“Stop her!” the leader of the Destroyers yelled. “Don't let her reach the water!” But it was too late. She dove into the fountain, there was a flash and she was gone.
Justin turned his head away. He couldn't seem to care at the moment about one of the invaders getting away. But as he looked around he had to close his eyes. The remains of the battle were too horrible to look at. Then he glanced down at his hand. It was no longer numb. Instead, it was throbbing with pain and covered in blood. As he tried to move his fingers, piercing stabs of agony made him hiss and grit his teeth. So much for Titan toughness, he thought wildly.
Someone crouched down beside him. It was Aaron. He looked at Justin with a mixture of concern and caution, as if he wanted to help but was too scared to really do anything.
“Justin?” he said tentatively. “Are you okay?”
Justin slumped back on his heels with a sigh and then almost fell over. Aaron grabbed him and put his arm around his shoulders, helping him stay upright.
“Thanks Aaron,” he said. It was barely a whisper. His throat was so raw he could hardly speak. “No, I'm not okay. I think my hand is broken.” He tried to smile at his friend but he had a feeling that it was more of a grimace of pain.
Aaron held him tighter and looked around. “Looks like we're safe now. If you can stand up, I'll get you to medical.”
Before Justin could try to stand, Norm and Gerry appeared. Gerry took hold of Justin's other side and Norm crouched behind him. “We'll help you move him, Aaron,” Gerry said with a quick grin at Justin. Aaron nodded.
“Thanks guys,” he said. “I think he's put on a few pounds in the last couple of weeks. Must be that growth spurt that Miss Takomo warned us about.”
“Hey guys, are you saying I'm fat?” Justin asked hoarsely.
They all looked at him, then Norm started laughing. So did the other two. “No bud,” Aaron said, grinning. “You're just big boned.”
The laughter helped relieve the tension a bit, and his three friends got Justin slowly to his feet. He looked around the courtyard.
The remaining Guardians who could stand, perhaps fourteen of them, were administering first aid. Justin was relieved to see Mrs. Mallon bustling around the room, carrying a first aid kit from one injured person to the next.
The Destroyers had disappeared. Justin looked around but saw no sign of them or their casualties. Puzzled, he looked at Aaron. “Where did the Destroyers go?” he asked.
Aaron looked around. “Um, good question,” he answered, sounding bewildered. Then he looked at Norm and Gerry. “You guys see them leave?”
Both of them shook their heads. Justin shrugged. He had more important things to worry about at the moment.
They had only taken a few steps toward the entrance when Mrs. Mallon hurried over.
“Hold on, boys. I'll have to wrap that before you move him,” she said.
“But we have to get him to the doctor, Mrs. Mallon,” Aaron argued, trying to push past her. She planted her fists on her hips and glared at him.
“Aaron, if we don't stop the bleeding now, by the time you reach medical, he won't need a doctor, he'll need a coffin.”
“What?” Aaron looked down at Justin's hand. So did Justin. Instead of a few drops of blood dripping from his fist, there was a steady flow of blood dropping on the ground. Justin had left a trail of blood from where he had fallen. He saw Aaron's face turn pale.
“Put him down, guys!” he said urgently to the others. They let him down gently and Mrs. Mallon took some long bandages from her kit.
“I don't understand,” Aaron said in a shaky voice. “Why's he bleeding so much?”
Mrs. Mallon gently opened Justin's fist while he gritted his teeth against the pain.
“Ah, yes,” she said. “He bleeding from that blasted mark on his palm. As to why, Aaron, I have no idea.” She put a thick pad on the wound and then wrapped Justin's hand tightly. The bleeding seemed to be contained for the moment.
“All right, boys. Get him to the doctor while the bandage holds.” She patted Justin on the shoulder and gave him an encouraging smile, then moved off toward another fallen defender.
Chapter 19
Justin spent some days in bed in the medical center. Aaron came by to see him several times, as did Norm and Gerry but they weren't allowed to speak to him. They just waved from the doorway and smiled encouragingly. When Justin complained, the doctor only shrugged.
