Chapter 22
Jarod was expecting the call telling him that Maddie had reached the City and took the news in his stride.
“They have entered the City and there are thousands of them Sir.”
“Tell Patrice that I want to see him in my office.”
Jarod was in a relaxed frame of mind while he waited for Patrice.
“You called for me Sir?”
“Yes it is my information that they are moving into the City. It is your job to prevent them from reaching the steps of the justice building.”
Jarod knew that his son Dylan would lead them straight to him.
“Yes sir we are ready, they will not get past the Cadets.”
Patrice was not as confident as he sounded for he had heard that the Academies would be outnumbered by 10-1.
“If they do then I will hold you personally responsible and they do not look kindly on Cadets from the 1st in Juvi.”
“I take it we have the support of the Statepol and the Chancellor?”
Jarod took the question to be a pathetic plea for assistance.
“You have my support and if you do not feel this is adequate then I can easily have you replaced.”
“Of course sir, we will not let you down.”
Jarod dismissed Patrice wishing that it was Dylan that he was sending out to face the oncoming Imp army.”
Patrice though the idea of not using the full resources of the Statepol was a mistake and he was not about to risk the 1st by committing them fully without knowing exactly what he was up against.
“As the leaders of the twenty Academies we have been tasked with stopping the Imp rabble that is moving through our City. The 1st will protect the justice building while each Academy below it will be positioned fifty yards in front of us.”
“Patrice I have heard there are thousands heading our way do you not think it wiser for the 1st to lead with all the Academies following?”
“My orders are that they are not to reach the steps of the justice building and I know that they will not get past the 1st that is even if they manage to reach us.”
The same voice came back at Patrice.
“So the 20th will be the vanguard while you skulk away at the back hoping to avoid the fight?”
“You dare to talk to me this way Mayer? When this is over I will have you brought before the Chancellor for your insolence.”
“It is interesting that you do not mention bringing this to the First Minister who I am sure would love to find out that the 1st led the attack from behind.”
Patrice would not be bullied or shamed into changing his plan.
“That is enough you have your orders and I expect you to follow them to the letter. Mayer stay behind I wish to speak to you.”
The rest of the leaders of the Academies filed, out leaving the two men alone to talk over their differences.
“Mayer we have never been friends and I know that you were friendly with Dylan but the fact is that I am leader of the 1st now and I must do what I think is best.”
This just reminded Mayer that Dylan was a much better man than Patrice and would never have hidden behind the rest of the Academies.
“Dylan would have acted differently and yes the truth is that I have more respect for him than I do for you but as leader of the 2nd I will follow the orders given to me but I will be putting in an official report that will highlight my reservations concerning your actions in this matter.”
Patrice was beginning to lose patience with the boy.
“You know that I am protected and your report will be filed away and you removed from the Capital?”
Mayer looked disgusted as he replied.
“You are lower than any Imp I have ever come across and if we lose I hope that they beat the life from your cowardly body.”
“Get out and back to your Cadets.”
“Gladly the air in here is thick with fear and it comes off of you in waves.”
Patrice would have to do something about Mayer once this was over but first he had to get through it in one piece.
Maddie and her legion of misfits entered a City of steel and glass with reflective surfaces looking back at you from every angle. In stark contrast were the older buildings and houses that varied greatly in design, the huge difference between the new glass and steel structures to that of the older more diverse buildings only added to the character of the more historical constructions.
The thing that struck Maddie hardest was how clean the City was it was almost clinical in its cleanliness a fact she found gave the Capital a particularly unwelcoming feel to it.
As they marched slowly through the mostly empty streets Maddie caught quick glimpses of isolated citizens that were brave enough to remain on the streets to watch them march through the city.
From what she could see of them Maddie saw that their clothes were better fitting than anyone she had met from outside the City and that they looked much healthier than any of the Imps that followed her.
As they journeyed deeper into the City Jinn started the Chanting.
“MADDISON, MADDISON, MADDISON, MADDISON, MADDISON, MADDISON, MADDISON.”
Even Lana who had so far refused to use the name began to chant along after a while.
Dylan was up front with Maddie and directing the way.
“We need to turn here.”
“How long before we reach the justice building?”
“An hour or more and we should be there but I don’t think we will get there without being obstructed.”
Dylan was right it was approximately half an hour later when they caught sight of the 20th waiting for them.
“Look Maddie it is the 20th they do not even respect us enough to send the 1st.”
Maddie looked at Dylan’s disappointed face.
“If they underestimate us then that is a good thing and I am sure that we will face them at some point.”
Maddie was right but Dylan could not help but feel cheated out of the prospect of going up against Patrice.
“Keep marching Maddie and we will stop inches from where they stand.”
“We should talk to them first before we do something we regret.”
“Jerome the time for talking is over and if you have not realised that yet then you should not be here.”
Maddie was beginning to get a little tired of Jerome’s interference as she looked behind her for Lana.
“Raea take care of Lana she has a tendency to get carried away with herself.”
Raea nodded and of course Lana had to have her say.
“You take care of yourself and if you don’t just remember who saved your life last time. If you are not careful I might just not be there for you this time.”
Jinn who was by Maddie’s side whispered to her.
“Don’t worry I will make sure that nothing bad happens to Lana.”
It was said with such confidence that Maddie felt greatly relieved.
“Thank you Jinn and one day she will appreciate all that you have done for us.”
