The Black

by D. J. MacHale

  That couldn't end.

  I couldn't let it end.

  "Stay here," I said to Maggie. "Do not leave this vision." I looked to Gramps and added, "You should go to your own vision too, Gramps. It's where you belong."

  "No. I'm just as responsible for what happened as you."

  "No, you're not. You're responsible for yourself. You both are."

  "What are you going to do, Cooper?" Maggie asked.

  I shrugged. "Same thing I always do. I'm gonna look for some trouble."

  "Coop, wait," Maggie called.

  Too late. I had stepped out of her vision and returned to Ree's vision. Within seconds I was in the main concourse of Grand Central Terminal . . .

  . . . and found myself in the middle of an army of Guardians. Each one was armed, many with black swords. They had formed a circle around the information booth, ready to defend the Rift.

  I was their first victim. I got whacked on the side of the head by the back of somebody's fist, and kicked in the gut by somebody else. I went down and covered up in the fetal position, ready to get the stomping I deserved. If I hadn't stolen the crucible, they wouldn't have been assembled there to defend the Rift. I actually hoped that they wanted to pound me. I'd rather have taken a beating than get skewered by one of those black swords, which would end any chance I had of redeeming myself.

  I covered my head and braced for the pain. Nothing happened. I took a tentative peek over my arm to see that Adeipho was looming over me.

  "I should destroy you," he growled.

  I didn't say anything. It would only make things worse, if that was even possible.

  "Once again you have been spared by Ree," he added. "Get up."

  I slowly got to my feet, trying hard not to wince from the pain.

  "I really am on your side," I said.

  "You have an odd way of showing that," Adeipho replied, and waved for me to walk.

  I passed through the sea of assembled Guardians. None said a word as I went by, but all eyes were on me. It was like having a hundred lasers burning into my head. That's the kind of hatred these spirits had for me. I wanted to stop and plead my case, tell them that I did what I thought was best to protect the Light. But the truth was, what I thought should happen was that they should battle Damon and his soldiers. What right did I have to volunteer them to fight? Win or lose, many of these spirits would be destroyed in battle, and that would be because of me. My actions would condemn them to oblivion.

  No wonder they hated me.

  We were headed toward the east side of the concourse and the giant Kodak photo of the pastoral countryside. A large section of the giant photograph was torn down to reveal stairs that led up to a landing. There was also a long horizontal gash cut through the image of the meadow above our heads. I followed Adeipho up the stairs and to the landing, where Ree was waiting for me. She stood looking out through the jagged gash. The damage now made sense. The hole was there so that the concourse and information booth could be observed from the landing.

  "Are you all right?" she asked.

  "I'm still here, so I guess I'm fine."

  "The Guardians want to destroy you," she said with no emotion.

  "I don't blame them."

  "Then, why did you come back?"

  "I want to help."

  "You have done enough already," Adeipho bellowed. Ree lifted her hand to quiet him. She was definitely back in charge.

  "You aren't a warrior, Coop."

  "Neither are a lot of those Guardians," I said, gesturing through the gash in the photo to the crowd below.

  Ree said, "You're wrong. They're prepared for this. Adeipho has seen to that. They can all use swords and the simple weapons we've gathered. I know you can fight, Coop, but this is different."

  "I don't want to defend the Rift with the Guardians," I said.

  "So, then, why are you here?" Adeipho asked.

  "I want to hunt down the poleax. If I can find it, I can bring it back here and hand it over to you. I still think you guys are going to stop Damon, but unless you destroy him for good, he's going to do everything he can in the Light, as a spirit, to find his weapon. He'll probably go after Marsh again. Maybe even that Ennis guy. The only way we can make sure that Damon never gets it, is to get it first . . . and destroy it."

  "That is insanity," Adeipho said to Ree. "No one should be entrusted with that evil weapon, let alone someone who has already betrayed us."

  "I didn't betray you!" I snapped at Adeipho. "I was trying to protect my friend."

