by Ted L C
Derek’s body dissolves into a shadow.
“I am truly sorry Derek—”
A sword with the form of blue energy tears through Tsubasa’s neck.
Smoke shrouds his vision as it emits from his chest. As the man’s head falls to the ground, smiling eyes and a grin appear on the fallen foe’s face.
An ear-piercing scream flows from the mouth as his lips remain static.
All metal throughout the room liquefies. The billions of particles swarm toward Tsubasa’s body. The army mutates into a metallic liquid mushroom that erupts. It collapses, firing fluids against the walls.
Derek’s sword evaporates into cobalt dust.
His knees sling themselves against the ground.
“Cocksucker!” his voice sends a ring through his ears while both hands vibrate. Fingers slide through the liquid as it rushes to the cracks aligning the floor. “What the f-fuck is wrong with me!”
Images of the boy’s garbs manifest within his mind as a watercolor painting. An army of ants flees the device lining his wrist. They march swarm his body, consuming its entirety.
“Sozo—added. Ten-billion points—looted,” Laura says. Nanos dig their tiny nubs into Derek’s cheeks. “Funds transferred to your—checking account.”
Singing birds and children’s’ laughter flows through the boy’s eardrums.
“I’m rich! I’m finally ballin’! First, I wanna buy a dope ass sports car, then a gun with a lot of attachments, then a Katana forged in Japan—then—wait.”
If what Tsubasa said is true. I need to get out. “Did I off an innocent man?”
“Why did I keep going when I knew what I was doing is wrong? Have I become what I hate? Am I a murderer?”
No, Derek. We need to get Alyssa and find this Ajir guy, otherwise, we’ll never find Rainy.
Alyssa’s face materializes forms in his thoughts.
The armor-clad boy ignites.
* * *
“Alyssa!” Derek jabs a nail into her chest.
Her finger snatches his. “Why am I in a hospital bed?”
“Liam told me to take you here while you were passed out. Ww-we need to get going, now! Get your clothes—”
“I hate hospitals, Derek—”
The boy hurls the girl’s skirt and vest at the bed. “Get dressed—”
“Sir!” a voice travels from the hall. “This patient is resting. I’m going to need you to leave now.”
“Ww-we have to get someplace, now!” the Revelator manifests as he arcs it toward a woman wearing a baby blue clothing.
“You remember that we’re wanted, right Derek?” Alyssa shimmies her legs through the skirt.
“Oh!”
“Sir!” two figures garbed with charcoal suits peek from the doorway. “Put down the weapon and put your hands above your head.”
“Go,” Alyssa’s fingers weave into Derek’s belt. “They must have already known who I was—”
An image of a black bumper sticker with the words, ‘Honk if You’re a HESTEK’, forms inside of the boy’s thoughts.
The duo disintegrates. Leaving behind two ashen shadows.
“Damnit!” one of the figures says. “They got away, again! We need to get Reivscere’s corporate office on the phone ASAP.”
* * *
Realization
“In the name of Sekhemet!” a man reaches his palms toward the duo.
“You are real HESTEKS—” Fingers brush the frills of Alyssa’s skirt. “Cynthia Piper and Derek O’Brien. Yo-you two are the first HESTEKS I’ve seen in years! What brings you to my humble abode?”
“I am not Cynthia,” the girl beats all fingers into her leg. “it is a common misconception. However, I forgive you.”
“We seek the whereabouts of the man Ajir Hamal,” Derek says. “Tsubasa mentioned before his fall that Eri transported Rainy’s body to Ajir’s home. But couldn’t reveal a location due to suspicions of Reivscere spying.”
“Rainy? As in the user of Hydrokinesis?
“You want to meet the fourth angel? Don’t all intelligent HESTEKS carry a sample of his blood?”
“That’s a myth,” a thin line creeps across Alyssa’s face. “There’s an art to being able to visualize the reanimation of a corpse. Few know how to utilize his abilities without messing things up. I, myself, am not confident in my knowledge in his abilities to use it on such an important person.”
