by C. J. Lloyd
Rai shook her head. “My life was saved by Mizzy. The only reason I almost died was because of Elric.”
“Rai, we saw what you did,” Violet argued. “When Elric attacked, you used a crapload of your powers to protect the city. You probably saved thousands of lives. You even saved some of the NATO soldiers that were there.” Violet closed her eyes and focused on what lay inside the mind of the Water Titan, moving into her inner world.
Violet found herself on a beautiful massive island, surrounded by the soft, lapping waves of beautiful blue water. The ocean went on forever, the sky gray and almost hazy, allowing her to see only as far as the water would allow.
Violet turned to see Rai walking toward her. “What are you doing here? And how did you force me to come here?”
Violet paced forward to meet her. “Look, I need you to let those men go. They didn’t do anything wrong.”
“If I let them go, I’m as good as dead. I know that, and so do you.” Rai folded her arms. “This world doesn’t care about me, doesn’t care about the Titans. Why should I care about anyone else but myself?”
“Because whether you believe it or not, we need your help. Elric’s going to destroy everything and everyone if we don’t stop him.”
Like a crashing wave, a roar bellowed from the bowels of the sea. Waves rippled and crashed against the island with force. A presence of immense power, almost crushing, took over the atmosphere of Rai’s inner world. Violet could barely breathe.
Rai looked out over the ocean. “She’s not going to be happy that you’re here. I don’t think anyone’s been in here except me since Mom. You must be pretty strong to come in here with us.”
A large head rose in the distance, maybe a hundred yards out, but big enough to take up the view Violet had of the ocean. The eyes were large, big enough to consume her entire body. The head was the size of a three-story building. Only the upper half remained out of the water, while small indentions of its body seem to go on, disappearing into the shallow of the ocean.
“You must be quite the gifted Anomaly to be here, girl,” the creature spoke without moving its jaw.
Violet tried to hide her shock. “You’re just like Sirocco. You can speak English too?”
“Of course. I’ve been within humans for centuries.” The serpent’s voice was deep and powerful and like a woman’s. “And please don’t compare me to that overgrown egotistical feline. I’m much more prestigious than he.” The serpent exuded confidence with grace.
“Look, the both of you, I need you to stop this now. You have to let those men go.”
“Don’t talk to Mizuchi,” Rai snapped. “Talk to me.” Violet looked on as the giant serpent remained silent. It listened to Rai. With just the pure size, it could easily swallow the girl whole without a second thought. “You said earlier that you guys need my help. It’s to stop Elric, right?”
Violet focused on the mighty creature and looked at the girl. “Right. You know what his plans are. We can’t let him continue with what he’s doing.”
“What can I do? He nearly killed me. And what makes you think I’ll help you guys?”
“Because you have power. Maybe by yourself, you weren’t strong enough, but with us, maybe you can change the outcome of where the world’s heading. It’s too late to reverse the things you’ve done, but at least you can help prevent worse events from happening.”
Rai looked out to sea, the wind blowing the strands of her blue hair over her face.
The serpent blew a salty mist from its nostrils that sprayed over the island.
“Rai,” the watery being began, “you know we should. If Elric does achieve his goal, he’ll come after us anyway. And after everything you said to him, and knowing Erebus, he’ll be more than happy to oblige. This is exactly why I didn’t want you getting mixed up with them.”
“I know Mizz, I know.” Rai nodded to Violet. “Let’s talk out there, not in here. I don’t trust what they might be doing while I’m otherwise occupied.”
Violet nodded. She opened her eyes, now back in the medical wing where Rai still held the doctors hostage.
Rai focused on Violet with eyes fading to a dark-brown. Violet exhaled and turned to Eden with a nod.
The water splashed at their feet, and the men instantly scrambled to get away, rushing past Violet and the others and out through the door.
Rai dropped to her knees with her hands behind her back. “We’re all going to die. You can’t stop him. His sole reason for living is to destroy everyone.”
