by Agster, Joe
Cassie shouts, “Control your fear!”
Foenix gets on top of Friend, landing punch after high speed punch. Foenix momentarily gets up. Friend is seriously wounded and out of power. In the distance, the crowds behind the police barricades are booing. This fight has totally fixated the crowd, and most likely captivating the world.
“Wrong choice, Friend. Cassie knows she is mine soon. When I’m bored with her being my sex slave, then that’s when I’ll start to have fun. I’ll invent new ways for her to die. I’ll teleport her to the top of the Star Tower and throw her off.”
Cassie looks on with disgust at Foenix, trying so hard to be unaffected by his taunts, but it cuts deeply. She recalls her past, when she was raped by her boyfriend. She has grown to despite those words, “sex slave.” Never again, she tells herself.
She overcomes the taunt by putting her belief into Friend even if his confidence is fractured. It’s at this moment that her faith beckons to her. It’s moments like these that she is glad that she has always grounded herself in faith, even when she’s gone astray. It is her undeniable believe in God, in everything that her father has told her just before he died, that forms a mental barrier to protect her from his wickedness. Nothing he can say or do is going to shatter that, even death.
As Friend lays in agonizing pain, too powerless to heal himself, he thinks back to his training. Tranquility of mind, where are you? It’s consumes him as he wonders why he is without self-control. Then he sees Mason in a flashback. They are at the mansion for the first time, where Mason tells Friend about a power than no one has ever been able to perform called projection. Projection is where you extend all your power onto someone. But how? As he intimately feels the meaning of those words about projection, he remembers Mason telling him that it requires a superabundant level of focus. At that moment he clears his mind, knowing he has to try.
“Cassie, take my hand,” he calls to her. She fearlessly rushes up to him, ready to help him in any way possible. He focuses harder than ever before, channeling all this power, and his life force into her. As her power grows, his shrinks, almost to the point of lifelessness. She can feel it, something stirring inside her; she has never felt so alive.
He utters, “Cassie, I have projected my power onto you. Listen, you are the one now. It all makes sense why you are here, at this very moment. Your father was right, you are the future. And with my power, you are now the weapon.”
Foenix looks on laughing but curious as Friend is weakening, almost catatonic. He is swelling with pride, fiercely confident that the end is finally near.
Except Cassie has ideas of her own. She emerges after huddling down, feeling intense, supernatural power, strength she has never felt before. She can’t put words to it, but she feels superhuman, perhaps more so than Friend. She stands tall and proud, turning to face Foenix. Her eyes glowing intensely, brimming with life, with her newfound power. She clinches her fists, arms down yet locked and loaded, as she gives Foenix the nastiest death stare he has ever seen. All of Friend’s power, his knowledge and his training, has come alive in her.
Foenix’s face turns sour at the sight. Is this petty girl suddenly his equal? What exactly is this? He immediately engages her, attempt a high power kick but she ducks. He then attempts a series of super speed punches but she dodges them as well. She hesitates to counterattack, getting used to her new power. She finds herself being fast, perhaps too fast for Foenix. Just as Foenix rests, she jumps in the air and lands a power kick of her own to his head. The crowd erupts in celebration.
The elation is fleeting as he retaliates with a burst of energy, knocking her back, but not down. She immediately teleports behind him, landing a burst of energy of her own, knocking him forward several meters and his face hits the pavement. It disorients him for split second, enough for her to teleport and throw another kick to his head.
“Sex slave, huh?” She taunts him as she unleashes another quantum burst of energy, keeping him grounded and unable to emerge. That when it hits her: he over commits his powers. This is why he can’t fight back right away. When he tries to emerge, she times her burst perfectly, stunning him and furtherly sapping his strength. Then again, then again, until he is barely able to move.