“Derek,” the man drifts his glossy eyeballs upward. “I never found any readings that connect you and her in a special way. What reasoning do you have to put your lives at risk for such an unimportant being? ”
“Shhh—” Alyssa presses a mashes a finger against the man’s chapped lips.
“Do the two of you not keep up on the HESTEK news? Ajir came out publicly a couple of days ago, mourning for Yara and Tsubasa’s executions. When he did that, the fool leaked his I.P. to every HESTEK in the cosmos. This includes Alexander and Zeresh—”
“Why would he reveal his location?” a searing sensation fills the entirety of Derek’s body.
Arms shiver as the image of a blade impaling Rainy’s corpse blossoms inside of his mind.
“To gather the Betas to fight each other,” the guy arcs a brow. “He knows that they need him dead to stop the Wheel of Life since he can revive anyone.”
“Why care, though?” Alyssa cocks an eyebrow upwards. “If Ajir revived a man who was cut into pieces, then he would pass again instantly. Furthermore, Alexander and Zeresh have no use for his blood, since they can duplicate it.”
“The two of you don’t understand the importance of the fourth angel’s role in the HESTEK world. Without him, the balance would be lost. There would only be one angel left. Zeresh and Alexander could escape the wheel of life. Even find their Nirvana.
“However, at the moment, neither of them can find their Nirvana. Because both want HESTEKS other than themselves to go extinct. Both of them think our existence is a battle royale. A survivor of the fittest. That the winner would impress the species who created your plight. Therefore, g-granting them some godlike status in their society.”
“I feel like we should take a step inside,” Alyssa’s tattoo swivels.
“Fair point,” the man’s fingers input a series of numbers against a pad lining his door. “How did you find out where I live, anyway?”
“Everyone knows, Jay-bird,” she makes her way through the doorway. “We like to keep tabs on your findings on the deep web—”
“B-but—I’m on the deep web?”
“Your abilities aren’t on par with the rest of us. Anyway,” her eyes follow the two panels making up the passage as they absorb into the wall. “first. We did not see Ajir’s video. And we can’t access it throughout mobiles, for they’re under Reivscere—
“Derek, your helmet!
“Don’t worry!” the man plants his butt against a leather chair. “Thanks to Lahn and Eri, this city is considered Vulcanian territory. Thus, it would be illegal for Reivscere to have any surveillance technology within its borders.”
“Laura,” Derek bumps a nail against the side of his head. “you there?”
“Vulcanis purchased the western peninsula of Washington State in 2139 from the U.S. government. This made it possible to have an embassy on Earth between America and Canada. This led us out of our debt with China and allowed them to progress rapidly during the third Cold War.
“However, the Vulcanians did this as a guise to siphon intel from the rising Reivscere. Their agents found two HESTEKS who have quarrels with Alexander; Eri and Lahn. They set up a system to make this town impervious to any Reivscere, Chinese, and American surveillance.
“The second the Vulcanians find the weakest signal in their borders. Alyssa—you—let them know. Then within the blink of an eye, the Vulcanians hurl an armada from their base in the vacuum of space at Earth. Finally, they orbitally bombard this rock with the wrath of the cosmos’ strongest military.”
“How are the Vulcanians so powerful?�
�� the boy’s eyes dash to Alyssa’s button nose. “I remember you going on an intensive rant on those people in that ship about how you’d bend ’em and end ’em with Vulcan’s army.”
“Vulcanis’ army.” Alyssa and Jay say.
“You’ve heard me mention the Seer’s Eye before, right?” a hologram of a giant eyeball appears from a coaster shaped device in Alyssa’s palm. “The biggest resort in the four known galaxies. The rich either go there to blow their money on the springs and Jialong meat. Or to escape through the Apple of my Eye—”
“The apple of your literal eye?” Derek’s fingers swing through the pixels of the floating ball.
“No—it’s the name of a wormhole. I don’t know much about it because they never share any information. Satellites that float within a certain radius of it are turned into fiery balls of trash.
“Neither of your imaginations could fathom a place more secure than the area surrounding this wormhole.
“Anyway, between those two sources of income. And the limitless immigrants they get from an unlimited amount of alternate universes. Moreover, it gives Vulcanis a lot of manpower.”