  "You were trying to get your life back," Adeipho said with disdain. "I heard of the bargain you made with Damon."

  "The only way to stop him is to destroy him," I said.

  "And now you've got the chance. Or maybe you're not up to this fight?"

  Adeipho took a step toward me. He wanted to have it out right there. I turned sideways, ready to defend myself, but Ree stepped between the two of us.

  "Stop," she commanded.

  "Cooper is not our enemy," she said to Adeipho. "But he's headstrong and doesn't always value opinions that aren't his."

  I wanted to argue with that, but she was right.

  "And how do you intend to find it?" Ree asked me. "You don't have the same abilities in the Light that Damon has, and he hasn't had any luck finding the poleax."

  I swallowed hard and took a breath. I knew that what I was going to suggest was going to be a problem, but I had to go for it.

  "You're right," I said. "I can't do what Damon can . . . unless I go back to the Light through the Rift."

  "No!" Adeipho shouted. "You just want your worthless life back!" He made a move to go for me again but Ree stopped him.

  I said, "It's the only way we can find the poleax before Damon. Come with me if you want."

  "Neither of you are going," Ree declared. "It goes against every law of nature."

  "So what!" I exclaimed. "What would happen? Would the Watchers throw me into the Blood? I'm probably headed there anyway. But what'll they do if Damon wins and marches his army through the Rift? Will the mighty Watchers finally step up and do something about him? By then it would be too late."

  Ree looked to Adeipho. He didn't offer an opinion.

  I continued, "Wouldn't we be doing humanity a huge favor by destroying the poleax? If I don't find it, we'll be no worse off and the only one who suffers for it will be me. But if I do find it, and it stops Damon for good, don't you think it would be worth it?"

  Ree didn't take her eyes off me. I had given her plenty to think about. Even Adeipho couldn't argue with my logic.

  I added, "The best thing that could happen is that Damon attacks the Rift and you guys destroy him and every last one of his soldiers. That's what I believe is going to happen. But if it doesn't and Damon walks away from this battle, he's going to find some other way to get the poleax. You can bet on that. I say we get it first."

  The quiet of the empty terminal was broken by the sound of something mechanical. Ree heard it first and looked up with curiosity.

  "What is that?" Adeipho asked while straining to listen. The grinding mechanical sound grew louder.

  Or closer.

  "I don't know," Ree said.

  The three of us looked down from the landing to the concourse. The Guardians had heard it too. They glanced around in confusion to see . . . nothing. Yet the sound grew. It was a squealing metallic sound like I had never heard before.

  Ree looked to Adeipho with concern and asked, "Is it Damon?"

  Adeipho didn't have the answer, but he didn't take any chances. He leaned out of the hole in the photo and bellowed, "Prepare for the attack!"

  Hundreds of Guardians scrambled to assigned positions. "It's coming from the other side of the terminal," I declared.

  All eyes went to the landing that was directly across from us. It was a mirror image of the landing we were on, though it wasn't covered by a massive photo. It was wide open and led to a series of doors that opened out onto the street. A shadow lo
omed from outside that could be seen through the glass doors.

  "He's coming," Ree whispered.

  Boom! The shadow crashed through the doors, filling the concourse with the sound of grinding wheels and a powerful engine.

  "What is it?" Adeipho asked, stunned.

  The dark form rolled over the smashed doors, moving closer, revealing itself.

  "It's a tank," I said. "An old one. Maybe from World War I."

  The mottled brown machine moved forward on treads until it reached the edge of the landing, directly across from us, overlooking the concourse.

  The Guardians braced for an attack, though I can't believe they were prepared for anything like this.

  The turret on top of the tank began to spin, revealing the long barrel of a cannon. It rotated 180 degrees from pointing back to pointing front.

  Directly at us.

  The wide barrel locked into position.

  The battle for the Rift was about to begin.

  27

  "Look out!" I screamed, and dove at Ree.

