by Ross Buzzell
“Thank God!”
she exclaims as she marches over to Natalie.
“What happened?”
Natalie asks with worry filling her voice.
“Disa’ani addressed the world. In short, he said that Konner is here to destroy it and that he and Xero are trying to stop him. The news has been speculating all day and re-enforcing what Disa’ani said to the world. It’s making everything a million times worse. Riots have already started to break out.”
Natalie glances down at her arm; Konner begins to become uneasy. This move can only mean that Xero’s arrival is imminent. An idea springs into his mind as Natalie offers an idea.
“Disa’ani attacked me. He almost killed me; maybe I can go to the news station up the street and give an interview relaying the truth?”
Danielle shakes her head. She gets a glimpse of Konner, and her brow instantly furrows as she recognizes him, even through his disguise.
“It won’t help; the damage has already been done. Who’s your friend?”
Natalie takes a step back to clear a path for Konner to greet Danielle.
“This is Ryan; we met for coffee this morning.”
Konner leans forward, giving Danielle a firm handshake. Danielle grips his hand hard, even harder than Natalie did as if to scold him without actually scolding him.
“I am Ryan Burns; it is nice to meet you.”
She glances over at Natalie for a brief second.
“Danielle. It’s nice to meet you, Ryan.”
Konner can’t help but give her a playful wink.
“The pleasure is mine.”
Konner releases Danielle’s hand as Natalie chimes in again,
“Where are Emma and Doug?”
Danielle takes a step back. She speaks softly to Natalie as she does, all the while keeping a keen eye on Konner.
“Emma went on a walk and Doug went to search the public records. They need to get back here, though. Why don’t you go get Doug. I can get a hold of Emma and we will figure out our next move.”
Natalie gives a serious nod. She turns and walks up to Konner, gently placing a hand on his chest. Her light touch makes his heart begin to pound; there is no way she can’t feel it. She clearly does because she looks at his chest and smiles before gazing into his eyes.
“I have to go, but I will be back in a flash. Are you good to stay here until I get back?”
Konner, speechless, is only able to manage a nod. Her smile widens.
“Good.”
She gets on her tiptoes and kisses his cheek, her soft lips sending sparks flying through his body with more force than a Nelaka shock that rapidly consumes him. He is unable to control his smile as he feels himself actually blush for the first time in his life. Even after she pulls away, he feels her lips’ outline on his cheek as if they are still pressed against him.
“I did enjoy our date, even if it was short,”
she says as she moves past him and leaves the apartment. Konner’s eyes follow her; he turns to watch her leave. The moment the door closes, he can feel Danielle’s eyes boring holes in the back of his head.
“Ryan Burns?”
Her voice is stern and scolding. Konner shrugs as he turns back around to face her.
“Ryan was the name of my son… and I can literally burst into flames, you know.”
Danielle shakes her head.
“I like the facial hair. How’d you grow it?”
Konner approaches her and shakes his head; he gets a glimpse of his cape where Natalie left it.
“You do not want to know.”
Danielle pulls her phone from her pocket and snaps a quick picture of Konner.
“Fair enough, but now that we have a name and a face, it is time to finish your birth certificate and other legal documents.”
She begins to walk back over to her computer. Konner glances over; the TV is still on but muted. A man in a uniform with a symbol made of metal pinned to his chest sits at a desk with the words “Police chief” appearing on the screen below him.
“So he actually tried to paint me as the bad guy?”
Danielle plugs her phone in. Leaning over the computer, she begins to type away furiously, copying the picture she has just taken to a few documents, the likes of which he has never seen. She nods and continues to type while she speaks.
“Yes, he also blamed you for the Cryptea incident that destroyed an entire star system.”
Konner’s jaw instinctively clenches. Disa’ani had been there and everyone almost died that day, and he of all people knows the truth behind that travesty. Konner looks down to see a rectangular device. He had briefly seen one in use, so he reaches for it and presses the arrow facing up on the button with the symbol of a speaker. Instantly, the volume on the TV kicks in. As a man in a suit is speaking to the reporter, his voice jumps in mid-sentence.
“…and his king is here to stop this Konner character. What we need to do is first urge everyone to stay inside and to not partake in the riots that are starting to crop up. We also need to get Disa’ani and Konner Lorian into custody so that we can ask them a few questions and get this sorted out, because the last thing we need is mass panic.”
The woman behind the desk looks at the TV as if addressing Konner directly.
“Well, St. Louis, you have heard it here first at Channel…”
Konner presses the power button, which causes the screen to go black. Danielle slowly stands and turns to face Konner as if she knows what he is thinking. She shakes her head.
