Evolve - Chapter 14 Chapter 14

We’re hiding behind a wall from gunfire.

Fortunately we Frank’s people reached us after Janice had just managed to get the video uploaded, the first cycle of play commences in around 19:00 but that’s the least of our problems as her and I and Winter who decided to come along with us need to figure a way out of a sticky situation.

Around that corner is Han and about two other dudes with guns and Jacob the necromancy type powers kid who fought Marc back in O.R’s fight cages, for now he hasn’t summoned up his ability yet and far I’ve been able to stop them from getting close by throwing out my hand and firing a few energy waves down the hallway and toward their position. They’re covering the elevator and the fire escape which were put really close to each other.

And where we are there’s no window to bust through.

“How are we getting out?” Asks Winter.

“Why exactly did you come with us?” Asks Janice

“There was shooting and he has powers, its the best bet to get out. You can take them can’t you?” Replies Winter turning to me.

“I’d love to but we didn’t come for that but I’d rather not if it can be avoided. Also quick question, how thick is that wall?” I ask

“I have no idea.” She replies looking baffled.

“Okay, the two of you stay close.” I say

They both stare at me for a moment saying nothing.

“I’m not speaking Chinese am I?”

They both shake their heads. Now for my poorly made grand plan.

First I fire a couple of energy blast waves and stop into the floor letting them spread around the corner mixing in a little augmented strength stomp, this is all in an effort to weaken the floor they walk on in the hopes it falls through when they try to adavance.

The sound of cracking and breaking concrete followed by a disappearing cry tells me it worked.

Turning on my augmented strength I couple it with energy projection again focusing on layering the energy I produce around my shoulder like armour, then run across straight at the wall I was asking about and crash into it with my strength and simultaneously letting the layer of the energy explode, my arm instantly goes numb but I break straight through making a human sized hole and emerging on the other side then breaking into a stumble start run, I take a second to look back and sure enough the girls are following running close behind.

Then something happens because why not.

Suddenly the air turns cold and the blood in my veins feels like it’s being frozen over and an unexplained fear grips me…

I’ve felt this before.

I immediately stop and look back, Jacob is floating toward us, around him is that black menacing aura as if he is made of death itself, he’s wearing that long black cloak that is in tatters hanging off his shoulders, skin see through thin like a wraith with bones visible. In his right hand he grips a black staff that has a circular end with a bit of the black mist swirling around inside. His dark massive afro and the cloak he’s wearing sway around slight as if there’s an invisible wind around him alone.

The only difference this time is that I can see his eyes, red like a burning coal, souls swirling within them.

He raises his staff and plants into the floor and almost immediately a single small ghostly head floats around the rounded tip of the staff, then a partly decayed warrior dressed in Roman style armour crawls out of the ground rapidly and immediately makes it’s way toward us.

Ghost zombies part two, only this time I get to participate… Yay.

I extend my hands and fire a blast of energy which knocks the Roman out of the air and crashing into a wall, but the Roman gets up quickly but doesn’t advance. From where Jacob’s staff is planted a black tar like substance bubbles up and begins crawling along the walls, ceiling and floor making it all darker and creepier, and its closing in on where I’m standing with the girls.

More undead ghost zombies begin crawling their way out of the now black walls and floor. Dressed in different armour from different periods of time.

They stand in a rough formation and make way as Jacob floats through them headed toward the front, his staff now in hand but as soon as he reaches the front of his undead army he plants it into the ground again. All in all its about eight of them excluding Jacob, now eight ghost heads float around the staff. From the eight that stand before me there’s a return contestant one kimono zombie armed with a katana.

“Go. Don’t stop running. Call the others they’ll get you.” I say taking a step back.

“What about you?” Asks Janice

“Someones gotta cover your escape.” I say

“Stay alive, I’ll bring them here.” Says Janice as she turns to leave with Winter. But I grab her arm.

“Don’t bring them here. If this place isn’t already crawling with WECA people it will be soon.” I say

“Your whispers are meaningless.” Says Jacob, his voice like a thousand whispers. Not eminating from him but rather from his undead warrior’s mouths. “No one leaves.”

