"Never speak of him that way!" The Tranlude continued to glare down at Oliver for a minute. "Stupid human."
"But why? Why Fayville?" Samantha asked.
"Because it's the nearest town. It's also become a type of symbol for us." The sentinel's eyes shifted to the homes down below. "It was where that band of human students had came from. They were the ones who had led to our failure two and a half years ago, by gaining the trust of the Kenaip and kitsuné." His fangs peered out in a smirk. "We destroy their beacon of hope, and we'll destroy them."
Joby burst out laughing. "Ya really are a buncha dopes! We were the ones who did all that."
The guard snapped his head up. "What."
"Joby." Samantha made to cover his mouth, but only hurt her finger in the process. "Geh... Don't say that."
The Tranlude eyed them. "You three? Hm, guess you would be about the right age, wouldn't you?" He suddenly laughed. "Even more fitting then, to have the heroes destroy their beloved town. All in the name of our wonderful Lord Visero!"
Oliver spat at the ground.
"I wish I could talk longer with the 'heroes' and all, but today's a busy day for me." The guard turned to leave, then said over his shoulder, "Follow directions, and Lord Visero will treat you well. Disobey, and you know the punishment. We'll be watching you." He marched down the side of the hill, heading back towards the warehouse.
The Tranlude warehouse on one side...and the humble town of Fayville on the other. It was a small world, after all.
"What're we gonna do?" Joby asked.
"Kill our families? Not even a question!" Oliver stood tall. "My mother, father, and uncle are down there! Hell, even Quentin's lazy, good-for-nothing self doesn't deserve this. Lord Visero can kiss my ass."
"He can kiss mine too!" Joby shot a fist up.
Samantha gazed down at the moonstone in her hand. A soft blue, the wind stone didn't seem as if it should be a weapon. Wind should be something wild but gentle, or at least, Samantha thought so.
Along with Joby's lightning stone and Oliver's fire stone, she knew they could wreak havoc.
But on whom? Should we attack the Tranludes? Stepping over to the edge, she watched the guard continue on his way.
"Samantha!" Grabbing her by the shoulder, Oliver spun her around. "I know you and your parents aren't close, but don't tell me you'd really drop a roof in on their heads!"
"What? No, of course not." Pulling free, she stared down again. "But I was wondering... If we were to attack the warehouse, do you think the Tranludes would flee? Then we could free everyone else."
"Oh, I get it. Yeah, they probably would run, the cowards." Oliver crossed his arms, rubbing his moonstone. "Let's give it a go!"
"But...they'll shock us."
"Not before I shock 'em first!" Joby declared.
"They're going to zap us anyway," Oliver said. "Unless we destroy the town. Which I'm not doing." He clutched his stone. "Time for some fire!"
Is this really the only way? Samantha wondered. They had no idea how high the voltage went.
They could die.
But what else could they do? Like Oliver said, destroying Fayville ― and their families down below ― wasn't an option.
They had two options, and yet it felt as if they had none.
She watched Oliver grasp onto his stone, glaring down intently at the building below.
The guard had told them earlier how to use the stones. But could they really control the elements? It had sounded so easy: visualize the flow of the element, and how you want it to move.
She was surprised when the warehouse suddenly began to smoke, then a flame appeared.
Oliver yelled out from the shock he received from his brace. "Damn it! I don't care!"
The flame jerked and twitched before expanding.
Suddenly a flash streaked down from a cloud. It struck a telephone pole with a thunderous crash, making her jump.
"Yeow!" Joby cringed, staring down at his brace.
Seeing them receive shocks was starting to make Samantha less sure about this.
"Wait, guys," she said. "Maybe there's a better way..."
"It's too late now, Samantha!" Despite the pulsing sparks coming from his brace, Oliver continued to focus on the flames below.
Samantha couldn't understand. Why was he doing this? He could die. They could just as easily not aim for their parents' homes...
But then she remembered Blossom Breeze Island. Oliver had been sympathetic to the suffering of everyone, even strangers. He was going to school to be a psychologist, after all, and one for the mentally abnormal too, at that.