Meanwhile, Friend lies head down on the pavement, looking on with what little energy he has left, he has another flashback. He recalls the mountainous grassy fields, where Mason teaches him the art of healing. He sees him explaining how it would take lifetimes for him to perfect, and in doing so, would make him invincible. It’s déjà vu after all, being in this position of near death just like when Stewart shot him in the parking structure. This time he can do something about it. He breaths, focusing on the healing, and in doing so he feels his strength flow back. Inch by inch, he grows stronger, even with Cassie having Foenix cornered on the ground.
Feeling invigorated, he gets up, ready to reengage in the battle once again. He recites his favorite mantra from Mason, Tranquility of mind, fluidity of movements. Fear is his worst enemy, and he is no longer afraid. He saw it just as Cassie exploited it: Foenix’s weakness. I am the weapon.
Cassie notices him standing once more and she teleports to him. She grabs his hand just as Foenix gets up. As she helps him up, she feels her temporary powers subside into nothingness.
“Wait for him to over commit,” she explains as he nods. As he feels his power returning, he already knows. It’s too her credit though, she did something he was unable to do. He understands that this is why he needed her all along, it was her destiny to be here with him for this fight.
“If you know your enemy as you know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt,” she encouragingly exclaims. He smirks to himself at the quote, recognizing it immediately from the Art of War. He’s memorized all of its quotes after reading it, being spurred by her interest in the ancient Chinese handbook of war.
The crowds roar loudly, and begin shouting and cheering indiscriminately in the background. But the words suddenly come into focus. They are cheering him on. He sees Stewart and the FBI in the distance, also doing the same. The world is with him, at his back, rooting for him, the chants of “Friend!”
Friend stands up and walks toward Foenix. There’s a fire in his eye now. A swagger in his step. He walks faster and faster. Foenix now gets up. Foenix attempts a super speed punch, but Friend evades. Then another, then another, Friend evading them all. Then a high kick, a low kick. Friend evades them all, not using his powers. Then he teleports around. Friend calms his mind, remembering training for this with Mason. He waits for just the right moment, then releases a burst of energy, knocking Foenix back. Friend is catching fire, entering in a zone he has never felt. There’s nothing Foenix can do, he keeps missing. He tries slowing time. Friend blocks and blocks, Foenix growing tired. Friend can feel it now. He waits, charging, just as Cassie did, waiting for the right moment.
It is Foenix that grows scared now. He attempts a teleport lunge, but Friend teleports out of the way. Foenix gets more aggressive, putting it all in, punching, kicking, bursting to no avail Friend waits for it. Foenix slows down, as Friend notices he is weakening. Foenix is entirely frustrated, throwing punches wildly now and without coordination.
Foenix seemingly lands a punch to Friend’s chest, then follows it up strongest burst he has ever released, knocking Friend back, but he soon regains his balance. Foenix teleports closer to try again, but as he released Friend teleports out of the way. Seeing that he can weaken him, Friend waits once more, taunting Foenix to attack. More bursts, but they miss. Friend screams like a Kung Fu master in battle.
Friend charges a burst of energy now, a quantum black hole he intends to release. Foenix stands in front of him doing the same. Each field of energy preventing the other from releasing. The black holes get bigger, as both can slowly feel the air and all the matter around them all the free floating particles, being sucked in. They can both see the warping of spacetime in a spiral, but they continue to charge. Friend knows Foenix is
now weakened, so he presses on. Both begin to scream as they feel their power deplete. Friend realizes he needs just a moment now, the holes getting stronger and stronger, and getting nearer and nearer. With his last modicum of strength, Friend pushes his energy forward, forcing the holes to slowly coalesce into a binary. With all this strength, with ever last ounce of power he has, he releases the burst, forcing the holes to collide, its combined gravity instantly strong enough to suck in Foenix.
As Foenix is sucked into the vortex of the black hole, his being is now trapped inside, beneath the event horizon and no longer to escape. They watch as he spirals inward, sucked into the ever-growing accretion disk that spins about a meter in diameter. He is fighting and screaming with all of his power, but can no longer can teleport. Over the final seconds he breaks apart until he is nothing but quantum dust.