  An instant later the thunder from the tank's gun echoed throughout the terminal. I knocked her to the ground as the shell tore into the wall behind us. It exploded, sending a mass of broken glass and splintered wood across the platform and down onto our heads.

  I was on top of Ree and got hit with the bulk of the debris but wasn't hurt.

  "How is that possible?" I asked, breathless. "This is a vision. It isn't real."

  "But it is real," Ree said. "As real as we imagined it would be."

  I crawled across the floor to peek out over the concourse. The cannon on the tank was still aimed directly at our platform, over the heads of the Guardians below. There was no way to tell when it would fire again. The tank itself was an antique, but it had plenty of firepower.

  "Where did he get that?" I asked.

  Adeipho joined me, also keeping low. "Damon has gathered spirits from many different times. As have we."

  "Do your spirits have tanks?" I asked.

  Adeipho's silence was his answer.

  Looking down on the concourse I saw the extent of the Guardians plan to defend the Rift. They had the information booth surrounded, twenty deep. Most of the spirits had swords and rifles but those weapons would only cause temporary damage. The weapons that would ultimately be needed for the defense of the Rift were the black swords. The Guardians with those weapons were the last line of defense. They formed the tightest circle around the information booth.

  I couldn't help but think that they were all there because of me. I hoped I was right about Adeipho's Guardians being able to turn back Damon's soldiers. Seeing that the other side had a tank made me a little less confident. Damon might never have led his men into battle, but he was also supposed to be a brilliant tactician. We were about to find out just how good he was.

  "Our plan is to repel the attack and send them out of this vision without having to use the spirit-killing weapons," Adeipho explained. "We do not want to destroy spirits if it is not necessary."

  "Something tells me Damon's guys aren't as worried about that as you are," I said.

  A high-pitched whine started to build, as if a swarm of angry bees was descending on the terminal. From the look on Adeipho's face, he had no idea what it was. Ree joined us and looked out over the concourse.

  "I'm afraid that tank isn't the only weapon they've brought," she said.

  The whine grew louder and several motorcycles crashed in through the destroyed doors on the opposite landing. The riders blasted over the remains of the doors, rode past the tank, and bounced down the stairs to the floor of the concourse. It was like a macabre X Games stunt, but they weren't riding for show. Strapped to their waists were black swords.

  "They're leading with the big guns," I said. "Are your guys good enough to protect themselves?"

  Adeipho's answer was to jump up and run for the stairs. He wanted to be in the fight. But as soon as he stood up—BOOM! The cannon fired again. Ree and I jumped out of the way as the spot where we'd been hiding erupted.

  "You okay?" I asked.

  Ree looked dazed but she wasn't hurt.

  "They're trying to pin us down here," she said.

  I looked around for Adeipho, but he was gone. I risked looking out of the destroyed picture and saw him charge down onto the concourse floor with his black sword drawn.

  The bikers hit the concourse with their own black swords out and swinging. The Guardians were ready for them. Instead of attacking they held back and defended themselves. Many had ancient shields of hammered metal or course wood. As low-tech as they were, they worked. So long as they kept the black swords away from their bodies, those weapons were no more dangerous than an ordinary sword. I counted eight motorcycles that circled the crowd, trying to pick off any Guardians who were unlucky enough to give them a clear shot. The Guardians kept tight, not giving them an opening.

  That changed when a bold Guardian rushed out to try and take down one of the bikers. He ran up from behind with his regular metal sword out. It wouldn't have killed the biker, but if he could unseat him, another Guardian could come up and finish him off with a black sword. But the brave spirit wasn't quick enough. The biker lashed back with his black sword, and with one quick swipe the Guardian froze and disappeared in a dark cloud.

  Damon's soldiers had drawn first blood, or whatever it's called when a spirit is killed.

  "They're testing our defenses," Ree said. "Trying to soften us up."

  "But most of those weapons won't do any real damage, right? I mean, a spirit could take a direct shot from that cannon and still be okay."