While she couldn't understand his concern for complete strangers, she could respect it. It reminded her of how she felt about animals.
She clutched her stone, feeling the wind in her hair.
For Oliver...for Joby.
Evan was just about to start his screaming and pounding again when he heard clicking sounds on the other side of his door.
Isis...or a Tranlude come to kill him?
When the door began to open, he clasped the handle, keeping it from opening all the way. "Who's there?"
"What the... Do you want me to save you? Solidus!" Isis swore.
"Oh, sorry. Just wanted to make sure, you know..." He let go and backed up, feeling rather foolish.
Isis Abraham stood in the doorway, shoulders and face set. "There's something going on outside. Everyone's all over the place. We need to move fast. Help me free the other prisoners in this hall." She motioned at a small keypad on the outside of his door. "The code's 3146." Not waiting for a response, she hurried to the nearest door and began jabbing keys.
Repeating the numbers in his head, Evan approached a door. After pressing the code in, he watched the screen, waiting for it to do something. It sat there, still displaying the numbers. Had he remembered it wrong?
A voice came from right over his shoulder. "Press the blue button. Blue is our equivalent of enter."
Pulling back, Evan snapped his head over.
Standing just behind him was a Tranlude.
"Uh, Isis? Isis!" He backed away. They were found this quickly?
But Isis glanced up only to look back down at a keypad, saying, "He's with us. He's part of the backup I mentioned before."
Evan stared at the Tranlude. He looked younger than the rest. His face wasn't as hardened looking. In fact, it was lacking the hood that the researchers had seemed so fond of.
"I'll explain later," the Tranlude said. "But I'm Rooco. You might want to go ahead and press that blue button..."
"Oh, right." Evan still didn't like turning his back, but he had little choice. The door promptly popped open.
Inside a girl looked up. She seemed around college age; probably another one abducted from Crest University. She stared at Evan in confusion.
"Uh, yeah so..." Evan eased the door open more. "We're being rescued."
"Thank goodness!" The girl stampeded out past him, nearly knocking him out of the way. Who knew being a hero was such a thankless job?
Once all five inmates were freed, Isis and Rooco led them down the halls. Now Evan could hear the ruckus outside: thunder crashes, howling wind, cascading rain, and distant shouts. Were they caught in a terrible storm right now? His sense of unease somehow rose even more.
Every corner became a threat.
Every door was a figure hidden behind a mask.
As they continued on, Isis said, "From what I've heard, it sounds like the Tranludes here are forcing the human prisoners to attack areas using moonstones. But it seems like there are just as many fighting back as there are obeying. Just in my time to find Rooco alone, the building caught on fire at least twice that I noticed. Everyone was running to put it out."
"This is completely illegal by Tranlude standards," Rooco said. "But the Tranludes who want war ― the Superiorists, as we call them ― think humans are nothing more than insects. They feel the same about the rest of us. They call us weak and dull-witted." He l
ooked over his shoulder at the five of them. "Please, understand it's not all of us. We're doing what we can back home in Tranludia to stop this. But this Lord Visero guy is tricky, coming here like this."
"Hopefully this is the end of the road for him." Isis slowed to heave a heavy door open, letting in a rush of sunlight. "I've been hearing of Lord Visero a lot lately. Is he really a noble?"
"Yeah." Rooco held the door open for the humans. "He comes from a rich family, so he's got the money to influence people. He's been a driving force behind the Superiorist movement. Very cruel guy, from what I've heard. They call him Visero the Vicious."
The name wasn't ringing any bells for Evan. Yet it wasn't like the researchers would deliberately tell him who Lord Visero was. Being as he'd been locked away alone in a room, there was probably a lot he'd been left in the dark to.
Outside the weather was just as frenzied as it had sounded. The wind and rain went back and forth in direction, as if unable to make up their mind. It reminded Evan of a tornado. The sky was ablaze in flashes and lightning strikes.