“I'm sorry Justin, but I need you to focus on healing and you can't do that with people sitting around and talking to you all day.” He noticed Justin's expression and smiled in sympathy. “And don't look at me like that. It's only for a few days. Once you're feeling better, you'll have all the time you want to spend with your friends. So, concentrate on feeling better. You'll be surprised at how quickly the time will pass.”
Doctor Smythe had a difficult time staunching the bleeding in Justin's palm.
“It's the titanium,” he replied when Justin asked why the bleeding wouldn't stop. “The skin split open right along the lines of the rune on your hand, and it was the contact with the metal on your open wound that caused the excessive bleeding. It seems to have counteracted your blood's ability to coagulate, at least temporarily.” The doctor was busy changing the dressing on the wound yet again. Justin had lost count of how many times Doctor Smythe had already done this.
“I didn't realize that titanium was so dangerous to us,” Justin said as he watched the doctor wrap gauze over a pad on his palm yet again.
“Normally it isn't, Justin. I'd say that because of your age, you and your fellows are particularly vulnerable to titanium right now. I expect that when you are older, it will take more than the touch of that metal on a cut to hurt you this badly.” He finished wrapping Justin's hand and stared at the palm intently. As he watched, the gauze began to slowly darken with blood again. “I do wish it would stop bleeding,” he muttered.
Mr. Fitzgerald visited Justin once in the middle of his convalescence, to thank him for his role in defending Sanctuary. While he was there, Justin tried to get answers to some of the many questions that were swirling around in his head since the battle.
“Sir,” Justin said. “Could you tell me why the Sentinels finally attacked the invaders? They didn't even move for the Guardians.”
“As I'm sure you've already guessed, Mr. McLeod, it was in response to that mark on your palm.” Mr. Fitzgerald regarded him soberly. “It would seem that the power of the blood of Cronus can command them even now, millennia after his death. We don't really know how the rebel Titans were able to hold them frozen like they did, but your intervention cut through their command. You saved us all, young man.”
Justin felt his face get red and hurried on. “Thank you, sir. But it was sheer luck really.”
“I wonder,” Mr. Fitzgerald said almost to himself.
“Another thing, sir. Those people with that Titan leader. They weren't wearing bracelets like we have, were they? Instead, they had on some kind of spiral band. So did the Destroyers. But they used powers like Titans. How was that possible?”
Mr. Fitzgerald took his time answering. “We really did not want to expose you young people to some of the more...darker aspects of titan lore, at least not right away. But I know you're intelligent enough to make a fairly accurate guess about those bands. So I'll be straight-forward with you.” He sighed and shook his head. “In the final days of the battle for Atlantis, after the death of Cronus, his followers were losing badly. And in desperation, one of their scientists found a way to harness titan energy, mold it into those bands that you saw, and pass those on to humans.”
Justin's eyes widened. “Then you mean those guys that we saw, and the Destroyers, aren't Titans?”
“That is correct, Mr. McLeod. The rebel leader, and your group, were the only Titans involved in the attack. The Destroyers are descendants of a group of bodyguards that were loyal to Cronus, as we Guardians are descended from the human allies of the Titans themselves.
They are independent, under no command other than their own. I was more than grateful that they answered my summons that day; they weren't obligated to do that.”
“But how did the rebels get their hands on those bands?” Justin asked anxiously.
Mr. Fitzgerald just shrugged. “How did Hyperion get his DNA into the human gene pool? How did he manage to program those genes to resurface a generation before your? All good questions. But I don't know the answers.” He stared off into space for a moment, frowning in thought. “But personally I think the larger question is, where is their base? Where are they coming from?”
“Why is that more important than knowing the rest, sir?” Justin asked, puzzled.
“Because, young man, we have heard rumors that some of the genetic monstrosities created back in the time of the Titans were possibly preserved, ready to be resurrected and used by the rebels today. Which to my mind means that their base may be as large and as old as Sanctuary itself. Large enough to house perhaps hundreds of Titans. Large enough to launch a war on humanity itself. And that is not a comforting thought.”
