Chapter 25 [Never Gonna Be Alone]

Pisces 6/2261 2:01

My shoulder reduced itself to a constant throbbing. I avoided checking the wound, knowing it would make it hurt even more. The trees seemed to press around us. I kept reaching for my knife, forgetting it was gone.

"I'm sorry for losing your knife," Hailee said, her voice small. I shrugged, keeping my face frozen. "I know you're upset."

"I'm fine, kid." I lied. A bitter taste filled my mouth. "It was just a knife."

I licked my lips. I made sure to hide my face from them.

"How's your arm?" Greflin asked.

"Fine."

"You sure?"

"Shut it, Greflin," I warned. I raised my gaze to the sky and sighed. "Are we almost there, Hail?"

"Yes." her voice so tiny I almost didn't hear it. She ran up beside me. "This way."

She turned sharply and led me to a large tree. I looked up at it, perplexed. Legend stood beside me, his head tilted.

"Nice tree." I finally said. I glanced at Hailee in question. She stood beside Greflin, rubbing her arm. "Is there a point to it?"

"Yes." She strode past me and jumped up. She grabbed the lowest branch and hung from it. "Uh... I'm too light. Jade?"

"Alright." I handed my sidearm to my Legend and walked over. I braced myself for the pain before jumping up and catching the branch. I twisted my body to hook my legs over it. I hung upside down for a moment. Hailee and I hung together. Then the branch shifted down a few inches. I twisted and saw the trunk open into a wide doorway. "Uh... secret passage. Cool."

My Legend walked over and put an arm under my back. With his help, I swung back to the ground without too much pain. Even with his help, my shoulder burned. I gave Legend a thankful nod. He bowed his head and held out my gun. I took it back, turning to face Hailee. She stared at the opening in the trunk.

"This is what I think they are after." Hailee started down the stairs. I glanced at Greflin and my Legend before following. At the bottom of the stairs glowed a soft white light. "We call it the Tree Core."

"Shit." I breathed. We entered a large room with a massive cylinder from the floor to the ceiling. Pipes ran from the top and into the ground above us. "What is it?"

"The Tree Core," Hailee repeated. I rolled my eyes and glanced at Greflin. He strode over to it and knelt at its side. Legend took to standing by the entrance to keep watch. I went around the other side and stared at what appeared to be a control panel.

"I got nothing." Greflin shrugged. He walked over and looked at the panel. "A control panel? So it does something."

"Yeah." I nodded. I knelt at the base and looked at the glowing lines running up it. Multi-Coloured nets covered the dark blue shell. "It's electric or something."

"Nano shock electricity." Greflin corrected. I stood and walked to him, peering at the panel. He had something pulled up in a language I didn't know.

"You can read this?" I asked. He frowned at me.

"You can't? It's a dialect similar to what the Norns use." He said. I flinched and peered at it even more. I kinda got it. I recognized one word. Tech.

"I never learned to read it. Just speak it." I shrugged. I wasn't there enough to learn anything. I barely even spoke the language.

"You never went to your grandmothers?" Greflin asked. I hit his arm with the back of my hand.

"Shut it," I warned. Greflin rubbed his arm and glared at me. "What does this thing do?"

"Uhhh..." Greflin typed something on the panel. The screen flashed before the letters changed from Norian to Lexian.

Jerka ai talili via.

I bit my lip and stared at the new characters. Via meant life. Ai said all but the rest I wasn't sure about.

"Okay, this is really far from the Norns. Something, all, something, life." Greflin read out loud. I glanced at him and frowned.

"Helpful." I moaned. Greflin shrugged. I stood with a sigh and studied the screen. "Here, I know someone."

I opened my bracelet and tapped on Cleo's icon. The icon blinked at me. It took a few moments before connecting. The screen expanded to show Cleo rubbed her face and blinked tiredly at me.

"Nightmare, it is two in the morning." Cleo groaned. "What is it?"

"Sorry, I need your intelligence," I said. I spun the screen around, so Cleo saw the Core Tree. "They call it the Core Tree. It's powered by Nano shock electricity. It's some sort of ancient Norns language."

