Phantom Universe

by Laura Kreitzer

CHAPTER 29: PURPLE

  16 years old

  A siren howls, and the crowd disperses, though the fight continues. The courtyard floods with Leaguers in their green and black uniforms. Blake stands and brings Summer with him. She tries to duck out of his grip but he only holds on tighter, bruising her arm where she’s already sore from the riot outside the hospital. Sharp, stabbing pains rush up and down her arm, riding her strained nerves. She wants to scream out for one of the Leaguers to help her but, again, her voice fails. Blake drags her through a crowd of people who bump into her, step on her, and send her into a state of panic. Her heart beats in double time.

  Suddenly, Gage is standing in front of them, and they skid to a halt. Summer has never seen such fury in Gage’s eyes or such enmity in the cut of his jaw as it tightens.

  “Fingers off!” growls Gage.

  “What is it with this girl that has everyone in such an uproar?” Blake shakes his head, a smile creeping up his face. “Oooh . . . you’re the Leaguer who has the hots for the Outlander girl.” His voice lowers into a conspiratorial whisper as he leans forward. “Let me guess—this is the Outlander?” He chuckles.

  Gage’s eyes burn with green fire as he pulls something black from his belt. “Summer, are you all right?” he asks, though his eyes don’t leave Blake.

  She shakes her head fiercely, trembling. Gage’s eyes flick to hers for a second before they go back to Blake.

  “Any pain you have inflicted on her, you will feel double,” warns Gage, his voice as harsh as sandpaper against the skin. He holds up the device pulled from his belt and presses a single button. A beam of light shoots from the end of it and lights up Blake’s chest with a tiny blue dot.

  “That’s it?” Blake laughs. A second passes, and Blake’s body starts to jerk violently. “What the hell did you do to me?” he says through gritted teeth. A few more seconds pass as he shakes, and then he releases Summer. He topples to the ground while holding onto his chest where the blue dot was.

  Summer races to Gage, flying into his arms and holding tight. Her body still trembles from Blake’s touch.

  “You’re okay,” he says softly while holding her securely against his chest. “He won’t be getting up for a while.” His tone is smug.

  She wants to say thanks, to find some way to show how much she appreciates him stopping Blake from taking her to his room. She pulls away, finds his palm, and writes, “Thank you.” Then she looks up into his eyes that soften when he sees her sincere expression. Her eyes are big, round, and brightly blue, somewhat reminding Gage of a puppy who was just kicked.

  “You’re welcome,” he says softly and then steps back. “Where are you hurt?” He begins to look her over, inventorying anything out of place.

  She lifts the sleeve of her shirt and looks over her shoulder to see the damage to Blake’s strong grip. There are distinct finger marks embedded into her skin, the color of her flesh already discoloring into purple and black. Gage’s breath catches when he sees it.

  “That piece of splash.”

  Summer nods in agreement. Doubly splashy, she adds mentally.

  His fingers gently run over the bruise as he shakes his head. “I was afraid of this.”

  Summer’s eyebrows come together as she watches his face. He looks at her and says, “Because of our involvement. I was worried people would pick you out of the crowd as a target, but I didn’t think it would be within an hour.” He rubs his temples as if he has a headache. “I don’t know what I’m going to do when I’m not around here.” He inhales deeply before slowly exhaling. “I’m going to be freaking out the whole time.”

  She hates that he feels he can’t do what he needs to because of her. Landon was always good at making sure Summer was safe on the ship, but not even he could stop her punishments. Gage couldn’t take on this responsibility along with the rest of his. She turns around and gazes down at the heap that is Blake. A wicked smile slithers up her lips as she takes deliberate steps his direction.

  “What are you doing?” asks Gage behind her, confusion in his voice.

  Summer glances over her shoulder, the smile still in place, and winks at him.

  He grins back conspiratorially. “Flower, what are you doing?” He laughs.

  She turns back around and stares at Blake who seems so . . . harmless in this state; his legs twisted, his arms splayed out like an eagle, and his face slack. I must face my fear, she chants internally. He can’t hurt me right now. She squats next to him and starts to rummage through his pockets.

  “Looking for treasure?” asks Gage, a smile in his voice.

  She shakes her head as she leans over Blake and searches his pockets. Her fingers encounter the chocolate bar, and she yanks it free triumphantly. She stands and pivots around, showing Gage what she took.

  “What is that?” he asks, eyebrows scrunching.

  She holds it out to him, and he takes it in his hand, flipping it over and over.

  “A Hershey’s bar? Wow! How old is this thing? I’ve never seen a wrapper like this before? Must have come from the past.” Gage continues to turn it over, fascinated by the chocolate bar. Then his eyes snap up to hers, and he lets out a short laugh. “Was this all over a chocolate bar?”

  She nods and frowns, trying not to smile at how stupid the whole thing is.

  Gage breaks out into a fit of laughter. “That’s something.” He shakes his head, grinning from ear to ear. “It’s only chocolate.”

