Chapter 6: Betrayal and Fight.

It seemed like everything happened in slow motion.

Aksel watched as his mother pressed a hand to the glass window and opening it she stepped out. Her actions brought the family's attention to the scene as well and he frowned noticing her lift up a hand, with her palm facing in his direction.

"Run!" he heard Yve shout but it was already too late, a flash of a beam flaring through her palm shot right at him and if it wasn't for Yve's quick movements he would have already been zapped to death.

The electricity however passed through the metal frame of the billboard causing the screen to short circuit and catch fire as crackling could be heard from above him. He didn't wait to see the flames that burst out from there but the sound that it echoed had been enough to alert every branded person in its vicinity.

"I hope now it goes through your thick head perfectly well that those people aren't your family! If you dare call them that again I swear to whoever the fuck is our creator, I am going to break every bone in your body with this very staff!" Yve shouted as she dragged him down the winding stairs to try and find some safety.

She was livid and rightfully so because for the last few months that she had been living here she had never once gotten into this much trouble.

"I am sorry but how was I to know that they would broadcast my face on a gigantic billboard," he shouted back, still fighting with his own hurt feelings which had been caused by this recent betrayal. To see the same mother who had loved him in his memories now killing him with her own hands had been traumatizing for his mind even though somewhere inside he reckoned that she wasn't related to him.

The agonizing feelings had not even settled in properly yet when another shot zapped from his mother's hand and struck against the stairs causing the two of them to lose footing as their body sizzled with electricity.

The rush of the current rocked through their body in a burning tremor and letting out a groan the two tumbled down a few flights of stairs as Aksel tried his hardest not to crush Yve underneath him. In his efforts to stop himself he grabbed hold of the railing causing pain to flare in his arm but it did the trick as he came to a halt, just a few steps above from where Yve was groaning sprawled on the last few steps.

The fall had helped them cover the distance although it hurt and the panic of the situation overrode the pain easily as with heaving breaths the two collected themselves.

"Sorry to say this but your former mother is a bitch," Yve huffed getting up after a little effort and staring from between the railings at the Contrivo who was still seemingly looking at them, he couldn't help but agree with her for a second.

"Only her upper body has been transformed and especially her hands so she won't be able to get to us immediately but I can't say the same for her husband," he said walking down as they looked at the hefty figure now standing beside his wife.

Aksel shivered at the thought of even having to fight his Dad, fake or not, his memories were proof that his Dad was a beast when it came to fighting.

"We need to get out of their sight," he urged, finally coming down the stairs, and being mindful of his hood he ran with his body aching at every stop he took.

They hadn't crossed a significant distance when suddenly he felt himself being picked and then thrown far behind right against the iron pillar that had been holding up the billboard. The sudden attack had taken him by such surprise that he hadn't even gotten the chance to try and cushion his attack and the thick iron pillar smashed against his body making him groan and cower as he tasted blood in his mouth.

He had bit his tongue and spitting out the red liquid mixed with his saliva he watched as Yve stood before the massive Contrivo staring down at her.

Yve had never faced one with such closeness and she didn't want to admit but she was scared as she saw the man's face emotionlessly trying to assess her features.

She wondered if her face had been displayed on such giant billboards before when she had first arrived here and did she have a bounty over her head as well? It would be a big problem if they did, it would mean that even the minutest chance of getting out of there was over for her.

Aksel wanted to help her watching her puny figure frozen in front of his Dad's massive one but he was unable to do so.

Standing above him was another Contrivo, the one who had attacked him. This hateful creature bent and picked him up with his shiny red metallic hands bunching the material of his hoodie and without any effort lifted him high.

This person had been none other than the person who had replaced him.

The situation pissed him off more. He didn't want to be killed at the hands of the one who had taken his place; in his mind, it would therefore somehow prove that this Blondie was better than him and that didn't sit well with Aksel at all.

A ravenous fire burnt within him and looking around for anything he noticed the flames burning over his head in the air. A plan immediately formulated in his head and grinning at his perpetrator he gathered swirled his tongue in his mouth and spat right on his face.

The disgust of that action spread through his replacement's body and letting go of Aksel he wiped his face with the material of his tight t-shirt.

Taking this chance he got to his feet and backed away against the pillar at once as he watched Yve slowly moving away from his father. For some reason, the giant Contrivo didn't do anything to her as it simply stared at her hooded face.

Yve had noticed this strange action too when even after a minute she found herself intact and unwounded. 'Did they only come here for Aksel as it was only his face that was displayed?'

If that was the case then she needed to use this opportunity to first get away and then help him somehow.

"Are you insane?" his replacement shouted in anger. Aksel stared at the figure that had for the first time addressed him and liking its response he was grateful that he had been right in guessing this snob's nature.

"Sorry man, I couldn't help myself when I looked at your disgusting face," Aksel croaked out he had been in a worse state than he had expected himself to be as he coughed soon after he had spoken his words. The delivery of his dialogue hadn't come out in the way he had expected but it had done its job.

He watched as the red plates on the guy's hand bristled as it shifted and soon in its place instead of palms was a futuristic-looking blaster that was ready to fire his shot at him.

He looked over at Yve and signaled her to throw her staff towards him when he asked her to and immediately switched his gaze back at the gathering light in the laser shooter. He couldn't see her face at all because of the hood and he could only hope that she had understood what he had wanted her to do.

If not then he wasn't sure he was going to escape out of here alive.

By now a small crowd had been gathered around them but thankfully the others hadn't seen his face so they weren't aware of him being the criminal.

At least his mother's attack had somewhat helped him out.

Finally, a light flashed and the white beam crackled through the air shooting where he was. He wasn't sure he was going to make it but trusting his new agile movements he jumped, throwing his body to the side to escape the shot, and shouted, "Now! Staff!"

Yve although catching his signals hadn't been sure before about what he had been trying to communicate with her but she was quick in her actions and throwing her staff towards him she watched as he caught it midair and rolled on the ground holding it as he barely missed the laser shot.

These laser shots were wider in range and more powerful in magnitude than the laser bullets shot by the drones, and she stared at the pillar that was now cracking, and with a huge boom, she watched a deep crevice in the pillar as it swayed.

She understood immediately what Aksel had been trying to do and accordingly moved away.

Aksel, on the other hand, didn't waste a second as he pushed his body up and through the swirls of dust that had risen around them; he aimed the staff at his attacker's head and swung it with as much force as he could muster as he watched him fall to the ground with blood spattering from his head.

'Weak.' He thought laughing inside at the newly transformed Contrivo.

The dust hadn't cleared yet but the loud thump sound had alerted everyone and he heard a maddening bellow from his former father's mouth who immediately started to run toward Aksel. Looking up Aksel smiled and counting his steps he moved a few paces forward taking the Contrivo by surprise and just as he had reached the count of number one in his mind the billboard crashed on his father causing a loud crunching sound to be heard followed by a buzzing of whispers around them.

He had just defeated two Contrivos but before he could revel in his victory he felt Yve pulling him away and out of the growing crowd that had been staring at the scene in awe and angst.