"Rooco, can you led them to safety?" Isis asked.
The Tranlude's red eyes widened. "And what about you?"
"I want to see what's going on here." Isis glanced up the hill just flanking the warehouse. "I know there are still many people inside."
"It might be best to leave it to the police."
"The police?" Evan repeated. At the attention he suddenly got, he fell silent.
"They can help you with contacting the officials." Isis motioned at the five escapees. "Until then..."
"Very well." Rooco started off, the four trailing after him.
But Evan remained.
"Coming up the hill with me?" Isis grinned.
"The police? I thought you were part of the police."
Her smile faltered. "What are you saying?"
"Professor Lemmings told us you were a cop, and that was why you were our escort."
"Okay then. I lied."
Evan eyed her. "Why?"
"Listen, kid. Can we talk about this later? Before we get struck by lightning?"
Kid? We could be the same age, lady!
If she wasn't a cop, then who was she?
Evan began following her up the hill. "Why are you here then? If you're not a cop."
Isis sighed. "It's a long story."
"It's illegal to say you're a cop when you aren't."
"Chill out! I saved you, didn't I?" She stopped to face him. "And have I ever done anything to betray your trust? Have I?" For not being a policewoman, she sure had an authoritative, confident air.
"It's just...weird." Evan avoided her.
"I'm weird?"
"No. Well, yeah, maybe a little."
To his surprise, she started laughing.
"What's so funny?"
"You. You're just a riot..." She finally straightened up. "Fine then. I work with the police. That enough for now, detective?"
"Yeah. Okay. ...Sorry I doubted you." He scratched his head. "It's nothing personal."
"I understand. If I were you, I wouldn't trust me either." Isis peered up. "I'll explain better later. Right now, I want to see where everyone is, both human and Tranlude. Wonder if there's a chance at freeing the rest myself."
"You haven't seen my roommates?"
"No."
Where were they?
Maybe they got back to the apartment, Evan told himself. Maybe they've been okay all this time.
Just as he was telling himself this, Isis came to a dead stop in front of him. "Oh, my... Speak of the devil."
"What? Who?" Evan rushed to close the gap between them.
At the top of the hill were Samantha, Joby, and Oliver. But all three were down on their knees, shoulders and heads drooping in defeat. What was wrong with them?
"Guys!" Evan took a few steps.
Samantha was the first to look up. "Evan?" Her tired eyes were unresponsive, but a faint smile found its way to her lips as she got up. "Where've you been...? I was..." She paused. Her legs were shaking from the effort of standing.
"What happened?" Evan walked over. "Are you guys okay?"
Samantha more slumped into him than hugged him.
"You missed the disco party," Joby said. "All those sparks from getting zapped..."
"Zapped?"
Oliver pushed at the thick metal loop around his waist. "We can't get these damn things off..."
Isis stepped over. "I think I got it. You need a code, right?"
Samantha let go of Evan. "It doesn't have a display..."
"But it's got a keypad." Bending down, Isis examined Samantha's brace. "Yeah, I'm sure they did it like this to throw you all off." She typed four keys in then pressed a blue button.
With a snap, the device popped open.
Oliver about jumped to his feet. "How in the he―! That was all?"
Isis shrugged. "Apparently."
"What was the code?" Samantha asked.
"Three-one-four-six."
Her mouth hung open for a second, then she nodded.
"Don't forget us!" Joby said.
As Isis was working on the other two braces, Evan turned to his sister. "So, those things... What did they do?"
"Shock us." She picked hers up, gazing down at it. "Anytime we disobeyed them. ...Ergh, those bastards." With a sudden forcefulness, she hurled it off the hill. It thudded down with shuddery, metallic clanks.
"And stay down!" No sooner had Joby finished than a blinding blade of lightning pummel down below, blasting the brace into pieces.
Evan's heart nearly exploded into pieces, as well. "Whoa! How was... What was that?"
"Can we talk as we leave?" Samantha glanced around. "Before Lord Visero catches on..."
