Mayhem

by Jeffrey Salane

  Suddenly the bones in front of her began to rearrange against the force field, forming into a small cage that wrapped around her. The same thing was happening to the others. The bones were drawn to the moon rocks! As the rocks began to shimmer, everyone screamed. M backed away from the building light. She knew what came next. A deep, sucking darkness that would swallow them whole. M watched in horror as a black halo formed over Keyshawn, then over Jules, and then over Merlyn. Then the halos started to churn, faster and faster, spinning into more halos as the ground started to shake.

  “Yes!” screamed Wild from above them. “This too shall pass!”

  “You said you’d let them go if I brought you the book!” yelled Cal. He raised his glove and fired a blast at Wild, but the magnetic force fizzled out. It was nothing next to the twisting gravity of the budding black hole.

  “No one here gets out alive!” Wild roared. Then Devon and Evel turned on Cal, knocking him down and holding him in place.

  Wild raised both hands and formed the most powerful magblast that M had ever seen. It scorched with intensity, like a handheld tornado. “Now, young Calvin, you must learn that you cannot make deals with the devil!”

  The magblast attack was furious, fighting its way past the growing black holes and heading straight for Cal. But before it could strike, another force shoved Cal, Devon, and Evel out of its way. Standing there with a fierce-looking metallic staff was Cal’s mother, Ms. Watts.

  “You don’t get to kill my son, Jonathan Wild.” Ms. Watts sneered with the same cold hatred that Cal had shown when he was talking about his own mother. “You unmade me. Turned me against the man I loved. Turned me against Calvin’s father. And then turned me against my own son … all on a whim. Now I get my revenge.”

  “My death is yours,” said Wild. “If you can earn it.”

  Ms. Watts swung the staff around her head and hurled a blast at Wild. Chunks of the marble burst where the attack hit and were sucked into the growing black hole oblivions.

  Meanwhile, Zara scrambled to check on Cal, Devon, and Evel. The siblings had finally been jolted awake. Evel climbed over to Devon and hugged her. “I’m so glad you’re okay!”

  “Me, too,” she said as she hugged him back. “Me, too.”

  “We need to get them out of here!” Zara yelled to Cal over the gushing wind. The floor itself buckled underneath them and Cal looked up at the ceiling.

  “I can do this!” he said.

  He jumped up and shot a magblast at the stained-glass windows above them. The glass exploded and so did the engines behind them that had trapped M and her friends.

  With the force fields gone, the skeleton cages collapsed into the glowing moon rocks and accelerated the process. M, Merlyn, and Jules scattered out of the way in time, but Keyshawn was violently thrown from his gurney. M ran to Keyshawn’s side, but they were now out in the open and caught up in Ms. Watts and Jonathan Wild’s battle.

  Ms. Watts wielded her staff like an outer space samurai, connecting hit after hit on Wild. She used the building wind around her to channel her attacks, flipping through the air as if gravity didn’t apply to her anymore.

  Cal ran over to M’s side. “Come on, let’s go!”

  “We can’t leave Keyshawn!” cried M.

  Cal moved to pick up the old man when something made him freeze. M leaned forward to grab him, but before she could, Cal was drawn violently backward.

  Wild had caught him in a magblast. “Decision time, Lady Watts! Me or Calvin!” Then Wild flipped Cal toward the largest black hole.

  “Calvin!” screamed Ms. Watts as she dove into the air and caught her son. She threw him back to M, who grabbed his ankle and held on for dear life. Cal watched as his mother was shredded left and right in the warped wind tunnel, screaming with pain and anger. Then Ms. Watts plummeted into the black hole deeper and deeper until she disappeared.

  Cal screamed. Wild cackled. His plan was going to work.

  But the moon rock M had held suddenly glowed white. She looked up and saw that the halo nearest to her was not black at all, but a brightness that defied color. The halo grew and grew, quickly taking over the room. It swallowed the other black holes and crushed them flat. M’s hands burned holding Cal and keeping him from flying into the mess, but watching the power that emanated around her, she clutched him tighter, like she was holding life itself in her hands.

