockets spread The Chancellor¡¯s arms and legs apart. The small fire blasts coming out the tail end of each of the rockets intensified in unison and swept the demon off his feet, propelling his giant body backward with incredible force. The rockets pinned him to a large concrete slab at the end of the street, just on the edge of the circular central park.

    The superhero zoomed forward and positioned himself directly in front of The Chancellor, now subdued. He then pointed his only remaining arm at the gigantic demon at point blank range.

    A blue ball of energy began gathering at the tip of the superhero¡¯s extended arm one more time.

    ¡°What?!¡± The Chancellor spat in shock. ¡°This cannot be!¡±

    The plasma blast continued to charge. It¡¯s bright blue and purple glow illuminated the demon¡¯s terrified face.

    ¡°Bring it on you little robot shit!¡± screamed The Chancellor. ¡°I always face my enemies head on!¡±

    When the hero spoke next, the intense aura emanating from his voice could only be described as menacing calm.

    ¡°My name¡­ is Clark!¡± said the hero. ¡°And this is my home.¡± The ball of energy increased in size. ¡°I will gladly give my life to protect it!¡±

    Alex felt goosebumps all over his body.

    So this was his reason to fight. An unflinching, supernatural resolve to protect humankind. And he was willing to lay down his life for it.

    What was he?

    If things had gone differently, would Alex have arrived at a similar conviction himself? Could the need to protect others have become his reason to fight too?

    Alex closed his eyes. Things were different for him, after all.

    ¡°You have no life to give!¡± The Chancellor spat back at Clark.

    The ball of energy continued growing bigger and bigger.

    ¡°There is no saving this planet!¡± yelled The Chancellor as the intense light blinded him. ¡°The Legion is almost upon us!¡±

    The energy ball finally reached its breaking point.

    ¡°Who the fuck carries two plasma cannons?!¡±

    BOOM!

    The hero named Clark unleashed a devastating blast of pure energy.

    The exposed part of the concrete slab behind The Chancellor was instantly eviscerated.

    With no shield to tank part of the damage this time around, The Chancellor received the full brunt of the plasma cannon¡¯s charged blast.

    His quality armor melted off his body, along with his thick outer skin and tissues. The bare bones around his shoulders and thighs were now exposed.

    The Chancellor seemed to have dug his feet into the ground below him. He wasn¡¯t blown away by the beam like last time, when he was suspended in air. This time, he held his ground, fighting against the tidal wave that was the plasma blast.

    Also, Alex noticed, a few rockets had attached themselves at the demon¡¯s back, pushing him toward Clark. This effectively held the demon in place as the plasma blast chipped his body away.

    Brutal, thought Alex. Clark really wanted to finish him off with this ultimate attack.

    The heat emanating from the beam was unbearable. Even from this distance, Alex could feel the scorching waves burn his skin.

    He couldn¡¯t even imagine what it must be like for the demon.

    Damn, thought Alex. What a formidable opponent.

    Whatever his intentions¡ªwhich probably included annihilating all life on Earth and taking the planet for himself¡ªAlex acknowledged his prowess as a battle-hardened warrior. Amassing such great strength, skill, and resilience would¡¯ve taken years of hard work and discipline.

    And Alex respected that.

    Maybe he could have learned a thing or two from him, if only he were not a planet-devouring extra-terrestrial monster.

    The charged plasma blast finally waned and died away.

    The gigantic demon lost his balance and crashed onto his knees. The concrete below him cracked against his weight.

    He was about to fall flat on the ground face first, but he supported himself just in time with his hands; most of the flesh and muscle now missing from them. He was panting profusely, barely able to hold himself up.

    But he was still alive!

    The hot steam around him was now in overdrive.

    Alex gasped. Was this not enough?!

    Was he really going to heal through this?

    The demon raised his head to look at Clark. The faint orange glow of his eyes had now turned bright gold, like two miniature suns. The hot steam around him blew out of his body with the intensity of a thousand steam engines blowing off steam at once.

    The demon wailed. His pain must be unbearable, thought Alex.

    And he clearly could not move.

    Now was the time, thought Alex. One swift attack that puts a definitive end to his crusade, that¡¯s what was needed.

    He turned to look at Clark. What was he doing? He needed to move in right now!

    The bright blue glow coming through his chest and helmet was gone, replaced by a dim and flickering red hue.

    He was spent, thought Alex. That last attack took everything he had!

    Both Clark and The Chancellor were barely a few meters apart, glaring at each other with terribly weakened bodies, unable to move.

    The first one to manage just one more attack would win.

    Suddenly, The Chancellor spoke. The hot steam blowing out of his body had turned even more intense.

    ¡°Why?¡± he said in a coarse growl, struggling to get any sound out. ¡°Just why did I have to run into you?¡±

    He managed to erect his spine and pull his hands off the ground, barely able to balance himself on his knees. When suddenly¡ª

    ¡°Stupid little brother!!¡± the demon screamed looking up at the sky with clenched fists.

    Alex was stumped. Was he losing his mind?

    The Chancellor began laughing maniacally. He was completely out of it. His regeneration was even more intense than before. It was like he was running on fumes.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to make me resort to¡­ cheap tricks!¡± The Chancellor said softly, directed mostly at himself rather than Clark. ¡°Well, I guess¡­ tricks are a part of battle, after all, huh? Heheh.¡±

    ¡°See how low you are forcing me to go?¡± he suddenly bellowed, this time clearly directed at Clark. ¡°Do you see?¡±

    Alex held his breath.

    The Chancellor wasn¡¯t done yet. He clearly still had something up his sleeve!

    Perhaps a final, suicide attack?

    The demon forced his body into the air. The jump was nowhere near as powerful as it had been previously. Now, it looked like he was carrying a heavy husk through the air, completely out of stubbornness.

    The Chancellor landed directly behind the black tower, the source of the red lightning.

    The red lightning had grown thicker, and now glowed brighter than it ever had before, growing more intense every second.

    The demon was clearly up to something!

    ¡°Five seconds!¡± The Chancellor yelled from the distance, raising five bony fingers at Clark; the meat around them largely disintegrated. ¡°You got five seconds until the Legion gets here! What will you do?¡±

    It was an obvious bait, thought Alex. He wanted Clark to rush him, in desperation. And then ambush him somehow.

    Clark should not fall for it!

    Alex turned to look at Clark, but he was already gone. This time, a faint red streak left in his wake.

    Why was he taking the bait? The Chancellor was obviously bluffing!

    Or maybe¡­ he was not. Maybe Clark knew something that Alex didn¡¯t. Maybe he had taken one look at the bulging lightning and realized that he was indeed out of time.

    Severely weakened, to the point that he could barely stand, Clark charged straight at the dark tower. A last-ditch effort to destroy what was probably a gateway from hell.

    Alex gulped as he realized that this was probably also¡­ a sacrifice play.

    Clark¡¯s arm-blade was out. His body glowed blue once again, but only faintly. Inches away from the dark tower, Clark readied his final slash.

    The Chancellor, positioned behind the tower, suddenly disappeared. He had somehow managed to activate his superspeed one last time.

    In the next instant, The Chancellor reappeared directly above Clark.

    Clark swung his arm-blade, but it never managed to reach the tower.

    The Chancellor crashed onto Clark from above in a full body slam. He elbowed Clark¡¯s spine and shoved him down to the ground, barely meters away from the tower.

    The Chancellor rolled off of Clark¡¯s body and grabbed him by his leg. He swung Clark¡¯s body over him, dragging him away from the dark tower, and smashing him into the ground from an overhead angle.

    He towered over a downed Clark, barely able to hold himself steady. The dark tower glowed bright directly behind him.

    A faint grin spread across his battered face.

    He had won.

    But suddenly, a sharp sound from behind him wiped his grin away.

    He turned around to spot two large metal balls at the edge of the black tower, beeping red.

    BOOM!

    A huge explosion erupted from the base of the black tower, destroying its very foundation. Multiple chain reactions followed, piercing upward through the height of the tower.

    The dark tower crumbled, and the bulging red lightning swiftly died out.

    ¡°NOOO!¡± screamed The Chancellor, with the last bit of energy left within him, as the tower crashed into the ground.

    The Chancellor, enraged out of his mind, now turned at Clark, who lay motionless before him. He spoke in a heavy, broken voice.

    ¡°You made me compromise¡­ on everything I believe in¡­ as a warrior. And I still didn¡¯t get what I wanted!

    ¡°I had to trick you in order to get you; something I swore I¡¯d never do. But blast it!¡± He coughed. ¡°I have you now. And I told you before, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    He grabbed Clark¡¯s body with both his hands and lifted him over his head. ¡°I never make the same mistakes again!¡±

    With Clark¡¯s torso in one hand and his hips and legs in another, The Chancellor pulled on the robotic body from opposite ends.

    Cracks appeared throughout Clark¡¯s white metal body, progressively getting longer and wider. The blue light within him, which perhaps represented his life force, poured out of the cracks.

    The Chancellor struggled to pull it apart. It wasn¡¯t easy for him. Clark¡¯s robot body was indeed tough.

    The Chancellor let out a deafening roar and finally succeeded in severing the superhero¡¯s body in two. The hexagonal sigil on Clark¡¯s chest was crushed in the process, and its light died out.

    But then¡ª

    CRACK!

    A second explosion erupted from Clark¡¯s body the moment it was severed. Chaotic electric sparks burst out from the break point, and quickly morphed into what looked like a disheveled sphere. The force pushed The Chancellor down on the ground, cowering on his back trying to slide away from the rapidly-expanding electric ball.

    Alex couldn¡¯t believe what happened next.

    It was as though a crack had appeared in the fabric of reality. Hints of an alien world unfolded before him through the slowly-widening crack.

    And then, a creature appeared out of it. Thin, slender, with lean muscles. He appeared humanoid; with a bald head, long slender arms, and bright golden eyes.

    His body, too, was magma red, with multiple bright cracks spread all over it, like lava upon land. If not for the lava-like cracks, he appeared to be a normal human male, except that he was all muscle and no skin.

    What in the world was this creature?

    Another demon?

    Only his nude torso emerged from the crack in reality, his lower body presumably still on the other side. It was difficult to tell with all the crackling white electricity obscuring vision around the crack.

    He gazed around the landscape for five seconds; and then, he vanished. Just as abruptly as he¡¯d appeared.

    His vanishing led to another, minor explosion, which was more like a rapid release of energy. The Chancellor raised his hands to protect his face.

    A golden beam shot through the crackling ball of violent electricity upward. It reached a summit, then split into several beams that spread out in all directions in the darkened sky like fireworks.

    An eerie silence ensued.

    The Chancellor struggled back on his feet to check on Clark. The blue light was completely gone.

    Alex felt numb. He struggled with the idea that¡­

    ¡­that the superhero was dead.

    The Chancellor let go a huge sigh of relief. He looked at the crumbled remains of the black tower, and back again at Clark¡¯s severed body. He then let out a soft, maniacal chuckle.

    ¡°Well, congratulations,¡± he growled at Clark¡¯s body. ¡°You laid down your life for these filthy insects. And they don¡¯t even know your name.¡±

    The Chancellor coughed, struggling to speak. His legs began to shake.

    ¡°You die, and yet you fulfill your mission,¡± The Chancellor continued. ¡°I live, and yet, I failed mine. I can respect that.¡± He struggled to get the words out.

    ¡°You were a valiant warrior,¡± he said to Clark. ¡°I wish we could have met under different circumstances.¡±

    The Chancellor turned to leave. ¡°Keep your stupid planet,¡± he said. ¡°I have no interest in conquering it¡­¡± he coughed again, ¡°¡­anymore.¡±

    ¡°And besides,¡± he continued. ¡°This pitiful planet was just claimed¡­ by the Cyber-demon!¡±

    The Chancellor coughed harder as he struggled to laugh. ¡°Ohoho! These insects would¡¯ve fared far better under me, believe me!

    He continued with a grim smirk. ¡°You have no idea of the evil that is coming your way. I only wish you could¡¯ve lived to see it, as revenge for what you did to my body.¡±

    He coughed again. A small alien spacecraft slowly descended beside him. This was the first time that Alex noticed it. It was probably hidden until now, perhaps using some sort of cloaking device.

    A strange, worm-like alien emerged out of it and walked up to the demon.

    ¡°Chancellor,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re talking to a dead body.¡±

    The Chancellor scoffed and spit out blood. ¡°Talking to you is only marginally better, you stupid worm. Now get me out of here¡­ before I succumb to my injuries.¡±

    The worm supported the limping Chancellor with long, slimy tendrils that extended out of his body. The Chancellor collapsed into the ship, and the worm-like creature followed him inside. Soon there was lift-off, and the ship disappeared into space.

    Alex could hardly believe any of what had just happened.

    The Chancellor was gone. He had lived through it all.

    And Clark, the superhero who had single-handedly defended Earth against a terrifying demon invasion, now lay dead on the ground.

    Alex was surprised to see that he was already inside the perimeter of the circular park, close to the now decrepit concrete slab where The Chancellor was trapped, before being hit by the second plasma blast.

    He had no memory of walking here; he¡¯d been completely engrossed in the events of this magnificent battle between the two godlike beings.

    Alex slowly walked up to Clark¡¯s remains. Several wires of varying lengths and thicknesses sprawled out of both pieces of his body, no spark coming out of any of their severed ends.

    The hexagonal sigil, which was enclosed within the black glass on his torso, was now gone.

    Alex peeked closer. His insides were completely mechanical.

    So he was only a robot¡­ after all.

    A robot with such an immense, other-worldly conviction to protect human lives.

    Alex was surprised to find himself shedding tears for someone he barely knew.

    Suddenly, a faint blue light flickered from behind the black glass on the white metal helmet, once again.

    ¡°You still didn¡¯t run away, huh?¡± said the robotic voice that strangely sounded so human. ¡°Well, call me a hypocrite all you want, but¡­ Boy am I glad to see you still here.¡±

 Chapter 5: We are not alone

    Chapter 5

    We are not alone

    The blue light from behind his black glass helmet flickered as he spoke. It was now significantly dimmer than before.

    But despite his body being split in two, he was still somehow¡­ alive?!

    Alex let out a huge sigh of relief. He wiped the tears off his face, out of sight of the robot.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Alex asked him once he was close.

    The superhero, who had revealed his name to be Clark, was silent. Alex felt like he was being examined from cameras hidden inside the robot¡¯s helmet instead of eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ve certainly been better,¡± Clark replied. ¡°Just out of shape at the moment.¡±

    Alex gave him a confused look. ¡°Are you trying to crack jokes?¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± said Clark. ¡°I¡¯ve read on the internet that humans use humor to alleviate awkward situations.¡±

    Alex was even more confused now. ¡°Am I the first human you¡¯ve ever interacted with?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, pretty much,¡± Clark said plainly. ¡°Clearly that was misinformation, though, because I don¡¯t feel better at all.¡±

    ¡°You have feelings?¡±

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I have feelings?¡± Clark responded, completely dumbfounded.

    Alex opened his mouth to speak again, then stopped.

    Finally, he asked, ¡°What are you?¡±

    Clark stared blankly again, but not at Alex. He seemed to be thinking about the question.

    Finally, he said, ¡°To put it in words that someone like you would understand: I¡¯m a computer code programmed to think.¡±

    ¡°Like an AI?¡± asked Alex.

    ¡°No!¡± Clark seemed to have taken offense. ¡°I mean yes¡­ but no. Don¡¯t compare me to those mindless little machines. They¡¯re nothing but ridiculous imitations of life.¡±

    Alex was about to respond with ¡°But aren¡¯t you also an imitation of life?¡± but decided against it. Instead, he asked, ¡°What makes you different?¡±

    Clark fell silent again, as though in deep contemplation. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said finally. ¡°I just am.¡±

    Alex thought this was perhaps a touchy subject. Maybe it was wise to steer clear of it for now.

    ¡°What were those things?¡± he asked Clark, pointing at the sky, in the direction that The Chancellor¡¯s ship had disappeared.

    ¡°Look, kid,¡± began Clark, in a shaky voice, as though he were choking. ¡°I would love to answer all your questions, within reason of course. But right now, I can feel that the light¡¯s about to leave me. Permanently.¡±

    ¡°Are you in pain?¡± asked Alex, as if what Clark said had completely missed him.

    ¡°Not really,¡± said Clark, back to his normal voice. ¡°But I¡¯m simulating the voice of a human being in pain so as to convey the urgency of the matter to you.¡±

    ¡°Can you actually die?¡± asked Alex in a tone of disbelief. How can an AI experience fear of death? He had so many questions.

    ¡°I actually do not know,¡± said Clark. ¡°But I¡¯m not in the mood to wait around and find out. So please¡­¡±

    Alex composed himself. ¡°Okay. What do you need me to do?¡±

    A faint voice inside him reminded him that he better not try and play the hero again. I wasn¡¯t going to, thought Alex. I¡¯m simply helping him get back up on his feet. He was the real hero, after all.

    The champion who had saved us all.

    ¡°I need to get back¡­¡± began Clark, the blue light flickering much more frequently than before. ¡°¡­to my house.¡±

    ¡°Is it like a secret lair?¡± asked Alex. ¡°Your very own fortress of solitude?¡±

    ¡°More like a six-bedroom homestead atop a small hill, deep within the forests outside the north exit. Similar to a ranch but minus any animals.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re a combat robot who lives in a ranch hidden in the forest?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Alex tried to rack his brain around it all. ¡°Okay, I have an idea for quickly getting you there.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡ª¡± said Clark, but Alex had already popped out a radio transmitter.

    Alex pressed the button and it buzzed to life. ¡°Dan!¡± Alex called out. ¡°Dan, can you hear me?¡±

    A couple seconds passed. And then, the radio buzzed. ¡°Hey-yo kid! Feels good to hear your voice again, little brother. I thought you were dead when I didn¡¯t hear back from you. But I¡¯m sure as hell glad to know you survived. How did you survive all that?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when I see you,¡± replied Alex.

    ¡°Did you find any survivors?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Alex in a heavy voice. ¡°Although it looks like those who could get out already did.¡±

    ¡°Well, shit. Let me know where you are and I¡¯ll send the entire fucking squadron at you, you brave, brave motherfucker. We can use a break from all the celebratory fire, aimed at the demons of course. Oh they¡¯re running scared shitless now!¡±

    ¡°Actually, I needed a fav¡ª¡±

    The blue light from Clark¡¯s helmet flashed bright on Alex¡¯s face. The light changed shape against the black background and morphed itself into the word: ¡°DON¡¯T!¡±

    Alex stopped talking.

    ¡°A favor?¡± came Dan¡¯s voice through the radio. ¡°Anything you want, kid. Just spill it. You want a lift out of here? I¡¯ll personally come get you.¡±

    ¡°Never mind, Dan,¡± said Alex staring at Clark. ¡°I still got my bike. I¡¯ll use that to get out.¡±

    ¡°Make it quick,¡± said Dan. ¡°We¡¯ve been ordered to withdraw from the combat zone since the military is at the city gates. They¡¯re about to storm in and light this place up. Things could get ugly. Just leave as soon as you can, okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay, Dan. You take care.¡±

    ¡°Over and out, my man.¡±

    Half a second later, the radio whirred again. ¡°My dumbass forgot to ask,¡± said Dan. ¡°Did you find the hero after you entered the smoke cloud? He¡¯s missing now. Reports are he was battling a giant-ass demon close to where I left you. Quite the show that was, so I¡¯ve been told. A show we missed because we were pinned down trying to get these good folks out.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it was him who snuffed that red lightning out of the sky. Once it was gone, these demons looked like they completely lost their will to fight. Some of them simply dropped dead, some escaped into the sewers. I¡¯d like to thank that motherfucker face-to-face if I can. So did you find him?¡±

    The words on Clark¡¯s face morphed once again, now showing: ¡°LIE!¡±

    ¡°No, I¡­¡± said Alex in a quivering voice. ¡°I did not. I got chased out by a demon as soon as I entered the smoke cloud.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a survivor, kid,¡± said Dan. ¡°And I¡¯m sorry that I promised that I¡¯ll make them remember you, even though I didn¡¯t know your name. So it¡¯s time you finally tell me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Alex¡­ Alex Hunter.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a badass, Alex Hunter. Over and out.¡±

    Alex smiled as he lifted his thumb off the radio and shoved it in his pocket. He obviously hadn¡¯t earned the praise; he¡¯d done little more than being cluelessly frozen.

    ¡°They should know it was you,¡± he said to Clark.

    ¡°Not necessary,¡± Clark replied. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m not yet ready to make my presence known. I¡¯ll explain it all later, but first¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± said Alex. ¡°I¡¯ll get you out of here. Let me go get my bike.¡±

    ***

    Alex gathered every little scrap of Clark¡¯s metal body that he could find¡ªupon Clark¡¯s insistence¡ªand strapped it all on the backseat of his motorbike. He covered most of Clark¡¯s body with his bomber jacket, again because Clark insisted. Random bits of metal stuck out the end, making it look like he was carrying high-grade scrap.

    Alex was about to ask whether Clark was comfortable before taking off, but decided against that as well.

    They rode through the city that now looked like a fierce battleground. Local police and militia were gunning down runaway demons. But the army and the national guard still weren¡¯t here. Didn¡¯t Dan say they were already at the city gate?

    What was taking them so long?

    Several new fires had erupted throughout the city and its tall buildings, painting the air in a red and golden glow. Alex looked up. The sky was still covered in dark grey clouds, which should clear out soon. Then, the sun would be out.

    He noticed that the demons stuck to the shadows, avoiding bright lights and fires wherever they could. Perhaps they were weak to sunlight?

    If so, they would soon have no place left to run.

    Alex smirked.

    He¡¯d better call the hospital and see how Kenny was holding up. The medics had said he¡¯d be okay, but Alex still wanted to make sure.

    He glanced at his phone strapped to his arm. No service.

    Perhaps he can make the call from the robot ranch.

    They were close to the north exit of Sol City, when Clark suddenly spoke through his metal head, which was dangerously close to Alex¡¯s ear, making him flinch.

    ¡°Get off the road,¡± said Clark.

    ¡°Why?¡± asked Alex. ¡°We¡¯d be much slower¡ª¡±

    ¡°Just do as I say. Off the road and into the wild. There¡¯s a path through the woods. I know it well.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± said Alex.

    There were far less people on the large street now. Alex was glad. Surely this meant that most of them got out.

    Right?

    As he turned left into the woods, he spotted the military approaching from the far right, where the east exit should be.

    Nice, thought Alex. They¡¯ll hit the remaining demons from all sides!

    Alex hated riding through the narrow path through the trees. The uneven terrain was bumpy enough, but the branches hung so low that he often had to duck. Several twigs struck the glass on his bike helmet; one of them deposited a bug onto the glass which smeared the screen when Alex tried to wipe him off.

    After a few curves through the trees, Alex was glad to be out on a much wider dirt path that led uphill. The sun was out here, unlike within the confines of the city. After a few miles of climbing, they came upon a large, open estate, with a six-bedroom house nestled in the middle.

    He didn¡¯t know why he expected the house to be rural; perhaps because Clark said the word ranch.

    This house looked like something a tech billionaire would build for his private forest retreat. It was spread across a wide area, with large windows on both storeys. It had a pleasant modern aesthetic with plenty of dim yellow lights. It most likely had a pool on the roof, but Alex couldn¡¯t get a good look.

    The warrior robot lived a life of luxury.

    The house stood on a cliff overlooking the entirety of Sol City. Alex could see the grey clouds still hovering over it, now in the distance. The city glowed red under its shadow.

    ¡°This is it,¡± said Clark. ¡°My secret lair. Just halt next to the front door.¡±

    Alex got off the bike and jogged toward the door. He wanted to swing it wide open, before carrying Clark¡¯s body through.

    However, he immediately noticed that there was no door handle.

    Maybe it just opened with a push?

    Alex tried pushing it open gently, but it didn¡¯t budge. Maybe it needed more force, since it was clearly designed to accommodate Clark¡¯s super strength?

    Alex shoved his shoulder against the door, aiming to bash it open.

    He failed once. He failed twice. But the third time¡ª

    The door swung open.

    And a small creature, about the size of a small dog, pounced at Alex.

    ¡°What the¡ª?!¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Alex fell on his back, struggling to get the creature off him. Its body felt like cold metal; but the moment Alex tried to grab it, it would turn to fluid, making it impossible to grasp.

    Finally, Alex found his grip on something that felt like a muscle, or perhaps an unusually soft spine. When he gripped it, the creature¡¯s grasp on him got loose, and Alex managed to fling it off and away from him.

    Alex scrambled to his feet and got a good look at the creature. It looked like a little blob of metallic grey slime slithering on the ground. It had rounded arms and feet coming directly out of his front, which he had apparently used to cling on to Alex¡¯s face. It had a wide jaw with tiny, but sharp teeth. Based on its glimmering grey color, Alex could only think of it as sentient liquid mercury.

    The sentient liquid mercury then began to change shape. The clingy limbs and the tiny teeth were gone. He slowly morphed into a miniature minigun balanced on a tiny tripod. Then, its barrels began to spin red hot.

    ¡°No, no, NO!¡± said Alex, shielding himself with his arms and crouching low.

    ¡°Relax!¡± came Clark¡¯s voice. He was chuckling.

    Alex looked around. The blob had now transformed itself into a small four-legged robot and climbed atop the bike, nestling himself into Clark¡¯s severed body like a¡­ cute puppy?

    ¡°You definitely need a sign for that thing,¡± said Alex, getting back on his feet once again.

    ¡°He¡¯s no threat to you,¡± said Clark, not taking his camera-eyes off his robot pet. ¡°He¡¯s no threat to anybody, are you?¡±

    The robot puppy woofed in pure joy. It seemed ecstatic to be reunited with his master.

    ¡°He was about to gun me down,¡± said Alex.

    ¡°With tiny pellets of love!¡± said Clark in a voice that people usually use on puppies. ¡°Anyway, he and I are connected. I can stop him using mental commands any time.¡±

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you?!¡±

    ¡°Well, now, where¡¯s the fun in that?¡± Clark chuckled, perfectly amused with himself.

    Alex couldn¡¯t believe this guy. It was weird enough that he was a wisecracking robot, capable of defeating monstrous demonic aliens from space, who lived on a ranch in the middle of nowhere. Now, he¡¯s also got a robot pet. And they¡¯re both into practical jokes.

    Alex wasn¡¯t really mad about any of it though.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it urgent to get you here as soon as possible, or was that also one of your pranks?¡± Alex asked him.

    ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯m very much at the brink of certain death. But no need to panic, we¡¯ve still got a few minuuuuuttte-------¡±

    The blue light on his helmet was now the dimmest it¡¯d ever been, and flickering so fast it seemed like it¡¯d be snuffed out any moment.

    ¡°Where do I take him?¡± Alex asked the robot pet.

    It woofed and got off the back, indicating Alex to follow.

    The head must be where it¡¯s all at, thought Alex. He can get the legs in later.

    Alex grabbed Clark¡¯s upper half and carried it inside. The metal pup was pointing at what looked like a modern armor hanger on the opposite wall. Alex lifted Clark¡¯s torso with great strength and placed it on two large hooks.

    The robot puppy then grabbed a wire by his mouth and plugged it into Clark¡¯s metal skull from behind. In a tense couple minutes, the blue light flickered again, now growing brighter by the second.

    ¡°Slight miscalculation,¡± said Clark¡¯s robot voice. ¡°Guess we cut in a little too close, huh?¡±

    The metallic pet woofed.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Clark said to Alex.

    Alex awkwardly nodded at him. ¡°So you run on batteries?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly,¡± explained Clark. ¡°I do have backup power embedded in the suit in case my main power source gets destroyed.¡± Clark pointed at his chest. Alex noticed that the hexagonal sigil was completely gone.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Alex asked. In a half-serious tone, he continued, ¡°What are you even? Are you an alien like them too? Did they create you and left you here, so now you¡¯re out for revenge¡ª?¡±

    Clark chuckled. ¡°You watch way too much anime.¡±

    ¡°What then?¡± asked Alex. ¡°Come on, now. You told me you¡¯ll answer my questions.¡±

    ¡°Within reason, yes.¡±

    ¡°Are you feeling all right now?¡± Alex asked with sincere concern. ¡°Do you need me to get you something?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine for now,¡± said Clark. The blue from his helmet suddenly disappeared, which sent Alex into a brief panic. Clark¡¯s blue light then suddenly reappeared on one of the six screens on the desk beside the hanger. He bounced back and forth between the screens, as if finally happy to move. ¡°You may ask away.¡±

    Alex looked around the house. It was spacious, modern, plenty of lights, plush with a central lounge and a huge flat screen TV. A couch faced the computer desk next to the armor hanger. No one could have guessed that the inhabitant was anything but human, certainly not a sentient combat robot straight out of 80¡¯s cyberpunk.

    Alex¡¯s eyes eventually landed on the metal puppy now rolling around on its back.

    ¡°What the hell is this?¡± asked Alex, pointing to the robotic slime that had now stopped looking like a puppy, and went back to liquid mercury blob bouncing around the room, glad that his master was finally home safe.

    ¡°That¡¯s your first question?¡± Clark raised a digital eyebrow.

    ¡°Is it a dog or a slime or a damn minigun?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s my assistant,¡± said Clark. ¡°He¡¯s made of the same programmable metal as my suit of armor. Since he¡¯s completely made of just that, he¡¯s a lot more¡­ versatile. He can take the shape of pretty much anything, just like my armor.¡±

    Alex looked at the slime suspiciously as it grew a tail and started wagging it.

    ¡°Guess those are all your questions¡ª¡± Clark said.

    ¡°No, no. Of course not,¡± said Alex, shifting focus back to Clark. ¡°I¡¯m just thinking about where to even start.¡±

    The red lightning, the black tower, those monstrous aliens¡­ and the creepy one at the end¡­ there was just so much to unpack.

    Clark waited for him patiently.

    ¡°Who were those aliens?¡± Alex began at what was pressing him the most. ¡°Why did they attack Earth?¡±

    ¡°They were not aliens,¡± said Clark.

    Alex looked confused. ¡°Didn¡¯t they fly away in a spaceship at the end?¡±

    ¡°Well, yes, but¡­¡± Now Clark was confused. ¡°They are alien to you, sure,¡± he continued. ¡°But the entire galaxy knows their species as demons.¡±

    ¡°The entire galaxy?¡± asked Alex, his mind was flaring up.

    ¡°Oh yes,¡± said Clark. ¡°Newsflash, Alex: We are not alone in the universe.¡±

    Alex gulped. Somewhere within him he had always known this to be true. There was no way that humans would be the only sentient, intelligent life form in the whole wide universe. But still¡­ finally having concrete confirmation¡­ it hit different.

    ¡°There were other species part of the attack too, apart from the demons,¡± Clark continued. ¡°But I presume you were specifically referring to the colossal demon I brought down in front of you, and the big boss demon who split me in half.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Alex confirmed. ¡°Who was he?¡±

    ¡°The leader of a notorious gang of space pirates,¡± said Clark. ¡°He gets special attention because he¡¯s a demon, and because he has certain¡­ well¡­ ¡®alleged¡¯ connections with the Galactic Empire, but that remains to be proven¡ª¡±

    ¡°Galactic Empire?!¡±

    ¡°Oh yes,¡± said Clark. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I forget how little you know. Try to keep up.¡±

    Alex had to take a seat on a stool nearby to massage his temples.

    Clark continued, ¡°His younger brother is a powerful demon sorcerer¡ªyou¡¯ll learn what that means soon enough. They¡¯ve both been getting away with way too much lately, while the other pirate factions face a brutal crackdown by the Empire. Makes me even more suspect that their imperial connection must be someone pretty high up¡ª¡±

    ¡°How do you know all this?¡± Alex cut in. ¡°Are you some sort of galactic police?¡±

    Clark chuckled again. ¡°Haha, imagine that. No. I¡¯m an Earthling, just like you. Not exactly like you, but¡­ you know what I mean. I¡¯ve lived here all my life.¡±

    ¡°So how do you know?¡±

    Clark paused for half a second. ¡°I have my ways.¡±

    Alex figured this might be something Clark did not want to share with him just yet. So he jumped to the next logical question. ¡°How long have you been here?¡±

    ¡°Ever since I first opened my¡ªahem¡ªeyes. Which was four years ago.¡±

    ¡°So you are four years old?¡±

    ¡°Time flows differently for us¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m talking to a literal toddler,¡± said Alex, chuckling and massaging his temples even harder. ¡°That explains your juvenile sense of humor.¡±

    Clark responded with a sarcastic ¡°Ahaha.¡±

    ¡°You sound like an adult though,¡± said Alex. ¡°In fact, you don¡¯t sound like an AI at all. You¡¯re like a much, much more advanced versio¡ª¡±

    ¡°For the last time, I am not an AI!¡± Clark flashed a blue angry emoji on his helmet.

    ¡°Okay, okay, relax. Sorry to hurt your digital feelings.¡±

    Alex stared blankly in the space ahead of him, trying to take this all in. It was too much. ¡°I feel like my head¡¯s about to explode,¡± he breathed.

    ¡°Hey, you asked for it,¡± said Clark.

    After a few brief seconds in contemplation, Alex continued, ¡°Look, at the risk of offending you once again, I gotta ask. Who created you? I mean¡­ you are clearly not a human being. Someone must have programmed you to act like one.¡±

    Alex wasn¡¯t sure how, but Clark looked deeply uncomfortable with this line of questioning.

    ¡°I cannot answer questions about my origin,¡± Clark said plainly.

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Alex,¡± he said in a conclusive tone.

    Alex lent back on the stool and almost tumbled over since it didn¡¯t have a backrest. The metallic slime clearly found that hilarious and joyfully bounced around.

    ¡°It¡¯s all so blowing my mind right now,¡± Alex breathed as he found his balance again.

    ¡°Well, it goes without saying you cannot reveal any of this to anybody else. Else I¡¯ll have to kill you.¡±

    Alex sprang upright in a jerk. ¡°Oh come on! Everyone deserves to know that it was you who saved them! And with all the knowledge you have about the galaxy, maybe you can help them put up a capable defense against a future attack. Plus, I¡¯m really not sure whether I can keep all this to myself.¡±

    The red laser on top of Clark¡¯s helmet began to charge up, targeting the center of Alex¡¯s chest.

    ¡°No, no, okay! I¡¯ll keep it to myself. Fuck!¡±

    Clark chuckled again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t help myself. But in all seriousness, you cannot reveal any of it. Earth¡¯s not ready, and it¡¯s doubtful that it¡¯ll ever be. Just this one attack is going to create a chain of events I cannot yet foresee. Moreover, them knowing won¡¯t make much of a difference. Earth is hopelessly weak against any kind of galactic threat. Maybe we can defeat a small army of F-rank Tarentoric Mules but that¡¯s about it. And that is if they aren¡¯t bred right¡ª¡±

    ¡°I get it, I get it,¡± said Alex. ¡°No point in letting anyone know.¡±

    ¡°Besides, no one will believe you.¡±

    ¡°Even after everything that happened today?¡±

    Clark was silent for a moment. ¡°Humans have the incredible capacity to ignore or discredit a painful and uncomfortable truth, even when it stares them directly in the eye.¡±

    Alex thought about it for a second. He wasn¡¯t exactly wrong. ¡°So what are you going to do? How do you plan to defend against them the next time this happens?¡±

    ¡°The question is:¡± Clark began. Alex eyed him suspiciously. ¡°What are we going to do?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Alex.

    ¡°Look, the mutagens¡ª¡±

    ¡°The what now?¡±

    ¡°Sorry. Again, I forget how little you know. It¡¯s like talking to someone who¡¯s been living under a rock their whole entire lives¡ª¡±

    ¡°Get on with it,¡± said Alex.

    ¡°The mutagens¡ªyou know¡ªmy main power source?¡± Clark pointed at his chest where the hexagonal sigil was supposed to be. ¡°The seal was shattered when he¡­ um¡­¡±

    ¡°Tore you in half?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Clark cleared his (digital?) throat. Somehow this was uncomfortable for him to admit out loud. As if he were ashamed of it.

    But he¡¯s just a robot, isn¡¯t he? Are artificial intelligences capable of genuine shame and embarrassment?

    Remember, Alex. He¡¯s not an AI!

    ¡°What was that thing?¡± asked Alex, his mind jumping through too many hoops at once. ¡°The one that emerged out of you when¡­¡±

    ¡°It did not emerge out of me, I assure you.¡±

    ¡°Out of what, then? It looked like a¡­ a different dimension.¡±

    Alex paused to think how insane that sounded. But then he realized this entire conversation was nowhere near sanity.

    ¡°Bingo,¡± said Clark. ¡°So it wasn¡¯t just me. I thought I was hallucinating given that my visual acuities were under so much pressure. He did emerge out of what looked like another dimension. But¡­ there¡¯s a lot wrong with this picture.¡±

    Clark fell silent, deep in thought.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Alex couldn¡¯t help himself.

    ¡°The Cyber-demon,¡± said Clark finally, ¡°that¡¯s what The Chancellor called him. He¡­ he shouldn¡¯t exist.¡±

    ¡°Whoever or whatever that was,¡± said Alex. ¡°Looked pretty fucking real to me.¡±

    ¡°There are no official records in the galactic databases. Only legends¡­ from distant, mostly primitive, rim-worlds. Unofficial accounts of his exploits exist, of course, mostly in folklore that has long been discarded as superstition or mythology. He¡¯s been referred to by different names by different civilizations across millennia. So all those¡­ horrific deeds¡­ were never attributed to a single entity. No one today believes he exists, or ever existed. He¡¯s a ghost.¡±

    Alex felt shivers run up his spine.

    ¡°Why would he show himself on Earth¡­¡± Clark¡¯s voice was comprised not only of intrigue, but also¡­ fear?

    ¡°What do we do?¡± asked Alex.

    ¡°Oh it¡¯s we now, is it?¡± Clark smirked.

    Alex remained silent.

    ¡°We gather the mutagens,¡± said Clark. ¡°First and foremost. They are a way to power my suit. But that¡¯s not all they are. They are technological marvels of a very ancient, and a very mysterious race. My suit harnesses the electro-nuclear power generated and contained within them owing to their nature. But in the hands of a carbon-based life form such as yourself, they are a means to accelerate your natural course of evolution through targeted genetic mutations. Giving you abilities you only ever dreamed of. Power beyond what you can imagine. And a pact¡­ with the Primordial System¡­¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, whoa,¡± said Alex, panting. ¡°I need a minute to breathe. This is¡­ way too much. I¡¯m barely able to make sense of any of it.¡±

    ¡°I understand you¡¯ll need time to process,¡± said Clark. ¡°Put simply: The mutagens are the source of my power, and our key defense against the next demonic invasion of Earth. In the wrong hands, they may ignite reckless ambitions of power and can be instead used against us. They were spread all over the city when the Cyber-demon vanished back to whatever hellish dimension he popped out of. My guess is that he had something to do with that. So we must act fast.

    ¡°In my current state, I¡¯m useless,¡± said Clark. ¡°I will need your help.¡±

    Alex collapsed on the couch nearby. When exactly had he stood up?

    ¡°Clark, I¡­¡± Alex began. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a simple rounding up of magic space rocks, Alex. I¡¯m sure you can manage that! Don¡¯t you want to be the hero who saves the world?¡±

    The words should have been music to his ears. But they couldn¡¯t be¡­ not after everything that had happened.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± said Alex in a heavy voice. ¡°I am not a superhero, like you. And I can¡¯t go around acting like one.¡±

    ¡°No, Alex. You don¡¯t understand.¡± Clark¡¯s voice was suddenly intense.

    An uncomfortable silence fell between them. Alex could hear the wolves howling in the distance. The leaves on the trees around them had begun rustling violently. Perhaps the grey clouds above the city were finally clearing.

    Something seemed to be bothering Clark.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± Clark finally continued in a grim tone, ¡°that this is not about you.¡±

    Alex could hear the distant city fires crackling.

    ¡°There was once a great war, eons ago,¡± Clark continued. ¡°The scale of which you cannot even begin to comprehend. A very old and a very wise civilization, technologically-advanced in every way imaginable, faced off against a great evil, who easily overpowered them.

    ¡°They were no match for it. And yet, they made a grave error: They sought to beat it on their own. They made it all about themselves.

    ¡°Fortunately, they managed to correct course just in time, and so the Primordial System was activated. The great evil was defeated. However, the Primordial System also vanished along with it. The mutagens that were in my possession are remnants of this Primordial System, engineered by this marvelous civilization, now long extinct. Imagine what a threat they would be¡­ in the wrong hands.¡±

    Alex glared at Clark, completely perplexed. ¡°What are you?¡±

    Clark replied in a mystical but firm voice, ¡°I told you I cannot answer questions about my origin.¡±

    ¡°This is too much,¡± said Alex, as his entire body felt like jelly. ¡°I have to lie down.¡±

    He lied flat on the couch, which was surprisingly comfortable.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long fucking day,¡± Alex breathed with his palms over his face. ¡°So much chaos¡­ and carnage. Demons from space, ha ha. It sounds exactly as stupid as it should.¡±

    Alex felt his eyes getting heavy. ¡°I¡¯d like to take a day to think, at least.¡± He sounded like he was responding to a job interview. ¡°I also need to call Kenny, see if he¡¯s all righ¡ª¡±

    And just like that, Alex fell asleep without even realizing it.

    ¡°No, he¡¯s not dead,¡± Clark responded to his pet. ¡°He¡¯s had a long day and needed some rest, that¡¯s all. He¡¯s not like us.¡±

    ***

    Alex dreamed of darkness. He had no idea how long he¡¯d been asleep for. At this point, he didn¡¯t even remember where he was.

    A faint, flickering flame erupted a fair distance in front of him, piercing through the darkness¡­ calling at him. He was sure that if he could just get near it, he could talk to it.

    It was time.

    Suddenly, muffled fire alarms went off everywhere.

    Why were they panicking? It was only a little fire. It wasn¡¯t harming anybody¡­

    Alex sounded like Clark talking to his robot pet.

    Wait, who¡¯s Clark?

    The fire alarms now became deafeningly loud.

    Alex woke up with a jerk. Every screen in Clark¡¯s room flashed a video of a rotating beacon of red light that¡¯s typically found atop a firetruck.

    ¡°Good, you¡¯re awake!¡± said Clark¡¯s excited voice. ¡°I was about to start the sprinklers.¡±

    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± asked Alex, barely conscious.

    ¡°The mutagens!¡± said Clark, the most excited he¡¯d ever sounded. ¡°We gotta move, now!¡±

    ¡°Look at this.¡± He flashed an image of a huge satellite map on all six screens. ¡°Two blips!¡±

 Chapter 6: Dove and Glitch â€“ Part 1

    Chapter 6

    Dove and Glitch ¨C Part 1

    THE MORNING OF THE ATTACK ON SOL CITY

    ¡°But why do I have to drive him?¡± His elder sister squealed from inside the kitchen while Aiden Greene sat curled up on the couch with his Nintendo Switch in hand.

    He pretended to be engrossed in his game, indifferent to the goings-on in the kitchen.

    ¡°Because he¡¯s your brother, Lucy,¡± their mom said firmly. ¡°And he cannot drive himself.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s almost twenty!¡± she continued to protest. ¡°I got my license at sixteen!¡±

    ¡°It is what it is,¡± said Mom. ¡°Unless you want him to take the other car by himself and drive it into the wall, or fly it off a bridge, or run over the neighbor¡¯s dog like he almost did the last time!¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Lucy stormed out of the kitchen. ¡°Come on, you little pipsqueak,¡± she said to Aiden as she flew past him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that,¡± said Aiden, shoving his hand-held console inside his backpack as he rose from the couch.

    ¡°Don¡¯t call him that!¡± their mother yelled from the kitchen.

    Lucy practically sprinted through the lawn and hurriedly got into the driver¡¯s seat. Aiden tried to keep up but struggled with his entangled shoe laces, which he decided he¡¯ll sort out once he¡¯s inside the car.

    Since it was a real threat that Lucy might just leave without him.

    Aiden shut the car door after him and dropped his backpack in the back seat. He then bent forward to untangle his shoe laces as Lucy rolled the car out. Then, she suddenly hit the brakes, causing Aiden to bang his head on the dashboard ahead of him.

    ¡°Seatbelt!¡± yelped Lucy. ¡°I don¡¯t see why all this¡ª¡± she made a circular gesture around the steering wheel ¡°¡ªis so difficult for you.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t see well past the steering wheel,¡± Aiden explained as he pulled himself up and put the seatbelt on; his shoe laces remained ignored. ¡°It¡¯s a big car and it¡¯s not meant for shor¡ªwell, um¡­ someone my height¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know about this?¡± Lucy pressed a button hidden from Aiden that adjusted the seat¡¯s height.

    ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡± said Aiden. He didn¡¯t know car seats could do that. ¡°Still... There are other factors¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna know,¡± said Lucy as she hit the gas pedal and zoomed out their driveway. ¡°What I do wanna know is why do you have to go to Sol City today? And why today of all days?¡±

    ¡°I have got to be at the arena today,¡± said Aiden. ¡°They¡¯ve got the new Zelda in and it¡¯s on¡ª¡±

    ¡°Never mind, I don¡¯t wanna know that either.¡±

    They drove in silence for a while. Aiden rested his head on the window, blankly staring at the suburban houses flying past them, desperately waiting for the grey concrete scenery to change into something greener.

    He had always liked the drive from their house to Sol City because it led through the nature reserve. Aiden enjoyed catching glimpses of rare and colorful birds, who would often squeak in such rhythmic patterns that it was better than actual music. He once caught a deer chewing on something merrily while a couple birds sat on each of its antlers and delivered a full-blown concert to an audience of squirrels.

    How he¡¯d love to come to the reserve every day.

    If only he could drive.

    Let¡¯s face it, Aiden thought to himself. That ship has long sailed.

    He was grateful that Lucy had chosen to drive him to the city, despite throwing a tantrum about it. Fortunately she was home for winter break, just in time for the arena event.

    But she obviously hadn¡¯t done it just for him.

    ¡°Why are you headed to the city today anyway? Shouldn¡¯t you be preparing for your birthday tomorrow?¡± Aiden asked Lucy. She had told mom that she was heading to a friend¡¯s party in the city, but Aiden knew there was more to that story.

    ¡°None of your business!¡± Lucy squeaked.

    ¡°It¡¯s Dean again, isn¡¯t it?¡± Aiden probed. ¡°He¡¯s just going to stand you up like last time.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be the last thing he ever does¡­¡± Lucy muttered through gritted teeth.

    ¡°He¡¯d never dare after he sees this version of you,¡± Aiden said softly.

    ¡°What did you say?!¡± Lucy yelped.

    ¡°Nothing!¡± said Aiden.

    He rested his head back on the window again and glared out in silence since the landscape was now all tall green trees. They were already inside the nature reserve. He frantically scanned the scene with eyes popped wide, hoping to see something miraculous once again.

    ¡°Can we take a brief detour and¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ halt here for a while?¡± Aiden asked hopefully.

    ¡°No way,¡± said Lucy. ¡°You do that when you get here by yourself once you are old enough to drive. Oh wait!¡±

    ¡°Or I can just wait until you get stood up again and have to drive me around the park to kill time, since mom won¡¯t believe how you¡¯re back from your friends¡¯ fake party so soon!¡±

    ¡°I can leave you in the middle of this forest right now if you like!¡±

    ¡°I can walk!¡±

    Aiden sunk back on his seat and now stared out the window with his arms folded. Lucy gripped the steering wheel tighter as she increased speed.

    She nearly missed two bikers that suddenly emerged from a blind curve, headed in the opposite direction. ¡°Dammit! Are they blind?¡± Lucy exploded.

    She was so on edge today.

    Aiden knew that Lucy was hiding it from mom that she had been on a couple dates with Dean. Their mom knew the guy¡¯s parents from church and would obviously never approve of him.

    No sane person would. Dean was nothing but a colossal mess. Aiden was sure Lucy didn¡¯t see anything in him. As per what he¡¯d gathered from eavesdropping on her calls¡ªaccidentally, of course¡ªhe knew that this was about proving to another delusional friend of hers that Dean wasn¡¯t exactly loyal to her. Still, even though Lucy may not really be into him, she had been extremely offended on being stood up.

    Because that¡¯s just Lucy.

    Aiden couldn¡¯t care less. His sister¡¯s dating drama was the last thing he was bothered about. He had only eavesdropped on her calls to make sure she wasn¡¯t getting herself into any real trouble.

    And to obtain valuable intel to use against her the next time she refused to drive him to the gaming arena.

    They were soon out of the nature reserve and approached the east entrance to Sol City.

    Lucy noticed a dense crowd around the entrance that had slowed down traffic. ¡°What is going on?¡± she muttered.

    ¡°Founding Day,¡± Aiden reminded her. ¡°This is why it¡¯s so important for me to get to the arena today. They have a special program planned and everything¡ª¡±

    ¡°Again, I don¡¯t want to know!¡± Lucy reminded him. She slowly squeezed through the narrow gaps and bolted past the other side once she had a little space.

    Aiden was impressed with how well she could drive in tight spots. It killed his motivation to go to the driving instructor even more, because of course he¡¯d never be as good as her.

    They slowly crept past the thick crowd at the east entrance and made their way toward the city center. Their speed increased, albeit just a tiny bit, after they were past the bottleneck.

    Aiden noticed the same construction workers that he had the last time he was in the city, which was about three weeks ago. They were still hard at work at the new east exit subway station that was supposed to be fully operational by Founding Day.

    Too late for that now, he thought. He wondered what had caused the delay.

    After inching through the unofficial carnival headed toward the city center, Lucy took a few fast and sharp turns to get to the gaming arena via a shortcut that Aiden didn¡¯t know existed until now.

    She stopped the car in front of the gaming arena¡¯s entrance and Aiden got out.

    ¡°Now listen up!¡± called Lucy from inside the car. Aiden poked his neck through the open window. ¡°I¡¯ll see you here in two hours,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m dropping the car at the Jonas Burgers parking lot since it¡¯s impossible to drive in this crowd. And I¡¯ll be at Caeser¡¯s¡ªyou know, the fancy caf¨¦ five blocks down the road. I¡¯m only telling you all this in case there¡¯s an emergency, okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± said Aiden.

    ¡°Two hours, you understand?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a child!¡± Aiden snapped.

    ¡°Yeah, right,¡± Lucy mocked. ¡°Just an adult who can¡¯t drive and walks around with a broken phone. How is anyone supposed to call you?¡±

    ¡°It works fine on Wi-Fi.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s totally acceptable to you because you never get out of the house anyway!¡±

    Aiden turned around to leave but Lucy stopped him. ¡°Remember: Two hours.¡± Aiden gave a quick nod and started walking away as Lucy shouted after him. ¡°And don¡¯t get lost! We both know you have a tendency to lose yourself in big crowds.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Aiden shouted over his shoulder.

    ***

    Lucy drummed her fingers on the steering wheel in frustration. The car could only move at snail¡¯s pace owing to the dense crowd. Trying to push through without accidentally running someone over was torture.

    Founding Day, dammit. How could she forget it was Founding Day?

    She would have asked Dean to meet anywhere else if she¡¯d remembered; as long as it was public, and frequented by people from her university. She needed witnesses.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    Carol wasn¡¯t even going to believe video evidence in this day and age. ¡°It must be a deep fake!¡± she¡¯d say, parroting Dean¡¯s excuses.

    Gosh she was so na?ve.

    But she was her friend. Lucy wasn¡¯t one to stand by as some douchebag player-wannabe takes her for a ride.

    Not on her watch.

    Somehow she managed to reach the parking lot next to Jonas Burgers and squeezed through the narrow entrance. It was a miracle that she hadn¡¯t crushed a foot or two.

    Lucy loved being around people. But a crowd this big was just unwelcome anxiety.

    Which is why she also avoided big outdoor music festivals. She didn¡¯t want to explode on some stranger for accidentally messing up her perfectly-done hair.

    The only bright side was that it should all clear soon. Founding Day celebrations rarely lasted the whole day, and it would all soon be concentrated around the central park anyway.

    She dropped the car and quickly made her way toward the caf¨¦ where she was supposed to meet Dean. Ironically, she was much faster on foot. Her slender and athletic form allowed her to cut through the thick crowd like knife through butter.

    It also helped that she¡¯d preferred a cropped tank top underneath a cute baggy jacket and ankle-high jeans over long, flowy dresses, even when on fancy dates. Imagine running through this crowd in a tight dress and heels!

    She entered the caf¨¦ and dropped her jacket on the table before heading straight to the ladies¡¯ room.

    She checked her hair and make-up carefully; both needed some fixing-up since all the running had made her sweat a little.

    She made sure her eyeshadow perfectly complemented her bright brown eyes. She ran her fingers through her long, dark blonde hair to set them back in shape. She absolutely loved how they looked now, after she¡¯d recently added some streaks of black here and there.

    She now looked starkly different from Aiden with his golden blond hair and misty green eyes.

    Regardless of the new hair color though, they looked nothing alike!

    She wouldn¡¯t be surprised to later find out that he was actually adopted.

    She checked her face one last time. The golden edges of her dove-shaped pendant, that she¡¯d worn around her neck since she was nine, gleamed against the bright yellow lights.

    She neatly tucked her kit back inside her fanny pack and she exited the ladies¡¯ room. Then, she calmly sat back on her table and checked her phone.

    The moment of truth, she thought. He better be here soon.

    There were no messages from Dean.

    If he stands her up again after all the trouble she¡¯d went through setting this up, she was gonna kill him.

    Yeah, straight up. He¡¯s dead if he doesn¡¯t show up.

    She looked around and was pleased with the ambience. It was a nice little caf¨¦, three storeys above ground; cozy but not creepy. Plenty of classy people around. And amongst them, a group of snobbish college girls from Carol¡¯s course.

    Perfect.

    She then spotted a middle-aged man in an expensive-looking suit huddled in a corner seat with a twenty-something blonde, who may just be his wife. But definitely not his daughter. She sipped from a huge cup of hot latte as he gently touched her hair.

    There was an adorable senior couple here as well, all donned in Founding Day celebration merch; the hats, the small flags, even the miniature trumpets. They seemed happy together.

    She should consider this place for a real date.

    Maybe some day.

    She checked her phone again. Lots of Instagram notifications. But no new messages from Dean.

    She was starting to get annoyed.

    Maybe she should just call him. Even at the risk of seeming desperate.

    Lucy was irked by the thought.

    Maybe he was held up by the traffic. Or maybe Carol had warned him off. She somehow may have gotten wind of the trap...

    Possible?

    She should call her just to be sure¡ª

    Lucy suddenly caught her breath. The whole place shook as if something really big had bumped into the building from outside.

    Was it just her?

    She looked around. The entire caf¨¦ was silent. Everybody had a concerned expression on their faces, as if they were trying to listen carefully for a faint, distant noise. The cute blonde with the hot latte looked straight up. The middle-aged man in the expensive suit beside her looked like he wanted to speak with the manager. The adorable senior couple looked worried. The college girls weren¡¯t sure whether it was time to start screaming yet.

    The customers were all seated still. The servers stopped in their tracks.

    Everyone had definitely felt something.

    A long couple of minutes passed in complete silence. Lucy was confused. Maybe it was just a tremor, that had come and gone. Nothing to really worry about.

    It was no small tremor though.

    But then, it happened again. This time it was far more intense. The whole building shook violently for a few seconds, as though it would collapse any moment. Someone in the caf¨¦ yelled: ¡°Earthquake!¡±

    And panic ensued.

    The cute blonde splashed her hot latte all over the rich old guy¡¯s shirt, who screamed in pain. The college girls¡¯ table had flipped over as they scrambled to get out, screaming on top of their lungs. The senior couple had vanished. Perhaps they¡¯d left well in advance, sensing something was off.

    Lucy got off her table to look for them, but they were nowhere to be found. She hoped they¡¯d gotten out safe.

    It was time for her to bolt.

    She was closest to the exit so was able to get out fairly quickly. The other guests soon crowded the exit. Right before she exited into the lobby, she peeked out the huge glass window and saw that sunlight was quickly fading.

    Grey clouds? Was the tremor caused by a lightning strike?

    She got her answers soon enough.

    As soon as she was out on the street, she looked up to find dark grey clouds cover the sky as far as the eyes could see. And, not too far in the direction of the city center, she saw a bright red bolt of lightning strike vertically at the ground from dense black clouds hovering just above.

    Nothing about this felt normal. Unlike normal lightning that disappeared in a flash, this one appeared to be stable. Like it had claimed the sky.

    There was panic on the streets now. The huge crowd of people that were marching merrily toward the city center just half an hour ago, were now running away from it with terror-stricken faces and horrified screams.

    Something terrible was going on. She had to go get Aiden!

    She got her phone out to call him. The dumbass didn¡¯t have phone service on his end¡ªof course¡ªbut maybe he was connected to public Wi-Fi somewhere.

    Shit. There was no service on her phone either.

    The cell phone towers must be down.

    She must run!

    Lucy bolted through the crowd as fast as she could, once again thankful for choosing sneakers over heels.

    She jumped over a bench and glided over a bike stand by grabbing onto a pole and running along a wall, parallel to the ground. Due to her parkour skills, she was able to maneuver through the crowded sidewalk with ease, and take paths that most others could not.

    Her heart began to pump faster as she thought of the only thing that mattered to her right now: Aiden¡¯s safety. He must still be at the arena.

    Because she had told him to wait for her there. She¡¯d told him that she¡¯ll come get him.

    What if he¡¯d been forced to run away?

    As she sprinted through, she saw a young girl fall to the ground. Her hand outstretched, presumably because it was held by her mother just a few seconds ago. She began to cry as she couldn¡¯t see her mother anymore, who had probably disappeared into the crowd.

    Lucy stopped. She wasn¡¯t sure whether she had the time to help random strangers.

    The girl looked completely helpless. Her knees were glued to the ground and she was crying as loud as she could, hoping that her mother would hear her.

    If she didn¡¯t move out of the way soon¡­ she would be trampled.

    ¡°Damn it,¡± said Lucy loudly. She backtracked a few paces and swiftly grabbed the child by her waist.

    The girl threw a tantrum and rapidly struck Lucy on the head with her small hands, clearly wanting to be let go of.

    ¡°RELAX!¡± Lucy snapped at her. ¡°I¡¯m taking you to your mommy!¡±

    The girl instantly relaxed.

    Lucy had a fair idea where she¡¯d find her mother. She should be running the exact way back, if she was coming back for her child.

    Soon enough, she spotted a woman desperately trying to run against the crowd in tears, but getting overwhelmed. The girl in Lucy¡¯s arms spotted her too and called, ¡°Mommy!¡±

    Lucy ran to her and handed the girl over to her mother. The mom spat a quick but heartfelt ¡°Thank you!¡± before running away with the crowd, now carrying her little girl in her arms.

    The girl looked back over her mother¡¯s shoulder and smiled at Lucy.

    Lucy smiled back and waved, before quickly resuming her sprint.

    She was at the gaming arena¡¯s entrance in no time. She climbed on top of a bench and looked around.

    He should be here. I told him to wait for me here!

    Lucy is typically calm during a crisis. But she could feel the panic slowly setting in.

    Aiden was nowhere to be seen.

    Why did he always get lost?

    Why couldn¡¯t he just listen to her, for once?!

    Lucy¡¯s mind flashed back to that incident from their childhood¡­ when Aiden had disappeared into the woods, and not been found for five whole days¡­

    All the fear from back then now returned anew. And her heart began to pound.

    ¡°Calm down, Lucy,¡± she reminded herself. ¡°Focus on finding him. It¡¯s true that he often gets lost. But he always finds his way back, doesn¡¯t he?¡±

    He¡¯ll find his way back again.

    Won¡¯t he?

    Lucy looked for Aiden amongst the crowd, which showed no signs of thinning. The sky was getting even darker, but there was no rain or thunder.

    And what the hell was that red lightning even?!

    Was Aiden already in some kind of danger?

    Lucy shook her head, reminding herself to focus. She needs to find him soon!

    Think, Lucy. Where would he go in a situation like this? He obviously won¡¯t stay inside the building.

    Where then?

    The car!

    Aiden knew where she¡¯d parked the car!

    Lucy bolted toward the Jonas Burgers parking lot, which was only a few blocks down the street in the direction that the crowd was running. She climbed a set of railings on her left and entered a narrow alley to avoid the crowd. Then she took a sharp right and jumped over a garden gate, through a house¡¯s open back door and out the front, emerging into a narrow lane. The Jonas Burgers parking lot was dead ahead.

    The lane was fairly empty since the crowd¡ªnow a stampede¡ªcame running from the city center and was headed toward the east exit. There was no reason for them to detour into this short and narrow lane that connected two parallel paths to the exit. Unless they wanted to visit Jonas Burgers.

    And absolutely no one was in the mood for burgers right now.

    Lucy scanned the empty parking lot carefully. Most of the staff from the burger joint had already took off.

    She looked for her car at the far end of the parking lot, but saw that it was missing.

    Maybe Aiden had taken the car?

    Impossible. She was the one with the keys. And he couldn¡¯t drive to save his life.

    She looked around a little more and finally found her car parked on the wall to her right, close to the main street. She didn¡¯t remember parking it there.

    A small underground explosion erupted right behind the car. Perhaps a gas pipe had burst. The force gently pushed the car forward, and it began to roll.

    Lucy realized she must have forgotten to put the parking brakes.

    The car continued to roll from right to left, and Lucy¡¯s eyes followed it. It came to a halt directly in front of her, so could see through the smashed windows to finally confirm that there was no one inside.

    But as she looked on, her gaze pierced right through the broken windows and landed at the far end of the parking lot to find¡ª

    Aiden!

    He stared right back at her through the broken car windows. The skin on his face looked scathed, but he otherwise seemed unharmed.

    Lucy breathed a huge sigh of relief. She¡¯d found him!

    Aiden smiled and waved as he spotted her. Lucy gestured him to wait right where he was. She was coming to get him.

    But before she could take a single step toward him, the ground right behind their car cracked open.

    A long and slender red metal pipe pierced through the ground and made its way up, bending at an angle once it was about five feet above the car¡¯s height.

    Upon a closer look, Lucy could tell that this was no pipe. A pipe didn¡¯t have small hairy tentacles sticking out the side, wriggling like disgusting black worms.

    It was a leg.

    The long and slender leg landed right on top of their car, crushing it beneath its massive weight. The fuel tank exploded under pressure, but the leg was undeterred by the fire.

    Whatever the leg belonged to pulled its body up through the cracked ground. A massive round head broke through the concrete, along with several identical legs.

