by C. J. Lloyd
Violet shook her head, still holding on to the story about Elric’s father. She couldn’t help but think about the last interaction Elric must have had with him.
“Symbiosis is characterized by two completely different organisms interacting and living together in a way that is either mutualistic, commensalistic, or parasitic. Now unlike specific organisms, the Devas, depending on their character and behavior, share a different relationship with you. For example, you two look healthy and strong. How would you describe your relationship with the beings inside you?”
Eden shrugged. “Sirocco’s alright. He can be a pain in the ass, but we’ve gotten tight over the years, and we both want what’s right, so he’s willing to help me in any way possible.”
The professor turned to Terra. “And yours?”
“Well, Chasm can be grumpy sometimes, but only because she thinks I need to be more confident in myself. She can be overprotective too.”
Haverhill nodded. “From those statements alone, I gather that you both share a mutualistic relationship with your Devas, meaning the interactions between you and your Deva benefit both of you and increase the likelihood of your survival. I deduce each Deva has a specific relationship with their host, per se. But with that Dark Titan, it is nothing short of parasitic.” The professor looked up, rubbing his chin. “The Dark Titan is on a completely different tier than the others, a living manifestation of darkness, something sinister. Evil incarnate. Only when it benefited the Deva did Cole have power. Otherwise, it was slowly driving him mad.”
Everyone became silent, looking up at the professor. His hands trembled as he took a seat, taking in deep breaths. Violet felt all the sorrier for Elric. The darkness was utterly destroying him from the inside out, and he was too blind from anger, hatred, and revenge to see it.
Professor Haverhill looked up. “One of our readers peeked into Cole’s subconscious and almost never came out. When he did, he explained that the beast inside of Cole was a frightening one with the sole purpose of fully possessing its host, and thus finishing what it started after man originally captured it.”
“And w–what’s that?” Manie asked.
“To destroy everything we’ve built. Our lives, our happiness, you name it.”
“We have to find the Light Titan,” Terra whispered under her breath.
“We have no idea where to look,” Violet said.
Mr. Galloway nodded. “Yes, the Light Titan. There have been no appearances, no strange occurrences or sightings of an individual who can control light. No matter how many seekers we sent out, no one could find this person. It’s as if they never even existed.”
“Because there was no need for them to appear until now,” Terra replied. “There was a lot of darkness and evil in the world before, but now with the rise of the Dark Titan and the others following him, it’s only a matter of time.”
The occupants of the room became silent. So many thoughts and emotions flooded the environment that Violet couldn’t grasp any of them. There was anger, sadness, disappointment, understanding, and pain. Elric’s life from the very beginning was ushered in with sorrow and pain. Just as Samantha had said, the consequences of his actions, even if he did change, were nothing short of the death penalty.
The world marked him with fear and hatred, and they all wanted vengeance against the things he’s done.
How would Jennifer fix that?
Chapter 13
Reunion
The emotions that coursed through the room made Violet’s stomach turn, but she kept her composure. No matter how much she wanted to thrash the people in front of her, she had her self-control.
With a heavy exhale, Violet stood. “We won’t do it for you. We won’t do it because you threatened to throw us in jail for treason.” Her fists shook. “We’re going to do all we can to save the world because that’s what we have to do, and at one point, that was Elric’s goal too.”
The president nodded. “Spoken like true heroes, indeed. Violet, is it?”
All Violet did was move her lips as she focused on the president. As far as she as concerned, it was all that woman deserved.
“I want you to know that I’ll take it upon myself to change everything for the Ermakians and the Titans. I have a year left in my term; I’m sure I can make some changes. The world will know about them, and they will be protected and treated as equals. I promise.”
Violet raised her head high. “Take it from me. Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
“Trust me, I plan on keeping that one if it’s the last thing I do.”
“We’ll see about that.” Violet never took her eyes off the woman. The president didn’t smile but returned the gaze with absolute confidence and assurance, reminding Violet of Sage.
Samantha shook her head. “It’s not that simple, Mrs. President. Just as the ambassador so elegantly put it, if the Titans are considered weapons of mass destruction, no nation will stand for them being in one country. I can even see some countries either wanting the Titans destroyed or their powers shared with them.”
Professor Haverhill jittered in his seat. “She’s right, you know. Think about the vacuum created from the original nuclear bomb drop. Russia, China, everyone wanted that power. It’ll be the same for the Titans, so, Ma’am, how will you protect them then?”
For the first time since Violet met her, the president lost that air of elegant confidence she typically held over a room.
A soldier burst through a set of doors, eyes wide with excitement. He was young, maybe just a little older than Violet and the others.
“Sergeant, you better have a damn good reason for bursting into a room where the president of the United States is holding a meeting,” Samantha demanded.
“We got something on the island where Area Zero used to be. There’s some crazy activity, Ma’am, on satellite. You may want to check this out.”
“Area Zero?”
The soldier nodded and raced out of the room.
An alarm began to wail as they followed him down a corridor. The commotion had everybody talking and whispering. Eden came rushing up beside Violet, Terra running right along with them. Violet’s heart raced. Was this really Elric?