  "True, but the visions hold true to the laws of nature." She picked up a chunk of marble that had been blown apart when the first shell had hit and said, "We perceive this matter as being real, so it is."

  "Will everything be repaired when it's over?" I asked.

  She gave me a sad smile and a shrug. "I don't know. We've never been through something like this before. Let's just hope we get the chance to find out."

  Adeipho launched himself from a counter in front of the ticket booths and tackled one of the bikers. They both fell to the floor as the bike crashed and spun away. Adeipho's sword was out and with one quick thrust, the biker was gone.

  So much for trying not to destroy spirits.

  The other seven bikers continued to circle the Guardians. It looked to me like Adeipho's plan to keep the black swords on the inside was a mistake because without them in front, the bikers were able to keep the Guardians tight together. They looked like a flock of sheep being herded by a group of aggressive dogs.

  The third wave of attackers arrived. They were dressed as old-time soldiers, maybe from World War II. I thought I recognized German uniforms from movies I'd seen, but it was a mix of a lot of different styles. These soldiers ran in through the shattered doors and up to the edge of the landing. Without hesitation they started lobbing what appeared to be small rocks at the Guardians below.

  "Uh-oh," I whispered.

  I'd seen enough war movies to know what was coming. The stones weren't stones. They were hand grenades. The small weapons hit and exploded on impact, tearing up the floor and spewing smoke and marble everywhere. Several Guardians were hit and knocked down by the concussion, but they weren't killed. Or even injured. The grenades were powerful, but they were still regular old grenades.

  "Why are they bothering?" I asked.

  "To cause confusion," Ree answered. "And to break us apart. Spirits can still feel pain."

  Several more grenades were tossed at the group, sending bodies flying. They even knocked down a few of their own guys on the bikes. No sooner did these bikers hit the ground than they were grabbed and dragged into the sea of Guardians. They were pulled deep within the ranks, where the black swords were waiting.

  Damon's soldiers were causing a lot of damage, but it was the Guardians who were knocking off spirits. It made me think that Adeipho's defense might have been pretty smart after all. Things lo
oked even better after a new team of Guardians arrived, running from the large doors to our right that led to the train tracks.

  "Archers," Ree explained. "We have some tricks of our own."

  The new Guardians fanned out along the wall leading to the tracks, each kneeling and drawing their bow. I didn't think that arrows would do much damage, until they let loose and hit their targets. These weren't ordinary arrows. They were fitted with some kind of explosive tips. Wherever they hit, a small explosion erupted. The arrows blew out huge chunks of marble railing along the landing, driving the soldiers back to the doors. Some were hit dead-on and I saw their bodies explode.

  "That won't destroy them," Ree said. "They'll be back." I had to keep reminding myself that these weren't real people. They were spirits.

  "But if you don't destroy them, they'll just keep coming," I pointed out.

  And they did. As the World War II soldiers retreated, they were replaced by a dozen more soldiers on horseback, each wielding a black sword. Most were dressed in armor, looking like avenging knights bent on causing as much destruction as possible. They expertly rode their horses down the stairs to the floor of the concourse, and charged into the sea of Guardians.

  It was a slaughter. The Guardians on the ground swung at them with their swords and clubs but they did little or no damage. The riders, on the other hand, had the killer swords. They slashed at the Guardians, who tried to fend off the blows, and they did, but not often enough. One by one the Guardians started disappearing. They fought valiantly, and might have done okay if the riders had normal weapons.

  "This is horrible," I said. "Adeipho has to get those black swords up front."

  Adeipho was too busy to notice. He was the only Guardian doing any real damage to the invaders. He started going after the horseback riders, and succeeded in destroying several of them. But there were too many. The attackers were methodically wiping out row after row of Guardians, driving closer and closer to the information booth. To the Rift. Once they reached the circle of Guardians who were armed with the killer swords, it would be a fair fight, but at what cost? As each Guardian disappeared, I was witnessing the end of a life. Forever.