    A spider.

    A gigantic, monstrous spider the likes of which Lucy, or anyone else for that matter, had never seen before.

    And it now stood exactly between her and Aiden.

    She caught Aiden¡¯s eye as they both realized the same thing: No way could they run to each other through that!

    Lucy¡¯s legs felt glued to the ground, just like that little girl¡¯s had from earlier. She couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. This was totally bizarre. She was must be dreaming.

    The monstrous spider was now completely free from his underground confines and slowly turned his twenty-eyed gaze at Lucy.

    Cold fear ran up her feet and through her spine, freezing her in place.

    She caught Aiden¡¯s eyes once again. He seemed to be repeatedly shouting just one word at her:

    ¡°Run!¡±

 Chapter 7: The Spider and the Snake (Dove and Glitch â€“ Part 2)

    Chapter 7

    The Spider and the Snake (Dove and Glitch ¨C Part 2)

    This cannot be real.

    There was an actual monster before her. Something straight out of a horror movie. Or a nightmare!

    Lucy struggled to breathe.

    The spider¡ªwhich is what it looked like with its long red legs coming out of a giant, round head, which also doubled as its body¡ªhad skin made of what she could only describe as insectoid fur.

    What the hell was it? Was it just an overgrown insect?

    Impossible. She had never seen a spider this big. No one had. Spiders don¡¯t grow this big anywhere in the world!

    It could easily be about fifteen feet in height, and it was much wider than it was tall. It had two large sets of eyes, with each set comprising ten smaller eyeballs scattered around in a circle¡ªgiving the appearance of one big eye. There was a strange yellowness to them, and a white, gooey liquid poured out of each ¡°big eye.¡±

    She may have puked if she wasn¡¯t so frozen with fear.

    The spider monster tilted its round head slightly to the side as all its twenty small eyes focused on Lucy, curiously examining her. After a couple seconds, its expression changed, and it seemed convinced that Lucy was indeed delicious prey.

    So it prepared to pounce.

    A flying rock about the size of a baseball came flying from the spider¡¯s blind side and hit the spider on one of its smaller eyes.

    Aiden!

    ¡°Look at me you fat, ugly bastard!¡± he yelled from the other end of the parking lot.

    The spider turned its fat head around as blood sprayed from one of its big eyes. The rock seemed to have taken a small eye out.

    The monster groaned in pain and shut both its big eyes. When its large, red eyelids opened again, a thick but fully transparent film covered both sets of eyes like a protective layer.

    An armor?

    Does this make it immune to future rock throws?

    The smashed small eye began to bubble. A curved slit appeared right below its two big eyes, revealing a wide mouth and long, sharp fangs. The spider tightened its body, bringing its eight long legs closer to its head, gearing up to attack. All its nineteen-or-so remaining eyes now focused on Aiden.

    Aiden was in danger!

    But Lucy couldn¡¯t move.

    In a swift motion, way too fast for a thing this big, the giant spider smashed its head on the ground where Aiden stood just a few seconds ago. It slammed its body with such force that the concrete below it cracked and its giant head got stuck in the crevice.

    Good, thought Lucy. He¡¯s scary but he¡¯s dumb.

    But where was Aiden?

    The spider struggled to pull its head back out. Now that its gaze was not upon her and it was stuck a fair distance away, Lucy felt some movement return to her limbs. She scanned the scene in panic, but Aiden was nowhere to be found.

    She forced her mind away from assuming the worst.

    Surely he had dodged in time.

    Hadn¡¯t he?

    But Aiden was never particularly athletic, now, was he?

    Her heart began to race.

    She looked closer and found a pair of legs poking out from behind a partly-destroyed dumpster, wearing shoes that could be Aiden¡¯s, but she wasn¡¯t sure. The legs quickly retracted out of sight as whoever they belonged to sprang to their feet.

    From the other side of the dumpster, Aiden emerged, sprinting toward her.

    Lucy breathed a huge sigh of relief.

    She was impressed! He had managed to jump away just in time!

    He wasn¡¯t running very fast. Lucy observed that he had a small limp, and a skinned, bleeding knee, revealed through a large rip in his pants. Even his face had a few scratches on and around his cheeks, and a cut on the forehead which didn¡¯t seem as fresh as the others.

    Lucy was about to run to him, but then¡ª

    One of the eight long, slender red legs smashed the ground between her and Aiden, missing Aiden¡¯s body by a few inches, but successfully cutting off his escape. The spider¡¯s head was still stuck in concrete, but a couple of its smaller eyeballs stared at Aiden from the side. Aiden tried to run to the right, but the path was blocked by the burning car.

    The only way to go was left, inside the burger joint.

    Aiden sprinted inside as the long leg blocking his way wound up for a second strike. The spider noticed that Aiden was inside the building now, so it gave up on the strike and focused on pulling himself out of the crevice instead.

    After a brief but significant struggle, the spider was free. It took a moment to balance itself back on its eight legs and skittered over to the burger joint, towering in front of the building¡¯s entrance.

    Lucy could tell that the dumb spider planned to smash that building to rubble with another full-body slam even if that cracks its head open like an egg, with Aiden still inside.

    She had to do something, now!

    Lucy desperately looked around for something to throw at the spider monster. She had to distract it again somehow. Just like Aiden had done earlier, for her.

    But it was too late.

    The spider bashed its head into the Jonas Burgers building, reducing the entire front wall into rubble, showering the parking lot with shards of broken glass.

    Its head seemed to be stuck again, this time on something inside the building. It wriggled hard to break free, but was unsuccessful.

    Perfect, thought Lucy. If only she could find something long and sharp to poke it from behind, then Aiden could get out safe¡ª

    But, again, Lucy had no time.

    A huge explosion erupted from inside the burger joint, engulfing the building in flames. The hot fumes entered the spider¡¯s wide mouth as well, setting both its insides and out on fire.

    The explosion crumbled the already-weakened front wall of the burger joint, which freed the giant spider¡¯s head. It staggered back, wailing in pain as the fire spread across its fur-like skin. It then crashed on the ground with all its eight legs spread wide and flat on the ground.

    The spider seemed more or less incapacitated now.

    But that no longer mattered.

    Lucy was in shock.

    Aiden was inside when the burger joint exploded.

    She saw the fire consume the building; its interior walls blackened and tarred. Minor explosions soon followed suit. Nothing could have survived inside.

    It was like time had stopped for her. Was any of this real?

    When it truly mattered, she couldn¡¯t do anything. Useless. Frozen in fear¡­ like a child¡­

    She had failed to protect him.

    And he had given his life to save hers¡­

    He had¡­ given his life¡­

    Lucy¡¯s vision began to blur. Her knees couldn¡¯t hold her anymore.

    A pair of hands grabbed her from the side as she was about to collapse. She couldn¡¯t muster up the energy to turn her face to look.

    ¡°Come on!¡± said the blurred voice beside her. ¡°There¡¯s no time, Lucy. Come on!¡±

    She knew these hands.

    It was Aiden!

    Lucy couldn¡¯t believe her eyes.

    ¡°How are you¡­?¡± she stammered.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t inside!¡± said Aiden, quickly figuring out Lucy¡¯s state of mind. Lucy still wasn¡¯t sure whether he was real. ¡°I rigged the gas to explode and ran out the back door. I barely made it out in time. Now come on!¡±

    Aiden repeatedly pointed at the struggling spider as he tried to get Lucy back to her senses and pull her away.

    Lucy saw that the giant spider lay on its back while all its eyes looked up at the sky. The protective layer around its eyes punctured, bathing his entire body in a different, less viscous kind of gooey liquid.

    The fires on its body gradually subsided. The spider closed its eyelids again, then opened them to reveal a second protective layer covering each of its big eyes. It seemed to have recovered.

    ¡°Come on!¡± Aiden screamed and pulled hard at Lucy.

    She snapped back to her senses, and they bolted.

    She clutched her dove-shaped pendant as she ran. Grandma had told her it would always keep the bad spirits away.

    It better fucking work now.

    They headed left, sprinting through the narrowing lane, hoping that the closing gap would force the spider monster into giving up the chase.

    They were soon out on the main street and into an intersection. The crowd ran right, scrambling to get to the east exit as fast as they could. Many had tried getting away using their cars at first, but then abandoned them and continued on foot, once they realized there was no way for cars to move in this thick a crowd. The abandoned cars were now stalled on the street, blocking way.

    Lucy and Aiden jumped over a couple cars and dived head first into the stampeding crowd. They wanted to run straight north in order to put as much distance between them and the spider as possible, but the resistance from the crowd running perpendicular to them was too much.

    They barely made it to the center of the intersection, when the walls of the buildings behind them crumbled as something big and heavy crashed through them. Lucy and Aiden turned around to look, and found that a giant wrecking ball and blasted through the narrow lane and crushed the cars that they¡¯d jumped over just a few seconds ago.

    The ball rolled over to the intersection as the cars behind it burst into flames. Then, it unwrapped itself and spread its eight giant legs on the street to stand fully erect. It¡¯s fur-like skin had now transformed into what appeared to be metal scales.

    The crowd screamed as they spotted the spider monster and scattered in random directions as fast as they could, terrified.

    Lucy and Aiden ran north with as much speed as they could muster.

    The spider monster didn¡¯t care for the crowd. It was headed straight for them, as though holding a grudge!

    But it was much slower than before.

    Lucy spotted a pair of flashing lights headed directly at them from the north. Upon a closer look, she saw that they belonged to a huge fire truck that blasted its sirens as loud as it could. The truck had a massive V-shaped metal ram attached to its front that shoved the stalled cars out of its path.

    A giant of a man clung to the side of the fire truck with a huge rifle in his hands.

    ¡°Out of the way!¡± he screamed as the fire truck approached Lucy and Aiden at full speed. They jumped out of the way in opposite directions as the fire truck passed between them, closely followed by a black open jeep packed with military-aged men carrying rifles.

    Lucy and Aiden quickly scrambled to their feet to look. The fire truck and the jeep halted directly in front of the spider monster, and the men opened fire.

    The spider was clearly affected by the storm of bullets, even if they couldn¡¯t pierce its thick metal hide. It shut its eyelids to protect its eyes as the firepower pushed it back.

    A few seconds later, it opened its eyes to reveal an even thicker protective layer covering them, which was significantly less transparent than the previous one. Bullets aimed at its eyes now bounced off of the stronger protective layer, and the spider monster was finally able to see.

    The monster growled in anguish and wound its body back, preparing to body-slam the jeep. The driver was quick to put the car in reverse and dodged straight back. The spider got its head stuck in concrete again; but this time, it was able to free itself pretty quickly.

    It was learning.

    The jeep halted close to Lucy and Aiden. All the men got off the jeep to face the monster on foot, each carrying military-grade automatic weapons and ammo.

    The army is here! Lucy thought.

    She was briefly confused as to why they were in casual clothing and not in their uniforms. Perhaps they didn¡¯t have time to put them on?

    Whatever may be the case, if anyone could take this monster out, it¡¯d be these guys!

    ¡°Grenade launchers!¡± Aiden yelled at the soldier closest to them, who looked at Aiden all confused. ¡°He¡¯s weak to fire, especially when he opens his mouth. Use your grenade launchers!¡±

    The bearded soldier nodded and cocked his gun as he said, ¡°You got it kid. Now scram!¡±

    Lucy grabbed Aiden¡¯s arm and pulled him into a small alleyway, away from the chaos.

    ¡°What?!¡± Aiden yelped as she shoved him against the wall and closely observed his wounds.

    Then, Lucy looked around. The crowd that was heading toward the east exit earlier was now scattered in all directions, running away from the giant spider monster that had appeared out of nowhere.

    Everywhere she looked, it was chaos. The crowd was thick. People trampled over each other as they ran, caring only about their own safety.

    And Aiden was injured.

    She doubted whether he could have made it safely to the east exit on foot, even in his best form.

    Dammit. She must find another way.

    ¡°Can you run?¡± she asked Aiden.

    ¡°Yes.¡± He tried to sound firm. But Lucy was suspicious; he might just be acting tough.

    ¡°Be honest,¡± she told him and he remained silent for a moment. ¡°It kinda burns,¡± he finally said, pointing to his knee.

    She removed a handkerchief from her fanny pack and wiped all the blood oozing out of the wound. She then firmly tied the piece of cloth around the wound, while Aiden winced.

    ¡°Better?¡± she asked him. Aiden nodded.

    ¡°Come on then!¡± She tugged on his arm and dragged him out on the street again. Aiden yelped but immediately silenced himself.

    Lucy saw a thin crowd emerging from the Yellow Park subway exit.

    Perfect. Most people must have already fled the underground.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± She prompted Aiden to match her pace. He struggled a bit, but was ultimately successful.

    Lucy and Aiden ran against the crowd exiting the subway. After some struggle, they managed to reach the subway station below.

    Lucy leaned forward off the ramp and carefully observed whether there was any sign of a train coming toward the station from the left. There was none.

    She observed the digital board that displayed the train schedule and current locations of the subway trains. It showed most of the trains stalled at other stations. An ¡°OUT OF ORDER¡± message flashed in red.

    So the subway was now defunct. The staff, including the motormen, must have abandoned their posts long ago.

    Lucy jumped onto the train tracks, which prompted Aiden to squeal, ¡°What are you doing?!¡±

    ¡°Hop on and follow me,¡± she told him. Aiden followed.

    They walked to the right along the train tracks. There was a small crowd gathered here who had presumably taken shelter from the chaos above. All their terrified faces looked up, praying aloud for their own safety, hoping that whatever was causing all the mayhem above wouldn¡¯t find its way below.

    ¡°Why are we here?¡± Aiden whispered to Lucy.

    ¡°Just trust me and walk,¡± said Lucy.

    As they went deeper into the tunnel, the crowd progressively got thinner. A shady-looking man spotted them from a distance and called at Lucy, ¡°Wrong way, sugar. It¡¯s nothing but a dead end. Why don¡¯t you let me show you the way?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry I got this,¡± Lucy shouted back with confidence and tugged at Aiden to walk faster.

    They soon reached a maintenance blockade that covered the whole tunnel. It was a circular wooden block, with metal frames and pipes surrounding it.

    ¡°So it is a dead end,¡± said Aiden. ¡°That man wasn¡¯t lying.¡±

    Lucy walked up to the circular blockade and approached the corner on the right. She climbed a metal rod and pressed on a hatch out of Aiden¡¯s sight. A red ladder dropped to the ground, leading up into a narrow tube.

    ¡°Come on,¡± Lucy told Aiden, who gulped.

    They climbed up the ladder and emerged into the narrow wooden crawlspace on top. They slowly wriggled their way through it.

    They soon found space atop the wooden plank to stand back up and walk. On the left, they could see the part of the subway tunnel that was currently unfinished. There was a large hole in the center of the patch, with all kinds of construction equipment surrounding it. The whole patch must be about three to four hundred meters in length.

    Lucy and Aiden jogged through the length of the patch and eventually jumped off to the other side of the blockade.

    And they could finally breathe easy.

    There were no train tracks on this side of the blockade. But the tunnel still extended forward a fair distance into the darkness, with no visible end.

    Lucy gazed ahead into the dark tunnel dreamily for a moment.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Where the hell are we?¡± Aiden asked after he finished dusting his clothes.

    Lucy suddenly turned to him and hugged him tight. Aiden was taken aback. ¡°I thought I¡¯d lost you again,¡± she said in a shaky voice.

    Aiden gently placed a hand on her shoulders awkwardly. She could feel him relax and smile.

    Then, she broke apart in a snap. ¡°What were you thinking?¡± she said to Aiden. ¡°I told you to wait at the gaming arena!¡±

    ¡°I did!¡± said Aiden. ¡°No matter how crazy it got, I stood my ground at the exact spot that you left me! I didn¡¯t move, I swear!¡±

    ¡°How were you at the parking lot then?¡±

    ¡°Well, I eventually had to move. Everyone said it was an earthquake.¡±

    ¡°We need to get your phone fixed,¡± said Lucy. ¡°Stop slacking and get it done!¡±

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have helped,¡± said Aiden. ¡°There was no service anywhere anyway.¡±

    ¡°How do you know?! Your brick of a phone can¡¯t tell you that!¡±

    ¡°I heard others complain.¡± Aiden now looked guilty. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll get it fixed.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Lucy. ¡°Does it hurt now?¡± she said pointing to his knee.

    Aiden hesitated, but then said, ¡°Yes. But I can walk; run, even.¡±

    ¡°Okay then,¡± said Lucy. ¡°Let¡¯s move. You stick close to me.¡±

    They walked a fair distance in silence.

    After about five minutes of walking silently, Lucy said, ¡°Good work with the gas explosion. I didn¡¯t know you had it in you to pull something like that off.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± said Aiden awkwardly. ¡°What is this place anyway?¡± he asked curiously looking around.

    ¡°It¡¯s the subway,¡± said Lucy sarcastically and Aiden cringed. ¡°They haven¡¯t finished with this part yet. If we run straight, we should be able to get to the Eastern Lily station, and exit from there.¡±

    ¡°The one that¡¯s been under construction for the past two months?¡± said Aiden, recalling that he¡¯d seen the entrance to the new station on their way in.

    Lucy nodded. ¡°It¡¯s very close to the east exit. We should be able to cover a lot of ground before we run into a thick crowd again. By then, we¡¯re almost out.¡±

    ¡°Cool!¡± said Aiden, impressed. ¡°How do you know this again?¡±

    ¡°I came here last week with the¡­ uhm¡­¡± Lucy wasn¡¯t sure she should be admitting this.

    ¡°Your dorky occult group?¡± Aiden laughed as he figured it out.

    ¡°They¡¯re not dorks,¡± said Lucy. ¡°They¡¯re a spirit research group, and they¡¯re legit. We came here with an Ouija board and everything.¡±

    ¡°You did? Really?¡± Aiden laughed again. Their voices echoed as they spoke. ¡°Aren¡¯t you¡ªI don¡¯t know¡ªshit scared of ghosts and monsters¡­ and demons?¡±

    ¡°They say one must face their fears,¡± said Lucy, ¡°if one is to overcome them.¡±

    Aiden scoffed. ¡°It¡¯s gonna take several more demonic encounters before you even begin to overcome yours¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Lucy immediately turned serious with legitimate terror on her face. ¡°And don¡¯t say such things in spooky places!¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay!¡± said Aiden.

    They walked through the dark tunnel in silence again. The maintenance lights were still on and evenly spaced, but they were strangely ineffective at illuminating all of the tunnel.

    Lucy was confused. This wasn¡¯t the case the last time she was here.

    It suddenly dawned on her that the darkness here felt strangely thicker than before. Much more resilient against the light¡­

    Lucy shook her head. There¡¯s no such thing as the dark. Darkness is just the absence of light. Isn¡¯t it?

    Yes, Lucy reaffirmed to herself. Yes, it is.

    Suddenly, she flinched. The screams from above ground pierced into the tunnel and echoed through.

    Aiden looked up and said, ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine what¡¯s happening up there. I hope those military guys were able to take that spider out.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they did,¡± said Lucy, although she knew it was a bit of a lie.

    ¡°So many people¡­¡± Aiden breathed. ¡°Such chaos¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think about that,¡± Lucy told him. ¡°Don¡¯t think about any of that. The only thing we need to think about right now is our own safety. And getting the heck out of this city.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± said Aiden dreamily as he lowered his gaze. ¡°But still.¡±

    Lucy would be lying if she said wasn¡¯t worried about everyone above.

    I hope that little girl and her mother made it out.

    I wish there was something I could do to make sure they did.

    ¡°Wait.¡± Aiden suddenly stopped walking. ¡°Something¡¯s up.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± asked Lucy. ¡°Do you smell something?¡± She knew she could rely on his nose. He always had a strong sense of smell.

    ¡°We need to get out of the way, now!¡± Aiden said with urgency in his voice and terror on his face.

    Lucy looked around the tunnel and found a crack on the wall to the right, hidden behind a stacked pile of cement barrels. She quickly pulled Aiden toward it and they jumped over the pile and into the crevice. Lucy bent low to hide behind the cement barrels and pulled Aiden down to make him do the same.

    And then, they waited for a blood-curdling minute in complete silence. It was almost too quiet.

    But Lucy could tell, and she knew so could Aiden¡ª

    Something approached them.

    Something big.

    Lucy then caught the same smell that Aiden must have a couple minutes ago¡ªan overbearing stench of rotten fish and seaweed. She knew she was going to find out who or what it belonged to soon enough.

    A giant serpent slithered past them. Its shiny black skin was so close, they could have touched it if they wanted to.

    Lucy covered her mouth with both her hands to stop her from gasping. The slithering giant seemed to have halted for a brief second, but then carried on.

    The snake¡¯s black skin was more transparent than she previously thought. It was similar to the protective layer that covered the spider¡¯s eyes.

    Its insides were nothing but black smoke. Blue streaks of electricity jolted through its black skin and the smoky insides like lightning through clouds.

    This made the snake seem more like a gigantic electric eel. It oozed the same black, smoky substance around it as it moved; which was more liquid than gas, and probably the cause of the stench. It seemed like the snake was swimming through a black, airborne pool of its own making.

    So this is why the tunnel seemed darker than before!

    A demonic snake had taken residence within it.

    The snake¡¯s tail end soon passed them, but neither of them dared move a muscle. Lucy still had one hand clasped to her mouth, and the other held Aiden¡¯s hand tight.

    She wasn¡¯t going to lose him again. No matter what.

    They waited. And waited. The disgusting stench was gone now, and the lights suddenly seemed brighter.

    Lucy looked at Aiden. He responded with a small nod.

    Lucy slowly popped her head out to check. The snake was gone.

    They silently emerged out from behind the barrels and stood up straight, still not comfortable making a sound.

    Lucy pointed at Aiden¡¯s shoes and gestured that he remove them. She did the same with her sneakers.

    Then, they slowly began to make their way forward, hugging the tunnel wall to the right.

    They tried to be as silent as possible. They kept their pace at a minimum and only took careful steps on the dirt.

    ¡°Lucy¡­¡± Aiden whispered with grave concern. ¡°He¡¯s headed toward the people in the tunnel.¡±

    ¡°I doubt it,¡± said Lucy. ¡°I think he¡¯s going to turn around at the blockade. The people are on the other side of it.¡± Lucy realized she was making assumptions based on¡­ nothing.

    ¡°Look,¡± she told Aiden. ¡°Our only priority is to get out of here at the next station before he turns around and makes his way back¡ª¡±

    CLANG!

    The sound of a dozen metal pipes crashing onto the ground echoed through the tunnel. The source was the blockade.

    Aiden looked at Lucy in horror as they understood what was going on.

    The serpent was trying to break through the blockade!

    ¡°We have to lure him to us!¡± Aiden said. ¡°We¡¯re far enough to outrun him.¡±

    ¡°You should be the last person to suggest outrunning anything, let alone gigantic, scary as fuck demon snakes!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been doing pretty well so far!¡±

    ¡°Aiden,¡± said Lucy with a heavy voice. ¡°What happens to them¡­ is not on us.¡±

    But Aiden was unconvinced. ¡°Not if we can do something about it.¡±

    Lucy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her thoughts took her to the young girl and her mother from before.

    ¡°Assuming he¡¯s super fast,¡± said Lucy. ¡°We¡¯re still very close to the next station, Darby Terminal. There¡¯s no way we can make it all the way to the Eastern Lily subway exit now. Who knows what else we¡¯ll find in this haunted tunnel? So we gotta get out from there anyway.¡±

    Lucy paused before continuing. ¡°If we make enough noise and immediately bolt, we¡¯ll make it in time. Assuming we don¡¯t run into that thing¡¯s mate or something.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Aiden sounded unsure. ¡°We can¡¯t go back, can we?¡±

    Lucy buried her head in her palms, deep in thought. ¡°Okay, Aiden.¡± She finally raised her head and looked him straight in the eye. ¡°Get ready to run faster than you ever have in your entire life. Okay?¡±

    Aiden nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    They put their shoes back on and picked up a couple empty cement barrels lying beside them, one in each hand. They flung the empty barrels in the direction that the snake had disappeared to, making sure to hit concrete and metal surfaces for maximum effect.

    Then, it was time to make funny noises.

    ¡°Follow the music, you ugly reptilian rascal!¡± Aiden shouted.

    Lucy raised an eyebrow at him, amused at seeing his little brother curse in front of her for the first time. ¡°Jesus, Aiden, careful. You wouldn¡¯t wanna hurt his feelings,¡± she said sarcastically.

    They heard something big scuffling and shifting in the distance.

    The snake seemed to have taken notice.

    ¡°GO!¡± said Lucy.

    They dropped the fresh set of barrels they were holding and shot themselves toward Darby Terminal. Lucy knew she could go much faster, but there was no way in hell she was letting go of Aiden.

    Aiden managed to keep up, despite his wounded knee starting to bleed again.

    They could hear the scuffling sound grow louder. The disgusting stench from earlier started getting stronger.

    And the lights were dimming.

    ¡°Faster!¡± Lucy shouted. ¡°Come on Aiden!¡±

    Aiden was struggling. His limp was worse than ever before.

    But Lucy could now see the white light coming from Darby Terminal. They were almost there!

    She did not dare look back.

    Just a little more¡­ Come on, Aiden!

    The tunnel¡¯s ceiling suddenly cracked open, about a hundred meters farther ahead from Darby Terminal.

    A giant, metallic wrecking ball broke through and landed into the tunnel.

    It then unwrapped itself, and spread its eight long legs wide, a couple of which touched the tunnel¡¯s walls almost horizontally.

    The giant spider shook its head violently to shake off the bits of concrete stuck on its skin, like a dog shaking off water.

    Lucy and Aiden stopped dead in their tracks.

    How the hell was this thing here?

    Was he following us?

    Did it manage to defeat the military all on its own?

    The spider¡¯s body seemed to have taken some serious damage; massive bullet holes were spread all over its fat head-body. The thick layer protecting its eyes was now completely gone. And about half of its eyes from each set were damaged or destroyed.

    The spider slowly gathered itself and focused the remainder of its eyes upon Aiden and Lucy. It then revealed its fangs.

    Lucy¡¯s heart began to pound.

    They were sandwiched between the spider and the snake¡­ Darby Terminal barely out of reach.

    It was over.

    She had led them here. Here! Despite knowing that this place was trouble.

    It was her fault. This was all her fault!

    ¡°Lucy, come on!¡± It was Aiden¡¯s turn to pull Lucy forward.

    With a bleeding leg, he put as much strength as he had left in dragging Lucy out of here.

    Lucy shifted her gaze away from the spider monster¡¯s large and terrifying eyes and focused solely on Aiden.

    He hadn¡¯t given up.

    He would never give up.

    He¡¯d carry her out of here if it came to that.

    Lucy took a deep breath and gathered herself.

    It was not over yet.

    The slithering gurgle from behind was the loudest they¡¯d ever heard, followed by the sound of metal barrels being crushed under something heavy.

    The spider opened its fangs wide and contracted its legs, preparing for a quick skitter, to be followed by the body slam of its life.

    Lucy grabbed Aiden¡¯s arm and charged forward, heading straight at the spider.

    But she kept her gaze fixed on her brother and the white light from the Darby Terminal just ahead, to their right. Everything else was a blur.

    Everything else¡­ simply did not exist.

    At the edge of the white light from Darby Terminal, Lucy swung Aiden onto the subway platform, before barely managing to jump onto it just in time.

    Something fast and slimy brushed her leg as it sped past her with a giant mouth opened wide. It managed to knock her shoe off.

    The spider dove forward into a final body slam. But instead of hitting its intending targets, it rammed into the serpent coming at full speed from the other side.

    The serpent¡¯s open mouth collided with the spider¡¯s metal body; its fangs dug deep into the spider¡¯s eyes, spraying white gooey liquid everywhere onto the tunnel walls. The massive serpent dragged the spider¡¯s body through the length of the tunnel, until they were right under the hole through which the spider had dropped in.

    Lucy and Aiden did not wait around to check whether either of the two monsters were still alive. They spotted the stairs leading up to the surface dead ahead and climbed with a surprising burst of speed.

    They were finally above ground and emerged into the open. The dim red hue from the vertical red lightning in the distance felt as bright as the sun.

    Lucy dropped to her knees. ¡°Whoever said to face one¡¯s fears,¡± she said panting, ¡°was a complete fucking moron who never faced his own.¡±

    Aiden collapsed on the ground beside her, unable to move any more. Lucy checked his body for injuries. His knee looked so much worse now.

    Suddenly, they were both grabbed by the waist by a stranger and hoisted into the air. Thick, muscular arms carried each of them on either side.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be here!¡± said the military-aged male carrying both Lucy and Aiden.

    Lucy turned her head toward the subway exit to see what was going on.

    A large man¡ªthe same one who hung out the side of the firetruck earlier¡ªsprinted toward the hole dug by the spider with a heavy green bag, which he carried in both his massive arms. He flung the bag into the hole; a horrified expression etched his face when he peeked inside.

    He immediately spun around and ran back toward his men, shouting, ¡°Fire in the hole!¡±

    A massive explosion erupted both from the wide hole and the Darby Terminal¡¯s subway exit that Lucy and Aiden had just emerged from.

    If the soldier hadn¡¯t whisked them away in time, they may have been caught in the fallout.

    Wild flames crackled out the hole and the subway exit. The heat from it felt unnatural. A hint of the smell of rotten fish was contained within the rising smoke.

    This must be the snake¡¯s smoky black ooze burning up.

    Does this mean that they¡¯re both finally toast?

    The large man who¡¯d thrown the bag of grenades into the hole came running toward the soldier who had carried Lucy and Aiden away from danger.

    ¡°Sergeant!¡± said the soldier beside Lucy and Aiden. ¡°Did that do it?¡±

    The large man took a second to catch his breath after the sprint, wiping sweat off his dark brown skin. ¡°It should. Let¡¯s check after the flames die out just to be sure.¡±

    ¡°We need the superhero. He¡¯d roast ¡®em without breaking a sweat.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well,¡± said the sergeant. ¡°He hasn¡¯t emerged from the smoke cloud yet. We should be getting intel on him soon though. But for now, let¡¯s just breathe easy. Everywhere is clear now, except those lowly throwaways.¡±

    The large man pointed at a swarm of dwarf-sized creatures hiding behind the numerous concrete slabs littered along the sidewalk and the alleyways. They were being shot at by the same soldiers from earlier in casual clothing which kept them off the streets, clearing the way for the crowd to pass through.

    ¡°The boys are already celebrating,¡± said the soldier glaring at his cheering squad mates in the distance.

    Lucy recognized him as well. He was the same bearded soldier who had taken Aiden¡¯s advice to use grenade launchers.

    ¡°You both hurt?¡± said the sergeant looking at Lucy and Aiden.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± said Lucy, although her entire body now radiated with piercing pain. She definitely had a few cuts here and there that she wasn¡¯t yet aware of. ¡°He¡¯s not,¡± she said pointing at Aiden, who was completely out of breath.

    ¡°Get EMT on them,¡± the sergeant commanded the soldier. ¡°You two,¡± he said addressing Lucy and Aiden, ¡°get patched up and leave the city from the east exit, understand?¡±

    They both nodded.

    ¡°Take care you two,¡± said the bearded man. ¡°And thanks for the tip earlier, soldier.¡± He gave Aiden a soft salute.

    Aiden smiled.

    Lucy helped Aiden up on the stretcher as a medic tended to his wound. Aiden was still recovering his breath.

    The soldier jogged back to the rest of his team, who had formed a sort of perimeter on either side of the street. Lucy could finally take a good look at the creatures being gunned down.

    They looked like¡­ demons.

    Lucy gulped. So this is what had attacked the city. Giant monsters and demonic creatures from the nether realm!

    She heard another explosion, this time far in the distance, coming from the city center. Lucy saw the red lightning in the sky flicker a couple times, then die out.

    The demons screeched. It was their turn to be terrified now. They gave up on trying to attack the crowd and began to flee, but the ceaseless gunfire from the military guys mowed them down as they left cover.

    Lucy sighed. It looked like we were winning.

    ¡°What hit you here?¡± Lucy asked Aiden pointing at his forehead. ¡°Did a demon attack you before we met?¡±

    ¡°I tripped,¡± Aiden admitted with a hint of shame. ¡°On my tangled shoe laces.¡±

    Lucy chuckled and shook her head.

    ¡°I was scared,¡± said Aiden. ¡°I thought you won¡¯t come back for me. Because I¡¯d slow you down. You¡¯ve always made fun of how I couldn¡¯t run very fast.¡±

    Lucy held his arm tight and said, ¡°I¡¯ll always come back for you.¡±

    Aiden¡¯s eyes teared up. He tried to hide it from Lucy.

    ¡°Besides,¡± said Lucy. ¡°If I lose you, I got no one else to make fun of.¡±

    ¡°Fuck you.¡± Aiden tried to laugh, but stopped immediately because it was apparently too painful for him.

    ¡°Language!¡± Lucy chuckled.

    They may be a couple of miles from the east exit. Lucy would have preferred getting out at the Eastern Lily subway exit, but the spider had ruined that plan.

    It was fine though. They weren¡¯t too far off. And they had gotten out alive, mostly unharmed.

    Lucy looked at the east exit in the distance and could see that a sizeable crowd had gathered there. A small commotion had broken out, which could turn into something big.

    ¡°We should leave,¡± Lucy told Aiden. ¡°Can he walk?¡± she asked the medic.

    ¡°I¡¯ve given him a shot of painkillers,¡± said the medic. ¡°And stitched the wound. He can walk, but I recommend that he doesn¡¯t for a while. I¡¯m heading to the exit as well. Let me drop you two off.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± said Lucy and hopped into the van with Aiden.

    They were at the east exit in a little under five minutes.

    A thick crowd had gathered here. Lucy was confused. Wasn¡¯t this area secure already? What was causing the hold up?

    The jeep packed with the military men in casual clothing from earlier zoomed up to the crowd gathered at the east exit.

    The sergeant got off the jeep and walked through the large crowd with ease. His aura was enough to split the crowd apart and let him pass. It obviously helped that he was at least six foot five and towered above everyone else.

    Lucy could see what was actually going on.

    The military¡ªthe actual army in proper uniforms¡ªwere here, all with their large tanks and armored vehicles. And they had created a second perimeter.

    No, a blockade.

    There were riot shields on the front line, supported by armored water canon trucks.

    What the hell was going on? Why were they here in riot gear?

    And why weren¡¯t they inside the city already to help with the rescue efforts?

    The sergeant walked up to the riot shields and demanded to speak with someone in charge.

    ¡°This is unacceptable!¡± the sergeant bellowed after the soldier in riot gear denied his request and whispered something to him. ¡°It¡¯s pure madness!¡±

    ¡°Please sir,¡± said the soldier. ¡°We¡¯re just following orders.¡±

    ¡°You are supposed to help these folks get out!¡± the sergeant screamed. ¡°Not trap them in!¡±

    ¡°Stand down, sergeant!¡± boomed an authoritative voice from behind the riot shields. Someone that looked like an army general emerged through the ranks, clutching a small microphone that he hadn¡¯t yet used. The general spoke in little more than a whisper, but was clearly audible. ¡°Unless you want to be court-martialed for disobeying direct orders.¡±

    ¡°What orders?!¡± the sergeant scoffed. ¡°Your orders? Are you ordering us to leave the people to fend for themselves? Damn them to their grim fates?¡±

    The general stared at him, silent but menacing.

    ¡°Where were you?!¡± demanded the sergeant. ¡°What took you so long? We somehow managed to hold the line without you, and this is how you repay us?! Undoing everything we accomplished here? Sacrificing every life we saved? For what?!¡±

    The sergeant caught his breath. ¡°It was a damn fucking miracle that the supe showed up when he did, or the city would¡¯ve been lost!¡±

    The army general completely ignored the sergeant and put the microphone to his mouth. His voice boomed over the massive crowd. ¡°The federal government has declared a state of emergency in Sol City. For the safety of the nation and its people, we¡¯ve been ordered to seal off the whole city from the rest of the world until we can figure out what the hell is going on.

    ¡°Until then¡­¡± The army general looked around the crowd, as though delivering a warning. ¡°No one gets in. No one gets out!¡±

    The crowd was in uproar.

    ¡°Are you fucking insane?!¡±

    ¡°People are dying here!¡±

    ¡°Cowards!¡± screamed the sergeant. ¡°You are all nothing but cowards!¡±

    ¡°Clear out, sergeant. That¡¯s an order!¡± barked the army general on his megaphone; his booming voice overwhelmed the crowd¡¯s protests. Silence fell once again.

    The sergeant grabbed the metal chain around his neck and snapped it off. Lucy knew from Aiden¡¯s relentless ramblings about military video games that that thing was called a dog tag. It was supposed to contain a soldier¡¯s identity and service number.

    The sergeant threw the rectangular pendent on the ground and declared, ¡°I no longer take orders from you.¡±

    ¡°Come on, boys!¡± said the sergeant turning his back on the military. ¡°We¡¯ll clean this city on our own.¡±

    The sergeant¡¯s men also dropped their dog tags in the dirt and followed him without hesitation. They hopped onto their jeep and drove away.

    A worried murmur crept through the crowd as the gravity of the situation slowly settled in. Everyone here was now trapped inside Sol City.

    Along with the demons.

    And there was nothing anyone could do about it.

    The military, who was supposed to help them, had abandoned them.

    Had abandoned us.

    Lucy thought hard about what to do next. She could feel the panic rising among the crowd, which could lead to a violent uproar. They might soon try to barge through the military blockade by force.

    Which might prompt the army to open fire on the very citizens it had sworn to protect.

    She needs to get Aiden out of here.

    But go where, exactly?

    As the tension among the crowd rose exponentially and hit a tipping point, a golden light shot to the sky from behind them, exactly where the red lightning had been just a few minutes ago.

    The golden light quickly rose to a summit and scattered in multiple directions like fireworks.

    The panicked murmur silenced for a brief moment. Everyone, including the entire military, looked on to the golden light in the sky with a faint awe.

    Then came an overwhelming burst of energy that knocked most people off balance. It wasn¡¯t a shockwave, like one after a massive bomb exploded. It was more like a dense wave of electricity that could be seen and felt. It instantly permeated every inch of the city and beyond; its epicenter being the same as the origin of the golden light.

    The dense electromagnetic wave fried all the electrical lamps and phones and flashlights in its path. In a moment, everything went pitch dark.

    And then the crowd began to scream.

    Lucy grabbed Aiden¡¯s arm. ¡°We need to leave!¡±

    Lucy¡¯s eyes adjusted to the darkness quicker than they ever had before. There was a spark from the pocket where she¡¯d kept her phone. She pulled her phone out to check. It was fried.

    As chaos ensued once again, Aiden tripped on something in the dark and fell flat on his face. Lucy helped him up and found that he had tripped on a palm-sized rock; mostly circular, but rough around the edges.

    A deep blue glow emanated from somewhere deep inside it. Pulsating, like a beating heart.

 Chapter 8: The Magic Rocks from Space (Dove and Glitch - Part 3)

    Chapter 8

    The Magic Rocks from Space (Dove and Glitch - Part 3)

    Aiden didn¡¯t sleep well at all that night.

    The floor of the gaming arena was cracked in odd places, which poked him all over his aching body as he tumbled around, struggling to sleep. They could only get their hands on one blanket, which they had laid on the floor to serve as a makeshift mattress. It wasn¡¯t thick enough to shield them from the unusually cold night anyway.

    It must have been the coldest night Sol City¡¯s ever experienced.

    A light jerk prompted Aiden¡¯s eyes open and he arched forward, supporting himself on his elbows. He spotted Lucy sitting beside him on the blanket, already up and awake. Her arms crossed around her legs.

    Aiden noticed dark circles beneath her eyes while she stared at a distant wall absent-mindedly.

    ¡°Did you even sleep?¡± Aiden asked her.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t,¡± said Lucy. ¡°Did you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Aiden. ¡°My eyes were closed, but it felt like I was awake the entire time.¡±

    Aiden sat up with his back against the wall. The glowing rock from earlier fell out of his pocket.

    ¡°I told you to throw that away, didn¡¯t I?¡± said Lucy.

    ¡°It looks important,¡± said Aiden.

    ¡°It looks like trouble.¡± Lucy massaged her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know though¡­ it might be something valuable. I just¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Aiden asked her as he hid the rock back in his pocket. Lucy wasn¡¯t her usual, confident self.

    ¡°I just think we should be extra careful, you know? Be wary of strange things and strange people. Anything could be out to get us.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a little paranoid?¡±

    ¡°Look around you, Aiden. There are monstrous demons, everywhere! There might be one lurking in that dark corner over there!¡±

    ¡°If that were true, we¡¯d be dead already. Relax!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± She began panting. Her voice was shaking. ¡°I can¡¯t after... after everything that happened. My stupidity almost got us killed.¡±

    Aiden was confused. He didn¡¯t think she did anything stupid. ¡°You did what you could. I¡¯m honestly grateful that you were there¡ª¡±

    ¡°It was luck,¡± Lucy declared, staring into blank space. Her body shivered. ¡°It was nothing but pure luck. A second too late, and we would¡¯ve been some sewer monster¡¯s lunch.¡±

    Aiden didn¡¯t know what to say.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have led you down there,¡± Lucy breathed.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault! Who would¡¯ve known there¡¯d be a giant demon snake lurking around an unused subway tunnel?¡±

    ¡°I should have known,¡± said Lucy, still not looking at Aiden. ¡°I knew that place was haunted.¡±

    ¡°Lucy, that¡¯s not why it was there.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Now Lucy looked at him, with horror on her face. ¡°Because ghosts, spirits, and demons don¡¯t exist? Can you honestly say that with confidence after everything we went through?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Now Aiden was at a loss for words. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­ there must be a rational explanation¡­ for everything. There must be!¡±

    Lucy scoffed. ¡°There is a rational explanation: The gates of the nether realm have finally opened, spewing all this ugliness out. And it¡¯s coming to get us.¡± She clutched her dove-shaped pendent tighter. ¡°If only grandma were here¡­ she¡¯d know what to do.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you are here!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know jack shit,¡± said Lucy. ¡°I led us into an ambush. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing. And I need to¡­¡± The following part was painful for her to get out ¡°¡­stop pretending like I do.¡±

    Aiden had never seen her like this. Her character traits were confidence and assertiveness. She¡¯d always been the main character. And she avoided self-doubt like the plague.

    Aiden fell silent. He looked around the room as he thought about what would be the right thing to say now, which was never his strong suit.

    So many people had taken refuge within the arena building after the chaos at the east exit. Aiden thought the building should be virtually un-harmed since it was reasonably far from the city center. Fortunately, it was. Plus, they always had plenty of snacks and sodas stocked in cabinets and vending machines. They even had blankets and sleeping pods for those gamers who basically never leave.

    The group at the wall opposite to them were in a heated discussion of their own.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand!¡± said the bearded man in a battered white t-shirt. ¡°This confirms so many conspiracies! The government¡¯s been hiding this for years!¡±

    ¡°I think pointing to conspiracy theories every time something happens is kind of cringe,¡± said the woman beside him, touching her round glasses.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t they letting us leave, then?¡± the man shot back. ¡°We clearly know too much now.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because they want to figure out what¡¯s going on first,¡± said another woman. ¡°What if we¡¯re infected with some strange virus or something? They wouldn¡¯t want that to spread.¡±

    ¡°Of course not,¡± said the man. ¡°So listen to me when I say this: The most important thing we should focused on right now is figuring out how to leave. Because the easiest way to take care of an infection like this is to just¡­ I don¡¯t know. Nuke the city.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re crazy man,¡± said the first woman.

    ¡°This whole thing is crazy!¡± said the man.

    ¡°Just lay low,¡± said the second woman. ¡°Once they figure out what¡¯s up, they¡¯ll come get us in no time.¡±

    ¡°You keep believing that,¡± said the man.

    An older woman sat behind them in the dark, partially out of vision. Aiden only noticed the old crone when she cackled with a witch-like laugh. ¡°All you idiots have no idea what¡¯s going on. And you still want to babble like you do! Go on, babble away. Babble away as hell consumes us. We¡¯re all sinners; that¡¯s who we are. And we¡¯re finally getting our due.¡±

    The group fell silent; their faces awestruck as they looked to be seriously considering the possibility.

    ¡°Come on.¡± Lucy tugged at Aiden. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here. Find something to eat.¡±

    The snacks and soda reserves were already emptied. Which meant they must go out to look for food, assuming there was any left.

    ¡°Usually disaster management and rescue teams provide food and shelter in situations like these,¡± said Lucy. ¡°But no one goes in, no one goes out.¡± She mocked the army general from before. ¡°Gosh I wanted to punch his smug face so bad.¡±

    ¡°I thought that big sergeant just might,¡± said Aiden.

    They were soon out on the streets. It must be around noon but there was no sun. The grey clouds from yesterday that had appeared out of nowhere, still hovered above Sol City. Although it was nowhere near as dark as it had been yesterday.

    They soon found out that they couldn¡¯t walk very fast; yesterday¡¯s events had taken a huge toll on their bodies.

    ¡°This is the most hungry I¡¯ve ever felt,¡± said Aiden. ¡°In ever.¡±

    ¡°Hungriest,¡± Lucy corrected him.

    ¡°Shut up,¡± said Aiden.

    The city looked so different now. There were several tents along the sidewalk indicating that many people couldn¡¯t find shelter and had simply chosen to sleep on the streets. Aiden heard passersby say that the big corporations had teamed up and barricaded the financial sector with their own private security, to keep the ¡°common people¡± out.

    There were fires spread randomly everywhere Aiden looked. Some surely started by the people living on the streets to keep themselves warm at night. Others were from yesterday¡¯s attack that still hadn¡¯t gone out.

    ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa, you can¡¯t pass through here,¡± said a mean-looking muscular man to a frail couple. He stood at the corner of the street that led to the supermarket like a bouncer at a club. ¡°You gotta pay the toll.¡±

    ¡°What toll?¡± said the man, appalled. ¡°You don¡¯t have the authority¡ª¡±

    ¡°Pay the toll or shut up,¡± said the large bouncer firmly.

    ¡°Please,¡± the man begged. ¡°My wife hasn¡¯t eaten in a while, and¡­ well. We¡¯ll have to go all the way around through Darby Terminal. And you know what¡¯s out there. No one goes through there. The demons¡­ they¡¯re in the sewers!¡±

    ¡°Not my problem,¡± said the bouncer. ¡°Pay the toll, or bounce.¡±

    So there were gangs ruling the streets now?

    Aiden looked around to see men like the bouncer on every corner and block, threatening and exploiting helpless people around them, robbing them off their valuables in the name of charging tolls, or rent for the makeshift tents.

    Aiden clenched his jaw. These guys were nothing but scum.

    He spotted several children crying on the streets, either lost, abandoned, or orphaned. The adults hesitated to console them, presumably because they feared they might attract unnecessary burden, in a situation where they themselves were hungry and lost.

    In a mere twenty-four hours, the sprawling utopia that was Sol City had laid bare its dark underbelly.

    Aiden smiled a little seeing that some thirty or so of the crying children had all gravitated toward each other and formed a group. If the adults were going to ignore them, they were going to take care of each other themselves.

    He wished he could do something for them. But he wasn¡¯t sure what. He must take care of his gurgling stomach first.

    Once he finds some food, he¡¯d come back and share it with them too.

    ¡°Excuse me, mister.¡± Aiden tapped on the shoulder of a man wearing an expensive-looking jacket. His back was toward the road as he scuffled inside a dumpster looking for something.

    Lucy was a few paces ahead. She hadn¡¯t yet noticed that Aiden had stopped to talk to a stranger.

    The man got spooked and sprang out of the dumpster. His frizzy grey hair was as dirty as it could get, and his dead grey eyes looked empty.

    Aiden somewhat regretted tapping on the old bum¡¯s back. Lucy had told him to be careful, but this guy seemed relatively harmless.

    Maybe an entire day of surviving literal demons had skewed his perceptions of harm and danger.

    But now that he had his attention¡ª

    ¡°Do you know where can we find some food?¡± Aiden asked him.

    ¡°Food? I can get you some food.¡± He sniffed the air hard, as though checking if Aiden were any trouble, but from a distance.

    ¡°The callous gods be blessed!¡± He shrieked with his hands in the air. ¡°Food is everywhere. Food is free!¡±

    Okay. Maybe a bum scraping the bottom of a dumpster wasn¡¯t the best person to ask about where to find food.

    ¡°Aiden!¡± Lucy cried, angrily doubling back to him after she noticed. ¡°I told you to be extra careful!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was just¡ª¡±

    ¡°Come on!¡± She pulled him away.

    ¡°Wait. WAIT!¡± The old bum shrieked and ran ahead of them. ¡°I know where to find food. The callous gods are kind today. Look!¡±

    He pointed at a large queue down the street, leading to a spot hidden by a tall building.

    ¡°Yeah, we were just heading there,¡± said Lucy dismissively and tried to walk around him.

    ¡°No, no, wait!¡± The bum blocked their way once again. ¡°The callous gods demand victory in combat, before they share their blessings. But Cecil knows. Cecil knows a different way. Offer them something shiny. Something valuable. Like that rock in your pocket.¡±

    Aiden immediately put his hands inside his pocket and gripped the rock. Lucy stepped in front of him.

    ¡°No, no, no, no,¡± said the bum. ¡°Cecil won¡¯t steal. Cecil never steal. But Cecil knows what it is. He gave one to the master just yesterday. And the master showered him with so much blessings! Master told Cecil that he should find more of those rocks and deliver them to master. Master knows Cecil is a good rat!¡±

    Lucy and Aiden shared a confused look.

    ¡°Go give it to master!¡± spat Cecil. ¡°He will reward you with food. Go. Go!¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± said Lucy. ¡°We¡¯ll give it to master. We promise.¡±

    ¡°Good, good!¡± The bum shrieked with joy. ¡°Master happy, Cecil happy. Now go.¡±

    Lucy and Aiden took their cue and jogged away.

    ¡°What a weirdo,¡± said Aiden.

    ¡°I told you to be extra careful. Extra, you understand?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t go talking to just about anybody!¡±

    ¡°I said I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    They walked a little farther and reached the queue that the weird guy had pointed at.

    ¡°I¡¯d spotted this myself,¡± said Lucy. ¡°I was going to get us here anyway. There was no need to talk to that weirdo.¡±

    ¡°Again, I¡¯m s¡ª¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright!¡±

    They found that the queue went through a gap underneath the tall building, and led inside what looked like an abandoned parking lot. They walked to the front of the queue and found a makeshift signboard with the following words in bright red ink: FIGHT FOR FOOD!

    ¡°Fight for food?¡± Aiden knew what this was. ¡°Can this be?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Lucy looked puzzled.

    Aiden climbed a pile of boxes to look over the crowd. ¡°That¡¯s him!¡± he said.

    ¡°What are you talking about, Aiden?¡±

    ¡°Fight For Food is a series by a loser YouTuber called CalebGOD69420,¡± said Aiden. ¡°He¡¯s as dumb as they come. What is he doing here?¡±

    Lucy climbed up next to Aiden. ¡°Running his own street show, apparently.¡±

    There was a boxing ring in the center of the parking lot. A small crowd had gathered around it. The queue seemed to be for registrations.

    ¡°Beat this weak-ass pony,¡± came an announcement through a speaker next to them. They spotted a man dressed in a torn suit holding a microphone pointing to what looked like a robot pony. ¡°And earn your bread! Beat the champion himself!¡± He pointed to a man seated next to the boxing ring on a chair¡ªno¡ªa throne, wearing a shiny silver cloak and bright red shorts. ¡°And you¡¯ll never go hungry again!¡±

    ¡°CalebGOD!¡± said Aiden, recognizing the man in the silver cloak and red shorts. ¡°I remember now. He had a boxing event planned for this year¡¯s Founding Day! All this must have been set up here at least a week ago.¡±

    ¡°What the hell?¡± breathed Lucy.

    ¡°I told you he was a loser,¡± said Aiden. ¡°He¡¯s done this in hunger and poverty-ridden places all over the world.¡±

    ¡°Even when hell¡¯s broken loose, he hasn¡¯t stopped chasing clout, huh?¡± said Lucy. ¡°Impressive.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Obnoxious,¡± said Aiden. ¡°Come on. Claiming food from his stupid little pony is easy. I¡¯ve seen middle schoolers beat the crap out of it so many times.¡±

    ¡°Relax,¡± said Lucy. ¡°You¡¯re in no state to fight in a YouTuber¡¯s fake boxing ring. Maybe we can trade.¡±

    ¡°The glowing rock? Hell no!¡±

    ¡°Aiden, be practical!¡± Lucy had the same horrified look on her face once again. ¡°It¡¯s probably some cursed demonic rock that we need to get rid of as soon as possible anyway. We might as well score a massive food crate out of it.¡±

    Aiden was about to argue, but closed his mouth as soon as he¡¯d opened it. His thoughts carried him to the hungry children from before.

    ¡°Okay,¡± said Aiden. ¡°Let¡¯s trade.¡±

    Aiden and Lucy made their way through the thin crowd and approached the YouTuber seated on his ¡°throne.¡± But they were suddenly stopped by someone who looked like his private security; more like a henchman.

    The man was big and wore a black t-shirt, with an attitude not very different from the bouncer from before. However, this guy was a lot less muscle and a lot more fat.

    ¡°That¡¯s far enough,¡± he said, blocking their way with his massive arm.

    ¡°We¡¯re just here to talk,¡± said Aiden. ¡°Don¡¯t act like he¡¯s some celebrity!¡±

    ¡°Aiden, shush,¡± said Lucy. ¡°We¡¯re here to propose a trade. Trust me, he¡¯s going to be interested.¡±

    The man smirked at Lucy. Aiden didn¡¯t like how he eyed her. ¡°Wait here,¡± he said and walked back to his boss. He gestured at his mate leaning against a wall to keep a watch on Lucy and Aiden.

    Aiden hadn¡¯t even noticed this guy until now. He had blended so well with his surroundings, he was undetectable. But that was sort of hard to believe once Aiden did notice him, because he was nothing if not a standout.

    He wore a deep purple vest and jacket with a white shirt and black tie. He had a bowler hat on of the same color as his jacket, and a golden tooth. He repeatedly flipped a gold coin with one hand, presumably because he was so bored.

    How had a man dressed so loud managed to remain so inconspicuous?

    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me we were headed to a gangster¡¯s lair,¡± Lucy whispered to Aiden.

    ¡°He¡¯s not a gangster!¡± said Aiden. ¡°He may like to pretend that he is, but he¡¯s just a poser. He has been called out by so many people online for his fake persona. He¡¯s nothing but a joke!¡±

    ¡°If you say so,¡± said Lucy, unconvinced.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just do the trade and get out of here,¡± said Aiden.

    A few moments later, the big henchman-guard was back. ¡°Come along,¡± he said in his deep voice which he might just be faking.

    These guys were so pretentious.

    They were soon escorted to the King¡¯s little throne area which was close enough to the boxing ring, and raised enough on a small podium to provide him a good view of the fights.

    And make him feel like he¡¯s above everyone else.

    ¡°These two,¡± said the henchman-guard pointing at Lucy and Aiden as they approached the ¡®throne.¡¯

    ¡°Speak and ye shall receive,¡± said CalebGOD69420 in a grandiose voice.

    Aiden tried his hardest not to cringe. The only thing missing from his Boxing King attire was a large golden crown to sit upon his pearl blond head. Which, Aiden was sure, was missing only due to logistical challenges. No way he wouldn¡¯t wear one if his production team was able to source one.

    Lucy opened her mouth to respond but was immediately interrupted by the Boxing King. Apparently, he wasn¡¯t done speaking yet. ¡°I also understand that you¡¯ve refused to fight for food! Why is more food a bad thing?¡±

    Aiden could feel Lucy¡¯s eye twitch a little, which she made an effort not to show. ¡°We¡¯re just here for the food. We¡¯re too weak and tired to fight anyone.¡±

    ¡°You deem yourself unworthy of combat?¡± Caleb got off his throne and began strolling on the podium upon which his throne rested, still in character. ¡°No living creature is unworthy of combat!¡±

    Aiden wanted to smack his head. What a clown show.

    ¡°Look dude¡­¡± Lucy began, but immediately changed her tone when she saw Caleb¡¯s expression change. She didn¡¯t want any trouble. ¡°Your highness,¡± she continued, matching the Boxing King¡¯s tone but with a hint of scorn that possibly only Aiden could detect, ¡°All we want is to give you what you¡¯ve been seeking all along and receive but a humble reward in return!¡±

    ¡°Are you mocking me?¡± said Caleb in his normal voice, breaking character and squatting down to glare at them. ¡°I can have you beheaded!¡±

    ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa there,¡± said Lucy. ¡°I was trying to match your vibe. Isn¡¯t that what you wanted? For your show?¡± Lucy pointed at the cameras.

    Caleb eyed her suspiciously for a moment, then stood up, once again back in character. ¡°What can you possibly offer that¡¯s more valuable to me than the thrill of comba¡ª?¡±

    He suddenly stopped speaking, as if he¡¯d interrupted himself. His eyes locked upon Aiden. More specifically, his right pocket.

    The Boxing King was completely out of character now. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me it was about this?!¡± he barked at the big henchman who had escorted Lucy and Aiden in.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know,¡± replied the henchman, his voice much squeakier than before.

    ¡°Turn the cameras off!¡± Caleb commanded his crew. ¡°And you two,¡± he said pointing at Lucy and Aiden, ¡°Answer my questions truthfully, you understand?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± said Lucy.

    Caleb took a deep breath, but that only made him madder. ¡°Where did you find that?¡±

    Lucy opened her mouth to respond but was hushed quiet a second time with a commanding hand gesture. ¡°Not you,¡± said the Boxing King. ¡°You!¡± he said pointing at Aiden. ¡°Where¡¯d you find it?!¡±

    ¡°On the ground,¡± Aiden answered with a hint of sarcasm. Caleb¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°Near the east exit,¡± Aiden added.

    ¡°And how many did you find?¡± Caleb asked inquisitively. He looked at his henchmen on either side with intent, as though commanding them to move in with just his eyes.

    Aiden gulped. He timidly said, ¡°Just the o¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªone that we found yesterday,¡± Lucy interrupted Aiden. ¡°And the others we found this morning. Basically, we¡¯ve got plenty more where that came from.¡±

    Caleb fell back into his throne and raised an eyebrow. ¡°So what do you want?¡±

    ¡°Just food,¡± said Lucy. ¡°And some meds if you got any. My brother is recovering from a knee injury. We don¡¯t want any trouble.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± he said. ¡°Bring me the rest, and I promise you a lifetime supply of as much food and medicine as you can possibly want!¡±

    Lucy raised an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you one every week, for a week¡¯s supply.¡±

    ¡°Are you casting doubt upon a King¡¯s promise?¡± Caleb rose up from his throne again, deeply offended.

    ¡°I merely propose a bargain,¡± said Lucy. ¡°Your highness.¡±

    ¡°Two a week,¡± declared the Boxing King. ¡°Starting today.¡±

    ¡°Deal,¡± said Lucy. ¡°Let us take your leave, for now. And we shall return with what you desire.¡±

    CalebGOD69420 nodded and dismissed them with a gesture and a loud grunt.

    They turned around and started walking briskly. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Aiden whispered to Lucy, out of earshot of the others. ¡°We don¡¯t have any more of these!¡±

    ¡°Just walk away,¡± said Lucy.

    They passed a small speaker perched atop a stand on the side, through which they heard CalebGOD¡¯s whispered voice: ¡°Follow them to their stash and take them out. And don¡¯t create a scene.¡±

    The moron had forgotten to turn his mic off before issuing the command.

    The crowd was far enough away from the speakers that the murmured voice didn¡¯t reach them. They were too occupied to care anyway.

    But Lucy and Aiden, being so close to the speaker, heard it loud and clear.

    Lucy looked at Aiden and said, ¡°Time to run!¡±

    ***

    ¡°I told you this rock was trouble!¡± Lucy said panting as they sprinted out and away from the parking lot.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Aiden cried. ¡°I¡¯ll throw it away right now¡ª¡±

    ¡°No!¡± said Lucy. ¡°At least we now know it¡¯s valuable. So valuable that those guys are willing to kill for it.¡±

    ¡°Do you think we should go back and just give it to them?¡±

    ¡°No point,¡± said Lucy. ¡°They clearly want to keep it a secret, so they¡¯ll kill us anyway.¡±

    ¡°Why did you tell them we have more?!¡±

    ¡°I had to! Otherwise they¡¯d take the one we have on us right then and there, and kill us anyway!¡±

    ¡°Arrggh!¡± Aiden blasted out in frustration. ¡°Why is everything out to kill us? It¡¯s like being isekai¡¯d into some horror world without any powers! Can¡¯t I just hit myself on the head somewhere and wake up back to my own reality?¡±

    ¡°Not a chance,¡± said Lucy. ¡°This is real life, Aiden.¡±

    They ran as fast as their body would allow it in this weak state. Lucy guided Aiden through sharp turns and shortcuts. She planned to lose them not through speed, but by breaking their line of sight.

    After hopping over some garden rails and bolting through strange alleys, Aiden finally recognized where they were headed.

    ¡°Stop!¡± he yelled.

    Lucy pulled him behind a dumpster. ¡°What? Does your knee hurt?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Aiden, struggling to breathe. ¡°My knees fine. It¡¯s just that¡­ phew¡­ we¡¯re going the wrong way.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re headed toward Darby Terminal, aren¡¯t we? Didn¡¯t you hear that couple from before?¡±

    ¡°What couple?¡±

    ¡°Those guys¡­ stopped by that bouncer dude¡­ They said there are demons in the sewer close to Darby Terminal!¡±

    ¡°Impossible!¡± Lucy gasped. ¡°Both the spider and the snake were toasted. There¡¯s no way they survived that!¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± said Aiden, still trying to catch his breath. ¡°But there may be others.¡±

    The realization slowly dawned upon Lucy. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me this before?!¡±

    ¡°I thought you knew! I thought you heard that couple. My bad I guess.¡±

    ¡°What did they say, exactly? What sewer? What street?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Aiden. ¡°Just sewer¡­ around Darby Terminal.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re far from Darby Terminal still,¡± said Lucy. ¡°But we¡¯re on one of the streets leading to it. It¡¯s all connected in the underground anyway.¡±

    Aiden looked around. This street was much emptier than any other. Almost deserted.

    There was no one here.

    So everyone else already knew. They¡¯d been avoiding this whole area like the plague.