"Sounds interesting." Cleo ruffled her hair and stood. "Let me see the panel."

I knelt beside Greflin again and held my wrist up. Cleo stared at it, her left eye glowing pink.

"Her eye glows?" Hailee whispered. I'd almost forgotten that she was there. I glanced at her and held a finger to my lips. Cleo frowned and began muttering to herself.

"Nano shock? Dude, humans have only been researching Nano shock for ten years. Advanced Nanotech for a hundred years." Cleo told me. I turned the screen back and tilted my head at her. "This is a hundred years, maybe more, advanced than what we have."

"So it ain't human," I noted. Cleo nodded. "Legion?"

"Maybe." Cleo sighed. "Unless I'm there, I can't help you anymore."

"Once I'm done, I'll request to send you over here." I decided. Cleo nodded and smiled. "See you soon."

"See ya." Cleo hung up. I tapped my bracelet close and turned to Hailee.

"Anything else you feel the need to share?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at her. She whimpered quietly and took a step back. I blinked in confusion. Right. Reaper said his parents were abusive. I softened my gaze and forced a small smile. "Hail, I'm not gonna hurt you. I just need to know."

"Right." Hailee shook her head. "Um... It was on the planet when we found it a hundred years ago. When it was found, there is a legend that a god told us the code to use it."

"Great, gods," I muttered. Wait, code? To use it? "Who knows the code?"

"Me," Hailee answered. "Just me. The last Keeper was killed in the Legion attack."

"Keeper?" Greflin asked. My Legend glanced at Hailee, then me. "What does the code do?"

"Activate it," Hailee answered.

"Which does?" I asked. Hailee shrugged. Her open and confused expression telling me she honestly didn't know. "Great. No matter what though, we can't let the Legion get control. Here or with Hailee."

"Night." a soft voice said. I turned and frowned before realizing that it was from my Legend. He was staring out the entrance. I heard Zerian hissing outside.

"Bloody hell." I breathed. "Greflin, Hail, we need to go."

I scanned the room for another exit. Hailee ran to the back and pushed a hidden button. A doorway opened in the stone wall.

"Go." I pushed Greflin forward, then Hailee. "Legend."

"Go," he commanded. His voice was soft but full of power. "Protect Hailee."

"Ethan, this is not the time to play the hero." I snapped. "Move!"

"Go, Jade!" He snapped. My eyes widened, and I took a step back. I heard something in his voice. I didn't know it, but it was like a strain. He used my real name. Not NightStorm. Jade. Fire shot through my chest. I turned and ran after Hailee and Greflin. The opening left us in the middle of the forest. Greflin sprinted through the trees with Hailee steps behind him.

Gunshots rang through the air. I froze, spinning to face where we came from. Greflin skidded to a stop, catching Hailee before she ran past him. He stared at me.

"Ryder, what are you doing?" He asked. I stared through the trees, then back at Greflin. I opened my mouth before closing it. More gunshots. It had to be a large team. He can't handle them alone. Even as a Legend, he wasn't strong enough.

"I can't leave him." I realized. I didn't even notice my own voice. I glanced at the ground and shook my head. The mission. Don't forget the purpose, you idiot. Protect Hailee. Protect the code. "Gref..."

"Go. I'll protect Hailee." Greflin promised. "She'll be safe in the Heretics."

"I know." I forced a smile. "Thank you."

"Go save him, Jade." Hailee smiled. I chuckled and shook my head.

"Damn Empaths," I said. The pair grinned at me. Greflin turned Hailee away before leading her into the trees. Once they were gone, I turned in the direction of the gunshots. I pulled my mask from my pocket and over my mouth and nose. A cold silence rang through my body. I knew this. My body knew this. My mind silenced, allowing instinct to take over.

My strides ate up the ground without using energy. I drew my sidearm in my left hand and knife in my right. I got to the cavern.

The Zerians had their backs to me. All of them firing at my Legend. I saw an energy bullet hit him in the shoulder. The metal plates of his suit melted from the constant hits.

