Chapter Twenty-Two

Rose and Robert traded blows, Rose now only wielding one sword as she blocked and parried the many blows from Robert's double-bladed sword. Robert slashed furiously, spinning and twirling on the spot as he desperately tried to end the battle. Rose blocked another three jabs and then jumped up, kicking Robert across the face as she rose before hitting the rocky ground once more. Robert stepped, glaring at Rose, and they slowly began to pace around one another "You're lucky I haven't been training long," Rose said as they treaded a perfect circle, and kept pacing over the same line of dust they had created. "The way you're fighting it wouldn't be difficult if I had more experience." Robert let a growl escape from his throat, sounding like a caged animal as they slowly stopped pacing. "You are making a mistake," Robert replied, anger in his voice, and Rose chuckled. "The only mistake I have ever made is not killing you the very second I saw you today."

Robert dashed forwards, and Rose dashed to meet him, both their swords swinging and slashing through the air. Rose ducked and backed away as Robert spun on the spot and repeatedly slashed his sword through the air, and when he halted to face her, she locked blades with him. Robert began pushing her away, gripping the hilt of his double-bladed sword tightly as he screamed something Rose did not hear, but it was full of hatred. Rose pulled away and ducked under the sword, Robert stumbling forward, and then she kicked out behind her, hard. Her foot smashed into Robert's back, and Robert was thrown away, crashing face-first into the nearby rock wall and dropping his weapon, apparently too dazed to do anything. Rose sprinted at him from behind and swept her leg along the ground, tripping her father and sending him shattering onto the floor.

Robert looked around as though ready to spring back to his feet, but only to find Rose towering over him, her sword pointed at her father. "It is over!" Rose shouted triumphantly, victory clearly etched into her face as she stood over her now-demonic father. "It is never over," Robert whispered, and a look of confusion passed over Rose's face, as though trying to figure out what her father was saying. The silvertip of a sword pierced through Rose's right side, blood immediately spraying outward, and Rose fell to her knees, not a sound escaping her as she then fell aside, her eyes closed and looking almost peaceful. "NO!" Zack screamed as the Kernel stood over Rose's body, his sword bloodied with her blood. Zack charged, raising his sword over his shoulder, and he began hacking it through the air. The Kernel blocked and parried, his expression turning ugly as he dueled Zack.

Over at the wall, Jez still crouched by his father's side, but now watched as Zack and the Kernel traded blows, their swords scraping off one another's. "You need to help your friend," the General whispered, still alive even after being impaled with Rose's sword. "Just go!" The General insisted when Jez went to reply, and Jez sighed, picking up his golden sword from the ground and then running towards where Zack and the Kernel slashed and dashed. As Jez approached, the Kernel kicked Zack in the chest, forced him away before quickly turning to the sound of running footsteps, and blocked a slash from Jez. Jez ducked as the Kernel struck back, the latter expertly striking and twisting his sword forwards, instantly forcing Jez into a defensive position. The Kernel forced Jez back, sword slashing and whistling through the air as Jez barely blocked.

Jez spun around the Kernel and stabbed forwards, only for the Kernel to block, force both their swords upwards, and then he grabbed the front of Jez's shirt with his left fist. "Don't hurt yourself," the Kernel muttered, and then he shoved Jez back. Jez's foot slipped over the edge, where Robert had been lying in the pool below, and he toppled backward, disappearing from sight. The Kernel turned to the sound of running footsteps yet again, only to find the General with Rose's sword in hand, having just pulled it from his own chest, slashing at him. The tip of the sword drew blood from the Kernel's cheek, and even the General looked surprised he had just attacked a member of his failing army. The General held his ground as the Kernel stepped forwards, and when he jabbed his sword forward the Kernel knocked it aside almost lazily and stabbed his own sword, piercing it through the General's heart.

Blood dripped from the General's mouth as he stared at the Kernel in apparent shock, and he fell back, sprawling onto the rock surface and moving no more. The General was dead. The Kernel looked down at the man he had killed, sighed, and did no more as Zack suddenly tackled him around the middle, sending the Kernel off the edge and into the pool below, where Jez was apparently just getting to his feet. The Kernel withdrew a gun from his back pocket, but Jez ran forward and launched himself at the Kernel, sending both of them onto the soaked rocks as the gun flew away. Jez got to his feet quickly as the Kernel pushed himself up, and then Jez ran forwards, but the Kernel stood tall. The Kernel waited and punched with his right fist, but Jez moved aside, dodging the blow and using his left fist to uppercut the Kernel's face.

The Kernel arched back, raised both his arms, and brought them crashing down onto Jez's head, temporarily stunning the teenager. Jez took a step forward and punched with his right fist, only for the Kernel to block it and ram his head forwards, smashing it against Jez's. Jez stumbled back, regained his footing, and yet again advanced. The Kernel punched as Jez ducked, the fist sailing over Jez's head, and Jez came back up to punch the Kernel across the face and then land a fist against his gut. The Kernel grunted, punched Jez twice in the chest, and then drew his left fist back, ready to strike Jez straight in the side of the head. The blow would be fatal. Jez instinctively kicked out, the force of the foot sending the Kernel flying back and rolling along with the low pool.