    Lucy seemed to have noticed the same thing. ¡°Listen, we can¡¯t go back. I don¡¯t know whether they¡¯re far enough away. I also don¡¯t know how many of his goons are looking for us.¡± She looked around. ¡°We go straight through that long alley, and turn north. I think that should be enough to lose them.¡±

    ¡°What if they never stop hunting us?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t think about that right now, Aiden. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    They crossed the street and headed into the dark alleyway. The dark grey clouds above had only grown thicker.

    They stopped as soon as they entered the alley.

    ¡°What the hell is he doing here?¡± blurted Lucy, perplexed. Aiden was equally confused.

    Cecil¡ªthe bum from earlier, who had given them the idea to trade the rock for food¡ªwas on his knees in the middle of the length of the alleyway, facing a large green dumpster. He seemed to be chanting something.

    Upon a closer look, Lucy and Aiden saw exactly what he was chanting at.

    A glowing blue rock was nested on top of the dumpster, wrapped nicely in a red velvet shawl.

    ¡°I ready you for the master!¡± said Cecil. ¡°I ready you for the master! Hear me! I READY YOU FOR THE MASTER!

    Lucy and Aiden remained glued in place. Aiden was sure that Lucy had the same doubts that he was having:

    Will he try to grab them if they try to run past him?

    If he was indeed that loyal to his master, can they just overpower him and shove him aside?

    If not, can they sneak past him?

    ¡°Let¡¯s pass him quietly,¡± said Lucy. Aiden nodded.

    The moment they took their first few steps toward him, a large figure appeared at the other end of the alleyway.

    ¡°Cecil!¡± The large man tried to sound deeper, but his voice was nothing but a squeak when shouting. ¡°Get out of the way!¡± he said as he stood his ground on the main street, right outside the other end of the alley, aiming a black handgun.

    The old bum shot both his hands up in the air. ¡°Don¡¯t shoot Cecil! Don¡¯t shoot Cecil! Cecil did nothing wrong!¡±

    ¡°Get out of the way!¡± The large man repeated himself.

    The bum named Cecil ran past him with both his hands still up in the air. ¡°Take the rock to the master!¡± he told the man as he flew past him.

    It was one of the Boxing King¡¯s goons. The same one who had escorted Lucy and Aiden.

    ¡°Just walk out of the alley toward me,¡± he said pointing the gun at them both. ¡°Slowly!¡±

    Lucy and Aiden complied.

    Aiden gulped.

    This was it.

    They were caught.

    The rock at the top of the dumpster suddenly began to glow brighter, and the skies turned even darker. The part of Aiden¡¯s thigh that touched against the rock in his pocket burned hot.

    Was it some reaction caused by the two rocks coming together?

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± said the man holding the gun in a terrified voice. ¡°Stop that!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything!¡± Aiden cried. ¡°We¡¯ll stop walking if you tell us to!¡±

    The man looked confused. His eyes bounced between the rock atop the dumpster and the one in Aiden¡¯s pocket like following a sped-up tennis match. ¡°Well,¡± he said in a quivering voice, ¡°then STO¡ª¡±

    He couldn¡¯t finish.

    A large, crocodile-like demon burst out from the maintenance hole right behind the armed man. It opened its jaw wide and nabbed the man across his wide, round belly. Its jaw landed flat on the ground at the end of its leap, with the man¡¯s fat body clasped firmly inside his bite. The demon then dragged the man back down the hole; the brute force with which he was pulled through the small opening snapped his spine in two.

    ¡°Shit!¡± Lucy gasped. ¡°Holy shit! What the hell was that?!¡±

    Aiden knew Lucy may freeze in fear again. He had to be the level-headed one this time around.

    He took one quick look at the rock atop the dumpster, which was now an arm¡¯s length away from Lucy, and it had stopped glowing.

    ¡°Lucy!¡± said Aiden. ¡°Grab that rock and run!¡±

    Lucy didn¡¯t respond. Her eyes were stuck at the open maintenance hole.

    Aiden grabbed her with both hands and tried to shake her awake. ¡°Lucy, he¡¯s gone. The monster¡¯s gone. Now come on!¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± said Lucy, slowly coming back to her senses. She grabbed the rock on the dumpster and they ran right back the way they came.

    ¡°We¡¯re never stepping foot on that street again,¡± said Lucy. ¡°Or anywhere near Darby Terminal!¡±

    ¡°Where should we go now?¡± Aiden asked.

    ¡°Away from here!¡± said Lucy.

    Aiden could tell that they were still headed north, but from an area that was close to the Boxing King¡¯s ring, which means it was definitely being swept by his goons.

    But he knew Lucy wasn¡¯t worried about that anymore. They sprinted north will all their strength, and were soon safely past and away from the boxing ring.

    They must have run without halting for a good twenty minutes now. Or was it thirty? Which means they must have fled from the parking lot over forty minutes ago, at least. Aiden could feel his legs giving up.

    ¡°Through here,¡± said Lucy, grabbing Aiden¡¯s arm and turning left into another alleyway. This one was much shorter than the one before, and certainly looked far safer. However, it led straight into a thick red wall.

    A dead end.

    ¡°Wait behind that pole,¡± said Lucy. ¡°I¡¯m going to peek out and check whether we were followed. Put that trashcan next to the wall and stand on top of it, ready to climb over the wall in case I come back running. Understand?¡±

    Aiden nodded.

    He was about to grab the trashcan, when suddenly¡ª

    A bullet struck it with a loud clank. Missing Aiden by an inch.

    The hair on the back of his neck stood up. Almost immediately, he was shoved back behind the pole by Lucy. She took cover behind a dumpster across him.

    Someone aimed down the short alleyway with a gun.

    How? How were they always finding us?

    ¡°Well, um,¡± said the man. His slender silhouette plastered on the ground before him showed Aiden that he held his gun in one hand and removed a large coin from his pocket with the other. He then began tossing it.

    Aiden immediately recognized him. It was that man in the purple jacket from before; one of the goons at the boxing ring parking lot.

    ¡°That was supposed to be a warning shot,¡± the man called out. ¡°Sorry if it hit you.¡±

    Aiden quickly checked Lucy. There was no sign of her being hit. He then checked himself, and he seemed fine too.

    But he was absolutely terrified.

    Lucy noticed the look on his face and took a deep breath. ¡°Okay,¡± she called out to the assailant. ¡°We got the rock. You can have it. Just let us live.¡±

    ¡°Come out with your hands over your head first,¡± said the gunman. ¡°Slowly.¡±

    Lucy shut her eyes and shook her head. ¡°You stay right there!¡± she shouted, both at the gunman and at Aiden. She sounded shaken; tears rolled down her cheeks.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare move,¡± said the gunman smugly.

    Lucy slowly emerged from behind the dumpster with her hands raised. She didn¡¯t take a single step toward the gunman and stood directly in front of Aiden.

    She didn¡¯t dare take her gaze off the gunman.

    ¡°Toss the rock to me now,¡± said the man, his gun pointed straight at Lucy¡¯s chest.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to reach into my pocket now,¡± said Lucy, her voice trembling uncontrollably. ¡°And take the rock out, okay?¡± More tears tumbled down her cheeks.

    ¡°Any funny move and I shoot you,¡± said the gunman in a calm, matter-of-fact tone. ¡°I can take the rock off your dead body. But I¡¯m being generous, you see? You¡¯re too beautiful to waste.¡±

    Lucy gulped. ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll let us go.¡±

    The gunman scoffed. ¡°As if you¡¯re in any position to make demands, darling! But sure, I promise you. Now hand it over.¡±

    Lucy slowly reached inside her pocket. But she suddenly froze. Her face lost all color.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked the gunman.

    ¡°It¡¯s with my brother,¡± said Lucy. ¡°I¡¯m gonna grab it from him, okay? And then I¡¯ll toss it to you.¡±

    ¡°Are you playing games?¡± The gunman sounded suspicious, but his voice was still entirely calm. ¡°I¡¯d advise against it.¡±

    ¡°No games,¡± said Lucy. ¡°Just let me take it from him.¡±

    ¡°Quickly,¡± said the gunman. He now held his long-barrel with both hands, as Aiden could tell from his silhouette.

    ¡°Aiden,¡± said Lucy, slowly turning her head to face him. She looked absolutely terrified. ¡°Toss the rock to me, will you?¡±

    Aiden nodded and reached into his pocket.

    He was shocked. All blood drained from his head in an instant. His hands poked out of a hole burnt in his right pocket. The part of his thigh that the rock poked against had a circular burn, freshly branded.

    Aiden¡¯s heart pounded through his t-shirt. Somehow, the rock had burned a hole in his pocket and fallen through. This must have happened back at that alleyway where the crocodile-demon had nabbed that fat guy, and the other rock and glowed bright.

    Aiden looked at Lucy in horror, and shook his head.

    ¡°Okay,¡± said Lucy turning her head slowly back at the gunman. ¡°Look, we may have dropped it while running¡ª¡±

    ¡°I told you.¡± The gunman cut her off. ¡°No games.¡±

    He steadied his aim and cocked his gun.

    ¡°Lucy, no!¡± Aiden shrieked and sprang forward, pushing Lucy out of the line of fire and back into cover behind the dumpster.

    Aiden¡¯s screech echoed off the walls of the narrow alley, which had momentarily distracted the gunman.

    ¡°Holy shit I thought you were coming at me from behind!¡± he said chuckling. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m glad that it¡¯s you and not her.¡±

    He quickly aimed the long barrel of his silver revolver at Aiden and¡ª

    BANG!

    The force made Aiden bend down and clutch his belly. He felt no pain. Not yet. Mostly because of the adrenaline, he figured.

    His vision began to blur.

    At least it would be quick, he thought. And painless.

    And he¡¯d saved Lucy.

    Oh please, he prayed. Please save Lucy.

    Aiden weakly raised his palms to his eyes. There was no blood. Which confused him. Had the bullet sprayed it all behind him?

    He raised his head to look at the gunman, who was equally confused.

    Aiden still felt no pain. He was able to lift his head back up, but not without enormous struggle.

    The gunman touched the barrel of his gun and pulled his finger away in reflex. He then aimed it at Aiden once again and fired a second shot.

    It should have hit his head.

    Aiden had read about it in books, seen it multiple times in movies and anime and manga. A shot to the head is the quickest end. Everything instantly goes black.

    Why, then?

    Why was he still conscious?

    Were they wrong? Does it not instantly go black?

    Does it take a while?

    He lifted his head further up. His vision was slowly returning. He saw his assailant¡¯s hands tremble uncontrollably.

    It was the gunman¡¯s face that now looked terrified.

    ¡°Demon¡­¡± he murmured and shot at Aiden four more times in quick succession.

    Aiden felt none of it.

    The gunman was finally convinced. ¡°Demon!¡± he screamed, absolutely horrified, his gaze fixed at something above Aiden¡¯s head.

    Had he turned into a spirit already?

    Aiden slowly turned around, still clutching his belly. He spotted Lucy in the corner with both her hands clasped around her open mouth; her eyes red with tears. A drone hovered above her, that quickly flew away when Aiden noticed it.

    So that¡¯s how they¡¯d been tracking us.

    He slowly turned a little more and looked up.

    A silhouette of a man crouched over the wall at the alley¡¯s dead end. The watch on his wrist glowed blue against the backdrop of the dark grey skies. A small, mechanical head popped out of his backpack having a long, slender neck, and glowing blue eyes.

 Chapter 9: Escape from Sol City

    Chapter 9

    Escape from Sol City

    THIRTY MINUTES AGO

    ¡°I¡¯m up, I¡¯m up!¡± Alex fell off the couch he¡¯d fallen asleep on earlier. His legs tangled in some kind of a soft fabric.

    A blanket?

    ¡°Stop the noise!¡± Alex shouted from the floor, cupping both his ears and struggling to make himself heard over the raging alarms.

    The alarms suddenly went quiet.

    ¡°Okay,¡± came a robotic voice from every speaker in the room; and there were several. ¡°Maybe this time you¡¯re finally up.¡±

    ¡°I was up a full minute ago!¡± said Alex, scuffling on the floor to free his legs from the blanket.

    ¡°False,¡± said Clark. ¡°This is actually my second attempt at waking you. I misunderstood what it means to be fully awake for a human. So I added in the extra boost.¡±

    The robot blob from earlier bounced toward Alex and hopped onto his belly. He then shot Alex with red laser beams emitted from its¡­ eyes.

    Alex flinched as the blob scanned his face and eyes. It tilted its head like a curious puppy when he was done, and then unwrapped the blanket from around Alex¡¯s legs in a swift spiral movement, before pulling it off him.

    Alex was finally on his feet. ¡°No more extra boosts,¡± he told Clark. ¡°No more extra boosts, ever.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? Even the threat of unleashing the sprinklers didn¡¯t do the trick before.¡±

    ¡°Just a gentle nudge is fine, dude.¡±

    ¡°If you say so,¡± said the robot superhero in his distinct AI voice but human tone.

    Alex tried to remember the weird dream he was in, but it was now nothing but a blur. Come to think of it, when had he fallen asleep?

    And where was he?

    It took a moment for Alex to recall yesterday¡¯s events. His whole body still ached, but his head felt like he¡¯d had the best sleep in years.

    Why would he feel so much at ease here? At a stranger¡¯s place?

    To be precise: At a mysterious AI superhero¡¯s secret lair in the woods, who seemed to have spawned on Earth out of nothingness only three years ago.

    Or he might just be an alien cybernetic being from outer space with some form of amnesia that only affected silicon-based life forms.

    Shit, thought Alex. Can that actually be true?

    If not that, then¡­ someone must have created him¡­

    He still had so many questions.

    ¡°We are in somewhat of an emergency.¡± Clark¡¯s voice now came only through the speaker close to Alex. ¡°Don¡¯t want to cause you any panic though, but¡­ must hurry.¡±

    ¡°What emergency?¡± Alex¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Demons?¡±

    ¡°No, no.¡± Clark paused before continuing. ¡°I mean it could be. We just don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°What are we doing then? Let¡¯s bolt!¡±

    ¡°See this is the panic I was trying to avoid.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯re you talking about?¡±

    ¡°The blips!¡± said Clark. ¡°I showed it to you the last time, remember? See this.¡± A small LCD screen popped out of the six-monitor set up that this robot had going on for himself, suspended upon a mechanical arm. The screen was shoved at Alex¡¯s face, only stopping inches away from his nose. ¡°It¡¯s the mutagens. On the run!¡±

    ¡°The mutagens¡­¡± It slowly came back to Alex. ¡°How can they be on the run?¡±

    ¡°Someone¡¯s carrying them,¡± said Clark. ¡°Someone in trouble.¡±

    Alex shifted uncomfortably. He didn¡¯t like where this was going. ¡°How do you know they¡¯re in trouble?¡±

    ¡°I sent a drone after them,¡± said Clark, ¡°as soon as I received the energy signatures emitted from the city. I¡¯ve had those mutagens with me a long time. I know exactly what their radiation feels like.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt that¡­,¡± said Alex.

    ¡°So? Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Alex felt like his head was being crushed from all sides. He tried sitting down on the couch, but sprang back up in half a minute, before bolting out the mansion¡¯s door which opened for him automatically.

    ¡°Absolutely love the enthusiasm!¡± came Clark¡¯s voice through the speakers inside the house. ¡°But you¡¯re missing a few details!¡±

    Part of him just wanted to keep walking and not look back.

    But did he really have it in him to turn his back on the person¡ªnay, the machine¡ªwho¡¯d saved his life?

    Alex stopped a few meters away from the mansion. He stared at the trees in the distance and took a deep breath of fresh air. A scurrying sound from behind made him turn around.

    The robot blob rolled out of the main door in the shape of a small remote-controlled vehicle. It was a monster truck that carried what seemed like a smartwatch in its open trunk.

    A blue ball appeared on the screen of the smartwatch, which waxed and waned following the frequencies of Clark¡¯s voice. ¡°Okay, we¡¯re set! Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The RC truck wagged its back antenna excitedly.

    Alex sighed. ¡°Look guys... I can¡¯t do this.¡±

    The antenna-wagging ceased.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Clark asked simply. ¡°I¡¯ve tried to understand but I just don¡¯t. I mean, it has to be because of some past trauma, surely. But why should your past affect your future?¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± Clark sounded offended. ¡°Because I¡¯m a machine, right? Because I¡¯m artificial?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡±

    ¡°I might as well be manufactured,¡± Clark continued, ¡°but I care a whole lot more about those kids than you do.¡±

    ¡°Kids?¡±

    ¡°Kids. One¡¯s a young woman, roughly your age. She¡¯s scared out of her mind but she¡¯s trying her best to be brave for her brother, who is significantly younger, and weaker. I know they¡¯re related because I scanned their irises.¡±

    Alex was impressed knowing that he could do that using nothing but a drone.

    ¡°They¡¯ll die if we don¡¯t act,¡± Clark finished.

    Alex ran his fingers through his hair. A few seconds passed in silence.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t care,¡± said Alex. ¡°In fact, it¡¯s precisely why I don¡¯t want them to get hurt that I would rather not get involved.¡±

    Clark¡¯s blue circle squeezed in the shape of furrowed eyebrows. ¡°How does that make sense?¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°Try me.¡±

    Alex struggled to get the words out as past memories weighed down upon him.

    ¡°I am cursed!¡± he told Clark. ¡°I¡¯ve known it since I was a child. I thought it was nothing but superstitious horseshit at first and got on with my life. I tried to be the best version of myself, help those in need, do the right thing¡­ But, after all, I was just pretending, wasn¡¯t I? Trying to bring to life a misguided childhood fantasy. A futile struggle against destiny.

    ¡°I received a brutal reminder of what I really am soon enough. Ever since that night¡­ well, let¡¯s just say I never pretended again.¡±

    Perhaps for the first time ever, Clark was at a loss for words. The RC truck squirmed like a puppy.

    ¡°Alex,¡± Clark began. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened with you, and perhaps the human psyche would forever be out of my reach, but¡­ All I can do is tell you the facts of the situation. And the rest is up to you.

    ¡°They are two innocent human lives being chased across a demon-infested ghost town by a gang of criminals. If we don¡¯t save them, they die. If the thugs get to them before we do, they also get the mutagens, and more innocents will die.

    ¡°They¡¯re almost out of strength and time. Which means, if we don¡¯t move now, they die.¡±

    Alex shook his head. His heart felt heavier than the world. ¡°I wish I was the hero you need me to be.¡±

    ¡°But you are not, and that¡¯s okay!¡± Clark was now pleading. ¡°Don¡¯t be mistaken, Alex. You are not the hero of this story and you don¡¯t have to be. But I do!¡±

    Clark paused. He said the next words as though with great pain. ¡°I¡¯ve lost my body. I cannot get to them by myself. The only one who can help me save them is you.

    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to go out there and pretend to be the hero. That¡¯s my job. All I want you to do is get me there. Whatever power you think your curse will have over this situation if you get involved, I promise you, I can overcome it. I am stronger than that. I have to be! Even as a measly smartwatch.¡±

    Alex, once again, was moved by Clark¡¯s resolve. ¡°Why are you so determined to save them? You don¡¯t even know them.¡±

    ¡°It is my only mission,¡± said Clark. ¡°The only promise I made: To protect all life on Earth. And I will fulfill it no matter what.¡±

    Alex closed his eyes.

    ¡°Time¡¯s running out,¡± said Clark. ¡°If we don¡¯t move, they¡¯re dead anyway! At least with us there, there is a chance¡ª¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± said Alex. ¡°I understand you have no one else. And I owe you this much for saving my life. But I do this for you this one time. After that, I¡¯m out.¡±

    The robot RC truck-puppy lit up with energy. Clark¡¯s blue circle-face curved into a smile. ¡°Thank you!¡± he said.

    Alex went inside the mansion and grabbed a leather backpack hanging near the entrance door. Alex was momentarily confused as to why would someone like Clark have this, but decided to ask him later. Once back out, he began readying his bike, but then¡ª

    ¡°That won¡¯t do,¡± said Clark and the RC truck barked. ¡°There¡¯s a military blockade.¡±

    ¡°A what now?¡±

    ¡°The army¡¯s secured a perimeter around the city,¡± Clark explained. ¡°They¡¯ve sealed it off.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s crazy! What about the demons?¡±

    ¡°No signs of them now as far as I can tell,¡± said Clark, ¡°since The Chancellor left. But there have been some conflicting reports¡­ unsubstantiated claims by survivors inside. The news media, however, is denying all claims of demon sightings unequivocally.¡±

    Alex couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°How can they? There has to be video evidence, right?¡±

    ¡°No live broadcast went out once the red lightning was up,¡± said Clark. ¡°Which makes sense¡ªthe energy from the gate must have been what disrupted all communications.¡±

    ¡°So they were opening a portal!¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ I thought I told you that already. Anyway, focus, Alex.¡±

    ¡°What about recordings? Photos and videos from mobile phones?¡±

    ¡°The EMP blast that followed the Cyber-demon¡¯s exit wiped everything. No electronic devices survived, except maybe the most basic ones like your handheld radio transmitter, which can¡¯t record video and has no storage of its own anyway.¡±

    ¡°Why would the EMP wave affect different devices differently?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Alex,¡± said Clark in a mysterious voice. ¡°I just know that the ¡®smarter¡¯ devices would naturally be more responsive to that wave. It had a sort of sophistication to it. I¡¯m finding it¡­ difficult to explain to a carbon life form such as yourself.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± said Alex. ¡°And don¡¯t worry, I took no offence,¡± he said sarcastically.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t intend any.¡±

    Alex tried to wrap his head around everything he¡¯d just heard. ¡°So they chose to not believe their own people and lock them in a city that might still be sprawling with demons.¡±

    He was fuming. He realized that the military convoy he¡¯d seen approaching the north exit weren¡¯t there to assist with support and rescue, as he¡¯d previously thought. They were moving in to block the exit. Clark and he were lucky to have gotten out just in time.

    ¡°This is madness,¡± Alex breathed. ¡°How do we get in then?¡±

    ¡°I know this may sound out of context but it¡¯s not,¡± began Clark. ¡°Have you taken paragliding lessons?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like where this is going,¡± said Alex.

    The RC truck pointed a laser at what seemed like a fancy garage door. ¡°In there you¡¯ll find a KX-16 glider, modified by yours truly, of course,¡± said Clark.

    ¡°A what now?¡±

    ¡°Just go open it.¡±

    The garage door also opened automatically as Alex approached it. He found a high-tech glider hanging on the wall of the garage, amongst various other gadgets the likes of which he¡¯d never seen before. In the middle of the garage, however, there was a vehicle that could not be from this century.

    It had sleek design with what looked like tough armor padding on the sides. Something that looked like a long barrel of a rail gun, or a futuristic cannon, was installed on top. There was no windshield or glass windows so Alex couldn¡¯t see the interiors. It probably wasn¡¯t designed for human drivers. But what the hell was it?

    Was it a car? Or a battle tank? Or something akin to the Batmobile?

    Was Clark in fact Batman?

    ¡°When are we taking that one out?¡± blurted an awestruck Alex.

    Clark scoffed. ¡°Oh yeah he¡¯ll come around,¡± he said to his robot pet as though in response to something it said that only Clark could hear.

    ¡°It talks?¡± Alex asked him.

    ¡°Hell yeah he talks,¡± said Clark and the RC truck woofed. ¡°Grab the glider, quickly. We¡¯re running out of time.¡±

    Alex took the glider out of the garage and placed it on the side of the cliff. He then asked Clark, ¡°Do you know of any apple trees nearby? Or any fruit?¡±

    ¡°What for?¡±

    ¡°I just¡­ quickly want to grab something. They must be hungry.¡±

    Clark was a pleasant blue circle now. ¡°See? This is why I need you. Human hunger would¡¯ve never crossed my mind.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s probably because you don¡¯t have to eat,¡± said Alex. ¡°Wait, do you?¡±

    ¡°No, Alex. We don¡¯t need food. Just the electricity is enough.¡±

    ***This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    Alex stood on the edge of the cliff behind Clark¡¯s mansion that overlooked Sol City.

    The cold winter breeze was strong here. In the distance, he could see the grey clouds still hovering over Sol City. They should have cleared after the lightning tower was taken out by Clark, but that wasn¡¯t the case.

    The city looked nothing like it used to, even from this distance. There was a strange, dark aura surrounding it now, of death, and of beauty lost.

    The city needed someone like Clark. Now more than ever.

    Alex glanced over the edge. His knees began to quiver, perhaps not entirely because of the cold breeze.

    ¡°You never answered my question,¡± came Clark¡¯s voice from the smartwatch, now worn by Alex on his left hand. ¡°Have you done this before?¡±

    ¡°Once,¡± said Alex. ¡°With a trained instructor.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± said Clark. ¡°That should be enough experience.¡±

    Alex gulped. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like we¡¯ve got a lot of room,¡± he said looking at the tall trees at the base of the cliff. ¡°The drop¡¯s too short.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± said Clark. ¡°I told you the glider¡¯s modified. It¡¯s got a small boost mechanism that should provide lift even with such little room.¡±

    ¡°Should?¡±

    ¡°Will. Definitely will.¡± Clark cleared his virtual throat. ¡°It¡¯s also got a state-of-the-art cloaking device that should hide us from all the usual shenanigans.¡±

    ¡°Why do you have something like this lying around? You can just fly.¡±

    Clark paused. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you all about it in good time. Now, time to jump.¡±

    Alex made sure the straps were tight. His backpack was also secured well, which now carried the robot blob and an assortment of fruits that it had managed to gather in less than a minute.

    Guess there was nothing left to do but¡ª

    ¡°You know what,¡± said Alex, ¡°let me quickly check whether my insurance is activ¡ªahh!¡±

    The smartwatch zapped his body with a strong electric current which made him lose balance and fall off. As he dropped straight down¡ªwind gushing through his open mouth and hair¡ªthe flaps of the glider opened wide and the part over Alex¡¯s back burned hot, spewing out the rocket boost that Clark mentioned earlier.

    ¡°Keep your legs straight or they¡¯ll burn!¡± came Clark¡¯s barely audible voice.

    ¡°I needed that instruction much earlier!¡± Alex yelled.

    The rocket boost was enough to stabilize their fall, and they soon achieved flight.

    ¡°You are so out of the circle of trust!¡± Alex said to Clark.

    ¡°What?¡± Clark was appalled. ¡°I read it on your internet that sometimes young men just need a little push.¡±

    ¡°This is not what it was referring to!¡±

    ¡°Steady, steady! Keep your body still we¡¯re almost there.¡±

    With the combination of the dense foliage around the north exit and whatever cloaking devices the glider employed, they were able to glide over the military blockade undetected.

    So it was true¡­ Somewhere he hadn¡¯t fully believed that the military would¡¯ve done something like this against its own people. But now, he could see it with his own eyes.

    ¡°They should be ashamed of themselves,¡± said Alex.

    ¡°They¡¯re just following orders,¡± said Clark.

    ¡°The government¡¯s in on this?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Clark. ¡°It¡¯s all over the news. They think it¡¯s a virus.¡±

    ¡°How did a virus shoot a massive red bolt of lightning in the sky?¡±

    ¡°They think it¡¯s a virus¡­ that causes hallucinations.¡±

    ¡°My god!¡± Alex couldn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°Go easy on them, Alex,¡± said Clark. ¡°They don¡¯t know what I know.¡±

    ¡°Guess we need a polaroid selfie with The Chancellor the next time around.¡±

    Clark chuckled. ¡°Land over there.¡±

    Alex lowered the glider toward the rooftop of a small, one-storey building, which was being laser-targeted by the robot blob. As they approached their landing zone, Alex could see the fallout from all the destruction from yesterday up close.

    The strange red hue still permeated the city, mixed with the orange glow from all the fires. The main streets were sprawling with people camping around dumpster-fires or cowering inside tents. Alex had previously believed that most residents and Founding Day tourists had been able to get out safely. But with the army blocking all exits, who knew how many were stuck inside now.

    Alex focused on the rooftop as they got closer. He thought they were coming in too fast, but the glider made some auto-adjustments with the on-board rocket booster just in time to stabilize their descent.

    Alex was impressed. But more importantly, relieved.

    ¡°Steady now,¡± said Clark.

    Instead of crash landing onto a strange rooftop, he was able to land gracefully on his own two feet.

    Alex quickly unstrapped the glider and clung to a wall to regain his sense of balance.

    It wasn¡¯t too bad though. He could do it again.

    ¡°Do it,¡± came Clark¡¯s voice.

    The robot blob shot its long, slender neck out of Alex¡¯s backpack and turned its head toward the glider. Its eyes glowed red.

    The next second, the glider was blasted with an intense laser beam, and burst into flames.

    ¡°Why?!¡± asked Alex, confused.

    ¡°Can¡¯t leave evidence behind,¡± Clark explained.

    ¡°We could have used that to get back out of here!¡±

    ¡°Not possible,¡± said Clark. ¡°The rocket booster is nowhere near as strong to launch both you and the two others we¡¯re about to rescue over the military blockade. Moreover, I don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll be back here again.¡±

    Alex felt sad to lose a gadget he¡¯d just met.

    ¡°Come on,¡± said Clark. ¡°We¡¯re very close. Get down to the street and jump over that wall. They seemed to have halted there to rest. Perfect time to go introduce ourselves, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re asking me?¡±

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m asking you. I have never broken ice with a human before. Well, except with you.¡±

    Alex found the corners of his lips twitch a little. ¡°You¡¯ll do fine,¡± he said to Clark.

    They used the fire-escape to get down to the street. Alex scurried across the street and disappeared into the low bushes, which he had to get through to reach the wall.

    As Alex struggled to pass through the thick foliage, Clark suddenly said, ¡°Alex, stop!¡±

    ¡°Wha¡ª?¡±

    BANG!

    Alex knew what this sound was. He would recognize it forever.

    Gunfire.

    ¡°There¡¯s a man at the alley entrance,¡± said Clark. ¡°He¡¯s holding them at gunpoint.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you take him out with the drone?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that kind of a drone. Climb the wall, Alex. Hurry!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trying!¡±

    Alex didn¡¯t care if the sharp branches cut through his clothes and skin anymore. He¡¯d found a sudden, surprising burst of energy and determination.

    He wasn¡¯t going to let this happen again.

    Alex finally managed to reach the wall. He put a foot on the side of the wall and shoved his fingers into the cracked bricks. He was about to launch himself upwards, but then¡ª

    BANG!

    BANG!

    BANG!

    BANG!

    Alex could feel the chill creep into his bones.

    Four more shots?

    Was he already too late?

    Why did it always come to this?

    Of course, he knew the answer to that.

    But still, he must hurry. There may still be a chance.

    He grabbed the ledge and pulled himself up into a crouch atop the edge of the wall.

    A short young boy stood in the middle of the alleyway close to Alex. He had golden blond hair and he was bent forward in an awkward angle. On his right, behind a large dumpster, was a young woman on her knees with both her hands covering her open mouth as she watched the bent young man in horror. Tears rolled down her cheeks from bloodshot eyes.

    Dammit. He was too late.

    He lifted his head to look at their assailant. A tall man in a purple jacket; he held a long-barreled silver revolver pointed at the young boy, with smoke coming out of its muzzle.

    The assailant, however, was quivering in fear.

    Why?

    The robot blob popped its head out of Alex¡¯s backpack to look. Maybe it planned to decimate the gunman with his powerful eye lasers.

    This grabbed the spooked gunman¡¯s attention. He slowly raised his head up and spotted Alex.

    Shit. He must find cover!

    But instead of shooting, the gunman screamed, ¡°DEMON!¡± before spinning around and bolting out of the alley.

    The young boy slowly turned around to first look at the woman, then he saw Alex.

    Alex was surprised to find him still on his feet.

    Maybe there¡¯s a chance to save him still!

    The boy¡¯s knees gave away and he collapsed on the ground. His body motionless.

    ¡°No!¡± screamed the woman behind the dumpster.

    There¡¯s still time, thought Alex. If he was standing after five revolver shots, there¡¯s definitely still time. Perhaps a few of them never hit him.

    Alex dropped to the ground close to the boy. But as soon as he did¡ª

    ¡°Nooo!¡± the woman screeched once again. ¡°You stay away from him!¡± She scuffled around her and picked up what looked like a small iron rod. ¡°You stay away from his body!¡±

    Her hands shook uncontrollably as she pointed the rod at Alex, so did her body. Her eyes were puffy and glowing red, now partially covered by her long, dark blonde hair which had flown forward, was so messy and dirty that it was almost black.

    These guys had been through a lot.

    ¡°We are not demons,¡± came Clark¡¯s robotic voice through the smartwatch. ¡°Please refrain from hostility.¡±

    ¡°What the fuck is that?!¡± the woman yelled.

    ¡°Clark, quiet,¡± Alex whispered.

    ¡°Who the fuck are you?!¡± the woman aimed the rod at Alex like a gun. ¡°Answer me or I swear I¡¯ll split you open.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not here to hurt you,¡± said Alex with his hands up and palms open. ¡°We¡¯re here to help.¡±

    ¡°What are you?¡± the woman asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m Alex,¡± he responded, confused. ¡°I¡¯m a¡­ human. Just like you.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit,¡± said the woman. ¡°You¡¯ve got a second neck sticking out of your back. You¡¯re a spirit, aren¡¯t you? The grim reaper¡­ from the nether realm?¡±

    ¡°What? No¡ª¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got two seconds to answer.¡±

    ¡°No! Please, listen to me. I¡¯m here to help. Please let me check on your brother, he might still be alive.¡±

    The woman¡¯s face turned horridly suspicious. ¡°How do you know he¡¯s my brother?¡±

    She needed no further questioning. Convinced that Alex was the personification of death, the woman swung the iron rod at Alex to keep him away from her brother¡¯s body.

    Maybe in her shocked, desperate state, she believed that she could keep her brother alive if she could just keep the grim reaper from taking his body.

    Alex needed to find a way to quickly restrain her, or it might be too late for her brother.

    ¡°Blob, get her!¡± He nudged the bottom of his backpack and the robot blob shot out. It spread his liquid-metal body into a wide, gooey net and trapped the woman inside it.

    Once caught in the net, she briefly struggled to free herself but soon dropped to the ground on her butt because of the weight of the net. Her iron rod was completely powerless against the blob¡¯s high-tech metal, which had now expanded and solidified into a cage.

    Alex calmed his breath. ¡°You couldn¡¯t command him to do this before she took a swing at me, huh?¡± he said to Clark.

    ¡°Hey, you told me to stay out of it,¡± said Clark. ¡°Besides, I thought you had it under control.¡±

    ¡°Get me out of here!¡± the woman screamed at Alex, striking the cage repeatedly with her iron rod.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said to her. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t resort to this if it wasn¡¯t an emergency.¡±

    Alex rushed to the boy¡¯s body to check for a pulse.

    Seeing that, the woman yelled ¡°Don¡¯t you touch him!¡± once again.

    Alex touched the boy¡¯s neck, hoping and praying.

    Yes. There was a pulse.

    ¡°Clark, he¡¯s alive,¡± said Alex. ¡°I don¡¯t know how, but he is.¡±

    The woman stopped her tantrum.

    ¡°We need to take him,¡± said Clark, ¡°back to the mansion.¡±

    ¡°I can contact Dan again,¡± said Alex. ¡°The one who was following you around. He¡¯s got a mobile EMT with him.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± said Clark. ¡°No government. It¡¯s too risky¡ª¡±

    Clang! She struck the cage with her iron rod once again. ¡°You¡¯re not taking him anywhere!¡±

    Alex rushed to her side and knelt down. ¡°Listen to me,¡± he said, as calmly and softly as he could. ¡°We¡¯re not here to hurt you, I promise you. I¡¯m not some shinigami from some death realm¡ª¡±

    ¡°How do you know they¡¯re called shinigamis?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve watched just as much anime as you!¡± Alex shouted momentarily losing his cool before calming down again. ¡°Now listen. Your brother¡­ he was shot, multiple times, but I don¡¯t see any bullet holes, or blood. Yet he¡¯s still injured, somehow, so I don¡¯t know what they shot him with. He needs special help, and he¡¯s not gonna get it here. Here, look.¡± Alex opened his backpack to show her the fruits. ¡°We¡¯ve got food. And medicine. Both things you guys desperately need. So please, let us help you. I don¡¯t know how much time your brother¡¯s got left.¡±

    The woman seemed to be calming down. News that her brother was alive and need of help seemed to have done the trick.

    ¡°Okay,¡± she said, dropping the iron rod. ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± said Alex, still treading cautiously. ¡°Blob lift the cage.¡±

    The robot didn¡¯t budge.

    ¡°Clark?¡± Alex looked at him.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, buddy,¡± said Clark. ¡°We can trust him with this.¡±

    The blob slowly lifted the cage off. The rods contracted into a floating ball of metal hovering over the woman, which then dropped to her side, making her shriek.

    ¡°Relax,¡± said Alex. ¡°He¡¯s a friend.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a spirit monster too,¡± said the woman. ¡°But that¡¯s okay. I can see now that you¡¯re here to help.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a robot,¡± said Alex. ¡°And thank you. Now let¡¯s get out of here.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± asked the woman. ¡°We can¡¯t just walk out of the city. You¡¯ll have to cast one of your spells to teleport us.¡±

    ¡°Again, I¡¯m just a human being,¡± said Alex.

    ¡°So we¡¯re actually walking out?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Alex. How were they going to get past the military blockade?

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you waltzed in here without an exit plan.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking, alright?¡± Alex looked to his watch that had gone dark. ¡°Clark?¡±

    The watch flashed blue again. ¡°Yeah, sorry about that,¡± came Clark¡¯s voice. ¡°While you two were fraternizing, I hopped into my drone and scouted the border. There is a way out. Same way we went out the last time.¡±

    ¡°The north exit? I saw them barricade it earlier.¡±

    ¡°Our path¡¯s not through the streets,¡± said Clark. ¡°It¡¯s through the jungle.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± said Alex and walked over to the young boy¡¯s unconscious body. In one fell swoop, he lifted him up into his arms. The boy was surprisingly light.

    The woman didn¡¯t seem to mind. She seemed to have fully calmed down.

    Alex didn¡¯t blame her for reacting the way she did. After all, she just saw her brother get shot right in front of her.

    Five times.

    How was he alive after five shots?

    ¡°Thank you,¡± the woman said to Alex with an extremely faint twitch at the corner of her lips. ¡°I¡¯m Lucy, by the way,¡± she said. ¡°And I don¡¯t watch anime.¡±

    Alex nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ***

    They made their way around the block as quietly as possible.

    A man carrying a young boy in his arms with a frantic-looking woman by his side would¡¯ve seemed completely out of the ordinary three days ago.

    But now, they perfectly blended in.

    Alex told Clark to stay dim and the robot blob to remain hidden inside the backpack. They crossed a few mean-looking guys who eyed them suspiciously, but encountered no resistance. Alex had purposefully chosen a busy street. The chances of a gang of hooligans cornering them in a dark alley were slim here.

    It was steadily getting darker now, even though it was barely 5 pm. They must hurry if they were to cross the forest on foot before dark.

    Luckily, they were able to slip past the crowd without any awkward or weird encounters.

    While on the road leading to the north exit, they took the left turn into the woods much earlier than before. Any later, and there was a risk of the military spotting them.

    They walked a couple miles through the dense forest in silence. Clark emitted a dim torch through the smartphone to help Alex and Lucy find their way in the swiftly-approaching dark.

    Soon, they were on the edge.

    The perimeter so deep through the woods was secured with nothing but a barbed wire.

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± said Lucy. ¡°We jump through here and we¡¯re out? How come more people don¡¯t know about this?¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t jump over it,¡± said Alex. ¡°But yeah, anyone with bolt cutters could easily break through.¡±

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t we see a fucking crowd here trying to breach through en masse?¡±

    They got their answers soon enough.

    A little farther in the dark, there were two torchlights wriggling around in an unnatural fashion, aimed toward each other from opposite sides.

    Alex calmly observed with squinted eyes. He spotted two actual robot dogs patrolling the terrain just beyond the barbed wire, with bright light cones beaming out of their heads. They were as tall as a German shepherd, or perhaps a Great Dane.

    Alex blood curdled. He¡¯d seen these machines on random YouTube videos for years; not to mention, also on a terrifying episode of a horror web serial as well. They¡¯d been in development for a while now, and their military applications were obviously heavily debated.

    Alex didn¡¯t know that the debate had already been settled behind the scenes.

    ¡°So this is why no one¡¯s dared come here,¡± said Lucy.

    ¡°No need for human patrols on rough terrain if you¡¯ve got killer robot dogs,¡± said Alex.

    ¡°What now?¡± Lucy breathed.

    Clark¡¯s light suddenly began to wax and wane again. ¡°Relax, I got this.¡±

    The drone that belonged to Clark spawned into view above them.

    ¡°I thought you said it¡¯s not that kind of drone,¡± said Alex.

    ¡°Sssshh,¡± said Clark. ¡°Just let me concentrate. It takes a bit of focus sometimes.¡±

    Alex imagined Clark shutting his virtual eyes. The drone above them fired two targeting lasers at each of the robot dogs.

    The dogs seemed to have noticed. Immediately, their white flashlight cones turned red. Their heads turned toward Alex and the others, and the dogs began to charge.

    ¡°Clark!¡± Alex gasped.

    ¡°Relax,¡± said Clark. ¡°I¡¯m delivering a payload via laser beams. It sometimes takes a while!¡±

    The dogs jumped over the barbed wire with graceful ease.

    Lucy tripped on a rock while backing and fell down once again. She clasped both her hands to her mouth to stop her from screaming.

    Alex knew there was no outrunning them. ¡°Clark, if it¡¯s gonna happen, it has to happen now!¡±

    ¡°Just one second!¡± Clark¡¯s voice conveyed that he was struggling. The drone above them was now whirring loudly.

    Then came Clark¡¯s voice once again, this time, as calm as water, ¡°Humanity¡¯s over-reliance on technology is a great weakness, after all.¡±

    The metal dogs had pounced already, but their flashlights went out mid-air. Alex and Lucy spread apart, and the two dogs crash landed in the space between them, one beside the other.

    ¡°I almost¡­ died¡­ of a heart attack,¡± said Lucy, panting. ¡°As though demons from the nether realm weren¡¯t enough¡­ we¡¯ve been manufacturing¡­ unfathomable horrors of our own.¡±

    Alex clutched his chest as well.

    ¡°Good work, little clock,¡± said Lucy, nodding at Alex¡¯s wrist.

    ¡°The name¡¯s Clark, dear lady,¡± the smartwatch replied. ¡°And it¡¯s my pleasure to have finally made your acquaintance.¡±

    ¡°Just Lucy is fine,¡± she replied with a faint blush. ¡°And you can drop the formal tone.¡±

    ¡°Come on,¡± said Alex as Lucy sprang back to her feet. ¡°We don¡¯t need bolt cutters for this one, do we?¡± he said pointing at the barbed wire.

    ¡°Nonsense,¡± said Clark.

    Instantly, the robot blob bounced out of Alex¡¯s backpack and took shape of a futuristic gun. He fired two beams of high-intensity laser and made two clean cuts at a fair distance apart on the barbed wire, creating a gateway.

    ¡°Okay, so he can do just about anything, huh?¡± said Lucy, still eyeing the robot blob suspiciously. The blob felt her gaze and woofed at her like an overjoyed puppy.

    ¡°He thinks he¡¯s a dog,¡± Alex explained in a whisper.

    ¡°Aiden would¡¯ve absolutely loved him,¡± she said. ¡°I mean¡­ he still will¡­¡±

    She stared at her feet and fell awkwardly silent.

    ¡°Come on,¡± said Alex. ¡°We should hurry.¡±

    They walked up to the perimeter and carefully stepped past the gap in the barbed wire. Alex looked back at the cut cross-section of the wire and said to Clark, ¡°What happened to not leaving behind evidence?¡±

    The robot blob fetched the cross-section and rolled it back into place. He then welded them in place.

    Alex nodded, impressed. ¡°And what about the robot dogs?¡±

    ¡°Wiped and replaced their memories already,¡± said Clark. ¡°They¡¯ll wake up with a digital headache.¡±

    <hr>

 Chapter 10 (End of The Red Lightning Arc!): Are we superheroes now?

    Chapter 10

    Are we superheroes now?

    ¡°Well,¡± said Lucy gawking at the mansion from outside. ¡°This is¡­ nice.¡±

    Alex carried Aiden¡¯s unconscious body through the wide front door, which opened for them automatically.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this actually happens in real life,¡± said Lucy as she stepped in.

    ¡°What happens?¡± asked Alex. He gently placed Aiden on the spacious center couch surrounding the expansive rectangular coffee table in the massive living room. He touched Aiden¡¯s forehead and neck; he had a burning fever.

    ¡°Pretty girl runs into a billionaire in some random coffee shop, or a plane,¡± said Lucy. ¡°I¡¯ve read about The Billionaire Rancher, The Billionaire CEO, even The Billionaire Nanny¡­ never a Billionaire Superhero.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not mine,¡± said Alex. ¡°It¡¯s his.¡± He pointed the smartwatch at Lucy.

    ¡°No way¡­¡± she breathed. ¡°That watch owns all of this?!¡±

    ¡°Apparently, yeah,¡± said Alex. ¡°I only met him yesterday.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a watch!¡± came Clark¡¯s voice through the watch. His blue ball exited the screen of the watch and was now displayed on the big OLED screen in the living room.

    His voice now echoed from every speaker in the room. ¡°I am¡­¡± He seemed to have paused to think, ¡°¡­Clark!¡±

    ¡°This is just crazy,¡± said Lucy. ¡°I¡¯m not awake, am I?¡± She limped to the part of the couch across Aiden. ¡°I need to wake up.¡± She crawled into the soft, cozy corner of the couch and instantly began snoring.

    ¡°She¡¯s not dead, right?¡± said Clark. ¡°Just asleep?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Alex confirmed.

    ¡°Good,¡± said Clark. ¡°Because I wasn¡¯t a hundred percent when I saw you collapse like that.¡±

    Alex wanted to ask how Clark was sure he didn¡¯t need emergency medical attention, but he couldn¡¯t speak. His body reminded him that he wasn¡¯t fully recovered yet. He needed rest just as much as they did.

    So at peace they were now. He wondered about the kind of horrors they must have survived through, together.

    May they never have to again.

    ¡°You did good, Alex,¡± said Clark to him in a whisper through the watch¡¯s speakers. ¡°They are here, alive and well, because of you.¡±

    Alex felt the corners of his mouth twitch into a smile. ¡°What about the mutagens?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll ask them tomorrow,¡± said Clark. ¡°For now, goodnight!¡±

    ***

    ¡°Arrrgggh! What the hell is this? Where the hell are we?!¡± came the shouts of a young man. ¡°Lucy!! Lucy, wake up!¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Aiden,¡± Lucy responded drowsily, her eyes still shut tight.

    ¡°Lucy! We¡¯ve been kidnapped by an alien puppy!¡±

    Alex rushed to the living room. He had chosen one of the many bedrooms on the ground floor to sleep in.

    The robot blob was on the same couch as Aiden, who was cowering on the edge of it. The blob was still in his monster truck avatar, but one of its antennae had transformed into a long metal tube with a mean-looking syringe at the end of it.

    ¡°Stay away from me!¡± said Aiden.

    A blue ball blinked into existence on the giant OLED screen in the living room. ¡°No! You weren¡¯t supposed to wake him. Bad dog!¡±

    The monster truck-puppy whimpered.

    ¡°Why would you scream so loud,¡± said Lucy in a calm, sleepy voice, ¡°in the morning!¡± she screamed the last part. ¡°I was having the best sleep of my life!¡±

    ¡°Lucy, there¡¯s a monster robot!¡± Aiden pointed at the robot blob.

    ¡°Blob!¡± said Lucy. ¡°Change form. Something cute and snuggly. Now!¡±

    The truck-puppy tilted its ¡®head¡¯ to the side and looked at curiously at Lucy. A couple seconds later, it transformed into a bright blue ball with a smooth, shiny, liquid-like body. It now also had large round eyes which were bluer than his bubble-like form¡ªsomething straight out of a Pixar-animated movie.

    The blob turned at Aiden and extended his round blue ¡®arms¡¯ like a lovable sentient balloon.

    ¡°See?¡± said Lucy. ¡°It¡¯s completely harmless,¡± she said confidently, then backtracked when she obviously recalled the events of last night; ¡°to us,¡± she added.

    ¡°Oh my¡­¡± said Aiden, his tone completely different now. ¡°It¡¯s adorable!¡± Aiden picked it up and hugged it tight. The robot blob had a faint red blush below each of his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you are, I will love you forever.¡±

    They were acting completely normal, thought Alex. As if the past couple of days never happened.

    Or maybe, their minds weren¡¯t ready to recall the events just yet.

    It¡¯s fine, thought Alex. Let them have their fun. Even if it is for a little while¡­

    ¡°Oh, hey Alex,¡± said Lucy after she spotted him. ¡°You sleep well?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Pretty well, actually.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± said Aiden, getting off the couch and walking up to him. The blob floated in the air like a balloon let loose. ¡°You must be Lucy¡¯s date. I¡¯m Aiden,¡± he said, extending an arm. ¡°Thanks for letting us crash at your house.¡±

    ¡°Shut up Aiden!¡± Lucy said with gritted teeth, squashing a pillow lying nearby.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± said Alex shaking his hand. ¡°I¡¯m just a friend.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the one who saved us, Aiden!¡±

    ¡°Saved us¡­ From wha¡ª? Oh.¡±

    It all came crashing back to him.

    ¡°We were in that alley, weren¡¯t we? I was¡­ I was shot, wasn¡¯t I?¡±

    Aiden suddenly bent forward to look at his belly. His knees began shaking. It looked like he might collapse any moment¡ª

    Alex caught him before he hit the floor. ¡°Easy now,¡± he said to Aiden. ¡°Come back to the couch.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± asked Aiden. ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­¡±

    Alex carefully guided him back to the couch. Aiden looked like he was in shock.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not dead, am I?¡± he asked timidly. He looked like he was preparing himself for shock and disappointment, expecting the answer to be yes. ¡°Is this like the afterlife?¡±

    Lucy almost spat out the water she was drinking. ¡°No! You¡¯re very much alive.¡±

    Aiden looked confused. He looked from Lucy to the floating blob to Alex. ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been wondering,¡± came Clark¡¯s voice through all the speakers in the living room.

    ¡°Whoa what the hell is that?¡± blurted Aiden, spooked.

    ¡°Turn the volume down!¡± Alex told Clark. ¡°And choose one of these speakers, please. It¡¯s like you¡¯re everywhere all at once.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± said Clark, still blasting out of all the speakers. ¡°This better?¡± he said, his voice now coming only from the giant TV, with his blue ball avatar back on screen.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Aiden asked him.

    ¡°He¡¯s an AI,¡± said Lucy.

    They both replied together:

    ¡°He¡¯s not an AI,¡± said Alex.

    ¡°I¡¯m not an AI,¡± said Clark.

    Lucy was confused. ¡°If you¡¯re not an AI, then what are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t actually know,¡± said Clark. ¡°I¡¯m just Clark.¡±

    ¡°Can you¡­ um¡­ do you have feelings?¡± asked Aiden.

    ¡°I guess I do,¡± said Clark. ¡°I bet they¡¯re different than yours though. But I can¡¯t, for the life of me, get my head around how.¡±

    ¡°You sound so human,¡± said Aiden.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been told,¡± said Clark with a virtual nod at Alex.

    Aiden was lost in thought. He looked around the room and found Clark¡¯s half-torn armor hanging near the workstation. ¡°Holy shit is that your body?¡±

    ¡°It used to be,¡± said Clark. ¡°It was destroyed a couple days ago.¡±

    ¡°Wait, no way!¡± Aiden struck his palm. ¡°You¡¯re that superhero who disappeared into the smoke screen, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°The superhero¡­?¡± Clark¡¯s invisible virtual eyes seemed to have lit up. ¡°Yeah. I guess I am, yeah,¡± he said. ¡°How do you know?¡±

    ¡°I heard those soldiers talk,¡± said Aiden. ¡°They were waiting for you to come out.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well,¡± said Clark with a hint of shame. ¡°I didn¡¯t survive ¡­ that engagement. At least my body didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°He took out the main boss demon along with his entire demon army singlehandedly, while also destroying the portal from hell in time,¡± said Alex. ¡°If not for him, the entire planet would be either dead, or enslaved, or something unimaginably worse.¡±

    Aiden looked at the giant screen with pure awe. ¡°You are incredible!¡±

    ¡°I guess we owe you more than just our lives,¡± said Lucy. ¡°Thank you!¡±

    ¡°Please guys,¡± said Clark. Was he embarrassed? ¡°I was just fulfilling my¡ª¡± he cleared his virtual throat, ¡°¡ªnever mind, enough about me. How are you two feeling? Do you still have a fever?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± said Aiden. ¡°I¡¯m feeling better than ever. Like I woke up with a belly full of ice cream and berries. Berry ice cream.¡±

    Alex eyed him curiously. Was he always this energetic?

    Wasn¡¯t he shot like five times just yesterday evening?

    ¡°I had a fever?¡± asked Lucy, completely surprised. ¡°I feel fine.¡±

    ¡°You did,¡± said Clark. ¡°My assistant-pet here cared for you all night.¡±

    The blue bubble woofed from mid-air.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Lucy, smiling at the bubble. ¡°I¡¯d give you a treat if I had any. Or if you ate any.¡±

    The bubble seemed to be absolutely loving the attention and praise.

    ¡°Let¡¯s rewind for a second here,¡± said Lucy, turning to Alex. ¡°Did you say a portal from hell?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what that red lightning was,¡± said Alex. ¡°If it had managed to open¡­ Well, let¡¯s just say I¡¯m glad we had a guardian angel watching over us. Quite literally.¡± Alex thought of how poetic it was that Clark¡¯s home was actually atop a cliff overlooking Sol City.

    ¡°But if it was a portal from hell,¡± said Lucy. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be looking at¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ Shouldn¡¯t we be referring this to the church or something? Or maybe talk to some experts of the occult?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how that¡¯d help,¡± said Alex, confused. ¡°They weren¡¯t those kinds of demons.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°They come from the Demon Worlds,¡± Clark explained. ¡°It¡¯s a group of planets in a dark quadrant in our galaxy, quite far from here.¡±

    ¡°But weren¡¯t they opening a portal?¡± asked Lucy. ¡°If they were on the same dimension as us, wouldn¡¯t they just use a spaceship to get here?¡±

    Alex wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to this. ¡°They did use a space ship to get out of here. But¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°They use portals to close great interstellar distances in practically no time,¡± Clark explained. ¡°It¡¯s a common tactic they use to take an unprepared planet completely by surprise.¡±

    ¡°So they come from space?¡± asked Lucy.

    ¡°From a part of our galaxy commonly referred to as the Demon Worlds, yes,¡± said Clark. ¡°Although I think the League itself is more accurately a tribe of nomads.¡±

    Lucy looked even more confused than before.

    ¡°See?¡± said Aiden. ¡°I told you there¡¯d be a rational explanation.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re opening portals to get from their worlds to ours,¡± said Lucy. ¡°How is that any different from what I had said? How is it different from the scary stories Grandma used to tell us?¡±

    ¡°Again, I don¡¯t think they¡¯re that kind of demons,¡± said Alex. ¡°They¡¯re more like an alien species.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know though,¡± said Clark. ¡°It is entirely possible that historic human civilizations on Earth may have at some point come in contact with space-faring demons, and made interpretations of their own. There are so many references to demons and demonic creatures in ancient folklore, across cultures and modern boundaries. The evidence is overbearing.¡±

    All four of them sat in complete silence for a full minute trying to wrap their heads around the implications of all this, while the blue bubble continued to merrily float around.

    Were the demons from ancient folklore the same as these space-faring demon pirates?

    How much of an influence have they had on human history and culture?

    Where had they disappeared to? Why were they back now?

    Alex knew no one here had the answers to that. ¡°You guys hungry?¡±

    ¡°Starving,¡± said Aiden, eyeing the fruit basket on the coffee table greedily, which was only filled with apples.

    Alex suspected that the robot blob must have collected all the apples he could from nearby trees before any of them were awake, but didn¡¯t gather any other fruit. Perhaps because it had no data as to whether humans ate anything but apples. It had even placed a large kitchen knife beside the basket.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you felt like you woke up with a belly full of ice-cream?¡± asked Lucy.

    ¡°I meant that metaphorically,¡± said Aiden. ¡°I could eat a bucket now.¡±

    ¡°Jesus.¡± Lucy sighed. ¡°Where does it all go, huh?¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Alex awkwardly shifted in place. Sibling dynamics was a foreign concept to him since he had always been the only child. His parents never let him mingle too much with his cousins either.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just go see if I can find something to eat,¡± said Alex. He immediately realized he had no idea where to look. Was there even a refrigerator here?

    If yes, then why?

    ¡°Clark?¡± Alex called to him. ¡°You got something we can eat?¡±

    ¡°Sure I do,¡± said Clark. ¡°There¡¯s canned human food in the bunker going all the way back to the Second World War!¡±

    ¡°World War 2? There¡¯s no way it¡¯s still good.¡±

    ¡°It says on the packaging that it¡¯ll never go bad, in a fun big font and bright colors.¡±

    Alex sighed. There was so much about the human world that Clark didn¡¯t understand. ¡°That¡¯s just false advertising, mate.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± He was appalled. ¡°Why would they knowingly write something false in such an important manner? That¡¯s diabolical.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d sue if the manufacturers were still alive,¡± said Alex. ¡°Guess we¡¯ll have to make do with the fruits.¡±

    ¡°Or we can order take out,¡± Clark suggested.

    ¡°Are you out of your mind today?¡± asked Alex.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry they¡¯ll never figure it out,¡± said Clark. ¡°I¡¯ve been ordering stuff online since forever. I just send my drones to the pick-up spots. They think it¡¯s for some rich fat recluse staying somewhere in the mountains.¡±

    ¡°What if someone actually shows up to deliver in person?¡±

    ¡°That happened a couple times,¡± said Clark. ¡°Even though I strictly selected drone pickup. Trust me, I¡¯d remember if I did otherwise. But they insisted I selected the incorrect delivery options, damn them. Anyway, I just ask my assistant here to transform into a fat recluse billionaire to collect the package and scare them away.¡±

    The floating blue balloon woofed once again.

    ¡°That¡¯s wild,¡± said Lucy.

    ¡°Well¡­,¡± said Aiden. ¡°All I heard was pizza!¡±

    Clark chuckled. ¡°That can be arranged.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it ice-cream before?¡± Lucy glared at Aiden.

    ¡°Yeah, well, that too,¡± said Aiden. ¡°Pizza is food, ice-cream is dessert.¡±

    ***

    They quietly had their fill of food and dessert, ordered from a pizza place in a completely different city. Even though the inside of Sol City was an apocalypse, the world outside still functioned as normal.

    Clark also ordered a fresh set of clothes for all three of them. He let everyone know that he values hygiene despite being a machine, while also explaining the nuances of machine hygiene to an inquisitive Aiden.

    ¡°I¡¯m full,¡± said Aiden collapsed on the couch. ¡°But I can eat more.¡±

    ¡°Classic,¡± said Lucy.

    Alex was impressed. Despite not eating well at all in the past couple days, the pizza filled him up instantly.

    Something felt off about Aiden.

    ¡°Are you sure you can eat more or were you just kidding?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m sure,¡± said Aiden. ¡°In fact, can we go a second round?¡±

    Alex looked at Clark concerningly.

    ¡°Of course,¡± said Clark. ¡°Lucy how about you?¡±

    ¡°Tell you what,¡± said Lucy. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind a second round. Something heavier this time.¡±

    Alex gulped. Their appetite was off the charts. ¡°Say, um.¡± He cleared his throat. He didn¡¯t want to seem offensive or make them feel embarrassed. ¡°I ask this for a reason so please don¡¯t take it the wrong way, but do you guys always eat this much?¡±

    Lucy looked at Aiden. ¡°He does.¡±

    ¡°What? No!¡± said Aiden. ¡°I don¡¯t eat a lot.¡±

    ¡°You once finished an entire large pizza by yourself!¡± said Lucy.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not a lot,¡± said Aiden.

    ¡°You just finished half a large pizza.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± Alex cut in. ¡°He actually ate a full. All by himself. And he¡¯s still hungry.¡± Lucy and Aiden looked at each other weirdly. ¡°Is that odd?¡± Alex asked them.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Aiden. ¡°Yeah, I guess so.¡±

    Alex looked at Clark. ¡°Something¡¯s up.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s got to be the mutagens,¡± said Clark.

    Lucy reacted faster than a bolt of lightning. She was immediately in front of Aiden, shielding him in a defensive stance. She pointed the fruit knife at them, which Alex never saw her grab.

    Alex was taken aback. The blue balloon ruptured a tear, chuffing air from its body and hiding behind Alex once it was out of air. It was just as confused.

    ¡°Look guys,¡± Lucy said in a careful tone. ¡°We truly appreciate your help and hospitality, even though it was all for those glowing rocks all along. But let me make it clear, once and for all: We don¡¯t know anything about them. We don¡¯t know where we dropped them. And we¡¯d like to leave.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t leave yet!¡± said Clark. ¡°We still haven¡¯t talked about the mutagens.¡±

    Clark thought he was being nothing but sincere and honest, but that tone didn¡¯t land on Lucy.

    ¡°I told you we don¡¯t know anything,¡± she said. ¡°And we¡¯d like to leave now.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± said Clark. ¡°We need to know about the mutage¡ª¡±

    ¡°Clark, shut up,¡± said Alex. He immediately complied.

    Alex carefully took a seat on the couch. He wanted to let Lucy know he was no threat. ¡°We mean you no harm,¡± he said firmly to Lucy. ¡°You can relax.¡±

    ¡°How do I know for sure?¡± Lucy asked, still waving the knife at them. ¡°You telling me that robot won¡¯t take us out if we try to leave through the front door right now?¡±

    ¡°Go ahead,¡± said Alex. ¡°Clark, open the front door.¡±

    ¡°But Alex,¡± he protested. ¡°What about the mutagens?¡±

    ¡°Just do as I say, please!¡±

    The front door opened wide. The glass walls in the living room also retracted upwards. The robot blob took whimpered behind Alex. It obviously wasn¡¯t scared of Lucy and Aiden. All the sudden hostility had upset him, like it would any normal dog.