Violet watched her glance roll to Jennifer as she came into the room. “Not even you can save him.”
Two soldiers came in behind Jennifer with their weapons drawn.
“It’s okay,” Violet said. Her focus hardened on Rai as the Titan smiled, making light of the situation. “Do we have a deal? Will you help us?”
“Sure, as long as I have a room to myself and I don’t have guns in my face. Oh, and the release of my family.”
“Absolutely not,” Sam growled as she burst into the room. “Your family is responsible for hiding you away, amongst other criminal ventures. We know all about family. Trust me, your country has a lot to answer to when all this is over.”
“No deal then.”
Violet glared at Sam. “Sam.”
“Violet. Do I have to remind you of what we saw in Boston? What it all means?”
Warmth coursed from Violet’s neck and rushed to her cheeks. Violet tried to fight the sensation, but it didn’t matter. She was pissed. “Of course, I know. We need all the help we can get, anything that can give us an edge to stop, Elric. If we lose, and any of us die, that decreases our chances by a large margin, don’t you think?”
“No way in hell the president will approve of her helping us or anyone on this base.”
Violet turned to Rai. “Fine. You’ll have your room in a cell.”
Rai shrugged. “Fine, whatever. It’s not like it could hold me anyway. And what about my other demands?”
Violet turned to Sam. “We need this, Sam, and you know it.”
“We’ll release the Yakuza members. All assets under your name and your father’s name will be frozen .… Got that?
Rai shivered in disgust. “Ugh, there are still things under his name. Take it, do whatever you want.”
Violet looked up at Sam then turned to Rai. “Do we have a deal then?”
A stream of water rose to Violet then split to Sam, forming into hands. “Deal,” Rai said with a smile.
Sam turned and left the room as Violet shook the cold flow of water, which vibrated with life.
“Make sure she has the best cell in the house,” Sam yelled from the hallway as two soldiers cautiously handcuffed Rai.
“Please, be gentle,” Rai said to the soldiers.
Violet rushed out into the hallway to catch up with Sam, the others right behind.
“What’s next?” Violet asked.
Samantha focused ahead as she spoke. “If Elric’s attacking his subordinates, it must mean he’s becoming insecure. It was only a matter of time.”
“I don’t think so,” Jennifer said with a softened voice.
Samantha looked over her shoulder. “What else could it be?”
Jennifer looked over at Violet. “You felt it, I’m sure. But I could see it in her eyes, her broken heart?”
Violet nodded.
“What does that have to do with Elric trying to kill her?” Eden asked with a raised brow.
“She caught feelings for him,” Alfred blurted out.
Sasha nodded. “So her feelings got in the way of what he was trying to accomplish. That’s kinda sad.”
“So, what you guys are saying is, he just got rid of her for that reason?” Manie asked from behind the group. “Kind of stupid if you ask me.”
“Not if you want your subordinates to be hardened killers,” Samantha added. “Emotions get in the way; relationships get in the way of someone with that kind of mindset.”
“That’s
really sad,” Terra said from behind Eden. “But if we can get that piece of work back in that room to help us, we’ll definitely stand a better chance.”
Violet gave Terra a terse nod. “With the emotional pain Rai’s feeling, I think Terra’s right. If we can get Rai to fight alongside us, we’ll have a better chance.”
“Well, I don’t like it,” Samantha said. “And I’m confident once I let the president know we have one of the terrorists who attacked Boston, things are going to take a different turn. She had better hold her end of the deal, Violet. I’m sure the Water Titan’s aware that her life is over.” Violet watched Samantha’s eyes dart from her to Jennifer.
“What do you mean, ‘her life is over?’” Terra asked.
Samantha stopped walking and turned. “Everything that’s happened incited a lot of extensive research. Data from Area Zero over the last few decades, and even after it was destroyed, was collected to form weaknesses against the Titans, ways to control them, ways to defeat them. Nothing of note, but we have found a way to imprison them.”