Just beneath the water's surface, he saw his shiny silver gun, and he grabbed it before getting to his feet and spinning around to face Jez, making sure it was loaded as Jez stood still, the soldier not knowing what to do. As the Kernel slowly slid his finger over the trigger, he was knocked aside as Zack tackled him from above, both of them also hit the pool. Zack rolled to his feet easily as the Kernel rose, and he darted forwards. The Kernel punched several times, forcing Zack to block as the Kernel's fists struck against his forearms. The Kernel growled, shoved Zack back, but Zack planted his foot into the ground, turned away, and then turned back, delivering a crushing blow to the Kernel's stomach. The Kernel swayed on the edge of the pool, only tiny pools stretching into the chasm below before erupting into a waterfall.

The Kernel raised his right fist, looked down, and realized his gun was gone. He looked around desperately, and found it, right in Jez's hands! "This...is...for...Zara!" Jez shouted slowly, raising the gun to chest height, and then a bang erupted. The Kernel gasped, blood squirting and then pouring from a wound in his chest. The Kernel's lips twitched upward for a split second, and then he fell back, bouncing off the mini pools below before disappearing completely into the waterfall. Panting, Jez and Zack looked at each other, both of them smiling, but that moment was cut short as Robert jumped between them, spear in his hand. Both Zack and Jez spun away and came around on the other side of Robert, grasping the butt of the spear from opposite sides, wrenching it from Robert's grip, and then stabbing it through the Prodigy's chest.

The reaction was instant. Robert fell to his knees, his eyes once again going blank as he then fell forward, falling face-first into the pool of yellow, glowing water that was starting to disappear. "Did we just do it?" Jez asked, panting, and barely able to breathe, and Zack laughed softly, "Yes, Jez. I think we just did it."

***

Her vision was blurry and out of focus, but it was all coming back in seconds. Rose sat up from the hospital bed, looking around anxiously, not sure where she was. "Doctor, she's awake!" Rose's mother said somewhere nearby, and then Rose's mother came into view, looking happy to see Rose alive. "How are you feeling honey? I was so worried about you!" Rose's mother said, and Rose chuckled, alarming her mother as though it was a bad sign. "I'm not too bad," Rose finally replied, and her mother looked relieved, as did the doctor. "Welcome back Rose. You are doing amazingly well, especially considering the trauma your body has been through." Rose's mother took Rose's hand firmly, smiling down at her daughter with an indescribable passion. "You have a visitor," her mother suddenly said, "He's been waiting hours for you to wake up."

She stepped aside, as did the doctor, and both headed out of the room as Rose saw Jez asleep on one of the leather chairs. "Jez, you're alright, thank goodness!" Rose exclaimed, and her voice jolted Jez awake because his eyes snapped open and he smiled back at her. "I'm fine," he said, stepping up from the chair, stretching and letting his joints crack before finally headed over to Rose's bed. "How are you?" Rose smiled when Jez asked, yawned, and replied with, "I think I will make a full recovery....what happened?" Jez chuckled, leaned on Rose's bed and said with happiness in his voice, "The Kernel, my father and...your father...are all dead, and the Zodiac Army has surrendered. The war is over Rose!" Rose smiled too, feeling happier than she had been in a long time, and then her face fell.

"Jez...will you ever forgive," she began, but Jez cut across her, "You risked your life to save us and kill your father. Zara would have been proud of you." Jez's words seemed to ease her mind, and then Rose looked around, looking for a second person. "Where is Zack?" she asked, trying to find the other Spectre, and Jez laughed, gently holding Rose's arm as he whispered, "I think he has something to take care of."

***

The front door was left unlocked, which Zack thought was unusual because he had never known for the door to be left unlocked once in his life. He stepped inside, making sure to shut the door loudly behind him, trying to see if anyone heard him. No one did. The house was empty and practically lifeless. Zack walked down the wide hallway of his house, looking at the pictures of him and his wife and daughter on the walls as he passed, a great sense of sorrow filling him. He walked through their kitchen, looking around, and then found the back door left wide open. Zack stepped outside and saw them. Lauren and Charlotte were both in the sandpit that was in their backyard, although Charlotte seemed to be the one doing most of the playing as Lauren sat still, looking hopeless with her back to Zack.

Charlotte sensed something, because she looked up quickly, saw her father, and tears instantly filled her eyes as she sprung to her feet, raced towards Zack, leaped into his outstretched arms, and shouted, "Daddy!" Lauren whipped her head around, not daring to believe it, and saw Zack holding Charlotte up in his left arm, smiling and kissing her on the forehead. Lauren got to her feet, tears already staining her cheeks as she walked forwards, hand over her mouth, and then Zack reached out and hugged her with his right arm, holding both his wife and daughter tightly. "I love you so much," Lauren mumbled into Zack's shirt, and Zack laughed loudly, thankful that he was back with his family. It must have been only a couple of days, maybe barely two weeks, but for the three of them, it had felt like a lifetime.