I don’t like his tone, I need to get the girls out..

So I turn and fire an energy shot past the girls blowing the door into the next section of the hallway open and they run through just before the black tar like substance closes the hole I made. Two of the undead warriors pounce looking to go after them, they are a Viking and Persian, they are almost past me before I can react they move like fast shadows if shadows could move.

Augmenting my strength I fire a wave of energy at the Viking undead and lauch myself into the Persian undead, boosting myself with a little flight and smashing him into the wall.

Holding this ghost zombie feels like holding ice that somehow also feels like slippery goo.

He looks at me with a snarl and forearm smashes me in the face breaking free and dives through the black tar like substance and after the girls before I can do anything.

I turn to run after it but I’m caught, I can’t move my legs. Looking down at my feet I find the tar like black substance is keeping me in place, the Viking gets up to follow but I extend my arm and hit him with a constant stream of energy projection that flattens him against the wall, almost slowly pressing him into it, I can feel him try to resist.

I turn my attention back to Jacob who stands quiet with his undead warriors around him. What do I do now? I couldn’t exactly stop them getting after Janice… Failed again.

“Give up. You must know you can’t take me with no legs and one arm.” He says

“Stranger things have happened.” I say

Jacob extends his right hand signaling the start of an attack which I’m not equip for, but fortunately I might have my feet free because I’ve been vibrating as much energy as I could at my feet and now that I’m a little loose I can lift off the ground a little which I’m able to the do with a grunt but I keep my hand extended to hold the Viking in it’s place.

I’m free.

First up is kimono zombie, she moves in a zig zag motion sinking into the blackened wall one end and emerging on the other but when she gets to me to she pops right out of the floor and I’m barely able to float backwards to avoid getting my chest carved it and nearly lose grip of the Viking.

She hangs in the air which is odd because I didn’t think she could fly or levitate but then I see the footholds made from the black tar substance beneath her, she crouches sligtly before dashing forward the footholds popping up quickly to keep her above the floor and level with me.

I’m gonna need my hands. So I release the Viking for a moment blast him with a bit energy crashing him through the wall which quickly gets sealed up by the tar like substance.

Then I charge the kimono zombie head on, turning on my augmented strength I swing. And miss, then I pivote and thrust kick for her face Shawn Michaels sweet chin music style I barely graze her as she jumps to the side, but I stay relentless and fire a couple of condensed energy shots out of my palm, she responds by jumping in a corkscrew motion over me swinging her sword as she does so fast I can barely see it so I raise my hands Instinctively firing an energy wave which forces her straight into the ceiling and she sinks into it then pops up out of the ground in front of me picking herself up off the floor.

This time I anticipated that and respond by punching straight through her zombie ghost skull using augmented strength with my left hand with is covered in blood and has only three fingers…

Hang on my left hand has only three fingers, that doesn’t seem right.

I bring it to my face and yes two of my fingers got cut clean off, the pinky snd the one right next to it. Blood trickles from the bloody stumps, my whole hand is quickly looking like it took a bloodbath and that’s when the pain hits me.

But when did I get cut…. When she corkscrewed over me? That woulc make sense, I lost track of her sword movement but I can’t dwell on this right now. I need to get out before I lose more limbs because the other seven are attacking.

Moving as fast as I can I fire a series of crisscrossed energy waves, enough to cover the size of the hallway and they all hit a few deflecting off some kind of protection Jacob set up for himself.

Then I fly in the direction of the door to the next hallway and crash into the black tar substance which isn’t looking like letting me through then fire a blast of energy but still nothing.

The ghost zombies are getting up. I need to end this, at least for now.

In O.R’s cages it ended with the staff disappearing, maybe if I break it, before I lose more fingers that is or worse.

And I’m starting to feel a little light headed with the blood I’m losing.

Time for a little Reckless abandonment.

