by C. J. Lloyd
“Let’s go, V,” Jennifer said, turning to the cell door. She reached for the doorknob but didn’t turn it. “I’ll stop him, Rai. So just know that, okay?”
A tear dropped to the floor as a small stream rolled down to Jennifer’s chin.
A smile that trembled at the corners of Rai’s lips caught Violet off guard. There was joy behind her thin lips, not this twisted thrill for the kill, but something warm. “I’ll hold you to it then, Light Titan.”
Chapter 20
A Global Decision
A few days had passed since Japan, and the tension on base was driving Violet insane. Being an empath had become more than a curse, and though Sage would have called it a gift, Violet wished she could return such a present to the one who bestowed it.
The base was overly active today. Soldiers were working hard on helicopters in the hanger, inspecting ammunition and equipment, and meeting rooms were filled to the brim with troops receiving additional briefs. With rumors spreading about the secretary of defense touching ground to discuss their next steps, Violet suspected something big was getting ready to happen. But the fact that Sam was distant and sparsely providing information to her and the others, which wasn’t like Sam at all, had Violet unnerved.
Taking her time traversing the hallway, Violet made her way outside. Thoughts of Sage kept her going, but she needed to get away from everything. She ducked behind a dumpster, focused, and with a quick flash, she appeared in the Chamber of Knowledge.
Nothing had changed in the ominous aged space.
Dust had collected everywhere, and spiderwebs hung daintily around books and the corners of shelves. Even the eerily flickering candles remained lit throughout the chamber. It was as if some poor soul’s sole purpose was to replace the wax and relight each candle. Just another strange oddity of the Chamber of Knowledge, which seemed to only exist by an incredible power and essence older than anything Violet had ever felt besides the Devas.
She came to a massive book, its cover peeling, pages browning with decay, and when she opened it, the smell of mildew wafted with each turn. The Book of Old—which is what Sage called it—was a book that held secrets of creatures and entities that dwelled within their world and the Allverse.
Violet felt awful thinking about how she buried the knowledge of it all deep down, but trying to save a city was overwhelming enough. Worrying about multiple universes on top of that would have been maddening.
She remembered Sage’s words back then. “The fire in your belly, hold onto that, Violet. You’re going to need it. The wheels of destiny were turning before you and your friends were even born. Your paths were already falling into place before you had your first heartbeats. The only thing you can do now is prepare.” With everything happening now, Violet wondered if Sage could predict the future. Or was it just old age and experience?
Violet landed on the page that had a description and creepy illustration of the creature that was Calamity. Violet couldn’t keep her eyes off the cryptic drawing with a clawed hand holding up a human face like a mask, its horrific sleek black body walking through a warzone unnoticed.
Violet tightened her fist as she felt the warmth of her powers flush her veins with vigor and anger. Oh, how she wanted to wipe that smile off Calamity’s face ... or mask, whatever it was she held in her claws pretending to be human.
Violet slammed the book closed and curled up in a corner, the warm trickling of tears taking her by surprise as she smelled the sweet fragrance of lavender—Sage’s perfume—lingering from their last visit.
“What the hell am I doing, Sage?” Violet screamed into the clutter, her voice carrying over the bookshelves. “Why am I here? Can you ... can you hear me? Zaroule, can you?” She sobbed, burying her face into her hands.
The nostalgia of Zenith filled her with a faint memory, a time when she and the others finished training for the incoming surge of Blight and his forces. Sage told her and Zaroule that she was beyond impressed by Violet’s abilities, and Zaroule said something odd that she didn’t quite understand. He joked about Violet being considered an Absolute.
Sage’s response came back, her voice just as clear as if she were right in front of Violet. “A myth for fools. Legend has it there was an Anomaly who lived eons ago with the powers of a god. Rumor has it they created the Titans. But like I said, a myth for fools.”
Maybe Sage was right; an Absolute was a myth for fools. No way an Anomaly strong enough to create the Titans could exist. That meant somehow controlling the Deva’s themselves. Someone at that level of power would make Violet look like an insect.
She groaned and flung her head up to the ceiling, nothing but brick and mortar. After everything she had been through, her parents abandoning her, losing Zaroule and Sage, and now all of this chaos, Violet remained strong. But there was a deep nagging within her, this pang of pain and sorrow.
She wanted to quit.
How hard could it be? All she needed to do was teleport to another country and—
Stop! Stop! Stop! She slapped the sides of her temples and dug her fingers into her kneecaps. She could never leave them. Not Eden, not Terra, not Sasha or the others. The fact that the thought came to her at all showed how vulnerable she had become.
Zaroule’s last words echoed in her head as she wiped a few tears away. “Never give up on one another. Always trust in each other. No matter what. Promise me.”
It was nothing more than distant echoes in the back of her mind, the voices of Zaroule and Sage, but they were louder now than ever. She wasn’t sure if it had something to do with the Chamber of Knowledge, but those echoes sparked a little bit of hope in her. And maybe her coming here was some strange calling, a tug from Sage from the other side.
Thank you, Violet thought, rising to her feet.