    ¡°See?¡± Alex told Lucy. ¡°If you want to leave, you can leave right now. But please hear us out first.¡±

    ¡°Why did you save us?¡± Lucy asked. ¡°Why did you get us here? Is this a quid pro quo?¡±

    ¡°It is not, I assure you,¡± said Alex. ¡°We got you here to save your life and nurse you back to health, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s all this about the muta¡ªwhatever-the-fuck, then?¡±

    ¡°Mutagens,¡± Aiden corrected her.

    ¡°Quiet,¡± Lucy told him.

    ¡°The mutagens are the source of his power,¡± Alex explained. ¡°They were scattered across the city when his body was destroyed. He needs them back, so that he¡¯s ready to defend Earth once again from a future invasion. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡±

    Lucy¡¯s facial muscles twitched. Alex¡¯s sincere tone seemed to be working.

    ¡°What if I tell you we don¡¯t have them?¡± Lucy asked.

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll believe you,¡± said Alex. ¡°And if you¡¯re lying, we¡¯d have no way to know. We¡¯ll continue looking for the mutagens ourselves because they are important for reasons I already explained.

    ¡°Please,¡± Alex begged. ¡°Relax. We mean you no harm.¡±

    Lucy looked like she genuinely, desperately wanted to. But past experience seemed to have taught her otherwise.

    She slowly relaxed her stance. ¡°We don¡¯t know anything about those glowing rocks. Do you believe me when I say this?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Alex. ¡°I don¡¯t think you have any reason to lie.¡±

    ¡°We found them¡ª¡± She hesitated a bit before continuing, ¡°¡ªat least one of them, near the east exit. After the golden light shot up into the sky.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Clark jumped in excitedly. ¡°That was me being split in two!¡±

    ¡°That was you?!¡± Aiden said excitedly.

    ¡°Quiet you two,¡± said Alex and Lucy together.

    ¡°You said at least one of them,¡± said Alex. ¡°So you found more?¡± Alex obviously knew that they had. Clark¡¯s receptors had picked up two blips. But he was trying to ease her into giving them the information on her own. Hopefully, this should help build back her trust.

    And if she lies about anything, he¡¯d know she didn¡¯t trust them yet.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said in a quivering voice, still sounding unsure whether to give Alex the truth. ¡°We found one there and the other one near Darby Terminal.¡±

    ¡°You guys were running all over town,¡± said Alex. ¡°Was something after you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask the questions now,¡± said Lucy.

    ¡°Okay,¡± said Alex.

    ¡°What does the name CalebGOD69420 mean to you?¡±

    ¡°The what now?!¡±

    ¡°The Boxing King!¡±

    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± said Alex. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard that name in my life.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s famous,¡± said Lucy. ¡°The fact that you¡¯ve never heard of him makes all this even more sus.¡±

    ¡°But you hadn¡¯t heard about him either, Lucy,¡± Aiden blurted.

    ¡°Aiden, quiet!¡±

    ¡°Lucy,¡± said Alex. ¡°I swear I have no idea who that is.¡±

    Lucy studied his face carefully. ¡°How did you find us?¡±

    ¡°We were tracking an energy signal from the mutagens,¡± Alex said. ¡°Clark can read them. They were part of his suit once.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± said Lucy in utter disbelief. ¡°Then why isn¡¯t he going back to get them right now? He can just send one of his pickup drones, can¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°Because they are already here,¡± said Clark. ¡°Inside you.¡±

    Lucy dropped the knife. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been trying to tell you,¡± said Clark. ¡°They¡¯ve been absorbed. I¡¯m almost sure of it. I wanted to take a blood sample from each of you earlier to confirm, but that spooked Aiden.¡±

    The blue ballon revealed its long, syringe-ended tail.

    Lucy looked shaken now. ¡°Yeah, well, of course! You can¡¯t just draw our blood without consent.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± said Clark. ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡±

    The blue balloon puppy whimpered.

    ¡°This is crazy,¡± said Lucy, finally dropping back on the couch. ¡°What do you mean they¡¯re inside us?¡±

    ¡°The mutagens are meant for biological life forms,¡± Clark explained. ¡°Not artificial ones like me. I can only draw upon the crystallized power contained within them. But only through a biological, carbon-based life form can they fulfill their true purpose.¡±

    ¡°Which is what?¡± asked Lucy.

    ¡°Genetic mutation.¡±

    ¡°Oh my god,¡± breathed Aiden. ¡°Oh my god!¡±

    ¡°So what are you saying, then?¡± asked Lucy, struggling to remain calm. ¡°You¡¯re saying we¡¯re some kind of freaks now?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± said Clark. ¡°You¡¯re the same as before, but also different.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean? Speak clearly.¡±

    ¡°The natural course of your evolution,¡± Clark began, ¡°has been tampered with. Accelerated. It will take a toll on your physical body, the effects of which we¡¯re already beginning to see now. Increased appetite, energy. Who knows what else is yet to come? I have limited information as to how the mutagens affect the human anatomy because the mutagens vanished from the face of the galaxy long before humans were even born. I¡¯m only making guesses based on past data, which is why I need to analyze your blood.¡±

    ¡°Is this why he had a fever last night?¡± asked Lucy. She seemed to be missing the fact that she had a fever, too.

    Missing? Or subconsciously blocking it out?

    ¡°Yes,¡± Clark told her. ¡°I¡¯m certain the mutagens are the reason. Behind your fevers, and behind how Aiden survived five magnum revolver shots.¡±

    Aiden¡¯s breath skyrocketed once again. ¡°So I¡¯m a¡­ a mutant now?¡±

    ¡°Aiden,¡± said Clark in an urgent tone, ¡°can you please explain to me, in as much detail as you can, what happened in that alleyway?¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Aiden began, nervous, ¡°we were running away from this¡­ gang. We also saw a giant crocodile demon earlier¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stick to the point, Aiden,¡± snapped Lucy.

    ¡°Right,¡± he said. ¡°Lucy said we should rest in that alley for a bit while she checks whether someone¡¯s following us. Someone was. I guess they were tracking us with a drone¡ª¡±

    ¡°The drone was mine,¡± said Clark. ¡°They were tracking you some other way. I wish I had one of my battle drones, then I would have shot that man down before he even got the chance to aim at you guys. But I¡¯m sorry, I lost all my battle drones during the attack on Sol City.¡± Clark sounded upset again. ¡°Anyway, Sorry to interrupt you, Aiden. Please continue.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± said Aiden. ¡°So the man was about to fire at Lucy, and I pushed her away.¡± Lucy squeezed onto a pillow once again. ¡°He said he heard me coming from behind, but I think that was just an echo. Or maybe¡­ I don¡¯t know. Then, he shot me.¡± Aiden breathed heavily. ¡°Five times. I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m alive.¡±

    ¡°What did you feel when the bullet connected with you?¡±

    ¡°I¡­,¡± said Aiden. ¡°I don¡¯t know. The bullets never hit me. I felt some pain, for a moment there, but I think that was phantom pain. There are no bullet holes. There was no blood. I think the bullets simply passed through me, because¡­ I felt like I sort of¡­ glitched out of existence every time I was hit.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± said Clark. ¡°Very interesting.¡±

    ¡°I was only able to wrap my head around it now,¡± said Aiden. ¡°But at the time, I honestly thought I was dead. I know it sounds crazy.¡±

    ¡°Not now it doesn¡¯t,¡± said Lucy. ¡°You¡¯re some genetically-enhanced freak now.¡±

    ¡°Where was the mutagen absorbed from?¡± asked Clark. ¡°Not that it matters. You may as well have swallowed it.¡±

    ¡°I have a¡­¡± Aiden cleared his throat. ¡°¡­a circular burn on my thigh. On the part that pushed against the rock in my pocket as we ran.¡±

    ¡°Where was the second rock?¡± asked Clark. ¡°Was that in your other pocket?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Aiden. He nervously looked at Lucy. ¡°That was with Lucy.¡±

    ¡°Lucy.¡± Clark turned to her. ¡°Can you show us whether you have the same kind of scar on your thigh?¡±

    Alex awkwardly cleared his throat. ¡°You can go to the washroom down the hall that way.¡±

    Lucy promptly sprang from the couch and sprinted toward the washroom. In a couple of minutes, she came sprinting back with a panicked expression on her face. ¡°What the hell did you do to me?!¡±

    ¡°Is that a¡­ yes?¡± asked Clark.

    ¡°That is,¡± Alex confirmed.

    ¡°I told you those rocks were trouble!¡± she snapped at Aiden.

    ¡°I told you we should throw them away!¡± he snapped back.

    ¡°Guys, please,¡± said Clark as the situation started to devolve once again.

    The blue robot balloon, that had been cowering behind Alex all this time, sprang forth and landed atop the coffee table. He then donned the form of a miniature wolf and let out a deafening howl that lasted a full minute.

    Everyone covered their ears, except Clark.

    The message from the robot wolf was clear: Calm down!

    All those raised voices bothered it. It just wanted everyone to get along.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry little wolf,¡± Aiden said to it calmly. He looked like he felt genuine guilt for upsetting the robot.

    ¡°So,¡± said Lucy, who had also clearly calmed down. ¡°So what? Are we superheroes now?¡±

    ¡°Like you?¡± Aiden asked anticipatingly.

    ¡°If you want to be,¡± said Clark. ¡°But first things first. I need to monitor you guys for a few days. Analyze whatever changes your body undergoes. Keep a log of your emotional states.¡±

    ¡°What do emotions have to do with this?¡± Aiden asked.

    ¡°Everything,¡± said Clark. ¡°Isn¡¯t it true that the mutagens were absorbed into your body while you felt great emotional distress, or upheaval?

    ¡°Emotions have a lot to do with evolution,¡± he continued. ¡°You didn¡¯t think it was a coincidence that the most evolved species on this planet also happened to be the most emotional, did you?¡±

    Lucy and Aiden remained silent, immersed in their thoughts and wonder.

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Clark continued, ¡°it is emotions that make me so different than all of you. You can feel in ways that I cannot. You can see the world in ways I can never imagine.¡±

    Alex could tell that all of this, too, was painful for Clark to admit.

    ¡°I was never meant to harness their true power, no matter how much I wanted to,¡± he said with a heavy voice. ¡°But you¡­ You guys might just be.¡±

    ***

    The gang stayed up chatting for a little while past that. All that energy that Lucy and Aiden felt in the morning was all but gone by dusk, and they were too tired to stay awake past 4 pm.

    Consent was finally obtained to get their blood samples. Their bodies didn¡¯t show any physical altercations, but Clark said they should watch out for those just the same.

    Clark was expecting them to run fevers once again in the night to come, so Alex told him all about the proven home remedies that had always worked for him when he was young, perfected by his mother. Clark eyed him suspiciously when he did so.

    When night fell and all were asleep, Alex tip-toed to the front door. He was pretty sure that he was now cleared by the mansion¡¯s security systems as a non-threat, so he should be able to open the door with ease.

    It was just as he thought.

    Alex carefully snuck out and closed the front door behind him, silently. He decided that he¡¯d turn his flashlight on only when he was past the estate grounds and deep into the woods.

    However, he was barely a few meters away when the front door swung open and the porch light illuminated his back.

    On the ground ahead of him, he could see a long shadow of what looked like a small dog bolting at him.

    Alex turned around.

    The robot wolf stopped a few paces away from him.

    ¡°You weren¡¯t going to leave without saying goodbye, were you?¡± came Clark¡¯s voice from a speaker on the robot wolf¡¯s head.

    ¡°I was going to do it over the phone,¡± said Alex. ¡°Or the radio now, I guess. It would¡¯ve been too hard, otherwise.¡±

    ¡°Then stay,¡± said Clark. ¡°You don¡¯t have to leave.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± said Alex. ¡°I told you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I remember,¡± Clark cut in. He played Alex¡¯s recorded voice back to him. ¡°I¡¯ll do this one last thing for you, and then I¡¯m out.¡±

    Alex shrugged awkwardly.

    ¡°You¡¯re not cursed, Alex,¡± said Clark. ¡°Whatever you did for those two proves that. They¡¯d be dead if not for you.¡±

    Alex felt his eyes swell. ¡°I wish I had reason to believe that too.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I said anything that offended you,¡± said Clark. ¡°I cannot understand what you¡¯re going through, and I don¡¯t want to pretend that I do. But I wish we had more time¡­ to figure it out together!¡±

    The robot wolf let out a sad whistle.

    ¡°Maybe some day,¡± said Alex, looking at both Clark and the robot wolf.

    ¡°The way you took control of that rapidly devolving situation,¡± Clark went on, ¡°was pretty impressive. I need you here.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± said Alex with a smile. ¡°They trust you now. You¡¯ll do fine.¡±

    ¡°And what about those two, huh? They seemed to have grown quite fond of you.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll be over it in no time,¡± said Alex. ¡°They barely knew me a few hours.¡±

    ¡°Something tells me that was long enough.¡±

    Alex playfully raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°Since when are you an expert on human interactions?¡±

    ¡°Fair,¡± said Clark. ¡°Where would you go?¡±

    ¡°Back to the city,¡± said Alex. ¡°Kenny¡¯s in a hospital somewhere inside. That dude¡¯s done a lot for me and I can¡¯t just leave him there.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t Lucy say that there were demons hiding in the underground?¡± asked Clark. ¡°Everyone on the surface is in imminent danger.¡±

    ¡°Which is precisely why I must get him out of there.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± said Clark. He then fell quiet, as though concentrating on something.

    ¡°Here,¡± he finally said. The watch on Alex¡¯s wrist glowed blue. Alex was startled; he had forgotten to take it off. ¡°I¡¯ve installed a copy of the protocol I used to hack the robot dogs into it. Just point the watch at them from a stealthy position and wait about ten seconds. It should give you a ten-minute window to sneak past them.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Clark.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s also a communication device,¡± said Clark. ¡°Call for help if you need any. We¡¯ll come racing down.¡±

    The robot wolf woofed and wagged its tail excitedly.

    Alex finally decided to pet him and the robot exploded with happiness. ¡°Thanks to you too.¡± The robot wolf woofed once again.

    ¡°Damn curses,¡± said Clark. ¡°I¡¯m putting out an ad to recruit the best witches in the galaxy.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that kind of a curse.¡± Alex chuckled. ¡°Or maybe it is, who knows. Maybe if I too become a superhero, it would go away.¡±

    ¡°Just say the word,¡± said Clark. ¡°I still have one mutagen left.¡±

    ¡°No good can come from having power like that in my hands,¡± Alex said truthfully.

    ¡°On the contrary,¡± said Clark. ¡°I can¡¯t think of anyone better.¡±

    Alex smiled. ¡°Goodbye you two. And good luck with that ad.¡±

    ¡°Good luck with whatever lies ahead for you, Alex.¡±

 Chapter 11 (The Hunt for the Demon Priest Arc begins!): Christmas in Hell - Part 1

    Chapter 11

    Christmas in Hell ¨C Part 1

    Alex slipped past the robot guard dogs effortlessly. Finding a good position to aim the watch at them in the dark, without making a sound, was challenging, but not impossibly so.

    An impatient person would have definitely goofed it up. But not him.

    He¡¯d had the best martial arts teacher in the world, after all.

    I wonder what he¡¯d think of all this.

    I bet he would team up with Clark and train a new generation of martial artists who could take down any demon you throw at them.

    Alex chuckled thinking how much Ojii-san resembled Master Roshi from Dragon Ball.

    Well, in only a handful of ways. Maybe only a couple.

    It was past dawn when he was finally inside the city and past the military blockade, thanks to Clark¡¯s foresight.

    He thought about where to go next. He had no idea where they¡¯d taken Kenny.

    The sky was still grey, despite the sun being out. And it was far too cold still.

    Sol City was always cold in December. But this year, it felt like the coldest month in decades. And it only got so unusually cold after the attack. Perhaps the red lightning had messed up the weather somehow.

    He was still in the north part of the city. Lucy had told them that the northern and western parts were much less affected than the south and the east. Areas that were closer to the city center, in all directions, had seen the worst of it.

    The demons were hiding underground and Lucy wasn¡¯t sure why. They were making their presence known here and there, like the crocodile-demon that swallowed the goon who was after them. But Alex could never guess why they hadn¡¯t come out already.

    Maybe they were weak to the sun? Maybe they needed the sky to be darker before they could be out?

    It was all guesswork at this point.

    Hopefully Clark was already working on some theory.

    He hoped they had taken him leaving well. They couldn¡¯t be too bummed about it can they? They hardly knew him. But still¡­

    So they were like superheroes now, huh? He wondered what kind of powers they¡¯d end up manifesting. And how.

    Clark must know more. He¡¯ll share it with them. He¡¯ll guide them well.

    Would their powers have any synergy? Genetics was apparently important somehow, so would the fact that Lucy and Aiden are related affect their powers somehow?

    Will their abilities form stronger combos with each other? If so, what would that look lik¡ª

    Stop it, Alex. If you cared about all this so much, then why¡¯d you leave?

    Well¡­ It¡¯s not because he didn¡¯t care¡­

    He swore off this. It was stuff like this that had gotten him in trouble so many times in the past.

    Trying to play the hero.

    It was precisely him trying to play the hero that had gotten him ki¡ª

    Alex slapped his cheeks and shook his head. He couldn¡¯t afford getting distracted now. He must focus on the mission at hand: Finding Kenny and getting him out of here.

    Where will he look for him though? Had they taken him out of the city?

    If so, he might be out of reach. But at least he¡¯d be safe.

    The only person who¡¯d know anything about this has to be Dan.

    Alex took the radio transmitter out of his backpack and clicked on it. The red indicator light remained dead.

    Dammit. It must be out of juice.

    Where would he find power to charge it? There was no electricity anywhere in the city.

    Alex examined it closely. It did have slots for AAA batteries, but they were empty.

    Perfect. He should have some batteries lying around his house, which was near the coast on the west side anyway. There was little chance that his apartment building was leveled in the attack.

    Alex took a hopeful breath. Let¡¯s go check.

    Lucy had said the damage to this part of the city was limited, but it wasn¡¯t nothing. Random bits of concrete still littered the streets. The fires that he saw from up above earlier, he could now see up close. People of all ages, from all walks of life, were now living on the streets, homeless.

    Many of them must be tourists who must have come here for Founding Day and gotten stuck. And, of course, not many people who resided in Sol City with homes still intact would provide shelter to strangers, especially during times like this.

    Alex walked as inconspicuously as he could. Lucy had told them about the gangs too. He didn¡¯t want to draw any unnecessary attention.

    He took a turn into a small alley. It¡¯d be better to avoid the main streets, and he knew a short cut from here anyway.

    He was about to exit the alley, but then¡ª

    Thud!

    Something fast turned into the alley and ran into him. Fast and strong¡­

    And blonde.

    The force with which the woman crashed into Alex knocked them both off balance and they almost dropped to the ground.

    Alex reflexively clung to the wall nearby to hold balance. The woman swung past him and cowered behind him.

    ¡°Hey!¡± said Alex, turning to her. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°What are you doing here?!¡± she said, appalled. She had an accent that Alex just couldn¡¯t place. ¡°Please,¡± she continued in a shaking voice, an almost instantaneous switch from confidence to cowardice. ¡°They¡¯re coming to get me!¡±

    To Alex, for some inexplicable reason, she didn¡¯t sound sincere.

    He turned around once again to see who or what she was running away from, but as soon as he did, something rock hard landed into his stomach with brutal force.

    A punch.

    Alex bent forward, clutching his belly. Damn that hurt!

    What the hell was going on?

    ¡°So you must be the boyfriend, then?¡± came an unfamiliar, hostile, male voice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t hurt him, please!¡± the woman cried. ¡°I don¡¯t know him.¡±

    What the hell? thought Alex. Why was she protecting him?

    Wasn¡¯t she the one running away from them just now? Wasn¡¯t she the one in need of protection?

    Alex recovered from the hit quickly enough. It wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d been punched in the gut; and it was nowhere near the hardest one he¡¯d taken.

    She inched away from him as two more guys surrounded him, preparing to strike from all sides.

    Three assholes chasing after a blonde woman.

    Well, this shouldn¡¯t be too uncommon now, given the total collapse of law and order.

    Alex sighed. Even in times so desperate, when people should come together and help each other survive, some would always choose to act like beasts.

    Today of all days, he was so not in the mood for flashbacks from eight years ago.

    ¡°Just let him go,¡± the woman pleaded again. ¡°Please!¡±

    What was up with this woman? Wasn¡¯t she at all worried for her own safety? She should be accepting any help she could get.

    Or just¡­ keep running while they were focused on Alex.

    Wait a second here. Was this all just an elaborate trap to rob him?

    ¡°Hey guy,¡± said the woman in her shaky voice. ¡°Why don¡¯t you run away, huh?¡±

    Why don¡¯t you? thought Alex.

    Alex let out a cough and straightened up.

    The guy on his left immediately tried to jab his knee into the spot on Alex¡¯s stomach where he was just hit, but then¡ª

    Alex blocked it with his palm. While his block was still connected, he grabbed the guy¡¯s muscle above his knee and squeezed.

    The guy screamed in pain and backed off on one foot, ultimately losing balance and falling flat on his bottom, wailing.

    ¡°Look guys,¡± said Alex. ¡°I swore off violence a long time ago. But I¡¯m not going to simply roll over when chumps like you come at me, thinking they¡¯re hot shit.¡±

    ¡°Tough guy, huh?¡± said the first guy smirking. ¡°Let¡¯s see how tough you are now!¡±

    He took a swing at Alex, which was so slow, Alex could grab his fist in his sleep.

    However, just in time, Alex noticed his knuckles gleam in the firelight.

    Brass knuckles.

    Shit. There was no blocking that attack.

    At least not by grabbing his fists.

    Alex shoved his right arm forward diagonally while ducking out of the way of the brass-knuckle punch. The side of his arm connected with his opponent¡¯s backhand, deflecting the attack. Alex immediately slid his arm back, grabbed his opponent¡¯s arm, and pushed forward. He added extra power to his shove with expert footwork and his other arm pushing at his opponent¡¯s waist.

    Alex pinned him against the wall and punched his liver with his left hand. The guy¡¯s body loosened up. Alex grabbed the opponent¡¯s knuckled fist with his left hand again and squeezed, which caused the guy to scream in pain just like the last one.

    Then, Alex swung his opponent¡¯s right arm over his head to the other side, leaving his face completely open. He then delivered a knockout punch with his right fist.

    The guy collapsed on the ground, unconscious.

    ¡°You sure about that?¡± asked Alex, nodding at the third guy¡¯s hands, who had so far been a mere spectator. He dropped the iron rod he was holding and bolted out the alley.

    ¡°Wow,¡± said the woman, impressed. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me you were a warrior!¡±

    Alex thought that was an odd choice of words. ¡°Lady, we just met.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, dusting at her blue denim dress with both hands, which ended well above her knee, leaving most of her legs exposed to the harsh cold. Alex noticed that the straps of her dress were as thin as a thread, leaving her shoulders exposed too.

    Wasn¡¯t she freezing?

    Why would she choose to wear something like this in this weather? Most people in Sol City around this time of the year would be fully-covered under at least two layers of clothing. They would carry a thick jacket, at least, like he was.

    At least she had a thin scarf wrapped around her neck. Guess that helped somewhat.

    She held her hand out to Alex. ¡°I¡¯m Kairin Fr-Umber.¡±

    ¡°Frumber?¡± Alex had never heard a name like that before.

    ¡°Umber,¡± she corrected after clearing her throat. ¡°Kairin Umber.¡±

    ¡°Alex Hunter,¡± he said, extending his hand to shake hers. However, she began shaking hers as soon as their fingertips met.

    Was she just¡­ too awkward?

    Her hair was blonde, but of a shade Alex had never seen before. It could pass as white. She had an oval face with sharp features and bright blue eyes. Her skin was ice white and, for some reason, it felt like she had freeze-breath.

    Something about her was just so weird.

    ¡°You broke my fucking leg!¡± screamed the goon rolling on the ground, clutching his knee in pain. ¡°You paralyzed me for life!¡±

    ¡°Shup up!¡± said Alex.

    ¡°Or he¡¯ll break the other one too!¡± Kairin yelled at him, smiling maniacally.

    Alex almost chuckled. ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold?¡± he asked her. ¡°Where¡¯s your jacket?¡±

    ¡°Right here,¡± she said pointing to her scarf.

    Alex raised an eyebrow. ¡°That doesn¡¯t look enough.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said with a small giggle. ¡°You mean like your overcoat. Yeah, um, I had one. It just got stolen by those guys. No, wait. I forgot to grab it before I ran. I¡¯m sorry I forget stuff sometimes.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± said Alex. ¡°Guys like that must be everywhere now,¡± he said dismissively. ¡°You best be careful.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    He turned to leave, but¡ª

    ¡°Wait!¡± she yelped. ¡°I¡­ um. I¡¯m new here. Can you please show me where may I find some lodging?¡±

    ¡°Lodging? You mean like a hotel?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°Somewhere to spend the night. I can¡¯t keep sleeping outside, you see. Found out the hard way.¡± She giggled again, awkwardly. ¡°You must have one of those right?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Alex. ¡°Yes, we got hotels. But look around you,¡± he said waving his arms, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯re all temporarily out of service!¡±

    I swear, there¡¯s something so off about her.

    ¡°Okay,¡± she said, clearly not getting it. ¡°You mean because of the attack?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Alex firmly. ¡°Yes, I suppose so.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s a problem then, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I guess!¡± said Alex. ¡°But I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve got some place to be, so I wish you the best of luck.¡±

    He turned around and walked away, but she followed. ¡°No, wait, please,¡± she said trotting beside him. ¡°I¡¯m a journalist,¡± she continued. ¡°I¡¯m covering the attack on this town, and¡ª¡±

    Alex had never heard someone refer to the vastly expansive Sol City as a town.

    ¡°¡ªand I¡¯ve only gotten here last night and I¡¯d really like to get some inside scoop.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re mad,¡± said Alex. ¡°How can you even think of coming here at a time like this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ passionate about my work.¡±

    ¡°And how did you get through the military blockade?¡± asked Alex. ¡°It went up barely an hour after the attack.¡±

    ¡°Did I say yesterday? Whoops,¡± she said. ¡°I meant day before. I got in before the attack and got stuck here. I was staying at a friend¡¯s place, who had an air warmer, so I slipped into something more comfortable.¡± She said pointing to her dress. ¡°But then the attack happened and we had to run in a hurry so I had no time to change.¡±

    Cool story, thought Alex. But she wasn¡¯t shivering one bit, was she?

    And who the hell says air warmer?

    ¡°Where¡¯s your friend?¡± Alex asked.

    ¡°Missing since the attack,¡± she said. Her hopeful tone made her sound less concerned about her missing friend and more concerned about whether Alex bought the story.

    ¡°Okay,¡± he said, least interested in who she was and why she was here. If she wanted to keep her cards close to the chest when dealing with a stranger, that was understandable; smart, even. ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate. But I¡¯m in somewhat of a hurry. I wish there was something I could do, but there isn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°There is!¡± she said. ¡°Can you just¡­ walk with me for a while? Just until I¡¯m sure I¡¯m safe from guys like that. I won¡¯t bother you. I¡¯ll observe the state of the city while we walk toward whatever it is you¡¯re walking toward. And I swear I¡¯ll be silent. Please, you look like you can protect me if something goes wrong.¡±

    ¡°And why would I play bodyguard to a total stranger?¡± asked Alex.

    ¡°Well, you just did, didn¡¯t you?¡± she said with an innocent undertone of celebrating victory.

    Alex saw no harm in that. ¡°Fine,¡± he said and started walking. ¡°Just as long as you don¡¯t pester me with annoying questions.¡±

    ¡°Deal,¡± she said smiling, and closely followed suit.

    ¡°What did you say your name was again?¡± Alex asked her.

    ¡°Kairin,¡± she said. ¡°Ka-i-rin.¡± She enunciated each syllable as though explaining to a child.

    ¡°Are you¡­? I don¡¯t know.¡± Alex thought about how to put it. ¡°Are you part Japanese?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said plainly. ¡°I am not Japanese.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just that your name sounds Japanese but you definitely don¡¯t look Japanese, so.¡±

    ¡°I am not Japanese,¡± she said again, firmly.

    ¡°Okay,¡± said Alex. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you want to keep your true identity a secret, you know. I think that¡¯s smart.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to hide anything!¡± She seemed way too triggered for someone who wasn¡¯t trying to hide anything. ¡°And I¡¯m appalled at the insinuation!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± said Alex simply.

    They walked a few meters in silence. Then, not like it was any surprise, Kairin started with her questions. ¡°So you¡¯ve lived here long?¡±

    ¡°Long enough,¡± said Alex.

    ¡°Come on, you can be honest with me!¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± said Alex, scoffing at the irony. ¡°Like you have been with me.¡±

    ¡°Fair,¡± she said. ¡°Okay you can lie about personal details. But what I¡¯m trying to ask is: Has this town always been this way?¡±

    ¡°You asking whether the fires and the people living on the streets and the toppled buildings is normal?¡±

    ¡°Yup,¡± she said. ¡°Is it?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Alex, cringing with confusion. ¡°No. We¡­ we had a demon attack! You said you were a journalist, didn¡¯t you? Did you somehow miss that news?¡±

    ¡°No, right, of course!¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not from here.¡±

    ¡°Where are you based?¡±

    ¡°You asking about my home base?¡±

    ¡°No! I mean, yes. I guess. Where are you from?¡±

    She took a second to answer. ¡°I¡¯m from Europe.¡±

    Another lie. Alex wanted to throw his arms into the air but he resisted the temptation.

    ¡°Okay,¡± he simply said and they continued walking.

    They walked in silence a little longer. ¡°Where in Europe?¡± Alex finally asked.

    ¡°Iceland,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s too cold there. Thick, white, ice sheets everywhere. That¡¯s why I¡¯m so used to the cold. The cold here doesn¡¯t bother me at all.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± said Alex and continued walking in silence.

    ¡°So, um,¡± Kairin began again. ¡°The demon attack¡­ Was it like¡­ Was it out of nowhere or did you guys get any warning beforehand?¡±

    ¡°No warning,¡± said Alex. ¡°Unless the government had any secret program monitoring extra-terrestrial threats like this. But it¡¯s not like they issued any emergency evacuation messages pre-emptively, so I don¡¯t know.¡±

    She was scribbling it all down in what looked like some touch-screen device the likes of which Alex had never seen before. Maybe it was some weird skin on a miniature iPad.

    Did they make iPads of this size? It sure didn¡¯t look like a phone.

    ¡°Oo,¡± she began, having recently thought of something. ¡°Do you have connections with your government? Do you think you can get us in?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± said Alex.

    ¡°No as in you have no connections or no as in you won¡¯t get us in?¡±

    ¡°No as in no,¡± said Alex.

    ¡°Got it,¡± she said, scribbling it down. ¡°Were the demons red or yellow?¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± asked Alex. ¡°Why would that matter?¡±

    Even Clark didn¡¯t care about the demons¡¯ skin colors.

    ¡°It¡¯s just,¡± she said. ¡°You know. I¡¯ve read that demons can be yellow. Even pink, actually.¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°So what color did you say they were?¡±

    ¡°They were red,¡± said Alex. ¡°Glowing red.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± she said. Scribble, scribble, scribble. ¡°So, um. Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where we are going,¡± said Alex. ¡°I am going to see my friend.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s your friend?¡±

    ¡°He has to be in one of the three hospitals this side of the city,¡± he said. And then, it suddenly struck him. ¡°Say, did you see any ambulances looking for patients? I¡¯m sure at least one of the three are active, and the ones on the other side are a no-go anyway.¡±

    Kairin seemed to be listening intently, but Alex had a feeling he wasn¡¯t getting through to her at all.

    ¡°Well?¡± asked Alex. ¡°Did you?¡±

    ¡°Ambulances?¡± she asked, confused.

    Maybe English was her second language and she didn¡¯t know the word because she was from¡­ Iceland.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Alex. ¡°You know those big red vehicles with loud sirens on top? Looking for injured people?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°I saw one of those, yes!¡±

    ¡°Did you see which way it went?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said. ¡°It kind of took a right from there and then disappeared. I¡¯m sorry that¡¯s all I know.¡±

    ¡°Great,¡± said Alex. ¡°That could be any of the three.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said sincerely.

    Alex felt a little guilty for giving her such a hard time. It¡¯s just that¡­ he was a little annoyed with all the secrecy and blatant lying.

    Even though he understood why someone would not reveal sensitive information to strangers. Especially in situations like this where shady criminals and scamsters were rampant.

    No¡­ It wasn¡¯t that. It wasn¡¯t just that.

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem,¡± said Alex. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m a bit grumpy this morning. I was forced to do something I didn¡¯t want to do and I guess it¡¯s made me a little sad.¡±

    Funny, thought Alex. He had never said this part out loud.

    So he really didn¡¯t want to leave, huh?

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said. ¡°Who forced you?¡±

    ¡°I did,¡± said Alex.

    ¡°You forced yourself to do something you didn¡¯t want to do? That doesn¡¯t make any sense. Why would you do that?¡±

    Alex remained quiet. ¡°Enough questions.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± she said.

    ¡°That¡¯s my¡ªahem.¡± Alex coughed. He almost dropped his guard down and revealed to a total stranger where he lived.

    Rookie mistake.

    ¡°Stay put over there,¡± he said. ¡°I need to grab something from another friend of mine, okay?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t leave me, please,¡± she begged. ¡°I don¡¯t know anyone here and I¡¯m scared. Please.¡±

    She had been bullshitting Alex this entire time. But right now, with this, Alex could tell she was being honest.

    And Alex had been instructed to never take his instincts lightly.

    ¡°Please,¡± she begged again.

    ¡°Okay,¡± said Alex. ¡°Come with me.¡±

    It¡¯s not like he couldn¡¯t take her if she tried anything funny. And if she¡¯s actually someone like a spotter for the mafia who scouts easy houses to rob, then she was wasting her time.

    There were no valuables in his apartment anyway, except for his Playstation and TV. It would be a miracle if they were still in working condition.

    Moreover, this was probably the last time he was coming back to his apartment anyway. Once he locates what hospital Kenny is in, he would urge him to take an early discharge if he was healthy enough, and then leave Sol City for good.

    If he was not healthy enough, then he¡¯d just wait at the hospital until he is.

    He punched the code into his digital lock while Kairin stood beside him watching curiously. He covered the code with his other hand, and she didn¡¯t hide her disappointed. She¡¯d had been ogling at every single thing, including the elevator buttons, like a tourist.

    When they were finally inside, she hopped straight to the balcony, then through the lobby into his bedroom, and then came back to the living room and disappointingly said, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean that¡¯s it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quite small,¡± she said. ¡°After the grand entrance through the ascender and everything, I thought it¡¯d be some huge mansion in the sky.¡±

    Alex was more confused than offended. Also, ascender?

    ¡°It¡¯s a one bedroom,¡± said Alex. ¡°It¡¯s quite spacious actually, and it¡¯s inside the city.¡±

    She didn¡¯t seem convinced. ¡°What a mess, though,¡± she said looking around.

    Alex raised an eyebrow at that judgment. ¡°Yeah, well, there was an earthquake, which I¡¯m pretty sure you missed.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± she said having barely heard Alex. She was still dreamily looking around with that same fascinated look in her eyes.

    His TV had fallen off the hinges, glass cracked but not shattered. Many of his collectibles and figurines were smashed on the ground, which pained him. But then, he now had the excuse to buy new ones.

    He tapped the button on his Playstation 5, which fell out. The console seemed to have flown off its glass mantle and crashed landed on the floor. It also had a huge dent in the center indicating that something heavy had landed on top of it, which had probably crushed the components inside.

    Alex clenched his fists. The demons will pay for this!

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± she said holding his Guts from Berserk figurine which was still intact.

    Alex chuckled. Even a demonic earthquake couldn¡¯t break Guts.

    ¡°That¡¯s a collectible,¡± Alex told her. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t read manga, then.¡±

    ¡°Manga?¡±

    ¡°Comic books.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said, sounding like she finally got what he was talking about. ¡°I read books.¡±

    Alex wanted to slap his forehead. She was clearly not right in the head.

    Wait, that¡¯s it. That explains a lot.

    She must be a patient from the psychiatric ward. The locks to her cell must have opened during all the chaos and she must have slipped out.

    That explains everything!

    He now felt extra bad for being so hard on her earlier.

    Alex walked to the bedroom and opened his closet. From there, he took out a pair of old track pants and a thick t-shirt.

    ¡°Here.¡± He tossed the clothes to her. ¡°They¡¯re from when I¡¯d lost a ton of weight after falling sick. They might still be a little oversized for you, but you can fold the ends of the pants and tie the t-shirt around your waist or whatever. Style them however you want.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said, flushed from the unexpected kindness from Alex. ¡°Thank you!¡±

    ¡°Do you need a jacket as well?¡±

    ¡°Like yours? No, it¡¯s fine. These will do.¡±

    She was about to put them on over her dress when Alex said, ¡°You can go change in the bedroom. And close the door behind you.¡± For some strange reason, he thought it was important to remind her of that last part.

    ¡°Right,¡± she said and went in.

    She was out in a couple minutes. The clothes fit her well.

    A little too well.

    She may only be a couple inches shorter than him. But still. That was weird.

    ¡°Okay,¡± said Alex. ¡°I just need to pick up a couple of things, then we¡¯re out. Okay?¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± she said, beaming. He had no idea what she was so happy about.

    But then again, psychiatric patients do be like that sometimes.

    He should remember everything she had said and done while she was out, and report it to her handler. Maybe the information would be helpful to them in some way.

    Alex found three AAA batteries in a discarded-but-not-really electronics drawer. He noticed that they were out of their packaging, so he checked their ends. They were already browning.

    Slim chance of these working. But he had to try.

    He punched them into the transmitter and hit the button.

    The indicator lamp glowed red. Alex smiled.

    But then, it quickly went out.

    Dammit.

    Okay, whatever. Not a big deal. All he had to do now was check each of the three hospitals that Kenny could be in. In case he ran into Dan along the way, he could ask him directly.

    And if he didn¡¯t find Kenny in any of those, that was good news. It probably meant they¡¯d taken him to some hospital outside the city.

    Also, while he hunted down the right hospital, he should also ask the staff for the right psych ward to drop Kairin in.

    ¡°You ready to go?¡± he asked her as she played with one of his Batman figurines.

    ¡°Is that a sculpture of you in a costume?¡± she asked innocently.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Alex. ¡°Yes, it is.¡±

    ***

    Alex and Kairin were soon out on the streets of Sol City once again.

    Alex had a clear path charted out. It avoided all the problem areas that Lucy mentioned and should still allow him to scout all three hospitals as quickly as possible.

    But this path only avoided known demon threats. It was entirely possible that he¡¯d be jump scared by a ten-footer in some random dark alley.

    The demons underground were not the only problem, however. Random gangs had taken over the streets, gatekeeping certain important areas to extort money and valuables in the name of tolls.

    Modern day trolls. He must carefully maneuver around them too.

    Which may prove difficult when walking with someone for whom being inconspicuous was impossible.

    Kairin walked with a merry skip in her step. She must have noticed a random squirrel somewhere which would have made her day, or month. Alex was sure they didn¡¯t let her out much; perhaps only in the institutional grounds for a few hours a day, and never unattended.

    She must be feeling so free.

    He made a mental note that once he was near the problem areas he would avoid dark alleyways, not just for his sake, but also for hers.

    But this close to the west coast and his house, it was probably fine to take a short cut.

    He guided Kairin into a dark narrow alley that should save them ten or so minutes. Once almost at its midpoint, they were ambushed once again.

    ¡°Not again!¡± said Alex as loud as he could. ¡°I thought I was done for the day.¡±

    Three hooded figures emerged from the shadows in front of them.

    ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± said the one in the center who was also the tallest.

    Cultist fucks, thought Alex. So even these sick idiots had infested the city.

    ¡°I agree,¡± said Alex. ¡°Time to kick your ass.¡±

    Alex donned a fighting stance. Let them come. He could take them. He could take them all today.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been away long enough,¡± said the figure calmly, unfazed by Alex¡¯s provocation. ¡°It¡¯s time to go home, princess.¡±

    ¡°Who the hell are you calling princess, you bald freak?¡±

    Before it dawned on him, Kairin swooshed past him and stood in front of him like a shield, shoving him back with one arm, similar to how Lucy had sprung to Aiden¡¯s defense.

    ¡°Kairin, no!¡± Alex protested. What was she thinking? She was even crazier than he previously thought! ¡°You get behind me right now!¡±

    ¡°Relax,¡± she said calmly. Her usual, giggly self was gone, replaced by someone cold and confident. ¡°They¡¯re not here for you. They¡¯re here for me.¡±

    Alex was dumbfounded. What in the world was going on?

    ¡°How many rules did you break revealing yourself in front of a commoner, master?¡± she said to the tallest hooded figure.

    ¡°We can take care of him,¡± the hooded man replied. ¡°There are no witnesses here.¡±

    ¡°You will do no such thing! He¡¯s under my protection!¡±

    ¡°You overestimate your skill.¡±

    ¡°You underestimate your honor!¡±

    Silence fell between them. Cold, deafening silence. Tension so thin it could break out into a full-scale battle any moment.

    Between a master and his apprentice, apparently.

    Had the entire psych ward slipped out?

    ¡°Who the hell are you people?¡± Alex blurted involuntarily.

    Kairin turned her head to look at him and smiled nervously. ¡°I told you, Alex. I¡¯m not from here.¡±

    ¡°I knew it!¡± said Alex. ¡°Greenland is the one with the thick ice sheets. Iceland is green.¡±

 Chapter 12: Christmas in Hell - Part 2

    Chapter 12

    Christmas in Hell ¨C Part 2

    Alex still hadn¡¯t fully processed it.

    Kairin¡ªwas she really an alien?

    Why did she look so human, then?

    Aren¡¯t aliens supposed to be much, much scarier?

    On one hand there were these giant, scary, fiery demons. And on the other¡­ basically humans with icy white skin?

    Why did Clark never mention that there were humans on other planets too?

    Wait. She may look human, but she might still be a scary Xenomorph underneath. Maybe her human form is just a disguise!

    Alex¡¯s head began to squirm inside his skull. There was so much¡­ just so much he didn¡¯t know yet.

    So much that he would love to ask Clark about.

    The vast galaxy was finally making contact!

    ¡°So,¡± said Kairin, still in her battle stance. ¡°What are you going to do, master?¡±

    Alex slowly got his mind back to the scene playing out in front of him.

    The tall figure in the center dropped his hood and revealed a bald, tattooed head and face.

    Except that they weren¡¯t tattoos.

    They looked like war paint the likes of which Alex had never seen before. Or maybe they were tribal markings, or scars from a ritual gone wrong¡­

    ¡°Come home, Kairin,¡± said the middle-aged bald man in a sympathetic growl. ¡°You¡¯ve been away long enough.¡±

    ¡°I cannot, not yet,¡± said Kairin. ¡°This is important to me.¡±

    ¡°Your duty lies with your people.¡±

    ¡°My duty lies where I decide it lies!¡±

    ¡°Oh, come on!¡± shouted the figure on the left, also dropping his hood. ¡°And they chose you for the ice witch trials. It¡¯s preposterous!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re here, too?¡± asked Kairin, bemused, but in a condescending way.

    ¡°Quiet, Jovar!¡± said the tattooed man. ¡°You will speak to the princess with respect or I will have your tongue!¡±

    ¡°My apologies, father,¡± said the man named Jovar. He should be roughly their age.

    ¡°Apologize to the princess, not to me,¡± said the man.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± said Kairin. ¡°It¡¯s not like he¡¯s acting out of character.¡± Kairin turned to the third hooded man. ¡°You! Might as well show me your face.¡±

    The third man dropped his hood. Kairin immediately recognized him. ¡°Malti! They sent you too?¡±

    ¡°Hi Kairin!¡± The man waved awkwardly. He looked fairly younger than both Alex and Kairin. He must be a little older than Aiden. ¡°Long time, huh?¡±

    ¡°Malti, what are you doing here? There¡¯s a full-scale demon invasion at play. They brought their once beautiful town to ruin!¡± Kairin sounded very concerned about this young man. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m ready, Kairin!¡± said the young man excitedly. ¡°I cleared Grade 1. I can do this!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s called Grade 1 for a reason Malti! There¡¯s plenty more!¡±

    Malti shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Jovar thinks I¡¯ll have a rank soon.¡±

    ¡°Have you been poisoning his mind?¡± Kairin turned to the man called Jovar.

    Jovar opened his mouth but immediately snapped it shut following a stern look from his father.

    ¡°Kairin,¡± said the tattooed man. ¡°You know we can¡¯t interfere.¡±

    ¡°You cannot,¡± said Kairin. ¡°I can do whatever I want!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your father¡¯s orders,¡± said the man. ¡°To bring you in by force, when it becomes necessary.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± said Kairin. ¡°And when will it become necessary?¡±

    ¡°When you¡¯re in danger.¡±

    ¡°Am I in danger right now, master? From you?¡±

    ¡°I swore to protect you.¡± The man was pleading. ¡°I will never put you in danger.¡±

    ¡°Perfect, then,¡± said Kairin. ¡°I think that settles it. Now get out of my way!¡±

    ¡°He misses you, Kairin. There are reasons why your father thinks what he thinks, and does what he does,¡± said the tattooed man. ¡°I hope you too see it one day.¡±

    Kairin remained silent.

    ¡°You¡¯re putting your own people in danger,¡± said Jovar. ¡°By sympathizing with these kaltoks!¡±

    ¡°Jovar, I will have your tongue!¡± said Kairin.

    Jovar scoffed in frustration, knowing he couldn¡¯t utter another word.

    ¡°Call for help,¡± said the tattooed man. ¡°If you need us.¡±

    The corner of Kairin¡¯s lips twitched a little. She wanted to smile, but stopped herself. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, master. I will never compel you to break your oaths; or the All-father forbid, the law.¡± She said the last word with a hint of scorn.

    The tattooed man and his son, Jovar, began to retreat into the shadows.

    ¡°Master Korne!¡± Kairin called out. ¡°Let father know that I¡¯m alive and well. And that I can take care of myself.¡±

    The tattooed man nodded and disappeared into the foggy darkness with his son. The third man stuck around for a second longer.

    ¡°Goodbye, Kairin,¡± he said sincerely, waving awkwardly. ¡°You take care!¡±

    ¡°Be careful, Malti,¡± said Kairin. ¡°Keep your eyes peeled at every corner. You understand?¡±

    Malti nodded and followed the others into the darkness.

    The dark fog lifted. Alex noticed it only after it was gone.

    Kairin turned awkwardly to a heaving Alex. ¡°Okay,¡± she said. ¡°You may have questions.¡±

    ¡°You think?¡± asked Alex.

    ¡°Let me start by assuring you I mean you and your people no harm,¡± said Kairin.

    ¡°Yeah, well,¡± said Alex. ¡°You made your stance pretty clear just now¡­ to your master?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s been one of my teachers ever since I was a child,¡± said Kairin. ¡°I have great respect for Master Korne.¡±

    ¡°What did he teach you?¡± Alex couldn¡¯t resist.

    ¡°Come now,¡± said Kairin. ¡°It won¡¯t be fun if I reveal everything all at once!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that,¡± said Alex. ¡°You¡¯re strong, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just say we can take all the demon-infested shortcuts now, you know, the ones you were trying to avoid.¡±

    Alex smirked. She was so cocky!

    ¡°Unless we run into a C-rank or something,¡± said Kairin. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can take a C-ranker by myself, yet.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t your friends help?¡± asked Alex.

    ¡°They¡¯ve sworn not to,¡± said Kairin. ¡°They can¡¯t interfere.¡±

    ¡°What kind of a stupid oath is that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you all about the inner-workings of my father¡¯s politics some other time. But regardless, the chances of there being a C or even a D-rank anywhere around here are almost zero.¡±

    ¡°Almost, huh?¡± Alex wondered whether she knew about The Chancellor.

    If she did¡ªwhich is a big IF¡ªthen did that make someone like The Chancellor a non-threat for her people?

    Were they really that strong?

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± said Kairin. ¡°Let¡¯s go find your friend.¡±

    Alex and Kairin made their way through the wide streets with densely-packed with tents. It was a grim view of people barely getting by.

    And there was nothing Alex could do for any of them.

    Just where was the government? What moron thought of keeping the military out at a time like this?

    With The Chancellor gone, these lesser demons should drop like flies in the face of heavy artillery.

    It shouldn¡¯t be too hard! Especially considering how much Dan and his small crew of vacationing soldiers had managed to achieve by themselves!

    If only Clark was intact, he would¡¯ve cleaned this place up in less than a day.

    He looked at Kairin curiously. She had a home somewhere else in the stars; and yet she was here, on some personal mission, apparently. Her origins may not be as mysterious as Clark¡¯s, but she seemed like yet another strong ally.

    They were lucky after all.

    Kairin was back to being her bubbly, carefree self. Almost everything she set her eyes on fascinated her.

    It only made sense now. Earth is an alien world to her after all.

    Alex¡¯s stomach growled. ¡°We better find something to eat,¡± he said to Kairin.

    ¡°Oo yes!¡± She clapped excitedly. Her bubbly persona in the midst of such a grim atmosphere only drew unnecessary attention from disgusted onlookers.

    ¡°What¡¯re you clapping about, lady?¡± spat a disheveled bum.

    Kairin was about to respond with something surely distasteful, but Alex pulled her away.

    ¡°What¡¯s his problem?¡± she muttered angrily. ¡°Oh wait,¡± she said, having finally realized it. ¡°I guess I know.¡±

    ¡°Having gone without food for days while living under the constant threat of a demon attack can make someone a tad bit grumpy, huh?¡± said Alex, pointing out what she had presumably just figured out.

    ¡°Yeah, well,¡± she said. ¡°I guess I should go back and apologize.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± said Alex. ¡°Not necessary. Just keep moving.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± She protested. ¡°It¡¯s the right thing to do!¡±

    ¡°He might just be a bum who¡¯d loot your iPad-thingy from you and dump your body somewhere!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d love to see him try,¡± said Kairin. ¡°What¡¯s iPad-thingy?¡±

    ¡°The device you were scribbling on,¡± said Alex. ¡°Looks like a miniature iPad.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a notebook,¡± said Kairin. ¡°I keep it to take notes!¡± she added sarcastically.

    Alex¡¯s stomach growled again.

    ¡°Might need some minchkin for that,¡± said Kairin. ¡°Oh! Or do you have frostberries? Please say yes.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what either of those things are,¡± said Alex. ¡°But we may find some fruits near the north side. But that¡¯s a back track.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m hungry!¡± said Kairin.

    Alex felt it too. ¡°Okay,¡± he said, annoyed that it didn¡¯t strike him earlier to gather fruits on his way in. ¡°Let¡¯s quickly go find some.¡±

    They walked toward the northern jungle for a while in silence. Alex hacked the robot dogs once again (¡°They were so scary, but that was so cool!¡± said Kairin), and they were able to gather some low-hanging fruits.

    ¡°Might grab a few more,¡± she told him. ¡°We could share it with the others.¡±

    ¡°I only have one backpack,¡± said Alex. ¡°But sure. I¡¯ll carry a little extra.¡±

    They quickly doubled back to the west side and were now on track for the first hospital, Apex Central.

    ¡°Say,¡± said Alex. ¡°What did your friend call us before?¡±

    ¡°Who, Jovar? He¡¯s not my friend. And you don¡¯t wanna know.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it kaltovak or something?¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± said Kairin. ¡°Don¡¯t just drop slurs like that casually.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what it means!¡±

    ¡°He called you low-lifes,¡± said Kairin. ¡°More like low forms of life. Happy?¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± said Alex. ¡°We¡¯re that primitive compared to you, huh?¡±

    Kairin nodded. ¡°You sure are primitive,¡± she began but got confused halfway through her thoughts. ¡°But you are not that primitive. Certainly not primitive enough to be hidden from the archive¡­¡±

    ¡°The archive?¡±

    ¡°The Galactic Archive,¡± Kairin explained. ¡°It contains a ton of information about almost everything. You can find whatever you want about all the known planets and star systems in the galaxy.¡±

    ¡°And Earth wasn¡¯t in it?¡±

    Kairin shook her head. ¡°Earth¡ªwhat a funny name,¡± she said giggling. ¡°It¡¯s like calling your world dirt or concrete.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well.¡± Alex had never thought of it that way. ¡°I don¡¯t know who named it so. No one does.¡±

    They walked in silence a bit more. And then, it struck Alex. ¡°Wait, why can I understand you? How are you speaking English?¡±

    Come to think of it, he could even understand The Chancellor.

    Kairin looked at him weird. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Are you using some high-tech real-time audio translator or something like that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m speaking the Galactic Standard,¡± said Kairin. ¡°This is not English.¡±

    Alex tried to wrap his head around it. Of course they wouldn¡¯t call it English; the British wouldn¡¯t have gotten to them, obviously.

    Or maybe they had. You never know.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    ¡°There are many other Standard Tongues,¡± Kairin went on to explain. ¡°It¡¯s just that this one¡¯s been the standard for a few thousand years now.¡±

    ¡°But how do we speak it?¡±

    ¡°Your language and culture were subtly influenced, groomed over millennia,¡± said Kairin. ¡°Like most newer worlds. After all, no one escapes the Empire¡­¡± She was lost in thought for a second. ¡°Which makes it even more suspicious as to why you weren¡¯t in the archives.¡±

    Alex gulped. It was like everything he ever knew was about to change.

    They had reached Apex Central Hospital. The first thing they noticed was smoke emerging from behind the hospital building.

    At first, Alex thought the building was on fire. But then came the unbearable stench.

    ¡°They¡¯re burning bodies,¡± said Alex, choking and coughing. ¡°Probably piled up in the grounds behind the building.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± she said, grimly eyeing the rising smoke. The smell didn¡¯t bother her one bit. ¡°Oh shoot, sorry,¡± she said after noticing Alex choke. She made a quick combination of hand signs in the air.

    A small amount of frosty, smokey ice gathered around her fingers and shot off to Alex¡¯s nose. He could feel soft icicles growing inside his nostrils, which tickled. His nose felt cold and numb, and the smell was gone.

    ¡°Should¡¯ve done it earlier,¡± she said.

    ¡°So you are an ice witch!¡± said Alex.

    Kairin smiled dismissively. ¡°Come on.¡±

    The scene inside the hospital was horrific. Doctors and nurses ran around in panic. Patients with all kinds of injuries were stuck in a line in the lobby, waiting to be tended to.

    Alex couldn¡¯t bear the sight. He asked at the reception, but they had no record of anyone named Kenny Serkin.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± said Alex pointing Kairin to an exit behind the reception.

    Once out from this exit, Alex and Kairin had a proper view of the open space behind the hospital, which was much larger than what Alex remembered, presumably because the building next to it had crumbled to the ground.

    They saw a fresh set of bodies being dumped into the already massive fire.

    The electric incinerators inside the hospital were obviously out of order. And besides, there were just too many bodies to store indoors.

    Alex wondered how were they functioning without any electricity. So many people who could have been saved must have lost their lives, simply due to lack of power.

    He felt a deep, unbearable sadness within him. But he didn¡¯t have the time to confront it.

    Not now. Not when Kenny was battling for his life in a place like this, all alone.

    He turned to leave, but spotted Kairin glued in place as she stared at the heap of bodies, breathing heavily. She had tears in her eyes.

    ¡°Hey,¡± said Alex. ¡°We should keep mo¡ª¡±

    He stopped talking, thinking that he¡¯d probably say something insensitive.

    Kairin sniffled. Steaming hot tears flowed down her cheeks, misting up against her icy cold skin.

    ¡°This is why I do what I do,¡± she said, her voice beaming with emotion. ¡°Just look at the death and destruction they leave in their wake. They have no regard for any life other than their own!¡±

    Kairin closed her eyes and clenched her fists. ¡°I will stop them. I will wipe them off the face of the galaxy, if that¡¯s what it takes!¡±

    She was shaking with fury.

    Alex couldn¡¯t think of the right thing to say. He barely knew her. He had no idea what motivated her.

    ¡°Come on,¡± she said, having finally gathered herself. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    They walked toward the next hospital in silence once again.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting darker,¡± said Kairin. ¡°Does it always get so dark so early?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Alex. ¡°Something¡¯s up with the weather. It¡¯s about 3 pm now and it looks like it¡¯s almost dusk.¡±

    ¡°How far is the second one?¡±

    ¡°Not far,¡± said Alex. ¡°We should be there in about half an hour.¡±

    ¡°And what about the third one?¡±

    ¡°The third one¡¯s a little farther than that,¡± said Alex. ¡°Closer to the east side.¡± A faint shiver ran down Alex¡¯s spine as he recalled what¡¯s on that side of the city.

    ¡°Do you have a second dwelling where we can halt at or are we walking all the way back?¡±

    ¡°How rich do you think I am?¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s a no?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a no. Why are you asking all this?¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t do the third one today,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ve got to get back home before dark.¡±

    ¡°Relax,¡± said Alex. ¡°It¡¯s not like the demons are any more likely to attack at night. If so, they would¡¯ve done that already.¡±

    ¡°The parademons,¡± Kairin corrected him, ¡°almost always hunt at night.¡±

    ¡°Then why aren¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you also tell me that they¡¯re concentrated toward one part of the city?¡±

    ¡°Yes, on the east and south side. There¡¯s like an invisible line etched through the center of the city that no one¡¯s crossing.¡±

    ¡°That is very strange,¡± said Kairin. ¡°Very strange indeed. It can only mean one thing: Someone, or something, is holding them back.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s another hero?¡±

    ¡°Could be.¡± Kairin was lost in thought. ¡°Or it could be a villain, breeding them. Hoarding them for one big, all-out attack.¡±

    Alex gulped. ¡°Is that more likely?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen it done before,¡± said Kairin. ¡°Or¡­ um¡­ read about it.¡±

    Alex found that odd. ¡°How much experience do you actually have fighting demons?¡±

    That seemed to have struck a nerve. ¡°Enough,¡± she said hastily, and dismissively.

    ¡°Trust me, Alex,¡± she said after a pause. ¡°We need to get back inside before dark.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± said Alex. ¡°I trust you.¡±

    ***

    They only had the time to check the second hospital. But again, there was no record of Kenny.

    Even though Lucy had told him that the demons¡ªnay, the parademons, an important distinction that Kairin made him aware of¡ªwere not particularly more active at night, he trusted Kairin¡¯s reservations more. Since she was clearly more experienced.

    Parademons, Kairin explained, were similar to their demon counterparts in some ways, and much, much different in others. They were spawned of demon magic and were meant to be braindead pawns and servants.

    Alex finally understood the difference between the reptile demon and someone like The Chancellor.

    They doubled back to Alex¡¯s apartment by a little before six in the evening. By then, it was already pitch dark. Kairin said they should run home if that¡¯s what it took to make it in time.

    Once inside, Alex offered her a fresh set of clothes; which she refused. She knew a spell that could clean clothes in an instant.

    They finally sat down to rest in Alex¡¯s balcony, filling their bellies with fruits and canned food.

    On the streets below, a kid ran up to a group of adults holding a cardboard box full of glowing yellow stars. They each picked one out and placed it over nearby bushes and even their tents.

    The street lit up with faint, battery-powered light.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Kairin breathed. ¡°What is that?¡±

    Alex had completely forgotten. ¡°It¡¯s Christmas Eve,¡± he told her. ¡°It¡¯s like a festival to celebrate the birth of a¡ª¡± he thought about how to explain it to her ¡°¡ªa very important historical figure. And to celebrate the spirit of holidays and family.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she nodded. ¡°So it¡¯s like Faennah.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Alex. ¡°Whatever that is. I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s your version of Christmas.¡±

    She chuckled and nodded. ¡°Yes, something like that.¡±

    Alex stared up at the starry sky. Kairin¡¯s home must be orbiting one of those.

    And yet, she was here. All alone. While her father, presumably the King of her planet, had sent elite knights looking for her.

    He couldn¡¯t believe he was spending Christmas Eve with a runaway alien ice witch.

    ¡°Why are you here, Kairin?¡± Alex asked her. ¡°Your people don¡¯t sound very happy about that.¡±

    Kairin scoffed. ¡°They can shove it.¡±

    Alex choked on fruit. ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question.¡±

    She looked like she was about to respond with a generic lie, but she changed her mind halfway through. ¡°I¡¯m here to document the demons¡¯ scourge. The horror that they put lesser worlds like yours through.¡±

    ¡°So you weren¡¯t lying when you said you were a journalist?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Kairin, appalled. ¡°Well, kind of. I run a popular, galactic news-stream. I update it with all the details, including pictures in the hopes that governments across the galaxy would wake up and do something about this.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s like a blog?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Kairin. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯d call it a blog. It¡¯s much more advanced though.¡±

    ¡°Do a lot of people read it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Alex,¡± she said smiling. ¡°A lot of people read it. I¡¯m kind of like a big deal.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re like some¡­ galactic influencer?¡±

    Kairin laughed. ¡°Something like that. Except that I don¡¯t try to influence. I lay the facts in front of them and urge them to make up their own minds. Although I don¡¯t see how anyone could come to any conclusion other than mine.¡±

    Alex wondered whether that mindset biased her reporting in any way, but he made sure he wondered in silence.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take this the wrong way,¡± said Alex. ¡°But your hatred for the demons is quite intense. Did they hurt someone close to you?¡±

    ¡°Does it have to be personal? Do I have to wait until they kill someone close to me before I act?¡±

    ¡°No, of course not,¡± said Alex, wondering whether he offended her. ¡°But is it?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said plainly.

    ¡°Will you be in trouble?¡± asked Alex. ¡°If you don¡¯t return?¡±

    Kairin looked up at the stars. ¡°I¡¯m breaking my oaths to my home world just by being here. And I intend to break a dozen interplanetary laws by helping out in case there¡¯s another attack. I¡¯m not someone who¡¯d just stand by and watch!

    ¡°Considering all that, I¡¯m at least facing exile.¡±

    ¡°Why do it then?¡± asked Alex. ¡°Why risk everything for low lifes like us?¡±

    She looked down at the boy dancing in the light of the dim yellow stars. A bunch of other kids had joined him, along with a few adults.

    ¡°Because it is the right thing to do,¡± said Kairin. ¡°And I will always do the right thing. Damn the consequences.¡±

    ¡°Even when the cost is so high?¡±

    ¡°Even so.¡±

    Admirable, thought Alex. But perhaps she¡¯d never paid a price high enough.