Without turning I shoot backwards towards Jacob with all the flight speed I can muster up catching him off gaurd and crash into the staff with a coating of energy around me.

The opposite of what I wanted to happen happens, the staff does break but instead of just the tar going away a massice energy surge eminates from it the moment it breaks. And it’s like a bomb just went off, everything around falls apart, debris everywhere, I’m send crashing into a wall I hit the ground and feel the building leaning to one side as it fall. My ears are ringing and my vision is blurry.

I need to get out of here.

All I hear is the sound of crunching glass and concrete as the building hits the ground, I push off ground and up with flight and also augmentation on forcing myself to go straight up and through whatever is on the way up. Pain racks my body as I break through layes of concrete and glass on my way up and out.

Before I know it I’m high up in the air, looking down at the carge of the fallen building. It’s leaning on of the buildings that’s still standing. The place is now crawling with WECA People, but what catches my eye is the glimpse of Lerato, Han, a few others from Frank’s people as they disappear with Janice and Winter. Given I just saw Lerato I’d say they obviously teleported.

The back side of my body feels wet and the shirt I’m wearing is sticking on some points, I’m guessing I’m bleeding and may or may not have a concussion with how hard my head is pounding and also I lost two fingers. I feel myself close to passing out.

I push off in the air as hard as I can and shoot across the sky, the black out.

And wake up as I’m losing altitude fast. With a hint of panic I’m back in control and land with a stumble then fall to my knees.

As my vision clears so does my mind and all the pain hits me. My hand, my head, my jacked up back and all the other cuts and injuries. The cold blowing breeze sneaks it’s way through the tears in my clothing making the wounds sting.

It’s past late afternoon, how far did I fly? Heck how did I even fly whilst knocked out for that long?

I need to call the others an——, the burner phone in my pocket vibrates. I stand slowly with a couple of winces, pull out the phone and answer it

“Terry, where are you?” Comes Carla’s voice

“I uhh…. I don’t know.” I say. Looking around

I’m standing in what looks like an events park that isn’t currently being used, there’s a small lake in the distance.

“We were at broadcasting place earlier and it’s crawling with WECA people, we thought maybe you had been taken.” she says

“I told Janice not to take you there, she should have…” Then I stop myself, “Janice didn’t make it to you did she?” I ask even though I know the answer because it’s coming back to me.

“No.. wait she isn’t with you?” Failed again. Some leader right?

“No. I barely made it out.” I say

“Where are you?” Carla asks

But I don’t respond.

“Terry?”

“Lemme talk to him,” says Marc from.the background, “dude you need to get here. Nicole can’t get a lock on you with psychic ability, Is there a lot of water near where are you?”

“I gotta go somewhere for a little bit.” I say.

I cut the call and turn off the phone then lift into the air to figure out where I am and to figure out where I wanna be next.

Then I blast off in the right direction.

Everyone goes home eventually right? Because right now for me that’s sooner than I thought it’d me. Banged up and all I’m standing at the door into my home, that is if it’s still just that. I reach for the door knob and twist.

It opens and floods the dimly lit hallway with light from the inside. I step inside and shut the door, walking down into the large open plan kitchen/living room set up. I come to a stop as I see the turned back of my mom. She has her long dreads worn down her back.

“Food will be ready soon, although you’re earlier than usual.” She says turning with a smile which all but fades as she sees me and realises that I’m obviously not dad.

We stare at each other neither moving an inch, I can’t imagine how I look right now with the dirt and the blood and missing fingers but a pair of tears roll down my cheeks because who the hell has only one tear roll down their face if they aren’t really crying.

Mom walks around the counter stands it in front of me and craddles my head like a baby as we embrace.

__________

I’m sitting quietly on the couch whilist mom finishes up bandaging up the last of my injuries, Including a bandaged head and as requested my now three fingered left hand is bandaged last.

I’ve had a change of clothes now I’m in a pair of sweatpants, a custom printed t-shirt written “rA9” all over it from the videogame Detroit: Become Human and sneakers.