"Yeah," Oliver said. "Let's get outta here. That guy's got issues."
There went that name again.
Chapter 17
After the warehouse prison was busted, life returned to normal. Strange Tranludes stopped showing up in town. The students resumed their classes, and Evan still had a hard time believing anything had even happened only a week ago.
The only thing that wasn't normal was his roommates and their new elemental control. It took some getting used to.
Now when Oliver got riled up over something, he could catch a random object on fire for emphasis.
Now when Joby wanted attention, he could summon the crash and flash of a lightning bolt.
And now when someone rubbed Samantha the wrong way, she could blow a trashcan at them.
That Saturday was Beauty Day, a holiday that paid tribute to the many wonders and splendors in life. Besides typically taking place on a pleasant spring weekend in May, it was often accompanied by many fun events, such as beauty contests, eating contests, and other fun games. People would gather together at the park and spend the day watching and taking part in the festivities, while vendors were sure to push their products, from ice cream cones to water guns. It was a light-hearted occasion with mostly fun and relaxation being key. To the college students, it was also a sign of another semester about to end.
However, the four roommates were still stuck in their apartment. Evan, Oliver, and Joby were waiting around in the living room for Samantha. Ever since flunking a quiz in one of her classes the day before, Samantha was now constantly two steps away from blowing a fit.
"What's taking her?" Oliver glanced at the clock. "Bee-Bee is probably wondering where we are."
Joby chuckled. "Hey, guys... How much would ya give me if I put her name down for that beauty contest?"
"Who?" Evan asked.
Joby lowered his voice. "Samantha."
"Ooh!" Oliver popped upright on the couch. "I'll buy you lunch for a week."
Joby glanced at Evan, grinning.
"She's not going to like this." Evan crossed his arms. "Buuuut the look on her face? I'll match Oliver's offer."
Joby attempted to snap his fingers, failing utterly. "It's a deal then! Get ready, world! A new star's about to be b
orn!"
The park was already full of people by the time they arrived. Stands and stages were being set up for the many events, and colorful balloons lined the materializing walkways. People of all ages were scattered around, talking and laughing. Somewhere Evan could smell smoky food cooking. What he wouldn't give for a hamburger...
"Hey, is that...?" Samantha stared off at a distant stand. "They're selling horseshoe crabs? Really? Neat!" She ran off to get a better look.
"Got something I need to do." Joby winked at Evan and Oliver. "Catch ya in a bit." He jogged off around the corner, still laughing to himself.
Oliver smiled at Evan. "Looking forward to this." His eyes suddenly drifted past him. "Oh! Bee-Bee! My little cocoa bean...!" He hurried to meet his girlfriend.
With a sigh, Evan slinked over to join them. "Hey."
But Beatrice didn't seem to notice him. "Ollie, what took you? I already signed up and everything. I thought you were going to miss it...!"
"Me miss you in a beauty contest? Never!" Oliver took her hands, smiling as foolishly as a squirrel with a nut. "I know you're going to win it, honey."
She smiled in close at his face. "I hope you're right."
"Of course I'm right."
Glancing to the side, Evan tapped his fingers on his arm, waiting for the mushy stuff to end. Between Oliver's obsession with Bee-Bee, Sam's obsession with animals, and Joby's obsession with Sam, Evan felt like a blade of grass at times.
"Oh, hello, Evan." Beatrice finally smiled his way. "So, what do you think?" She struck a sideways pose, holding her arms out primly. The hot pink dress against her dark skin was bugging his eyes out.
"Oh, uh, you look nice."
Her face fell a little. "Nice?" She held her hands up with a shrug. "Don't like the dress? Or is my hair?" Her hands shot to her updo. "Do I have something in it?" Her hands got frantic.
"Oh no! No, no, no! You look great!"
She continued to adjust her hair, looking far from pleased.
Just then, Samantha came back, carrying what looked like a living horseshoe crab. At Evan's look, she laughed. "Oh, it's not real. They were just selling replicas. But it's still cute though."
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