  “No, no, no!” bellowed Wild as he ran up the stairs. “What is happening?”

  As the bright rings swirled outward, the moon rocks and bones lifted into the air, dissolving into dust until a powerful explosion of light erupted in the room, forcing everyone to take cover. And then, it disappeared.

  “Where is my ending?” shrieked Wild. “What have you done?!”

  “The moon is not the moon.” M fought to stand up and face the madman. “And you are not a threat anymore.”

  He marched toward her with a murderous gleam in his eyes, but paused when he heard Keyshawn finally speak.

  “She’s right.” His hoarse voice sputtered. He clutched at his stomach, but his white teeth cut into a smile. “The moon wasn’t always the moon, you fool. It’s a chunk of Earth that broke off eons ago. And just like Earth, the moon is made of different elements in different places. Mother Nature is a funny thing, Doe, or Wild, or whatever your name is. She decides the way to destroy herself and the way to reinvent herself. I found the one thing you didn’t bother to look for. The one thing M’s father was searching for. A piece of the moon that was elementally different from the other fragments that created your umbra mortis.”

  Wild twisted his neck and redirected all of his anger at Keyshawn. A brutal shudder disturbed the air around him. Then he unleashed the blast. It sent the old man flying off the ground. Keyshawn smacked into the back wall like a fish hitting the butcher block, then landed awkwardly and didn’t move. His eyes didn’t even blink.

  “I’m not a threat, M,” heaved Wild. “I’m a promise.”

  Cal fired another magblast, but Wild held it at bay with a shield. He was wearing two magblasts and knew how to use them. “Oh, Cal, we could have been so good — or bad — together. Maybe there’s hope for you yet. Let me finish my discussion with M first, then we can talk about your future.”

  “We don’t have a future,” gritted Cal, pushing to break through Wild’s hold.

  “Then have fun watching your friends die, knowing that there’s nothing you could do to stop me,” Wild taunted. Then he aimed his right hand at M.

  She ran, but Wild tracked her like a hunter through a scope.

  Thwack!

  M felt a shudder of wind rush by her, but Wild’s blast had missed. Looking up, she watched Wild’s blast careen off of a magblast shield that was protecting her. Then someone helped M up off the floor. “Better late than never, I suppose.”

  Vivian Ware was dressed in her uniform and glowing hot red. She shrugged at M and held up another suit. M’s suit. “A gift. Right where Sercy said I’d find it.”

  As helicopters swarmed the hole in the ceiling and searchlights swept the ground, M felt the familiar embrace of her suit as it closed around her and booted up. “We started this together, Vivian. Let’s end it together.”

  Fulbrights came flying down on ropes like angry bees, blasting everything in sight. In the chaos, Wild broke off and retreated behind his soldiers. The haze of battle took over, as M, Vivian, and Cal plowed into the throng, taking down attackers from every angle. The Fulbrights had expected to battle a few kids, but they had no idea that an army was on its way.

  The doors to the library blasted open and in marched Ben Downing, leading a full battalion. “Ronin!” he yelled. “Attack!”

  Like a flood, the Ronin washed over the Fulbrights, moving forward as one cohesive unit. The Fulbright cadets fell back and looked to their leader to give them orders, but no one was there. They’d been abandoned. Some dropped their weapons right there and surrendered in defeat, freeing up enough Ronin to climb up the dangling rope
s to the helicopters, where they secured the airspace above the combat.

  M couldn’t believe her eyes, seeing everyone working together to defeat the Fulbrights, and that’s when she got clocked. The hit came from behind her and forced her to the ground. Still, she flipped back up and dodged the next blow. The Fulbright pulled down his mask. It was Dr. Lawless.

  The room went quiet as far as M was concerned. The war around her was wiped away and only one man stood before her.

  “I knew you were going to be fun, Ms. Freeman,” sneered Lawless as he flicked out his saber. “Looks like Wild ran with his tail between his legs. That makes me the next in command. And since I never had the honor of slicing up your father, you’ll make a suitable substitute to carve.”

  Lawless moved first, striking at M, but she shifted out of the way.

