052

 

52.  Save it for the Slaughter

 

Vance and Winslow seethed. They had long since run out of words. Auras ablaze, they leapt at each other within the trash-strewn dead end, eschewing strategy for brute force as they prepared to rip each other’s throats out.

 

Then, both of their bodies slammed hard into a powerful new being who appeared between them. As they went flying back, the only one who continued to stand in the alley now was Saffron, arms outstretched and dissipating the young men's psynergy.

 

"Well, well!" he boomed. "My heart doth grieve to interrupt thy manly struggle, but alas, 'twas not to be, little Cock."

 

"Don't call me that!" Winslow tiredly removed himself from a heap of litter. "Am I really getting stopped again?! Why do you all keep humiliating me like this?!"

 

Vance stood up and looked at the new man. He had two thick bastard swords strapped onto his back, both intricately decorated with archaic-looking letters. His armor looked heavy and powerful.

 

"What's going on?" Vance called to Winslow. "This one of your friends?"

 

"If I impart upon thee a foul first impression, then let me be shamed." Saffron turned around in a flash and gave Vance a pleasant smile. "To watch such a valiant battle wouldst be my utmost desire...but Rose awaiteth our departure."

 

He raised his finger and pointed to the far end of the alley, where Vance saw Rose. As his eyes scanned her body, he couldn't help but notice the tattoo of a faceless horse on her lower thigh.

 

"There's been a change of plans," Rose said to Winslow, unfazed by Vance's wide eyes. "We're heading back to the hotel immediately, without taking any further action."

 

"What are you talking about?!" Winslow raged. "Could you at least let me finish someone off for once?!"

 

"Nay, for the tournament awaiteth!" Saffron clapped a hand on Winslow's back. "A foul alley wouldst be poor accommodation for masculine ceremony. Slaying thy opponent among myriad spectators, forsooth, that doth be the path to truer glory!"

 

"Not if you're dealing with trash!" Winslow glared one last time at Vance.

 

"Enough talking." Rose tapped her delicate foot impatiently. "I'm not running around in this garbage dump any longer. We're heading back, now."

 

Winslow said nothing, sulking behind Saffron as the three made their way past Vance.

 

"One more day." Winslow sneered, craning his neck as he moved back out into the street. "You have one more day to live, Vance Darcouver, so you'd better make the most of it."

 

Vance watched Winslow's contorted face disappear as his anger slowly subsided. There are two types of rage, Vance... The voice of Averyl drifted back into his consciousness. Rage that comes from your ego, and rage that comes from your heart. Learning to discern the difference between these two types is a difficult task for anyone, but the ability to control the latter of the two is what shall set you apart from 'the rest.' Rage from the ego is an illusion, Vance. It’s born from fear, self-hatred, jealousy...from the subconscious projection of our own flaws onto others. After all, nothing infuriates a conceited person more than an even more conceited person...

 

Vance emptied his mind and stepped out of the alley. I can't let Winslow control me. There's a reason I'm fighting here...I can't forget that. Mom...please, give me the strength to find you.

 

A dark calm washed over his mind as he walked through the dirty streets. After a few moments, he started to hear a very familiar voice shouting from across the way.

 

"Where did you go?!" Cliff Walden screamed to the night sky. "Don't tell me you're actually running away from this? Come on, Rat!"

 

Noticing his ally's aura, Cliff suddenly spun around. Vance was bleeding and looked a bit beat-up, but the expression on his face was tranquil.

 

Cliff stared ahead in shock. "Did you beat Winslow?"

 

"Nah," Vance said with a shrug. "Once again, another Zodiac interrupted us and forced him to leave."

 

"I ran into Mephistoclessia," Cliff explained. "Otherwise, I would have been there. She ran away all of a sudden too."

 

"What about Azuka and Eden?" Vance asked. "Have you checked up on them?"

 

"What? No, I haven't...but I can still feel their psynergy."