Despite there being no fingers I’m feeling what I suppose they call phantom limbs but looking down at my hand the reality is I have three fingers at least I didn’t lose a thumb.

A lot of things hurt and again I really don’t know what I’m doing and as today proved…. I’m the least capable

“What’s wrong honey?” Mom asks softly breaking my slow descend into the quicksand of thought.

I sigh softly before speaking, “Did dad tell you what happened?” I don’t think I need to elaborate further than that.

“Yes I know.” She replies. “He said something about you being the leader.”

“Then you also know about the string of brutal deaths until recently too.” I say.

“Those weren’t your fault.”

“Yes they were ma, still are…. As for what’s wrong, I think it’s me. I had a plan for how we’d get out and then I got one for after we got out to somehow change things and now I’m sitting hurt again… Everyone else around me it feels like they do more whether we’re all together or on their own, all I do is get hurt,” I say pausing to look at my fingers, “now I’m back home because it’s what feels safe and I’m not even sure if I can trust you and half hoping someone busts through that door to take me to WECA.”

Mom goes silent for a moment.

“We thought we were doing what was best for you.” She says

“Did you ever know the real reason why they wanted me?”

“Experiments. You have something in your blood that makes you immune to the deterioration backlash from usage of abilities, they said they wanted to isolate that but they never said why.”

“Did you always know I wasn’t the only one?”

“Not until your father told me.”

I got silent and look around, the place is still the same. At least from the last time I was here without factoring in the Pre-coma time frame.

“It’s good to see you Terry… Bur your fingers.. these wounds, the bruises on your back what——?”

“I can’t tell you mom I just…”

“It’s okay. I mean isn’t but it’s okay,” she says sighing, “Terry you know every parent looks at their child and sees unlimited potential for greatness. If what your father said was true and you’re leading these others and seeing you with the injuries you have I would be within my rights as a mother to call WECA and have you locked away just so I know you’re not putting yourself through what it is you’re going through. But I’m not going to do that and for the life of me I don’t know why but what I will tell you is this, it’s not easy being a leader in anything but as long as the people you’re leading are with you and unwavering then you’re something right regardless of your own personal feelings or how any outsider feels.”

And this why we have moms. A smile slides across my face and I stand.

“I need to go.” I say standing. Mom stands with me then hands me a denim jacket and two bottles of pills.

“These are antibiotics and these are for pain.” She says handing me each bottle individually

I put on the jacket and stuff the pills in the inner pockets then hug mom tightly.

“I love you, mom.” I say.

“Come back home.” She says.

“I will.”

I turn and head for the door.

“Terry.” My mom calls before I shut the door. I pop my head back it and in her hands mom holds a carton of milk my favourite thing, she throws it across and I catch it both heads and smile as I shut the door and head for the fire escape. I climb over the railing and push off flying into the night air.

But then I don’t know where to go do I?

I pull out my phone switch it on, it rings as I’m scrolling for Marc’s burner phone number. It’s Nicole.

“I’m coming home but I don’t know where that is exactly, mind beaming me up some directions.” I say

“You massive asshole, do you know how worried we’ve been!? Carla and Marc went out to try and find you they just got in.” She shouts.

As she speaks my mind suddenly starts knowing where to go and in the air a misty trail appears in to my right going on and on as far as my eye can see.

“So I follow the trail then?” I ask

“Obviously. Just get here okay.” Says Nicole.

“Yeah.” I cut the call, veer right and put the proverbial pedal to the metal.

It doesn’t take too long until I reached the place, a house built atop a hill overlooking the city in the distance. I land on the otherside of the gate on decorative gravel. The house itself is built hanging over the side of hill actually, accessible by a series of stairs that lead to different individually built sections of the house. I head for the section that’s lit up down a set of steps and straight across.

The door is fog glass so I can sort of see inside heads turn as I open the door and enter and sure enough they all are, Marc’s standing the others are sitting down with Toni cross-legged on the carpet.