  “Are you sure you wanna fight me, old man?” teased M. “Wild roughed you up back there. Lucky you’ve got that suit to protect you.”

  The doctor slicked back his sweaty mat of red hair and came at her again. This time M batted down his sword in one smooth motion with her forearm, then shoved him into a wall.

  “You’re a slippery one, aren’t you?” barked Lawless. “Must run in the family.”

  M flicked out the sword from her suit and waved for Lawless to attack again. With a battle cry, the man charged with all his might and, to his surprise, M charged, too, directly toward him. Their swords connected in a spark that shattered the arm of Lawless’s suit, revealing his wounded hand. He grabbed M around the neck and dragged her off the ground, but she found footing against another Fulbright and jumped off, flipping Lawless over and onto his back where she clutched him into a crushing chokehold.

  “I’m not like my dad, Lawless,” she whispered in his ear. “I’m not a ghost you can walk right through. Remember that when you wake up next week.” M quickly unzipped the back of his suit and pressed her palm against his back.

  The magblast sent shockwaves through the room, knocking down the several other Fulbrights that had foolishly surrounded her. Lawless lay slumped and ready to collect dust on the cold slab he’d made for himself.

  With Lawless out, M scanned the room for Wild and caught a shadow, darting between the fighters. M moved to follow it, but sensed someone approaching her from behind. She wheeled around to throw a hard punch and stopped an inch away from Cal’s nose.

  “Happy to see you, too,” he said without flinching. Then he looked beyond her and M turned back. Wild darted up the stairs, making a break for the roof.

  “It’s him,” said M.

  “He’s mine,” said Cal.

  “No arguments there, but let me tag along for old time’s sake.” M could finally read the look on her friend’s face, a pure mixture of determination, vengeance, and something like satisfaction. All these years he’d been searching for a target and tonight he’d found it.

  The two of them magblasted into the air, leaving the battle buzzing below as they landed on the roof where Wild was waiting.

  If he was surprised to see them, he didn’t let on.

  “The most important thing to remember when you’re making a plan is to prepare for the worst,” he said as he backed away toward another section of the rooftop that was hidden from view by air-conditioning ductwork. “Step one: Have a getaway plan in case the situation blows up in your face. And you blew it up, all right. But don’t worry, my comet will come around again.”

  “But you won’t be there to see it,” yelled Cal as he fired a magblast.

  Wild caught the attack, easily crushing the swirl of wind with a clap of his hands. “Step two: Have backup at the ready.”

  Another Fulbright emerged in the moonlight. It was Bandit. With a stinging zap, he tied M and Cal together with a whiplike rope. Then his entire suit glowed an electric blue and a terrible rush of power surged through the two children. Their own bodies flared up until the wires woven around them cracked, popped, and died out. The red glow of their suits washed out and the shape went slack. Their magblasts, their suits, and their programmable weapons were all gone.

  Bandit smiled and slowly reeled them closer. His eyes flashed neon yellow in the night.

  “Step three: Leave no witnesses.” Wild walked around a corner and Bandit joined him. Three more gas chambers like the ones from the night at her house, the night Jules, Merlyn, and Keyshawn had been eaten alive, were waiting for them like empty dinner plates on a set table. “You remember these, don’t you, goody-two-shoes? I’ve been soul-searching ever since you two ran away from me and I haven’t been able to find adequate replacements. And now thanks to your tenacity, it seems I won’t have to. Come home to Wild.”

  M and Cal kicked and struggled, but the dead suits now weighed a ton. It was like wearing a lead blanket. The three doors to the chambers opened with a sickening hush that sounded like a parent easing their child into a bad situation. Hush, this won’t hurt a bit. Mr. Wild is only going to drain you.

  “You can’t do this!” M screamed at Bandit.

  “My dear,” he answered. “I can do anything I want. I told you to leave the Lawless School. I warned you not to trust Zara. I’ve done all I can. There’s only so many burning buildings I’m willing to run into to save you before I realize that you just like running into burning buildings.”