“V, you think it’s him?” Eden asked.
“I don’t know.”
His brows bunched as he kept pace with her. “Area Zero, I thought it was a desert after what Elric did.”
They entered the cafeteria. Soldiers filled the first table. Violet and the others made their way to the front to where Samantha already stood. Behind her, a projector lit up the room, reflecting images onto a large screen.
Another soldier appeared to relay information to Samantha as she pointed to the screen and spoke in a low tone.
Violet turned to watch the president and her two companions creep in from behind. The soldiers looked up with widened eyes, but she coaxed them back to their seats, helping them relax.
“Dim the lights a little,” Samantha said. “As of five minutes ago, we got word that the enemy has had some action on Area Zero.”
A picture of Elric appeared on the screen. It was an older picture, one Violet imagined had been taken prior to the initial portal attacks. His hair was shorter then and not as messy, not long and tangled like it was now.
“We have no clue what their actions are or why they’re there, but we’re going to find out. The Dark Titan is likely accompanied by four others, two who are also beings that control certain powers, one, fire and the other, water.”
“What about the other two?” a soldier asked huskily.
“At the moment, they’re an unknown. They haven’t been involved in any of the true destruction.” Samantha stared at Violet. “From what we’ve seen anyway. Violet, can you come up and give us some information about what you know of the enemy?”
Violet’s lips moved, and her eyes widened as she looked up at Samantha, who waved her up to the front of the group. Violet cleared her throat and looked back at the others. They nodded a
t her with confidence. When she finally faced front and center, the words were still rummaging around in her mind and not ready to take life as she wanted them to.
“Elric … as some of you know is the Dark Titan—”
“Yup, we know his bio,” a soldier spoke out with arrogance. “Give us something we don’t know.”
“Well, he’s—”
“Speak up!” another yelled.
Violet paused and channeled some of Samantha’s commanding presence. “You think you know him so well, but you’ll never understand someone like him. The Titans have a power unlike anything you’ve ever seen, unlike any weapon, nuclear or whatever. Elric has the power to destroy an entire city, and I know because I was there.” She pointed at Alfred and the others. “They were there.”
The occupants of the room silenced, giving her their full attention.
“However you plan on going about doing this, I want you soldiers to remember this especially. Elric sees the army as the reason for his parents’ death. That’s why he destroyed that island from the get-go. He won’t show an ounce of mercy for you. In fact, he’ll kill you without hesitation just like those people in Boston. To tell you quite honestly, we’ll fail if we go to that island.”
“And how do you know that?” a squinty-eyed man in uniform shouted.
“Because without the Titan of Light, he is unstoppable. In fact, I’m certain this is a trap. Why would he blatantly make himself known otherwise? He’s been untraceable until now. He wants this and what he has prepared for us …. I’m terrified to know.” Violet swallowed hard.
A soldier sat back on the bench, chuckling. “I’m not taking anything from a little girl.”
Samantha jumped to her feet and towered over the soldier, snapping a finger Violet’s way. “That ‘little girl’ and her friends saved this world while you and your family hadn’t a clue. What do you think happened to all those portals?”
He became silent.
Another soldier with dark-brown skin about Alfred’s complexion, but with a much older face and experience in his eyes, leaned forward in his chair. “If what you’re saying is true, then what’s the point of going?”
Samantha looked over at her. “What are you thinking, Violet?”
“Let us go,” Violet said, looking at Sasha and the rest of them. “Just the six of us.”
Samantha nodded, then said, “I’ll be going too. I’m in charge, remember?”
Alfred scoffed. “I hope you like getting messy because this isn’t going to be pretty.”
“So, what about us, ma’am? Are we just a waste of space or what?” a soldier asked as he stood.
“Captain. You’ll be given the proper information and guided accordingly, but we need to be patient about how we go about this. I refuse to put you all at risk senselessly. At least with Violet and the others, they have the power to defend themselves. I’m going to contact the air force and navy leadership and request their assistance to secure the island. For now, the SEALs will remain on standby, but stay alert and on ready for anything.”
They nodded and began clearing the cafeteria. The others gaggled over. Eden placed his hands on Violet’s shoulders, and she fell into his embrace with a deep groan.
Eden scratched his head as he looked down at Violet. “What makes you think it’s a trap?”
She looked up at him and stepped away to face the others. “Just fighting Elric for as long as we have and feeling his thoughts and actions. You know what I mean? So far, all he’s wanted to do is make his presence known. Boston, NATO, the message .… He wants the world to fear him.”
Manie looked confused. “I think he’s already done that. Why go for overkill?”
“I guess we’ll find out?”
Samantha closed out the meeting, and everyone went their separate ways. Violet bolted downstairs to the barracks where they stayed. She sat on her bed, contemplating how she could get Jennifer there without getting in trouble.
Teleporting into the cell was the obvious option, but she’d have to wait until they found Elric. Only then could she grab Jennifer and bring her there to meet with him. If this was truly Elric and not some trick by Calamity.
“A lot going on, huh?” Terra peeked her head into the room.
There were six beds in total on this side of the bay, more than enough for her, Terra, Jennifer, and Sasha.
