The Forgotten Ones

The Escape

Damon's words petrified her.

"You can't fathom the power I have. If I want, I can end your life in the time you blink. But you know what... to make it fair, let's do hand-to-hand combat. I've seen you fight. Show me your best,"

She got ready. So did he. Her eyes displayed raw fear. They fought.

Elsewhere...

Jay was searching for Alexa frantically. According to him, she was unwell, lying in his cottage. But when he arrived, she was missing, not to be found anywhere. He wandered tirelessly searching everywhere he could. Suddenly, someone bumped into him from behind.

"Jay. Jay. Help. He's coming,"

"Who?"

"Damon,"

"What're you talking about?"

"He's the one who destroyed the clans. He's the one who separated us. And now he's preparing to take over the world. According to him, there are the Primals and the Evolved. We are the primals. We need to stop him,"

Jay took a minute to take it all in. This is all new.

"Where were you?" Jay asked.

"Are you serious? Didn't you hear what I just said? We NEED to STOP HIM!"

They rushed. She led him to the entrance. Midway, Jay stopped. He sensed a great power looming far at the edge of the clan.

"Alexa. Not here. Follow me,"

He led her to the edge. As they got closer, the power became enormous.

"Jay. He's stronger than you think. It's not wise to fight him," Alexa warned him. He didn't listen.

They reached.

"Jay. Glad you're here. I was just leaving ---"

"Shut your damn mouth. How could you? I believed you,"

"What are you talking about?" He asked.

"I know you made me the king so that you can venture off and kill the Evolved. Why?"

"I like to think of myself as an artist. As I can see it, I've created the perfect masterpiece. You remember the prophecy I told you? About the clans' destruction? Well, I am the prophecy. I could've destroyed the clans anytime I wanted. But no. I waited for the perfect moment. When I saw you with Alexa, I followed you. I became your shadow, eavesdropping on all your talks."

He continued speaking.

"The sheer satisfaction one gets when he sees his plan coming together.... It's truly something different. I wanted you and your father to suffer. What better way to do it? And then I saw The Evolved. "

"I won't let you conquer them. They don't know anything. Let them be at peace,"

"No. Humans once destroyed this world because of machines. I won't let them do it again. You know, by the time we've talked this much, I would've reached there,"

Jay felt the tension and heard the intensity in Damon's tone. There's a great deal of emotion behind these words he was speaking.

Jay halted him. But it was no match for Damon. Damon pushed him back with force. Jay got up.

"Fistfights are primitive, Jay. Fight me with your full strength and I promise you, you'll unlock your full potential,"

Jay spoke.

"I never came looking for a fight. But then again, I was a prince and now I'm a king. Protecting those who are helpless is my duty. If you wanna go there, you have to go through me,"

Damon cracked his knuckles. Jay clenched his fists. He kept one foot back, getting ready for a fight. Damon advanced. His blows were of pure brute strength. Whereas Jay's attacks were strategic.

The two fought. Jay took a blow to the jaw and countered it with a punch to the ribs, but Damon blocked it. It wasn't just strength. He was fast. For each of Jay's attacks, there was a fast counter from Damon. Jay was now bruised. His body ached.

"Had enough?" Damon asked.

Jay took him by surprise by blasting a beam of energy. Damon was blown back.

"Jay. Come on. Please. Follow me. Alexa spoke, from a distance.

He got up and followed her. His torso ached. Damon had transformed into a disfigured and split himself.

The Jack And Ace ran as fast as they could. What chased them was inches away. They ran through the dense misty jungle, dodging the low branches and jumping over rocks, all while having low vision.

But how long can they run? Damon's speed escalated while Jay's and Alexa's diminished. The Ace, realizing that she can run no more, stopped and gave the Jack a window to escape. Jack turned back to see his companion once more. She was gone, along with Damon.

Nightfall occurred. Jack arranged shelter under a pine tree.

"Strange," He thought to himself, considering pine trees were extinct. After a while, Alexa joined him. It's as if she spawned out of thin air.

"Hey! How did you manage to lure him away?" Jay asked.

"I took control of his mind for a while without him knowing and sent him off on another track,"

"Nice. Glad you're alive,"

"Heh," She gave out a suspicious chuckle. "How do we beat him? He's too powerful. A minute more of fighting and you would've been dead. We need to find a weak point. He became a disfigured. Do you think on that day he multiplied himself and chased us?"

"Could be,"

Alexa looked up at the pine trees and asked.

"Aren't these trees supposed to be extinct?"

That's when it hit him.

"That's it. Pine trees. That was the first tree he made. He mentioned it saying that it had a certain life. What if he meant that literally? He must be drawing his strength from pine trees. That has to be it,"

"Don't worry. Leave that to me," Alexa spoke.

She concentrated and was able to see the connection. All branched underground, moving along with Damon. In theory, destroying the pine trees would weaken him.