They were there in front of the 20th Academy with their leader just inches away from Maddie, Dylan, Jerome and Jinn.
“You can stand down we have the numbers and you don’t really stand a chance.”
Jerome just had to try and when he received no response Maddie advanced on the 20th.
Dylan was the first to take down a Cadet quickly followed by Jerome who showed a brute strength and ferocity that was incredible.
“Keep going Maddie and whatever you do don’t stop for anything.”
Maddie continued to advance as all those around her fought to keep the Cadets away from her.
“Jerome watch your back.”
Jinn’s warning came just in time as Jerome avoided a Lektro and with one powerful blow knocked the attacking Cadet to the floor.
Dylan was going after the leader when he was put down by a crashing blow to his chest.
“Tariq help Dylan he is being over-run.”
Dylan’s
troubles gave the leader of the 20th an opportunity and he was determined to take it as he went after Maddie.
“Get to Maddison she is unprotected.”
Raea’s warning came too late as the leader of the 20th approached her freely.
“Maddie look out.”
Maddie was aware of the approaching danger and side-stepping the Lektro aimed at her breast she pulled it from his hand only to turn it back on him. The look of shock and pain on the boy’s face was not something that Maddie wanted to ever see again.
“He is down now stop worrying about me and keep on moving forward.”
Seeing Maddie put the leader of the 20th down inspired her followers and they moved on the Cadets who without their leader looked lost.
Once through the first Academy with very few losses it was Dylan who advised them not to get over-confident.
“There are more and we only made it through because of the weight of numbers but as we get closer the Academies will join together to stop us and although they are fewer they have weapons and are better trained.
“Dylan could not really understand the strategy that the Academies were deploying, if it were him in charge then they would have been led by the 1st and all came at the Imps as one.
“The ones that are not down are running back to join the next Academy.”
Jinn was the first to see the 19th and he was right those that had not been too badly injured were running back to join them.
“Then that is it we cannot let that happen again, we must assume that each Academy is lying in wait for us and so we cannot give them time to absorb the defeated Cads.”
Now that Jerome was in the fight he was not about to show the Cads any mercy and having proven what a valuable warrior he was Maddie was inclined to listen to him.
“Jerome is right we cannot pause to give them a chance to regroup this time we go on and we do not stop until we have gone through each Academy.”
It was Jinn who once again started the chanting as they marched towards the 19th.
“We have left some good people behind there and we have taken quite a few injuries.”
“That is war Maddison and it is you that wanted to take the fight to the Chancellor.”
Jerome was right though Maddie as they fought their way through Academy after Academy until they reached the 1st and Patrice.
“We have you outnumbered brother, you have no chance.”
Maddie could not believe that they were betrayed by Dylan’s own brother.
“And you blame me for Lissa’s capture when I should be blaming you for trusting your brother surely you should have known he would betray you?”
Dylan did not want to hear this from Maddie and attacked Patrice ferociously before he had a chance to surrender.
“Did you think that by betraying me our father would finally love you, haven’t you figured out yet that he is not capable of love?”
“You talk of betrayal and yet you betrayed the State your family and the Academy.”
The two brothers had trained together as boys and it was always Dylan that had excelled in the art of combat. While Patrice did not have his younger brother’s natural skill to call upon he did however have the advantage over Dylan when it came to savagery.
Using their Lektros as batons they danced around each other waiting for an opportunity to use its deadly sting.
The viciousness of the blow that caught Dylan across his shoulder almost put him down as his brother continued his assault.
“You think that is enough to finish me?”
Patrice ignored Dylan knowing that he was playing for time to launch his counter attack.
“Yes it is wise to keep silent brother for there is nothing you can say that will save you.”
Dylan was now taking the fight to Patrice and with his superior skills there could be only one outcome for Patrice.
“We should end this and you should order your Cadets to give way before anyone else gets hurt.”
Seeing that he was losing and was no match for his brother Patrice ordered his Cadets to attack.
“You are a fool Dylan even though you have come this far you should know that the Statepol will not let you win.”
The Cadets of the 1st were the best and put up a valiant struggle, if the numbers had been more equal they would certainly have beaten Maddie’s army back.
“Have you seen Patrice anywhere?”
Dylan had lost him when he had given the order for the Cadets to attack and now that they had been defeated he could not see his brother among them.
“It is over and now we must talk to the Chancellor you do see that don’t you Maddison?”
Jerome was right thought Maddie as she looked around at the carnage all around her.
“Lana where is Lana and Jinn has anyone seen Jinn?”
“Over here I am over here.”
Maddie made her way over to where she heard Lana’s voice to find her holding Jinn in her arms.
“He saved me they were coming from everywhere and he saved me.”
Lana was crying and her whole body seemed to be shaking as she held the young boy.
“He didn’t really smell Maddie, well not really bad and he shouldn’t have risked himself for me, why would he do that?”
The loss of Jinn was heart-breaking but Maddie could not mourn for him just yet.
“Raea take Lana away and look after her while Jerome and I go inside the Justice building.”
As Jerome and Maddie walked towards the Imposing steel and Glass building Dylan joined them leaving the rest of their people to chant the name.
“FOR JINN, FORJINN, FOR JINN, FOR JINN, JINN, JINN, JIN
N, JINN, JINN, JINN, JINN, JINN, JINN, JINN, JINN, JINN, JINN.”
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