Power of the 8 Elements

Chapter Thirty One

"I'm going to ask you a few questions, and you're going to answer me with the most honest answer you can give. If you lie to me, I'll pull the trigger." 

Thrax walked towards Terri. I threw my arm out of the bars, but he didn't see me, and I couldn't reach him. The cages were too far spaced apart. Thrax held the gun to his head while all the shadows watched, grinning. He noticed me, making my hand glow, and he clenched his fist while still smiling. I reached for my neck and doubled over in pain, as I felt the virus mark. 

"Phoenix!" Bones said.

I was magically knocked into all four corners of the cage. I couldn't move. It was too painful to do anything, even fidget. Thrax presses the gun to his head and grins.

"Do you really love your sister?"

Terri looked at me, then at him.

"Of course, I do. I only have one. She's my sister, and I appreciate her. Whatever side she's on."

I smiled. Thrax, to my surprise, pulled the trigger. I gasped, but nothing happened. There was a click, but nothing.

"You idiot!" I shouted. "You said you would only fire if we gave the wrong answer." 

"Be happy the bullet wasn't on him. I'm saving you for last."

He walked over to Ferdinand.

"Do you want to be a part of this team? Really?"

"Um...um..." 

"Answer me, or I'll pull the trigger."

"As a matter of fact, I like it here. I love having kind friends who care about me. Not evil people like you."

Thrax pulled the trigger. Once again, there was nothing but a clicking sound that once again all of our hearts stopped. Thrax rolled his eyes, clearly disappointed and walked over to Celeste. He pressed the gun to her head.

"Do you like Lucifer?"

She paused and looked at the dark one who looked concerned.

"No," she stammered. 

"Wrong answer," he stands up and fires the gun.

All of us close our eyes, thinking that the gun---at that moment---was going to go off, but nothing happened. Just a click. Thrax walked off and then took a step towards me. He closed his hand once again, and the pain disappeared. A look at him. He looked at me, grinning. He pressed the gun to my head.

"Do you know who you are? Who you will be? Who you want to be?"

They all seemed to be the same questions, but I couldn't think about it in the time that I had. I struggled to think about it at all. Had I ever really thought about this? I mean, I was a part of two affiliations who were briefly enemies. I was sure that the Arcane Order had more antagonized other groups in the long time span of their existence. That meant I had only more adversaries, but right now I had to deal with the one pressing a GUN to my head.

"Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock," the shadows all say at the same time, giggling as Thrax's smile spreads wider.

I noticed the team looking at me with concerned faces. I prayed that I would be unable to answer, but the gun would never go off. 

"Guess that's something for me to find out," I said simply, coming to the conclusion that you can never decide your fate in a few seconds.  

I looked over at Thrax's finger and saw him about to pull the trigger. I just acted on instinct.  I slammed myself as hard as possible into the cage. And who knew that the bullet would fire that moment. I thought I'd get hit, but instead I heard a loud, pained roar. I realized that I burst open the cage door and was lying on the outside. I struggled to stand up, unable to comprehend what had just happened. I looked back at the cage to find, Thrax on the floor, gun by his side, but blood pooling around him, and I managed to piece everything together. Right now was no time to stop. I grabbed the key chain lying on the conveyor belt. I flew up to Bones' cage, and unlocked it. He quickly flew out. We quickly opened everybody else's cage, while giving each other terrified glances.