by N. Phillips
The creature must’ve read my thoughts, because it then unleashed a roar that called for reinforcements. The lesser demons surrounded me in a tight area of the room and attacked one by one. I danced around most of their strikes and combated them with a combination of light beams and chakram throws, but the Shadow had made its way toward me just as they were defeated.
With a powerful, monstrous swing that I was thankful to have avoided, the beast tore through the glass walls and continued its rampaging assault until it stopped to glare at me.
“At least you’re not a pussy like the rest of the Shadows,” I said with deep breaths and false confidence. I knew it was only a matter of time before the demon caught me; it was just too big and too strong for me to stand a chance against.
“Did you forget about me?”
Alvin appeared out of nowhere and threw a punch in my direction, but I raised my Chakram to my face and blocked the hit.
“Looks like your deal with the devil backfired,” I said with a smirk. “You and that demon share the same energy, so my weapon can resist your attacks and hurt you.”
He retreated halfway across the room with inhuman-like speed and laughed. “My, you continue to impress me at every turn, Aliyah Dawn. You are indeed special.”
“I’m not special; I’m just like everyone else. We’re all fighting for survival and living for happiness. The struggles and hardships we go through to achieve something is what builds our character. It’s what makes us who we are. We chase dreams, not have them given to us. You can’t just erase the most important process of life.”
“I see.” He walked toward me with his hands behind his back. “What a shame. I figured using the ability of a child who wishes to be invisible to the world would be beneficial. But it appears that power brought no advantages to this battle. I guess I’ll have to dispose of the boy once this is over, hm?”
“Do you hear yourself? You’re talking about killing an innocent person because he didn’t live up to your expectations. I can’t stand you and your damn god complex. You want the planet to evolve so badly that you can’t see how exploited the world already is. We’ve made everything accessible in hopes of advancing human evolution, but all we’ve done was remove our sense of wonder. I won’t allow you to take away the rest of our imagination.”
A burst of energy began flowing through my body, increasing the glow in my palm. With it, I generated a large chakram that weighed no more than my usual weapon, but it damn sure felt more powerful.
Using as much strength as I could muster, I hurled the chakram at Alvin, who appeared unfazed by the incoming attack. Unfortunately for me, he had every reason to be, because the demon stepped in and used its body to shield him from harm. My ring of light shattered into pieces, as did any hope of me winning this fight.
“You foolish girl,” Alvin shouted before summoning a torrent of water in his right hand that blasted me to the ground. The flood seemed endless as the river began to fill my nostrils and pour into my mouth.
“I’ll punish you with the ability I used to defeat your friend. Though she was strong and resistant, her burning spirit was doused by my unlimited source of power.”
I couldn’t respond to his animated narcissism even if I wanted to. My lungs had been saturated with water and my body forced to the floor by the overwhelming pressure. Without oxygen, my death was certain.
He levitated in mid-air with a current of electricity flowing from his left arm into his hand. “Ah, the dreams of flying and controlling electricity. Childish and typical, but valuable nonetheless. Why don’t we see what happens when a lethal dose of voltage comes in contact with a soaking individual.”
This was it. The end… Or so I had thought. The water evaporated at the sounds of stray voices throughout the building. It could’ve only been the cries of joy and independence from the escaped Dreamers who scampered to the exit of the laboratory.
“No… No, this can’t be happening.”
Alvin turned to the Shadow, bug-eyed. The creature backed away from him as if their blood contract had been tainted.
“Where are you going?” he questioned the beast. “What about our deal? Why won’t you assist me?”
The Mark of Sin on Alvin’s wrist disappeared, and his partnership with the Shadow was no more. He tried to speed toward the demon and beg for power, but his sprinting capabilities failed as he trudged across the room.
“Why isn’t it working? Have they escaped already?”
He stood in defeat with the vanishing of the Shadow doing him no favors. “I should’ve drowned you when I had the chance.” He turned to me and plunged his arm forward in hopes of summoning a rush of water, but his hand remained dry and wrinkled. “No. My power. I don’t understand. I should’ve won.”
“It’s over, Alvin. You’re done,” I said after finally catching my breath and standing up. “The Dreamers are free; you have no power anymore.”
CHAPTER 29
With his plan terminated and the battle concluded, Alvin wailed from his loss. His irate pacing around the room was the complete opposite of the calm and stern demeanor he had always displayed.
“You have nothing left,” I mocked him even more. “Before coming here, I sent the lab’s GPS coordinates to an FBI agent who was immune to your mind controlling ability. I’m sure he’s on his way. You have no other choice but to turn yourself in.”
My words made him stop and stare with a crazed expression. “I do have something left: the destructive power of your friend. Burn in hell, Aliyah Dawn.”
A searing flame formed in his hand with enough intensity to incinerate me within seconds. With the thrust of his arm, he launched the fire in my direction, only to have it negated by a shield of flames that protected me from the blast.
Though bruised and battered, Maylene returned to action and hobbled toward him. “You’re not taking away another person I care about.”
“How naive of you,” Alvin retorted. “Have you not learned anything from our confrontation? Your fire cannot harm me because it cannot harm you. I have all of your abilities.”