“So you’re employed by the Vulcanian government?”
“Yes, I am, because that’s how I get my money and sanctuary from Reivscere,” Alyssa’s nails roll against her upper thigh.
“Sanctuary from Reivscere?”
“Does he always ask a million questions?” Jay’s fingers weave themselves into the massive handle of a mug.
“He’s a curious boy,” Alyssandra’s eyes glue to Derek batting the dispersing pixels of the giant eye. “He’s also been isolated on a different planet for a long time.
“As for your question, Derek. Reivscere is like how the C.C.P. is with its people. Tell them ‘no’, and you disappear. Especially with a Beta such as Alexander steering the beast, he’s not a fan who you want to piss off.”
“Can’t the HESTEKS just band together, find him, and take the bitch out?”
“That’s like forcing the world of us Normies to unite for the cause of advancing our kind,” Jay’s fingers glide across a keyword. “Even though we had threats such as the C.C.P. in the past, it took the world decades to coalesce. They waited until those assholes, put Muslims into concentration camps, invaded Taiwan, and debt trapped a handful of countries.
“It’s exactly like now, we have a grave threat, Alexander, yet no one is doing anything. Over the years, he’s hunted your kind to satisfy his blood-lust. Feed his ego.
“However, it’s not entirely their fault. Alexander is great at turning HESTEKS against one another. Anyone who gains enough power to pose a threat to the man, he recruits talent who’s equally as powerful. For example, the recent murders of Jean-Zoey and Tsubasa—”
Alexander is behind this—does this mean Liam is—
Derek’s teeth scrape against each other. His pupils shrink.
“He’s definitely behind that. They were trying to stop Reivscere’s mercenaries from wiping out Japan and Germany. In an effort to bid on the spaceports—
“If he feels he can’t face anyone off against his opponents, he traps them on Barter within the realm of Faxian. Like Eri and Achilles.”
“Achilles told me Lahn—”
“You spoke with Achilles?” Jay extends an arm to a figurine taller than a water bottle. He faces the pale toy’s face. “What was he like in person? Is he going to escape—wait.
“You mentioned Tsubasa said Eri teleported Rainy’s body to Ajir. Rainy was taken captive in the Temple of Yama, which is on Faxian. I just mentioned Eri was on Faxian—that means. Eri has returned?”
“Yep.” Derek and Alyssa utter.
“We need to get y’all to Ajir fast, then,” the fingers moving across Jay’s keyboard transform into a blur of sausages. A symphony of minor smacks fills the room. “Eri and Ajir are going to need your help fighting two Betas.”
“Why do you do what you do?” Derek hovers his head beside the overgrowth of hair coating Jay’s neck and cheeks. “Why do you spend your time looking into HESTEK lore and news?”
“No matter what I did,” a series of maps materializes in the reflection of Jay’s glasses.
“No matter how good my intentions were, my family looked down on me. Behind my back, they would say I’m a freeloader. Even though I was just trying to survive while trying to help this planet.
“I decided to abandon them, support a cause that could make a bigger impact in the world. Perhaps the four galaxies. While doing so, I was able to remain in the shadows to prevent getting chastised again. Though I’m not a HESTEK, myself. Though your culture isn’t perfect. I still have a lot of respect for it. Uttermost respect.
“You all come through your persecutions. From higher powers trying to lock you out from the rest of humanity. You’ve advanced so much. And every HESTEK who I’ve talked to has been only fantastic toward me.
“I don’t want to see your kind fall. Nor, do I want to see them suffer. So I wanted to dedicate my life to help you against an overwhelming force.”
“I genuinely appreciate your dedication, Jay,” Alyssa rests a palm against his shoulder. An image of a wooden box appears on the screen.
“Found it,” Jay’s chair rotates, facing his belly toward the duo. “This should be all you need to work your magic. Right, Derek?”
“What’s your deposit I.D. for Reivs?” Alyssa flashes a flat clear device from her cleavage.
“I just want one form of payment,” the man’s feet pull him upward as he reaches for a shelf. One hand, a figure of Alyssa designed with the style of a Japanese cartoon girl. On the other, a figurine of Derek wielding a shield and sword.