After Mr. Fitzgerald left, Justin lay there feeling even more worried and confused than he had before the visit.
It took a couple of days for the bleeding to stop and a few more before the doctor was satisfied that Justin could close his hand without it starting to ooze blood again. Finally, on his eighth morning in medical, Doctor Smythe told Justin he could return to his quarters.
“But I don't want you doing anything strenuous for a while,” he told Justin forcefully. “Don't even write in class for at least a week. Come back to see me in two days and we'll see how it's going.”
Justin thanked the doctor gratefully and headed quickly for the door.
“And come back immediately if it starts to bleed again,” the man called after him. Justin waved over his shoulder and kept walking. He had had his fill of lying in bed for quite some time.
When he got back to his room, Justin was surprised to realize how much it felt like home. Aaron was out and, as Justin glanced at the clock, he realized that everyone was still in class. He was exhausted, a condition that the doctor said was caused by his body working hard to heal his wound and replenish his blood. He sat down slowly on his favorite couch and just relaxed for a few minutes.
“Justin, you're back!”
Justin sat up with a jerk and looked around in confusion. Aaron was standing in the open doorway, Gerry and Norm crowding behind him and looking over his shoulder.
“Oh, hi guys,” Justin mumbled. His head felt fuzzy and he realized that he must have dozed off.
Aaron hurried into the room and sat down beside him. Norm and Gerry sat on the opposite couch. Aaron reached out and gently turned Justin's hand over to look at the palm.
“Ah, it looks so much better,” Aaron said as he looked at the pink scar on Justin's palm. “Weird how it's shaped like that rune, isn't it?”
“Yeah, the doctor said that it split along the lines of that mark. Maybe when it heals, the rune will be gone.” Justin stared at his palm for a moment. “I hope it will,” he muttered. He glanced at Aaron who smiled tentatively.
“You okay?” Aaron asked.
“Yeah, I'm fine.” He looked at all of them. “How about you guys?”
Gerry grinned. “We're good, Justin.” Then he became serious. “You heard that we lost some of the Guardians?”
Justin nodded. “The doctor mentioned it, but he wouldn't tell me any details.” He hesitated. “Was it anyone we knew?”
They all shook their heads and he felt a guilty sense of relief. “So how many did we lose?”
“Six, according to Mr. Fitzgerald,” Aaron said quietly.
“And how did they get here in the first place?”
“They haven't told us,” Norm said. He sounded irritated. “It's like they don't trust us or something.”
“Maybe they don't, Norm.” Gerry stood up and wandered nervously around the room. “What if someone in Sanctuary helped them get in?”
Norm stared at Gerry. “What?” he asked in surprise.
“What if it was one of us?” He stopped and looked at Norm. Justin and Aaron looked at each other in confusion then back at Gerry. Norm shook his head but Gerry kept on speaking. “Norm, you know what you heard. And I think it's suspicious.”
“You're crazy, Ger. You really are.” Norm turned away and stared at the table between the sofas. He reached out absently and slid his finger along the runes of the Arena square and watched the small walls rise from the table.
“Wait a minute,” Aaron spoke up. “You heard something, Norm? About the attack?”
Norm continued staring at the Arena and finally Gerry walked back and sat down beside him. He glanced at Norm then looked at Justin and Aaron.
“No, not about the attack. At least, not directly. But...” he looked at Norm again but his friend just stared at the table. “But he did overhear Benson talking with one of his little admirers.”
Finally Norm looked at all of them. “He was just being a big shot as usual. I'm sure of it.”
“Well, what did he say, Norm?” Justin was getting impatient and his hand was starting to throb a bit.
“I was in the library,” Norm said hesitantly. “A few weeks ago. You know how much I like reading about the Titan's history. Anyway, Benson and some of his buddies were there. They were whispering and kept looking at me but I guess after a while they forgot I was there. Anyway, I heard him talking about the Titan technology and how much his father's company could make if they got a hold of it.” He looked around at his friends. “It sounds like Benson wants to impress his Dad. Said his older brother was a big shot in the company but that his father would finally notice Benson himself if he brought him some of the Titan secrets.” Norm shrugged. “I guess with a company like that, it would impress Benson senior.”