  Summer’s eyes go wide. Only chocolate?

  Landon runs up to Summer and Gage. “Hey!” he pants, then stops and leans over to catch his breath. “Thanks for stopping Blake,” he says to Gage. “When I couldn’t find Summer I knew he’d taken her. So thanks.”

  Rob, with Jaden holding him up partially, isn’t far behind. “Hey, has anyone seen Lucy or Avery?” asks Jaden.

  Summer nods slowly as she takes in Rob’s appearance, her jaw slack in shock. His face is bloody with several cuts, the largest above his right eye that’s almost swollen shut, and he’s holding his ribs as if they’re broken.

  “We need to get you checked out,” says Gage with a whistle. “You aren’t looking to good.”

  “Guess my insults were too good, eh?” says Rob with a crooked smile.

  “You said he had a genital identification disorder. That’s bound to piss anyone off,” Jaden says and pats his hand that’s draped over her shoulder.

  “And I called him a wanker-licking, nancy ass. You can’t forget that one,” Rob says with a short laugh before wincing.

  “Did you really?” asks Gage, throwing his head back and chuckling. “Well, that makes more sense for a cause of a fight than a candy bar.”

  “Yeah, but I called him that because he took the chocolate,” says Rob. “You don’t just go around taking people’s chocolate. Especially if it’s a gift!”

  Gage keeps chuckling. “You look pretty beaten up. I’ll have our on-site doctor take a look at you. If you have any broken ribs we need to mend those immediately.”

  “You should see the other guy.” Rob laughs. “Oh, ouch.” He gingerly touches his ribs. “Yeah, I should probably see a doctor.”

  “Oyi!” Lucy shouts in the distance, and everyone turns in her direction. Avery’s next to her as they run toward them. “Whoa, what happened to him?” She points to Blake.

  “I shut his neurological system down for now,” explains Gage nonchalantly.

  “Where the hell have you two been?” barks Jaden.

  “We went to find a guard who would help,” explains Avery. “Half of them said no. There was one asshole—sorry, I mean Leaguer—in particular that started taking bets on the fight.” He snaps his fingers like he’s trying to remember the name. “Oh yeah, his name was Max, his jacket said M. Everfast.”

  “Stay away from him,” warns Gage seriously. “He’s nothing but trouble, and he hates Outlanders.”

  “Yeah, we figured that out,” grumbles Lucy, a hand on her hip.

  “Been busy, Lieutenant A
ppleton?”

  Summer pivots around to see Cameron in her uniform. Summer had become so used to her wearing her white doctor’s coat that it took her off guard for a moment.

  “You could say that,” replies Gage. “Everyone, this is Sergeant Steen, or Resident Steen if you’re in the hospital.”

  “Please, call me Cameron,” she says sweetly while going over to Rob. “Jeez, you’re turning purple.” She gently touches Rob’s cheek, and he flinches in pain.

  “If you can take care of him, I’ll worry about this bozo.” Gage gestures in Blake’s direction.

  “You’ve got it,” says Cameron with a nod before turning back to Rob. “Can you walk all right?”

  Rob nods, and Jaden looks at him in concern.

  “Good. What’s your name?”

  “Rob.”

  “Well, Rob, follow me, and we’ll get you taken care of.”

  “I’ll meet you in the room, Summer. Okay?” asks Jaden.

  Summer nods and waves them off.

  Landon walks up to Blake, and his glare is unmistakable. “Com’re Ducky.” He gestures her over. She complies and stands next to him. He pulls her close, blatantly ignoring her shoulder and just going for her waist. “I think ye need to get your justice.”

  She glances up into his dark eyes, and her eyebrows draw together.

  “Ye know what to do,” he says and backs away.

  Everyone stands around her, watching and waiting. Summer stares down at Blake, and in her mind she can see Jarvis’s face beneath the surface of this man. All her hate and anger boil up inside, her blood heating with all the bad things that have happened, how this man tried to take her confidence just like Jarvis did. Her confidence only grows inside her, and she pulls her foot back, her new black boots tipped with steal (thanks to the Leaguer outfit Gage had given her). Blake suddenly wakes, and his eyes flicker open to see her boot come flying at him. He tries to move but she kicks him in the arm where he bruised her. He cries out and holds his arm in agony.

  Summer backs away while he writhes in pain, but at the last second she comes forward again and kicks him solidly between his legs. Her foot connects with all the force she can muster, and the males around her groan just at the sight, though Blake’s scream out shines all other noises. Summer turns on her heal and walks away satisfied. Lucy claps, and Landon smiles proudly.

  Gage has the device he used on Blake earlier in his hand. He points it at Blake again and presses a button. He goes quiet, his body stilling. Everyone stares at Gage with a rainbow of expressions. “What?” he says with a joyful smile. “If she was going to kick him, I wanted him to feel the pain.”

  As Summer approaches Landon he raises his hand in the air, palm forward, and they high-five.