“Imprison us?” Terra bristled. “I really hate the government. That’s all you want to do. Treat us like tools or like weapons. Like we’re not even people.”
“These are the times we’re living in, Terra. It’s not your fault, and it’s not my decision. But you have powers that can change the landscape. Whether you want those abilities or not, you have them. Who’s to say you don’t throw a tantrum and send California or another state into the bottom of a sinkhole?”
Terra shook her head.
Violet folded her arms, studying Sam’s expression and feeling her energy. “Sam, what are you getting at?”
“When project Titan was initiated, the sole purpose of being able to study such beings was to first capture them and imprison them. There were cells created for each Titan, each cell located in an unknown part of the globe. The cells make up one massive prison system called Tartarus.”
“You were going to lock us up, then?” Eden asked.
Samantha shook her head. “Not you guys, Eden, but the others.”
Terra’s eyes filled with tears. “But what makes you think after all this is done, that the world will let us roam free, huh? How can you or your president or anyone keep us safe?”
Violet felt Terra’s fear as Sam continued. “Right now, that’s something we can’t worry about.” She also felt the concern and animosity growing within Jen as Sam said, “We have to take care of Elric first. Then we’ll focus on that problem. I promise.”
Jen looked up at Violet, and Violet gave her a broken smile before heading toward the prison cell where they would soon bring Rai.
Chapter 19
Lost Hope
They made their way down to the holding cells where the corridor was long and cold. It was almost like a deep underground basement. The lights were dim, buzzing with just enough electricity to keep them going. Violet was silent the whole walk down, Jen too.
“What do you think she’ll say?” Jen asked, breaking the silence just before they entered.
“Well, she made a deal with us, so if she wants us to keep our end of the deal, she needs to help out any way possible, whether she likes it or not.”
Jennifer combed her fingers through her long locks. “She’s one of the ones that killed all those people. Don’t you hate her even a little bit?”
A warm relief washed over Violet as she felt Jennifer struggle with her own thoughts of Elric and the other Titans. The loss of life and inability to save those lives … All of it was heavy on Violet, and it was the same for Terra and Eden.
“Hate’s a strong word,” Violet finally replied. “I think the reason we’re in this situation is because of hate, right?”
Jen nodded.
They came to the holding cell, which was guarded by an entire squad of soldiers. Men specifically trained to combat Titans by the amount of equipment they carried and how well-armored they were. They wouldn’t stand a chance, but Violet guessed it gave them confidence.
“What do you guys want?” one of the guards asked.
Jennifer chuckled to herself. Violet could feel she was brimming with confidence again. “Look, Samantha gave us permission to talk with her. Let us in, or you guys will wake up tomorrow with a slight headache.”
The men angrily moved aside, letting them into the chambers. Rai lay on the bed with her back turned. “I’m guessing you’re here to finish that conversation then?”
“Well, we wanted to get a little more information,” Violet responded.
Rai turned over with eyes red from crying. She used the pillowcase to wipe the remaining tears. “Violet, right?”
Violet nodded, trying to read the girl’s emotions and make sure this wasn’t a trap. Rai was easily around their age, slender, petite, a girl the guys would go crazy over if she weren’t trying to kill them. She had a promiscuous attitude about her, too, and there was an underlying caution about her that made Violet wonder what her life as a Titan was like.
“I’m guessing you want to know what happened between Elric and me or maybe how you can get to him on the island.”
Violet gave her a smile but didn’t let down her guard for a second. “Yes, exactly.”
Rai looked up at Jennifer. “What was he like before he became like he is now? If you don’t mind me asking.”
“I asked you a question first,” Violet demanded.
“No, actually, I asked you the question of what you wanted to know.” Rai sat up on the bed. “Please tell me. What was Elric like?”