    ¡°What if it costs you everything?¡± Alex asked. ¡°Would you still do it?¡±

    Kairin hesitated. It looked like she wanted to say yes, but couldn¡¯t. Maybe she was thinking of someone too important to risk losing.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± said Alex sincerely. ¡°I wish you never have to choose.¡±

    Alex got up to clear the trash. He was almost back inside through the sliding glass door, when¡ª

    ¡°Alex,¡± said Kairin. Her tone was careful, but her voice quivered with emotion. ¡°It sounds like you¡¯ve faced that choice already.¡±

    Alex stared at her blankly for a second, then slightly nodded. ¡°And it cost me everything.¡±

    ***

    Alex let Kairin have the bedroom while he crashed on the couch.

    There was so much that occupied his mind. His whole world was changing, it was opening up to possibilities he¡¯d never imagined before, except in comic books and video games.

    There were people like us on other planets. They had a civilization; an Empire, even.

    They¡¯d been influencing civilization on Earth, apparently since forever.

    What happened then? Why did Earth vanish from their databases? From the¡­ Galactic Archive?

    He wondered what Clark would have to say about that. He wondered if Lucy and Aiden were doing all right. He wondered about the robot blob even. That little monster must be having the time of his life. He seemed¡­ attached to them already.

    Had it become attached to Alex too?

    If his body wasn¡¯t so tired, Alex was sure his mind would¡¯ve kept him up all night.

    The next day, they woke up to music blasting through the air. It was like a concert had broken out of thin air.

    ¡°What is going on?!¡± Kairin came out screaming.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± said Alex.

    Outside, there were flashing lights and mountains of confetti falling from the sky.

    A small crowd had begun to cheer.

    Was this it? Had the military finally arrived?

    ¡°We need to go check this out,¡± said Alex. ¡°But be careful. And stick close to me!¡±

    Kairin nodded. She once again cast the cleaning spell on their clothes that instantly made them feel fresh again.

    They got to the street running. A crowd was following a massive helium airship with a giant screen strapped to its side.

    On the screen it flashed: ¡°Earth¡¯s Paragons wish you a Merry Christmas!¡±

    It was this airship that was blasting cheerful music through its speakers while also spreading confetti everywhere.

    Alex and Kairin followed it with the crowd. It soon came to a halt at a wide intersection, but it never ceased blasting music.

    Alex cringed at the sight. He knew who these guys were and what they were trying to do. It was all so¡­ tone-deaf!

    ¡°What is going on?¡± Kairin asked. ¡°What is that?¡± she said pointing at the airship.

    Before Alex could answer, a human voice blasted through the speakers over the music. ¡°Welcome, welcome, citizens of Sol City! The Earth¡¯s Paragons have come to your rescue!¡±

    Alex scoffed and shook his head. Just how tasteless and tone-deaf could they actually be?

    ¡°Who are these clowns?¡± Kairin asked. She seemed to have caught on pretty quick.

    ¡°It¡¯s a charitable organization,¡± Alex told her. ¡°Run by a billionaire who thinks he¡¯s been chosen by God to be the force for good in the world.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound too bad,¡± said Kairin.

    ¡°Except that it¡¯s all just a front, an act!¡± said Alex. ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±

    A hatch opened atop the airship and a small figure emerged. A showman with a microphone in hand. It was as though he was addressing an audience at a music concert.

    Again, just how tone-deaf could they be?

    ¡°They have no idea what¡¯s actually going on here,¡± said Alex.

    ¡°Your government won¡¯t act, but we will!¡± said the announcer.

    Was it actually Matt Stevens?

    Holy shit it was.

    The billionaire owner of Earth¡¯s Paragons.

    His face covered the giant screen on the airship now.

    ¡°They told us we can¡¯t do it,¡± Matt continued over his megaphone. ¡°They told us that Sol City was in a state of complete lockdown. And I said to them: to hell with all that!¡±

    He was expecting a huge cheer. But only a couple people clapped.

    ¡°I said to them: Enough is enough, God dammit! My people are hungry! My people are starving! I can¡¯t just sit in my cozy ten-bedroom penthouse and watch!¡±

    Alex slapped his face. This cannot get worse.

    ¡°So we¡¯ve come to you with food, medicine, tents, and blankets,¡± said Matt Stevens. ¡°It¡¯s Christmas after all!¡±

    The speakers blasted an audio clip of a crowd cheering. It swayed some of the people gathered below the airship and they began cheering too.

    Or maybe they were genuinely happy to know that food and medicine were being airdropped to them.

    Alex sighed. At least that part he couldn¡¯t complain about.

    ¡°Come, gather around in an orderly fashion!¡± echoed Matt Stevens¡¯s voice. ¡°There¡¯s plenty for everyone!¡±

    More confetti erupted from the airship.

    ¡°Come on,¡± he tugged at Kairin. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of he¡ª¡±

    He stopped mid-sentence. As he looked up, he spotted a lone figure hovering in the sky, a couple hundred meters away from the airship, but at the same height.

    What was that? It looked like a human being. Was he part of the act?

    The figure was seated cross-legged in the air. Then, he got up and stood¡ªon air¡ªglaring at the airship.

    It can¡¯t be, thought Alex. He cannot be part of the act!

    Something was wrong.

    ¡°Kairin!¡± He grabbed her attention. ¡°Look there. What is that?¡±

    As Kairin spotted the mysterious floating figure, so did the others. Gradually but quickly, a concerned murmur spread through the crowd as everyone began pointing at him.

    The figure waved his hands in a rhythmic motion. A spell?

    The last words that Matt Stevens spoke over the microphone were, ¡°What the hell?¡±

    Then, his mic was turned off.

    A new voice blasted through the speakers now.

    ¡°Citizens of Earth!¡± came the sinister, hissing growl. ¡°Release the conduit! I know you have him locked somewhere, and my patience runs thinner every day.¡±

    The hairs at the back of Alex¡¯s neck stood up.

    Whoever this guy was, he was trouble.

    ¡°I have waited too long, but I¡¯m willing to wait just a little longer,¡± the sinister, demonic voice continued. ¡°You have nine days to return him to me. Every day that you fail to do so, I will release onto you one of my fiends. How they love the carnage!

    ¡°And if you fail to produce him on the ninth day, I shall devour this city whole.

    ¡°Your time starts now!¡± The figure made another rhythmic gesture. A barely visible collection of red sparks shot through his fingers and hit a man standing almost directly below the gas airship.

    ¡°Let the carnage begin!¡± came the hissing growl, and the figure in the air vanished.

    Alex and Kairin, along with several others, looked at the man struck with the red sparks.

    His body began to bloat uncontrollably. At first it seemed like he was about to puke, but the rapidly-expanding mass of flesh quickly buried his face.

    The flesh heap bubbled and boiled. It expanded both in height and width, stopping at about nine feet in height, and covering almost all of the intersection.

    The crowd screamed in terror. The people ran away from the revolting heap of flesh in all directions as panic broke out in Sol City once again.

    However, a few dozen people who were closest to the airship weren¡¯t so lucky.

    Black tendrils shot out of the flesh heap in all directions, piercing the bodies of about twenty people. The thick tendrils raised their bodies a few inches into the air, as the terrified people helplessly wriggled their legs.

    The tendrils seemed to be draining all blood from the people. Their very life force was being sucked out from their bodies and transferred to the growing mountain of flesh.

    ¡°Kairin!¡± Alex yelled. ¡°We have to go!¡±

    ¡°No!¡± she screamed back. ¡°I will not run! This is my fight too!¡±

    The flesh heap rapidly drained the bodies dry. Then, the tendrils retracted back into the disgruntled mass of flesh and blood, carrying the bodies attached to each of them along.

    The bodies were slapped into the flesh heap and slowly absorbed through completely.

    This triggered another rapid transformation. The flesh heap gurgled and growled, twisted and spun around.

    Then, a discernable form emerged.

    The form of a terrifying ten-foot ape.

    The demon ape let out a deafening roar and pounded its chest. The crowd screamed and ran in all directions as fast as they could.

    Kairin still held her position. But something about her was off.

    The demon ape extended its massive hands in the air and clapped at the airship. It rose up in time, barely escaping its grasp, but then¡ª

    The demon ape jumped!

    It grabbed the airship in one hand and punctured the balloon amidst a plethora of explosions. He then slammed the airship¡¯s massive husk onto the ground and jumped on it like a monkey, squashing it under both its giant feet.

    It then let out another growl and once again pounded its massive chest.

    ¡°Kairin¡­¡± said Alex faintly. ¡°Kairin are you sure you¡¯re fighting that?¡±

    Kairin breathed heavily. She looked like she wanted to scream in frustration as her body shook with rage.

    Or¡­ fear?

    ¡°It¡¯s a damn C-rank!¡± she finally cried out. ¡°We have to run!¡±

    Alex didn¡¯t need to be told twice.

    She grabbed Kairin¡¯s hand and dragged her away from the demon monkey. As they ran with their backs toward the monster, a huge bolder crashed ahead of them, missing their heads by a few inches.

    Alex and Kairin climb over to the other side of the boulder and took cover to avoid another barrage of shattered rock and concrete flying at them.

    Shit! They must carefully choose when to run and when to hide!

    Alex waited for the demon ape to load another round of concrete bullets before jumping out of cover, when he noticed an unusual group of people who had just gotten out of what looked like a futuristic battle tank.

    Alex knew this car-tank. He¡¯d seen it parked at the garage of a mysterious alien superhero robot.

    He carefully observed the small group that emerged out of it.

    A tall woman accompanied a much shorter kid, each holding futuristic guns. Several alien gadgets were strapped to their arms and legs.

    A miniature futuristic fighter jet hovered above them, ready to engage.

 Chapter 13: The Demon Ape attacks!

    Chapter 13

    The Demon Ape attacks!

    Alex and Kairin ducked deeper behind the boulder as another barrage of splintered rocks carpet-bombed the street.

    Several runners were hit. Those who figured out that they should be jumping for cover¡ªsince there was no running from this¡ªcouldn¡¯t do so in time.

    Helpless screams blanketed the wide street. The crowd that had gathered below the now collapsed airship was the worst hit.

    As the panic rose to a crescendo, the stampede moving outward found itself getting in its own way, as people running away from the ape stumbled over debris and stalled cars, and over each other.

    It was a grim reminder of the day of the first attack. In a mere couple of days, everyone stuck inside Sol City was back to where it all started.

    And all it took was a simple spell cast by an evil demon wizard.

    Alex looked on in horror as a bus stalled on the side of the street exploded after being hit by a giant rock. Those unlucky enough to be around it were blown away. The skeleton of a child¡¯s bike shot into the air and crashed onto the ground, crooked.

    Alex clenched his fists. The damned demon monkey had to be stopped!

    Amidst all the chaotic carnage delivered by the concrete artillery, the watch on Alex¡¯s wrist glowed blue once again.

    ¡°Alex!¡± came Clark¡¯s desperate voice. ¡°Alex, do you hear me?¡±

    Kairin hadn¡¯t heard Alex¡¯s watch speak. She was too busy trying to sneak a peek at the monster ape from the other side.

    Maybe she was looking for openings? Or weaknesses?

    Did she really think she stood a chance?

    ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± Alex asked Clark, panting.

    Clark sounded helpless. ¡°Alex, listen to me: You have to get them out of here. They are not ready!¡±

    ¡°No shit!¡± said Alex. ¡°Why did you bring them here then?!¡±

    ¡°I did not! They ran off on their own chasing after that hawk.¡±

    ¡°What hawk?¡± said Alex. ¡°All I see is a giant, crazy monkey!¡±

    The crazy monkey seemed to be enjoying itself. Alex could hear celebratory snorts and whistles coming from behind that could only belong to the monster.

    This was all a game for the demon ape. Nothing but a game.

    Clark fell silent, deep in thought.

    Maybe, Alex thought, Lucy and Aiden had seen the same floating figure from earlier fly past them over the mansion, and so they decided to chase after it. Maybe to them, it looked like a hawk. Maybe he dons the appearance of a hawk when flying, who knows!

    Does that mean that whoever or whatever he was, he was based in the northern forests?

    Them chasing after the flying demon hawk wizard explains how they got here so fast.

    But they shouldn¡¯t be here in the first place!

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you lock them in?¡± Alex shouted at Clark as the boulder that they were cowering behind shook with impact.

    ¡°I did! Dammit, I tried! But the pet¡¯s got full access too; and I never thought he¡¯d ever go against me. Evidently, he¡¯s now more loyal to Aiden than to me!¡±

    ¡°Who is that?¡± asked Kairin, finally noticing Alex speaking to his watch.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later,¡± said Alex. ¡°I¡¯m in a bit of a bind here myself, Clark,¡± he spoke with his mouth almost touching the watch.

    ¡°I can see that,¡± said Clark. ¡°I scanned your face out from the crowd.¡±

    ¡°You can do that?¡± blurted Alex, still surprisingly impressed by Clark¡¯s abilities. ¡°But what¡¯s the point, huh?¡± he mocked as more of the concrete artillery flew over their heads. ¡°Despite all your technological prowess, you got outsmarted by your own robot pet!¡±

    ¡°I trusted him!¡± Clark yelled. ¡°I trusted him and he stabbed me in the back that little rebellious hunk of¡ª¡±

    Alex missed the last part as a huge block of something heavy smashed against the back side of the boulder. It wasn¡¯t going to hold for long.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to create a distraction,¡± said Clark. ¡°You take the cue and get everyone out of here, you understand? There is no fighting that thing!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s right!¡± Kairin cut in. ¡°Whoever he is, he¡¯s right. This is way above my skill level!¡± She clenched her fists and jaw. Tears of frustration rolled down her reddened cheeks.

    Another rock smashed against the boulder¡¯s backside. Alex could feel the cracks widening.

    ¡°Whatever you¡¯re planning to do,¡± Alex told Clark, ¡°you better do it soon!¡±

    ¡°Blob!¡± shouted Clark. ¡°You traitorous piece of junk metal, hand the controls over to me!¡±

    Alex saw the fighter jet blow steam over the vehicle.

    Guess that was a no.

    ¡°Okay,¡± said Clark. ¡°I¡¯ll ask nicely. Now that everyone¡¯s out of the vehicle and I clearly cannot drive them back home, can you hand the controls back to me, please?!¡±

    A split second later, the headlamps of Clark¡¯s car-tank glowed bright.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Clark cheered. ¡°Now watch this.¡±

    The car¡¯s wheels switched positions and alignment, so as to better hold the vehicle in place. The railgun at the top rose higher and began to charge up, glowing brighter, and brighter, and brighter, until¡­

    BOOM!

    The gun fired a long-ranged energy blast similar to Clark¡¯s plasma blast attack. It was discernibly weaker than the output from Clark¡¯s suit, but it was still a massive attack.

    The energy blast flew past Alex and Kairin and seemed to have connected with something big behind them.

    The rock and concrete barrage paused. Something about the size of a two-storey building let out a deafening wail of pain.

    The demon ape was hit!

    This was the cue.

    Alex grabbed Kairin and sprang out from behind the boulder and bolted toward Lucy and Aiden.

    Meanwhile, the car-tank slowly morphed its shape to become more car than tank. It must be made of the same programmable metal that Clark¡¯s suit was. However, it was slow to morph, and a lot less malleable by the looks of it, when compared with the robot blob.

    Still, thought Alex. We had a tank!

    Was that good enough? He had no idea.

    In this situation, lacking all knowledge about what this creature is and what it¡¯s capable of, he had no choice but to trust Clark and Kairin¡¯s call to run.

    The car-tank now resembled a 2022 Dodge Challenger, but a bit bulkier as it was attached with all kinds of weird alien weaponry¡ªprimarily the massive railgun on top, which had now shrunk in size a little.

    Clark was trading off firepower for maneuverability.

    But why? The energy blast from the railgun seemed to have done decent damage! Why give that up?

    The only reason he could think of was this: Clark knew that the demon ape wasn¡¯t going to anchor in one place throwing rocks anymore, now that he¡¯d been struck with a powerful attack. The car must match the demon ape¡¯s mobility if it had any chance of landing another hit.

    All the damage in the world would make no difference if you can¡¯t land the hit.

    The engine roared to life, which Alex thought was nothing but a scare tactic since the car definitely did not run on diesel. The round headlamps opened to reveal a set of what seemed to be harpoons.

    Was he planning to bound the monster monkey¡¯s legs together?

    Alex couldn¡¯t believe it. Even Clark had watched The Empire Strikes Back!

    ¡°Watch out!¡± Clark yelled through the watch.

    The demon ape had recovered sooner than expected. Alex and Kairin couldn¡¯t reach Lucy and Aiden in time, and had to jump behind a bigger, more secure-looking slab of concrete as the giant ape roared and thumped its chest once again.

    Only now did Alex find the opportunity to properly observe the ape.

    It was as big as The Chancellor, perhaps a couple feet taller. Grayish white fur covered most of its body, except its clear chest, and its palm and feet. Each of its fingers and toes had long and sharp claws growing out of it. The area above its mouth and under its gaping wide nostrils was red, and its eyes were black as death. Finally, Alex noticed its huge, bushy tail, that was almost half as long as its body.

    The ape roared and dug its hand into the rubble of a collapsed building nearby and pulled out a massive chunk of rock and concrete, which he crushed between its palms into smaller rocks.

    ¡°Alex,¡± came Clark¡¯s voice through the watch 0nce again. ¡°I¡¯ve armed the watch on your wrist with a static blast. Just point your fist at the target and squeeze. You got one shot, you got it? One shot. Use it to protect them when they need it, and get them out of here! Do you copy?¡±

    Alex¡¯s heart began to race.

    ¡°Please tell me you got all that,¡± Clark begged.

    ¡°I got it,¡± Alex nodded. ¡°One shot.¡±

    ¡°Good luck,¡± said Clark.

    The car¡¯s rear wheels spun violently in place. The miniature fighter jet charged its boosters.

    The demon ape hopped and twirled around, taunting them to come at it.

    ¡°Now, Blob!¡± Clark roared.

    The car and the jet shot forward.

    The demon ape stopped hopping around and narrowed its beastly demonic eyes.

    The jet opened with a barrage of bullets as it approached the ape; which did little damage, but forced it to shield its face with its giant gorilla hands out of annoyance.

    Clark¡¯s car perfectly maneuvered through the rubble on the streets and got in close to the demon ape¡¯s legs.

    When close enough, the car shot the two harpoons aimed at the ape¡¯s giant feet.

    The demon ape was too distracted by the barrage of bullets. This could actually hit!

    Alex wasn¡¯t sure whether this was enough to incapacitate the ape by itself, but if it landed, it could create a wide enough opening to land some sort of finishing blow.

    The firepower in Clark¡¯s car-tank was no joke. And they also had Kairin¡­ Maybe she could spot an opening of her own and fire an ice nuke; or drop an avalanche on it, freezing it in place.

    The harpoons were inches away from connecting, but then¡ª

    The demon ape jumped. And the harpoons missed their mark.

    Dammit! thought Alex. This could have been it!

    But it¡¯s fine. Based on how Clark fought The Chancellor, he always had a backup in place.

    The miniature jet had flown past the ape over its head and had already banked into a curve.

    On its way back toward the ape, the jet fired a missile.

    The miniature missile connected with the back of the demon ape¡¯s head while he was still in the air and exploded. The impact was surprisingly powerful enough to jerk the ape¡¯s giant head forward while his feet were still suspended in air, causing him to flip forward and smash his face flat on the ground.

    ¡°Yes!¡± came Aiden¡¯s voice through the watch as the jet flew past Alex and Kairin. Clark must have connected everyone to the same voice channel. ¡°That was awesome!¡±

    ¡°Aiden!¡± cried Lucy. ¡°How the hell do I turn this thing on?!¡±

    ¡°I already showed it to you!¡±

    ¡°Then show it to me again!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wasting precious time. We need to hit him while he¡¯s down.¡±

    ¡°I agree!¡± Lucy screamed in frustration. ¡°So help me turn this goddamn thing on!¡±

    Alex saw Aiden press a button on the futuristic gun Lucy was holding, before it too glowed to life.

    What were they thinking? They need to get out of here right now!

    ¡°Guys!¡± Alex screamed at his watch. ¡°You need to run. Clark and Blob are just creating a distraction. This is a C-rank demon.¡± He nervously looked at Kairin for approval, but she was peeking around the outer end of the slab, closely observing the fight. She hadn¡¯t noticed Alex talking to his watch again.

    Alex brought the watch closer to his mouth and yelled, ¡°You need to run, now!¡±

    No response. Alex¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t being transmitted to them for some reason.

    Dammit!

    He spotted Lucy and Aiden aim their guns at the downed demon ape. Strange mechanical wheels on the guns spun into action, which seemed to be charging the weapons. From a fair distance away from the ape, Lucy and Aiden opened fire.

    The demon ape covered the back of its head with its hands once again, trying to protect against the barrage of what looked like high-caliber bullets being shot at an insanely fast rate. The bullets glowed hot red, similar to The Chancellor¡¯s ammo fired from his giant crossbow-ballista.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    The car-tank used one of its harpoons to latch onto a pole and swing back around. It now faced the demon ape¡¯s body from behind, and the railgun on top opened fire with a rapid burst of blue laser beams.

    The ape curled into a ball as he was attacked from both sides. The parts of his body that were tanking the double barrage seemed to have hardened.

    This should be good, thought Alex. The plan to hold him in place had worked.

    All that was needed now was a finishing blow!

    He looked at Kairin enthusiastically. Maybe she could come up with a finisher attack now! A massive ice spike, straight through the heart.

    However, her expression was nowhere near celebratory. She now looked more concerned than ever.

    The demon ape was gearing up for something. And Kairin knew.

    Alex now had a bad feeling about all this.

    The demon ape grunted and growled. He pulled its limbs closer and curved its back, shrinking in place like a turtle retracting in its shell.

    The parts of its body tanking the bullet and laser barrages had hardened, but the skin-shield was blasted to pieces every time it formed. The bullets and the beams were now doing some real damage!

    The jet soared vertically upward and curved into a drop headed straight for the downed ape. Its nose glowed purple, just like Clark¡¯s hands did when he charged the plasma blast!

    Holy shit! The robot blob was carrying a damn plasma cannon!

    Alex remembered how the firepower from the cannon had shred The Chancellor¡¯s thick, regenerating hide.

    He didn¡¯t know whether the blast would be as strong as the one from Clark¡¯s suit, but if it¡¯s even ten percent of that, it should be enough to dry roast this monkey.

    This was it. The Blob was about to deliver the final payload.

    Suddenly, Clark¡¯s laser beams stopped firing.

    What was going on?

    Barely a millisecond later, the demon ape who had curved itself into a ball launched itself upward with its tail, heading straight for the jet.

    Lucy and Aiden stopped firing a little too late. Clark¡¯s car was hit with the barrage of bullets from their guns for a full second before they managed to stop the fire. The car took some heavy damage to its front, but still appeared functional.

    The railgun, however, had smoke coming out of what looked like bullet holes. It was now out of commission.

    Shit.

    Up in the air, the jet fired the plasma cannon straight down. The demon ape uncurled its giant body and flipped into a backward somersault, dodging the beam by mere inches.

    The jet was able to fire the plasma beam for only a second before the bushy tip of the monkey¡¯s tail sketched an arc and slammed into the fighter jet, wrapping itself around the robot blob¡¯s body.

    The tail then got the blob full circle and flipped it into the air in front of the demon ape like a ball, which the ape caught with one hand.

    ¡°No!¡± Aiden screamed. ¡°Lucy, fire at him! Fire right now!¡±

    They opened fire, but the ape was a moving target in the air too far from them. They could barely land a single hit.

    The stray bullets that did connect were easily blocked by the ape¡¯s hardening skin.

    The demon ape smashed his other palm into the one holding the jet. The impact caused an explosion erupting through the ape¡¯s now-interlocked fingers. He then pressed his palms against each other even harder, crushing the robot blob stuck in between.

    ¡°Nooo!¡± Aiden screamed louder. ¡°Clark, do something! Please Clark!¡±

    Alex looked on in horror as the realization hit him.

    The railgun was out of commission, and the harpoons would not reach that high up.

    If there was something Clark else could do, he would¡¯ve done it already.

    The demon ape pressed its palms together harder. It shaped the crushed metal into a jagged ball and flung it in Lucy and Aiden¡¯s direction.

    The ball crash landed into the ground with a huge thud, about ten meters away from Lucy and Aiden. Unmoving.

    The demon ape finally landed on its own two feet, right where it had defensively curled into a ball just a few moments ago. The impact of its landing shuddered the ground, sending a small tremor in all directions.

    In one fell swoop, the demon ape had flipped the table. It now walked menacingly at the robot blob¡¯s collapsed body, aiming to finish the job.

    ¡°No, you bastard!¡± yelled Aiden.

    Alex quickly turned his head to look at Aiden. He better not do anything stupid now!

    But Aiden was nowhere to be seen. Lucy stood there alone with the gun in her hands and a look of pure terror on her face as she gazed at the giant ape make its way toward the blob.

    The ape¡¯s steps were slow and deliberate. It could have gotten there much quicker, right? Then why?

    Was it injured? Had the fancy backflips cost it too much stamina?

    Or was it just toying with them now?

    Alex pulled away from a terror-struck Lucy and looked at the blob, and¡ª

    Aiden was there!

    How the hell did he get there so fast?

    He was crouching next to the robot blob¡¯s body, trying to lift it by himself and carry it out of there.

    The damn kid had spirit!

    But he was going to get himself killed.

    The demon ape stopped a few paces away from Aiden and Blob and roared at them with his arms extended, thumping its chest in a quick rhythm.

    The damn ape knew it had won. It was just taunting them now!

    The ape finally threw its arms wide open once again, and prepared to pounce.

    But then, Alex heard a couple faint pops, like the sound of a car backfiring.

    The two harpoons were shot once again, this time at the ape¡¯s extended arms. Each harpoon¡ªwhich now looked like grappling hooks¡ªwrapped itself around each of the demon ape¡¯s arms right below its elbows. The car put itself in reverse, and its wheels furiously spun in place.

    The car didn¡¯t move an inch. Its tires burnt out. But it was able to hold the demon ape in place.

    ¡°Aiden, get out of there!¡± Clark¡¯s voice blasted through the watch.

    Clark¡¯s screaming acted like a sort of wake-up call for Lucy. She quickly raised her gun and opened fire at the trapped demon ape, as she slowly made her way toward Aiden and Blob.

    The ape closed its eyes and raised its chin to shield its face from the bullet barrage. Its chest hardened as it tanked majority of the fire.

    But despite all that, Alex knew it was taking damage as it wailed in pain.

    Lucy reached Aiden and Blob. But, by then, her gun seemed to have finally overheated.

    And the firing stopped.

    The demon ape lowered its head slowly and fixed its menacing gaze toward Lucy, Aiden, and Blob.

    ¡°Now, Alex!¡± Clark screamed through the watch. ¡°You have to do it right now!¡±

    There was no time to think. It was as if Alex¡¯s feet moved on their own, and he bolted toward them.

    As he ran, the world around him slowed down.

    The street blurred out of vision. It was like he both was and wasn¡¯t there anymore.

    A faint white glow covered his peripheral vision. Lucy, Aiden, and Blob were still straight ahead, but now just a blur.

    And the voice spoke to him once again.

    ¡°Well, well, well,¡± it growled slowly. ¡°Here we are again.¡±

    ¡°Shut up,¡± said Alex. ¡°Not¡­ now¡­¡±

    ¡°Trying to play the hero again, are we?¡± mocked the voice. ¡°Remind me how it all turned out the last time?¡±

    ¡°Not. Now!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve grown, Alex,¡± said the voice that sounded so much like his own. But it was different, somehow.

    But how?

    ¡°Where is the self-doubt? The hesitation? The fear?¡± the light, yet deafening growl continued. ¡°Never mind those¡­ I see the delusion is still intact.¡±

    Alex ignored it. He tried to run as fast as he could. He had to get to them, now!

    ¡°Rushing in to the fight without a second thought, that is so classic Alex!¡± the voice continued to sneer. ¡°What are you hoping to achieve, exactly?¡±

    Alex continued to ignore it. It needs to go away. It needs to go away right now!

    ¡°Did you forget about the curse? You will only make it worse.¡±

    ¡°They will die!¡± Alex screamed. ¡°If I just stand by and watch, they will die!¡±

    ¡°And now,¡± the voice laughed. ¡°You will die with them!¡±

    Alex reached the spot. The white fog disappeared in a snap.

    He looked up at the menacing demon ape from up close, struggling and growling, its foaming mouth desperately trying to grab a bite like a rabid animal.

    Then, the ape¡¯s face contracted as it focused its strength.

    With a swift, coordinated jerk of its muscular arms, the demon ape managed to snap one of the metal cables holding it back. It then pivoted to grab the other rope with its newly-freed arm, which released the tension on its other arm as well.

    With both its hands now grabbing the metal cable shot out of Clark¡¯s car-tank, the demon ape hoisted the car into the air and spun it around a couple times, before using the momentum to launch it off into a small building in the distance.

    ¡°No!¡± yelled Clark. ¡°My car!¡±

    The car smashed into the building and was buried under the rubble as the structure collapsed upon it.

    The demon ape now turned back to Alex and the gang, with a terrifyingly satisfied expression on its face.

    Alex gave it no time to think or react, or gloat.

    He pointed his watch at the demon ape and squeezed his fist.

    A blast of purple sparks shot out of the watch, hitting the demon ape square in the chest.

    The sparks instantly spread throughout its body, and the ape collapsed on its knees, paralyzed.

    Alex let out a huge sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± he muttered through gritted teeth. ¡°Stay down you stupid monkey.¡±

    The watch on his wrist was destroyed. He turned around to face the others. ¡°We gotta move.¡±

    ¡°Alex,¡± Lucy cried, struggling to get the words out. ¡°Thank you!¡±

    Alex smiled at them. ¡°Let¡¯s save all that for later. We need to move, now.¡±

    Aiden shut his eyes in frustration. His voice quivered uncontrollably when he spoke. ¡°My leg,¡± he said, shivering. ¡°I twisted my leg. I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Alex reassured him. ¡°I¡¯ll carry you out of here, just like before. Come on!¡±

    ¡°What about the robot?¡± asked Lucy, looking at the hunk of metal crushed into a ball.

    ¡°He¡¯s fine!¡± Clark¡¯s voice came through three separate watches. Apparently, he¡¯d given a couple to Lucy and Aiden as well. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him, just get out of there!¡±

    Alex dug his hands under Aiden¡¯s body.

    He was about to lift him up, but then the ground shuddered once again.

    Alex dropped Aiden, grabbed his gun, and turned around.

    The demon ape now laid flat on the ground on its back. It smashed its giant arms into the concrete on either side of it, thrashing around like an overgrown baby throwing a tantrum.

    It then threw its legs over its head and backflipped once again, brushing the ground with the tip of its fingers once, then bouncing backward and landing firmly on its feet.

    It was free.

    And it was angry.

    With steam coming out of its fat nostrils, the demon ape charged straight at Alex and the gang like a raging bull.

    It was too fast now, thought Alex. Too fast to be slowed down by gunfire.

    ¡°Duck!¡± yelled Clark. ¡°Duck as low as you can!¡±

    Once it was close enough, the demon ape leaped toward them, raising one hand above his head with the aim to crush all its enemies in one swift hand slam.

    Everyone dropped to the ground, laying as flat as they possibly could, bracing for impact.

    But it never came.

    Instead, the demon ape¡¯s head smashed into an ice wall that conjured out of thin air, shielding Alex and the rest from the ape¡¯s raging assault.

    The demon ape crashed to the ground, unmoving.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± Lucy breathed.

    Alex scrambled to his feet.

    A gush of platinum blonde hair and ice white skin flew to his side.

    Kairin.

    ¡°Are you insane?¡± she yelled at Alex. ¡°Do you have a death wish?¡±

    Alex couldn¡¯t believe her. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me to do the right thing¡­ and damn the consequences?¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about killing yourself for a bunch of random, wannabe heroes!¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± said Aiden. ¡°We¡¯re real superheroes!¡±

    ¡°And they¡¯re not random,¡± said Alex, mildly surprised at his own words. ¡°They¡¯re my friends.¡±

    Kairin paused to look at him. Something told him she understood. ¡°That stupid thing is not powerful enough to kill a C-rank!¡± she said pointing at his destroyed watch.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know!¡± said Alex.

    ¡°It was meant to buy time,¡± came Clark¡¯s voice through all the watches, except Alex¡¯s. ¡°Which you now have plenty of, so ru¡ª¡±

    He was cut off by the sound of that resembled a huge wall of glass shattering.

    Only that this one was made of ice.

    The demon ape was back on its feet. Its fist was extended toward them; the same one that had presumably just shattered the ice wall in one punch.

    This time around, it wasted no time slow walking. The ape launched itself into a quick sprint and was instantly on top of them.

    It raised both its hands in the air, ready to smash.

    ¡°Kairin!¡± Alex screamed.

    ¡°I know!¡± she shouted.

    A thick dome of opaque ice conjured around them, shielding everyone from all sides.

    The demon ape¡¯s arms smashed against the thick wall of ice bricks and it did nothing. The ape growled in pain.

    The shockwave from the impact was felt by everyone inside the massive, sturdy igloo.

    ¡°Holy shit, who are you?!¡± Aiden yelped.

    Before any of them could say anything else, the demon ape wailed on the giant dome of ice repeatedly.

    Alex could feel the shock waves deep inside his chest.

    The sides of the igloo that were connected with the ground broke through the concrete and sunk deeper. Small cracks began to appear in the ceiling.

    Kairin looked terrified.

    Don¡¯t tell me, thought Alex. That she too had jumped in without thinking!

    Thud!

    The demon ape was relentless. The rhythm of its beating clearly indicated that it was growing increasingly frustrated.

    Kairin raised both her hands. Mists of ice flowed out of them, reinforcing the cracks.

    But Alex could tell¡ªit was nothing but a temporary fix!

    If this keeps up, it was only a matter of time that one of the demon ape¡¯s attacks gets through.

    If they¡¯re not squashed in the one that breaks through the dome, it¡¯d get them in the very next one.

    Thud!

    ¡°Ice witch!¡± yelled Clark through the watch. ¡°Please, please tell me you have more spells than just defense!¡±

    Kairin¡¯s voice cracked. ¡°I am not¡­ an ice witch¡­ yet!¡±

    ¡°Shit!¡± screamed Clark. ¡°Holy shit!¡±

    THUD!

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll never be!¡± Kairin sobbed.

    He had to do something. Kairin could only do so much. He had to figure something out!

    This was it. They were out of chances.

    This was it!

    But then, the thudding suddenly stopped.

    The demon ape¡¯s limbs smashed to the ground and grew fainter.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lucy said. ¡°Is he running away?¡±

    Kairin frowned her eyebrows at the ice ceiling and part of it turned transparent.

    All of them peeked through the window. But the ape was nowhere to be seen.

    After a few minutes of scanning the streets in silence, ¡°There!¡± yelled Aiden. ¡°Over that building.¡±

    The ape had almost finished climbing a forty-storey skyscraper on the far side.

    It hopped over its parapet and turned around, glaring at the ice dome.

    It then roared, thumped its chest twice and jumped even higher into the air, disappearing into the clouds.

    All their eyes were fixed to the sky. The silence, in anticipation, was deafening.

    A couple of dreadful seconds later, the demon ape popped out of the clouds, having curled its body together once again, in the shape of a cannonball.

    A massive cannonball headed straight for the ice-brick igloo.

    There was no way the ice dome was going to hold against that!

    Maybe they had enough time to jump out of the way.

    Maybe Lucy could manage that¡­ maybe Kairin could too.

    But Aiden and Blob would be crushed nonetheless.

    It¡¯s okay, he¡¯d grab them both.

    He could grab them both, right?

    He tried to open his mouth to make the call, but nothing came out. All their eyes were fixed on the rapidly-approaching demon cannonball.

    As Alex glared at it, reality dawned upon him. The cannonball was huge. There was no running from this. Even if they managed to dodge the ball, they would still be caught in the fallout.

    This was it.

    He was going to die.

    Lucy, Aiden, Blob, and Kairin¡­ they were all going to die.

    It was over.

    It was¡­ over.

    Alex closed his eyes, accepting his fate.

    At least now, at the end, he did not run away.

    At least now, he had rediscovered his old self. And the curse had failed to freeze him in place.

    He had jumped into the eye of the storm to protect his friends.

    To protect his friends¡­ Just like he had.

    Ojii-san would be proud.

    Won¡¯t he?

    Well¡­ guess he¡¯ll get to ask him that in person, in just a bit.

    The calm spread through his veins like wildfire, once again.

    Just like it had against the threat of that brute¡¯s finishing blow from eight years ago.

    Just like it had a couple days ago against the reptile demon as it prepared to charge at Alex.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting too hot in here!¡± Lucy coughed, her voice quivering with fear. ¡°Is that monkey-ball on fire?¡±

    Alex¡¯s vision blurred as the heat emanating from every pore on his skin intensified.

    Somehow, he knew what must be done.

    Alex walked out of the ice dome without resistance. The thick ice wall melted away as he approached.

    Once outside of the dome, he noticed that his t-shirt had completely melted away too. Random pieces of cloth remained charred to his skin.

    Alex looked up at the falling demon cannonball approaching them like a massive meteor.

    His eyes burned red and his vision cleared into a sort of hyper-focus, even though his brain was still clouded by the white fog.

    There was no thought. Only calm.

    And then, there was fire.

    Burning hot flames engulfed the entirety of his upper body. But the heat did not bother him. It did not harm him.

    It was in fact¡­ soothing.

    ¡°I knew it!¡± came Kairin¡¯s screaming voice from behind. ¡°I knew you had your secrets too!¡±

 Chapter 14: Fire and Ice

    Chapter 14

    Fire and Ice

    ¡°I knew it!¡± came Kairin¡¯s screaming voice from behind. ¡°I knew you had your secrets too!¡±

    Alex could barely hear her. He could barely see or hear anything in his periphery.

    His senses were focused exclusively on his enemy up above.

    The massive monkey meteor headed straight for them.

    There wasn¡¯t time to come up with any strategy. And even if there was, he had no idea what his options were, or what he was capable of.

    And even if he did, his mind was still clouded by the white fog. He felt like he was in a state of pure, unfettered instinct.

    Still¡­ some thinking was still possible.

    Simple thinking.

    Like what would one do if there were a volleyball headed toward them?

    A giant, demonic volleyball¡­

    If Alex were Superman, he would¡¯ve just punched the ball straight back into space.

    But risking a move like that would be unbelievably stupid. He would most likely break¡ªor shatter¡ªhis arm.

    What a hilarious way to find out that he was in fact not Superman.

    But he could still redirect it.

    A well-placed nudge at the right height could be enough to change its trajectory ¡­ make it go parallel to the ground ¡­ reducing its potential impact ¡­

    Saving his friends.

    How was he figuring all this out in such a short period of time?

    Had time slowed down again?

    Or was his brain simply functioning ten times faster?

    Maybe Clark could help him figure it out, later.

    For now, there was only one shot.

    One opportunity¡ªwhen the demon volleyball would be at exactly the right height.

    Alex bent his knees. With his eyes still fixed at the free-falling monkey ball, he jumped straight at it.

    Jumped? More like shot upward.

    He couldn¡¯t believe the power output by his legs. It felt as though miniature explosions had gone off under his feet, launching him toward his target like a hypersonic missile.

    The rapidly-approaching demon volleyball grew larger as it got closer.

    Alex raised his right arm.

    Come on. We¡¯re almost there.

    When close enough, Alex felt the demon ape¡¯s angry, blood-curdling eyes stare right into his soul.

    He should have been terrified.

    But he was unfazed.

    It sparked no emotion within him.

    In this moment, for him, all that mattered was the fight.

    All that mattered ¡­ was redirection.

    At the opportune moment, Alex curled his right fist and shot his arm forward.

    The punch connected with the demon ape¡¯s curled-up left arm.

    And it worked much, much better than Alex had expected.

    Instead of slightly altering the ball¡¯s trajectory so that it narrowly misses his friends¡ªas he¡¯d planned¡ªthe punch changed the ball¡¯s path altogether.

    Now, the cannonball curved into a ninety-degree angle, and shot through the wide street on Alex¡¯s left.

    Alex also managed to change the cannonball¡¯s angle of approach. Instead of hitting the ground directly as it intended to, it now flew parallel to the ground and crash-landed into a ten-storey building at the end of the street.

    Massive chunks of rubble shot up into the air as the building collapsed upon the demon ape.

    It was time now for Alex¡¯s fall. After shooting himself up several meters into the air, Alex looked at the ground below him in panic.

    He could try to land on his knees, which would probably destroy them.

    Well, if the punch was any indication, he seemed to have at least some form of super strength.

    Maybe¡­ Just maybe, he could still survive the drop.

    Alex thought of landing on his hands instead; at least he knew for a fact that they were strong.

    But apparently not strong enough.

    He now saw that his right arm was completely broken. His elbow joint was dislocated, so his lower arm was poking back up, rubbing against the humerus. His fingers were snapped too, sticking out at odd angles around his palm.

    Funny, he thought. All this damage, and he hadn¡¯t felt an ounce of pain.

    Landing on his hands was no longer an option.

    He had to gamble with his knees.

    As the ground raced closer, Alex closed his eyes, bracing for impact.

    He landed on a soft, squishy snow slide instead.

    The cold slide circled him around in a small radius, absorbing all momentum, and gently dropping him into a bed of snow.

    Thank the stars for Kairin.

    She gazed at him excitedly. ¡°What did you do?¡±

    The white mind fog cleared away. Time returned to its usual speed. He could think as normal now.

    And the flames were gone.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Alex breathed. ¡°I was burning.¡±

    ¡°You were on fire!¡± came Aiden¡¯s excited cry. He slowly limped toward them, supported by Lucy. ¡°Literally!¡±

    Alex chuckled. ¡°I think I destroyed my arm.¡± He gently raised the remains of his right arm.

    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Lucy turned her face away once she barely caught a glimpse of it. He had no idea she was this squeamish.

    He couldn¡¯t blame her though. It did look kind of disgusting.

    The moment he thought of his arm, excruciating pain shot through his entire body, emanating from his arm, numbing his brain.

    It was like all that deferred pain from before was now being released all at once!

    Kairin dropped to the ground beside him. ¡°Here,¡± she said and shot a thin stream of icy mist at his crippled arm. It felt like the cold was freezing his nerves. ¡°Better?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Alex. ¡°The pain¡¯s gone.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be back, I¡¯ve just numbed your nerves,¡± said Kairin. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve seen our medics heal our knights from far worse.¡±

    ¡°Great,¡± said Alex. ¡°All I need now is an extra-terrestrial ambulance.¡±

    Aiden chuckled, while Lucy eyed Kairin suspiciously.

    Their reunion was soon interrupted by the sound of massive chunks of rubble rolling over a gigantic heap of concrete waste.

    Of course it was not over yet.

    The demon ape sprang through the heap of rubble and dropped flat on the ground, thrashing his gorilla arms around violently, cracking the concrete below him and on the nearby buildings.

    Alex thought it would come straight for them.

    It should have. But then why hadn¡¯t he?

    Something was wrong.

    Upon a closer look, Alex saw that one of the demon ape¡¯s arms was on fire. The same spot where Alex¡¯s punch had connected.

    The fire had already consumed its palm and had spread up to its elbow. The demon ape wailed in pain as it continued thrashing its body around; a desperate tantrum to somehow put the fire out.

    ¡°Guess he doesn¡¯t like that, huh?¡± said Aiden.

    ¡°We need to get ready,¡± said Kairin decisively, not taking her eyes off the demon ape.

    The round hunk of metal lying next to Aiden¡ªthe robot blob¡ªhad now reverted to its default, four-legged appearance. It clawed the ground, struggling to make its way to where Alex and Kairin were now positioned, whimpering and squealing like an injured puppy.

    ¡°No, no,¡± said Aiden, grabbing the robot puppy with both hands and putting it onto his lap. ¡°You¡¯ve done enough.¡±

    Kairin pulled her gaze away from the agonized ape and turning to Lucy. ¡°You, um¡­¡±

    ¡°Lucy,¡± she said.

    ¡°Lucy, hi!¡± Kairin awkwardly waved at her. ¡°Take these two and find some safe cover. Is your gun still operational?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Lucy. ¡°It kinda fried on me.¡±

    ¡°Mine is,¡± said Aiden and handed Lucy his gun.

    ¡°There must be flamethrower and grenade attachments on it too,¡± Kairin informed Lucy. ¡°Use them to keep them out of trouble.¡±

    Alex saw Lucy hesitate. She clearly wasn¡¯t entirely trusting of Kairin yet.

    She took a second to think, then nodded. ¡°You got it.¡±

    ¡°Alex, how¡¯s the hand?¡± asked Kairin.

    Alex glanced at his disfigured arm and shrugged. ¡°At least it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡±

    ¡°Perfect,¡± said Kairin. ¡°Use the other arm and turn the heat up once again.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± said Alex nervously. As if he had any idea on how he¡¯d turned it on the first time.

    Another near-death experience, perhaps?

    ¡°It¡¯s time we finally switched to offense.¡± She turned her gaze at the struggling ape once again. ¡°Let¡¯s take this monkey down.¡±

    Alex closed his eyes¡­ and thought of death.

    The calming heat spread through his veins once again, erupting through his upper body in soothing flames.

    Kairin¡¯s ice that had been numbing the veins on his injured arm melted away. But it didn¡¯t matter. The flames were back, which meant he couldn¡¯t feel the pain anyway.

    The white fog had also returned. His thoughts were once again extremely focused, instinctual.

    The demon ape finally stopped thrashing around. It reached out for its burning arm and dug its sharp claws through its thick hide above the elbow.

    Then, it pulled; harder and harder, until it ripped its own arm off its body.

    The ape growled in pain and threw its arm into a nearby building. The arm kept burning.

    ¡°Guess he really doesn¡¯t like the fire, huh?¡± said an awestruck Aiden.

    Kairin nodded lightly. Something told Alex that this wasn¡¯t new information for her. ¡°Go!¡± she said to Lucy.

    Alex didn¡¯t turn to see whether they were gone.

    His gaze was fixed on his enemy.

    ¡°All we have to do,¡± Kairin told him. ¡°Is make sure you touch him once. Just once. Preferably around the chest or the face. You got that?¡±

    Alex nodded.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy,¡± said Kairin. ¡°He is fast. And he knows¡­ now.¡±

    The demon ape, finally having saved its body from the flame, stood tall and panting. Its red eyes were full of rage. It could no longer thump its chest with two arms.

    Hot steam puffed out of its nose. The ape closed its eyes and frowned its brows. It seemed to be furiously focusing on something.

    The ape¡¯s grayish white fur began to bubble. Thick, granite-colored scales soon began to pop out through every pore of its hide.

    Alex recognized it instantly. It was the same scale armor that the reptile demon had on.

    The scale armor cascaded through almost every exposed part of the ape¡¯s body; except its face, and other strategic parts like its armpits and the back of its knees, in order to ensure movement.

    Eventually, the scale armor particles reached the point where its severed arm should be, and grew into a brand new arm, made entirely of scale armor.

    Phase Two, thought Alex.

    ¡°That probably shields it from the fire, but don¡¯t be intimidated,¡± Kairin said in a quivering voice. She didn¡¯t sound as confident as she did before. ¡°I can crack through that armor though. I¡¯m¡­ fairly certain. Besides, its face is still exposed.¡±

    Alex nodded once again.

    ¡°The good news is that he should be considerably slower than before,¡± said Kairin speculatively.

    The demon ape, now ready, stared down at Alex and Kairin menacingly. The red glow in its beastly eyes intensified, and his nostrils expunged a massive blast of hot steam.

    Alex could tell what the demon ape had in mind:

    Bull rush.

    As if right on cue, the demon ape threw its gigantic, freshly-armored body toward Alex and Kairin.

    Kairin was right. The ape was much slower than before.

    Alex took a quick glance at his arm once again. Still no pain, but the dislocated elbow joint seemed to have gone back in place on its own.

    Maybe he could risk another punch?

    Well, if it comes to it.

    Alex also noticed scant, oddly-familiar steam coming out of the pores on his injured arm.

    Where had he seen this steam before?

    Alex shifted focus back to the armored ape charging at them like an enraged bull, hungry for revenge. Surely there was no punching him away this time around.

    On his side, Kairin vanished with a puff of white mist.

    Invisible? She could turn invisible?

    That should come in handy.

    The demon ape jumped the final stretch, extending his scale-armor arm to grab Alex.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    His arm may be defunct now, but if his legs were anywhere close to their previous strength, Alex should be able to dodge this.

    Alex waited for his timing, then jumped. His rocket feet blasted him into the air, ten feet over the demon ape¡¯s outstretched arm.

    The ape, surprised by the quick dodge, lost balance and slammed into the ground where Alex was once stood. Its body skid through the street, cracking the concrete ground on the way, and he was back at the wide intersection where he¡¯d spawned.

    This time, Alex landed firmly on his own two feet.

    Above the ape¡¯s downed body, a long, sharp ice spear was conjured out of thin air, aimed straight at its heart.

    The spear went straight down with surprising speed; but the demon ape rolled out of the way just in time, and the spear smashed into ice shards on the concrete.

    The demon ape sprang back to its feet and looked around frantically.

    It knew.

    The monkey knew that it wasn¡¯t Alex who had launched that spear attack.

    But Kairin was invisible.

    Frustrated for not having immediately located her, the demon ape turned its glowing red eyes at Alex.

    Come on, thought Alex. Try me.

    The flames enveloping his body burned brighter.

    The ape was not very different than a human opponent, physiologically. Two arms, two legs. The prosthetic arm considerably harder than the other.

    The only difference was the size, obviously.

    And that tail. He had obviously never fought an opponent with a tail before. It could essentially function as a fifth limb, which may create a world of complications when used right.

    Was the ape smart enough?

    Regardless, Alex needed to watch out for it. That long, bushy tail was something that could catch him by surprise.

    With no sign of Kairin, and presumably no means of locating her, the demon ape engaged with the only opponent he could see: Alex.

    From this short a distance, the demon ape closed the gap between them insanely fast.

    Alex wasn¡¯t slow either. He quickly jumped backward, launched swiftly by his powerful legs, and dodged the overhead punch that cracked the ground that Alex was on a few moments ago.

    The ape continued the onslaught, relentlessly throwing punch after punch at Alex, clearly dying to squash him like a bug.

    But Alex¡¯s newfound speed was barely fast enough, and he dodged every single hit, albeit not without some struggle.

    Great, thought Alex. I can dodge.

    But when do we start landing punches?

    And how? One of his arms was completely useless.

    The demon ape mixed in an unexpected kick into his combo, which Alex barely managed to dodge by bending backwards.

    This was the kind of bullshit he knew he had to watch out for. The ape moved its body in wholly unnatural ways. Nothing like a human opponent would ever even think of doing.

    But Alex was fortunate. Fortunate enough to have this fire-power by his side.

    He could tell that the demon ape acknowledged the flame¡¯s power over it. It took special care in its movements to not let the flames get close to any of its exposed body parts.

    It didn¡¯t matter if Alex had to keep dodging. All he needed was one opening.

    Just one.

    And he would roast this monkey alive.

    Another kick, aimed straight at his head. Alex dodged in a similar fashion as before.

    But that was a mistake.

    The goddamn tail shot at him out of nowhere. Covered in scale armor, it wasn¡¯t scared of the flames one bit.

    Alex was bent backward in an awkward position. No way he could recover in time to dodge this.

    An ice wall appeared out of thin air, shielding Alex from the tail-grab.

    Kairin!

    The ice wall shattered from the impact of the armored tail crashing into it. The demon ape retracted its outstretched leg back and was about to rest it back on the ground before jumping into its next flurry of attacks, but then¡ª

    The ground beneath its foot turned to ice.

    The demon ape, who was clearly expecting to find firm footing, was caught off guard by the newly-slippery floor. It slipped, and its gigantic body fell on its back, propagating soft tremors in every direction.

    This was it, thought Alex. This was as good of an opening as any.

    He quickly swooshed in. When close to the ape¡¯s feet, he launched himself into the air once again¡ªa short jump¡ªand plunged into a dive, aiming for the ape¡¯s exposed face.

    The ape¡¯s expression quickly changed into a¡­ smirk (?).

    ¡°No!¡± yelped Kairin.

    Alex glanced at his back, but it was too late.

    The armored tail had closed the gap from Alex¡¯s blind spot and whipped him out of the air like a stray bug.

    The same motion that propelled the tail toward Alex also got the ape back to its feet with a backflip, just as Alex flew past him in a horizontal path.

    Once back on its feet, the ape extended its scale-armor arm and caught Alex.

    ¡°Alex, no!¡± Kairin screamed, still invisible.

    The demon ape, holding Alex in its massive, scaly palm, twirled around and slammed him to the ground with incredible force.

    Alex felt a small spike of pain radiate throughout his body, even through the pain-numbing effect of the soothing flames.

    Had his skull cracked open? Only an injury that severe could justify him feeling any pain at all in this mode.

    Hot steam rushed out of every pore on his body.

    The demon ape raised both its arms to squash Alex once and for all, but a wall of ice conjured between them once again; icy, sharp spikes extended quickly on the monkey¡¯s side, missing its eye by inches.

    The demon ape aggressively turned around to try and spot Kairin, but she was still invisible. This frustrated the ape and it began furiously breaking each spike one by one with his punches.

    Alex found his window to roll away.

    That tail. That damned tail was a big issue.

    But Alex was pleasantly surprised. His body should not have been able to survive such an attack.

    He was tough. Whatever he was¡ªwhatever he had become now¡ªhe was tough now.

    It had still hurt though. He wondered how many of such slip-ups he could actually afford.

    And somewhere deep within him, he knew: He wasn¡¯t going to be able to keep this up forever.

    They had to find a way to bring this monkey down quickly.

    There was a timer. And it was running out.

    The demon ape was finally done punching through all the spikes individually, and it shattered the wall in a single punch.

    It frantically looked around once again, naively hoping to spot Kairin by chance. But she was too smart for this.

    Alex regulated his breathing and thought about how to approach next.

    Quick. He needed to find a quick way in.

    And he also needed to find a way to utilize Kairin¡¯s support spells effectively.

    Mainly the slippery ice floor.

    As the demon ape spun around like crazy, still looking for the invisible Kairin, random pieces of furniture made purely of ice fell upon its head.

    A bunch of chairs, a long-ass table, and even a futuristic, very alien-looking piano that burst into funny notes as it slammed on top of the ape¡¯s thick skull.

    This was combined with miniature ice spikes spawning at random spots on the ground poking upward, right the ape put its giant feet down.

    The antics obviously enraged the ape even more.

    Sound strategy, perhaps. To make him lose focus.

    Good news: It was working. Bad news: He didn¡¯t know for how long would it keep working.

    He must take advantage of the chaos, and quick.

    Alex took a deep breath in.

    Calm once again.

    The flames intensified.

    With the demon ape still distracted by Kairin¡¯s antics, Alex bent his knees once again and launched into a quick left-handed jab on the ape¡¯s armored shin from behind.

    Direct hit.

    The ape lost balance and turned to look at his ankle, trying to find Alex.

    But Alex was already in the front.

    He lunged at the ape¡¯s chest and hit its armored chest with a full body slam, with as much power as he could muster.

    Direct hit once again. Alex was too fast for the armored ape to dodge!

    The power of the impact swept the giant monkey off its feet a few inches.

    The monkey should have been able to find balance once its feet touched the ground again.

    But, as though right on cue, the ground turned slippery ice.

    It was like Kairin knew what he wanted her to do, and when. They were communicating via actions alone.

    The ice floor surprise should have made the ape fall flat on its back just like before.

    But the demon had learned.

    It quickly bent its back and put its arms on the ground for balance instead, avoiding the ice, and transitioned into another backflip.

    Oh shit, thought Alex. Here comes the tail.

    The armored tail shot toward Alex as expected.

    But this time, he was ready.

    Alex managed to dodge the tail with a swift duck and, from the bent position, shot into a rocket slam once again.

    Direct hit on the demon¡¯s chest yet again, just as soon as it had recovered from the backflip.

    This time, the monkey was flown off its feet. And right behind him appeared an ice wall plush with pointy ice spikes.

    The spikes pierced through the demon ape¡¯s scale armor as it slammed into the thick slab of ice.

    The slab tilted over by the force and fell flat on the ground with the demon ape on top, giving the appearance that the monkey had collapsed on a bed of ice spikes from above.

    Alex moved in quick. This was his chance.

    The ape was immobilized, unlike before, even if just for a moment.

    And all he had to do was touch the face.

    He intensified his focus. The white mind fog proved helpful in this.

    No distracting thoughts. No background noise. No doubts.

    Only the target.

    Alex launched himself into the air once again. The flames flickered violently around his body, the angriest they¡¯d been yet.

    This was it for the ape. Alex was going to move in so quick, all it¡¯d see would be an orange-yellow flash.

    Speed was the key.

    He had to go faster. Much, much faster than he did the last time.

    And he knew he could do it.

    After reaching the right height, Alex plunged into a dive once again. A long streak of fire painted the sky as it trailed him.

    The demon ape, immobilized by the dozens of spikes piercing every joint and tissue in its body, looked up at Alex with a terrified expression.

    It knew its end was near.

    Just a few moments ago, the ape planned to crush them in a similar fashion with his meteoric cannonball attack.

    Now it had a burning spear plunging at it from above, aimed straight for its head.

    Alex knew that the monkey was smart enough to see the irony in that.

    The ice spikes had grown longer and curled, firmly gripping the ape¡¯s limbs, holding it in place.

    Alex burned brighter and brighter as he zoomed through the air.

    He was almost at his target.

    It will all be over in the next couple seconds!

    And the demon ape knew it too.

    The monkey thrashed around on its spiked-bed prison, attempting to escape, but to no avail. The ice must be numbing all its nerves simultaneously.

    As Alex got closer, he noticed that the ape now looked abnormal.

    Not that it was anywhere close to normal before, but¡­

    Something was wrong!

    The ape¡¯s black as death eyeballs rolled back into its head.

    A strange red aura, coarse and visible, now surrounded it.

    Then, it let out a deafening roar; decibel levels that could tear down a building.

    A dense, almost physical sound wave exploded out of its mouth in all directions and knocked Alex off the air.

    Alex crashed into a collapsed building nearby. His flames were snuffed out and the white fog of focus was gone.

    The beast continued to roar. Alex pressed his palms against his ears as hard as he could as the sound waves pierced into his thoughts.

    Alex began to scream in agony. This was too much¡­ just too much to bear.

    Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the roaring stopped.

    Alex, still in a daze, struggled back to his feet and looked at the ape to see what the hell was going on.

    The bed of ice spikes had melted into a large puddle of water.

    And the ape was back on its feet, free.

    Its eyeballs were still rolled back into its head. And the coarse, visible red aura surrounding it was thick as ever.

    Phase Three.

    Alex noticed that the demon ape¡¯s scale armor had also melted away as though it no longer needed it. But its prosthetic scale-armor arm still remained.

    The ape¡¯s bare hide was exposed, but there was no fire surrounding Alex anymore. His whole body ached with bone-shattering pain.

    The ape slowly turned its head around, scanning the area with its blank eyes. When it finally found Alex collapsed on the rubble, it roared in celebration.

    Shit.

    He needed his flames right now!

    But no matter what he did, no matter what he thought of, they wouldn¡¯t come.

    His brain was ringing. His body was near paralyzed.

    He was at his limit.

    The demon ape charged at Alex with speed never seen before. It was so fast that Alex almost lost track of it.

    There was no way he could dodge this!

    Icy whips wrapped around his waist just in time and yanked him away from the ape¡¯s path.

    Alex¡¯s almost numb body flew through the air and crashed back onto the concrete street once again.

    The demon ape crashed into the rubble, but that caused it no damage. It was unfettered, but furious. It slammed its giant arms on the ground in frustration that he¡¯d missed his mark.

    So Phase Three is just the speed of Phase One combined with the toughness of Phase Two.

    All the strengths, none of the weaknesses. Plus some additional shouting-based craziness.

    Great.

    The monkey quickly recovered from the mini-tantrum and spotted Alex collapsed on the street. It got ready to charge once again.

    Right then, something shiny on the ground caught Alex¡¯s eye.

    A message; etched on the street in shiny white ice: Bait it here!

    Alex saw several ice chips with weird runes upon them scattered on the street.

    A trap set by Kairin.

    Will it work?

    Only one way to find out.

    He had to trust her and stand his ground when the ape charged at him once again. And it wasn¡¯t like he could dodge the attack anyway.

    Or move at all.

    Without wasting another second, the demon ape charged once again with hyper-speed. The coarse red aura surrounding him cracked the concrete as it moved. Its blank eyes yearned for Alex.

    Alex couldn¡¯t move a muscle. Was it due to fear or the fact that he had fried his tissues? He had no idea.

    If things don¡¯t work out as intended, Kairin would yank him away just like before.

    Right?

    Per his signature move, the demon ape leaped at the final stretch, throwing its scale-armor arm forward to grab Alex.

    Its eyes were greedy, hungry. It wanted Alex so bad.

    When it was barely inches away, all the runic chips on the ground shot ice spikes upward in unison.

    And the demon ape was impaled once again. Its scary but exposed face within Alex¡¯s grasp.

    Come on, Alex pleaded. Light up!

    Kairin had given him the perfect setup.

    If he could get the flames going again¡­ if he could just do it again¡­ all he had to do was reach out and touch.

    COME ON!

    His crippled right arm burst into flames.

    That¡¯s it!

    The demon ape noticed the flames and howled in pain. It was suspended above ground; long ice spikes impaled every inch of its body.

    Especially through its throat and mouth; which meant it shouldn¡¯t be able to roar like it did earlier.

    Well, probably.

    Maybe.

    It was a gamble Alex would have to take.

    Alex shot his burning arm forward. The fire was reflected in the demon¡¯s blank eyes.

    It knew its end was coming.

    But it wasn¡¯t done yet.

    With its mouth barely open, the demon ape managed to roar once again.

    The force from the almost physical sound wave, now blasted at him in a tight, concentrated cone, swept Alex off his feet. He landed on the ground with a thud a few meters away.

    The fire on his right arm was snuffed out.

    The coarse red aura around the demon ape blasted out of its body like a hundred steam locomotive whistles going off at once.

    In a swift, spiral motion, the demon ape spun in place, using its tail as leverage, and broke every single ice spike impaling its body. The shards of ice that remained stuck within its body melted away.

    The ape wasted no time.