 

"Cliff!" Vance shouted. "Why didn't you go check on them?! You should have made sure they were okay!"

 

"I was worried about you!" Cliff retorted. "Azuka is stronger than both of us; she can take care of Eden. Vance, you're the one that–"

 

"You don't need to worry about me," Vance said firmly. "Think about it, Cliff. You love Eden, don't you? You should be protecting her."

 

Cliff grit his teeth in frustration. "If you're so worried about her, why didn't you stick around to help her?"

 

Vance paused. "It doesn’t matter. Now come on."

 

"Relax," Azuka said, as she walked out of the shadows and approached the two men. "We’re right here."

 

Vance’s face grew tense. "You two were here the whole time?"

 

Eden couldn't help but laugh. "Were you really that worried about us, Vance?"

 

"Wait!" Cliff shouted, running his hands nervously through his hair. "How long were you two there?"

 

"Long enough to hear you two argue about your imaginary damsel in distress," Eden replied.

 

"H-hey..." Vance stammered. "It’s not nice to eavesdrop."

 

"Oh, settle down." Azuka grabbed Vance's arm and led him back toward the road. "There's nothing to worry about, Cliff. We made a ‘deal’ of sorts with the Zodiacs. We're safe until the tournament."

 

Cliff frowned. "They actually backed off? Why?"

 

"In retrospect, I realize why they did it," Azuka replied. "They're planning something big for the tournament...although I'm not sure what it could be."

 

"Do you have any ideas?" Vance asked. "Maybe we can get the jump on them."

 

"Well, as always, we know they're after the clock." Azuka glanced over at Eden, choosing her words carefully, then looked back to the men. "Anyway, it's been a long night. Let's just go back and try to get some sleep. We'll talk about our next plan of action tomorrow."

 

"Sounds good to me." Vance covered a yawn with the cuff of his cloak.

 

"Yeah." Cliff smiled at Eden. "We’ve had enough excitement for one night, right?"

 

Instead of smiling back, Eden quickly turned her face to the ground. I can't let them see me in pain, she thought, battling with the mixture of anger and fear inside her mind and desperately trying to keep them down. It'll only make them want to 'protect' me even more. I don't want to become a burden to everyone, but more than anything, I don't want to be special anymore.

 

*

 

Frank Arazia felt his body sink deep into the mattress of the queen-size bed. As the soft sheets and the sturdy cedar frame embraced him, his body tingled with comfort.

 

Am I really alive right now? The middle-aged man stared up at the ceiling blankly. Is this really happening?

 

The journey from the hospital to Phileas' abode had not done anything to convince Frank that he really hadn't died in the basement of the Zexaron building. From the surface level of Enmetropolis, Phileas, Frank and Edward traveled upwards via a vertical vehicle transport to the safer, more elite section of the city. They soared above rows of raised highways and columns of buildings to an area where the blue sky was visible and houses were the size of banks.

 

Phileas's mansion was modeled in a way that reminded Frank of Victorian architecture, boasting multiple spires and a spacious hanging garden in the rear. He took them on a tour through the western wing of the estate, and that alone had taken most of the evening. Frank still felt woozy, so after eating a delicious plate of what tasted an awful lot like shrimp scampi, he went straight to bed.

 

Edward's room was directly next to his. There were two large armoires in each chamber, which, according to Phileas, contained complimentary guest clothes. Frank had opted for a plush red robe, which also felt too soft and comfortable to be genuine. The house felt luxurious and safe, but Frank still couldn't settle down.

 

Although he was curious about his new environment, he felt it would be better to wait until morning to get the whole story. From what Edward had told him, the two of them had somehow jumped through space and appeared in what was really an alternate version of Earth – another dimension. The people of this world possessed a strange power called 'psynergy,' which they used to manipulate, enhance, and synthesize technology beyond Earth's wildest dreams.

 

While Edward had been quite enthusiastic about this new realm's many mysteries, Frank was the opposite. The only thoughts running through his mind were those of his wife, his daughter, and their small, insignificant house in the middle of Bakersfield.