To his surprise, she grinned. “Let’s find out if that’s true.”
She continued to limp forward as he unleashed a barrage of fire balls in her direction. Her flames, however, were clearly more powerful, as they repelled all of his attacks back at him.
“This is pointless,” he yelled. He marched toward her and swung a punch, only for his arm to be covered in her flames.
“Why does it burn?” he panicked. “What is happening here?”
Maylene grabbed the collar of his tuxedo with one hand and pressed her other hand against the right side of his face. Alvin hollered in pain and fell to his knees.
“What a joke,” she said, melting his skin away as he screamed louder. “You can copy my ability, but without a strong desire for the element of fire, you’re nothing more than an inferior imposter. Hell, inferior is all you’ve ever been, isn’t it? You were never respected as a scientist. A quick Google search led me to all of your failed experiments and endeavors. You’re just a piece of shit who tried to use the dreams of others to make your aspiration for power come true.”
“How dare you?” he vociferated through his torture. “You haven’t even lived half of my years. You don’t understand the torment of working hard to only achieve nothing. I saw an opportunity to become a god, and I took it. Who wouldn’t?”
“You know, maybe I don’t get it. But one thing I do know is, you won’t be living for much longer.”
She picked up a shard of glass off the floor and held it to Alvin’s throat. I shouted for her to stop just as it looked like she was going to end his life.
“Maylene, don’t kill him. If you do this, the negativity inside of you is going to erupt. It’s gonna be out of control, believe me. Please, you have to—”
“Shut up, Aliyah. You think I’m gonna let him live? This murderer needs to die, and I’m not letting you convince me otherwise. His death is something you
can’t prevent.”
“But look at what revenge is making you become. Since we’ve entered this building, you’ve massacred everyone. Those people you burned alive had families; loved ones who were waiting for them to come home tonight.”
Tears of frustration poured down her cheeks. If we’re being honest, the only reason I stopped her is because of the black, negative aura spiraling around her. If she had killed him, a powerful Shadow would’ve been born, and Maylene would have immediately been under its control.
“What about my family?” she questioned through her sniffling. “This man took them away from me. He doesn’t deserve to live, and if I don’t kill him now, he’ll repeat this stunt all over again and capture people for his slave collection.”
“He can’t. He has no power left.”
“She’s right,” Alvin admitted with a gulp and downcast eyes. “Power is all I ever needed, because it’s all she ever wanted.”
“Who are you talking about?” I asked.
“My ex-wife. I lost her to someone of a higher position. Someone with more power and respect than I could ever hope to gain without the virus. Can’t you see, Miss Dawn? No one should understand me more than you. Without the power of the virus, you would never be able to carry out your desire to free the world of its sins. No, your best efforts would be a mundane occupation with little to no results. You cannot change the world with such minimal power.”
I approached him and replied, “Yes, I can. People don’t need this virus or curse or whatever you wanna call it to achieve their dreams and make an impact in the world. We’ve done it before, haven’t we? And we’ll continue doing it once I get this city back to normal. You want more power, Alvin, but at what cost?
Destroying the foundation and structure of humanity?”
“Then what about the handicapped, hm? There are people who can see, walk, and hear now because of the virus. If you were to somehow reverse the power it grants us, how do you think that will affect those with disabilities? You would be doing the world a disservice.”
My lips sealed; I had no answer. Maylene groaned and released her grip on Alvin before shutting her eyes and turning away. I would have rejoiced had the temperature in the room not increased.
“Maylene, what are you doing?”
“Taking everything away from him,” she answered, opening her eyes to reveal the inferno that flared in her pupils. “This place is his home. His life. So I’m gonna burn it down just as he did mine.”
Her eyes flashed before the thunderous sound of explosions were heard throughout the building. The room flickered red as the conflagration muffled the alarms and fleeing workers who clamored in terror.
“My kingdom,” he cried, falling on his back and staring at the white ceiling. “My paradise. It is no more.”
“We need to go. Right now,” I insisted. “Alvin, get your ass up. Evil or not, you’re still a human being. Let’s go.”
After he got to his feet, the three of us bolted out the room and navigated through the burning laboratory. I looked around for Valeria and Tyler on my way to the exit, but the more dangerous the area became, the more I feared I wouldn’t find them.
“They probably made it out,” Maylene hollered over the booming reverberation. “Come on, we need to leave.”
I surveyed the blazing environment once more before making my way to the back of the lab. Thankfully, Ray’s minivan was stationed outside the door.
“This is the end for me,” Alvin said, standing still amid the flames to watch his utopia crumble to the ground. “There’s no place left in this world for me.”
“Hurry up and get in,” Ray said as fragments of the building exploded out to the vicinity.
“Aliyah, there’s nothing else we can do for him. We need to get in the car,” Maylene urged.
I looked at Alvin one last time before hopping in the vehicle with Maylene. Ray drove away from the calamity and sped down the road to civilization.
Did we win? If so, why did I feel so empty? Like nothing was gained and so much was lost.
