by Brian Carmen
Desperately, Nia tried to keep from passing out. The intense pain felt likely to split her skull in two. Nia could see other Soulem appearing all around them however they seemed to be watching. They didn’t try to interfere as they began picking off Volstir that were still trying to escape.
Nia continued to struggle but she was unable to get Claire off of her. She felt Claire’s hands wrap around her neck tightly. Grabbing onto Claire’s arms, she tried to hold them back. The pain was growing more as Nia felt something. Claire had been turned sometime in the last three days.
Unlike the other Soulem, she was more incomplete. Claire felt more like Utaru then any of the others however Nia didn’t have time to think about it. Everything around her was starting to turn black. Claire was going to be the one that killed her. The roles had switched since their meeting in the church. Nia was now the one who was afraid for her life.
Before Nia could think about how she was going to die, someone intervened. Claire had been pulled off Nia by some invisible force. Looking up, Nia thought that she would see Victor standing over her however it was someone else. In the dark, Nia could barely see the Latina Volstir and her maker fighting the Soulem. Using her telekinesis, the girl was able to throw Claire into a clothing store window.
“Good job Yomiri; make sure you stay on guard” Yomiri’s maker called out as they heard explosions from nearby.
Several of the buildings were on fire which provided Nia and the Volstirs some light. The Latina’s maker was amazing; he was able to use his plant like arms to create vines. Nia watched as they wrapped themselves tightly around several of the Soulems. Looking at the broken window, Nia could see that Claire was no longer inside the clothing store. Yomiri was trying to help a few other Volstir however the Soulem were quickly overrunning them.
With her vision blurring from the pain, Nia was unable to help. It was difficult for her to be able to get onto her feet. She tried looking for Venus, in the confusion she had vanished. Nia heard someone call out to Yomiri but it was too late. Several of the Soulem had surrounded her as Nia saw the monsters rip her into several pieces.
Her maker was obviously distraught and was unable to notice the shadow behind him. Claire had freed the other Soulem from the vines as she grabbed onto the surprised Volstir. He was thrown into a crowd of Soulem as Claire turned her attention back towards Nia. There was nothing Nia could do as she watched Claire run towards her in rage.
Nia didn’t have the strength to fight her. Weaponless and alone, Nia was unable to think of a way to stop the charging Soulem. Suddenly Claire screeched loudly while becoming surrounded in bright green flames. Nia watched as she tried desperately to put out the fire. Within seconds she left as nothing more than dust.
Nia could hear the other Soulem as they began to charge at her. She watched as they started screaming out in agony one by one. The green flames surrounded Nia as she the Soulem died and her savior appeared. Venus was looking down at her with two heavy rifles that had once belonged to the Keepers. She explained that when they both ran out of rounds she had left to scavenge the dead. Venus was able to liberate a few of the weapons from dead Keepers that were close by.
They now had twenty more rounds and high powered rifles. In the distance they could hear more shots being fired. Venus expressed concerns about the others and the condition they might be in. It was possible they were running out of rounds about now and there were no Keepers near them.
The Soulem appeared to have retreated from the area they were in. They obviously wanted to find easier prey. A loud whizzing sound filled the air as Nia grabbed onto Venus. A rocket had been fired as both women saw the streak from its flames. They saw the explosion of fires as they ran for cover.
They could now hear a screeching metallic sound from above them. Out of the darkness they saw a twisted metal pillar fall towards the ground. It crushed the building they had been standing in front of only seconds before. One of the elevators leading to the surface had been destroyed by the Keepers.
Venus fired several rounds into the remains of the elevator. They saw through the bullet holes as green flames started to melt the inside metal. Shrieks were coming from inside as both women saw that it had been filled with Soulem. The elevators weren’t working however they had been trying to climb the inside of the shaft.
Nia looked at Venus and told her to go help the others. They would need more ammo If they were going to survive. More shots were fired as Nia looked down the long road that stood before her. She would have to enter the Registration Building on her own.
Venus only took a second to ask if Nia would be alright on her own. Nia however didn’t say a word and began running away from Venus. She was terrified of what she might face but knew that Ebony and Victor were going to need more help than her. Nia could only hope that Venus would be able to make it to them in time.
With her eyes adjusting to the darkness Nia could hear the cries from others nearby. It seemed that some of the other Volstirs were not able to adjust to the darkness quick enough. Many of them were used to the safety that Loc Moines had always provided. They were not used to having their homes suddenly turned into a war zone.
Nia killed several more Soulem that had appeared in front of her. Most of them seemed to be trying to avoid her as they chased down others. The Keepers had apparently abandoned the Registration Building as Nia finally entered it.
It was darker inside as Nia noticed the mess. Several doors had been ripped away as Nia felt a sudden dizziness inside. She had not nearly recovered from the pain that was still surging in her brain. If Nia continued pushing herself than she would end up passing out and become easy prey for any Soulem that found her.
It was vital that she took a moment to regain her senses. There were bodies that belonged to Sanguine littering the floor. They had been drained completely as Nia began to feel the tears swell up in her eyes. Nia entered one of the closets, that stored supplies so that she could think.