 

You should have just kept to the routine, a voice within his mind laughed. But no...you had to bite off more than you could chew.

 

Frank couldn't even begin to fathom how much his experience with Grayson had truly affected him. The whole ordeal was nothing but a hazy recollection now, peppered with pain and agony. It seemed unreal...or, on the contrary, absolutely nothing felt real, and he was more confused and frightened than he had ever been in his entire life.

 

There was nothing he could do about it now, though. For the time being, he was locked safely inside Phileas's fortress, no doubt miles away from the demon known as Grayson Lee, wherever he was. For all Frank knew, Grayson was in the city right now, desperately searching for Frank's missing body.

 

Perhaps foiling Grayson should have made Frank feel a little better, but it only brought him fear. There was no sense in fooling himself anymore – Grayson scared him to death. He was nothing but afraid, afraid of what the aftermath of this would be, afraid for his family's safety, so afraid that he didn't want to accept reality itself.

 

Have I lost my mind? Or am I still sane? It all seemed so unclear, unsure, and painfully distant.

 

*

 

The Dark Zodiacs shifted through neon shadows, slowly creeping back along the road to the Neon Mirage.

 

"This sucks," Winslow complained. "We didn't even get to eat any dinner!"

 

"Deal with it," Bruce spat. "There's only one thing on my mind, and that's getting some damn sleep."

 

Saffron nodded. "'Tis time for restitution."

 

"We'll go over the plans tomorrow," Roufas spoke up. "Get some sustenance and then go to sleep, everyone."

 

Mephistoclessia trailed a small distance behind everyone. "I could have killed him back there..."

 

Soon, the hotel came into view, and Bruce led the group up the steps to the entrance. It was there that they noticed a familiar figure standing just to the right of the doors. His arms were folded across his suit, and he peered down to the street with flinching eyes.

 

"There you are." Grayson smiled as he spotted his teammates. "I've been waiting for you."

 

"Grayson?!" Cecilia shouted. "That was quick!"

 

"A little change of plans." Grayson moved from the wall to join the group. "A few prisoners have escaped my stronghold and used the artificial gate to come to this dimension."

 

"Escaped?" Roufas raised an eyebrow. "Grayson, that isn't like you."

 

"Yes..." Grayson nodded. "It is not. There was a third party involved with this, though, who caused the entire thing to fall down around me."

 

"Who?" Bruce inquired. "Did someone from the Guild find you?"

 

"Nothing of the sort," Grayson said casually. "It was Madeleine."

 

"Madeleine?!" Rose asked. "Is she being difficult again?"

 

"That is my hypothesis," Grayson replied. "She is gone as well, and I've been on the lookout for her. She couldn't have left more than an hour ago, so I would appreciate your help."

 

"No problem," Bruce sighed, rubbing his forehead. "What’s her problem this time?"

 

Grayson cocked his head sideways. "As usual – bone idleness."

 

"Well, whatever." Bruce shrugged. "We'll look for her. Where are you going?"

 

"I want to search for her as well," Grayson replied. "And I want to find the other two escapees. Do remember, though, about Madeleine's special ability. Make sure you take special care to observe every person you meet carefully, in case they are not who they initially seem to be."

 

"Gotcha," Bruce replied. "Don't worry, we'll be able to tell. She's not that skilled at transformation. Leave it to us."

 

"Well, then," Grayson said, moving out from the hotel rather hurriedly. "Good evening, friends."

 

"Take it easy, Grayson." Bruce and the others waved goodbye, and then continued into the hotel.

 

That was easier than I thought. Madeleine couldn't help but push Grayson's thin lips into a grin as she stepped off the walkway and into the crowds of Enmetropolis. Transforming into anyone else would have been a problem, but I've spent so much time around Grayson that I have his mannerisms down pat. And he’s so strong that no one would ever bother to try and sense his psynergy, either. Good thing I decided to stick around and wait...that was so much fun! The fake Grayson let out a titter of laughter and stepped beneath an underpass, diving deeper into the endless sea of people.