“Get down!” Friend shouts, knowing that the black hole cannot sustain itself and will break apart. He teleports to Cassie, then away about fifty or so meters down the Strip road. The black hole destructs, releasing a powerful blast of dark energy extending almost hundreds of meters. Friend lays on the ground, on top of Cassie to shield her, as the fierce radiation blasts outward, its bluish hue momentarily brighter than the sun, before it vanishes in the air.
As the crowds erupt in incessant celebration, Friend puts his hands to Cassie’s cheeks, tearing up. “You are more important to this world that you realize. I’ve known this. Your future is bright. You will one day be a world leader. Don’t you see, my mission was never to stop the asteroid, but to open up the world for you. It’s about fulfilling your destiny, Cassandra Whittle.”
Agent Stewart and a contingent rush forward toward Friend and Cassie, as the barricades continue to prevent the ordinary citizens from entering. Paramedics also rush to their position. Stewart is curious about the explosion and how he was defeated. He escorts them both to the mobile command set up along the side road adjacent to the Planet Real hotel.
“What happened to him?” Stewart asks Friend.
“His very existence has been shredded into quantum dust,” he responds.
Cassie then adds, “Being sucked into a black hole. Not a bad way to go, I suppose.”
“Congratulations, you two. Good news! We located the Society bunker, it’s in the Qinghai province of China. But our Chinese counterparts have been unable to locate Prast there. They have taken the other Society members into custody.”
Friend chimes in, looking up to the sky, pointing straight at the large bright object among the dim light stars. “I know where he is.”
Stewart and the other FBI agents escort Friend and Cassie to the FBI van, a large black vehicle that serves as their command center of sorts. Ironic that they used this very van to conduct surveillance then capture Max all those times. Stewart orders everyone out, and the three of them enter just as he closes the van door. Aware of Friend’s teleporting power, Stewart issues his next command.
“Let’s go get him.”
34
19:12
Icedragon Asteroid
They arrive not in the command center, but at the edge of the hallway where the living quarters are. The group becomes momentarily unbalanced by the halved gravitational force before regaining their footing along the arching hallway. The dimmed hard-white fluorescent lights spread along the ceiling barely provide sufficient lighting in the silver and black-walled corridor. Eager to move, Friend and Cassie tread swiftly but softly. Seconds later they hear voices; Stewart out of pure instinct holds them back.
“Let me go first,” Friend volunteers, with little resistance.
“Do you need a weapon?” Stewart inquires before instantly seeing his reaction.
“Weapon? I am the weapon.” Friend snarls back, yet in a polite tone.
He continues his venture slowly up the path like a patient mouse, careful to not make any noise. Upon reaching the junction, he peeks his head around the corner, eyeing the command center. There are a couple goons standing around, guarding the door. Friend decides to approach the guards, hoping they cannot tell the difference between him and Foenix.
As he advances gently and passively, walking in a matter as if to submit to Prast, one the guards calls out to him. “He’s been expecting you.”
He opens the door for Friend, thinking he is Foenix. Prast turns around to greet him, but in locking eyes in that moment, he no longer sees the sinister fire he was expecting, but rather a reluctant calm. He is certain Foenix is captured or dead. He feigns a sense of control, playing along just enough so he can signal his men to attack with surprise.
“So is it finished then?” Prast asks in a superficial tone.
“No, but you are, Prast. You need to tell me where I can find the detonator,” Friend demands. But Prast just laughs frivolously.
Friend is not amused, and clearly understands he is Prast’s only ticket off the asteroid. “Just stay here as it crashes. It is a rather nice view as the Earth gets closer. When you enter the atmosphere, the heat eventually penetrates inside slowly. At first it feels like an oven, then your skin slowly boils until your flesh melts from your bones.”
Prast remains unfazed, not telegraphing any type of fear while allowing him to withdraw. Friend turns and walks away a meter or two, before teleporting back to the original location.
As he appears next to an eager Stewart, he explains. “There are about ten guards, two guarding the door and eight others in the control room.”
