Chapter 89 - Forced Alliance

Ellis, acting with practiced efficiency, swiftly guided a disoriented and injured Jason away from the chaotic scene. The adrenaline still coursed through Jason's veins, a jarring contrast to the dull ache blossoming on his left arm where an Ulterian energy weapon had grazed him. Ellis, despite his outwardly calm demeanor, moved with a speed and purpose that belied his unassuming appearance. He barked curt instructions, his voice devoid of any warmth, yet laced with an undeniable urgency. "Stay close. They won't give up easily."

He led Jason towards the university library, a looming gothic structure that seemed strangely out of place amidst the modern architecture of the campus. Instead of entering the grand front doors, however, Ellis veered sharply to the left, heading towards a seemingly blank section of the building's stone foundation. He pressed his hand against a barely perceptible seam in the stonework, and with a soft click, a section of the wall swung inward, revealing a narrow, dimly lit passage.

"This way," Ellis said, his voice a low murmur. "Service tunnels. Barely anyone knows they exist."

Jason hesitated for a moment, his mind still struggling to process the events of the past hour. "Where are we going?"

"Somewhere safe," Ellis replied curtly, already disappearing into the darkness. "Relatively speaking."

Jason followed, stepping into the cool, musty air of the tunnels. The passage was narrow and claustrophobic, the walls lined with pipes and electrical conduits. The only light came from the faint glow of emergency lamps spaced far apart, casting long, distorted shadows that danced across the damp stone. The air was thick with dust and the scent of old books, a strange and unsettling combination.

Ellis set a brisk pace, urging Jason forward. "We need to get clear of the immediate area. The Ulterians will be regrouping, reassessing. They won't expect us to use these tunnels."

Jason stumbled along, trying to keep up, his injured arm throbbing with each step. "What… what were those things?"

"Ulterians," Ellis said, his voice echoing in the narrow passage. "A particularly unpleasant species. As you've just experienced."

"But… why me?" Jason asked, his voice laced with fear and confusion. "Why are they after me?"

Ellis didn't answer immediately, his silence adding to Jason's growing anxiety. "We'll get to that," he said finally. "But first, we need to find a secure location."

They continued through the tunnels for what seemed like an eternity, winding through a maze of passages and turns. The air grew colder, the silence more oppressive. Jason's initial fear began to give way to a sense of numb resignation. The world he knew, the world of college classes and late-night study sessions, had been ripped away, replaced by this terrifying reality of alien invaders and hidden powers.

Finally, Ellis stopped before a solid steel door, set deep within the tunnel wall. He ran his hand over a small keypad beside the door, then muttered a series of numbers under his breath. The door clicked open, revealing a small, forgotten storage room.

Reaching the small, forgotten storage room deep within the tunnels, Ellis secured the entrance, using a combination of his powers and mundane methods to conceal it effectively. The room was cramped and dimly lit, filled with discarded furniture and forgotten archives, creating a sense of claustrophobia and vulnerability. Old desks were stacked haphazardly, covered in layers of dust. Broken chairs lay scattered on the floor, their upholstery torn and faded. Shelves lined the walls, filled with boxes of old documents and forgotten artifacts. The only light came from a single flickering fluorescent bulb overhead, casting a sickly yellow glow that did little to dispel the gloom.

Ellis stepped inside, then turned back to Jason, his gaze intense. "This will have to do," he said. He closed the steel door behind them, and Jason heard a faint click as Ellis engaged some kind of locking mechanism. Then, with a subtle wave of his hand, the surrounding shadows seemed to deepen, further concealing the entrance.

He turned to Jason, his gaze intense, the time for half-truths over. He began to reveal more about himself – that he is not human, that he possesses extraordinary abilities far beyond anything Jason can imagine, and that Jason shares a heritage with the attackers, making him their primary target. He spoke with a quiet authority, his words carefully chosen to convey the gravity of the situation without overwhelming Jason completely.

"Alright, Jason," Ellis began, his voice low and serious. "It's time you knew the truth. About me… and about you."

Jason stared at him, his mind racing. "What are you talking about? What truth?"

Ellis took a deep breath, as if steeling himself for what he was about to say. "I am not… entirely human," he said, choosing his words carefully. "And neither are you."

Jason scoffed, his skepticism returning. "What? Are you saying you're an alien too? This is insane."

"Not alien," Ellis corrected. "Not in the way you might think. I am… something else. Something… more."

He paused, searching for the right words. "My origins are… complicated. Let's just say I've been around for a very long time, and I've seen things you wouldn't believe. And I have abilities… powers… that defy human understanding."

Jason stared at him, his expression a mixture of disbelief and fear. "Powers? What kind of powers?"

"That's not important right now," Ellis said, waving his hand dismissively. "What is important is that you understand that I am not who you think I am. And that you are in grave danger."

