“Unaltered twins exist naturally and through experimentation. Essentially they’re a chance occurrence, and while they’re not as rare as altered twins, they’re still rare in comparison to the rest of the population. In the case of tank-born twins, they manifest within hours of being placed into a tank to be grown after the DNA creation process is done. In those who are born naturally, the cells for identical twins split and grow into two separate people in the same womb. Fraternal twins are two separate cells of different DNA that end up growing in the womb together.
“Most unaltered twins are psychics. It’s believed the process of sharing a natural or false womb is what creates the physic bond between the two children. But there is a type of twins who do not have psychic abilities, but do have special properties.
These twins appear no different in a setting like this than you or me, as they have no distinguishing physical characteristic that can separate them. What sets them apart is what is known as a life-force share. The two twins can feel each other’s presence, no matter the distance between them, and can share their life force, such as a time when one is gravely ill or hurt, allowing them to stay alive when others would have perished.
“Some believe this is a type of psychic bond that wasn’t able to manifest into true psychic ability. Whatever the case, this life force bond is not always helpful. Unfortunately, because they share a life force, if one is to die by unnatural causes, the other dies as well.”
“So basically, if one of them is killed by the military, we lose them both,” Raikidan clarified.
Ryoko nodded. “Exactly. While the term unaltered twin would encompass all twins that weren’t purposely made, the term is typically only used by the military to refer to these special twins, as their bond has an effect while in service, whereas on the outside it wouldn’t. Those who are not military, or are not in a military situation, generally just use the word twins.”
Raikidan looked at me. “Then Eira’s agitation is justified.”
“Yes,” Ryoko replied. “But what I don’t understand is how you know, Laz. Twins never tell because of the risk. That information isn’t even put on file because the scientists don’t want it to come back and harm the twins at some point.”
I chewed on the tip of my nail as I paced. “Arnia told me once. She thought it was necessary for me to know, just in case, since she’s a mole.”
“It’s good that she did,” Seda remarked as she came into the living room. “Sorry it took so long to give you this. I was hoping to locate either of them telepathically, but I wasn’t successful. Sorry.”
“It’s fine. At least you tried.” I took the communicator from her and put it on. I switched the setting and tried to find Arnia’s communicator signal. When I couldn’t find it, I searched for Jaybird’s signal. My hope sank every second I couldn’t find it. Finally, I gave up and changed the signal once more. “Aurora.”
“Yeah, babe, whatcha need?” she asked.
“Alpha red-nine.”
The sound of her keys typing stopped. “W–what? Who’s in trouble?”
“Arnia and Jaybird. We need to find them now. I can’t pick up either of their communicators’ signals. I need you to find them.”
“I’ll get right on it. I’ll also get another team to give you a hand and bring more from our team into the loop. This should buy us some time while I find either signal. It’s going to take a while.”
“Fine, whatever,” I replied quickly as I ran down the stairs. “Tell the teams to meet us on the rooftops near Ninth and Main. We’ll need to figure out a plan.”
“All right. I’ll contact you when I have something. Try to contact them again when you meet up.” She cut the line before I could reply.
I rushed downstairs and the others followed. Quickly preparing ourselves, we ran back up the stairs and were met by Seda and Genesis. Seda spoke to us as everyone took the communicators from her hand. “I’ve already informed the Council of the situation. All available psychics are looking for them as best as they can. Twins are hard to locate telepathically as the bond they share creates a barrier that psychics have a hard time crossing. The Council has also reassigned all active assignments into lookouts. You’ll have more looking out than you realize, so keep your communicators on at all times. I’ll contact you if I find anything.”
I nodded and bolted up the stairs to the roof. Without making sure the others were following, I jumped to the next rooftop. Clearing the jump with ease, I kept going and jumped to the next available rooftop. I picked up speed as I went. I thought I could hear shouting, but I was too focused on going forward to try to find out if anyone was really yelling or not. It could have been just about anything. It was a city after all.
I glanced to my right when nails hitting the gravel-covered roofs and heavy panting came up behind me. A wolf with a carbine grasped in his jaws ran up next to me. Thanks to the lack of chains and dark fur color, I knew it was Raikidan and not Rylan.
Raikidan shifted back to his nu-human shape quickly, far faster than I would have expected. I wondered if he had been practicing and that was all it took to make the shifting process take less time.
“You need to slow down,” he panted. “The others are falling behind.”
“They’ll catch up. They know where we’re meeting the others.
“We can’t keep up. You’re designed to run fast. They aren’t. I’m not.”
“You’re keeping up fine.”
“You have no idea how much energy I’m expending right now,” he growled. “You need to save yours.”
“I’m fine. You fall back with the others.”
“I’m not leaving your side.”
“Then use all your energy. It’s up to you.”
“You’d actually do that? You’d let me use up all of my energy so I could run with you?”
I gave him a long stern look. “It’s your choice to keep up with me. I’m not making you, so if you want to waste your energy keeping up with me, then so be it. I’m not going to stop you. You’ll just regret it later.”