  Then Bandit tossed them inside the chambers like he was throwing bags of trash into a bin. He wasn’t enjoying himself like Wild was. He looked, if anything, bored to be the one to finally close the door on M. She listened to Cal’s muffled and distant screaming followed by the thunks of what must have been his kicking against the chamber walls.

  M searched the lining, grasping for some safety latch to open the hatch, but there was nothing there. A wide window above her faced up into the night. The helicopters from earlier must have landed on adjacent buildings because nothing was above her now except for the sky with its shimmering stars, also muffled, distant, and screaming in their own beautiful way. Then, through the glass, Wild gazed down at her and tapped the window.

  “People have always told me that it scares the itsy-bitsy fishies when you tap on the glass of the water tank,” said Wild. “And I’ve always responded, Why yes, that’s the point.”

  Then he slapped his palm on the window, causing an awful bang that rattled inside with M. He left his palm there, as if he were waiting for M to place her hand against his. But she didn’t. She only stared past him into the darkening space. Anger swelled inside of her. This wasn’t over. This wasn’t the end. No matter what this maniac stole from her, he would not steal her hope. And she would channel that weapon to stop him from ever seeing his plan through.

  Wild peeked over his hand and his lips cracked into a demented smile. “Sleep well, M Freeman. And when you wake up this time … Oh, I can’t lie to you after we’ve been through so much. You’re not going to wake up this time. When you see your father, tell him: Nice try.”

  M pushed herself up to the window in time to watch Wild hop into the third chamber. Bandit shut the door and threw a switch. The metal walls around her came to life, vibrating so fast that M could feel the roots of her teeth. She clenched her entire body as tight as she possibly could, trying with every last bit of energy to hold on to whatever essence in her Wild was after. Holding on to her soul.

  And then the walls stopped vibrating. It was over. M’s heavy breathing sounded metallic against the chamber walls. She could hear her heart thudding as well. It sounded ragged in her chest, fumbling and beating in a new rhythm that sounded out of time with the rest of the world. M touched her face, then her arms, and on down, making sure she was still in one piece … and not soaked up inside of Foley. Then M caught her reflection in the window. She was still herself. She closed her eyes, saying “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” over and over again, though she wasn’t sure who or what she was thanking.

  As the door opened, M’s suit suddenly sparked back to life. The heavy wires became light as air again, but she was hesitant to get out of
the chamber. Carefully, M raised herself up. Cal was climbing out of the chamber across from her and between them Bandit stood, keeping watch over Wild.

  A shaken and disoriented Cal tried to find his footing. He was woozy and could barely stand up straight. Even his suit couldn’t right him. Finally, he powered up his magblast and took aim at Bandit. “It didn’t work.”

  “It did work, Cal,” M warned as she stumbled over and batted down his arm, then swept him into a hug. She held him once again like she’d done underwater in Germany, but this time she was the one who felt like she was drowning. “It worked. It worked, but not the way Wild wanted it to work. This is Bandit’s play.”

  The night around them had become quiet. The war below was over. Footsteps carried over the gravel as Zara arrived.

  Bandit shifted to face the kids. “Don’t come over here. I don’t want you to see Foley like this.”

  “Don’t you mean Wild?” asked Cal.

  “No, I mean Foley,” Bandit said sadly. “Wild’s gone.”

  Zara’s face twisted into a quiet agony. She stepped forward, but M reached over and pulled her into a hug, holding her back from seeing Foley. M realized that Zara’s feelings for Foley had been honest and real. Zara had loved him. Zara’s arms crushed and clawed around M’s back, but instead of pushing away, M only held on to her tighter.

  Then there was a sudden kicking in M’s suit, like an itch to attack. She jerked back from Zara and turned to Bandit, who nodded a confirmation that something was wrong. “Take it off, Cal,” she demanded. “Take off your suit right now!”

  “That would be a good idea,” said Bandit. “I don’t fully understand how this contraption works, but I did my best to reset the directions. I channeled Wild into you … or rather your suits, once I’d freed up the space, so to speak. Now those suits are cursed with his ghost, and that’s a strand of evil wires that you can’t control.”