“Let’s go get him then,” Stewart suggests, as he pulls out his weapon, walking carefully up the hall with it firmly pointed straight ahead. Friend turns the corner, and this time most of the henchmen are in the hallway with their guns drawn. Stewart turns the corner with his own gun pointed right back, with Cassie to the rear pointing the gun that Friend had turned down a moment ago.
Stewart announces to the goons, “I am FBI special agent Stewart. If you want to live, put down your weapons, kneel down, and put your hands on your head.”
A couple of goons start to surrender, lowering their weapons toward the ground. Immediately after another goon opens fire, prompting the others to do the same. Friend lifts out his arms to distort the space in front of them, shattering the bullets into quantum dust before deflecting it back. One goon is wounded and falls to the ground. Others continue to fire, so Friend charges a burst of energy and thrusts in forward, knocking the remaining aggressors to the ground.
“Guns, kick them over here!” Stewart shouts to the goons on the ground. One by one the guns are kicked along the ground in Stewart’s direction as he secures them. Cassie grabs one and points it toward them. The coast is now clear and the three of them enter the command center.
Stewart announces to Prast, pointing his pistol in his direction. “You are under arrest Prast, for crimes against humanity.”
“You can’t be serious,” Prast responds, unintimidated by Stewart. “I don’t take orders from the FBI. I own your government and all of its politicians.”
Prast’s refusal to surrender puts everyone in a standoff. Three of his henchmen inside the control room have their guns firmly pointing at Stewart, Friend, and Cassie. Cassie and Stewart point their guns at Prast. Each moment of non-speaking is becoming more and more tense. Prast figures he cannot defeat them as long as Friend is there, his supernatural abilities proving to be a hindrance into his plans. If he is to lose, he is taking Friend with him.
“Destroy the console and the screens!” Prast commands to the goons, as they open fire. Within one second the center screen is destroyed and the console is starting to malfunction. Friend tries to stop them by slowing down time and throwing them a giant burst of energy, but by then more damage has been sustained by the bullets, shattering the remaining screens and frying the console. Friend then goes into attack mode while in slow down, attacking the goons one by one. Stewarts shoots two of them. Within five seconds Prast is the only one left standing.
Friend is preoccupied once more, lamenting at his inability to stop
the damage. He cannot fail to destroy the asteroid this time. Although he managed to stop them from utterly destroying the console, it is now mostly inoperable, laid waste by dozens of holes and electrical damage.
“I should just kill you now, Prast!” Stewart barks out.
“No wait, we need the detonator. He needs to tell us where it is. There’s got to be another way.” Friend suggests.
Stewart responds, “Friend, take us to the FBI field office.”
Friend doesn’t trust the FBI office. He could have more armed goons ready to ambush and rescue him. After all, Prast loves to brag how he controls the government. He has another place in mind.
“Wait, shouldn’t we head to his bunker? The detonator must be there. I think I can get us there.” Friend responds, unsure if he could accomplish suck a task. He now knows where the bunker is, but despite being there, he still has a faint frame of reference to attempt a teleport jump. He has to try.
Stewart gives Friend a look in reluctant agreement. Friend stands for a second, thinking hard on where the bunker is, focusing on the map of China in his mind. He visualizes hard on the empty warehouse where he found Foenix. As they all hold on, he burns the image of it in his mind, closing his eyes and letting go of any fear, until they teleport away.
Suddenly the four of them are transported inside the warehouse of the bunker. As they regain their orientation, they discover that the area is crawling with Chinese police. Prast looks irked to say the least. The stunned Chinese police accost them, wondering where they came from. Stewart holds out his FBI badge. They are speaking a different dialect of Chinese than Cassie is familiar with, called Mandarin. She attempts to communicate anyway, enunciating brokenly that they have captured Prast and need to find a black box. Friend can decipher her words from her body language, spacing her hands out the ten centimeters as to describe what the detonator looks like.