Violet flashed a smile, hiding her anxiety. “Yeah, nothing we can’t handle, right?”
Terra’s eyebrows rose. “Well, can’t get worse than ...” Her eyes shifted to the right, and she started shivering.
“Terra? Is everything alright?”
Tears began falling from the girl’s brown eyes. The sadness drained from her, flowing down to her feet, cold and painful. Violet chided herself for not noticing. Terra had come to her earlier, but with everything going on, she’d forgotten about it. She stood and wrapped her arms around Terra as she cried deeply into Violet’s chest.
Disappointment. Grief. Fault. Violet knew these things lingered within herself, but her mind was already on the next fight; she didn’t have time to dwell on Boston. Or maybe she’d just shoved it so deep, leaving the wails, the roars and explosions nothing but ghostly echoes.
“How?” Terra looked up, the light-brown of her face, red and swelling as long strands of her dark-brown hair stuck to her cheeks. “How do you guys do it? I can’t even look myself in the mirror,” she sobbed with quick gasps in between her words. Her body shook and jittered from each crackle of her voice. “The nightmares ... I can’t even close my eyes without hearing the screams. The thought of all those people dying, Violet …? I can’t .... Sometimes I can’t even move.”
Terra stepped back, looking down at her hands with horror as if something on them was looking back at her monstrously. Violet pulled her back in and dug her face into Terra’s neck. “I’m sorry, Terra.”
She thought about Terra’s mom and the promise she’d made, claiming that she would keep the girl safe. Though Terra was physically alright, mentally, she had been dealt a painful wound. One that could only be healed by time, love, and patience.
Terra covered her ears and dropped to her knees. “It’s the screams and the people yelling.” She shook her head. “I know I didn’t act like it, but now more than ever, it’s like it comes in waves. And it hurts really bad.”
Violet dropped to her knees, holding Terra, her eyes shut tight. “It hurts so much, I know. And I hate to say you get used to it, and you don’t. But what happens is you focus on the next problem, the next big thing that can take a chunk of you away.”
Terra used her shirt to wipe her face. “I’ve never felt anything like this before. It feels worse than physical pain. It’s so darn deep.”
Violet combed her fingers through the long strands of Terra’s hair and brought the girl even closer.
“There was a time when I didn’t feel anything,” she said, thinking about her days at the Citadel. “When my parents abandoned me at this special school for the ‘gifted,’ and they never came back. I figured they didn’t want me. So, if my own parents didn’t want me, then nobody wanted me. Over time, I became this emotionless robot of a person. Then I met him. Zaroule.”
“Zaroule?”
Violet looked down at her, nodding. “He was my dad.”
At first, Terra’s gaze was one of confusion, but it softened. “Zaroule. I feel like the others talked about him before.”
“More than likely. He saved me from the Citadel and raised me as his own. He did the same thing with the others. That’s why we’re so close.”
Terra wiped the last few tears away and gave a hard sniff. “How did he die?”
Violet took a deep breath as she recalled the events in Zenith. “Blight, the leader of the Wrath, put out a hit on Elric after he killed a general. Allure came personally. The battle turned Zenith into an underground warzone that spewed into the above-ground world. Even with Violet, Elric, and Eden, we couldn’t stop Allure from killing Zaroule. He was ki
lled by Allure.”
“The bat chick?”
Violet nodded.
“I don’t understand. How do you not want revenge? How do you not want to kill her yourself?”
Violet helped Terra onto the bed and then both of them sat on its edge. “Zaroule taught us to never kill out of revenge because if you do, there will be nothing to hold you back from killing in the future.”
Violet’s eyes fell to the floor as she thought about Elric and Area Zero. For him to go back there must have been painful. “When I think about all that Elric’s done, the pain he’s caused, and how easy it has become for him to destroy, I realize even more how right Z was.”
Terra exhaled, falling back on Violet’s bed. “What do you do to keep your mind off of all this stuff?”
“Workout. Train. Workout some more.”
Terra gave a weak laugh. “Explains why you’re so toned and in shape.” She patted her stomach. “I know most people—Sasha— would consider me a little chunky. I never really trained like you guys before. Maybe when all of this is over, I’ll take utilizing my powers more seriously.”
Violet flicked Terra across the forehead. “You’re perfect the way you are, Terra. Never change who you are for anybody. Sasha can be a pain, and she’s a little vain.”
“A little?” Terra lifted a brow.
“You know what I mean. But seriously, never change anything about yourself unless it comes from the heart. You understand?”
Terra nodded. “You know what? You’ll make a good mama someday. You ever tell Eden that?”
Violet’s face grew hot, and the butterflies overtook any anxiety or fear deep inside her at the moment. “I–I wouldn’t necessarily tell that to Eden.”
Terra laughed. “Boy, your face got red, V. Everything okay? You need some water?”
“I’m fine. Just—” She tangled her fingers with Terra’s. “Just promise me you’ll never say something like that to Eden, okay?”
“Why? I mean, you really like him, that’s obvious. Don’t you want to have kids with—Ouch!” Terra ripped her hand free. “What’s your problem?”