“So much for working as a team,” he muttered as he slowed his pace.
I rolled my eyes and kept running. This had nothing to do with being a team. The truth was, I couldn’t actually get myself to slow down. I had so much adrenaline pumping through my veins, I couldn’t do anything more than run fast.
“Eira, please,” Raikidan begged as he caught up with me again. “Please, slow down.”
“I can’t,” I admitted.
“Please.”
“You don’t get it, Raikidan. I physically can’t stop myself. I can’t get my body to slow down in the least. I have no control over it.”
Raikidan grinned and I looked at him with confusion. “Catch!”
He tossed his carbine to me and I yelped when my feet lifted off the ground involuntarily. I held Raikidan’s carbine tightly against the length of my body with my arms as he held me in his arms. The way I was holding the weapon, I looked like a civilian who had been given a gun for the first time in her life to hold. Eira you’re pathetic. I wasn’t sure what was bothering me more, the fact I was being carried or the fact Raikidan was doing this on purpose.
He cleared the next jump and skidded to a halt. He was panting hard and stared down at me. A large grin was plastered on his face. “There, now you’ve stopped.”
“Put me down!”
He chuckled and let me stand on my own. “I’ll take my gun back now.”
I tossed him his gun and crossed my arms as I looked away from him. “Thanks for helping me.”
He messed with my bangs. “You’re welcome.”
I swatted his hand away and looked around for a place to sit.
Raikidan looked around. “This is where we’re supposed to meet everyone?”
I nodded as I sat down on
the ledge of the roof. “Yep. This is Ninth and Main.”
He sat down next to me. “Well, it’s a good thing I decided to do what you hate most.”
I laughed and shoved him. “Just don’t do it again, you hear?”
He shoved me back with a chuckle. “Sure, sure. You look nice by the way.”
I looked down at my clothes. “I look average at least.” Raikidan snorted, tempting me to laugh at him. He really didn’t like it when I didn’t accept his compliments. “At least it’s not feminine looking.”
Raikidan gave me a skeptical look. “You don’t know what feminine is, do you?”
My brow rose. “Huh?”
“I may not be human, but you do look feminine in this. It’s a less fragile and… girlie, and more of an ‘I can kick your ass’ sort of feminine, but feminine nonetheless.”
I snorted. “I’m not the least bit feminine.”
“You’re female,” he objected. “No matter what you do, it will be feminine in some way.”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever.”
Raikidan eyed me, but I didn’t pay him any mind. He was wrong. No part of me was feminine. To be feminine is to be alluring… beautiful… Something I’m not…
“That’s not true, Chickadee. That’s not true at all.”
I tried to keep my shock at bay. Tannek?
Ryoko and Rylan landed on the roof suddenly, and Raikidan put some space between us. I was thrown off by his sudden coldness. It wasn’t the first time he’d done it, he tended to do it when others were around, but I still found it strange… and a bit irritating. He would only be friendly if he didn’t think anyone was paying attention.
I’m not much different though… I was a lot friendlier with him when it was only us two. I held in a sigh. Our relationship really wasn’t going the way it was supposed to. He just made it hard to keep distance between us.
“Looks like we’re the only ones here,” Rylan said.
I nodded. “Looks like it.”
“Not anymore,” Blaze said as he and Argus landed on the roof. “And can I say, Eira, you need to learn how to run slower.”
“It’s not like you all weren’t going to catch up,” I muttered.
“Looks like our help is here,” Rylan observed as he looked into the distance.
I looked up to see dark figures running across rooftops toward us.
“You didn’t think we’d leave ya hangin’, did ya?” a deep voice boomed.
Standing up, I looked around. I recognized that voice. Just then, a large hand reached up and grabbed the edge of the roof in front of me and a man with dark chocolate skin pulled himself up onto the building. He was tall and muscular and had his hair cut high and tight. He wore tan khakis and a red men’s tank. His eyes were hidden behind black shades, and what looked to be suspenders attached to his pants were actually bandoliers.
I walked closer to the man. “Couldn’t be normal and get on the roof like everyone else, eh, Xantar? Been a long time.”
“Too long there, kid.” Xantar balled up his hand into a fist and bumped the flat part of his arm against mine as a type of altered high-five. “It’ll be fun working with ya again. Too bad it’s on shitty terms.”
I nodded in agreement and then frowned when that familiar chuckle I despised so much graced my ears.
“I don’t see how you find working with little Eira fun, Xantar,” Raynn mocked as he landed on the roof near us. “But then again your team is filled with oddball defects.”
“Look who’s talking,” Ryoko jeered.
Raynn snorted and crossed his arms. His team filed in on the rooftop behind him just as I noticed my communicator flashing. Unhooking it from my belt loop, I placed it on my head. The visor snapped over my eyes and connected the two signals.
“H–hello?” a quiet, scared voice said.
Chapter 18
Icouldn’t believe my ears. “Arnia?”
“E–Eira, is that you?” she asked.
“Yes, it’s me.”