“Konner, don’t tell me you are even starting to consider that.”
Slowly, Konner makes his way over to his cape. His fingers feel the soft velvety Boronian fabric, the symbol of his status on his world. If he is about to do this, he will need to embrace the heritage he feels he does not deserve. He lifts the cape from its resting place; the once light material feels as if it is a thousand pounds as the responsibility that comes with wearing the cape carries immeasurable weight.
“I am the last surviving member of the house of Lorian, Danielle. It is my duty to protect my people at all cost. If I do not do this now, I will never be worthy to wear these colors or don my family crest again.”
He walks back towards Danielle, who is shaking her head, pleading for him not to.
“Konner, they will put you in a box and serve you to Xero… they will bring you to your death.”
Konner lets the cape fall in his hands. Holding the corners, he feels a chill run up his spine at the idea of dawning it once again. Nothing matters anymore, not his team, not his guilt, not even the weight of failure that he has been carrying with him. Doing what is right is the only thing that matters now, even if it costs him his life. Konner’s ring glows as his armor begins to form around him once again.
“Danielle, you know the creed my family stands by.”
The armor dances up his arm with the waves of light as he continues to speak.
“By my soul, I do swear to uphold the laws of my people, to lead them into the light and always flee treason.”
The light forms across his chest, forming into his breast plate. With a swift motion, he spins the cape over his shoulders and lets it meld with the armor.
“To protect the weak from any evil that may befall them and never commit outrage or murder. To never take up the sword for wrongful purposes or worldly goods…”
His armor finishes forming over his body as his facial hair dissipates and he feels his eyes change back to their natural, near glowing blue.
“…and to bar the path of Darkness and protect those weaker than myself to my dying breath.”
As his words leave his lips, a ripple of electric blue energy courses over his body, igniting the highlights of his armor to glow as sparks jump from his body. This causes Danielle to jump in surprise.
“There has never been a more purposeful reason in my life to take up arms, Danielle. My Emissary, please do not try to stop me.”
Danielle shies away from Konner; he can
see the guilt on her face as she wants to stop him but knows she shouldn’t; especially since it is a direct order from him. She bows slightly as she recognizes him fully now as her High Prince.
“Yes, my lord.”
Konner slowly approaches Danielle; he can sense her heartbreak at his decision. He gently places a hand on either shoulder and lifts her so she is no longer bowing. Gazing deep into her eyes, Konner shakes his head.
“You never need to bow to me, Danielle. If today goes wrong, I will entrust my ring, my armor to you. You have more Boronian in you than any of the others, and should I fall, I have no doubt that you will be able to succeed where I failed.”
Tears well up in her eyes as he speaks of his mortality. She lurches forward; throwing her arms around him, she hugs him tightly. Konner gently places his arms around her in a comforting embrace as she whispers in his ear.
“I will be by your side until the end… go, do what you must.”
She slowly releases him. He makes his way to the shattered window. Glancing back, he sees the dog on the couch and smiles. Every living thing deserves a chance at happiness, including the doggo. He looks back at Danielle, possibly for the last time.
“Tell Natalie I wish I had more time with her.”
She nods as a tear falls down her cheek. Konner leans out the window and begins to fly out over the city. This flight is not peaceful. It does not bring him any respite like the one the night before did. This one carries a weight to it, one he is unable to shake. He hopes that the men and women in charge of this city are more level headed and less of fearmongers than those who deliver the news. The soft, familiar flap of his cape fills the solemn flight, the people below pointing and yelling profanity at him.
Konner sees the police station just ahead. Not wanting to lord over them, he decides to land and walk the last half a block in. The burden that weighs within his heart is more than enough to bring him to the ground. He has faced his death before, but never like this, never potentially served up as an offering to the one who wishes him dead. His feet come in contact with the hard ground; his strides are slow and labored with the task at hand. As he approaches, he sees four peace officers standing outside the station drinking a beverage in the same kind of cup he just had earlier that morning. They are laughing and telling stories. Typically, it would be easy for him to hear them, but not now. Now his heart is pounding so hard, it is all he can hear. The sun, now high in the sky, no longer embraces him as it did that morning but rather beats down on him mercilessly.