    It sprung into the air and landed right next to where Alex lay on the ground. It towered over him, gazing at Alex with his blank eyes. But Alex could still feel the rage pouring out of them.

    ¡°No!!¡± came Kairin¡¯s scream. Ice whips appeared from behind the demon ape, aimed at Alex. But they melted away as soon as they got too close within the ape¡¯s coarse red aura.

    The demon ape grabbed Alex by its normal arm and lifted him off his feet. The blank eyes gave Alex a deathly stare.

    The hair at the back of Alex¡¯s neck shot up. He had never faced death this up close.

    Were there no more chances? Was this it?

    Had his luck finally run out?

    His body gave him no response.

    There were no surprise powers, no miracle fire, to save him this time around.

    He¡¯d used all that up already.

    The demon ape slammed Alex¡¯s body to the ground as hard as he could.

    Alex felt pain like he¡¯d never done before; and that was saying something, now that he had had some experience of being beaten up by a gigantic demon monster.

    The demon ape then raised its scale-armor arm and punched straight down at Alex. Its fist was so large, it was able to uniformly deliver damage to Alex¡¯s whole body.

    Alex was sure that the bones in his ribs, arms, and legs were crushed by the impact. In fact, he was surprised at how he was still conscious at all.

    Then, the ape raised its other arm, and punched him again.

    And again.

    And again.

    It was like every vein in his body was on fire. And not in the good, soothing way like before. It was electric and excruciating.

    Alex didn¡¯t know at what point was it all supposed to go numb¡­ and dark.

    ¡°NOOOO!!¡± Kairin¡¯s sobbing scream came from every angle all around him. ¡°No! Please! Please save him. He doesn¡¯t deserve to die like this, please! PLEASE!¡±

    Alex felt his skin harden. His body¡­ was still trying to resist.

    But what was the point?

    If he somehow survives this, he¡¯d be crippled for life.

    The ape was relentless. It hated Alex with a passion. It knew that Alex was perhaps the only one who could have delivered a swift and decisive end to its rampage.

    ¡°Please!¡± cried Kairin helplessly. Who exactly was she pleading to?

    A random snowball hit the demon ape on its head from behind. Alex figured that it may have started off as a much larger ball, but the coarse red aura must have melted most of it.

    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± announced Kairin from behind the demon ape.

    The demon ape, still in its berserk mode, slowly, and menacingly, turned around.

    And there it finally found Kairin. Completely visible.

    ¡°You wanted me, didn¡¯t you?¡± Kairin taunted it. ¡°Well here I am!¡±

    She was sobbing in fear. In a perfectly audible whisper, she breathed,

    ¡°Come get me.¡±

    The demon ape roared.

    It wanted to get her. It wanted to squash her like a bug so bad.

    Why was she revealing herself now?

    Then, it hit Alex.

    She was intentionally putting herself in mortal danger!

    She was a fool.

    The same kind of fool as he.

    The berserker ape was ready to charge at Kairin.

    But before it could take its first step toward her¡ª

    A stray arrow came flying from somewhere far behind Kairin.

    The arrow was long, longer than any Alex had ever seen.

    And it was made of pure ice. Cold, paralyzing ice.

    The giant ice arrow pierced through the ape¡¯s armored chest and remained there; the sparkling arrowhead popping out of its rugged, bleeding back.

    Alex glanced behind Kairin, struggling to focus.

    A hooded archer was barely visible behind her.

    Right then, a powerful, commanding voice echoed through the walls of the destroyed buildings on either side of the street.

    A human voice.

    ¡°Knights of Cahrim!¡± came the echoing command. ¡°Fulfill your oath! Protect the princess!¡±

    <hr>

 Chapter 15: The Knights of Cahrim

    Chapter 15

    The Knights of Cahrim

    ¡°Knights of Cahrim!¡± came the echoing command. ¡°Fulfill your oath! Protect the princess!¡±

    Alex saw Kairin turn around to notice the almost visible archer behind her. He nocked another arrow to his giant bow, and then vanished.

    ¡°Jovar!¡± she said under her breath, letting out a huge sigh of relief.

    Then, as though out of nowhere, puffs of icy mists appeared everywhere on the street. Four warriors emerged out of the puffs, surrounding the demon ape.

    ¡°Remember the formation!¡± came the commanding voice once again, which Alex was now able to locate. It came from a tall, hooded figure wearing long, dark blue robes, who had spawned just ahead of Kairin. ¡°Do not underestimate it!¡±

    He¡¯d seen this hooded figure before! He was the bald, tattooed guy who had ambushed them in the alleyway earlier.

    Was he some sort of a knight?

    He looked more like a mage to Alex.

    But, more importantly, was he an ally?

    It appeared to be so for now, since they seemed to be here to fight the ape alongside Alex and Kairin.

    But why had they taken so long to respond?

    Were they simply watching from the sidelines as the demon ape unleashed its rampage?

    How could they?

    The demon ape seemed to be taken aback; shocked at being suddenly surrounded by warriors spawning out of thin air.

    As the ape shook its head violently around and groaned in pain¡ªsurely on account of the ice arrow sticking out of it¡ªa strange hand rested on Alex¡¯s bare shoulders.

    He tried to move his head to look, but he was too weak for any movement, however small. Almost all bones in his body seemed to have shattered.

    ¡°Shhh, quiet,¡± said the young man to whom the hand presumably belonged to. He had just crawled into Alex¡¯s vision from behind. ¡°We don¡¯t wanna spook the monkey.¡±

    Alex mentally scoffed. As though he could make any noise!

    ¡°Steady now,¡± said the young man in leather armor. He raised two of his fingers up to his lips, while resting his other hand firmly on Alex¡¯s shoulder.

    Was he casting a spell?

    Soon enough, small clouds of mists sprouted around them, merging into a sphere that veiled them from all sides.

    ¡°This¡¯ll keep us hidden,¡± said the man. ¡°Well, as long as you remain completely still.¡± The man paused for a second as he realized, then said, ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s not like you have much choice in that matter anyway.¡±

    He giggled awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ um¡­ try to fix you.¡±

    A strange, soothing cold emanated from his palms and pierced through Alex¡¯s skin. It was the same kind of spell that Kairin had cast on him earlier. But Alex could tell that this one was much more potent.

    Alex felt instant relief from the pain.

    Whoever this man was, Alex wished upon him a long, happy life. With an incredibly hot wife. And loads and loads of children. Enough to build an army.

    ¡°Your thoughts might turn a bit doozy for a moment,¡± the man warned him in a whisper. ¡°It¡¯s a common side effect, but only for the first few minutes. So, um¡­ relax!¡±

    Alex tried to focus on the fight breaking out ahead. But all he could think of for now was to gift this man a Lamborghini of his choosing.

    And maybe a second wife.

    Soon enough though, his senses returned, and Alex could think like normal once again.

    But he was still incapable of speech.

    Alex was thankful that at least he could see the fight since his neck was tilted forward by the cracked ground underneath his head. Presumably because the ape¡¯s punches were mostly concentrated on his abdomen, sinking him lower, curving his spine.

    Just how much of his body had the ape mercilessly broken?

    The horrific thought seemed to have abruptly increased his heart rate.

    ¡°Easy now,¡± said the medic. ¡°Try to relax.¡±

    Alex pulled his mind away from the state of his body. He just didn¡¯t wanna know. Not right now, not yet.

    He¡¯d rather focus on the fight ahead.

    The demon ape let out a deafening battle cry. He was still in berserk mode, judging by the fact that its eyes were still blank, and the coarse red aura still surrounded him.

    Alex hoped the knights knew what they were doing.

    They must be careful.

    Something big and fast flew past the bald, tattooed guy¡¯s side, whose name Alex only just recalled: Master Korne.

    The large figure rushed the ape. It was a burly man, not very tall, but incredibly broad. And he had arms made completely of glowing blue ice. He looked more like a warrior than a knight.

    Master Korne said something to him with his arm extended that Alex couldn¡¯t hear.

    A warning?

    The ice-hands warrior shook away and charged straight for the ape¡¯s belly.

    The other two knights went invisible once again.

    When he was up close, the ice-hands warrior changed his stance, spun on his ankle with expert footwork, and aimed a surprise punch at the ape¡¯s foot, while the ape was busy guarding its lower body.

    Alex could tell that he intended to cripple the ape¡¯s movements. He must have seen the monster¡¯s supernatural speed, and judged that his squad wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with it.

    And here Alex took him for a brute fool who had simply rushed in without thinking.

    This was no novice.

    However, the demon ape was too quick for him.

    It immediately pulled its foot out of the way of the ice punch and launched its scale-armor arm at the warrior to grab him.

    Fortunately, the warrior was quick enough to dodge by jumping backward. The ice on his hands was gone.

    The entire exchange surprised Alex. The ape was much, much faster before, when it was fighting him. Why had it now become significantly slower? What was different now?

    The arrow!

    It must be the ice arrow pierced through the ape¡¯s chest that was slowing it down.

    ¡°Kormac!¡± yelled Master Korne. ¡°Where is your patience? Wait for the disabling shot!¡±

    ¡°He is taking too long!¡± the ice-armed warrior named Kormac snapped back. ¡°I waited enough.¡±

    ¡°Clearly not,¡± said Master Korne, pointing to the failed attack. Kormac spat on the ground distastefully.

    ¡°He is almost in position,¡± informed Master Korne.

    ¡°How much longer?¡± asked Kormac impatiently.

    ¡°We wait as long as it takes!¡± said Master Korne.

    ¡°We can.¡± Kormac¡¯s face turned smug. He nodded at the ape and said, ¡°He won¡¯t.¡±

    The demon ape finally seemed to have recovered from its initial shock from the surprise attack. It held the ice arrow sticking out of its body with its normal hand tight.

    Alex expected the ape to snap the arrow. But the ice simply melted away.

    The ape grunted twice and thumped its chest in celebration, announcing to everyone that it was unhurt.

    And it was ready.

    ¡°Here he comes,¡± said Kormac, visibly unsure of whether he should stand his ground or dodge.

    ¡°If he manages to break through the twins,¡± said Master Korne calmly. ¡°Leave him to me.¡±

    ¡°They better hurry,¡± said Kormac.

    Free from the ice arrow, the berserker ape launched into a charge once again. The coarse red aura cracked the floor beneath it.

    ¡°Careful!¡± Kairin warned them, jogging toward Master Korne.

    ¡°Princess,¡± said Master Korne intensely, tilting his head to her without taking his eyes off the charging ape. His voice conveyed sincere care and worry. ¡°Stay back!¡±

    Kairin abruptly stopped in her tracks.

    The ape was almost upon them, when¡ª

    From a spot far behind Kairin and Master Korne, another giant ice arrow shot through the dark and whooshed over them.

    It connected with the ape¡¯s chest with enough impact to instantly halt the ape¡¯s onslaught, almost knocking it off-balance.

    The two knights who had gone invisible when Kormac had rushed the ape, reappeared on either side of the streets, right at the spot where the demon ape had been hit. They put strange instruments that looked like miniature flutes to their mouths and blew in them.

    The ape clasped both its giant palms to its thick, round ears and fell to its knees, shrieking in agony.

    But Alex couldn¡¯t hear anything.

    They seemed to be blasting some sort of a sonic wave at the ape, Alex guessed. It must be at an exceptionally high frequency. Or maybe it was simply focused in a small cone. Or both!

    Alex was so pleasantly curious. He wanted to learn everything about the knights¡¯ fighting techniques.

    The ape was suffering; and by the looks of it, sufficiently disabled.

    However¡­ There was something about the ape¡¯s shriek that seemed off to Alex.

    ¡°Now!¡± yelled Master Korne.

    Kormac shot toward the ape. The glowing blue ice on both his hands returned.

    With the ape downed to its knees, Kormac moved in with confidence. He jumped to hit the ape square in its jaw with an upper cut, but that¡¯s when the ape opened its blank eyes menacingly.

    A smirk etched on its ugly face.

    ¡°No!¡± screamed Kairin.

    Shit, thought Alex. It¡¯s laying traps now!

    The demon ape opened its mouth and let go another one of its savage, ear-splitting roar. Visible waves of sound shot out of its mouth and connected with an airborne Kormac, shooting him straight into the ground.

    The visible sound waves blasting out of the ape¡¯s mouth pushed through the knights¡¯ disabling high-frequency sonic waves, and smashed the two knights on either side of the ape into the respective walls behind them.

    Master Korne conjured a circular shield of thin ice in front of him that tanked the physical waves of sound blasting toward him and Kairin.

    The ape used this window to immediately melt the second ice arrow sticking out of its body. It was back to full mobility.

    The demon ape wasted no time and shot toward Kairin and Master Korne, completely ignoring a disabled Kormac lying on the ground.

    It was still holding tight on its grudge against Kairin after all.

    As the ape charged toward them, the ground below him turned to ice and progressively inclined upward.

    The ape, momentarily caught by surprise, did not relinquish its plan and continued charging forward, and upward, until it reached the edge of the ice cliff.

    With Kairin and Master Korne directly below.

    The ape jumped off the ice cliff without hesitation, aiming to crash right on top of Kairin and Master Korne.

    Master Korne shoved Kairin back with one arm, and, with the same arm, conjured a long, giant spear of ice aimed straight up at the falling ape.

    The ape spotted the spear and shot its tail toward the edge of the ice cliff, and pushed itself away from the collision course.

    The ape front flipped through the air and landed behind Kairin and Master Korne.

    Soon, the three other knights gathered close to Master Korne, ready to take on the ape.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    The demon ape eyed them down with hot steam blasting out of its flaring nostrils; its eyes were still rolled back, but they were now plush with boiling rage.

    It looked like it was going to launch into a bull rush any second now, but then a long, ice arrow hit it from behind. The arrowhead poked out of its chest from the front.

    The ape roared in annoyance.

    ¡°Go!¡± commanded Master Korne and the three knights rushed toward him. ¡°Not you,¡± he said, blocking Kairin¡¯s path with one arm.

    ¡°I can help!¡± Kairin protested.

    Master Korne looked down upon her and smiled kindly. ¡°You¡¯ve done enough, my dear princess.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± cheered the medic knight crouched beside Alex. ¡°The monkey¡¯s toast now!¡±

    The two disabler knights branched away from Kormac as he rushed straight in. The demon ape, slowed by the ice arrow piercing through its thick, armored chest, threw its arms forward in defense.

    Kormac unleashed a barrage of ice-punches onto the demon ape. He was fast and relentless. Alex could tell he was favoring speed over power now, much more focused on landing a hit rather than risking a powerful punch that could miss.

    The other two knights vanished into the mist, aiming to take strategic positions around the ape once again.

    Alex was impressed. They weren¡¯t novices at all. They were capable of learning from their mistakes on the battlefield and adapting in real time.

    The ape was able to block each of the relentless ice punches, but was forced into a cowering defense. There was something in those ice arrows that severely limited its mobility. Alex was curious to know what. He¡¯d ask the tattooed bald man the first chance he gets.

    Alex felt relief seeing the knights hold their ground against the demon ape. No, not just that, they were giving it a proper fight. They might just be successful in taking it down for good!

    He felt his eyes getting heavier.

    ¡°Stay with me,¡± said the medic knight beside him. ¡°It¡¯ll be over soon.¡±

    As his eyes shrunk and his vision blurred, the coarse red aura surrounding the ape was the only thing that remained in focus.

    The brief relief that had spread over him was instantly gone as Alex came to a sudden realization.

    The arrow severely hindered the ape¡¯s bodily movements. But it probably did nothing to the coarse red aura surrounding him.

    And the ape hadn¡¯t shown to the knights that the coarse red aura was more than just an aesthetic. He was playing that card close to the chest.

    Only Alex had fought the ape from close enough range to actually feel the sheer physicality of that coarse red aura. Kairin had not, so she probably didn¡¯t know.

    Maybe the other knights knew, maybe they didn¡¯t. But could he risk it?

    He had to warn them. He somehow had to find a way to warn them!

    That damned demon ape had another trick up its sleeve!

    He felt the muscles on his arm twitch. ¡°Relax now,¡± said the medic knight. ¡°You¡¯re tensing up, it¡¯ll only worsen the healing.¡±

    How much longer? thought Alex, frustrated.

    Granted that this kind medic knight was probably saving him from a lifetime of paralysis¡ªprobably¡ªbut couldn¡¯t he do it just a little bit faster? At least restore his ability to talk first?

    Alex felt guilty for sounding ungrateful, even though he was just thinking to himself. But still¡­

    He must find a way to warn them!

    Alex glared at the medic knight intensely, hoping to catch its eye.

    And by some miracle, he succeeded.

    ¡°What?¡± he asked innocently. ¡°You want to say something? I, uhm¡­ haven¡¯t started with your vocal cord yet. Is it even damaged?¡±

    Alex managed to whiff some air out.

    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± said the medic knight. ¡°Let me see what I can do.¡±

    Alex turned his eyes back to the fight. The demon ape was still on defense.

    But it was waiting for something. An opening¡­ of some kind.

    The two disabler knights appeared on either side of the ape just like before, raising their flute-like instrument to their lips.

    Same move twice?

    That ape was smarter than they were giving it credit for.

    ¡°Careful!¡± shouted Kairin. She seemed to have come to the same conclusion.

    The demon ape waited for all three of the knights to be in a close circle around it, and before the two knights could cast their high-frequency sonic wave attack once again, it made its move.

    The coarse red aura expanded around the ape in the blink of an eye. The two knights were squashed into the wall once again; but this time, the aura held them in place with constant pressure, squashing them like bugs.

    Kormac was blown off his feet and landed flat on his back, not too far from the ape. He kicked the air with both his legs and jumped back on his feet, but something invisible and extremely heavy stomped on his back and he fell forward, face first. It was like a giant, ethereal foot was pinning him down.

    The coarse red aura was now acting like the ape¡¯s extended limbs!

    ¡°Master Korne!¡± Kairin shouted. ¡°Do something!¡±

    ¡°Patience, Kairin,¡± said Master Korne. ¡°Trust in your friends¡ª¡±

    He paused and knowingly looked up at the dark sky above the demon ape.

    A hooded figure seemed to have jumped off a nearby building and was now directly above the ape¡¯s head; in the ape¡¯s blind spot, sufficiently out of the red aura¡¯s range.

    ¡°¡ªand in your rivals. Especially in that one.¡±

    ¡°Jovar!¡± Kairin gasped with joy.

    The archer named Jovar pulled on his bow string. A relatively short ice arrow conjured out of thin air. It was nowhere as big or long as the ones fired at the ape so far, but something told Alex that that was intentional.

    This one served a different purpose.

    Jovar shot the ice arrow straight down. It pierced the demon ape¡¯s throat from above.

    ¡°Alright Jovar!¡± clapped the medic knight, taking his hand off Alex.

    The excruciating pain that the knight was holding back with his magic instantly shot back through Alex¡¯s veins.

    ¡°Oh, crap,¡± he said, clasping Alex¡¯s shoulder once again. ¡°Sorry I got excited.¡±

    Alex felt his voice coming back, but trying to speak was still a struggle. ¡°Th¡­ Thek yu¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± asked the medic knight. ¡°Don¡¯t try to speak yet. Just clap if you can!¡±

    Alex let out an imagined sigh.

    The quickfire shot from the archer appeared to have done some serious damage to the demon¡¯s nape.

    But it wasn¡¯t down yet!

    They were just falling short.

    The archer was still hovering over the ape¡¯s head, mid-jump. The previous shot had created some upward rebound that had helped him stay airborne longer than he would have. Perhaps there was some ice magic involved here too that Alex wasn¡¯t aware of.

    Regardless of how he was holding position mid-air, maybe he can manage another quickfire shot?

    He had the same idea. Jovar pulled on his bowstring once again, a bright ice arrow appeared.

    A slightly charged shot!

    Aimed at the same spot on the demon¡¯s nape.

    This should do it.

    Please¡­ let this be enough.

    A translucent red tendril appeared behind him. A constricted form of the coarse red aura.

    ¡°Jovar, watch out!¡± yelled Kairin.

    The archer turned around in panic, but he couldn¡¯t maneuver himself out of the way while suspended in air.

    But that didn¡¯t stop him. Jovar tried to shoot his shot at the ape anyway, hoping that the ensuing rebound would slide him out of the way of the tendril attack.

    But he wasn¡¯t fast enough.

    The tendril shot at him at an unreal speed and wrapped itself around his waist and body, still holding him mid-air.

    At the same time, three more tendrils shot forward toward each of the three knights downed on the ground, and wrapped around their bodies.

    The demon ape had them. All four of them. In one move.

    Shit! What now?

    ¡°Master Korne!¡± Kairin screamed at him.

    Alex couldn¡¯t see Master Korne¡¯s face from this angle. But given his silence, Alex was sure he was concerned now. Genuinely concerned.

    ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be this strong!¡± Master Korne said through gritted teeth.

    ¡°He¡¯s a C-rank!¡± said Kairin.

    ¡°Kairin, my dear,¡± said Master Korne. ¡°Your perception fails you yet again. You are letting your fear cloud it. This monstrosity, granted that it¡¯s powerful, is no way above D-rank.¡±

    What? This was a D-rank?!

    Alex couldn¡¯t believe it.

    He couldn¡¯t even defeat a D-rank. Imagine what he could do against an A or an S.

    Nothing.

    The demon ape seemed to be struggling to regain its full range of movement. But it was getting there, slowly getting there. All it had to do was touch and melt each of the arrows stuck in its body, and that should free it.

    While it slowly managed that, the red tendrils held the four knights in place.

    ¡°Master Korne, let me go help!¡± yelled the medic knight from beside Alex. ¡°I can do it! I can distract it!¡±

    ¡°No, Malti!¡± Master Korne shot back. His tone was grim serious. ¡°Play your role. That is a command!¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Malti fell silent.

    ¡°Kairin,¡± Master Korne said to her, ¡°Do you remember the spell we were practicing, before you fled the Kingdom?¡±

    Kairin nodded. ¡°Blizzard.¡±

    ¡°Can you do it?¡±

    Kairin vigorously shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡±

    ¡°Kairin,¡± said Master Korne intently. ¡°Do it. Even a small, focused version will do. Aim for the eyes.¡±

    ¡°What if I can¡¯t?¡± Kairin asked in a quivering voice.

    Master Korne kindly smiled at her. He extended his arm and a silver staff with an icy white orb at the top appeared in his hand. He made a swishing movement with the staff, and there emerged a brilliant, glowing stag from the ground right under his feet.

    The now-mounted ice wizard held the reins of his astral mount tightly, and responded to Kairin, ¡°You¡¯re a smart young woman, Kairin. I¡¯m sure you will one day grow into a brilliant ice witch.¡±

    The stag raised its two front legs, prepared to charge forward.

    ¡°Remember the lessons,¡± said Master Korne. ¡°It is an avalanche emanating from your icy, cold soul.¡±

    With that, he tapped on the astral reins of the glowing stag, and off he went, galloping toward the downed beast.

    Kairin closed her eyes and stretched her arms wide open. A faint glow appeared at her chest and beneath her feet. She was then raised off her feet by some invisible force, that kept her floating a couple of feet above ground.

    ¡°Wow, Kairin!¡± Malti breathed. ¡°You¡¯ve come so far!¡±

    The next second, fast, cold winds shot past Alex, some fifteen feet over his head. The chill almost froze him to death.

    The medic knight, Malti, rubbed his shoulders, shivering. Even he felt the chill. And he was supposed to be from a frozen planet.

    The demon ape was finally back on its feet, ready to deal with the four knights trapped within its red tendrils. The ice arrows had melted away.

    But it had a new menace headed its way.

    A corrosive blizzard, concentrated into a beam, was coming straight for its eyes.

    Direct hit.

    The demon ape violently shook its head, annoyed, and in pain!

    The sharp ice particles must feel like shards of glass slicing through its blank eyes.

    The coarse red aura, however, seemed to have a consciousness of its own. It hadn¡¯t dropped the four knights still in its grasp.

    Master Korne, riding his astral stag, was now close to the demon ape¡¯s giant legs.

    Then, he vanished in a puff of ice and mist.

    The astral stag glowed brighter and brighter as it approached the demon ape, who was already blinded by the targeted blizzard.

    The demon ape raised both its gorilla arms to shield its face and eyes. The intense white light from the astral summon must have burned its thick hide, especially its eyelids.

    But the glowing stag¡¯s target was not the demon ape¡¯s body.

    It was the coarse red aura.

    As soon as the stag collided with the aura, it turned from its gaseous liquid form to brittle solid. Then, both the glowing stag and the red aura shattered into a million shining particles like a brilliant display of fireworks.

    The three knights trapped on the ground were instantly freed, but so was the archer suspended in air, Jovar, who was dropped.

    As he fell, Jovar fired a final, charged shot at the back of the demon ape¡¯s skull.

    Alex saw a splinter of meat and bones erupt out of the point of impact.

    What power! He must have definitely gashed the back of the ape¡¯s thick skull. Or at least cracked it a little bit.

    This guy was powerful.

    The impact from the charged shot pushed the ape¡¯s head forward and it slammed into the ground with a huge thud, just like it had when hit by the robot blob¡¯s missile.

    Cold winds blew over the demon ape¡¯s downed head, slowly but steadily giving form to a robed figure with a long, icy staff.

    Master Korne.

    He nodded at Jovar who crash landed beside him on a freshly-conjured bed of snow, as though giving him a non-verbal ¡°Good job!¡±

    Then, he raised his staff, which enlarged into a massive, glowing, astral spear.

    Master Korne brought the spear down upon the back of the demon ape¡¯s skull in a swift downward strike and shoved it straight in.

    If Jovar had only managed to put a small crack on the demon skull, this definitely opened a wide, gaping hole.

    Master Korne twisted the spear-staff to shove it farther in.

    The demon ape roared in pain. The loudest that he had ever roared before.

    No physical sound waves escaped its open mouth this time around.

    It was wailing in excruciating pain. Plain and simple.

    A blue ice mist seemed to have trickled through every vein in the demon ape¡¯s grafted, abomination of a body. The thick hide turned a blueish shade of white; cold as death.

    Alex saw the demon ape¡¯s eyeballs roll back down. Its devilish eyes slowly, but gradually, lost their cursed light.

    ¡°All right, Master Korne!¡± Malti was on his feet, cheering and clapping. His hand was off of Alex¡¯s body once again, so the pain was back.

    But it was tolerable now.

    Kairin dropped back to the ground. The rest of the knights scrambled to their feet.

    ¡°Is it done?¡± asked Kormac nervously. He seemed ashamed with his performance.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Master Korne decisively. ¡°The beast is slain.¡±

    Kairin collapsed to her knees in relief. She turned to face a cheering Malti and an unmoving Alex and gave them a thumbs up.

    Alex still felt glued to the ground.

    The snow from Kairin¡¯s Blizzard fell gently all around them.

    It took all of their best efforts to bring down a mere D-rank demon.

    Alex felt a little frustrated. He should have been able to bring it down on his own!

    Suddenly, something pierced through the dark clouds above. Something big.

    With wings.

    The giant hawk let out a high-pitched screech that echoed through the wide street. Alex thought his eardrums were finally done for.

    So this is the hawk that Clark was talking about!

    No way! The knights looked tired and weak.

    Were they ready for round two? This time with a non-weakened, airborne, demon hawk?

    Couldn¡¯t Master Korne pull a miracle move?

    As the hawk drew closer, Alex noticed that his wingspan was so large, it would almost cover the entire width of the street once it was close enough.

    Which he soon would be.

    From the street opposite to them, Alex heard a familiar siren blasting through the air.

    The firetruck!

    And not one, but two jeeps, following it closely.

    Dan!

    Looks like he recruited more men to his squad.

    They must be engaged with the demon hawk on the other side of town, while the demon ape unleashed its rampage here.

    The hawk lowered its gaze to spot the carcass of the demon ape, and dived straight toward it.

    ¡°Get ready!¡± Master Korne commanded his weakened knights who were barely able to stand. ¡°The battle¡¯s not over yet!¡±

    The demon hawk brought its giant wings closer to its body to gather speed. It put its talons forward and went straight for the attack.

    Master Korne and the knights scrambled out of the way.

    The demon hawk dug its deep into the demon ape¡¯s carcass and lifted it into the air with gushing flaps from its giant wings.

    As the hawk rose higher into the air, Dan¡¯s squad got out of their vehicles and opened fire on the giant demons.

    At the same time, from the second jeep, emerged Lucy and Aiden.

    A small, odd-looking car emerged slowly from an alley behind them, as though peeping out, while keeping a safe distance.

    Blob.

    Alex¡¯s heart felt alive again. They were all right!

    The transparent sphere of ice mist from earlier covered Malti and Alex once again. Alex couldn¡¯t recall when it had dissipated.

    Even if he¡¯d try to call out to them, they couldn¡¯t listen from this distance. And it wasn¡¯t like any sound would come out of him.

    ¡°The planet¡¯s defenses are here,¡± came Master Korne¡¯s voice as though he was right beside them.

    Alex scanned the positions they should be at. But they were gone. They must have all turned invisible again.

    So had Kairin.

    The firing from Dan¡¯s squad stopped as the demon hawk disappeared into the clouds.

    ¡°Took them long enough,¡± said Malti. ¡°I think it¡¯s now time to¡ª¡±

    He was cut off by Kormac who had suddenly appeared beside them, within the mist sphere. ¡°Time to go!¡±

    ¡°What about him?¡± asked Malti, nodding at Alex. ¡°He¡¯s taken quite the beating. He wouldn¡¯t survive without my care.¡±

    Another voice broke through the misty sphere. ¡°You saw what he is,¡± said the bald, tattooed man suddenly appearing beside them.

    ¡°He¡¯s coming with us.¡±

 Chapter 16: What heroes do

    Chapter 16

    What heroes do

    Lucy gripped the iron handle inside the jeep tighter as they approached the edge of the battleground.

    The crowd that had gathered below the airship had long scattered in all directions, running for their lives; except for the unlucky ones that were caught in the epicenter of this brutal attack.

    Who¡­ Just what kind of a monster would do something like this?

    And she wasn¡¯t referring to the demon ape. Despite how skilled it was in combat, it was, at the end, just some mindless beast.

    Someone had unleashed it upon the city. Deliberately.

    Just who could be so¡­ evil?

    There was something truly sinister at play in Sol City.

    And it had to do with the Underground¡­

    ¡°There he is!¡± shouted one of the soldiers from the jeep in front of them, pointing up.

    The demon hawk broke through the clouds and soared through the dark sky with intent.

    Just how much havoc was this one about to wreak?

    Lucy and Aiden had been following the hawk, before it went out of vision and they got occupied with the ape. Apparently, while Lucy and the others were fighting the ape on the north side of the city, the soldiers were busy with another breakout on the far south, where they too encountered the hawk and were forced to go underground.

    Apparently the hawk had been circling the whole city.

    Was it like an overseer of the battlefield?

    Or was it actually the one who¡¯d caused the outbreak?

    Or both?

    She did hear one of the soldiers saying that some weird shit was going on in the Underground.

    The Underground Subway System. She was sure now that they would find answers there.

    But also demons. Lots of demons.

    Kind of classic if you think about it. Just like the old stories.

    Demons rising from the underground¡­ Bringing about the apocalypse.

    Raising hell.

    Lucy gulped. How were they going to deal with that? They needed information. Intel to prepare¡­ if preparation would make any difference.

    The Underground¡­ That¡¯s where the answers lied.

    The jeep came to an abrupt halt. Lucy grabbed Aiden¡¯s arm and they shot out the door as the other soldiers opened fire on the rapidly-descending hawk.

    Just why was it back here?

    Clark¡¯s guns¡ªobtained without his consent, so to speak¡ªwere now being concealed and carried by the robot blob. He had thankfully recovered from his injuries from fighting the ape just barely enough that he could move independently.

    He¡¯d taken shape of a small car this time around. And he was following them closely.

    Discreetly.

    It was easy for it to follow them unnoticed. It had some sort of cloaking device on, as far as Lucy could tell, because she couldn¡¯t spot it anywhere. But every time she¡¯d look back for it, the blob would reveal a little bit of its body, or bump into a stalled car, to give her a sign that it was there.

    It wasn¡¯t like any soldier would notice it following the jeep from behind anyway, since all of their eyes were stuck on the gigantic demon hawk soaring through the sky.

    Clark too had been radio-silent this entire time. Apparently, both him and blob didn¡¯t want to reveal themselves to the military.

    Was it because they were some top-secret government ¡®defense project¡¯ gone rogue?

    She should ask him about it, later.

    Lucy wanted to pull Aiden away from the street and behind some secure cover, out of sight, but they saw it as soon as they got out.

    They would have spotted it earlier if their eyes weren¡¯t so fixed on the clouds.

    It was the demon ape¡¯s body, collapsed on the ground. Cold and blue.

    Motionless.

    Dead?

    Was it really dead?

    ¡°They got him!¡± Aiden whispered to her excitedly. ¡°Alex and that ice lady, they got him!¡±

    Looked like they did. But where were they?

    Something didn¡¯t fit.

    ¡°There!¡± Aiden shouted, pointing to a spot behind the demon ape¡¯s carcass. ¡°There they are!¡±

    Before Lucy could squint her eyes to look, a massive gush of wind almost blew them off their feet as the giant hawk flapped its giant wings only a few meters above ground.

    What was it doing?

    They must be ready for anything!

    The demon hawk dove forward and swooshed toward the carcass of the demon ape. It dug its giant talons into the carcass, and lifted it up into the sky, all while tanking machine gun fire from the soldiers.

    The carcass! It must be important somehow.

    Why else would the hawk come for it?

    But why was it important?

    And was it even a carcass?

    Are the demons even capable of death?

    ¡°Holy shit that was so metal!¡± said Aiden, gazing at the giant hawk carrying the massive body of the demon ape higher and higher, until they both disappeared into the clouds.

    ¡°Come on,¡± said Lucy, feeling uneasy. She felt so every time in a situation where she wasn¡¯t sure what was going to happen next. ¡°It looks like we¡¯re in the clear, for now. We need to head back.¡±

    ¡°But they¡¯re right there! I can see Alex resting on the ground,¡± said Aiden. He ran off to speak with the sergeant. ¡°Dan, you gotta get them out of there!¡± he said pointing at the spot where the demon ape¡¯s carcass had lay just a couple minutes ago.

    Lucy couldn¡¯t see very well through all the dust that had risen to the air.

    She squinted her eyes and tried to focus.

    The dust finally cleared just enough now for her to see¡ª

    Alex.

    Collapsed on the ground. Surrounded by one, maybe two, weird-looking dudes, and the ice witch from before!

    Unconscious, or¡­

    Shit.

    Aiden must not see that.

    ¡°Get who from where?¡± said Dan, walking forward and squinting his eyes in the direction that Aiden was pointing.

    The dust had settled now. But the wide street was empty.

    Alex was were nowhere to be seen. Nor were the weird dudes surrounding him.

    Where the hell did they go?

    And how did they simply¡­ vanish?

    Whoever they were, they were gone. And they¡¯d taken Alex with them.

    ¡°Where did they go?!¡± Aiden cried out in confusion. ¡°They were right there just a second ago!¡±

    ¡°Relax, kid,¡± said Dan, looking down at them from his towering height. ¡°I know you¡¯ve been through some tough shit today.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not bullshitting you!¡± said Aiden.

    ¡°Hey, I never said you were.¡± Dan raised his hands defensively. ¡°I¡¯m just saying, in stressful situations like these, you sometimes see shit that isn¡¯t there.¡±

    The other members from Dan¡¯s crew began surrounding him now with intense murmuring.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen shit like this in my entire life, though, damn,¡± said the bearded soldier.

    Lucy recognized him from earlier; he was the one Aiden had given the grenade launcher tip to. The one who¡¯d dragged them out of harm¡¯s way during the bombing of the spider and the snake.

    ¡°This is wilder than all of our tours combined, eh?¡± chipped in another.

    ¡°Dunno about you guys, but I remember seeing shit like this when we were in The Congo,¡± said a loony-looking skinny guy.

    ¡°That¡¯s cuz yo dumbass ate those wild mushrooms, dog. Despite my wise advice to do otherwise!¡± said a relatively-skinny soldier; his skin almost as dark as Dan¡¯s.

    ¡°Yeah, well.¡± The loony soldier sniffed hard. ¡°That trip doesn¡¯t even come close to this one, huh?¡±

    ¡°Not even close,¡± Dan approved, nodding his head at the spot in the sky where the hawk had disappeared.

    He then turned to Lucy and Aiden. ¡°You kids are strong. Thank you for leading us to the fight, or at least the end of it. Now we can include this in our report.¡±

    Aiden smiled faintly.

    ¡°What do you think took it down though?¡± asked the bearded soldier. ¡°Something even fatter, meaner?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± said Dan, gloomily looking around. ¡°Keep your eyes open.¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Lucy had only told them that there was a demon monster let loose here.

    She had kicked Aiden quiet before he could blurt anything about ice witches.

    Or some guy bursting into flames and going toe-to-toe with this demonic monstrosity.

    ¡°The hawk would have led you to it anyway,¡± said Lucy humbly.

    ¡°It could have,¡± said Dan. ¡°But it didn¡¯t, did it? It was you guys. We had no idea about all the hell that was breaking lose above ground.¡±

    ¡°What did you see¡­ in the underground?¡± Lucy asked him hopefully, although she knew it was a long shot.

    Dan looked at them with the fear of doom in his eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t wanna know.¡±

    ***

    Lucy and Aiden assured Dan and his crew that they can make their way back home; whatever home meant now.

    They didn¡¯t need to know that they were in fact living in a super luxurious mansion atop a cliff hidden deep in the northern forest.

    Lucy felt a little uncomfortable knowing that they were at least sleeping in a soft bed, and getting to eat fresh fruit. Everyone else trapped within Sol City was nowhere close to that lucky.

    She would have taken more people into the mansion if she could. Children, especially.

    But that wasn¡¯t possible. Clark had made it very clear: The secrecy of the mansion and their existence was paramount.

    Lucy could be risking the very lives she was trying to help or save, by exposing Clark¡¯s location.

    Once they were sufficiently deep into the northern woods, the robot blob revealed itself to them.

    ¡°Nice stealthy driving,¡± Aiden said to it, patting its head which it absolutely adored. Aiden was still walking with a limp. He had twisted his leg pretty bad.

    Maybe Clark could do something about it.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a first aid kit back in the house,¡± his static voice whizzed through their watches after Lucy asked him about it. ¡°There¡¯s gotta be a spray or something in there for sprains and what nots.¡±

    A machine with a first aid kit for humans.

    Sure.

    Makes perfect sense.

    There was so much about Clark that they didn¡¯t know yet.

    Or, for that matter, about Alex¡­

    ¡°Watch your step,¡± Clark warned as they entered the estate grounds, but Aiden missed it. Lucy was quick to grab him before he tripped on the raised ground.

    ¡°You never watch where you¡¯re walking, do you?¡± Lucy snapped at him like she usually did.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± said Aiden softly and went straight back to being quiet.

    That¡¯s weird. He should have snapped back at her like he normally would.

    Something was bothering him.

    Lucy scoffed at herself for expecting a normal reaction from Aiden. Nothing about today was normal.

    Once again, they had narrowly escaped certain death.

    Just how many more times could they keep getting lucky?

    Luck¡¯s bound to run out sooner or later.

    What¡¯ll she do then?

    She must figure out a way to stop this.

    She needed a concrete plan. Based on solid intel.

    The demon infestation of Sol City... It must be purged!

    And if it¡¯s too dangerous to even attempt, then they need to bolt out of here. Plain and simple.

    No more trying to play the hero and trying to save the city. It was just too risky.

    They clearly had an exit opportunity now, and they should take it.

    Intel¡­ it all depends on intel. And that can surely be obtained in the Underground!

    They were silent through most of their walk back to the mansion. She was too stressed about everything that happened, and needed time to process it all, and think about what to do next.

    Aiden was obviously stressed too. But, apparently, so was Clark.

    The demon invasion was so dense that even an advanced AI machine was stressing over it.

    They were finally through the door of the mansion. Lucy felt a rush of safety and comfort wash over her. She could collapse on her bed and not get off for ten straight days.

    Tempting proposition indeed.

    But her mind was still restless.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Aiden, smiling at the robot blob who had helped him gently get on the couch.

    He barked back joyfully.

    Of all the concerns and worries swirling through her mind right now, she was surprised to find herself asking Clark, ¡°So where¡¯d you find the robot blob?¡±

    ¡°Right here,¡± Clark responded. ¡°He awoke with me.¡±

    ¡°Awoke? Just like that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, same as me,¡± said Clark plainly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t call him ¡®robot blob¡¯,¡± Aiden snapped. ¡°He¡¯s got a name!¡± He nervously looked at Clark. ¡°He¡¯s got a name, right?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ He¡¯s got a signature. A digital signature, that is. Oh, and he¡¯s got a MAC address of his own too, you know, like in WI-FI¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about!¡± said Aiden, baffled. ¡°You never named him?¡±

    ¡°Never felt the need to.¡± Clark¡¯s blue ball on the smartwatch made a motion resembling a shrug.

    ¡°We¡¯ll think of something,¡± said Aiden, looking kindly at the now-excited robot blob. ¡°I will think of something!¡±

    Lucy knew that naming the robot blob was important to Aiden. But making it a priority in a situation like this was nothing but a coping mechanism.

    Something was bothering him.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening¡­¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°¡­to Sol City, Clark? Where are these flying monsters coming from?¡±

    Clark spent a couple seconds in contemplation. ¡°I¡¯ve got a few theories. But I need to test them. I¡¯ll need time.¡±

    ¡°The soldiers said¡­ said something about seeing weird shit in the Underground.¡±

    ¡°I heard that.¡±

    ¡°You think it¡¯s worth checking out?¡± asked Aiden.

    ¡°No!¡± said both Lucy and Clark in unison.

    ¡°I mean, yes,¡± Clark clarified. ¡°It is worth checking out. And it would confirm one, maybe two, of my theories¡­¡±

    Aiden eyed him curiously. ¡°¡­ But?¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s not going to be us,¡± Lucy finished for him. ¡°We¡¯ve had enough.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Clark. ¡°I don¡¯t want to say I told you so. But I did tell you so.¡±

    ¡°We couldn¡¯t have just sat around and done nothing!¡± Aiden protested. ¡°You agreed!¡± he said to Lucy.

    ¡°I was wrong,¡± Lucy admitted. ¡°I thought the alien guns and the freaking tank would give us a big enough edge, especially considering that a bag full of grenades was able to take out the spider and the snake. But these new demons¡­ they¡¯re something else entirely. They¡¯re simply out of our league.¡±

    ¡°Again,¡± said Clark. ¡°I told you so.¡±

    ¡°But we¡¯re superheroes!¡± Aiden protested. ¡°We are supposed to help people! This is what heroes do!¡±

    ¡°You are supposed to train, first,¡± said Clark. ¡°We have no idea what your mutations are, or when they will mature or manifest. We need time¡­ to experiment and explore.¡±

    ¡°Or we just need to get out of here,¡± said Lucy. ¡°This is not our fight if we stand no chance of winning it.¡±

    ¡°How can you say that?¡± cried Aiden. ¡°How can you even think of just abandoning everyone trapped inside the city? There are children in there who need our help!¡±

    ¡°I understand!¡± Lucy finally snapped. ¡°But I am thinking about us first. I am being practical here, Aiden. It would be foolish to just throw ourselves into dangerous situations, relying only on nothing else but pure luck!¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t just luck that kept us alive today, though, was it?¡± Aiden snapped back. ¡°It was Alex. Throwing himself into a dangerous situation for our sake. He¡¯s saved our lives more than once now!¡±

    Uncomfortable silence. The robot blob looked from Aiden to Lucy and then back to Aiden nervously.

    Aiden was too tensed up right now. She should talk to him about this later, when he¡¯s calmed down.

    After a minute that felt like a month, she spoke again, ¡°Clark, why was Alex on fire?¡±

    ¡°Beats me,¡± said Clark.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know him?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, for a day longer than I know you guys. If you¡¯re keeping any superpowers secret from me, please come clean now.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he was hiding it,¡± Aiden chipped in. ¡°I think it just sort of¡­¡±

    He seemed to have lost his trail of thought.

    ¡°Sort of came out of nowhere?¡± Lucy finished for him. ¡°Maybe it did, maybe it didn¡¯t. The fact here is simple: All of us barely know him, or anything about him.¡±

    ¡°What are you suggesting?¡± Aiden asked her with his eyebrows tensed.

    ¡°That he might not be who he says he is,¡± said Clark in a matter-of-fact tone. ¡°We must consider the possibility that this entire conflict is¡­ um¡­¡±

    Aiden looked like he would explode any second now. ¡°This entire conflict is what?¡±

    ¡°That it has something to do with Alex,¡± said Lucy, figuring out what Clark had gotten at but was hesitating to say to Aiden. ¡°He could be involved somehow. He set himself on fire, for god¡¯s sakes!¡±

    Aiden remained silent.

    Clark continued, ¡°It¡¯s possible that he too is from another planet, but doesn¡¯t know it. Although he did have an ice witch for a friend¡­ so maybe he is simply hiding it from us. Or¡­¡±

    He once again hesitated to say the next part.

    So Lucy continued for him. ¡°Or maybe he¡¯s a demon himself. He had the same kind of strange warmth coming from him. I was doubtful at first too, but then I remembered how similar it felt to the heat coming from the spider, and then the ape. It also, maybe, explains why the ice witch and her friends would want to take him away¡ª¡±

    Aiden abruptly got up and limped out of the living room through the giant glass door that opened automatically for him.

    ¡°Aiden!¡± Lucy chased after him. So did blob, or whatever his MAC address is.

    But her watch suddenly tightened and vibrated, stopping both her and blob in their tracks.

    ¡°Lucy,¡± came Clark¡¯s voice. ¡°Approach with caution. His heart rate indicates he¡¯s hyper-emotional right now.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± she told him. ¡°I know my brother.¡±

    She got out through the glass doors and looked around, but she couldn¡¯t find Aiden anywhere.

    A small bout of panic rose in her chest. This happens every time Aiden disappears.

    Relax, Lucy. He couldn¡¯t have gone far.

    The robot blob tugged at her and indicated that she follow him, so she did.

    They went around and behind the mansion, toward the cliff overlooking the city.

    Lucy followed the blob. It led her beyond a few small bushes, closer to the edge, where there was a bench.

    And seated on it, tense with his hands joined together, and his face resting on them, was Aiden. He gazed intensely at the red glow emanating from the city spread wide before them.

    Lucy thought of how beautiful it would¡¯ve looked from here¡­ before. Colorful, bustling lights everywhere, especially during the music festivals at the city center.

    Now, the only light was from the fires. And the strange red glow, which seemed to have no source.

    She should come back up here once it was all over.

    If it does end. And if they survive through it¡­

    A cold, freezing breeze blew over them. Lucy couldn¡¯t recall the city, or the parts around it, being this cold.

    ¡°Aiden,¡± she said softly, her breath turning to mist before her. ¡°Come inside.¡±

    Aiden snapped an angry look at her with swollen eyes. He instantly snapped away from Lucy and turned to look at the city once again. ¡°I cannot, for the life of me, sit through one more minute of you guys insulting the guy who just saved our lives, and not to mention, everyone else in the city.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not insulting him¡ª¡± Lucy tried to explain.

    But Aiden cut her off. ¡°Yes, he was on fire. But so what? Did you see him team up with the ape and start burning people alive? No! Instead, he fought the demon ape. He defeated the demon ape! With some help, sure¡­ from that ice witch lady¡­ who didn¡¯t seem at all villainous to me either, just saying!¡±

    Lucy remained quiet. She wanted to let him vent.

    ¡°He jumped between us and the ape, completely unaware of the fact that he had any powers!¡± Aiden continued. ¡°That¡¯s what my gut says. He fired something from his hands before that, but that could be some other power or magic that he wasn¡¯t aware of.¡±

    ¡°That was me,¡± Clark quickly clarified. ¡°I armed the watch on his arm with a static blast.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± said Aiden. ¡°But still¡­ he is the one who took the shot! And that proves my point. Whatever he is, he is not our enemy!¡±

    ¡°I never said that he was,¡± said Lucy.

    ¡°You called him a demon!¡± said Aiden. ¡°He is not a demon!¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± said Lucy calmly. ¡°Okay, Aiden. He is not a demon. But then, what is he?¡±

    ¡°Maybe he just stumbled upon a mutagen, like you guys did,¡± Clark cut in. ¡°And his mutations kicked in much quicker than yours.¡±

    Aiden took a small breath in before continuing. ¡°Whatever he is, or whatever planet he may have come from, he is our friend. I just know it.¡±

    The robot blob rested its body on the ground, whimpering briefly like a puppy.

    Lucy sat down beside Aiden, accompanying him at glaring at the city.

    He was still tensed up. He just needed time.

    Lucy was prepared to sit with him all night out in the cold, if that¡¯s what he needed.

    ¡°It should have been me,¡± said Aiden, his voice shaking.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Lucy.

    ¡°It should have been me!¡± he announced. ¡°Powering up and taking down the freaking demons. I¡¯m a superhero now. And that¡¯s what heroes do! I¡¯ve got my powers. But still¡­ still!

    ¡°Even after getting super powers, I am still just as weak and pathetic as I was before.¡±

    ¡°Aiden, don¡¯t say that¡ª¡±

    ¡°But I am! I am, Lucy.¡± Aiden clenched his fists. ¡°I wasn¡¯t taken out by some powerful demon¡¯s ultimate attack or something like that. Or even some basic attack. I was incapacitated because I twisted my foot, dammit! That¡¯s how pathetic I am.

    ¡°Weak and pathetic¡­ and useless!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that, please,¡± Lucy begged, but she knew her words didn¡¯t comfort him. Words may not be enough anymore.

    They sat in silence for a few minutes. The cold breeze still blew over them, and it felt strangely comforting. Perhaps because it was a stark contrast to the fiery, hot demons in the city below.

    ¡°How do we know that the ice lady and her friends won¡¯t harm him?¡± Aiden suddenly asked Lucy.

    ¡°We don¡¯t,¡± she told him honestly.

    ¡°I¡¯m going after him, then,¡± Aiden declared. ¡°He saved everyone, and now he might be the one in danger. So I¡¯m going to save him, either with or without you guys.¡±

 Chapter 17: He is nothing like us!

    Chapter 17

    He is nothing like us!

    There it was again. The same dream.

    Among the special few that he¡¯d had several times before.

    Darkness, and the calm void.

    And housed within it¡­ the flickering flame.

    When will it grow brighter?

    Will it ever conquer the darkness around it?

    Or fade into nothingness? Like it never even existed in the first place.

    There were voices in the distance now, circling the flame. Strange voices.

    Whispers in the void.

    Humans.

    Humans, but with a slight accent that he just couldn¡¯t place.

    ¡°I aged waiting for you to take the shot!¡± said a slightly familiar voice, agitated. ¡°A second too late and he would¡¯ve crushed our bones to dust.¡±

    ¡°That is not on me,¡± said a voice he only faintly recognized. A slightly younger voice. ¡°It will take as long as it takes. You rushed in like a complete rookie.¡±

    ¡°The demon wasn¡¯t going to wait around for you to search your damn feelings!¡±

    ¡°You insult me one more time and you will feel nothing for the rest of your life, I assure you.¡±

    The first voice mockingly laughed. ¡°So you now admit dabbling in forbidden magic? What happens when Master Korne finds out?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± said the other voice coldly.

    A door swung open. And a faint light hit Alex¡¯s face.

    A familiar light.

    He was awake. Lying on something soft.

    Resting.

    Should he risk opening his eyes?

    That depends. Was he among friends?

    By the shadows dancing upon his shut eyelids, and the angles from which the voices came at him, Alex could tell that the two young men must be staring each other down, interrupted now, by a tall, commanding presence.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± said the more mature voice. ¡°Are you two at it again?¡±

    The bickering men remained silent.

    ¡°Malti?¡± boomed the commanding voice.

    Someone closer to Alex spoke timidly. ¡°They¡¯re at it again.¡±

    ¡°And here I thought some real battle experience would turn you boys into knights,¡± said the mature voice scornfully. ¡°Clearly, I misjudged.¡±

    ¡°You said this would be a tame planet,¡± said the first voice in an accusatory tone. ¡°It wasn¡¯t even on the archives for Thoros¡¯s sake! But here we are, risking our lives against D-rank demons acting like C-rank monsters!¡±

    ¡°The tide of war is always unpredictable,¡± said the wise old voice simply. ¡°Only a fool is caught unprepared.¡±

    ¡°He was too slow!¡± He pointed at the man he was arguing with earlier. ¡°And I didn¡¯t even have my bracers, father!¡±

    ¡°As I said, unprepared. So that is on you, young knight.¡± He said the last part with special emphasis, making it clear that they weren¡¯t father and son when on the mission, or on the battlefield.

    The young knight spat distastefully and fell silent.

    ¡°As for you, Jovar,¡± said the older man. ¡°You are taking too long to attain equilibrium.¡±

    ¡°I was distracted,¡± responded Jovar. ¡°By a D-rank demon ape.¡±

    ¡°And thus, you must train. You understand?¡±

    ¡°I train enough!¡±

    ¡°Not your skills,¡± said the old man. ¡°But your heart.¡±

    Jovar grunted.

    A scuffling sound came from somewhere farther to his right.

    Alex opened his eyes by mere millimeters. A figure emerged from his bedroom.

    A slender, female figure.

    Wait, his bedroom?

    And the soft surface that he was resting upon was actually¡­

    His couch?

    There were in his apartment!

    Someone even went through the trouble of putting a dry t-shirt over him. His t-shirt. Surely taken from his closet.

    Whoever these guys were, they at least cared about his modesty. That should be a good sign, right?

    The woman stopped walking once she was barely out of his bedroom and postured herself carefully. She seemed uncomfortable, and slightly taken aback.

    Her long, platinum white hair was messy, and her bright blue eyes looked tired. But she still radiated a powerful, regal aura.

    Kairin.

    Everyone else in the room bowed to her respectfully. Jovar did so with visible discomfort.

    ¡°Did you rest well, princess?¡± asked the bald, tattooed man kindly.

    ¡°I did,¡± said Kairin. ¡°Until the Council of Loudmouths over here decided to get into a glorious battle of words over who screwed up the most. I think they both lost.¡±

    The older man eyed the two young knights disdainfully. ¡°Apologize to the princess for your shameful conduct.¡±

    ¡°Relax, Master Korne,¡± said Kairin. ¡°We are far away from home. And they are my friends. I think we can do away with decorum, at least while we¡¯re here.¡±

    ¡°How are you feeling now, Kairin?¡± asked the medic knight, Malti.

    ¡°Like my head would¡¯ve exploded,¡± said Kairin. ¡°If not for you.¡±

    Malti shifted uncomfortably, clearly not used to public praise.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember falling asleep, though,¡± said Kairin.

    A brief and uncomfortable silence crept out of nowhere. Kairin¡¯s gaze shifted from Malti, to the two young knights, and finally, to her master. Her cheery smile gradually fading into a serious expression.

    ¡°So,¡± she said. ¡°I see you three guarding the door. Am I a prisoner here?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Master Korne. ¡°I can never presume to do anything so vile as take you prisoner.¡±

    ¡°So I can leave, then? If I wanted to?¡±

    ¡°Also no,¡± said Master Korne. ¡°It is for your own safety.¡±

    Kairin scoffed. ¡°You sound just like Father.¡±

    ¡°He has good reasons,¡± Jovar jumped to the master¡¯s defense. ¡°We don¡¯t know the situation out here. We know next to nothing about this planet. Or the kinds of abominations it houses.¡±

    The archer¡¯s eyes shot at Alex when he said that. Alex quickly shut his eyes, only to open them again, ever so slightly, once the conversation resumed.

    ¡°Jovar, you be careful!¡± Kairin warned him.

    ¡°I thought I could freely speak my mind now,¡± said Jovar. ¡°Or was dropping decorum just a load of¡ª¡±

    ¡°Silence, Jovar,¡± Master Korne commanded him; his tone calm, yet overbearing.

    Jovar looked away with his arms folded.

    ¡°Kormac,¡± began Kairin with a measured tone. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°Unfazed,¡± Kormac responded, trying to sound stoic. ¡°As I always am.¡±

    Wasn¡¯t he just crying about not having his bracers?

    ¡°And your injuries?¡± asked Kairin.

    ¡°Gone,¡± said Kormac confidently. ¡°I am back to full strength.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll spend a month in the infirmary if he takes one more punch to the gut,¡± said Malti. ¡°By a common three-feet frost monkey.¡±

    ¡°You dare mock me, Malti?¡± said an enraged Kormac.

    ¡°I am just telling you the facts! Why won¡¯t you let me heal you?¡±

    ¡°This again.¡± Master Korne touched his forehead with his palm. ¡°Kormac, let Malti heal you. That¡¯s an order.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°An order!¡±

    Kormac yielded.

    Kairin turned to Malti. ¡°And what about him?¡± she asked.

    Alex could feel all their gazes rest upon him. But he didn¡¯t dare open his eyes.

    ¡°He¡¯s had it the worst,¡± said Malti. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯ll take for his body to heal, or his bones to rebuild, if ever.¡±

    Kairin paused. It felt like it was difficult for her to get the next words out. ¡°And uhm¡­¡± She loudly cleared her throat. ¡°If he is treated¡­ by the best medics of Cahrim¡­ what then?¡±

    ¡°Then,¡± said Malti. ¡°Then there is a chance. But it all depends on whether his body is even capable of healing through that.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know what he¡¯s capable of,¡± said Kormac. ¡°Or how much.¡±

    ¡°At least we know what he is,¡± muttered Jovar, which attracted an angry gaze from Kairin.

    ¡°What?¡± he protested. ¡°We¡¯re all thinking it. Kormac even said we might have to restrain him, suppress his magic.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll be necessary,¡± said Malti. ¡°Going by his rate of recovery, I don¡¯t think he should be gaining consciousness for at least a week now.¡±

    ¡°When was the last time you checked on him?¡± asked Master Korne.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a few hours¡­ about when we brought him in here.¡± Malti looked uncomfortable. ¡°I¡¯ve been busy with the others since.¡±

    ¡°Check again,¡± Master Korne told him. ¡°And give me an estimate. Meanwhile, I¡¯m heading out to commune with the council regarding our next steps, and preparing transport for our¡­ guest here.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Guest, huh?

    ¡°Don¡¯t you mean prisoner?¡± Kairin snapped at him, echoing Alex¡¯s thoughts. ¡°You¡¯re making a grave mistake, Master.¡± She tried not to give away the desperation in her voice.

    Master Korne gave her a small smile and turned back to Malti, completely ignoring everything she said. ¡°I¡¯ll be gone a while, since I¡¯m not using the galactic channels. So keep an eye out for each other. And wake me only if the danger¡¯s big enough.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± said Malti.

    Master Korne turned to leave, but then suddenly halted and turned around to face Kairin. ¡°Oh, and¡­¡± He gently stroked the air with his fingers and said, ¡°Forgive me, princess.¡±

    A pair of black bands with glowing, runic lights scattered along their outer circumference rose in the air from atop a cabinet where Alex¡¯s action figures once resided. The bands split in halves mid-air, and the four resulting semi-circular arcs shot at each of Kairin¡¯s wrists in pairs of two halves like bullets, reattaching themselves into full circles once they covered her wrists.

    Like some futuristic, magic-infused hand cuffs.

    ¡°Really, now?¡± Kairin raised an eyebrow at Master Korne.

    Master Korne looked at her with a blank expression, but his eyes gave away his pain as he said, ¡°Your father¡¯s orders.¡±

    So they were prisoners here, after all. Both of them.

    Master Korne turned around and exited the apartment, shutting the door behind him.

    ¡°Where are the twins?¡± Kairin asked Malti.

    ¡°They¡¯ve gone scouting,¡± Malti replied.

    ¡°Scouting?¡± Kairin looked confused. ¡°Gigantic demon apes are not exactly inconspicuous. We¡¯ll see them coming from a mile.¡±

    Malti seemed uncomfortable responding now.

    ¡°Well?¡± Kairin probed him.

    He continued, unsure of whether he should. ¡°He thinks that¡­ if the news of you being here was leaked¡­ somehow¡­ then Cahrim¡¯s enemies may take advantage of that¡­ somehow.¡±

    ¡°You mean send assassins after me?¡±

    ¡°I guess,¡± Malti shrugged and threw his hands in the air. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t understand these things, Kairin!¡±

    Kairin groaned.

    She stared blankly in space for a while, lost in thought. The ice archer, Jovar, lent back against the wall where Alex¡¯s big screen TV used to be; one of his knees bent with his foot touching the wall, his arms folded, and his eyes closed. Kormac sat on a stool also with his arms folded and his eyes closed; his legs were spread wide and his feet tapped the floor impatiently, repeatedly.

    The awkward, uncomfortable silence from before crept right back.

    Alex took the opportunity to stealthily look around without moving his head. He wasn¡¯t sure whether he¡¯d be able to move it at all, even if he tried.

    The couch was closer to his window, and farthest away from the front door. His place was not that huge so he had a pretty good view from this of the whole apartment from this angle.

    And it was¡­ surprisingly neat; the opposite of what it was like when he was last here with Kairin.

    The shattered glass and china on the floor were cleared. Open cabinet doors were firmly shut. Even his blanket was neatly folded.

    However, nothing was in its proper place.

    Upon a closer look, Alex noticed that his neatly folded blanket hung in the kitchen, and the kitchen mat was upon his dining table. His sound bar was shoved into a cabinet like a rolled piece of cardboard, with more than half of it poking out. The expensive wine glass set that his mother insisted he keep in the kitchen¡ªsince she actually expected him to have female company over¡ªmiraculously survived and was neatly laid out on his computer table.

    And his action figures adorned the kitchen cabinets and the sink, right next to the soap bottles.

    Well, whoever had cleaned had good intentions, at least.

    Kormac began tapping his foot on the floor faster. His eyes still shut tight, and his muscular forearms tensing.

    Jovar looked calm, but Alex could tell that he was clearly bothered by the incessant tapping, given away by his twitching eyebrows.

    Kairin was still lost in thought, hopefully thinking about how to escape from here.

    And Master Korne was still gone.

    Malti eyes hopped from one knight to the other nervously, unsure of what to do next. He was probably mere seconds away from remembering that this is when he should be checking up on Alex.

    Shit.

    Alex never learned to fake being unconscious. His pounding heart would instantly give him away.

    The foot tapping grew louder.