Jen gave a half-smile. “He was shy, skinny, your average comic book geek. He didn’t have the best of things growing up, but he always found a way to be happy.”
Rai chewed on her bottom lip. “Until he lost you …”
Jennifer didn’t say anything, allowing silence to fill the cold cinderblock walls of the cell. Violet cleared her throat. It was bad enough she was in a room with two of the most powerful beings in the world. Even worse was the competing energies of their feelings toward the same boy. But progress was being made.
Rai swung her legs off the side of the bed and leaned forward. “Okay, I know you guys are supposed to be the heroes or whatever floats your boat, but I don’t think any of you realize what you’re truly dealing with.”
“What do you mean?” Violet asked. “We’ve been fighting him for a good year now, way before you started crushing on him.”
“Elric’s losing his mind. I mean, in just the time frame from when we attacked Boston, he’s completely become someone else. Something else. He’s stronger, and I didn’t think that was possible.”
“Stronger?” Violet wondered about the third door being opened. Maybe he opened more doors .… Could he really be that desperate?
“It’s hard to explain, but the darkness … I know we all have powers from our Devas, but I’ve spoken with Mizzy about Elric’s Deva and even she fears it. That darkness wants nothing more than to destroy everything in its path, and it’ll spread across the universe once it’s done here.”
Jennifer posted herself up against the wall. “Then I’ll stop him. I’ll kick his ass myself if I have to.”
“What about the Fire Titan?” Violet asked. “Do you think you could get him to leave Elric?”
“Enzo, that dummy. He’s too blinded by greed and power to pay any attention to what Elric’s true purpose is.” Rai looked back up at Jennifer. “What are you going to do when it comes time to fight him?”
Jen struggled, but she smiled confidently. “Like I said, I’ll kick his ass myself.”
Rai shook her head and closed her eyes with a smile. “My name’s Rai Tsu, but I’m sure everyone already knows that, so tell the others to stop calling me the Water Titan. I know who I am.”
“Okay,” Violet agreed. “Well, Rai, with everything you’ve done to this world and its people, you’re as equally responsible for the pain and suffering caused as Elric and the other guy. What can you tell us about the island and his next mo
ve?”
She pulled a few blue strands back. “This creepy chick Calamity made it out of the black sand. She didn’t like it, but Elric insisted. Now about his next move, I’ve got nothing.” She shrugged.
Jennifer stepped forward. “What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said.” Rai fell back, her head hitting the thin pillow. “From the beginning, we kind of followed his lead. But since you came into the picture,” she said, focusing a soft gaze on Jennifer, “everything has been really random. Not the wild ride it used to be.”
Jennifer stood with her hands on her hips. “People died because of what you did.”
Violet tightened her fists, thinking of that little girl in the tent. She could feel Jennifer’s anger and sadness growing.
Jennifer continued, “The fact that you think everything that’s happened is a game shows how screwed up you really are. I don’t know what they’ll do to you. Life in prison, death penalty … Aren’t you a little sad, a little sorry for what you’ve done?”
Rai shot up with glowing blue eyes. Violet felt the surging of energy in her own eyes as purple light danced over her fingertips. Rai let out a deep growl and slapped the bed in frustration as she groaned. Maybe it was Jen’s words that hit a nerve.
“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. That’s all I can say. It’s all I can do.”
Jen punched a hole into the cinderblock wall. “No, you can work your ass off to make things right! Sitting in prison is too good for you and so is death. You need to use your powers to make things right in this world. And helping us put a stop to Elric will be a good start.”
A sliver of a smile left Rai’s thin lips. “Well, when you put it that way, what choice do I have? I can die in here or I can die out there. What difference does it make?” She closed her eyes and pressed her fingers against her eyelids.
“Way to keep a positive mindset, Rai,” Jennifer said sarcastically.
Rai stood. Her eyes were still filled with sorrow and pain. They were similar to Jennifer’s when she first found out about Elric and what he had become.