Justin stared blankly at Norm. “Company like what?” he asked.
Norm looked puzzled. “Don't you know who Benson is? Who his dad is?”
“Not a clue,” Justin said and shrugged. “Haven't really cared either. So who is he, Norm?”
“Gees, you guys,” Norm said, exasperated. “You really need to read the papers sometimes. I recognized him straight away.”
“Yeah but Normie, you're so much smarter than the rest of us,” Gerry said with a huge grin.
“Knock it off, Gerald.” Norm's ears reddened. “Well, if you really want to know. Benson's dad is Richard Benson, CEO and major share-holder in Bendar Armaments. It's one of the largest arms manufacturers in the world. Mr. Benson and his partner, George Darnell started the company about ten years ago. A couple of years ago, Benson bought out his old partner. There were rumors that Darnell was unhappy with the way that Benson was getting hold of some of the company's newest weapons technology.” Norm lowered his voice, seeming to forget that there was no one else in the room. “Apparently, Benson has no problem stealing other people's designs and claiming them for his own company.” Then he sat back. “So that's the story. It sounds like junior would like to impress daddy and the technology from Sanctuary would definitely help.”
The friends looked at each other. “Do you think he would betray Sanctuary if he could?” Aaron said to Norm. The other boy shrugged.
“No idea,” Norm said. “I don't know the guy. He could have just been talking big for his little friends, you know. “
“Maybe,” Justin muttered. “Or maybe he's planning to lead his Dad to Sanctuary. Or steal something and take it with him.”
“I think you're taking this guy too seriously,” Norm said. He stared at Justin solemnly. “There's no way he could lead him back here, because none of us knows where it is. As for stealing any plans or whatever, how would he get them out of here? We don't even know where the exit is, do we?”
Aaron and Gerry watched the other two but didn't say anything. Justin thought about what Norm had said. Then he thought of something and looked at Norm in surprise.
“But
we do know where the exit is. Or at least one of them. That Guardian told us the day of the attack, remember?”
The others looked puzzled and Justin felt exasperated. “She told Denise that if things looked bad, to take us to the Ocular chamber. That there was an exit there!”
Norm's eyes widened. “Of course! How could I have forgotten that.” Then he frowned. “But where in the Ocular room? I don't remember seeing any other doors in there, do you?”
Aaron and Gerry shook their heads, but Justin remained quiet. “Justin? What are you thinking?”
“I'm remembering what Mr. Denofrio said that day we talked to our parents.”
Aaron frowned while the others looked thoughtful. “What did he say, Just?” Aaron asked.
“He said not to fall into the pool, that the consequences would be unfortunate.” He glanced at Aaron. “At the time, I thought he meant dangerous. But what if he didn't want us to fall in because that's an exit from Sanctuary?”
Norm just stared for a long moment. “Wow, Justin. You're brilliant!”
“Now there's a statement you don't hear every day!” Aaron said with a grin. Justin aimed a mock punch at him that Aaron easily dodged. “But I agree with Norm, Justin. And you may be right. After all, we know that the Titans used water to travel. Makes sense that the Ocular pool might be a doorway, doesn't it?”
They all agreed.
The door chime sounded and Aaron called for whoever it was to enter. The door slid back and the boys saw Mr. Fitzgerald standing there.
“May I come in, gentlemen?” he inquired politely.
“Yes, of course,” Aaron said, clearly startled. Mr. Fitzgerald smiled slightly and entered the room. He looked over at Justin.
“Ah, Mr. McLeod. How are you feeling?”
Justin forced himself to sit up straighter. “I'm fine, sir. Thanks for asking.”
“You're welcome. Dr. Smythe has been keeping me informed of your progress, but I wanted to see for myself.” He looked around at the other teens then back at Justin. “Do you feel up to a short walk?”
The Return of the Titans Page 20