One of the officers glances his direction and makes eye contact. At that precise moment, time nearly stops. The first peace officer drops his cup; it slowly falls to the ground, and as it hits, the lid explodes off, sending the dark coffee spewing from the cup like a geyser. Instantly, the other three swivel their heads to look at him. Fear fills their faces as they reach for their side arms, with how slow time goes, Konner can see every little detail of fear as it ripples across their faces. It breaks his heart even more to see that he elicits such a reaction. The youngest of the officers accidentally pulls the trigger to his weapon. There is a flash of light followed by a loud BANG as a cylindrical piece of metal flies from the gun directly towards Konner. He watches the projectile as it approaches with curiosity. He never encountered a weapon that fires such a small projectile. Extending his hand as the bullet gradually approaches, Konner extends his fingers and like a pebble being lazily tossed at a fortress, Konner feels the impact of the round and closes his fingers to prevent a ricochet. The bullet casing falls and bounces to a standstill. That is about the time things go back to their normal speed. Each of the officers is all yelling the same thing.
“ON THE GROUND, GET ON THE GROUND. HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEAD!”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Konner drops the projectile he just caught and falls to his knees. The armor absorbing the impact, he places his hands behind his head and interlocks his fingers. This is exactly what peace keepers instruct criminals to do across the galaxy. A little part of him finds it interesting that it is the same procedure here since Earth has no real outside influence. Two of the three officers position themselves behind him and shove him to the ground. The impact is rough and causes Konner to let out a grunt. He notices that one of the officers has their weapon aimed at his head all the while his arms are being wrenched behind his back. He does not resist and allows them to do their jobs. The youngest of the officers bends down and picks up his projectile, a look of concern on his face. The feeling of cold metal around his wrists is accompanied with rapid clicking before both wrists are clamped tightly in restraints. The officer in front of Konner keeps his gun trained on him as the other two behind him hoist him to his feet.
“Guys…”
the youngest cop calls out, holding his bullet.
“…maybe we should get more people to hold him.”
The three officers look at the projectile; he hears one of the weapons being drawn from its holster.
“Or we could just take care of him out here before we drag him in.”
Konner hears a “clank” of metal and feels slight pressure on the base of his skull; he looks over his shoulder as the blow doesn’t even move his head. The officer that first saw him holds his gun with the base facing Konner’s skull. He just tried to knock the prince out. Konner keeps his calm and speaks in a soft and even tone.
“I swear I mean you no harm. Please bring me to your boss.”
The officer in front backs up. His finger twitches on his trigger, but Konner notices he stops himself from pulling the trigger.
“Holy shit; it speaks English!”
the officer yells. Konner feels a shove come from behind him.
“Just get moving, alien. You have some questions to answer.”
With another powerful shove, the officer leads Konner towards the police station entrance.
Chapter: 18
Strategic Doug
Doug has made his way into the dusty, damp, and slightly moldy basement of city hall where the public records are kept. There is a computer upstairs that will make the arduous process significantly easier, but it would also be traceable. Using a fake name to sign in, he immediately begins to scan the file cabinets, keeping his eyes peeled for names like “public domain” “unincorporated land” or “repossessed properties.” The halogen lights flicker above his head, making it hard to stay completely focused as the strobing messes with his vision. After about ten minutes of fighting the light, Doug pulls his phone from his pocket and turns the flashlight on just to get a steady beam.
He reaches out and grasps the cold metal of the file cabinet. His thumb pulls the tab that keeps the drawer locked shut, and with a pull, the chest of useless knowledge slides open. As it reaches the apex of its withdrawal, it stops with a sudden shudder, kicking up a plume of dust so thick that as he inhales, his nose begins to itch and burn. Doug staggers back as his vision blurs a little bit behind squinted eyes. He throws his arm up, placing his elbow in front of his mouth, and with a violent jerk of his head, forward unleashes a powerful and very loud sneeze. Instantly, his vision returns to normal and the burning sensation in his nose dissipates. Doug shakes his head violently back and forth before exhaling.
“Woo, should have brought a mask,”
he says to himself before approaching the open files once again. Leaning over the dusty papers, he flips through them, which causes some more dust to sprinkle into the air. This results in another sneeze, only this time, it is directly into the files, making another huge cloud of dust erupt into his face.
“OH COME ON!”
he yells in frustration, as this time the sneeze did not do its job, causing his sinuses to burn. Before flipping a single piece of paper more, Doug grabs the collar of his shirt and places it on his nose. His fingers glide over the files, tugging at a few prospective locations. Some have been abandoned for years, others repossessed by the city or deemed uninhabitable due to contaminants, which would be an easy cleanup for them,
but they are either too central, too noticeable, or not large enough. After a few moments of searching, the damp musty air, not being filtered by his shirt like the dust is, fills his lungs with each breath.