I lurked in the doorway for a moment. Anger filling my system when I saw another bullet hit Ethan. I ran in. I cut off the tail of the Zerain closest to me. He hissed in pain, spinning to face me. I fired a single shot into his gaping mouth. His body fell back. I jumped back as another silver tail flashed towards my face. I took a running start, grabbing his shoulder and jumping over. I sliced through his neck as I flipped over. I kicked his body into another Zerain. I ducked through two more, slicing as I went. I spun, kicked and slipped through them until I reached my Legend.

"Hey," I said. Ethan glanced at me. He fired another round at the Zerains.

"Hailee?" he asked. I was so focused on fighting, it took a moment for me to realize he spoke.

"Safe. With Greflin." I answered. I fired two shots at the Zerains. They completely surrounded us. My breathing caught as I realized how hopelessly outnumbered we were. I stepped behind my Legend, my eyes jerking around. We were trapped. I'm running low on ammo, and he must be getting close. I lunged forward, ducking under a Zerain tail and slitting its stomach.

"You trust him?" he asked. It was hard to hear him over the sounds echoing in the cave.

"Yes," I answered. "We need to get out of here?"

"The core." He pointed out.

"Damn the core. We have the code. I'm not letting you die for some stupid religious artifact." I spun and kicked a Zerain back. Molten rock poured off my leg. I glanced down, realizing I had been cut sometime during the battle. Blood poured from my thigh. I saw a flash out of the corner of my eye. A tail flew towards me. No. The blade wasn't going for me. It was aimed at Ethan. Right for his lower back.

All the suits have a flaw. I told Vix. Between the two main plates in the lower back. A knife or something could slip through and slice through the gel and the spinal cord.

So we can't repeat that. Vix noted. I nodded my head.

If I move, it will slice through me. I'll die. If I don't, he'll die. I thought. The choice was clear. Move, idiot. I spun. Into the tail. I felt my skin rip open. My muscles tear apart. Acid from my stomach poured out. I jerked my knife, stabbing the Zerain in the chest. The movement was clumsy, but it went deep into his chest. With my free hand, I pushed it away, tearing his tail out. A scream caught in my throat. Pain. Worse than anything I had ever felt. My vision flickered white. My knees hit the ground with a soft thump. My hand went to my side on instinct.

Legend hadn't noticed yet, his attention in the Zerians. Then, there were fewer bullets raining down on us. I forced my vision to focus and saw what was happening. All the Zerains were dropping. Confusion flickered through my pain. Metal bullets ripped through the Zerians, their team was slumping like bugs. Human bullets shredded their armour. A human group stormed the entrance.

"Jay." Legend noticed me on the ground.

"I'm fine. Help them." I gasped. He knelt beside me. "I'm fine! It's just a scratch. Go!"

He stood and turned his back, firing at the remaining Zerains. I fell back. My eyes growing dark at the edges. Breath. Just breath. I pressed my hand to my side, trying to hold it shut. It was cut, clean through my side to my spine. This is going to be one hell of a scar. The thought was useless but still crossed my mind. I forced my elbow under me and sat up. I pulled the edge of my shirt up. The pain was numbing away. I stared at my side as it pulled itself shut, sealing with a thin layer of red skin. I frowned. That's impossible. How? I raised my head as the last Zerain fell. I pulled my shirt down as my Legend turned to me.

"Just a scratch," I said, holding my hand up. He took my hand, but instead of helping me up, he knelt beside me. He cupped my cheek with one hand and stared at me. "I'm fine."

The soldiers that entered stared at us. I felt my face heat up. I took Legend's hand in mine and pulled it off my cheek.

"Just a small scratch. Let me up." I said. I pushed his hands away and got my feet under me. He held out a hand to help me, but I ignored it. I stood. Fire race from my side to my heart. I nearly choked on the pain. I held my side with one hand and gritted my teeth. I managed to keep from falling over. I stood on shaky legs and met the gaze of the new soldiers. Some wore green and gold uniforms and other's wore blue and gold uniforms. Lexian and Valkyries.