He stepped closer to Jason, his gaze piercing. "The Ulterians… they're not here by chance. They're here for you. Because you are… special."

Jason's mind was struggling to grasp the situation. "Special? What are you talking about?"

"You are not fully human, Jason. You have Ulterian blood in you."

Jason struggled to process the revelations, his mind reeling from the shock and disbelief. He cycled through a range of emotions – denial, anger, fear, confusion, and a flicker of understanding as he recalls his own strange experiences. He questions Ellis's sanity, demanding proof of his claims, his voice laced with skepticism and desperation. Ellis, recognizing Jason's need for validation, offers a small demonstration of his powers – subtly manipulating the surrounding environment, perhaps levitating a small object or creating a harmless energy display – undeniable evidence of his extraordinary nature.

"That's impossible," Jason said, shaking his head in denial. "My parents… they were human. I'm human."

"Your father is human," Ellis corrected. "But your mother… that's a different story."

"What do you mean?" Jason demanded, his voice rising in anger. "What are you saying about my mother?"

Ellis hesitated, his expression softening slightly. "Your mother was Ulterian," he said gently. "She came to Earth many years ago, seeking refuge. She met your father, they fell in love, and you were born. But she never told him the truth about her origins. She wanted you to have a normal life."

"Normal?" Jason repeated, his voice laced with sarcasm. "My life is anything but normal right now."

"I know this is a lot to take in," Ellis said, his voice sympathetic. "But you need to understand. Your Ulterian heritage is the reason the Ulterians are after you. You possess dormant powers, abilities that they want to control."

"Powers?" Jason scoffed. "I don't have any powers. I'm just a college student."

"You haven't unlocked them yet," Ellis said. "But they're there, waiting to be awakened. And the Ulterians know it."

Jason stared at Ellis, his mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. He wanted to deny everything, to dismiss it all as a crazy dream. But deep down, he knew that something was different about him, that he had always felt… out of place. And the events of the past hour, the attack, Ellis's impossible abilities… it all seemed to confirm the unbelievable truth.

"Prove it," Jason said finally, his voice barely a whisper. "Prove that you're telling the truth. Prove that I have these… powers."

Ellis nodded, his expression grave. "Alright," he said. "I'll show you."

He stepped back, raising his hand. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them, and Jason gasped. Ellis's eyes were glowing with an intense, otherworldly light. The air around him shimmered, and the dust motes in the room began to swirl and dance in intricate patterns.

Then, with a flick of his wrist, Ellis levitated a broken chair across the room, sending it spinning in mid-air before gently setting it back down on the floor. Jason stared in disbelief, his jaw hanging open.

"This… this is impossible," he stammered.

"Nothing is impossible, Jason," Ellis said, his voice resonating with power. "Not when you understand the true nature of reality."

The Ulterians who attacked him are a rogue faction, a splinter group obsessed with something specific on Earth, something connected to Jason's unique heritage and the research conducted at the university. He stresses the immediate danger, emphasizing that the Ulterians will not rest until they capture him. He reveals that Jason's dormant Ulterian powers are a key to something they seek, making him a valuable asset or a dangerous threat in their eyes. He refrains from divulging the specifics of their plans, fearing that the knowledge could put Jason in even greater danger, but makes it clear that the stakes are incredibly high.

"Those Ulterians," Ellis continued, his voice regaining its more normal tone. "They are not representative of all their kind, but they are dangerous. They are a splinter faction, rogue elements driven by a fanatical ideology."

"What ideology?" Jason asked, his curiosity piqued despite his fear.

"They believe in the supremacy of the Ulterian race," Ellis said. "They seek to expand their influence, to conquer and control. And they see Earth as a valuable prize."

"But why me?" Jason repeated. "What do they want with me?"

Ellis hesitated again, his expression clouding over. "That's… complicated," he said. "Let's just say that your unique heritage, your blend of human and Ulterian DNA, makes you… special. You possess a potential that they desperately want to exploit."

"Exploit?" Jason asked, his voice laced with suspicion. "What do you mean?"

"They believe that your powers, once unlocked, could be used to further their goals," Ellis said. "To conquer worlds, to control energy, to achieve… things that are best left unsaid."

"So, I'm a weapon?" Jason asked, his voice filled with bitterness.

"You have the potential to be," Ellis said. "But you also have the potential to be so much more. You have the capacity for compassion, for empathy, for understanding. Qualities that the Ulterians lack. You can choose your own path, Jason. You don't have to let them control you."

"But what do they want?" Jason pressed, needing to understand the specifics of the threat he faced. "What are they trying to do on Earth?"

Ellis sighed. "They are searching for something," he said. "Something that is buried deep within this planet. Something that could give them unimaginable power."