“We just blew up a secret base for an evil organization that my bitchy mother happens to work for,” Ray celebrated behind the wheel. “If that doesn’t scream ‘crime-fighting vigilantes,’ I don’t know what does. We’re freaking awesome, right?”
“Says the person who wanted us to be ninjas and go in there quietly.”
He sucked his teeth at Maylene’s words. “Man, look; stealth is the best form of infiltration. Besides, all that matters is the objective is complete and we had a night to remember. We’re heroes.”
I wanted to share his enthusiasm, but the feeling of victory was absent from my heart. Tyler and Valeria were missing, and I had no idea where they were or if they even made it out.
So no, I couldn’t celebrate. Not until I found my friends.
“So, what now?” Ray asked. “When the higher members of Obsidian find out what went down tonight, do you think they’re gonna be looking for you two?”
“Let them come,” Maylene answered with her head leaning on the window. “And Aliyah, I appreciate you trying to keep my emotions in check, but you need to understand that we both have our own way of handling a situation. When I find the man who actually killed my parents, I advise you to stay as far away from me as possible, because I can’t say what I’ll do to anyone who tries to stop me from killing him, including you.”
She had fire in her eyes; she was dead serious. I said nothing in response and turned my head to look out the window. With the city lights coming into view, I pondered the fate of Valeria and Tyler and sat in silence until the vibration of my cell phone took me out of my reverie.
“Hello?” The number was private. “Who is this?”
“Grant. I had to block my number in case your phone was confiscated. Are you safe and able to meet me at a secure location?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I can meet you.” My words got the attention of Maylene and Ray. “Where do you wanna link up?”
“Come to my apartment in Riverdale. I’ll send you the full address shortly.”
When the call ended, I sat up in my seat and said to Ray, “Hey, we’re making a stop somewhere.”
“Shouldn’t I bring you two to the hospital instead?”
“I’m fine,” Maylene spat out.
“So am I. We can always see a doctor after school tomorrow. Let’s go.”
When we arrived at the location Grant texted me, he was seen standing outside of a brownstone apartment with a cigarette in his mouth. The streets were quiet and vacant, which is what you’d expect at six in the morning. But something about the secluded area felt peaceful instead of eerie or alarming.
“Check out this dude in his Men in Black outfit,” Ray mumbled, observing Grant from out the car window. “I don’t know. This looks sketchy as hell to me.”
“Yeah, like going to a stranger’s address on a creepy letter,” I joked, getting out the minivan.
Grant put out his cigarette when he saw me approaching him with my hands in my jacket pockets. The morning April weather was no joke; the sky had just begun to turn blue, and the temperature was around thirty degrees with some gusty winds here and there. I didn’t mind going to his apartment, but jeez, couldn’t we have met some place warmer?
“It’s a little late for a date, don’t you think?” I hoped my sarcasm showed. It probably did, but Grant’s cool and professional attitude wouldn’t let him admit it.
“Sorry, I’m not interested in younger women.” Ugh, of course he took me seriously. “I called you here because this is one of the few places Obsidian doesn’t have eyes.”
“And why’s that?”
“Because none of their employers live close to this residence, and most are probably still recovering from Alvin’s spell. Nice job, by the way. You and your team did good. You kids even went out with a bang.”
“Hold up; you were there?”
He chuckled. “No. Otherwise, I would’ve detained Alvin and brought him in for hi
s crimes. I saw the burning building on my way there and decided to turn back after I got in touch with you. Can you tell me the whereabouts of Alvin Steinberg?”
“I… don’t know, honestly. He escaped out the lab with us, but he didn’t get in the car. Hell, I don’t even know where my friends are.”
“I see. This is unfortunate, because not only could Alvin still be alive and on the run, but there are over forty Dreamers on the loose who know about Obsidian, with one being a member of the Black Mask who was captured by Alvin a few weeks ago.”
“So what are we supposed to do?” I asked, leaning on an iron gate with my arms crossed. “It’s obvious that the Black Mask are the ones we need to go after. And my friends are out there somewhere, too. I need to find them.”
“A search party will probably be deployed tomorrow to find the escaped Dreamers, so there’s a chance your friends will be found with them. As for the Black Mask, leave them to me and Obsidian. The cult is an elusive, crafty group that makes Alvin’s scheme for power seem like a joke. Therefore, any investigation on them is out of your hands. Just focus on keeping the Bronx safe from local Dreamers and graduating high school and college. You do that, and I can see about getting you a good position at the agency in the future. Only if you’re interested, that is.”
I leaned off the gate in shock and looked him in the eyes. His offer filled me with a strange exhilaration, as if I had found a missing piece of my life’s puzzle. I mean, me, as a badass FBI agent? The idea didn’t seem too farfetched considering what I’ve experienced all these months.
“Um, thanks, Grant. I’ll definitely consider it.”
“No problem, partner.” He looked up at the sky and exhaled. “You know, countless of people in this city are manifesting their desires right now. I feel it’s only a matter of time before the Mentifery Virus spreads outside of New York. Something has to be done before it’s too late.”
I agreed with what he said, but I had something else on my mind.