"Who's in charge?" I asked. Two men stepped forward, one Lexain. I turned to the Lexain man and glanced at his name tag. Fexlain. "Care to explain the lack of contact with base?"

"Can't get any comms to work," he answered. Legend tilted his head and stiffened. He'd just seen me use mine to call Cleo. A pit opened in my gut. I glanced at my knife on the ground. Before I could lung for it, I heard a gun cocking. Right in my face. My body froze without command. The sound echoed in my ears. I raised my head. Flexlain's face was in a deep scowl, the gun inches from my face. His finger on the trigger, ready to kill me. Behind him, I saw the other soldiers watching confused. The Lexains glanced at each other. The Valkyries looked at their leader.

"Fexlain, what are you doing!" One man snapped. I glanced at his name. Stiffen. I knew that name. Butch Stiffen was an upcoming general on Valkyrie. Rumours said he would be joining the council next election. I looked back at Fexlain. Dark shadows surrounded his eyes. Then I noticed a scar on his collar. A familiar one. My lips parted, but no words came out. My own neck burned under my shirt. I knew the exact blade that caused that scar.

"How's Jefferson?" I tilted my head at Fexlain. He visibly flinched but kept the gun trained on me. "I'm certain he sent you after me. Is that why you messed with the comms, cause you knew the master would send me?"

"You think you're so clever." He growled. He spun and fired off five shots. I dove for my knife, rolling on the ground and catching it before jumping up. I held the blade up and froze when I saw the gun trained back on my face. He's drawn another sidearm and had it aimed at the other leader. Five men laid dead on the ground beside him. Legend had his gun trained on Fexlain but halted when he saw the gun in my face. Three men behind him, none Lexian. Fexlain killed all the Lexain soldiers he was with.

My side screamed in pain. Blood poured through my shirt and dripped on the ground. The sound echoed in the silent room. My breathing was getting worse. Fexlain looked at Ethan and smirked. Despite the smile, there was no giddiness or joy in his eyes. He looked tired. Like Jermia.

"Drop your gun or your girly gets metal in her brain." He ordered. Ethan lowered his head slightly. I could feel his glare through the mirrored visor. He gave a low growl before dropping the rifle. It clattered on the ground. The finality of the sound sent fear through my veins. Like I'd been sentenced to death. Something in my face must have changed. Fexlain laughed without pleasure. "Not so brave now, huh, ShadowStorm."

The name hit me like a slap. My body jerked as memories flooded my mind. Screams. Crying. Red. I swallowed as a lump formed in my throat. My eyes narrowed at Flexlain. He kept the gun trained on me while jerking the other. Three shots rang out. Two hit the men in the chest, the last in the head. All three dropped. Their bodies hit the ground with a sickening thud. Ethan and Stiffen didn't move. Stiffen stared at his dead men, his eyes wide. Fexlain aimed the gun back at Stiffen who ignored him. So many dead. All of them because of me. Anger pounded in my chest.

"Do it," I snapped. I took a step closer to the gun. I continued until the barrel was on my forehead. I stared at Flexlain. "Kill me."

"Jay," Ethan said quietly. I ignored him, my eyes locked on Fexlain.

"He has something over you, doesn't he? Your family? Love? Fear? Which is it?" I asked. Fexlain's face twitched. I'm right. Then it twisted into a snarl.

"Doesn't matter, does it?" He asked. I clenched my right hand into a fist before pointing at the ground. I prayed Ethan was watching. I kept my face cold. I slowly twisted my wrist until I pointed at Stiffen then back at the floor. I uncurled three fingers. I put one back in my fist. Then the second. Finally, the last one.

At the same time, I lunged at Flexlain, our bodies crashed to the floor. A large shadow bolted past me. I rolled to the side, away from Flexlain. Flexlain scrambled to his feet and raised his guns.