With a deep breath, Violet was immediately consumed by a bright flash, returning to the barracks. She found their room empty. Jennifer was probably at the gym, Terra and Sasha out with the boys.
Everything had been chaotic since Boston; she hadn’t even had the chance to feel Eden’s arms around her or the soft warmth of his lips. She wondered if he felt the same, that they had become strangely distant. If she was his girlfriend, she was a terrible one.
Sasha burst through the door, and Violet jumped back. “What’s going on?”
“Sam wanted me to get you. Apparently, everyone’s meeting up at HQ. The secretary of defense should be here within the hour.”
“I see. Where’s everyone else?”
“Everyone is already there. Well, Eden, Manie, Alfred, and Terra. Jen is probably at the gym.” Sasha’s green eyes rolled around the room as she pursed her lips. “You ready?”
Violet nodded as they jetted down the corridors, bypassing the cafeteria, which was their usual hangout spot, and into the room where they had that discussion with the president and a few of her staff. Violet thought about asking Sam if Rai could come, but it probably wouldn’t look good for someone responsible for the Boston attacks to be part of a meeting made to bring down the ones she had entangled herself with.
The room was filled with soldiers. Eden and the others sat up front with a few of the special forces guys, who they had grown close to. Apparently, the soldiers were trying to recruit them. Alfred had the mindset of a soldier—something he picked up from his parents who were back in Ermak fighting the Wrath—but not the rigid discipline. Same with Eden, but Violet wasn’t concerned about either of them joining, especially after the last few conversations with Samantha.
“Room, attention!” a soldier yelled.
Speak of the devil, Violet thought.
They all stood tall as Samantha entered the room. Not a single word was spoken; even the air was still.
“At ease, gentlemen. Take your seats,” Samantha said as she strode to the front. The room filled with soldiers complying with her order and they relaxed in their chairs. She nodded to Violet and the others as she stood in front of a podium. “As you all know, the secretary of defense sho
uld be here in about thirty mikes.”
Violet watched as a few soldiers checked their wristwatches.
“I called this meeting in preparation because they will be using some new terms created by NATO and the big three.”
“The big three?” Manie whispered.
Eden answered, “US, Russia, and China.”
Manie nodded, but by his expression, Violet could tell he still didn’t grasp the point of it all.
Samantha continued. “After the last portal attacks, the world leaders and security forces wanted to figure out a way to respond to events that had higher threat levels than others. Due to the scale of the events, the unknowns and overall chaos that could ensue, it was decided that a new system would be created in order to organize the allocation of resources and priorities. This would include supporting countries we aren’t on good terms with. We still haven’t gotten word from North Korea, but we have heard they may also be joining if China is all in.”
A soldier leaned back, cracking his neck. He had a rough scruffy face and dark-brown eyes that didn’t waver. He chuckled to himself. “You’re telling me the superpowers are joining forces like some kind of overpowered grand alliance?”
Samantha nodded with a shaky smile. “I know what you’re thinking. Russia hasn’t allied with the US since WWII, and we haven’t been strong allies of China since the Pacific War, but shit has hit the fan, so here we are.”
The soldier shook his head in disbelief. “Crazy. Never thought I’d see the day the world joined forces to fight a bunch of kids with crazy powers. Sounds like some Netflix Original shit to me.” He shrugged.
Samantha agreed. “The new system, D.I.S.A.S.T.E.R, categorizes catastrophic events and prioritizes the level of events based on widespread human, material, and economic or environmental loss which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources.”
A female soldier from the back raised her hand. “Ma’am, seems almost impossible to pinpoint and gauge an event like that. Especially if you have simultaneous events happening like the portal attacks last year, right?”
Sam nodded. “That’s correct, Master Sergeant, but we have to remember that some of our allied countries, like China and Iran, didn’t get crushed with portal attacks. There was even some speculation that these countries may have had something to do with them at one point.”
A soldier added, “I know I still do.”
A bunch of others laughed.
Sam continued, “What I’m saying is these countries unaffected by the events can still supply resources and support to those affected.”
One of the special forces guys next to Eden narrowed his eyes. He didn’t look like he was buying any of it. Violet thought he was holding back a laugh, waiting for someone to tell him it was all a joke.
He spoke gruffly. “I just don’t get it. Why the hell are all these countries doing this now? It couldn’t be because of the targets on that island. It has to be something else.”
“Fear!” yelled a man in a suit, trailed by five others who came through the door. The room stood tall again. Violet remained in her chair as the man told them all to sit down.
“Mr. Secretary, we weren’t expecting you so soon,” Sam said, standing tall.
His gaze was one of concern, and from the way he spoke, Violet thought the man was holding back a cough. Deep, raspy. She’d seen him a few times on television and remembered him quite well from that one news broadcast the year earlier when Allure attacked a press conference.
“No, it’s alright. I know a lot of things don’t make sense right now,” the secretary began, “but this is our reality. Things are changing very quickly, and after London, and most of all, Boston, countries are frightened. We’re facing an enemy that can move whenever they want, however they want, and can attack with the power of several atomic bombs in an instant.”