    Jovar opened his eyes, annoyed. And, at the same time, so did Kormac. Their eyes met, deadlocked in an intense staring contest.

    Kormac began tapping louder. His whole body was now shaking.

    Jovar¡¯s face looked like it would pop a blood vessel.

    Then, suddenly, Kormac sprang to his feet. Jovar instantly put his foot back down and straightened up.

    The two knights menacingly stared each other down, as though they were going to break into a duel any second.

    Please, thought Alex. Not inside the apartment!

    Kormac exhaled a puff of icy mist and turned to the door. Tilting his head back to Kairin and Malti, he said, ¡°I¡¯m going to train. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be far.¡±

    With that, he too exited the apartment.

    Five long seconds later, Jovar walked toward the door too.

    ¡°And where do you think you¡¯re going, Jovar?¡± Malti asked in a quivering voice.

    ¡°To make sure the doofus doesn¡¯t get himself killed,¡± said Jovar. ¡°And to train.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ but then¡­ What am I supposed to do here alone?¡±

    ¡°Wait for Master Korne to emerge from his meditation,¡± Jovar said simply.

    Malti looked like he was sweating profusely; his body shaking with unease.

    ¡°Oh come on, Malti!¡± Jovar was irritated. ¡°The imposter is dead unconscious, and didn¡¯t you say that he¡¯ll remain so for weeks? Kairin¡¯s restrained with anti-magic cuffs, so she¡¯s practically useless. I¡¯m sure Master Korne programmed it to turn heavier than a frost giant¡¯s foot if she tries to exit through the door. No offense, princess, but you¡¯re nowhere near strong enough to power through that.¡±

    Kairin scoffed.

    ¡°He is probably on the roof,¡± said Jovar as he exited through the door. ¡°So now you know where to find him; you know, if the cold cuts the roof.¡±

    If the cold cuts the roof? Was it their way of saying if shit hits the fan?

    These wizards may beat us in ice sorcery, but their idioms don¡¯t even come close.

    Malti collapsed on a chair and let out a long sigh. The fact that he was supposed to check on Alex had slipped his mind, for now.

    Alex felt his consciousness slipping. His thoughts turned heavier and heavier to hold in focus.

    A second later, he was passed out.

    Alex had no idea how much time had passed when he next felt his thoughts return. In his mind, it was barely seconds ago that he last slipped out of consciousness.

    But outside, the sky had turned much darker.

    His living room had never been more crowded, and yet it now felt empty, somehow. Master Korne and the other knights had not returned. Even the medic knight, Malti, was now missing.

    Alex tried to raise his head to look at Kairin, who was just a few degrees out of his field of vision. He was surprised to find out that he could actually move his head now, if only by a few inches.

    The moment he saw Kairin though, Alex was instantly taken aback.

    She was glaring at him, intensely. As if she knew he was going to come to right at this second. She was kneeling in a corner with her wrists glued to the floor, while frowning at him, as though trying extremely hard to send him telepathic messages.

    Wait, could she actually do that?

    Who knew?

    Did she wake him using some weird psychic energy?

    Alex noticed her lips move slowly, and carefully, in a pattern.

    She was trying to tell him something. And she didn¡¯t want to make a sound.

    Okay, so no telepathy, I guess.

    Alex tried to focus on her lips.

    ¡°Can. You. Move?¡± Kairin mouthed each word slowly and carefully.

    Good question, Kairin. I have no idea!

    He could move his head, but only by a little. And maybe that was it.

    He tried to move his hands, but his body gave no response. It felt like all his nerves had been severed.

    Maybe because they actually were.

    She was glued to the floor with her hands behind her back now. Apparently, the protocol to make the bands heavier than a¡­ a what now? A frost troll¡¯s foot? Yeah¡­ something like that. That had been activated.

    ¡°I. Can¡¯t. Move!¡± she mouthed to him.

    Yes, Kairin. I figured as much.

    What did she have in mind, though? For the grand escape?

    Did she want Alex to break her magic-restricting cuffs, and then she carries him out of here?

    Ambitious. But possible.

    Alex pursed his lips. She looked tense.

    If she was so desperate to escape from here, which is absolutely what it looked like, then maybe they were in some kind of real danger. Or they will be, if they remain here.

    Or at least he will be, since, well, she¡¯s their princess and all.

    Yeah¡­ that sounds about right. It wasn¡¯t her who¡¯d be in any danger here.

    It was him.

    He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate. He must move!

    It was all about¡­ remembering.

    Remembering what it felt like¡­ to move his hand.

    There!

    A twitch.

    Accompanied by a generous puff of translucent steam through the pores on his skin; the heat from it burned the fabric of his couch.

    Just a little more¡­

    Kairin struggled toward him as well, dragging her hands across the floor with as much strength as she could muster, if only by a few inches. But the cuffs clung to the wooden floor like magnets to iron.

    He could extend his arm toward her now. But she was far out of reach.

    ¡°You have to move!¡± she mouthed. ¡°This. Is. Heavy!¡± She pointed to her cuffs.

    Again, kinda figured that out, Kairin!

    Alex wondered how much time they had before the medic knight returns.

    He didn¡¯t seem like a bad dude at all. His peers were a little stuck up, but none of them seemed like bad people; and they were a far cry from being villainous criminals, surely!

    Because, and most importantly, they were Kairin¡¯s friends. Her royal guard! So to speak.

    Why then? Why would they want to hurt him?

    Was Kairin simply being paranoid?

    Nah¡­ she did not seem like the type.

    She wouldn¡¯t want to run away from her friends so desperately, if she didn¡¯t deem it important enough to do so.

    Alex must move more than just his arm.

    And soon!

    Argh, it was no use! No matter how hard he tried, the only thing he could do right now was crane his neck a few inches and extend his steaming right arm a little farther off the couch.

    That¡¯s it. Even if he got to Kairin, it was doubtful that he could do whatever she wanted him to do with the magic cuffs.

    It was no use.

    And then, as though further adding insult to his injuries and helplessness, the door swung open.

    The medic knight, Malti, had returned.

    ¡°Hey, Kairin!¡± he greeted her awkwardly. ¡°I can¡¯t seem to find either of them. Do you think Master Korne will be gone long now?¡±

    ¡°It takes a while,¡± Kairin explained, ¡°to communicate across great distances like this. Plus I think the council would have a lot to say about the situation here¡ªuseless old fools the lot of them. So yeah, I think it¡¯ll still be a while.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± said Malti. ¡°Guess it¡¯s just us for a while then, huh?¡±

    ¡°Malti,¡± said Kairin in a more serious tone. ¡°I need to go relieve myself.¡±

    Alex could see Malti¡¯s cheeks redden with embarrassment. It was like some invisible force had suddenly pushed him off balance. ¡°I¡­ uhh¡­ of course! I mean. Sure, please. Go ahead.¡±

    ¡°Malti!¡± said Kairin. ¡°I can¡¯t. The cuffs were activated.¡±

    ¡°Did you try to leave through the door?¡± Malti asked her nervously.

    ¡°Of course not,¡± said Kairin. Alex had a feeling that she was lying, judging by her tone and delivery. ¡°It must be some error.¡±

    ¡°Okay, well¡­¡± Malti seemed unsure of himself, but he rushed to Kairin¡¯s side and reached for the cuffs.

    Was he really that na?ve?

    Malti suddenly stopped and pulled his hands away before they touched the cuffs. He nervously took a few steps away from Kairin.

    ¡°You promise not to do anything funny, right?¡± Malti asked her nervously.

    ¡°Malti, we¡¯ve been friends since we were kids. Ever since Master Willem got you to us. I¡¯ve been right by you through Winter School and helped train you for your Grade 1 certification. I can never even think about hurting you.

    ¡°I just need to go relieve myself. And it¡¯s urgent.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay!¡± said Malti. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kairin. It¡¯s just that¡­ they left you both to me and I don¡¯t want to screw this up.¡±

    ¡°The imposter¡ªas Jovar called him¡ªis unconscious. And you yourself said he wouldn¡¯t be coming to for weeks.¡±

    ¡°His body is¡­ not healing very quick, yeah.¡±

    ¡°So relax,¡± said Kairin. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t try to run. And you don¡¯t even have to remove the cuffs off me, just disable the weighted trap.¡±

    ¡°Right, right.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to use any magic,¡± Kairin assured him.

    ¡°Right, of course.¡±

    ¡°So, come on! Unless you want to witness me embarrass myself right here, right now!¡±

    ¡°Oh no,¡± said Malti. ¡°Of course not!¡±

    Malti finally caved and reached out for the cuffs.

    The moment his fingers were close to what looked like a small, red button, Kairin spun in place and brushed the cuffs on Malti¡¯s extended fingers in a pattern.

    The cuffs broke back into semi-circles and fell off her wrists.

    ¡°No¡­¡± said Malti in shock. He couldn¡¯t believe any of this.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Malti!¡± said Kairin, back on her feet, free.

    Malti backed away from her. ¡°You tricked me!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Malti!¡± Kairin repeated herself, begging him. ¡°I promise you I meant you no harm.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± said Malti, unconvinced. ¡°Of course I believe you!¡±

    ¡°Malti,¡± she said, genuinely guilty for what she¡¯d done. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. If only you knew the full stor¡ª¡±

    But Malti was too much in shock to hear a single word. ¡°You were my friend, and you tricked me for some stranger. A stranger who¡¯s nothing but a¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say it, Malti,¡± Kairin interrupted him. ¡°He¡¯s nothing like that. Look at this place. This is where he lives. I got you all here to show you that he is not a monster. He¡¯s just some Earthling, a normal kid, like us.¡±

    ¡°He is nothing like us!¡± Malti was revolted. He weakly raised his fists in a fighting stance. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kairin, but they entrusted me with you two. Master Korne¡­ he finally believed in me¡­ finally!

    ¡°Which is why I cannot let you leave!¡±

    Malti toughened his meekly stance. But Kairin remained unfazed.

    ¡°I know, Malti,¡± she said to him kindly. ¡°You are too kind, and way too loyal, even to those who look down upon you and don¡¯t see you as their equal. I respect so much about you, my dear friend. And that is what I am¡ªyour closest friend, always and forever. And this is why... I hope you¡¯ll forgive me for this.¡±

    Malti¡¯s expression changed from nervous determination to pure shock on having been caught off guard.

    The mists had escaped Kairin¡¯s fingers a full ten seconds ago.

    Now they surrounded Malti¡¯s face and head, gleaming and glittering in the faint moonlight. In a snap, they shot straight through his nostrils and his ears and into his body.

    The white part of Malti¡¯s eyes, which were now wide open in shock, turned icy blue. He dropped on his back on to a bed of soft, fluffy snow, unconscious.

    Kairin rushed to Alex¡¯s side, panting, and¡­ tearing up?

    ¡°Come on!¡± she said, sniffling. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time.¡±

 Chapter 18: Eagle Eyes

    Chapter 18

    Eagle Eyes

    The only range of motion that Alex had thus unlocked was craning his neck at a small, awkward angle and lifting his right arm by a few centimeters for a fraction of a second.

    And that¡¯s about it.

    He didn¡¯t know how that¡¯d be enough to sneak out of his apartment.

    Sneaking out of his own apartment. There¡¯s something he never thought he¡¯d do after moving out of his parents¡¯ place.

    And he absolutely never thought he¡¯d be doing it with an alien ice witch of all people.

    No, wait. She wasn¡¯t an ¡®ice witch¡¯ yet, right? Alex had gathered at least this much from her exchanges with the Knights of Cahrim so far; and from what she¡¯d told Clark during their battle with the demon ape.

    So what was she, then? An ice sorcerer? A frost mage?

    Freaking Elsa?

    Alex had no idea about the kind of ranking system or power hierarchy her planet adhered to. But whatever she was, she definitely had some crazy moves up her sleeve.

    Just look at poor Malti down there, resting peacefully on his cozy snow bed.

    He seemed to be a good, pure-hearted, innocent kind of guy. Tricking him like that was cold, no doubt about that. And Alex could tell that it absolutely wasn¡¯t easy for Kairin to do.

    Yet, she did it anyway. Perhaps because it had to be done.

    She must firmly believe that they were in some real danger.

    Well, he, at least. Alex reminded himself.

    Kairin scanned his body carefully, assessing the damage as best as she could. She then whispered to him, ¡°Wait here!¡±

    No problems there, Kairin! Alex thought.

    She then tip-toed toward the main door. A transparent bubble-shaped mist cloud emerged from one of her hands and escaped through the gap at the bottom of the door, before solidifying into a reflective surface.

    A mirror made of mist? Impressive. She was using it to scout outside.

    Alex remained where he was, as he¡¯d been commanded to. Not like he had much choice in the matter.

    It felt like they were breaking out of some top-secret government facility. Kairin was being surprisingly cautious, while also clearly feeling desperate to escape from her own people.

    Why the desperation, though? What did the knights actually want from him?

    From all that had happened so far, it was clear that the Cahrim Knights¡¯ only mission was to bring their princess home, safe and sound. Which is why they only interfered with the demon ape fight once Kairin intentionally put herself in mortal danger.

    But running into someone like Alex was a complication.

    So they must consult with their council, and bring him along to their planet, too. Or finish him off right here and now, if that¡¯s what the council commanded.

    Someone like him¡­ What did that mean exactly?

    They seemed to refer to him quite disdainfully; especially the archer, Jovar. And then, even the kind-hearted medic knight Malti, who had actually been the one keeping him alive so far.

    They spoke about him as though he was some kind of a villain.

    They were nuts. Didn¡¯t they see him fight the demon ape? Granted, he got beaten to a pulp. But he gave it his best, and then some!

    Why didn¡¯t they just make quick work of the ape as soon as he spawned was beyond Alex. Master Korne was certainly powerful enough for the task, if he had given his hundred percent from the start.

    Did they not care that so many innocent people died senselessly?

    Was protecting human lives not a priority for the esteemed Knights of Cahrim?

    Maybe they didn¡¯t think much of Earthlings, after all. Maybe we were nothing but low forms of life¡ªkaltoks, as Jovar had so elegantly put¡ªwho didn¡¯t deserve much attention, even when being mercilessly slaughtered by a foe well beyond our mettle; or understanding, even.

    Alex could entertain this point of view, just for the sake of argument. After all, how many times in a day do we bother about a spider feasting on a buffet of ants and flies?

    But it still made him mad.

    Is that where humanity lay in the context of the galaxy? A bunch of insignificant insects who could just be ignored, even when being feasted upon by monsters we barely knew even existed until a few days ago?

    Were we really that inconsequential¡­ on a galactic scale?

    The ape wasn¡¯t feeding on us, though. It was killing us. For fun.

    For sport.

    It was all a game to it.

    This made Alex even madder.

    No point to that either. He probably was going to be executed soon, once the council gave its go ahead to Master Korne.

    So much for jumping in to the fight without thinking about the consequences, huh?

    Classic Alex.

    It was like hee¡­you had learned nothing!

    The voice morphed into his own. And the darkness came along with it.

    No¡­ not again¡­ not now¡­

    ¡°Alex!¡± Kairin shook him, speaking in an urgent whisper. ¡°Alex, you with me?¡±

    In a snap, the voice was gone, and so was the darkness.

    Alex met her eyes and craned his neck up and down, ever so slightly.

    ¡°Good,¡± she whispered. ¡°You¡¯re gonna feel a slight chill now, but nothing too sharp, okay? Just¡­ just warning you.¡±

    A thin film of piercing cold ice crept in the microscopic space between Alex and the couch. The sharp chill pierced through his thin t-shirt and sent a shiver down his entire body while his muscles twitched reflexively.

    Slight chill, huh?

    Good news though, at least his nerves were reacting to stimuli. Which means they weren¡¯t completely crushed; or they¡¯d been healed back.

    To regain control of his body, all he had to do was remember! Remember¡­ how to connect with them again.

    The thin sheet of ice progressively grew thicker and curled around Alex from either side.

    A bed of ice.

    Or, you know, more like a stretcher.

    Was she planning to roll him out of here on this?

    This was the opposite of being inconspicuous.

    Alex hoped she succeeds though, for his own sake.

    The bed of ice floated off the couch and followed Kairin closely as she snuck out of the open door.

    ¡°No way Master Korne would be back from his meditation any time soon,¡± Kairin told him. ¡°Communicating as far as Cahrim is no joke, when not using the galactic channels.¡±

    She sounded like she was reassuring herself more than she was Alex.

    Wait a second though. Alex just made the connection.

    Was Master Korne communicating while meditating? Was meditation a means of interstellar communication?

    That was genuinely cool.

    He must ask Kairin more about this once his voice returns.

    ¡°The real question is,¡± said Kairin. ¡°Where are the others?¡±

    ¡°They must be returning now,¡± she continued talking to herself as they steathily made their way through the lobby outside his apartment. ¡°Which means they will use the ascender.¡±

    She pressed the button on the ascen¡ªdammit, the elevator¡ªand rushed behind a corner on the other end of the elevator lobby, such that now, the elevator and the stairs adjacent to it were between them and Alex¡¯s front door. Alex¡¯s floating bed of ice closely followed suit.

    She peeked around the corner and waited for the ascender to arrive.

    Elevator, dammit! Elevator!

    Alex¡¯s apartment door was shut. They would only realize that Alex and Kairin were gone once they entered through it.

    Did Kairin plan to shut them in?

    Not a bad plan.

    But these guys could punch through concrete. How long was a meagre apartment door going to hold them in?

    Hopefully long enough to put some distance between them, perhaps? That¡¯s probably what Kairin had in mind.

    The elevator arrived with a loud Ding! The doors opened slowly.

    Alex and Kairin held their breaths.

    Just as Kairin had predicted, Jovar and Kormac emerged through the elevator doors.

    Kairin quickly raised two of her fingers to her chin, similar to how Malti had done earlier, when concealing them from the demon ape.

    White mist appeared around them, encompassing both Kairin and the bed of ice completely.

    They were hidden.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what they drink for replenishment here,¡± said Kormac. ¡°This primitive planet is so cut off from the world, they have nothing that¡¯s worth anything. I am so drained. I could kill for a snow drop.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a couple vials left,¡± said Jovar. ¡°If you want them.¡±

    ¡°Jovar, you lifesaver!¡± Kormac gave him a wide smile. These two seemed to have reconciled. ¡°And here I thought you would¡¯ve drained them all already like the greedy bastard that you are.¡±

    Perhaps not.

    ¡°I¡¯m not an animal, like you,¡± Jovar snapped back.

    Kormac smirked. ¡°I¡¯ll let that slide for now, but only for the snow drops. Don¡¯t think I¡¯ve gone sweet on you or anything.¡±

    Jovar¡¯s eyes twitched as he cringed. ¡°You¡¯re a buffoon, Kormac. Has anyone ever told you that?¡±

    ¡°Only you.¡±

    Jovar scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re only getting half a vial.¡±

    ¡°They should try you for torture.¡± Kormac turned the handle on the apartment door, but it didn¡¯t budge. ¡°What the?¡±

    Jovar sniffed and looked around. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong. Break it open.¡±

    No, thought Alex. Please don¡¯t! I¡¯ll lose the deposit.

    Kormac kicked the door down effortlessly. Alex mentally sighed.

    ¡°Malti!¡± Kormac shouted and rushed inside. ¡°Malti, wake up!¡±

    Jovar remained outside and looked around. His gaze swept every inch of the lobby, even the ceiling, until it reached them and came to a halt.

    Kairin held her breath.

    Alex could¡¯ve sworn he was looking straight into his eyes.

    His face turned curious.

    Shit. Could he actually see them through the mist veil?

    Kormac sprang out of the door. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Jovar!¡± he said, tapping the archer on the shoulder, distracting him away from Alex and Kairin.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry guys¡­¡± Malti emerged, limping out the door, still in a daze. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry!¡±

    ¡°Go with Kormac and search the grounds,¡± Jovar commanded Malti. ¡°I¡¯ll take the roof.¡±

    Malti followed Kormac down the stairs.

    Jovar took one final look in Alex and Kairin¡¯s direction, shook his head, and stepped inside the ascender.

    Alex cursed the fact that his apartment complex had backup generators. If only he would¡¯ve been forced to take the stairs, it¡¯d be a while before he would get all the way to the roof.

    Or maybe he could just jump the whole way up, like he did when fighting the ape.

    ¡°Shit!¡± said Kairin. ¡°I thought they would both head down and we¡¯d take the ascender to the roof and escape from there, before Jovar jumps up to it. Shit!

    ¡°This palace is huge. Is there another rooftop we can use? Perhaps a rampart that can lead us farther away from Jovar?¡± she asked Alex.

    Alex nodded. With the greatest effort and struggle, he pointed at a door behind them with his eyes.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, then!¡± said Kairin.

    Kairin sprinted down the lobby toward the south wing. The bed of ice carried Alex through the air effortlessly.

    A smooth, frictionless ride.

    What he wouldn¡¯t give to have something like this around when he was a kid!

    They reached the ascend¡ªelevator on the south wing and called it. Once in, they remained perfectly silent, their gaze glued to the closed door, as though expecting it to open unexpectedly, any second, with Master Korne standing on the other side.

    Ding! and they were on the roof.

    Kairin bent low and made her way through cover. She made a ¡°get down¡± gesture with her hand, and the bed of ice descended, almost touching the ground.

    They stealthily made their way to the edge of the roof in front of them, but before they could reach it, closer to the edge on their left, they saw¡ª

    Master Korne!

    Alex¡¯s heart froze.

    But only for a second. He soon digested the fact that Master Korne was still in deep meditation.

    Kairin seemed confused to have found him here instead of the other roof. But she didn¡¯t dare utter a sound.

    A faint but visible aura surrounded Master Korne. Strange, shiny, icicles swirled around his head. He sat with his face toward the moon and his back toward them, so Alex couldn¡¯t see whether his eyes were open or shut, or blank like the demon ape¡¯s had been; but he was curious.

    The bed of ice was back into gear and followed Kairin as she silently made her way away from Master Korne.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Instead of walking straight toward the edge in front of them, she now took the long way around, putting as much distance between them and Master Korne first as possible.

    Once reaching the edge all the way across, farthest away from the one Master Korne was at, Kairin stopped and looked down.

    She took a deep breath and looked at Alex. ¡°You may not enjoy this. But get ready.¡±

    Get ready? For WHAT?

    She climbed up the parapet and jumped straight down, with the bed of ice still following suit.

    Alex¡¯s heart sank in his chest. It was the same as being on a roller coaster shooting down its rails at maximum speed.

    Except without the safety bars and belts. There was nothing on the ice bed that he could hold on to except for his dear life.

    And yet, the bed kept him perfectly centered.

    Alex peeked to his side. Kairin was falling alongside him, but was gracefully rested on a small bed of snow cloud herself, that must have conjured under her after she had jumped.

    They descended downward at breakneck speed. Alex was sure she had the ability to slow their rate of descent.

    But then, why wasn¡¯t she doing it?!

    Alex hated roller coasters.

    Once having dropped forty-or-so storeys, both floating beds abruptly halted the descent and swiftly shot horizontally forward into a dark alley across the street.

    Alex glanced at the decrepit windows flying past them. The north and west side of Sol City was not hit as hard as the south and the east, but the houses here were still abandoned.

    The people who used to live in them had either escaped in time, or¡­

    Alex dreaded thinking about how many had died senselessly in the past few days.

    Instead, he thought that the people who used to live in these abandoned homes had simply chosen to live on the streets, out in the open, amongst a big group; rather than being stuck inside a building that could collapse at any time.

    Yeah¡­ hopefully that.

    They emerged out of the alley, and went straight into the next one, without slowing down. Since they could see that the second alley opened into a wide street, Kairin slowed down to a stop before they were out, and gracefully stepped off her snow cloud, which quickly dispersed.

    The bed of ice gently floated close to her.

    ¡°I wish we could continue traveling this fast,¡± she said to Alex. ¡°But we can¡¯t risk attracting too much attention.¡±

    ¡°Jovar must have reached the rooftops before we did,¡± Kairin continued. ¡°But I think we were able to escape his eagle eyes due to the fast drop. I also made sure the concealing mist covered us as we fell; so, if he didn¡¯t see us in the hallway before, he definitely didn¡¯t see us falling through the air so fast, so far away from him.¡±

    Again, she sounded like she was reassuring herself more than she was conveying information to Alex.

    ¡°It¡¯s surprising that he almost saw through it though, earlier,¡± said Kairin. ¡°Damn eagle eyes!¡± She continued in a doubtful tone. ¡°Or maybe I just didn¡¯t cast it right¡­¡±

    Kairin shook her head. ¡°It was still a gamble,¡± she breathed. ¡°But it worked.¡±

    She peeked out of the corner at the alley¡¯s exit and carefully checked both ends of the wide street.

    From what Alex could see, this street was packed with people. Tents adorned the sidewalk. Several barrels were in the middle of the street, intentionally placed, surrounded by countless broken-down cars. A soothing fire crackled inside the barrels and through the cars¡¯ open hoods.

    ¡°No way we can make it through here with the ice bed,¡± Kairin whispered. ¡°Unless¡­ you can move¡­?¡±

    Alex remained motionless. A slight nod was something he could manage, albeit not without struggle, but shaking his head was out of the question for now.

    Kairin got the message. ¡°We¡¯ll have to risk eagle eyes, then. Come on!¡±

    They walked back inside the alley and stopped at a fairly dark spot. Then, the snow cloud swooped her off her feet and they both began their slow ascent.

    Kairin¡¯s fingers were close to her mouth again, in the same familiar sign. A veil of mist circled them as they went up.

    ¡°It¡¯s not very effective when we move,¡± Kairin explained. ¡°But some invisibility is better than no invisibility, I guess.¡±

    They soon reached the top of the ten-storey building. Kairin got off her snow cloud, but she still held her fingers close to her mouth, sustaining the mist cloud around them.

    ¡°This is how we travel, then,¡± said Kairin. ¡°From rooftop to rooftop of these shorter buildings. Slowly, and partially concealed. Okay?¡±

    She looked at Alex expecting a response, but then quickly gave up when she realized it was hopeless. ¡°I wish your body would recover sooner!¡±

    Yes, Kairin. I wish the same!

    ¡°Malti says it could be a while,¡± said Kairin. ¡°But he also said you wouldn¡¯t regain consciousness for a week. As good of a healer that he is, I think he¡¯s wrong about you. I think you¡¯ll get better sooner than he thinks. The only question is whe¡ª¡±

    SWOOSH!

    Kairin suddenly stopped and stumbled backward on her feet, almost losing balance. The bed of ice abruptly came to a halt right behind her.

    The ground just ahead of them had cracked.

    A long, smooth arrow made of gleaming blue ice struck it from an elevated angle. It froze the concrete at its point of contact.

    ¡°Damn eagle eyes!¡± Kairin cursed and turned to look.

    From somewhere far behind, southwest of him, which is where his apartment building should be, Alex faintly heard another shot go off.

    Kairin jumped out of the way and pulled Alex¡¯s bed of ice away from the line of fire with her hand.

    Why was she physically moving it out of the way?

    The quick follow-up attack seemed to have caught her by surprise, dislodged her focus.

    Or was there something in the arrows? Some magic-numbing powder that it had emitted?

    Can¡¯t be¡­ something like that should have dispelled the bed of ice too.

    Alex forced his brain to stop speculating. It wasn¡¯t like he had any idea on how ice sorcery worked on Kairin¡¯s world, or any other planet for that matter.

    The crater caused by the second shot, on the ground that Kairin was standing on just a few moments ago, was much larger and wider than the one caused by the shot before.

    The arrow itself was shorter, but looked far fiercer than the first one.

    The magic ice that it was made of, and the cold mist emanating from it, felt different somehow. Cruder.

    Kairin and Alex hid behind a small concrete wall. Another arrow, a large one this time around, smashed onto the other side of the wall they were cowering behind.

    The same crude mist splashed over to the front.

    ¡°Damn Jovar,¡± Kairin breathed. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were this serious about the mission!¡±

    The mission is to bring the princess home alive, Jovar!

    There were no further arrow attacks for a small while. The night turned dead calm. A sinister silence fell around them as they tried to anticipate when the next attack would come.

    ¡°We cannot move out,¡± said Kairin. ¡°Not with his eagle eyes keeping watch.¡±

    Damn this guy! Wasn¡¯t he on the fiftieth floor or something? And a good three to four blocks away?

    How was he landing such precise shots?

    Eagle eyes!

    He must have some genetic propensity, or mutation, or maybe a spell, or something!

    How were they going to get out of here now?

    Dammit! If only he could move!

    A large arrow smashed into the concrete behind them with way too much force, much greater than the one fired earlier. A charged shot! Alex was sure that it had halved the wall¡¯s width.

    ¡°Damn you, Jovar!¡± Kairin yelped. ¡°You want to get serious, huh? Sure, then. I¡¯ll show you serious.¡±

    She made the same, familiar sign with her fingers that summoned the veil of mist around her and carefully stood up.

    She was only partially concealed by the wall, which was crumbling.

    But the invisibility must work much better now, compared to when they were on the move.

    Kairin closed her eyes and spread her arms. The mist veiled sustained itself even though she wasn¡¯t holding the sign up. In a couple seconds, she rose a few inches above ground.

    Oh shit!

    It was the same spell she used against the demon ape.

    Blizzard.

    But hadn¡¯t she just learnt it?

    She didn¡¯t seem to care. A bright blue light, swirling with magic mist, glowed from the center of her chest and under her feet. Her eyes were blank; not too different from the demon ape¡¯s during berserk mode.

    Cold winds blew from behind Kairin. Above them, a strangely thick, faintly glowing mist covered the night sky.

    This was completely different than what she¡¯d done before to the demon ape.

    Wind speed increased violently by the second. Snow had already begun to gather on the parapets of the rooftop. The yellow glow coming from the streets disappeared as, surely, the numerous fires in the barrels and the emptied car hoods were snuffed out, all at once.

    The fierce blizzard now covered both the snowy ground and the dark sky.

    The thick layer of mist that hovered a few feet above them had now expanded to an area covering ten, maybe fifteen, blocks; concealing them, presumably, from the frost archer fifty storeys above.

    ¡°Try spotting us through that!¡± said Kairin, smirking at the sky above, facing the roof of Alex¡¯s apartment building.

    ¡°I knew it!¡± She jumped in place in celebration for a couple seconds, clapping excitedly, proud of herself that she had finally been able to pull it off. ¡°I knew I¡¯d gotten the hang of it the moment I was able to call forth the Blizzard against that ape!¡±

    ¡°Come on, Alex,¡± she said and began to run. The bed of ice followed. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time!¡±

    The concealing mist that she had cast when carefully standing up now expanded to house Alex within it.

    Once they reached the edge of the roof, Kairin jumped off once again.

    Oh no, thought Alex. Roller coaster round two!

    But it wasn¡¯t that. Thankfully!

    Small platforms of ice appeared in the air at the exact spot where Kairin placed her feet. She was practically walking through air, hopping off each of the miniature magic-ice platforms with graceful ease, as the bed of ice closely followed suit. The concealing mist remained circling around them.

    ¡°He can¡¯t see us through the thick mist, even with his eagle eyes!¡± Kairin shouted. ¡°Plus, he has no idea which way we went!¡± She added excitedly. ¡°If he did, he would have taken a shot already to try and break through the mold, that eager bastard!¡±

    They went from rooftop to rooftop with Kairin hopping through ice platforms appearing and disappearing under her feet with rhythmic accuracy, and the floating bed of ice effortlessly carrying Alex across.

    ¡°The concealing mist is for the people below us,¡± she explained. ¡°We don¡¯t wanna raise too many eyebrows now, do we? Good thing they¡¯re distracted by the blizzard. I promise I¡¯ll dispel it as soon as we¡¯re a safe distance away.¡±

    Once they were sufficiently far away, as judged by Kairin, they took cover behind a tall wall once again.

    ¡°Okay, Alex,¡± she said. ¡°I need you to try your hardest to move a few muscles and point me to exactly where your friends live. We need to find some safe shelter, and your house is clearly no longer an option. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d understand and not mind the intrusion, yes?¡±

    She waited for a response. Alex managed the slightest nod.

    ¡°Good!¡± she said. ¡°Perfect. Now, point me in the right direction.¡±

    North! thought Alex. If only he could move his arm!

    Alex tried. But the arm would only raise a few millimeters, before collapsing. He tried to point north with just his fingers, but he could only move it by a quarter of an inch.

    ¡°North?¡± asked Kairin. She seemed to have guessed by the slight change in her fingers. ¡°This isn¡¯t going to work. You can¡¯t navigate like this!¡±

    No shit, Kairin!

    ¡°Here.¡± She brought her iPad-like device out from one of her pockets. ¡°It¡¯s the map of the city and its surrounding areas. Point it out to me here.¡±

    It was the map of Sol City all right. But it was incredibly detailed; much, much more than anything mere Earthlings were used to.

    Alex focused hard on lifting his index finger. Miniscule puffs of steam puffed out of its base and tip.

    Movement. Finally!

    Kairin brought the device closer to his trembling finger. Alex managed to touch the cliff where Clark¡¯s mansion was.

    ¡°Perfect, Alex! Good job!¡± She sounded like a nurse praising a little kid for getting through his shots without screaming. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving now!¡±

    They continued hopping from rooftop to rooftop at impressive speed, as the thick mist above continued to veil them from the frost archer, and the concealing mist circling them kept them invisible to the people below.

    As they flew through the cold sky, Alex felt more of his movement return.

    He was able to crane his neck now, and move his right wrist slightly. He looked down to see them move effortlessly past the military blockade at the north exit.

    What a way to dodge the military¡¯s robot guard dogs! Just fly over them.

    Alex was surprised how he wasn¡¯t frostbitten yet, flying through the night sky in a magical blizzard at considerable speed, wearing a thin t-shirt while rested upon a literal bed of ice.

    He should have frozen to death.

    But, somehow, the strange heat housed within his body fought against the cold and kept him warm.

    The same heat that had erupted in violent flames against the demon ape.

    Just what was he exactly?

    They soon arrived on the cliff at the back of the mansion, the same one that Alex had jumped off of with Clark and Blob just a few hundred years ago.

    Kairin landed gracefully on the dirt. She seemed to have done this several times before.

    And why not? Alex would only travel like this if he could.

    Once they were past the bench and through the bushes, a large garden lamp suddenly turned on ahead of them. The sudden, blinding light forced Kairin to shield her eyes with her own hands, and Alex¡¯s eyes with a small block of opaque ice that conjured out of thin air right in front of him.

    The lamp went out as quickly as it had turned on.

    A robotic voice spoke through what Alex presumed was a motion camera attached to the mansion wall. ¡°Sorry about that! I saw you guys flying in only a couple minutes ago, but totally forgot about the motion lights.¡±

    Alex knew this voice all too well.

    Clark!

    ¡°Go around and come inside through the front door,¡± said Clark. ¡°I¡¯ll wake the others.¡±

    A neon red holographic arrow appeared in front of them, pointing them in the right direction.

    Kairin looked impressed. ¡°He¡¯s good with high-tech stuff, huh?¡±

    Lady, you have no idea.

    ¡°Oh, and,¡± came Clark¡¯s voice through the camera speaker once again. ¡°Make a run for it please; especially you, ice witch. If you run into a boy about yay-high, just nab him. You¡¯re allowed to use magic. Go quick!¡±

    Clark drew a holographic figure of a short human in the air ahead of them.

    Aiden? Or someone else?

    A thief?

    ¡°Quick, he¡¯s almost out the front door!¡± yelled Clark. ¡°There¡¯s no time to waste!¡±

    They bolted through the stone path that led to the front entrance after charting a wide curve around the front lawn. They could have cut straight to the main door if they went through the lawn, but Kairin refused to step on such beautifully-kept grass¡ªher words after she first set eyes on them. So they went all the way around, sticking to the stone pathway.

    She seemed to have great respect and admiration for vegetation. Understandable, since she did come from an ice planet.

    Besides, taking the wide path also helped them better intercept whoever it was that was going to emerge out of the front door; the one they were supposed to nab.

    All lights were off, which meant that the vast expanse of land on this side of the mansion was pitch dark.

    Alex still didn¡¯t understand what was going on.

    They reached the end of the curved path and stood facing the front entrance straight ahead, with the northern forest behind them.

    Then, suddenly, all the lights in the mansion turned on. A warm, welcoming glow illuminated the expansive grounds before it and the two lawns close to the front entrance on either side.

    For some inexplicable reason, Alex felt like he¡¯d returned home.

    The lights also illuminated a dangly teenager sneaking out of the mansion, barely a few paces away from the front door, accompanied by what looked like a robot puppy.

    Aiden.

    And blob.

    All four of them stopped in their tracks for a second after noticing one another.

    After a brief second that he took to recognize them, Aiden excitedly gasped ¡°Alex!¡±

    The robot puppy bolted toward them, barking and wagging its metal tail merrily. Kairin was momentarily spooked into a defensive stance at first, but she quickly eased up.

    Good boy, thought Alex as the blob clung to the sides of the ice bed with his metal paws. I missed you too.

    Aiden ran toward them as well. ¡°Alex, what the hell happened to you?!¡± he said after noticing the ice bed. ¡°And you!¡± he said to Kairin. ¡°You¡¯re that ice witch lady who saved us from the ape, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Guilty,¡± said Kairin, smiling. ¡°Not an ice witch yet though,¡± she muttered inaudibly.

    Aiden stared at Alex and the ice bed, trying to make sense of it all. ¡°You don¡¯t look so good. Why aren¡¯t you walking? Did they break your legs?¡±

    Alex couldn¡¯t manage a sound.

    ¡°His whole body is still healing from his fight with the demon ape,¡± Kairin responded for him. ¡°The monster got him pretty bad. He can barely move, if at all.¡±

    ¡°My god¡­¡± He eyed Alex¡¯s body in awe of the fact that there was anything left at all. ¡°Did you rescue him from the kidnappers?¡± Aiden asked Kairin.

    ¡°I, uh¡­¡± Kairin hesitated. ¡°Yeah¡­ yes, you could say that.¡±

    Aiden looked impressed. ¡°Thank you, ice witch lady!¡±

    ¡°Name¡¯s Kairin,¡± she said to Aiden, who acknowledged with a nod. The weird-sounding name did catch him off guard though.

    ¡°Shit, this looks bad, huh?¡± said Lucy suddenly appearing beside Aiden, nodding at Alex; a futuristic smartwatch glowed blue on her wrist.

    Aiden was jump scared. ¡°Thought you were asleep,¡± he timidly said to Lucy.

    ¡°Thought you were too,¡± she snapped at him. ¡°Your foot¡¯s no good, you dimwit! I told you to wait until morning and we¡¯ll go look for him together.¡±

    ¡°And I told you he could be dead by then!¡±

    ¡°Good catch,¡± came Clark¡¯s voice, directed at Kairin, desperately trying to change the subject. So Aiden was his target after all. ¡°Why does everyone think they can sneak out of my house is beyond me. I¡¯m an advanced¡ªway-too advanced¡ªartificial general intelligence, you know? I¡¯ve got eyes everywhere!¡±

    ¡°How did he get out the door, then?¡± Lucy asked him.

    ¡°I was distracted,¡± said Clark. ¡°But only for a bit! And my own partner¡¯s now turned on me, as you know.¡±

    The robot blob acknowledged with a scornful growl.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get to you in a bit,¡± said Lucy to Aiden sternly. She then turned to Alex, ¡°What happened to you? Why are you¡­ ice-bedridden?¡±

    ¡°Blink twice if you¡¯re in danger, Alex,¡± said Clark. He waited for a second, then said, ¡°Looks like he¡¯s not in danger.¡±

    If only he knew that Alex couldn¡¯t do so even if he wanted to. He could only blink once every fifteen seconds or so.

    ¡°He can¡¯t talk, guys,¡± said Kairin nervously. ¡°Or move. He um¡­ I promise you¡ªhe wasn¡¯t put in this state by my guard.¡±

    ¡°So the ones who took him, they were your people?¡± asked Lucy, confused.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Kairin. ¡°They¡¯re here as my royal guard and¡­ uh¡­ well, there¡¯s been a misunderstanding¡­¡±

    ¡°Royal guard?! Are you a princess or something?¡± asked Aiden.

    ¡°Yes, actually,¡± Kairin said plainly. ¡°Of Cahrim.¡±

    ¡°Cahrim?¡± Clark sounded intrigued. ¡°I know the planet. Beautiful, lush, ice sheets everywhere. Snowclad mountains everywhere your eyes can see. Glaciers and glass palaces.¡±

    ¡°Sounds about right,¡± said Kairin. ¡°Have you been there?¡±

    ¡°Nah,¡± said Clark. ¡°Just reading a tourist review.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± said Kairin awkwardly.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, princess,¡± Lucy eyed her suspiciously, ¡°What sort of misunderstanding made them kidnap our friend here?¡±

    ¡°I will explain everything, once we¡¯re inside,¡± said Kairin. She clearly looked uneasy.

    Was she worried that they could still find them? Here?

    ¡°How about you explain now?¡± said Lucy firmly.

    ¡°Look, I know what this looks like, and I know you mean well,¡± said Kairin. ¡°But I promise you, we didn¡¯t hurt him. In fact, it was us who kept him alive!¡±

    ¡°So why are you here now?¡± Lucy was adamant. ¡°What happened to your friends? My apologies, your royal guard?¡±

    ¡°We had to escape from them¡­ because¡­¡± Kairin struggled to explain. ¡°I¡¯m sorry it¡¯s just too complicated. And I don¡¯t know how much you know, and¡ª¡±

    ¡°You can start from the beginni¡ª¡±

    Lucy was cut off.

    A lasso shot from behind them and wrapped itself around Alex¡¯s bed of ice. A lasso made of ice.

    A second later, Alex was pulled away from the others and toward the edge of the dark northern woods.

    A mysterious figure held the reins. Someone Alex had never seen before. But he wore the same kind of armor that the other knights of Cahrim had on when fighting the demon ape.

    Kairin¡¯s eyes followed Alex as he was swept away, and she turned around in shock.

    ¡°Hello princess,¡± said the mysterious knight. ¡°Long time no see!¡±

    ¡°Dale!¡± Kairin gasped. ¡°This means¡­¡±

    Other figures emerged through the woods.

    Alex recognized the brute Kormac, the medic knight Malti, and the mysterious wizard leader of the party, Master Korne.

    There was another knight that Alex had never seen before. He presumed that was the other twin, since he had a striking resemblance to the one who had just lassoed Alex away.

    The frost archer who was shooting at them in Sol City, Jovar, was missing. He was probably keeping watch from a tree in the distance.

    The twin holding the lasso smirked at Kairin. ¡°You didn¡¯t really think we couldn¡¯t track you, did you?¡±

 Chapter 19: Oathbreakers

    Chapter 19

    Oathbreakers

    Lucy held her breath as each of the weird-looking dudes from earlier emerged from the northern woods one by one.

    Was this the princess¡¯s royal guard?

    If they were supposed to be protecting her, then why did she look so terrified of them?

    Two small lights glowed blue in the dark behind the ice princess. Each of the lights split in two and shot at each of her wrists, catching her completely unaware.

    ¡°Oh come on!¡± she yelped as the small electrical lamps on the black bands glowed red. ¡°Not again!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, princess,¡± said the tallest of them all. He dropped his hood and revealed a bald, tattooed face. ¡°It¡¯s just precautionary.¡±

    Seriously, who wears robes and caped armor in this day and age? Aren¡¯t they supposedly from a planet far more advanced than ours?

    Why was their fashion still stuck in the middle ages?

    And did they just cuff their own princess? She didn¡¯t look happy about it.

    If they had turned on her, then¡­

    So she was telling the truth, after all. She was actually trying to protect Alex.

    And it was her who¡¯d broken Alex out of whatever prison these guys were holding him in.

    What in the world was going on here?

    And why the hell were they after Alex?

    ¡°No!¡± yelled Aiden. ¡°Give him back!¡±

    Aiden was right beside her a second ago. But now, he was already past the ice witch and deep into enemy territory, heading straight for Alex.

    How in the world did he get there so fast?!

    ¡°Aiden, no!¡± Lucy screamed.

    But Aiden couldn¡¯t hear a thing. Or refused to listen to her even if he did.

    Dammit! Sometimes he could be a real stubborn brat!

    Aiden made a run for it, albeit with a limp. The robot blob prepared to enter battle mode.

    None of the weird dudes even so much as flinched. They weren¡¯t at all threatened by Aiden or the blob.

    When he was about a good twenty meters away, something big and burly cut him off.

    He wasn¡¯t particularly tall himself; he¡¯d be about five feet and ten inches at best. But he easily towered over the five-foot-one Aiden.

    ¡°Now, now, where do you think you¡¯re headed, young warrior?¡± said the burly dude mockingly. ¡°You didn¡¯t think we would just let you have him, did you?¡±

    ¡°Of course not,¡± said Aiden.

    And with that, he opened with a straight punch, aiming below the burly dude¡¯s broad chest.

    ¡°Ho, ho,¡± he chuckled, easily pivoting out of the way of Aiden¡¯s attack. ¡°You don¡¯t mess around, do you?¡± He revealed his square teeth in a wide and sinister smile. ¡°I like that!¡±

    Aiden switched to throwing a flurry of punches at the burly dude in quick succession, but he was way too slow for him. The brute dodged each of his attacks effortlessly.

    ¡°Ah, kid!¡± His face lit up as he continued to dodge the slow punches. ¡°I can tell you¡¯ve got heart! Your leg¡¯s busted, but you¡¯d still give your all to protect your friend. Now that is respectable.¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ shut up!¡± Aiden shouted as he continued to miss. ¡°And take a hit¡­ like a real man!¡±

    The burly dude suddenly stood still. Aiden¡¯s punch landed square between his chest and abdomen.

    The brute did not budge. Aiden yelped in pain as his own attack hurt him more than it hurt his enemy.

    The robot blob transformed into what looked like a transformer with a bazooka. He was about to fire, when Clark¡¯s whispered voice startled Lucy, ¡°Blob, no! Stand down!¡±

    Clark fell silent as he sent the mental command to blob, who, after a split second of hesitation, angrily powered down.

    Was he finally listening to Clark? Or had one of the enemies managed to hack and disable it, somehow?

    If that were the case, it had to be that bald dude who did it. He seemed to be the most powerful of the lot, and their leader. She must find a way to take him out while he¡¯s distracted.

    The burly dude swiped his leg behind Aiden¡¯s and knocked him off balance. As Aiden hit the ground on his back, the brute dug his fists straight down into his belly.

    ¡°Aiden!¡± Lucy tensed up and prepared to charge.

    ¡°Kormac, that¡¯s enough!¡± yelled the princess.

    But Clark¡¯s watch buzzed sharply on her wrist. ¡°Lucy, wait! We don¡¯t want to escalate this.¡±

    ¡°We need to do something, Clark! Aiden is literally getting hammered!¡±

    ¡°The brute¡¯s just playing with him,¡± Clark explained. ¡°If he wanted to kill Aiden, he would have tried it already. And trust me, if he¡¯s ever in any real risk of death, I¡¯ll fry the brute¡¯s brains before he can land the finishing blow.¡±

    ¡°You can do that from here?¡±

    ¡°Of course I can,¡± said Clark. ¡°But what happens after? We cannot take these guys, I¡¯m sure of it. And that there on the princess¡¯s wrists, that¡¯s a pair of magic suppressing cuffs. Which means she can¡¯t help us either!

    ¡°So¡­ we need to avoid all-out war. Let the brute toy with him for a little, while Aiden cools down.

    ¡°Besides,¡± Clark¡¯s tone turned curious, ¡°I do want to observe this.¡±

    The brute named Kormac slowly stepped away from a grounded Aiden. He looked satisfied, but also a little confused. ¡°So¡­ had enough?¡±

    Aiden got back on his feet with immense struggle. ¡°I¡¯m just warming up,¡± he coughed.

    The brute smiled. ¡°Here it comes then. I promise I won¡¯t go easy this time!¡±

    ¡°Clark!¡± Lucy pleaded him.

    ¡°Relax!¡± said Clark. ¡°Aiden¡¯s not done yet.¡±

    The brute charged him. Aiden was panting. He looked like he wanted to move out of the way, but¡­

    But he couldn¡¯t.

    ¡°Kormac, stop!¡± yelled the princess, as Kormac the brute was about to meet his target.

    But then¡­ it all happened too fast.

    Kormac pounced and connected with an unmoving Aiden. But in the nick of time, Aiden seemed to have moved out of the way.

    Because the charging brute was expecting contact but didn¡¯t find any, he was caught off guard and lost balance. He then slammed into the ground behind Aiden with a thud, dragging dirt and snow along with him, completely disoriented.

    Aiden slowly turned around, limping on his bad foot and massaging his injured arm. Now, it was Aiden who towered over the downed brute.

    What. Just. Happened?

    Had Aiden pulled off a fancy, last-second dodge that caught the brute completely off guard?

    No¡­ it wasn¡¯t anything like that.

    It was exactly like that night against that psycho gunslinger. When the bullets simply passed through him.

    Was this his super power? Turning unhittable¡ªuntouchable, even¡ªif only for a few seconds?

    ¡°Incredible,¡± Clark breathed.

    The guard holding the reins to Alex¡¯s ice-bed burst into laughter. ¡°No way!¡± He slapped his forehead. ¡°Has the great Kormac finally been bested? By a child?!¡±

    ¡°Never!¡± said Kormac playfully, climbing back to his feet and spitting dirt out of his mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t go down that easy!¡±

    There was a hint of scorn in his tone, though. Despite trying to seem all non-chalant and sportsmanlike, he really didn¡¯t like it when it was him on the ground.

    ¡°Stop it now,¡± yelled the princess. ¡°Stop with the stupid, boyish, tomfoolery!¡±

    Kormac didn¡¯t seem to take his princess¡¯s commands seriously. With a manic smile on his face, he prepared for another charge.

    Aiden looked at his bull of an opponent nervously. He wasn¡¯t sure whether he could pull the same move off twice in a row.

    ¡°Clever tricks can only take you so far, young warrior,¡± said Kormac. ¡°Ready or not, here I come.¡±

    He was about to launch. But was stopped from a loud sound of cracking, shattering ice slabs.

    And the sound of a body dropping to the ground with a loud thud.

    All of the princess¡¯s royal guard split away from Alex¡¯s ice bed, which had a hole in the middle now.

    Alex picked himself up from the ground, and with immense struggle and seemingly in excruciating pain, he finally managed to stand straight on his own two feet.

    ¡°Knights!¡± commanded the bald leader of this pack of weirdo guards. ¡°Take positions around the target. Dale and Chet, ready the aural prison.¡±

    Wow. They genuinely seemed terrified of Alex.

    Guess they saw what he could do, huh?

    Hot puffs of steam shot out of Alex¡¯s red-hot body. His t-shirt was halfway through melting away.

    Shit. Was he about to burst into flames once again?

    Was that good or bad for us?

    Alex managed to take one step forward with extreme difficulty. Hot steam continued to blow out of his body.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Then, he managed to barely utter three words in a croaked growl: ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ hurt him!¡±

    The puffs of white-hot steam suddenly stopped. His body stopped glowing and his eyes rolled back, before he lost all balance and fell forward, about to slam his face into the hard ground.

    ¡°I got you,¡± said one of the guards who¡¯d been awkwardly silent thus far, as he caught Alex in both arms right before he made contact with the dirt.

    ¡°Damn, you are still so hot!¡± The guard gently put him down on the ground, while rapidly placing his palms on and off on Alex¡¯s body one by one, as though juggling a hot kettle with bare hands. The grass in the small area around Alex¡¯s resting body resting was scorched.

    The royal knights dropped their guard and tensed-up shoulders.

    ¡°Malti!¡± boomed the robed leader. ¡°I thought you said he wouldn¡¯t come to for a week!¡±

    ¡°Forgive me, Master,¡± said the guard named Malti. ¡°I¡¯m just as surprised as you are. His body was healing at a snail¡¯s pace just a few minutes ago.¡±

    ¡°Clearly not,¡± said the guard who¡¯d been holding the reins to Alex¡¯s ice bed. His ice whip was now melted away, along with the bed.

    ¡°I need time,¡± said Malti. ¡°Time with him¡­ to figure out what¡¯s happening to his body.¡±

    The Master clenched his cheek in a small grin. ¡°That you will get plenty of, on our way back.¡± He waved at his subordinates. ¡°Come on now.¡±

    ¡°But our battle was interrupted!¡± said Kormac the brute.

    My god, thought Lucy. Can you believe this guy?

    ¡°Enough, Kormac!¡± boomed his master. ¡°You wanted to test their mettle, and you have. Now stand down.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s not over yet. It was just starting to get fun!¡±

    ¡°Silence,¡± said the Master. ¡°It is time to go. We have what we need.¡±

    Lucy didn¡¯t know what to do. Aiden was in no condition to fight. She had no idea how she¡¯d measure against these literal alien wizards without having any idea of what her powers are, or when will they wake.

    If Clark and Blob didn¡¯t have an ace in the hole, then this was it.

    They were going to take Alex. Off planet, this time.

    And we can¡¯t do anything about it.

    Then came the princess¡¯s voice with newfound confidence, ¡°Do we really, Master Korne?¡±

    She stood in the middle of the arena now, facing her master with a confident grin; her hands free of the magic-suppressing cuffs.

    Master Korne slowly turned to face the princess. ¡°You seem to have learned new tricks, Kairin. Tricks I don¡¯t remember teaching you.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± said Kairin. ¡°Or perhaps I made new friends.¡±

    The robot blob woofed.

    ¡°We thought the cuffs used some arcane magic at first,¡± Clark whispered to a confused Lucy. ¡°Which they may still, I don¡¯t know. But the locks were just tech. And if it was just tech, well¡­¡±

    The blob wagged its tail excitedly, perhaps in response to some virtual head-patting by Clark.

    ¡°So what now?¡± asked Master Korne. ¡°You intend to fight me, and your old friends, in defense of your new? In defense of this?¡± He disdainfully pointed at Alex¡¯s unconscious body.

    ¡°I intend no such thing,¡± said Kairin. ¡°I respect the decades of experience and knowledge and wisdom you have over me, Master. I respect you and I always have. And I know I cannot best you.¡±

    Master Korne¡¯s expression remained unchanged. He was waiting, patiently, for Kairin to make her point.

    ¡°But in all your great wisdom, you seemed to be missing something,¡± Kairin continued. ¡°Something crucial.¡±

    Master Korne¡¯s eyes slightly narrowed. ¡°Enlighten me, Princess Kairin.¡±

    ¡°You grew up with my father, Master Korne,¡± said Kairin. ¡°You know, better than anyone, how stuck up he is about his rules, and his laws!¡±

    ¡°Do not speak ill of Cahrim¡¯s laws, princess. They are sacred!¡±

    ¡°I only speak ill of my father¡¯s laws,¡± said Kairin.

    ¡°Your father¡¯s laws are Cahrim¡¯s laws!¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± said Kairin. ¡°And you of all people should know: He does not take well to traitors¡­ or oathbreakers.¡±

    Now Master Korne¡¯s expression changed. He immediately fell silent; his hurting eyes staring deep into Kairin¡¯s.

    ¡°Father!¡± shouted Kormac the brute; who, apparently, was the Master¡¯s son. ¡°What is she talking about?¡±

    ¡°How are we the traitors?¡± asked Dale with the ice lasso, unconvinced. ¡°We¡¯ve done nothing but follow your command!¡±

    The other two, Malti and Chet, remained quiet.

    ¡°Father, is this true?¡± Kormac gently asked the bald leader, which apparently was his father.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell them?¡± asked Kairin. ¡°I know my father just as much as you, Master Korne. You know how he will see everything that transpired here.¡±

    Master Korne¡¯s eyes dropped to the ground. Everyone waited with bated breath for him to speak again.

    He finally raised his head again. ¡°You speak true, Princess Kairin.¡±

    The rest of the guards were in uproar.

    ¡°This is madness!¡± cried Kormac.

    ¡°She¡¯s bluffing, isn¡¯t she?¡± said Dale, moving from disbelief to denial.

    ¡°She¡¯s not bluffing, you dumbass,¡± the knight who had been listening silently so far finally spoke. His face a striking resemblance to Dale¡¯s. A twin? ¡°Master Korne just confirmed it. Now, please, remain quiet and listen!¡±

    Master Korne, with his eyes still locked on Kairin, took a deep breath in. His expression was kinder now. ¡°I only kept it from them because it has nothing to do with them. They broke no oaths. They followed my command, and that is all.¡±

    ¡°Good luck convincing my father of that,¡± said Kairin. ¡°No way is he buying that argument. ¡®Grown Knights they are¡¯, he¡¯d say.¡± She mocked her father¡¯s voice. ¡°¡®They should have known the difference between a simple command and an oathbreak!¡¯¡±

    ¡°¡®Is this how they expect to defend the Kingdom or act upon the battlefield?¡¯¡± She went on to really shoehorn in the point. ¡°¡®Mindless drones, the whole lot of them!¡¯¡±

    ¡°Oh krishctik!¡± yelped Dale with both his hands on his head. ¡°Oh we¡¯re so screwed now!¡±

    ¡°Calm down you twat!¡± His twin brother threw a small cone of ice at him.

    ¡°Only I can convince him,¡± said Kairin decisively. ¡°And I won¡¯t return home with my hands cuffed. Not that you¡¯re ever catching me off-guard a third time.¡±

    ¡°Surely, you are not that na?ve yourself, princess,¡± said Master Korne. ¡°To presume that you can change your father¡¯s mind.¡±

    ¡°I know I can,¡± said Kairin. ¡°Because I know how. I will give him the one thing he always wanted¡ªme on the throne of Cahrim. I will give up all my work, and my pursuits that he thinks are so unworthy of me, and I will focus only on the Kingdom. I will rule Cahrim right by his side.

    ¡°Now you tell me, Master Korne, if that won¡¯t convince him of anything I want.¡±

    Master Korne the wise was silenced. His eyes had now turned even more painful.

    Was he actually sad for Kairin?

    ¡°Very well,¡± he continued in a deep voice, ¡°Surely you want something in return.¡±

    ¡°I will help you fulfill your mission of bringing me home,¡± said Kairin. ¡°In return, I want you to help me fulfill mine, first.¡±

    ¡°And what is that?¡± said Master Korne. ¡°Your friend¡¯s freedom?¡± he pointed at Alex again.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Kairin. ¡°But that¡¯s just part of it. And you are not to pursue him, or harm him or his friends here, in any way.¡±

    ¡°Granted,¡± said Master Korne. ¡°What else?¡±

    Kairin gulped before continuing. Her tone was now pleading rather than demanding. ¡°Something terrible is going on here, Master Korne. This planet and its people¡­ they are in grave danger.¡±

    ¡°What do you expect us to do about it?¡±

    ¡°Stand with them in defense of their home,¡± said Kairin with a determined gaze.

    Master Korne¡¯s eyes narrowed again. ¡°And break more oaths in the process?¡±

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯ve already broken it once,¡± said Kairin. ¡°It¡¯s not like you can be punished again for the same crime.¡±

    ¡°And besides,¡± Kairin continued, ¡°if you help me do this, there will be no punishment at all. You have my word, Master Korne.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt your heart, Kairin,¡± Master Korne kindly. ¡°I only suspect that it might be in the wrong place.¡±

    Kairin smiled and broke into a small laugh. ¡°Says the man who gave the command to take down the ape!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, Father,¡± Kormac cut in. ¡°How are we traitors now?¡±

    ¡°We are not traitors,¡± explained Master Korne. ¡°We are oathbreakers.¡±

    ¡°But how?¡± Kormac pushed on. ¡°We did the right thing. We took down the demon ape!¡±

    ¡°And that is exactly why,¡± Kairin told him. ¡°Your mission was to locate me and bring me home, unharmed. It was not to interfere with the demonic invasion of Earth.¡±

    ¡°And killing the ape was doing exactly that,¡± Malti breathed as the realization hit him. So these were the guys who took down the demon ape! Not Alex and Kairin.

    ¡°Correct, Malti,¡± she smiled at him proudly. ¡°We have a pact¡ªor, at least, my father does¡ªwith the Demon Worlds, as I¡¯m sure you all already know. Malti and Jovar know this is one of the major reasons why I ran away in the first place.¡±

    ¡°Your father has is reasons. The pact is meant to maintain peace and the balance of power¡ª¡± Master Korne began.

    But he was cut off by Kairin. ¡°It¡¯s a load of Yak dung and you know it!¡± Master Korne lips pursed in defeat. ¡°You know it, don¡¯t you, Master Korne? You don¡¯t believe in this false peace any more than I do! That is why you gave the command to kill the ape. You could have just grabbed me and fled instead.¡±

    Master Korne glared at Kairin with painful eyes.

    ¡°But in your heart, you knew it was the right thing to do,¡± said Kairin. ¡°The problem, however, is that you falsely believe that my father would spare your subordinates and punish only you. And I¡¯m telling you, Master Korne, that that is where you are wrong!¡±

    Master Korne was silent. Kairin had figured him all out perfectly.

    Damn she was smart, thought Lucy. What luck to have her on our side!

    Master Korne closed his eyes and hung his head. He was surely going over everything in his head, carefully weighing all angles.

    What will he decide?

    Lucy must prepare for the worst. She must think of some kind of a contingency.

    Everyone stared at him in tense anticipation. No one dared utter a sound.

    Finally, Master Korne raised his head. ¡°Very well, Princess Kairin. I, along with my fellow Knights of Cahrim, will defend Earth against the demons. We will answer their call for help. We will ensure¡ªto the best of our capacity¡ªthat they are capable enough to stand against whatever it is that¡¯s coming their way. You have my word.¡±

    Kairin let go a huge sigh of relief and dropped to her knees. She was smiling, as sparkling tears escaped her eyes and turned to mist in the cold air. ¡°Thank you, Master Korne!¡± she cried. ¡°Thank you!¡±

    Malti smiled and began tending to Alex. Kormac and the twin knights, Dale and Chet, dropped their shoulders and eased up.

    ¡°Phew,¡± Clark whispered to Lucy. ¡°Looks like we can ease up too.¡±

    ¡°You sure?¡± Lucy asked him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± said Clark. ¡°Cahrim Knights never go back on their word. So no brain-frying lasers needed this time around.¡±

    ¡°Thank god,¡± Lucy breathed.

    ¡°Rise now, dear princess,¡± said Master Korne kindly. ¡°You must not be the one kneeling.¡±

    ¡°I would if I could,¡± said Kairin, smiling and panting. ¡°I have¡­ no strength left.¡±

    Master Korne smiled at her and chuckled. ¡°You have so much of your father in you.¡±

    ¡°I think he would have argued much better.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± said Master Korne thoughtfully. ¡°But you got the broad strokes right. You are his heir after all.