Her eyes burned as she felt shame over everything that had happened. They had underestimated Thereon and the Soulem he produced. For some reason he saw her as a threat however he’d underestimated her as well. Thereon didn’t suspect that the progenies of Olivia would find a way to copy the Hellfyre Bullet.
Nia was sure that he hadn’t counted on her being able to get so close to his house. The Soulem had been unable to keep her away. She would have to get to him through the Registration Building. There was a bullet in her rifle that had his name on it. Nia wasn’t going to hesitate or ask any questions; she was just going to find him and fire.
He was too dangerous to be allowed to live for even a second longer. She thought about Claire and Utaru before passing out without any warning. It was dark for a moment before Nia was able to see light. Looking up, Nia discovered that she was looking through Claire’s memories. She was chained to a wall staring at five figures that Nia was unable to recognize.
“How did you escape?” Claire asked as four of the men started laughing at her.
She was terrified of them; Nia could feel it throughout her body. Claire seemed to know what they were going to do to her. They were the same men that had attacked Utaru. They were the men who were scheduled to be executed in a couple of days. Three days ago, they had somehow turned Claire into Soulem.
“We have our friend here to thank” One of the male Volstir said snidely as Claire turned to look at the fifth member.
She easily recognized him however Nia was unable to see his identity. He was very blurry as Nia tried figuring who it was. Someone had obviously tampered with Claire’s memory. She would be unable to remember who the fifth man was. Nia tried to concentrate harder but could only see that the figure was taller and more muscled than Thereon Solbid.
Claire started shouting at them while calling for help. Like with Utaru, all of them laughed at her. Nia listened as the fifth man started to speak. His voice was definitely different from Thereon; it was deep but also colder. He almost sounded completely emotio
nless which sent chills down Nia’s spine.
“We don’t have much time. You lot have to be back in your cells before anyone notices your missing.” The fifth man said as the others laughed.
One of them asked the man if it was a good idea to unleash so many on the city. The man simply explained that they had many more. Claire listened to their conversation as it seemed that they had forgotten she was present. They talked about needing to test the Soulem’s power. The fifth man explained that if everything went well then the others would get to see ‘Salvation’.
For a moment it appeared as though they were going to leave. The fifth man however stopped and turned around slowly. He walked up to Claire who was now crying as she pleaded for mercy. The man’s voice became very angry as he grabbed the sides of her face.
“You had the nerve to think you would get away? Trying to reveal my plan to Thereon was supposed to save your life; instead you condemned it” the man spat as the others laughed loudly and began mocking Thereon.
Nia listened as the fifth man explained that he was just a politician. He apparently lacked the vision to do what had to be done. It was almost unbelievable to hear. Thereon Solbid was not part of the plot to create an army of Soulem. Claire seemed to believe them as she focused all her attention on the man in front of her.
“He’s going to figure out it’s you. When he does then you’re as good as dead. Just like your friends there” she yelled angrily as the tall dark skinned Volstir walked up and slapped her hard on the face.
Nia could see that the blow was already leaving a large bruise as Claire struggled to stay awake. The fifth man laughed as the group walked away. She would wake up a few days later as a Soulem. Claire’s image appeared in front of Nia; around her was darkness as the blond woman stared at her.
Slowly, Claire began moving her lips. She was trying to tell Nia something however no sound came from her mouth. Nia tried to telling Claire that she couldn’t hear her. Claire seemed unable to hear her as she continued talking. It was like looking at a video recording that was on mute.
Nia tried to read her lips but that wasn’t working. She watched as Claire began to fade while noticing that she was repeating the same message. Nia watched her lips move while trying to figure out what Claire was trying to say. “Salvation” was the only word that Nia heard from Claire before she completely faded away. Nia couldn’t help but wonder if Claire was actually trying to help her.
Nia woke up instantly as she heard noises from outside the closet including several screams. She knew that she wasn’t out for long but Claire’s memories did provide some more clues on the people responsible. Nia didn’t believe that Thereon Solbid was completely innocent. She thought about killing him, just to be on the safe side.
She paused for a moment before opening the door as a Soulem ran past her towards one of the back offices. Running through the halls, she found one of the security doors that led directly to Thereon’s mansion in the back. The door seemed impenetrable as Nia began looking for someone that might have access to it.
Nia tried searching the dead for their access keys however they all turned up empty. Despite trying to be quiet; the Soulem were able to notice her presence. She could hear several of them coming towards her. They would be on top of her soon and she couldn’t rely on anyone coming to save her. Nia had enough time to look at the secured door once more before cursing her luck.
The Soulem were getting closer to her, she tried to estimate their numbers however it didn’t sound good. Heading back to the entrance, Nia turned around and fired her rifle as they started to appear. She heard screaming coming from ahead of her and wondered if there might still be survivors. There were four Soulem running towards her however Nia could hear that there were more nearby.
Firing several rounds, Nia watched as they all ended up as green flames. The emergency sprinkler system should’ve activated however the power was still shut down. Nia was running as fast as possible, she turned into another hallway but was unable to notice that half eaten corpse that was in front of her. Stumbling over it, Nia ended up falling onto the ground. Someone screamed loudly and began firing their rifle towards her.