I gotta take a moment to appreciate this place. It’s built like a semi circle with a maroon red carpet covering every inch of the floor. Four couches are set in the center of the room with a Large cinema style screen curving across the wall starting from the floor to the ceiling on it Rick and Morty plays with the audio coming through surround sound, across one end of the room is a piano, drum set and a couple of guitars and on the other end is what looks like a small gym that overlooks a display which shows the outside.

A literal electric shock jolts through me bringing down to a knee. With a gasp I look up to find mark pointing a sparking finger at me.

“We were starting to think you had been taken back. Where the hell where you?” He asks

“For the record I was one phone call away from giving up and that’s the time I called you.” Says Nicole.

“I’m sorry,” I say with a gasp and standing, “I wasn’t thinking when I went MIA.”

“Damn right you weren’t.” Says Carla angrily.

“I’m sorry guys.” I say

They all go silent.

“It’s fine, just don’t do it again.” Says Marc

I take that as my cue to approach, I do and take a seat next to Carla who immediately takes my hand with wide eyes.

“Where the hell are your fingers?” She exclaims, the others who hadn’t noticed perk up and come to look.

“You’ve also got a head injury.” Says Toni

“That and others… My fingers were cut off by an undead warrior zombie ghost,” I say turning to Marc, “not sure if you remember Jacob but he’s joined Frank.”

“You kidding me, no one could forget that guy. He’s powerful.” Replies Marc

Toni reaches for my forehead but I back it away.

“Why?” Asks Nicole.

“It’s not that serious, I’ll be fine.” I say

“Dude, you have two missing fingers and other apparent injuries just let the kid do his thing.” Says Marc

“No, you heaid Marlea it’s a risk and seriously I will be fine it’s just…. Fingers.” I say

All three of them share a look and Nicole shrugs.

Static sounds through the surround sound catching the attention of the others and myself.

The “W” in a circle WECA logo appears on the screen and its swatted aside by hand which then sits within the circle the “W” was in with the fingers spread apart.

Oh snap it’s the video.

It plays as exactly as we all had seen it ending with static and the TV going back to playing Rick and Morty’s Get Schwifty episode.

As the video played I couldn’t help but feel proud but also sad because Janice and poor Winter who just got caught up in my mess was taken.

I pull out the phone and check the time, it’s 19:40 just as she had set it.

“The whole world saw that,” I say. Toni switches to a news channel.

A news correspondent speaks, “We aren’t sure what that quite was however according to the information I have received intial reports say that footage streamed on every device world wide and I can confirm that it did indeed on my own cellphone.”

“Terry, what happened at that broadcasting place?” Asks Carla.

So I tell them everything that happened doing my best to remember as many details as I can right down to where I last saw Janice and Winter.

“Do you have a plan to get her back?” Asks Toni

“No,” I reply hesitantly.

Carla cocks her head slightly, “We are going to get her back aren’t we?”

“Of course she’s one of us,” I say, “But we can’t be reckless, we wouldn’t just be walking into a place with a couple of monsters. They’ll have both guns and powers inside a building invisible to the outside and in all honesty all I have is a rough idea of where it is but we wouldn’t be able to see it unless they let us and there’s a very real chance that if we’re not fast enough getting to them that Frank will kill them.”

“There’s also a chance that Frank took them knowing we’d come and they could have a trap set up right now which could end with bullets in our brains.” Says Toni.

“It’s just one thing after another since I joined up with you guys isn’t it.” Says Nicole. I’m thinking she says it negatively until I catch the smile on her face.

“You don’t sound very disappointed.” Says Toni

“You kiddin’ me? This is the coolest thing that’s ever happened to me since I got powers.” She says

“So what’s the plan chief, how do we get back Janice and the other girl?” Asks Marc

“I was kinda hoping we’d do a four heads are better than one type of thing.” I reply.

“Well first things first we gotta know everything you know about where we’re going… Lemme get paper we might need drawings and stuff.” Says Carla as she stands but pauses, “By the way what’s with the milk?” She asks.

“Ohh I’m a big fan of milk.” I say opening the carton and drinking from it.