"What is it?" Jason asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Ellis shook his head. "I don't know," he said. "Not exactly. But I know that it's connected to your father's research. To the energy experiments he's been conducting at the university."

Jason's eyes widened in realization. "My dad?" he said. "You think my dad is involved in this?"

"Unwittingly, perhaps," Ellis said. "But yes. His research has attracted the Ulterians' attention. And you, Jason, are the key to unlocking its full potential."

He paused, his gaze locking with Jason's. "That's why they're after you," he said. "You are the key. And they won't stop until they get you."

A second, more forceful, Ulterian attack shatters the fragile sense of security within the storage room. The walls tremble as energy blasts impact the tunnel outside, the sounds of alien weaponry echoing through the confined space. Ellis, reacting instinctively, unleashes a more significant display of his power to defend them both. He erects visible energy shields, shimmering barriers that deflect the incoming attacks, and manipulates debris to create a makeshift barricade, showcasing the extent of his abilities. The demonstration solidifies the reality of the threat for Jason, forcing him to confront the fact that he is caught in a cosmic war.

Suddenly, the storage room shook violently. The single fluorescent bulb flickered and died, plunging them into darkness. The sounds of explosions echoed through the tunnels, growing louder and closer.

"They've found us," Ellis said, his voice grim. "They're not going to give up easily."

He moved quickly, grabbing a discarded metal desk and shoving it against the door, creating a makeshift barricade. Then, with a wave of his hand, a shimmering energy shield materialized in front of the desk, deflecting the incoming blasts.

Jason stared in disbelief as bolts of energy slammed against the shield, creating flashes of light and deafening booms. The room trembled, and dust rained down from the ceiling.

"What's happening?" Jason shouted over the noise, his voice filled with panic.

"They're attacking," Ellis said, his voice calm despite the chaos. "They're trying to break through."

He gestured towards a pile of debris in the corner of the room. "Get behind that," he said. "It won't offer much protection, but it's better than nothing."

Jason scrambled behind the pile, his heart pounding in his chest. He watched in terror as the energy shield flickered and strained under the relentless assault. The room was filled with the smell of ozone and burning metal.

Ellis stood firm, his eyes glowing with power. He raised his hands, and the debris around them began to levitate, forming a swirling vortex of metal and stone. He hurled the vortex towards the tunnel entrance, creating a temporary barrier that slowed the Ulterian advance.

"We can't stay here," Ellis said, his voice strained. "They'll eventually break through. We need to move."

He lowered the energy shield, and the sounds of the Ulterian attack intensified. Jason peeked over the pile of debris and saw flashes of light and alien weaponry in the tunnel entrance.

"Where do we go?" Jason asked, his voice trembling.

"There's another exit," Ellis said. "A hidden passage that leads to the surface. But it's heavily guarded."

He turned to Jason, his gaze intense. "We're going to have to fight our way out," he said. "Are you ready?"

Faced with undeniable proof of Ellis's powers and the imminent danger, Jason makes a conscious choice. Despite his fear, his initial distrust of Ellis, and the overwhelming nature of the situation, he recognizes that he must trust him to survive. He acknowledges his own helplessness, his own lack of knowledge and experience, and accepts that Ellis is his only hope. A reluctant, fragile alliance is formed, born out of necessity and a shared desire to survive. Jason agrees to follow Ellis's lead, to learn from him, and to fight alongside him against the Ulterian threat, marking a turning point in his journey from a normal college student to a reluctant hero.

Jason stared at Ellis, his mind still reeling from the revelations and the chaos. He was just a college student. He wasn't a soldier, or a superhero, or whatever Ellis was. But he knew that he couldn't stay here, cowering in fear. He had to do something.

He took a deep breath, trying to control his racing heart. "Ready," he said, his voice stronger than he thought it would be. "What do I do?"

Ellis nodded, a flicker of approval in his eyes. "I'm going to create a diversion," he said. "I'll draw their attention away from the exit. You need to follow me, stay close, and do whatever I say."

He paused, his gaze locking with Jason's. "And Jason," he said, his voice serious. "Trust me. I know this is a lot to ask, but you have to trust me. I'm the only one who can help you."

Jason looked at Ellis, at his glowing eyes, at the power that radiated from him. He didn't know who or what Ellis was, but he knew that he was his only hope.

"I trust you," Jason said, his voice firm.

Ellis nodded, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Good," he said. "Then let's get out of here."

He raised his hands, and the energy shield flared brighter, deflecting another barrage of energy blasts. Then, with a roar, he charged towards the tunnel entrance, unleashing a torrent of energy that sent the Ulterian soldiers scattering.

Jason took a deep breath and followed him into the chaos, ready to face whatever lay ahead. He was no longer just a college student. He was something more. He was a protector. He was a survivor. He was ready to fight