She started to sob. “T–thank the goddess. I–I thought I’d never reach anyone.”
“Arnia, calm down,” I advised her. “It’s going to be all right. Where are you?”
“I–I don’t know.” She continued to sob. “J–Jay t–told me to hide, so I ran and ran until I found someplace to hide.”
“Arnia, listen to me. I need you to stay calm and describe things around you.”
“I–I—” She gasped. “They’re coming. I have to go.”
“Arnia, no!” The line went silent. “Arnia? Arnia! Dammit!”
I tossed my communicator on the ground in frustration. I froze when it began levitating in the air. I looked up as it hovered at eye level and a group of psychics came into my field of vision.
I nodded in greeting at the two who led them. “Akama, Enrée.”
“I think you dropped something,” Akama teased.
“Why are you here?” I questioned.
“We’re here to help,” she informed. “The rest of the Council may not understand what it’s like to leave the safety of their living quarters, but we psychics do. We know what you go through from day to day, and we’re here to give you a hand in the field instead of staying tucked in our beds, where it’s safe.”
“All of you?” I inquired.
“Seers and Battle Psychics alike,” Enrée stated.
“We thought we’d follow Seda’s lead,” Akama said with a smirk.
“Seda?” I wasn’t about to hide that I was confused. Seda wasn’t even—
“It’s not polite to spy, Akama.” I whirled around to see Seda touching down on the rooftop behind us.
“I like your haircut, Seda,” Akama said. “It’s very fitting.”
Seda didn’t reply to Akama’s compliment. Instead, she used her abilities to take my communicator, which Akama was now holding, and handed it off to me. “Keep that with you. I told Aurora of your brief contact with Arnia. She’s triangulating the signal as we speak.”
I secured the communicator to my head. “I’ll make sure I don’t miss her call.”
“So, Commander, what are your orders?” Seda asked.
Raynn snorted. “Why are you asking her? You should be asking someone of higher rank.”
Xantar snorted. “Like you? Last I remember, you were the reason we lost over seventeen members to a simple assignment. Why would anyone entrust you with this important mission?”
Raynn growled. “Watch what you say, Recruit.”
“That’s Corporal to you, you motherless cur,” Xantar barked.
“Enough,” Enrée said. “Or I’ll throw you both over the edge of this building and make sure you can’t brace for the impact.”
Xantar backed down, but Raynn wasn’t going to be as submissive.
“I wouldn’t mind seeing him go over,” I remarked slyly. “I’d throw him over myself if needed.”
“Shut it, C—”
Enrée flicked his hand and Raynn flew across the rooftop. He crashed on the gravel and groaned in pain. “Now, Commander, we’re wasting time.”
I nodded. “Yes. Everyone will split up into four groups. Two groups are to look for Jaybird while the other two will search for Arnia. Once found, one group is going to have to act as a distraction long enough for the other group to get them out of sight.”
“Where will we bring them once found?” a rebel asked.
“To our house,” I replied. “It’s a low-key-enough location where the military won’t raid right off in search for them. It will buy us enough time to figure out how to get them somewhere safe.”
“Where will we know where to search?” someone asked.
I pointed to the Temple far off in the distance. “Raikidan and I will make our way over to th
e top of the Temple. That will give us a clear view of most of the city. If we’re lucky, we’ll be able to catch movement from either of them. Any questions?”
“What signal should we connect to, to know location updates?” someone else voiced.
“We’ll choose Aurora’s for now. I’ll be relaying information to her anyway, so it’d be best to save time.” I looked at Raikidan. “Ready?”
Raikidan nodded. “Of course.”
“You all have your assignments. Now go.” I took off before I had the last part of my orders out of my mouth.
Raikidan tossed his gun to me, and as we reached the edge of the roof, he shifted into a large steppe eagle. Making sure his gun was secured on my back, I cleared the gap between the two buildings and continued on, picking up my pace steadily as I went. Eventually the buildings became taller, and I was forced to climb them.
Raikidan enjoyed himself by taunting me. He favored flying low and grabbing at my hair before flying out of swatting range.
“Stupid dragon…” I muttered.
I blinked as the Temple came into perfect view. I hadn’t realized how fast I had been running. Ninth and Main was close to the Temple, but for the average free runner, it still would have taken some precious time.
Forcing a lot of energy into my next jump, I reached for the temple walls. As I soared through the air, my shoes disappeared from my feet. I would need the extra grip if I was to climb this tall building in a reasonable time. As I climbed, Raikidan took the liberty of flying around the Temple to gain altitude and to point out my slowness.
Ryoko’s voice rang through my communicator. “I wish you could see how you run and climb. You look so swift and acrobatic but still able to put a strong look to it.”
I snorted. “Shouldn’t you be heading off somewhere to search, instead of watching me?”
“Well, a lot of us figured watching you was more productive than watching mud-brained men fight over who was leading what and where,” Ryoko replied.
I laughed. “Well, tell the mud brains to shut it and get a move on before I come back there and kill them all.”
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