    ¡°But remember Kairin, he would be arguing for the other side. He won¡¯t be happy with whatever you plan to achieve here.¡±

    ¡°I know he won¡¯t be,¡± said Kairin. ¡°But that¡¯s fine by me. He can add defying interplanetary political pacts in my list of disappointments.¡±

    ¡°Is that what we¡¯ll be doing here now?¡± said Malti as the other knights gathered around their kneeling princess.

    ¡°I¡¯m in!¡± Kormac told her confidently. ¡°It sounds badass.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all that matters in the end, doesn¡¯t it?¡± said Chet to Kormac.

    ¡°Hell yeah brother¡ª¡± Kormac raised his fist at him.

    Chet waved him off. ¡°To you.¡±

    Kormac opened his raised fist and dismissed him with a wave. ¡°Forget it. You won¡¯t get it.¡± He turned to the other twin. ¡°Dale, you feel me, right?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about pacts and oaths man,¡± said Dale. ¡°All I heard was we¡¯ll get to slay some demons.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about!¡± They slapped their palms together in an arm-wrestle handshake. ¡°And Jovar, what about you? Wait, where¡¯s Jovar?¡±

    He only now seemed to have noticed his friend¡¯s absence.

    ¡°He hasn¡¯t returned yet,¡± said Malti. ¡°From the tower.¡±

    ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be too far,¡± said Kormac. ¡°He can fly through this town much faster than any of us!¡±

    ¡°And yet,¡± said Master Korne. ¡°He¡¯s not here.¡±

    Kormac shut up. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± It finally seemed to be getting through to him. ¡°Well, then, something must have distracted him. I wouldn¡¯t be too worried for him, he can look after himself.¡±

    But Master Korne didn¡¯t seem convinced.

    Kormac walked over to an injured Aiden, rested on his butt with his knees bent. ¡°Sorry if I went too hard on you, little guy.¡± He extended his arm to Aiden. ¡°But I did give you the thrill of real combat, now, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    Aiden grabbed his arm and allowed him to lift him up. ¡°You sure did,¡± he said weakly.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got heart, young warrior,¡± Kormac told him. ¡°Your technique though¡­ now that needs work. And your decision making too; I mean, you never jump a big guy like me with a broken foot. You never jump a big guy like me with or without a broken foot, you hear me?¡±

    Aiden chuckled, rubbing his injured arm. ¡°I hear you.¡±

    ¡°Good bluff though,¡± said Kormac, ¡°coming at me straight while also keeping that neat trick of yours up your sleeve. Now that was good thinking.¡±

    Aiden glanced at his feet nervously, uncomfortable with the praise he didn¡¯t earn, and confused about what he¡¯d pulled off back there all the same.

    ¡°Come see me,¡± Kormac told him. ¡°Later. If you¡¯d like some real combat training.¡±

    ¡°You got it.¡± Aiden gave him a firm nod.

    A lone figure pushed through the northern woods forcefully. He seemed to be wearing the same kind of medieval-futuristic knight clothing that the others had on, except Master Korne¡¯s robes, of course.

    The figure walked toward the group with a slight limp, grasping one of his injured arms with the other. On his way, he almost tumbled and lost balance. But he promptly caught himself and began walking straight.

    ¡°There you are!¡± Kairin seemed to have just noticed him. ¡°I¡¯d like a word with you, Jovar!¡± She spoke playfully, as though she hadn¡¯t yet noticed the man¡¯s injuries. ¡°Those arrows were way too powerful and too damn close! There was no need to get that serious!¡±

    The injured knight was finally close to the group, and Kairin¡¯s expression switched to that of horror.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me¡­¡± said the injured knight coughing blood. ¡°¡­ who shot at you. It wasn¡¯t me!¡±

 Chapter 20: Duel of the Frost Archers

    Chapter 20

    Duel of the Frost Archers

    ONE HOUR AGO

    Jovar couldn¡¯t believe that Malti had it in him to screw up like this. Again!

    They had barely escaped with their lives on that ghost planet¡ªTepes¡ªwhere he¡¯d let that exploding mule slip away in a scenario not too different from this one.

    But this one¡¯s just on a whole other level now, isn¡¯t it?

    He knew he couldn¡¯t wake Master Korne yet. Who knew how much longer it¡¯ll take for him to re-establish connection with the whole Council again, if his deep focus was interrupted.

    And Jovar wanted to get back home. Fast.

    He was done with this decrepit planet. He had no idea what the demons saw in it. Or what Kairin did.

    It was home to a bunch of primates slightly more sophisticated than those on Para-Xenon, or someplace nastier, nothing special. If they were ever in a game of ice hoops against a team made entirely of chimpthaws¡­ Well, he knew where his money was at.

    Damn you, Malti! You couldn¡¯t keep things under control for a mere couple hours!

    Presuming they would¡¯ve gotten Council approval by midnight, they could¡¯ve been off planet as early as dawn.

    Already on their way home ¡­ with the mission fulfilled and an unexpected prize to go along with it.

    He would have slept through the entire journey. A reward well-earned, for sure. Trained a little too in the procedurally-generated biomes. Perhaps meditated, under Master Korne¡¯s guidance, to learn how to focus his core better.

    But no. Now they had to go look for the runaway princess, again!

    This time, with a paralyzed pet.

    Ding! Came the annoying sound from the ascender as the doors opened up. As though the ones traveling inside were so out of it that they needed to be reminded that the doors were about to open.

    He preferred the calming chime of the ascenders back home way more than this.

    Jovar walked to the edge of the roof and perched atop the parapet like a hawk on the hunt, holding his body in perfect balance.

    The cold wind was harsh up here. It was nothing compared to the snowstorms of Cahrim, of course. But still¡­ He could feel a distinct gust blowing over the wide landscape before him. It was angry and¡­ volatile.

    Carrying with it a strange sense of doom.

    This place¡­ this city¡­ it didn¡¯t have much time left.

    Something big and terrifying was coming for it. Which is why they really needed to be out of here as quickly as possible.

    He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He took in bits of the angry, volatile gust within him, asking it its secrets. Asking it to reveal to him what he needed to know.

    His heart stabilized into the perfect rhythm, and so his blood reinforced parts of his brain that enhanced vision and focus. He felt the veins around his eyes stiffen.

    It was here. Eagle Eyes!

    Jovar opened his eyes as though to a new dimension. Everything that he wanted to see, he could. Every detail, no matter how small or insignificant, was available to him.

    And all he had to do now was look.

    The flies circling the hopeful fires on the street; the stains on their dirty, ragged clothes; even the ants skittering on the ground, desperately trying to avoid the giants¡¯ steps, which to them would be akin to the sky collapsing. The giants woefully unaware of entire worlds beneath their feet, which they often destroyed by the simple act of walking.

    Perhaps the same was due to them, soon. A species that was giant to them¡ªthe demons¡ªwas about to walk all over them, and these oblivious little ants had no idea what was coming.

    Jovar would be lying if he said it didn¡¯t make him a little sad. But alas, such is the circle of life.

    The strong trample the weak. And there¡¯s not a lot you can do about it.

    All he could do was focus on his mission. Search every detail in this small snippet of the Grand Painting before him, until he found the blots he was looking for.

    Which he did, almost instantly.

    Kairin.

    And the monster she was so desperately trying to protect.

    They were scurrying through the rooftop of a much shorter concrete tower. Her paralyzed pet was housed within Kairin¡¯s bed of ice.

    Jovar focused his breath and summoned his frostwood bow, which materialized within his firm grasp. He gently held the strings and pulled.

    An arrow of the sacred ice conjured between the tip of his fingers holding the string and the bow.

    He must focus now. Control his heart rate. Pump exactly the right amount of blood into his eyes and mind; not too little, not too much. Else he risked losing focus; and the sheer volume of detail that his mind was raking in right now would drive him mad.

    Breathe. Focus.

    No.

    Jovar rested the bowstring. The arrow vanished.

    The arrow of the sacred ice may just prove too much for her, especially if she wasn¡¯t prepared to block.

    As much as he dreaded her for putting them in this situation, on this godforsaken planet, he didn¡¯t want to actually harm her.

    A warning shot, then? Laced with¡­ sleep powder?

    Yeah. That sounds perfect.

    Jovar dipped the fingers of his firing hand into three vials of thinly ground powders attached to his belt. He¡¯d made the concoction so many times, he barely needed to think about it anymore. His fingers instinctively dipped in the right vials.

    Canor root. Thyme. And the soothing essence of frostberries.

    He ran his fingers along the length of the bowstring, covering it with the right mix of powders. Then, he pulled on it once again.

    The frost arrow of the deep rest conjured out of nowhere, as though emerging right out of his fingertips.

    Jovar used Eagle Eyes to focus. Just a few meters ahead of them should do the trick. The cloud would reach them in ten, maybe fifteen seconds.

    Good enough.

    He should be careful not to hit them, though. It was a challenge to take an accurate shot from this far away.

    A challenge? What was he thinking? This was no challenge for him!

    He just¡­ really didn¡¯t want to hit her.

    Jovar took a deep breath in, reaffirming what he¡¯d always known about himself:

    He never missed.

    Jovar let the frost arrow fly.

    Swooshing through the dark sky like a glowing beacon, colder than the night itself, the frost arrow pierced the very fabric of space as it rushed to its target.

    This feeling¡­ the sheer beauty of watching his arrows fly¡­ it¡¯d never get old for him.

    The arrow met his target with a soft crack, making the unaware princess halt abruptly in her tracks; spooked.

    Haha. She had no idea he¡¯d found them. Well, until now, that is.

    Jovar smirked. Fifteen seconds, Princess Kairin. Just stay awestruck, right where you are, for fifteen seconds.

    And let the deep rest take you.

    But then, out of nowhere, he felt a crackling swoosh fly past him, a few meters overhead.

    Another frost arrow?

    What the hell?

    Who¡¯d taken that shot?

    Jovar caught sight of the frost arrow as it flew by. It was long and crude, made of biting ice that was dead cold.

    It pierced through the air with a killing intent, and it was headed straight for Kairin.

    Jovar nocked another arrow. He was out of Eagle Eyes on account of being spooked by this random attack that had come out of nowhere, so the hyper-focus afforded to him by his oculus ability was now gone. He was sure he could have knocked that arrow off its path otherwise, before it ever even came close to Kairin.

    A whistling shot, then? Perhaps it could make a loud enough crack that would warn her.

    No. It was too late. The crude ice arrow was too fast.

    But, fortunately, Kairin felt it coming.

    The first shot¡ªthe one that he had made¡ªseemed to have spooked her enough to be on her guard. She dodged just in time, swinging the ice bed away from the area of impact with her hand.

    Nice. Good job, princess. But you could have just left that vile being in the line of fire.

    Jovar turned around and scanned the skies behind him.

    There had to be another frost archer, perched somewhere atop either of the three tall concrete towers behind him; since they were the only ones taller than the one he was standing upon, and the arrow had passed him at a downward angle.

    Another frost archer¡­ Just who in the hell was this? An assassin?

    Wherever he was, there was no way he could escape his all-knowing gaze. He closed his eyes and gathered his focus once again.

    The veins around Jovar¡¯s eyes stiffened. He felt his heart stabilize and his blood flow dance to the perfect rhythm.

    Eagle eyes!

    He opened his eyes and the world revealed itself to him in overwhelming detail. Jovar scanned the picture sector by sector; quickly, carefully.

    Where the hell are you?

    Jovar quickly scanned through all the clever spots first, but he wasn¡¯t there. Then, he moved his eyes to the dumbest and most obvious spot, and he found him. Perched atop the highest summit amongst the three tall, concrete towers was¡ªthe assassin!

    Tall and slender, with all kinds of weapons and tools brandished around his belt and vest. Pistols, chains, knives, powders. His hair, tied in a long, braided ponytail, danced behind him owing to the strong winds. He wore round-rimmed goggles with thick, dark lenses.

    Tech goggles? Was that what he was using to aim?

    They couldn¡¯t be sharper than Eagle Eyes, could it?

    Unless¡­ he was one of them.

    The assassin slowly raised his head, shifting his gaze from Kairin down below, all the way to¡­

    Him!

    Shit. He was spotted!

    After he¡¯d noticed the shock on Jovar¡¯s face, the assassin smirked.

    Shit. Shit, shit, shit.

    Then, as though in a flash, the archer-assassin made a quick gesture, presumably firing some sort of projectile at Jovar.

    He was so fast that even Eagle Eyes had trouble keeping up. It looked like he had merely flicked his bowstring, or hadn¡¯t even touched it at all!

    Before Jovar could move out of the way, metal wires wrapped around his body, binding his arms to his sides.

    A shackle shot?

    Why?

    He had spotted him. He could have just finished him off!

    The impact from the shackle shot caused Jovar to lose balance, and he fell off the parapet, back first, heading straight for the concrete ground fifty storeys below.

    Pathetic! How did I let myself be caught off guard like this?

    As Jovar fell, he realized why there wasn¡¯t a crude ice arrow pierced through his heart. The shackles were probably fired from a crossbow, or some sort of secondary weapon. On his main bow, the assassin had already armed a kill shot, but it wasn¡¯t meant for him. He didn¡¯t want to waste it on him.

    It was meant for the princess.

    Blast it! He can¡¯t stop it now. Not like this!

    She¡¯ll just have to dodge it. Somehow!

    The assassin relied on the drop to finish off Jovar. It was a long, long drop; which at least meant that the impact wouldn¡¯t hurt for more than a split second.

    If it ever arrived, that is.

    This motherfucker had underestimated me for the first and final time!

    Jovar focused on the particular spots of his arm where the wound wire exerted the most pressure. Sharp, ice spikes began to appear on them. A jagged edge of ice, protruding out of his skin, began rubbing against the metal wires.

    All he had to do now was power through.

    Jovar screamed in pain as the wire cut his skin. But the rapidly dropping temperature at the surface of his skin soon turned the metal wires cold and brittle; and so, instead of the wires snapping apart due to the jagged ice edge as he¡¯d planned, they shattered into a million pieces like glass.

    And Jovar was free.

    He turned around and faced the ground. He wagered that he was about seventy percent through the drop.

    Good. There was plenty of room.

    Jovar closed his eyes and called upon the wind to hold him still. Thick mist began to form at the base of his chest. The upward thrust from the cold mist decelerated his descent; slowly, and gradually, bringing him to a complete standstill mid-air.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    Then, he fired his grappling hook to the nearest brick house, and allowed it to pull his body off the air, and drop him on the concrete rooftop with a thud, which hurt more than he expected it to.

    Thank Thoros for Kormac. It was he who had taught Jovar how to morph his skin into ice¡ªa technique he was nowhere close to being good at, let alone even come close to Kormac¡¯s level.

    But still. He could do it. Because Kormac, the big, brute, buffoon that he was, had taught him how to.

    He hated his guts, especially his insufferable cockiness; but here, now, he felt nothing but immense gratitude for having a friend and partner like him.

    Jovar jumped back up to his feet. Enough wallowing around. He had to locate the assassin once again.

    His last known position was atop the tallest of all concrete towers in the area. He wouldn¡¯t have abandoned such a good spot just yet, not if his attack had missed Kairin.

    Which was likely, but not certain. Well¡­ that just meant he had to gamble on the fact that Kairin was capable enough to dodge or block his subsequent attacks, after being warned twice already!

    She had to be.

    And therefore, the assassin probably was at the same position as he was earlier. Especially if he was confident that Jovar was out of the picture.

    Good. Let him be as overconfident as he wants to be.

    Jovar crouched low and focused on powering up his feet.

    Sacred wind¡­ carry me through the air¡­ once again!

    With precisely the right amount of power required to reach the top, Jovar jumped. The wind carried him upward, as he had requested it to.

    Jovar reached right back at the spot that he had fallen off from. Then, he instantly activated,

    Eagle Eyes!

    He directed his gaze right at the assassin¡¯s last known spot.

    There! Just like Jovar had predicted. He hadn¡¯t moved. Which meant he had missed any subsequent shots he had taken at Kairin since Jovar fell.

    Jovar turned his head to look where Kairin last was. He could see two big craters on the lower rooftop, right around where Kairin and her pet once were. The brick wall nearby seemed to have tanked multiple hits and was about to collapse.

    Was Kairin hiding behind the wall? Probably. Jovar quickly scanned the nearby sectors, but he couldn¡¯t spot her anywhere else.

    The assassin hadn¡¯t moved from his original spot either. He was still keeping point on Kairin¡¯s last known position.

    Which practically confirmed it. Kairin had taken cover behind that crumbling wall, hidden under the concealing mist.

    And the assassin was lying in wait to take her out the moment she peeks.

    Perfect!

    He was focused elsewhere. And he didn¡¯t know Jovar had survived the fall and was already back in position. This was the perfect opportunity!

    Jovar quickly cast concealing mist on himself. No point risking the assassin spotting him again. Then, he got his bow out and prepared a charged shot.

    He could make it as massive as the one he¡¯d hit the demon ape with. However, it would not only take the assassin out, but also destroy the whole top portion of the tall concrete tower, making it collapse on the people below.

    Kaltoks that they were, Jovar didn¡¯t wish upon them a senseless death.

    So he kept the charged shot as thin and long as possible. A precise shot, that would impale the unaware assassin to the wall behind him.

    Just a couple more seconds now¡­

    NO!

    Jovar dropped his bow. Suddenly, the wind turned into a strong gust, blowing from behind him, scattering thick snow and dust into the air.

    Blizzard!

    But who cast it? Kairin?

    No way!

    Why would you do it now, Kairin?! I had him!

    It seemed way too powerful though. Was it really Kairin who¡¯d cast it?

    Was there a fourth party in this battle?

    Jovar quickly scanned around. As far as he could tell, there was no one else involved.

    This was Kairin¡¯s Blizzard. She was probably casting it from behind the crumbling wall, concealed within the mist-veil as she floated up in the air.

    Dammit!

    Jovar turned his Eagle Eyes upon the assassin once again.

    The cold, strong winds¡ªthick with snow and dust¡ªobscured his vision, but Jovar could still see him, barely. He had given up keeping point on Kairin¡¯s location; since, like him, he too must have had his visibility compromised by the sudden blizzard.

    And then, there was also the thick cloud of cold mist that had conjured between his rooftop and Kairin¡¯s¡ªthe one thing that Eagle Eyes could not penetrate. And Kairin knew that, of course.

    Casting both Blizzard and Mist Cloud at the same time? That¡¯s impressive, princess. You¡¯ve certainly grown.

    Wait, why had she casted Mist Cloud too? Was she trying to conceal herself¡­ from him?

    Was she so dense as to think that it was Jovar taking those powerful, killing blows at her?

    Great. Just great.

    You blocked me out of spotting you, Kairin. Good job!

    But what if the damn assassin has tech that can bypass the mist cloud!

    Shit... What if?

    Jovar turned his gaze back at the spot where the assassin was perched earlier. He had finally changed positions¡ªdammit! Using Eagle Eyes in such conditions was frustrating as it is; but, if the assassin had now cast concealing mist upon himself, then he had truly vanished from Jovar¡¯s sight.

    He must find him again. And fast!

    Kairin was going to step out now, he was sure of it. She¡¯d feel confident that Jovar couldn¡¯t see her through the mist cloud¡ªwhich, of course, he couldn¡¯t.

    But she didn¡¯t know about the assassin, did she?

    If he had tech that could see through the cloud, she¡¯d be dead the second she steps out.

    Dammit, he needs to find him now!

    Jovar looked at the dark sky above through the thick, misty gust. Surely Kairin was not powerful enough to cover the entire stratosphere with Blizzard. It must be a current, concentrated near the surface and thinner toward the top, barely thick enough to cover the highest summits in the city which the assassin seemed to prefer.

    Which meant, if one were to reach a vantage point even above that, he should have a clear view, at least of all the high-rising rooftops.

    Doing that would have made sense if remaining high ground served the assassin in anyway. The mist cloud now blocked off all vision of the surface.

    Which could only mean one thing¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t want to be on any of the high rooftops anymore. He would want to pierce the mist cloud!

    Eagle Eyes!

    Come on. Come on! Where was he? He may take a wide path to cut Kairin off, but that would presume he knew where she was going. Which, he might, if he had the tech.

    But if he had the tech to see through the mist, why would he abandon such an advantageous position?

    ¡­ that pretty much confirmed it. Since he had moved, he did want to pierce through the mist cloud. And without knowing what path Kairin had taken after the cloud appeared, he would definitely be heading for her last-known position.

    Which meant he would make a close pass somewhere above Jovar, sooner or later. It all depended on how fast he was¡ª

    Shit!

    The blade appeared out of nowhere, aimed straight for his face. Jovar barely managed to block it with his gauntlet.

    There he was. Up close. A sinister smirk etched his old, wrinkled face. His round-rimmed goggles stared deep into Jovar¡¯s Eagle Eyes, which deactivated as he lost focus.

    The impact of the hit pushed Jovar backward. But thankfully, he wasn¡¯t perched atop the parapet this time around.

    Jovar quickly straightened up as the old timer moved in for a second blow.

    He was fast, but not fast enough. Jovar blocked the hit with his curved blade that he kept around for situations exactly like this one.

    He hated being in close combat. Detested it. This was Kormac¡¯s job!

    But this guy. He was like a fusion of him and Kormac¡ªhe could fight from range and melee. And, Jovar could tell, he liked being up close and personal.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Jovar asked him as their blades connected a third time. ¡°Who sent you?¡±

    The skinny old face smirked again. With this kind of swiftness and agility, he shouldn¡¯t be more than forty-five. But he looked much older.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be asking the questions,¡± he said assertively in a gruff voice. He pulled back his arm holding the short blade and prepared to strike.

    But Jovar could tell something was off. The guy was fast, wasn¡¯t he? Then why the long wind up?

    Misdirection! He was definitely trying something with his other hand.

    Jovar raised his blade to block, but it was too late.

    The attack didn¡¯t come from either of his hands. The moment Jovar raised his blade, he had compromised his vision of the assassin¡¯s boots.

    Metal wires shot from the tip of his boots and wound themselves around Jovar¡¯s arms once again, incapacitating him. The assassin grabbed both of Jovar¡¯s palms with one hand, spun him around, pinning his palms to his back, and smashed his head on the parapet of the rooftop with the other. The curved blade fell out of Jovar¡¯s grip and dropped to the roof deck with a soft clang.

    ¡°Now, then,¡± said the assassin, grabbing Jovar by the hair and holding his head up toward the mist cloud below. ¡°Which way did your princess go?¡±

    Jovar¡¯s throat was squashed against the hard concrete, making it impossible for him to respond even if he wanted to.

    ¡°Oh, and make it quick,¡± said the assassin. ¡°My patience runs thin.¡±

    Jovar struggled to get any sound out. The assassin noticed and eased the pressure on his head.

    ¡°How¡­¡± Jovar¡¯s voice somehow fought its way out. ¡°How¡­ did you gain on me?¡±

    The assassin responded with a powerful elbow strike on Jovar¡¯s spine that probably crushed a couple vertebrae. ¡°This could have been my blade,¡± hissed the assassin. ¡°But I need you, unfortunately. So, remember now, I ask the questions.

    ¡°Where is the princess?¡±

    Jovar struggled to break free from the assassin¡¯s grasp, but he was simply too strong for him.

    Dammit old man, if I ever take you as my prisoner, which will be soon, I¡¯d love to know your diet.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Jovar wriggled and spat. ¡°I cannot see!¡±

    The assassin was taken aback. ¡°The famed Eagle Eyes¡­ can¡¯t pierce a common mist cloud?¡± Jovar heard his blade unsheathe. ¡°That¡¯s a shame.¡±

    Shit. Did I just reveal that I¡¯m useless to him?

    ¡°I cannot see with my head pinned like this!¡± Jovar managed to cough out this much through gritted teeth.

    ¡°Oh,¡± said the assassin. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you clarify that earlier? I was about to waste you.¡± He let out a maniacal chuckle. ¡°Here.¡± He pulled on his hair harder and straightened Jovar up, now affording him a proper view of the entirety of the mist cloud.

    This, however, was exactly what Jovar wanted.

    With his hands now near his belt, he was able to flick a vial of explosive crystals off its hinges.

    The assassin noticed the vial drop to the ground way too late.

    The frost blast went off right in the middle of the small gap between them. A shockwave of paralyzing cold shot outward from the epicenter. He saw the assassin raise his dangly old hands to cover his face, as the chilling frost chipped through the skin on his exposed forearms.

    The shockwave threw both the assassin and Jovar in opposite directions. For the assassin, this meant crashing into a brick wall a few meters behind him.

    For Jovar, it meant being blasted through the rooftop¡¯s parapet, which crumbled upon impact, and flung off the rooftop in a horizontal path, about to curve into a free fall once again.

    He curved his spine and bent his neck to spot the assassin. As their eyes met, the assassin smirked and said, ¡°Such loyalty ¡­ that you¡¯d give your own life ¡­ for someone like her.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got it all wrong, you old geezer,¡± Jovar shouted at him as he felt the wind cushion his fall and stabilize him into an almost complete standstill, mid-air.

    ¡°I love my own life way too much.¡± Jovar swiftly got his bow out and fired a quick shot.

    The alarming rate at which Jovar was able to pull off this maneuver caught the assassin off guard. The blunt quickfire shot found its mark on the assassin¡¯s chest and threw his body into the wall ten meters behind him, bursting into a shower of ice blue crystals upon impact, which quickly ballooned into a cloud of thick mist.

    Jovar intentionally disabled the stabilizing wind right as he fired the shot, which caused the ensuing recoil to shoot his body away from the assassin.

    And with this borderline suicidal maneuver, Jovar was finally able to regain some much-needed distance between him and his opponent.

    The force with which he was shot back was too much though, so he couldn¡¯t fully cushion himself in the air using stabilizing wind. Jovar¡¯s body crashed into a brick wall on a rooftop far below the one he had just blasted himself off of.

    It hurt like a bitch. He was sure he¡¯d cracked a couple bones, somewhere. But there was no time to assess damage. He was glad that he was at least able to harden parts of his skin that tanked the full brunt of the frost blast, and then the impact of the fall, thanks again to Kormac¡¯s ice skin technique.

    Jovar tried to quickly recover from the drop, but his head was still in a daze and he could barely stand. He reached into his satchel and grabbed a vial of Kormac¡¯s special snow drops, which was surprisingly effective in boosting adrenaline and focus, while also reducing pain, in situations like this.

    Just how did that damn assassin catch up to me?!

    Simple, rang Kormac¡¯s smug voice in his head. You were too busy overanalyzing everything, again, instead of keeping your head in the fight!

    Screw you, Kormac. But you¡¯re probably right.

    He waited for the potion to kick in and prepared to jump high up in the air once again, aiming to reach the rooftop of one of the tallest structures a good hundred or so meters away from the assassin¡¯s last known position. He desperately needed a good vantage point, far enough away from his opponent.

    His jump was weaker than he expected, and it couldn¡¯t carry him all the way to the top of the tall tower, so he used his grapple hook to pull him through the final few feet to his desired spot. However, as soon as he put one foot through the railing on the edge, an ice arrow blasted the concrete below him, and he almost lost balance.

    The damned assassin was tracking him the entire time!

    Jovar soon regained his footing and launched himself behind cover as the next arrow smashed into the spot on the railing that he¡¯d been clinging to barely a couple seconds ago.

    Jovar could tell that the next arrow would go straight through the wall that he was hiding behind and impale him to the metal tank behind him.

    So this is how it is. I can¡¯t stop moving. Not until I find the perfect spot for a charged shot.

    And so began their dance across the highest summits of this crumbling city.

    The harsh blizzard was still unforgiving, despite being considerably thinner at this height, and the mist cloud several storeys below still kept the people under it hidden from them. A duel to the death between two sets of clouds.

    The assassin was relentless. He fired ice arrow after ice arrow, in quick succession, aiming to overwhelm Jovar with his unprecedented rate of fire.

    Jovar jumped from rooftop to rooftop, firing a shot every time he could use stabilizing wind when he was mid-air, forcing the assassin to change his positions too.

    The majority of the arrows that Jovar fired, however, were to intercept the ones fired by the assassin, since their speed and timing made it far riskier to try and dodge them. The colliding ice arrows burst into a firework of glimmering ice crystals and blue mist.

    Jovar knew he couldn¡¯t keep this up forever. The assassin had definitely crushed a few bones in his wrist when he had grasped his palms earlier. And the constant rise and fall had taken a heavy toll on the rest of his body and stamina.

    He must quickly find the perfect spot! Else he would lose, just on account of running out of stamina.

    Dammit¡­ dammit! He¡¯ll have to risk it. He could not wait for the perfect spot to come to him.

    He had to risk firing the charged shot from a mediocre position.

    But first, he must break line of sight.

    Jovar switched ammo and fired a bolt high up in the air that burst into an opaque blue cloud of thick mist.

    Then, instead of jumping onto the next tower as he had been doing so far, he climbed higher up on the one he was currently at, completely disrupting the pattern he¡¯d set.

    After reaching the highest point of this tower, barely able to balance himself on the thin iron rod pointed upward¡ªJovar had no idea what it was for¡ªhe brought forth his bow and activated Eagle Eyes once again, waiting for the thick mist to clear.

    But then, just to his right, on the next tower that he would have jumped to anyway had he stuck to his earlier pattern, he saw a rooftop guarded by railings at a slightly higher altitude. Firing from there would mean he could do so with even footing, and not be blasted off into the air once again.

    The perfect spot.

    Jovar debated whether to hold his current, flimsy position, or jump to an even better one.

    Element of surprise versus the perfect spot.

    Blast it. He had no time to think.

    Jovar fired a quickfire shot to his left and launched himself into the air once again, the same way he¡¯d done earlier. After stabilizing his body mid-air, he fired his grappling hook onto the iron railing to his right, that helped him fly through the final gap and pulled him into the perfect spot.

    It was beside another iron rod pointing at the sky, but the rectangular frame around it made it the superior choice. It was also at an angle steep enough that it would take the assassin some time to figure out that Jovar was not on the same level anymore.

    But, and most importantly, the direction of the wind would boost any charged shots fired at the assassin from this angle, making this the perfect spot.

    He didn¡¯t have time to cast concealing mist upon himself. He must prepare the charged shot as soon as possible, ready to fire the moment he spotted the assassin with Eagle Eyes. The remnants of the mist cloud that he had fired earlier would have to do.

    He could continue charging it up for now. And then, right as the mist cleared, he would take his shot.

    Any second now¡­ any second¡­ there!

    Jovar could see the assassin as clear as day, crouched upon a railing of a rooftop about eighty meters away.

    Jovar smirked and let the charged shot fly. The long ice arrow cut through the blizzard and raced at its target at overwhelming speed.

    However, right after the arrow was halfway through, the assassin¡­ vanished.

    It could not be. He was right there a second ago! He was spotted by Eagle Eyes!

    It couldn¡¯t be the blizzard; they were both well above the top edge of its stream.

    Had he cast concealing mist on himself? Impossible. Jovar had seen him holding his bow, readying a charged shot of his own. No one can cast concealing mist with their hands occupied like that, while charging a shot nonetheless!

    Where then? Where did he go?

    If he had some tech that had turned him visible, it should still be a while before he could close the distance. Jovar needed to jump away right n¡ª

    Gash!

    The blade materialized in front of him, slicing from below his waist, all the way through his chest and chin.

    How¡­? Just how did he get here so fast?

    Jovar fell on his knees, holding his throat with both hands, trying to stop the blood gushing out.

    Freeze¡­ he had to freeze it¡­

    He raised his head and saw the assassin materialize before him with a smirk on his face, prepping his final, killing blow.

    So the assassin eighty meters away was just an apparition. The real one was chasing after him, probably ever since the mist cloud went up.

    This was it.

    There was only one way to live through this. And it involved losing a whole lot of blood.

    Jovar dropped one hand to his side and fired the grapple gun. The quickfire shot caught the assassin¡¯s face and he screamed in pain as the claw dug itself into his neck and cheeks.

    The assassin cut the cord with his already raised blade and struggled to unclamp the grapple hook off his face. After about five painful seconds, he succeeded.

    Jovar promptly took advantage of this brief window and bolted toward the edge of the roof behind him, spraying blood all over the roof deck. He flung his body over the railings on the edge and let his body drop through the side of the tall concrete tower.

    He wasn¡¯t going to die on the assassin¡¯s terms now, was he?

    As he fell through the cold air yet again, drenched in his own blood and sweat, Jovar closed his eyes and prayed to the wind.

    Kazeru¡­ the soaring wind¡­ take me out of here!

    The moisture in the wind materialized into frost and took the form of a giant snow hawk.

    The snow hawk, with feathers made of glimmering blue ice, soared toward the falling Jovar and caught his body within its cold, flesh talons.

    Then, the hawk flapped its massive wings and curved into an ascent, aiming for the sky.

    As they passed the rooftop from which Jovar had jumped, he spotted the assassin back in action, holding his bow upright, already readying a charged shot.

    Dodge now, Kazeru! thought Jovar.

    The snow hawk banked just in time, and the charged shot missed Jovar by what felt like mere inches.

    Jovar raised a trembling hand to his mouth and cast concealing mist upon both himself and the hawk. The partial invisibility proved enough to escape the assassin¡¯s mark, and they safely disappeared into the dark clouds above.

 Chapter 21: Snow drops, tennis balls, and a gliding chair

    Chapter 21

    Snow drops, tennis balls, and a gliding chair

    Alex woke up from a deep slumber, and a dream he could barely remember.

    It was both happy and sad at the same time. He laid on the strange bed for a while with eyes barely open, trying to remember; and for some unknown reason, wishing he could go back.

    He opened his eyes wide. Judging by the ceiling, he seemed to be in an unfamiliar, but normal-looking bedroom.

    A generous amount of sunlight bathed his face from the large window to his left, and he had to squint.

    So much sun, this time of the year?

    It wasn¡¯t that much, actually, thought Alex once he was able to focus a little. Perhaps it felt stronger than usual because all he¡¯d seen in the last few days were gray skies and strange, dark clouds.

    Pfft, what was all that even about?

    He was glad the nightmare was over.

    Extraterrestrial monstrous demons invading Earth, yeah sure.

    An AI superhero saving humanity from an extinction-level event caused by the aforementioned demons; sure, sure.

    Oh, and then of course there was the ape.

    And then¡­ the fire.

    It¡¯s crazy what the mind can dream up sometimes.

    Welp, time to head to work. There was just so much work pending. And he was running out of excuses to give his boss regarding why he wasn¡¯t filing his reports, despite the fact that he was playing all the games assigned to him for bug testing.

    Must see through it today. It¡¯s been delayed enough already.

    Alex turned to his right to get off the bed, when¡ª

    Oh shit.

    It¡¯s that dude, isn¡¯t it?

    And suddenly, it all came rushing back to Alex.

    The dream was, in fact, reality. And the nightmares were far from over.

    Kairin¡¯s friend, the frost archer¡ªwhat was his name again? Jovar! He lay on an adjacent bed, unconscious. There were a few bandages on his cheek and forehead, and a large one around his neck that went all the way down his torso. His arm seemed to be fractured; the thick white cast around it though seemed a little out of place.

    Magic cast? Perhaps.

    But what happened to him? Alex remembered now that he wasn¡¯t with the knights when they ambushed them.

    And where were they, anyway? Some kind of a hospital? The room did somewhat look the part; what with the white curtains and the hospital beds.

    Futuristic hospital beds¡­

    He must find out what¡¯s going on.

    Alex tried to put his feet to the ground. To his surprise, he had regained significant control over his limbs, but it was still a painful struggle to move them.

    However, fortunately, he could stand. Finally.

    Slow and steady, he dragged his heavy feet to the door, supporting himself against the wall across the two beds.

    He reached for the door knob with considerable struggle, but to his surprise, the door suddenly swung open, almost knocking him off balance.

    A slender man in casual gym wear, with thin, long hair falling on either side of his face like dark gray curtains, burst through.

    Alex was taken aback. He had no idea who this was!

    Wait. The gym attire was a stark contrast to the robes or the knight armor he had on before. But Alex knew the face.

    ¡°Whoa whoa whoa,¡± said the medic knight, Malti, dropping a fresh set of bandages on a table by the door, waving both his arms at Alex. ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to be walking yet. You¡¯re not supposed to be walking any time soon! Back to bed you go.¡±

    Malti reached out to grab him by the shoulder, but Alex stopped him. ¡°Wait,¡± Alex told him weakly; his voice was coarser than ever, like he had the worst cold of his life. ¡°I can do this.¡±

    Malti gulped. ¡°Okay¡­ I¡­ I can trust you, I guess. They did tell us that the patients know their bodies, and we as healers should learn to listen, so... Just let me hold you.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± said Alex. ¡°Let me try¡­¡±

    Alex let go of the wall and took his first real steps forward.

    ¡°All right,¡± said Malti with cautioned optimism. ¡°Wait, where are you going?¡± He asked nervously, seeing Alex walk right past him and exit through the open door.

    Alex had barely turned the corner when he ran head first into something fast coming right at him.

    ¡°Aw!¡± yelped the platinum blonde-haired woman slapping her hand to the spot where Alex¡¯s head had collided with hers. She wore a cropped tank top and low-waisted gym pants. She switched from mild surprise to instant panic the moment she noticed whom she had just headbutted. ¡°Oh gods, what are you doing out of your room?!¡±

    ¡°I told him to get back to bed,¡± said Malti emerging out of the bedroom that now doubled as an infirmary. ¡°But he¡¯s stubborn.¡±

    ¡°Malti, you are a mage!¡± Kairin reminded him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I thought it¡¯d be rude,¡± said Malti. ¡°Besides, look at him. This amount of progress is pleasantly surprising.¡±

    ¡°You think you can make it all the way across the hall?¡± Kairin asked Alex with newfound hope glittering in her eyes.

    ¡°I can try,¡± said Alex, sounding like a veteran of throat singing.

    Alright, Alex. Slow and steady.

    He put his right foot forward, without holding on to any wall.

    But when the time came to put his left foot ahead, it smashed at the heel of his right foot and Alex tripped forward.

    ¡°I got you.¡± Kairin reacted just in time and caught him before he would slam his face on the wooden floor, supporting Alex¡¯s entire body weight on hers.

    ¡°Easy does it,¡± she said as she lifted him up and set him straight with his back against the wall. ¡°No walking for you for a while, it seems.¡±

    ¡°His anatomy is really weird,¡± said Malti. ¡°I mean, of course, it¡¯s because¡ª¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you get the gliding chair out, Malti?¡± Kairin cut him off.

    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Malti bounced back into the room.

    ¡°Please,¡± Alex begged Kairin, ¡°No more ice beds.¡±

    Kairin chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not mine. Your android said we can use it if we need it.¡±

    ¡°My android?¡± Alex scratched his chin, mentally. ¡°Do you mean Clark?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Kairin nodded. ¡°Clark. He¡¯s got a funny name. Sounds like Clerg.¡±

    She eyed him as if he absolutely knew what she was talking about.

    ¡°Clerg?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know Clerg the frosty bun?¡±

    As Alex¡¯s eyes narrowed in confusion, Malti returned with an advanced, mechanical wheelchair. ¡°Here we are,¡± he said cheerfully.

    Alex made a strong mental note to not refer to it as gliding chair.

    ¡°Have a seat,¡± Malti told him.

    Alex tried to lean into it but failed. His spine wouldn¡¯t curve, and he felt like he¡¯d snap it if he forced the issue.

    ¡°Let me help,¡± Kairin said and dug her hands under each of his shoulders, firmly gripping his chest from behind and gently easing him into the chair. ¡°Sorry, you said no magic.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± said Alex. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Come on,¡± said Kairin. ¡°Let¡¯s go say hi to the others.¡±

    Others?

    Was she talking about Lucy, Aiden, Clark, and Blob?

    Or was she talking about the kidnapper knights?

    Somehow he felt like his money should be on the kidnappers. And he should be on guard.

    Pfft, yeah right. As if him being on guard would make any difference at this point.

    Kairin bid thanks to Malti before pushing Alex through the hallway, who grunted dismissively and rushed back into the makeshift infirmary.

    ¡°He¡¯s still mad at me,¡± Kairin said to Alex in a low breath. ¡°He¡¯ll only talk nicely if it¡¯s about something relevant to his work. Otherwise¡­ well, it¡¯s not like I blame him.¡±

    Alex grunted awkwardly. It was for him that Kairin had betrayed her friend, after all, which made him feel a little uneasy. But it¡¯s not like he wanted to be kidnapped. There wouldn¡¯t be any need for betrayals or escapes if they hadn¡¯t held them prisoner in the first place.

    Alex noticed that the futuristic glidi¡ªwheel chair had what looked like a touch panel, and an omnidirectional joystick. It also did not have wheels. The chair levitated over the floor using some strange tech Alex had no idea about.

    Huh. Perhaps it was indeed a gliding chair, then.

    It could not be magnetic levitation, because the floor was wood!

    What then?

    Mental note: Ask Clark about this too; amongst the several hundred other things he could no longer keep track of.

    ¡°Here we are,¡± said Kairin the moment they were out of the hallway.

    Alex finally breathed easy. They were in fact in Clark¡¯s mansion. And the kidnapper knights were nowhere to be seen.

    Except the ones who were already here. Kairin and Malti, they were the friendly ones. And Jovar, who was not so friendly, but he was very much unconscious.

    Alex wondered what happened to him; he looked pretty beat up. Did the robot blob finally lose it and lay him out?

    Wouldn¡¯t surprise him, especially if he made a move against Aiden, or so much as looked at him funny.

    Alex could see past the living room and through the tall windows that it was indeed a bright day outside Casa de Androids today. Much too bright for late December.

    Maybe whatever magic darkened the skies over Sol City was somehow messing with the weather. It did make the city feel unnaturally cold. Maybe that made the immediate surroundings unnaturally warm?

    Who knows. It¡¯s not like he had any understanding of any of this space demon magic.

    And right now, looking at the blinding sunlight pour through the massive windows, he wasn¡¯t complaining.

    Outside, a few meters away from the mansion and on the green front yard gently sprinkled with snow, he spotted a familiar face. A young man stood to the right in what Alex could only describe as a Hulk-holding-his-breath pose.

    Aiden.

    At a fair distance behind him was one edge of the L-shaped cliff upon which Clark¡¯s mansion rested, overlooking the east side of Sol City. The other edge¡ªthe one behind the mansion from which Alex, Clark, and Blob had jumped off of¡ªwas south-facing and overlooked the northern woods outside the city¡¯s north exit.

    To Alex¡¯s left, and about twenty meters across Aiden, was a tennis ball machine aimed straight at the miniature Hulk.

    What in the world was going on here?

    Kairin pushed him out through the glass windows in the living room, which opened automatically once they were near enough. Saying that they opened would be a slight mischaracterization though, thought Alex, because they vanished upon approach and reappeared once Alex and Kairin were through.

    As soon as he was rolled¡ªnay, glided¡ªout of the vanishing glass window-doors, he spotted another familiar face, seated on a lawn chair to his immediate right, immersed in an iPad-like device.

    ¡°Look who¡¯s here,¡± Kairin announced softly.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°No way.¡± Lucy kept Kairin¡¯s alien iPad aside. ¡°Didn¡¯t Malti say he won¡¯t be awake for a couple days at least?¡±

    ¡°Not gonna lie, his estimations are generally on point,¡± Kairin explained, ¡°but something about Alex¡¯s human body seems to be throwing him off his game.¡±

    Alex found it weird that Kairin felt like she had to specify his body was still human.

    Was it though?

    Do humans generally trigger spontaneous combustions and body slam giant demonic monkeys?

    ¡°How¡¯re you feeling, Alex?¡± Lucy asked.

    ¡°I can¡­ talk¡­ with some struggle,¡± said Alex in his now signature growl. ¡°I cannot walk.¡±

    ¡°Malti!¡± Kairin shouted, facing the room that Alex had been resting in. ¡°MALTI!¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± He screamed, running out of the room, frustrated on being interrupted.

    ¡°Can we do something about his voice?¡± Kairin shouted.

    ¡°What?!¡±

    Kairin stepped through the vanishing glass windows that reappeared once she was inside. Her shouting was now muffled. ¡°Can we do something about Alex¡¯s voice?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already repaired his vocal cords,¡± Malti shouted back. ¡°He just has some mucus clogging his trachea. You can fuse them onto thin ice threads and pull em out.¡±

    ¡°Gross!¡± said Lucy, cringing. ¡°I am not watching that.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± said Malti. ¡°I would¡¯ve done so myself if I hadn¡¯t been working two patients at once!¡±

    ¡°Alex,¡± said Kairin, hopping back outside. ¡°Open wide and hold still.¡±

    Alex¡¯s eyes popped wide in terror. ¡°Don¡¯t bother, I can mana¡ªaaaa!¡± He had no time to think. As soon as he opened his mouth to speak, thin threads of ice shot straight into his throat.

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± said Kairin, her eyes stared blankly upward while the tip of her tongue stuck out as she focused. ¡°Cough when I tell you to.¡±

    ¡°Aim the other way, please!¡± yelped Lucy.

    Kairin spun the floating chair around with a swish of her hand. Then, she yelled, ¡°Okay, now!¡±

    Alex coughed as hard as he could. The threads of magic ice pulled out what they were supposed to pull out and flew far away from them, disappearing into the distant woods.

    ¡°Better?¡± Kairin asked him, her eyes wide with excitement.

    ¡°Better,¡± said Alex in his normal voice, rubbing his throat. ¡°Much, much better.¡±

    ¡°Malti, I did it!¡± she announced to the mansion¡¯s interiors, proud that her ¡®surgery¡¯ was a success.

    ¡°Great!¡± came Malti¡¯s muffled, disinterested response.

    ¡°And this is why I will never be a doctor,¡± said Lucy.

    ¡°A doctor?¡± Kairin looked confused. ¡°Of what?¡±

    ¡°Just, a doctor, you know.¡± Now Lucy was confused. ¡°You don¡¯t have doctors on your planet?¡±

    ¡°Oh we got scholars,¡± said Kairin. ¡°And they doctor a great many things like, ten thousand-word treatises on the most acceptable practices of telling a cantor fish from an octosaur.¡±

    ¡°A what from a what now?¡±

    ¡°You know, cantors¡­ and octosaurs?¡± Kairin asked nervously. ¡°You don¡¯t have those?¡±

    Both Alex and Lucy shook their heads.

    ¡°Nevermind, then,¡± said Kairin. ¡°I¡¯ll show you pictures later. My point is: They ramble on about problems that can be solved in a second. It only takes a couple seconds to tell a cantor from an octosaur. You¡¯ll see why when I show you the pictures. If it takes you any longer than that, then, well, back to Winter School, my friend.

    ¡°Damn scholars¡­¡± Kairin seemed to have a really bad taste in her mouth. ¡°Useless old fools. They¡¯re the real k-words, if you ask me.¡±

    ¡°I was referring to more like a medical doctor, you know? Like Malti.¡± Lucy clarified. ¡°Also, k-word?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t wanna know,¡± said Kairin dismissively. ¡°And oh, you mean healers! Sure we have those. Cahrim has some of the best healers in the galaxy. If they are battlefield medics, well, then we call them battlefield medics. Or just medics. That¡¯s what Malti is. Or, rather, what he wants to be.¡±

    Kairin seemed to be sad about them. ¡°He should remain a simple healer. He is in his element when he¡¯s nursing someone back to health. He enjoys it, very much. It would also keep him away from all this¡­ craziness.¡±

    Alex and Lucy remained silent as Kairin¡¯s thoughts drifted off. Then, she shook her head and was back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I digress. I¡¯ll get around to changing his mind about this soon enough.¡±

    ¡°Or he might surprise you,¡± said Alex. ¡°By excelling as a battlefield medic.¡±

    Kairin chuckled. ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah he might just do that. However¡­¡±

    Kairin turned away, gazing absent-mindedly at the tennis ball machine. ¡°For all his prowess in repairing a broken body, he has no threat-assessment skills when in battle, or a sense of self-preservation. He just needs some extra help, you know, when it comes to keeping himself safe. Just someone looking out for him when things get rough.¡±

    ¡°I know what you mean,¡± said Lucy, turning her gaze at Aiden.

    ¡°He¡¯s your younger brother you said, right?¡± Kairin asked Lucy. ¡°How old is he?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how it translates for you,¡± said Lucy. ¡°But in Earth years, he¡¯s nineteen.¡±

    ¡°Nineteen?¡± Alex was shocked. ¡°He looks fifteen.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he¡­ gets that a lot,¡± Lucy said. ¡°The doctors, well¡ªhealers of our world¡ª¡± she explained to Kairin, ¡°¡ªsaid he¡¯s got issues with his growth hormones. Either he¡¯ll go through puberty late¡­ or not at all.¡±

    Alex looked at Aiden still in his Hulk pose. So that¡¯s why he looked so young and frail.

    However weak his body may be, his spirit was unmatched. Alex could tell that about him, from his years of fighting competitively, and from Ojii-san¡¯s teachings on how to read his opponents.

    Aiden was a fighter. Through and through.

    ¡°Again!¡± came Aiden¡¯s shout from the distance, and the tennis ball machine whizzed playfully.

    Oh, thought Alex. That was Blob.

    The tennis ball machine shot its shot, heading straight for Aiden¡¯s inflated chest. ¡°Oww!¡± he yelped as his chest immediately deflated upon impact.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask,¡± Karin turned to Lucy awkwardly as Aiden tanked yet another direct hit, this time aimed at his abdomen. ¡°What in the world are they doing?¡± she echoed Alex¡¯s thoughts.

    The blob seemed to be having the time of his life, as though a dog playing inverse-fetch¡ªinstead of fetching the ball, he was hitting his owner with it.

    ¡°We think,¡± Lucy began, ¡°well, Aiden and Clark think, at least, that he¡¯s got the power to phase objects through his body, or phase his body through objects. I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s all the same to me.¡±

    ¡°Again!¡± yelled Aiden at ball-machine blob, barely recovering from the previous hit.

    ¡°And they are trying to replicate¡­ something that happened recently.¡± Lucy¡¯s voice broke off. She was clearly thinking back to the events of that evening in the alley with the dead end, when Aiden was shot five times in the chest with a long-barrel revolver, which was definitely firing powerful magnum rounds.

    And yet, he was completely fine. No wounds. No sign of the bullets connecting with his body.

    Phasing through objects¡­ that might just be it.

    ¡°Again, Bloop!¡± yelled Aiden. ¡°And this time, really mean it! I need to believe I can die!¡±

    ¡°Aiden!¡± Lucy shouted.

    ¡°What?!¡± he shouted back, annoyed at being interrupted.

    ¡°Look who¡¯s not dead,¡± she said pointing to Alex.

    ¡°Alex!¡± Aiden dropped the Hulk pose and jogged to them, panting. ¡°What the hell? He said you¡¯d be out for days.¡±

    ¡°Got lucky again, I guess.¡± Alex shrugged. As their eyes met, Alex could tell that they were both thinking about that moment, when Alex emerged from the magic igloo and punched the demon-ape cannonball out of the way.

    Which was pretty awesome when you think about it.

    ¡°Come on,¡± Aiden gestured to him. ¡°I could use some powerful throws. I asked Lucy already but she won¡¯t budge. And Bloop refuses to increase power because he thinks he¡¯ll hurt me, which is just crazy.¡± He nervously rubbed his belly, which was obviously hurting. ¡°Oh, wait¡­¡± He had just noticed the gliding chair.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Alex nodded. ¡°Can¡¯t walk yet.¡±

    ¡°Did Malti say how long it¡¯ll be until you do?¡±

    ¡°Malti¡¯s estimates aren¡¯t exactly accurate,¡± said Kairin, ¡°when it comes to Alex. So we don¡¯t actually know.¡±

    ¡°Shame,¡± said Aiden. ¡°It¡¯s so sunny out here. Who knew Decembers could get this hot, huh? Wait. Do you have something to do with this?¡± he asked Alex.

    ¡°I doubt it,¡± said Alex. ¡°I can barely talk.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not¡­ um¡­ feeling particularly hot today, are you Alex?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    ¡°Shame!¡± Aiden repeated. ¡°Hard tennis balls are good and all, but if they were also on fire¡­¡±

    ¡°I guess I can try,¡± Alex began, but¡ª

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it,¡± said Lucy.

    ¡°But¡­ Lucy please!¡± cried Aiden.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Dammit, come on!¡±

    ¡°Suck it up,¡± said Lucy. ¡°Also, bloop?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Bloop,¡± said Aiden. ¡°That¡¯s him.¡± He pointed at the tennis ball machine spun in place like a dog chasing its tail. ¡°He is a blob of metal, when he wants to be. And he is a dog no matter what he transforms into. And what do you do to a dog¡¯s nose? You boop it. So¡­ what happens when you boop the blob?¡±

    He gazed at everyone expectantly, sure that they would figure it out.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t see it,¡± said Lucy.

    ¡°Bloop the blob!¡± said Aiden. ¡°It¡¯s perfect.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± Lucy said dismissively.

    ¡°What do you think, Alex?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Alex had no personal stake in this. ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s adorable,¡± Kairin jumped in with a genuine smile on her face. ¡°What is he though? I¡¯ve never seen a creature like him.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± said Aiden. ¡°And really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I mean,¡± Kairin struggled to explain, ¡°We do have bots and droids, just like any other advanced planet in the galaxy. But they aren¡¯t anything like that.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Alex. ¡°I¡¯m willing to bet there¡¯s none like Clark either.¡± He was thinking back to everything that The Chancellor had said during his epic showdown with Clark. About how Clark¡¯s species had been the scourge of the Old Empire. Did that also indicate that there may not be many of him left?

    Was he, like his namesake, the last of his species?

    And then there was the Old Empire¡­ What did The Chancellor mean by that? An old Demon empire? Alex had not stopped thinking about this ever since.

    ¡°Definitely not,¡± Kairin responded to him. ¡°He¡¯s like a¡­ person, you know what I mean?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Alex, Lucy, and Aiden together.

    ¡°I¡¯m still shocked to know that there¡¯s no artificial or robotic life forms as advanced as him in the whole wide galaxy though,¡± said Aiden. ¡°I thought you guys would be more advanced than us!¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Kairin thought carefully before continuing. ¡°Cahrim¡ª¡± she emphasized on her planet¡¯s name so as to distinguish it from the rest of the galaxy, ¡°¡ªis definitely more advanced, way more advanced than Earth, no offense¡ª¡±

    ¡°None taken,¡± said Aiden.

    ¡°¡ªBut, as I said, we still don¡¯t have any androids that behave like these two. Maybe in some distant planet, far away in the galaxy, there is a civilization where beings like them are commonplace.¡±

    All four of them wondered in silence about the sheer vastness of space and the unimaginable variety of life that it must contain; and also about what a planet full of Clarks and Bloops would look like.

    ¡°Where is Clark anyway?¡± Alex asked Aiden.

    ¡°On a smartwatch wrapped around the tennis ball machine,¡± said Aiden. ¡°I better get back to it. It¡¯s nice to have you back, Alex.¡± He said nervously, probably thinking back to the night when Alex had snuck out, which he now felt guilty about.

    Alex nodded and smiled at him kindly.

    Aiden jogged back to his designated spot across the tennis ball machine, ready for more.

    A couple more minutes of fire-free, tennis ball-tanking later, three figures emerged out of the northern woods and headed toward the mansion. Alex could recognize all three, but¡­ what were they wearing?

    ¡°Yeah, it was me who strongly suggested that they don¡¯t roam around dressed like renaissance-fair enthusiasts,¡± said Lucy, noticing Alex¡¯s confused expression. ¡°They wanted to explore neighboring towns.¡±

    ¡°This is insane,¡± said Kormac in a red frat jacket as he got close, leaving the twins behind who seemed to be arguing about something, licking on an ice-cream cone. ¡°I love everything about it.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have ice-cream back home?¡± Lucy asked him.

    ¡°We do,¡± said Kormac. ¡°But it¡¯s not served like this. Oh hey, you¡¯re up!¡± He said noticing Alex. ¡°Listen man, I know we were trying to smuggle you off-planet and all, but we¡¯re past all that. Sooo, no hard feelings, right?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡± Alex wasn¡¯t sure how to respond. Were they all friendly now? How?

    ¡°Oh right,¡± said Kormac. ¡°I forget that you missed the truce since you got all hot and then went out cold.¡± Kormac made a couple gestures with his free hand, one indicating Alex getting all riled up, and the other showing him falling flat on his face. He then scratched his chin with his fist. ¡°What a weird power to have, though. Get all fired up for a few minutes, then lose both your body and your consciousness. Beats me. But hey, you took a beating from that monster of an ape and lived! So you got my respect. Friends?¡±

    He threw his arm out with his palms open, as though inviting Alex to an arm-wrestling match.

    ¡°He still can¡¯t move very well, Kormac,¡± Kairin told him.

    ¡°Oh shoot,¡± said Kormac, retracting his hand. ¡°Whatever, you¡¯ll get there soon enough. Don¡¯t listen to Malti. He¡¯s been consistently wrong about your recovery.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been told,¡± said Alex. ¡°And yes, friends.¡± He nodded at Kormac, who smiled and nodded back in acknowledgement.

    Apparently, they didn¡¯t want to smuggle him off-planet anymore, which is all that Alex cared about. They were Kairin¡¯s friends, they helped take down the ape, and now, they weren¡¯t acting antagonistic toward him; although he still didn¡¯t know why. What changed? He¡¯d ask Lucy about it later.

    So, yeah. No point holding a grudge. Besides, they needed all the allies they could get in this bloody war against the demons.

    War against the demons? Was that what this was?

    And was he part of it now?

    ¡°He¡¯s still at it, huh?¡± Kormac looked at Aiden admirably. ¡°I¡¯m going to help.¡±

    As he jogged off, the twin knights, each wearing gym clothes, caught up to where Alex and the rest were seated, still not finished with their argument.

    ¡°I am telling you, man, that is not how you take down a Gront!¡± the one named Dale said to his twin brother, punching his fist into his palm.

    ¡°I would love to see you try your way,¡± said Chet. ¡°I should be done with the funeral prep a day in advance, in case we find what¡¯s left of you.¡±

    ¡°I am not a wuss!¡± said Dale. ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in all the baiting and waiting? That¡¯s a wussie way to do it. Oh hey, you¡¯re up!¡± He said noticing Alex. ¡°Have you laughed at Malti¡¯s face yet?¡±

    ¡°No he hasn¡¯t,¡± Kairin answered for him. ¡°Because he is not a moron like you.¡±

    ¡°He deserves to be mocked when he¡¯s wrong,¡± said Dale. ¡°Because he¡¯s unbearably cocky when he¡¯s right about this stuff, and that is most of the time. Which sucks. This is Chet, by the way.¡± Dale told Alex, pointing at his twin.

    ¡°Hey.¡± Chet waved at him, and Alex acknowledged with a nod. ¡°Are you feeling at all¡­ you know¡­ fiery?¡±

    ¡°Not at the moment,¡± Alex told him.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Master Korne?¡± Kairin changed the subject.

    ¡°Still meditating,¡± said Chet. ¡°He should be out of it soon, though.¡±

    ¡°What did the council say?¡± asked Kairin. ¡°Of the new¡­ direction?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t know yet, but what do you think they¡¯ll say?¡± Chet asked rhetorically. ¡°We¡¯ll get the details soon enough.¡±

    Kairin sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t expect them to be thrilled about it.¡±

    ¡°Oh no,¡± said Chet. ¡°That they certainly won¡¯t be. I¡¯m just holding my breath to find out whether they exile us for one lifetime, or two.¡±

    ¡°Relax,¡± said Kairin. ¡°I¡¯ll make them understand. Once we get there.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the boss,¡± said Chet. ¡°Or, well¡­ you know.¡±

    ¡°What truce?¡± Alex whispered to Lucy while Kairin continued to convince the twins to trust her with handling matters with their Council.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later,¡± she mouthed.

    Then, Aiden, Kormac, and Bloop walked toward them, with smartwatch Clark resting inside a basket over Bloop¡¯s back.

    ¡°I thought you said you were going to help them,¡± Kairin asked Kormac.

    ¡°I did,¡± he said. ¡°By suggesting he take a break. Kid¡¯s wearing himself out. Chairs, please.¡±

    Lucy got up to grab a few from the garage, but Kormac stopped her. ¡°No, no, not yours. Kairin, please.¡±

    She swooshed her hands and cold chairs made of glowing magic ice conjured behind each of them.

    ¡°Much better,¡± said Kormac as he dropped his huge body into it and sighed.

    Aiden looked at the ice chair behind him doubtfully. ¡°I¡¯ll just get the normal one,¡± he said and ran toward the garage.

    ¡°You caught up on everything I asked you to watch?¡± Kormac asked Lucy, pointing at Kairin¡¯s iPad-like device in her hand.

    ¡°Of course not,¡± she said. ¡°There is so much to get through. Cahrim¡¯s terrain is so bizarre. And these videos are packed with knowledge.¡±

    Kormac and Dale looked like they couldn¡¯t hold their laughter. ¡°And¡­ um¡­ shit!¡± Kormac found his breath again. ¡°Did you get to the end?¡±

    Lucy eyed them weirdly. ¡°No¡­?¡±

    ¡°I skipped that one for her,¡± Kairin declared with a victorious smile.

    ¡°NOOO!¡± Both Kormac and Dale cried in disappointment and slapped their palms to their respective faces. ¡°How can you do this to her, Kairin? To me?¡± Kormac looked heartbroken. ¡°The ending was the best part!¡±

    ¡°What am I missing here?¡± Lucy looked around, confused.

    ¡°It was a sick practical joke,¡± Kairin told her. ¡°And I saved you.¡±

    ¡°Damn you, Kairin! It¡¯s fine that you skipped, but at least don¡¯t ruin it!¡± Kormac¡¯s shock and disappointment quickly waned into nostalgia. ¡°Ahh, I still can¡¯t believe it was Jovar who came up with this one,¡± he reminisced. ¡°Oh mighty Thoros, I wish I had my special snow drop. I¡¯d drink to his good health.¡±

    ¡°While ruining yours,¡± Kairin snapped. ¡°Snow drop¡¯s a popular, completely harmless drink on Cahrim,¡± she responded to Lucy¡¯s confused look, ¡°but his special snow drop is nothing but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Quiet, the kid¡¯s back,¡± said Kormac.