gone blind forever to pull his friend back to him.
Benzai-Three took aim. Number One shouted out; Derek ran for August.
BOOOOOOOOM!
Derek jumped in front of the blast, wrapping himself around August, the two lifting off the floor, sailing through the air, crashing through the window. They landed hard on the dirt as shards of glass rained around them.
BOOM!
Derek grasped August's hand as the blast sent them sliding across the ground.
"August!"
No reply. His eyes were closed.
Derek couldn't move. He was too weak. Connor? Abbey? Where were they?
Benzai-three appeared above, hovering.
BOOM! A blast to Benzai-three's back.
" That was a warning, Hajime ," said Number One.
"Stay away from them! Or I'll...I'll kill him!" yelled Abbey. Benzai-two screamed.
"Your leader was right, little girl," said Number Three. "We don't give a damn."
"I do." The Benzai Commander charged her cannon.
Benzai-three redirected his cannon at his superior.
" You fire ," she said, " and your life is over ."
Central Command had strict policies against insubordination, considered equal to treason. Hajime, Benzai-three, had an itchy trigger finger, but concrete proof of an attack against his commanding officer in a system that worshipped hierarchy would mean execution–he'd disappear, like he had never existed.
Abbey watched the stand off, wishing she could do something: create a magnetic pulse to drain their armor of power (she should've thought of that earlier), get to Derek and August and...something. But her powers were concentrated on Benzai-two, she didn't trust he was weak enough to be released.
"I can help," he now said. "My captain wishes a calm resolution. I can help her."
Could she trust him? Would he follow his superior's orders or turn against her like his friend?
She released–Benzai-two swung his robotic arm, smashing her against the wall. She fell to the floor. Quiet.
Benzai-two aimed his cannon.
" Katsume, what are you doing? " said Number One, seeing Number Two's barrel pointed at her.
" I'm sorry, Aika. But you see this... " His cannon wavered; his legs shook. " These chikara...there are so many...they are organizing into armies. WE have to wipe them out...before it's too late. "
" Now, " said Hajime. They fired; their former leader making one last charge. The concussive blasts struck her in the chest and she flew back. She struggled to her feet...
BOOM BOOM! And she fell, helpless.
Katsume fired his cannon at Abbey, releasing a glue that bound her. They'd take her, interrogate her, find out what she knew about the chikara. Hajime snuck up behind his ally. He pushed the helmet release button, knocked off his partner's mask, and fired a light blast in his face. Katsume fell at his feet.
Rising into the air, Hajime glided out the window. Derek, nearly paralyzed from pain and fatigue, had gotten onto his knees, then staggered to his feet, now dragging August down the hill.
"Wake up, August. You gotta wake up."
August was still. He had heard his friend, his leader, but couldn't move, trapped in his own body. Physically or mentally, he couldn't reach out.
" You chikara are an infestation ."
BOOM!
Derek clung to August, they tumbled over the rocky dirt.
August was hanging by one arm, his hand in Derek's. But his other arm was dangling through the air. A sound. Crashing waves. Against rocks.
Derek looked over the cliff. He couldn't save him–August was going to die–they were going to die. Abbey? Connor? If they could have, they'd be here, fighting.
" You are a plague to humanity. But the fire of Benzaiten will cleanse the planet. "
The cannon whined: the charge built.
Instinct. The will to live. The desperation of fear. Where do we find the strength to lift cars and climb mountains when Life depends on it the most? How do we do the impossible when Crisis comes, rendering Thought useless, silent? Why does the intelligence and divinity of Intuition only come in the dark?
August rose. He looked at his body,
Benzai-Three took aim. Number One shouted out; Derek ran for August.
BOOOOOOOOM!
Derek jumped in front of the blast, wrapping himself around August, the two lifting off the floor, sailing through the air, crashing through the window. They landed hard on the dirt as shards of glass rained around them.
BOOM!
Derek grasped August's hand as the blast sent them sliding across the ground.
"August!"
No reply. His eyes were closed.
Derek couldn't move. He was too weak. Connor? Abbey? Where were they?
Benzai-three appeared above, hovering.
BOOM! A blast to Benzai-three's back.
" That was a warning, Hajime ," said Number One.
"Stay away from them! Or I'll...I'll kill him!" yelled Abbey. Benzai-two screamed.
"Your leader was right, little girl," said Number Three. "We don't give a damn."
"I do." The Benzai Commander charged her cannon.
Benzai-three redirected his cannon at his superior.
" You fire ," she said, " and your life is over ."
Central Command had strict policies against insubordination, considered equal to treason. Hajime, Benzai-three, had an itchy trigger finger, but concrete proof of an attack against his commanding officer in a system that worshipped hierarchy would mean execution–he'd disappear, like he had never existed.
Abbey watched the stand off, wishing she could do something: create a magnetic pulse to drain their armor of power (she should've thought of that earlier), get to Derek and August and...something. But her powers were concentrated on Benzai-two, she didn't trust he was weak enough to be released.
"I can help," he now said. "My captain wishes a calm resolution. I can help her."
Could she trust him? Would he follow his superior's orders or turn against her like his friend?
She released–Benzai-two swung his robotic arm, smashing her against the wall. She fell to the floor. Quiet.
Benzai-two aimed his cannon.
" Katsume, what are you doing? " said Number One, seeing Number Two's barrel pointed at her.
" I'm sorry, Aika. But you see this... " His cannon wavered; his legs shook. " These chikara...there are so many...they are organizing into armies. WE have to wipe them out...before it's too late. "
" Now, " said Hajime. They fired; their former leader making one last charge. The concussive blasts struck her in the chest and she flew back. She struggled to her feet...
BOOM BOOM! And she fell, helpless.
Katsume fired his cannon at Abbey, releasing a glue that bound her. They'd take her, interrogate her, find out what she knew about the chikara. Hajime snuck up behind his ally. He pushed the helmet release button, knocked off his partner's mask, and fired a light blast in his face. Katsume fell at his feet.
Rising into the air, Hajime glided out the window. Derek, nearly paralyzed from pain and fatigue, had gotten onto his knees, then staggered to his feet, now dragging August down the hill.
"Wake up, August. You gotta wake up."
August was still. He had heard his friend, his leader, but couldn't move, trapped in his own body. Physically or mentally, he couldn't reach out.
" You chikara are an infestation ."
BOOM!
Derek clung to August, they tumbled over the rocky dirt.
August was hanging by one arm, his hand in Derek's. But his other arm was dangling through the air. A sound. Crashing waves. Against rocks.
Derek looked over the cliff. He couldn't save him–August was going to die–they were going to die. Abbey? Connor? If they could have, they'd be here, fighting.
" You are a plague to humanity. But the fire of Benzaiten will cleanse the planet. "
The cannon whined: the charge built.
Instinct. The will to live. The desperation of fear. Where do we find the strength to lift cars and climb mountains when Life depends on it the most? How do we do the impossible when Crisis comes, rendering Thought useless, silent? Why does the intelligence and divinity of Intuition only come in the dark?
August rose. He looked at his body,
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