 

*

 

On the top floor of the hotel, the seven Zodiacs separated into their dual suites and prepared for bed.

 

"Sleep well, everyone," Roufas said. "Tomorrow will hold more excitement in store, I'm sure."

 

He stepped in the suite just in time to see Bruce dive over a chair, bounce on the sofa in the center of the living room and tackle a figure to the floor. This figure didn't cry out for help or show any sign of resistance as the Tiger pushed him down.

 

"You've got some nerve!" Bruce growled, twisting the man into a headlock. "Not only did you screw up Grayson's plans, you picked the absolute worst hiding place possible. Damn! And I thought you were supposed to be a genius, or something – not even Winslow would try something this dumb!"

 

"Hey!" Winslow shouted from the hallway.

 

Bruce laughed. "Hey, Roufas! Check out what I got here!"

 

Roufas moved around the room to an angle where he could see more clearly. Locked in Bruce's arm was the face of the man they had seen not ten minutes before – Grayson Lee.

 

"Oh, I get it," Grayson said humorlessly, calm within Bruce’s arm. "You fools already ran into her, let her trick you, then allowed her to escape. How predictable."

 

"What?" Bruce growled, tightening his grip. "Don't play games with us! We saw Grayson with our very own eyes. He was–"

 

"Oh, you did, did you?" Grayson raised his voice, allowing a serpentine green aura to rise from his body. Slowly, he picked himself up, lifting Bruce's massive frame as he did so. "You saw him with your own eyes, did you? And sensed his aura, too?"

 

Bruce took a look at the diabolical glow emanating from Grayson's eyes and let himself drop. "Shit."

 

Grayson calmly sat down on the sofa, adjusted his suit, then looked up to see Roufas staring at him in shock. "Yes?"

 

"But we couldn't sense her psynergy," Roufas spoke, flustered. "And I never thought you’d let her transform into you like that, especially if you can’t fully trust her."

 

"It was necessary for my work!" Grayson retorted, looking at Roufas with malicious eyes. "How could I ever have foreseen you all being this incompetent?!’

 

At that moment, a door creaked open, and an old monk made his way into the living room. His eyes were sewn shut, and his bald, wrinkled head gleamed in the light. A gold-and-white robe covered him, and he held a long, gnarled wooden staff with five golden rings dangling from its top. Across his neck was a necklace of large jade orbs.

 

"Who goes there?" the ancient man gurgled in a heavy accent. "Grayson?"

 

"Zhang Guo Lao," Roufas began, "I'm sorry we disturbed you from your meditations. There has been a small complication."

 

"Meditating I was not," Zhang Guo spoke, "but rather sleeping."

 

"Well, I'm sorry, either way." Roufas turned back to the Snake. "Grayson, enough is enough. First you say you need Cecilia to help you, and now Madeleine runs off. As far as I can tell, the Yamato operation is well underway, and things are going fine on Earth. Is there any reason for you to remain stationed there 24/7? We've already located the Daughter, and another clock is on the horizon. We could use you on this side for once."

 

"I’m afraid I must decline, Roufas," Grayson said with a devilish grin. "You can't possibly comprehend the amount of time and research I've emptied into this. I will fill the Earth full of holes and destroy it before I quit."

 

"Woah, Grayson, come on," Bruce said. "I know that Caskett's research all checked out, but did you ever consider the idea that the old fart was a little crazy?"

 

"The psynergy vacuum is more than enough proof," Grayson continued. "All the clues point to Earth. I’m positive that psynergy is being sucked from that dimension's inhabitants in order to fuel the Space-Time Continuum – Earth is where the end of the world lies. I will find the entrance..." He gave one last glare to both Bruce and Roufas. "And nobody will stand in my way."

Next: The Legend of Earth