In which Hera KO's 135

We barely had time to react to his attack. He sent volleys of arrows at us spinning through the air. I threw a shield up between him and Evelyn. He fixed me with the same annoyed glare.

"Stand aside Hera and I won't hurt you," he said, "I'm only after EvelynEnder."

I tightened my grip. "We're a package deal, fight her and your fighting me."

He tilted his head as if trying to figure me out. "Very well then," he said, he raised his hands and more and more arrows poured towards us. The shield couldn't withstand it forever.

I grabbed Evelyn's hand and teleported us the the mouth of the cave we'd been mining in. I didn't have enough energy to get us any further. The boy was looking for us now, but he'd find us soon. He always seemed to.

"He will have trouble shooting us in here, its a much tighter space with looks of cover." I told Evelyn.

She nodded, then looking slightly despaired added, "why does everyone want to kill me?"

"You must be very popular," I answered.

"I'd trade a lot to be boring again," she shook her head. Then we ran into the cave. We stuck to the bigger tunnels, heading deeper and deeper down. Just when we'd reach the room that the creeper had exploded in I heard his footsteps.

"You can run EvelynEnder but you can't hide from us," he whispered to the darkness. He knew we were near. "Give up now and we won't harm the girl with you."

Evelyn listened to him now.

"There's no reason for this to be so hard on everyone," he added soothingly. "Come to me now and everything will be okay."

"He must only know our general location," I whispered to her. Maybe he used the same thing I used to detect glitches. He looked for disturbances. As long as we stood still.

But Evelyn was inching away.

"What are you doing?" I hissed.

"He's right, you don't have to suffer," she said quietly. "You saw his powers, how would we stand much of a chance. Wherever we go they find us. It's my fault."

I looked at her in the dark. Even with her words her lip quivered slightly. She was afraid, but determined. It was true we didn't seem able to escape them, they always found us, but we were powerful too.

"No." I said, "its like I said, we're a package deal." I tried to flash a smile.

She smiled weakly back. Her eyes glowed a little.

That's when I had an idea. In the middle of this cave as a hole.

"Change of plans," I said, "go out there and surrender."

She looked almost hurt. "But you just said-"

"Don't worry I'll have your back," I grinned now. I still had a few tricks.

Some understanding entered her eyes. "Okay I trust you."

She made her eyes flare. Well I slunk off into the shadows.

"EvelynEnder," I heard him say.

"Thats not my name but yes?"

"Have you come to give up."

"Yes I have," she said, she sounded a bit to confident though. Luckily he didn't notice. I supposed it was me who made her feel so sure. That made my chest warm.

"Where is Hera?" he said.

"She ran off when you found us." Evelyn said, she was not much of an actor.

I started to creep up on them. Entity 135 was standing fairly close to the hole.

"Very well then-" he stopped in surprise as I kicked him from behind. I had poured all my strength into it and the result was quite satisfying, but also not quite what I wanted. He sailed over the hole and into the wall. When he slid down it he didn't get up.

"Was that the plan?" Evelyn said, she looked very shocked.

"Not exactly, but close enough." I shrugged, but inside I was beaming. Still had it after all.

I knelled at the boys side and put my hands on his face. The I let the code flow around me. Normally I could dissolve what ever was making a problem or rearrange it. That's what I did with run of the mill glitches. But something different was here, an essence I couldn't touch.

I looked at Evelyn. "I don't understand him. Something is off"

She nodded slightly. Then with a perplexed look on her face she said, "Take my hand and read me."

I held onto her, her code rushed by me. She was the same, some code but also something else. Something so complex I couldn't touch it.

"It's the same," I said quietly.

"He was a human then, like me." I couldn't read Evelyn's face. "Is this my future?" She wasn't asking me really.

But I bursted out with, "I wouldn't let that happen to you."

She looked deep into my eyes, "I trust you then."

Everything felt electric, I felt the urge to get closer to her. To feel her warmth, to touch her. I leaned in and she followed.

"I can't say I'm not impressed."

We both jerked away.

There was another figure in the cave. Another person hooded in white but with glowing red eyes.