Nia tried to duck while looking up at the person who was trying to kill her. She appeared to be in her mid-twenties with short red hair. It was obvious that she was a Sanguine that had been able to find a Keeper’s weapon. Nia could see from her uniform that she worked in the Registration Building. It was curious that this woman had managed to survive the massacre.
Something about the girl’s appearance looked familiar to Nia as she tried to avoid being hit. The woman seemed to have some experience in firing heavy weapons. The recoil from the rifle however was enough to push her into the wall. Nia watched as she tried to aim it towards the Soulem that had followed Nia into the hallway. The woman had seen Nia fall but was unable to determine if she was a Soulem or not.
“Don’t shoot, I’m just trying to find the exit” Nia shouted while raising her own rifle up so that the girl could see.
The woman seemed relieved to find someone else in the building. A few Keepers had been trying to help her group evacuate the building. She was now the only one left as they both began heading towards the front entrance. They were close when Nia felt a familiar pain; the Soulem had somehow gotten in front of them. Nia had to make a choice as she grabbed the Sanguine woman and stuffed her into a closet. Breaking the outside handle, Nia told the girl to keep silent.
Nia saw seven Soulem blocking the entrance as she fired all the rounds in her first clip. Behind the first seven were eight more however they started to scatter. Nia was able to make it to the entrance however she could feel the Soulem all around. Grabbing a hold of the doorway, she struggled to keep her balance. Nia was starting to feel both exhausted and thirsty. It all disappeared once she felt her connection with Victor.
She could feel that Victor was in pain as she looked across the city. The Soulem were being taken down but the city was almost completely destroyed. Buildings were on fire as bodies laid scattered across the ground. Loc Moines was facing its darkest hour as Nia tried to locate Victor. Somehow she was able to feel where he was as she began racing to him.
The Soulem numbers seemed to be dropping as they fought the Keepers nearby. The remaining Volstir that still had the strength to fight were also making an impact. Nia was able to move quickly as she ran down the familiar alley. She stopped in the middle of the alley as she noticed the fiery buildings all around her including the Broken Neck.
She tried looking around for signs of Victor and the others. It was too dark and smoky for her to see much. Nia looked around for any Soulem before she closed her eyes and began trying to locate Victor. It was difficult however she was able to figure out that Victor had escaped the Soulem.
Nia opened her eyes and began running quickly towards E.V. as the terrible feeling continued. It was difficult running throughout the war zone. Soulem tried to chase after her however they had much difficulty even with their speed. Volstirs and Keepers were rounding on them as Nia had to avoid being shot. A few times, she came close to being blown up by a rocket. Despite the delays, Nia continued towards Victor while hoping that she wasn’t too late.
When Nia arrived in front of the shop she fired four shots without thinking. The Soulem that stood over Victor’s unconscious body were all killed. Venus was nearby as she killed three other Soulem while fighting her way towards Victor. Nia could see that she had been afraid and that Venus was relieved to see her.
“They jumped him and knocked him out. Nobody has seen Lauren and the Broken Neck is gone” Venus explained as she looked towards the shop. Ebony was inside with about ten Soulem.
“Do it now!” Ebony cried as Venus nodded and told Nia to protect Victor.
Nia started firing a barrage of Hellfyre bullets inside the shop. Ebony was able to leap through one of the windows. The timing was incredible since Ebony had missed being shot by less than a few seconds. Nia could feel the heat coming
from the Soulem’s bodies as she checked on Victor.
Behind Ebony, E.V. became engulfed in large bright green flames as the Soulem inside were all killed by Venus. They all looked around and noticed that the rest of the Soulem were gone from the area. They took a moment and began helping Victor back to his feet. It seemed as though the battle was over as the light at the top of the dome returned, shining light on them all.
“Good job Venus” Ebony said as she began looking around at some of the other survivors.
Among them was Lauren who seemed slightly battered but still alive. She looked at the four of them and asked who was responsible for blowing up her things. Nia couldn’t help but laugh as she tried wiping the dried blood from her neck. Later they would learn that Lauren had been responsible for killing more than twenty Soulem. Quite an impressive feat considering she was able to do it with her ability alone.
“In case you didn’t notice. The whole city just got it’s ass kicked pretty damn good” Ebony said furiously as Lauren seemed to understand that Ebony was not in good mood.
Her shop had just been sacrificed in order to help stop the invasion. It had been the twin’s greatest achievement and now it was gone. Their shop wasn’t the only thing destroyed as almost every building had suffered a similar fate.
Nia was able to see that several of the elevators had been completely destroyed. Loc Moines was still standing but barely. Victor slowly looked around and noticed that the light had returned and the battle was finally over. Nia looked and smiled at him however saw the quick change of his expression.
Victor only had enough time to tell Nia to watch out. She turned quickly and fired a round into the chest of the Soulem that jumped at her. Nia’s jaw dropped as they all recognized the person that Nia had shot. His body lit up in emerald flames as they watched him die. Her heart broke as Nia dropped her rifle and looked at Lauren.