Blood poured from my side and shoulder. My head felt too light. It was getting harder to focus. Hard to think. I forced the feeling away, willing my brain to pay attention. A gun went off. I heard a sharp ping as it bounced off Ethan's armour. I raised a foot and kicked at Fexlain's knee. A crack echoed in my ears. Then screaming. Fexlain's knee shattered inward. I caught Fexlain's other arm and twisted it until it snapped as well. My body moved without thought. A single thought in my mind. Stop Flexlain. He crumpled to the ground. I stood over him, my knife aimed at his head.

"Ethan?" I turned immediately to look at him. He was kneeling on the ground. Stiffen stared at me, his eyes wide.

"How did you..." Stiffen whispered. He stared at Fexlain's crumpled form. "You're not... no one should..."

I knew that look. Fear, disgust, hatred, anger... I saw it any time I fought. The way I fought was brutal and fast. Disabling but not deadly. Some people tend to think that's worse than just straight up killing someone. I fearful looked at Ethan as he stood. Don't hate me. Don't hate me. Please. I met his gaze. My wide-eyed reflection stared back at me. My own fear in my eye. I jerked my eyes away. I stared at my hands. I" d always had thin hands. Delicate hands as Nati puts it. My black gloves felt sticky with blood. My blood. I suddenly became aware of the blood dripping on the floor.

"We need to get out of here..." I whispered. I looked at all the bodies around us. Human and Legion Fexlain moaned on the ground. I bowed my head. "I'll... uh... call Jermia."

I turned and walked up the entrance. Outside I took a shaky breath. So many people dead, because of me. I covered my face with both hands. I took a deep breath before uncovering my face and calling Jermia. He answered on the second ring.

"Yes, NightSto— Oh my gods, what happened to you." He gasped. I could only imagine how I looked. Blood on my face, a cut on my forehead that was surrounded by bruises. My hair was messy and mated.

"I need another Lexain team here to guard something called the Tree Core. I'm certain that is what the Legion are after. And we need a body pick-up and an arrest." I said. Everything in my body hurt. From the acid burning my wounds to the cold air on my skin. "I'm calling Rave to pick up Ethan, me and a man named Stiffen along with arresting a soldier called Fexlain."

"Fexlain?" Jermia asked. "Why?"

"He just killed ten soldiers and attempted to kill me," I answered shortly. Jermia froze. His face turned blank. "I'll be home soon."

"Alright," Jermia answered. His voice was soft. "I'll update Lily."

"Sure." I nodded. I cut off our communication and called Raven. After telling her to pick us up, I closed my bracelet. My eyes fell, unseeing, on a tree in front of me.

"Ms. Storm? Are you alright?" Stiffen asked. I glanced at him. He touched his cheek, gesturing for me to check mine. I raised a hand and felt the warm tears on my face. I pulled off my glove and touched it again before looking at it. Pink tears, again. "There's blood in your tears. Did you hit your head?"

"This isn't related to this mission." I wiped my face with my sleeves. I pulled my glove back on and glanced around. "I'm sorry about your team. I didn't mean for—"

"I know." Stiffen cut me off. "The more famous you get, the more enemies you'll acquire."

"I'll fix this... somehow. I promise. I'll make sure the person behind this pays." I said. Stiffen stared at me. He reminded me of Jermia. Someone who had seen too much.

"Don't lose yourself in the process." Stiffen warned. I forced a bitter smile.

"Can't lose what you don't have," I answered. Stiffen frowned slightly, pity filling his sharp eyes. My Legend walked up behind me. He gave me a concerned look. Their expressions annoyed me. I turned away. "I'm fine. Knock it off."

I crossed my arms over my stomach. Hugging the growing pit in my gut. I felt like a child. Scared and uncertain.

I couldn't fix any of this. Jefferson was out of reach. The dead were dead. Hailee went with Greflin. I trembled, my eyes going to the darkening sky. I cant fix this. I cant...

Relief filled me when I heard the ship land a short distance away. Legend dragged Fexlain behind up as we walked. As soon as I got on the ship, I went to the lower level. Found an empty room. I locked the door. And passed out on a bed.