No one spoke. Even Violet was locked on his words as his voice could be felt in her chest.
The secretary turned to Sam. “Colonel Rice, I know you were just getting to the categories, but I have to sprint through it, unfortunately.” His gaze moved to the back of the room. “Can one of you boys roll a television in here, please?”
Samantha stepped over to the secretary. “Everything okay, Sir?”
He shook his head. “In a few minutes, the president is going to give a speech that will change everything.”
Violet looked back at the others, their faces riddled with confusion and concern alike. Violet focused, trying to sense the man’s emotions. She even dug into his thoughts. There was nervousness, anxiety, fear. Confusion. But one thing stood out above all else.
A massive united attack.
“Under the disaster system, there are seven categories. Category one is an event that may cause devastation to a town, as in level it, causing hundreds if not thousands of lives lost and financial losses between one and ten million dollars. Category six is a global event that’ll affect all mankind and future generations to come. An event at this level will have staggering effects on the topmost powerful countries in the world and how they will function in the future. We’re talking about the world population affected by extensive loss of life. Any questions?”
Manie raised a trembling hand. Violet could tell Sasha wanted to rip it down. The secretary eyed him strangely, probably confused why a bunch of children were in the room.
“Go ahead, son?”
Manie cleared his throat. “You said seven categories, but you only talked about six?”
“Category seven or cat-X is an event that will lead to global extinction.”
“Oh,” Manie said with a drawn-out growl.
Eden raised his hand. The secretary nodded. “So where do Elric and the others fall?”
“After extensive analysis, and of course some assumption, but after Boston and London, particularly, we won’t hesitate to say that as individuals, all Titans pose a threat level of category two. A category two is an event that may cause devastation at the city level and financial losses between ten million and four billion. We’re talking hundreds of thousands, even millions, of lives lost.”
All eyes in the room fell on Terra and Eden.
“Damn, Eden.” Alfred gulped.
A trickle of sweat rolled down Violet’s chest. The fear and energy in the room shifted quickly. “What are we talking about if the Titans were together then?”
The secretary cleared his throat and eyed the room. “It’s not too far off to say that at the minimum, a cat six, at worst, cat-X.”
The room filled with grumbling and whispers about the Titans. Violet didn’t like the energy or the voices all around her. She looked up at Samantha, and by the darting of the woman’s eyes and the slow exhale from her chest, Violet could tell Sam was taking on the energy of the room.
Jennifer came through the doors, and her eyes met Violet’s. She immediately bolted toward her and squeezed in between her and Eden.
One of the men who had arrived with the secretary grabbed a ringing cellphone from his suit jacket. “Mr. Secretary, they’re going live now.”
“Television, gentlemen, now!” the older man demanded.
Two soldiers rolled the massive television screen in front of the room. Everyone stood back and watched as they flicked it to a news channel. Violet knew if it were as big as they made it out to be, it would be on every news broadcast anyway.
On the television, the president stepped to the podium, looking as elegant and confident as ever. She cleared her throat. Reporters grew silent as their microphones reached closer.
“I’m not going to sugarcoat anything because as I give my message, the other world leaders are giving their briefings as well. So, at 7 a.m. tomorrow, the United States, Russia, China, the UK, and Iran have all agreed to launch, simultaneously, nuclear warheads on Black Island.”
Violet thought her heart had stopped. She looked over at Jennifer, who leaned forward. Her expression was as if she had bitten into a lemon.
The president continued, “The damage caused will make the island and any other islands within a twenty-mile radius uninhabitable. Each country has looked into the consequences of the attack’s outcome, and we hope that future generations understand our decision.”
As soon as she stepped back from the microphone, the questions flooded from reporters. She was quickly escorted away as another man stepped up to the podium.
“The planned attack will be televised on all major news networks. This attack will be the ending of oppression and hopefully the beginning of a new light.” The man fixed his jacket and made his way off the podium, following the president.
“Whoa, a nuke for a kid?” a soldier sitting near Jennifer exclaimed. “He can’t be human. I don’t care what you guys say.”
The soldier looked down at Jennifer, and she sent him a glare. She grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off his feet. “So are the rest of us monsters too?”
The occupants of the room became uneasy. The secretary of defense and his entourage looked on in disbelief. Samantha had to push other soldiers away to get to Jennifer. That warmth, that light, radiated from her like before, but even through the hope, the strength, Violet had to stop her.
“I’m sorry,” the soldier choked out, struggling to scream, his face turning beet-red.
“Jennifer, stop, please!” Violet grabbed her arm.
Jennifer’s eyes were turning blue as she slowly let him down. “You don’t get it! None of you do, and you never will. That’s why Elric’s doing all this because violence is the only thing that gets your attention. This world is so messed up, so broken. You see us as weapons, as categories, as monsters? We’re just kids. Kids who should be in school, trying to get their high school diploma.” She looked over at Terra. “Kids who will probably never experience prom, dating .... We probably won’t even get married or have kids of our own, and all because we’ll have to worry that you’ll try to kidnap us and turn us into weapons.”