Elementals

Chapter 12

Polinski took cover behind a gurney, as Chris and Connor equipped their armour. Henry and Tyler raced inside already in the armour and regrouped with the two, while Eddie stayed in Sam's room unsure of what to do.

"Guys? What are you wearing?"

"Remember when I said we had armour? Now it's time for you to equip yours. Whatever you do, just trust your gut and believe in yourself." Eddie pulled his crystal out of his pocket and held onto it with all his might. He kept thinking to himself about his armour, and it formed over him. Red plated armour covering every inch of his body. He felt immensely powerful.

As the group finally had its fifth member, it was time to face their foe once again. They took fighting positions outside of Sam's hospital room. His parents had tried to get him out, but it caused him pain due to his surgery. His door was also blocked by small bits of debris, fallen trolleys and gurneys, and other people trying to escape the chaos. As more fire erupted from the hallway, Elfen made his appearance.

"Guys, who is that?"

"This is the alien we mentioned earlier. He wants to take out crystals. Do not under any circumstances let him take your crystal."

"Got it." Elfen appeared at the end of the corridor, looking more pissed than before. As he raised his hand towards the group, flames erupted from around him.

"I warned you that I would return. Now I have all five crystals in the same location."

"Keep dreaming." Elfen charged towards the lads, his frame filling the small hospital corridor. Each member of the group equipped their chosen weapon and charged to fight. Elfen's fighting abilities had improved immensely since the Manchester fight. He blocked each strike the group attempted to land on him.

Chris slid behind Elfen and shot his vines from his armour, wrapping around his leg and pulling back on them, causing him to fall to the ground. Henry struck him from above, causing Elfen to retaliate by grabbing Chris' vines and throwing him into the group. As he stood back up, he swung his hand towards them and let out a large burst of fire. Connor stood back up and held his fists tight together and aimed at them at Elfen, shooting two large beams of water at him.

"That's a new trick."

"I see you're learning to use your elements. Very good." The group didn't know how to react to that statement. Was he commending them or mocking them? Was this his plan? Did he know something they didn't?

Elfen regained his strength and grabbed Chris by his throat. His might and strength nearly choked Chris to death. Henry came to rescue but as he leapt in the air to strike him down, Elfen caught him with his other hand, choking him too.

"Two worms, wriggling to save their lives. Pathetic." As his grip tightened, Eddie shot a fireball at his chest, forcing him to drop the two boys and being launched through the wall into the hospital room. It was Sam's hospital room, and Eddie realised too late.

"Eddie! Help!" Sam called out, cowering behind his gurney with his parents. Elfen shot at the doorway, causing more of the wall and ceiling to collapse, trapping Connor and Tyler, and knocking Connor out. Chris stood back up, catching his breath, and charged into the hospital room with Eddie, blades drawn. They both struck Elfen, who had blades of his own. As he pushed further and further towards the trapped family, Eddie's fear began getting the best of him.

Henry raced in the room in an attempt to reach the family. He jumped over the gurney, and sat with them as he tried to identify a clear exit from the room, which was proving to be more of a challenge than he anticipated. Sam's mother held onto their boy fiercely, as his father held onto them both.

"Henry. I don't care what you have to do, get my wife and son out of here."

"I will, Mr Harvey. I just need to find an exit." More rubble began to fall from the ceiling, concealing the doorway and further trapping Tyler and Connor, who by now, were completely unable to move. Chris and Eddie continued their battle with Elfen. His power was showing through his blades, which released more energy into his blows as he swung them. Eddie could see that Henry had his family as far away as he could, but it was a matter of a few metres, and didn't ensure their safety.

Elfen forced the two boys back, hitting them against the wall and knocking them down. He towered over them, dominating them in force and in might.

"You put up a good fight. I'm impressed. If you weren't my enemy, I'd have you as one of my warriors, but not everything good lasts." Eddie looked up at Elfen, too weak to get back up. "You're going to feel what it's like to lose. To suffer." He turned to Eddie's family in the corner. "You believe in heroes protecting you. You think that they can stop any threat that can harm you or your planet. You're wrong." In one swift motion, he reached out and grabbed Eddie's mother, pulled her away, and pierced Sam's chest with his blade. Eddie watched in horror as he heard his brother's screams and watched as his life was drained from his body.

Eddie stood back up, full of anger and hate. He charged towards Elfen and started to batter him, swinging both fists into Elfen's face repeatedly as they powered up with the energy of his crystal. Elfen dropped to the ground, and didn't put up a fight. He finally fell unconscious, bleeding heavily from the face. He stood back up and ran towards Sam, retracting his head gear and holding him in his arms. He wasn't responding, and wouldn't open his eyes.

"Sam?! Sam, wake up!" He called out but nothing happened. Blood continued to pour from him, down Eddie's armour. He tried desperately to wake his brother, and called for help. As he realised that his attempts were futile, he looked up and cried out in grief. As he screamed in his guilt and anger, a large power surge, bigger than anything ever seen before, broke out from Eddie, completely destroying the room and blasting a hole through the wall. The blast was that powerful, it had turned the room to darkness, putting out the fires.

"Sam, please wake up." He sobbed over his brother's body, feeling responsible for the consequence before him. As he sobbed more, a helicopter began to appear from the hole in the wall. S.P.P.E.A.R. had arrived.