A massive claymore clips ribbons of skin from Alyssa’s arm.
It makes another swing. A large metal sheet catches the blade.
The bulwark flings forward, shoving the sword. Derek pulls a short sword back and dives—
“Sure,” Alyssa’s stare drifts to the figurine’s legs straddling a Redwood tree. Her fingers tighten against the rounded black base. “Gold marker?”
“Metallic purple—”
“Mmm—” Alyssa shifts her fingers to the pouch lining her belt. A pocket opens as she pulls a marker from it toward the base. “Interesting that creating World Trees turned me into some busty pinup anime girl.”
“Sign the sword and board version of yourself, Derek,” Alyssa rests the golden utensil in his palm.
Pallid skin and red streaks within the dirty blonde hair reflect from the toy’s chrome shield.
The likeness of Zeresh appears as a clip initiates inside of his mind. He twists the Fames’ hilt, yanks it from the Rainy’s chest, and hovers the blood-covered blade ahead of the boy’s face.
Please stop! I don’t want to relive this again—
A burst of warm air pulses from his lips.
“Why does he have a shield and sword?” his fingers vibrate as they press the felt tip against the figurine’s onyx base.
“Thanks, Mr!” a tiny fists yanks an identical figure from his hands.
“Anything for a fan! And don’t forget, stay gold—”
“And don’t forget, stay gold—” Derek’s eyes watch as the man’s bloated fingers pull the figure from him.
“Thank you so much!” a liquid drop runs across Jay’s cheek. “Alyssa, I’m looking forward to the next chapter in Inceptivus—”
“Inceptivus—” Derek’s finger’s weave into Alyssa’s.
The two burst into ashes.
* * *
“Rainy—” Derek’s body transforms into a blur as it moves toward the mattress storing a pale corpse.
“Boy!” a voice reverberates through the darkness engulfing the room. “Do not touch her!”
“Ajir?” Alyssa says.
“How do you know of my name?”
“We know that this is your sanctuary—”
“It is not a sanctuary, anymore!” a series of cracks echo throughout the wooden surfaces. “How did you find this pl
ace?”
“When you expressed your condolences to Tsubasa and Yara, your I.P. address leaked your location,” Alyssa’s palms press against the ground.
“Please do not attack! I am defenseless. I mean no harm to any Normie or HESTEK,” a faint flickering light reveals a set of brown eyes surrounded by an ebony face. “What is an I.P. address?”
“It’s an Internet Protocol address, it reveals your location unless you hide it behind a lot of—”
“I understand, now,” Ajir makes his way to Rainy. “Forgive me, psychological degeneration is greatly affecting my function.
“Why do the two of you come here? Something about this girl attracts the boy. Does he l-love her?’
An image of his sister weaving her fingers through blue locks forms inside of his mind. “I considered her to be my sister for twenty-one years, then Zeresh clone executed her in front of me.
“I’ve heard a lot of stories about you bringing people back to life. Is there anything that you can do?”
“Miss. Motozawa bought this body to me and specifically told me not to let anyone touch it until a young man by the name of Derek appears. Is that you? Or be you Alexander in a younger shell?”
“Oh no—” Alyssa utters.
“What?” Derek turns toward her.
“Your helmet—it’s showing your location.”
“Don’t care anymore,” Derek’s gaze magnetizes to the Warden’s glimmering stare. “What could I do to prove I’m Derek?”
“By doing what you have just done, boy,” a dry laugh pulses through Ajir’s lips. “Miss. Motozawa told me you would tell me the phrase, ‘what could I do to prove I’m Derek. And by my promise, whether you are the boy or not, I must honor my word.
“Have you bought with you the blood of the Yama Beta?”
“I am out of it—” dark rings consume Alyssa’s eyes. “Haven’t had a chance to restock it since our time in Faxian.”
“I cannot bring back the girl without this blood—”
“Why?” the Revelator manifests within Derek’s mind.
“This is truly why Betas such as the Artemis and the Yama will never understand the depth of my plight. None of the Gladiators, not even the smartest, could begin to comprehend its complexity.