Boshville

B. 25

Tristan woke Fortin who had been in the guestroom with Bartin and Alexis. "You should be having maximum rest". Fortin scolded. "I know but I just thought about something", Tristan said with enthusiasm, "what if Natalie transforms now?" "This late at night? How would we warn everyone?"

"That's my point. It's only a matter of time before she loses control. We can make it happen now while everyone is inside so that they'd be prepared for the morning".

Fortin contemplated. "That is a very good idea. Some could easily flee too. I reckon that the General has pulled back a few of his men". Fortin replied. Zee was not convinced but it was worth the shot. Natalie was highly emotionally unstable.

The three discussed their approach for minutes before they walked to Natalie's room. They saw her sleeping quietly. "Should we really wake her up? This is most quiet she has been". Zee joked. The three nodded but woke her nevertheless. "Hm is it morning yet?" She yawned, "and why are you three standing like that?" "Come on. We have something to tell you".

Natalie swore under her breath and followed them. "What was so important?" She asked crossing her arms. "We want you to transform tonight". Tristan deadpanned. "Transform?" Natalie quirked her brows. She was honestly confused. She knew that they had been worried about the cracks on her skin but she didn't know anything about a transformation.

Tristan gave Zee a look. "Well? Is someone going to say something?" She snapped. "Those cracks means that you're shifting to your original form", Zee explained, "and once you do, every Ivocian would too". "What?!" She yelled. "Lower your voice!" Zee scolded. "You don't get to tell me that", she retorted, "you were the one who gloriously removed this information from the necessary column!"

"Yelling would do us no good". Fortin tried to calm her. Natalie took a deep breath. "I think your plan sucks". She shrugged. "How?"

"Not to be Debbie downer but the last time something happened in the middle of the night, no one knew till morning. You were part of the team that went out scouting and how early did you start?"

Zee stroked his goatee for a minute. "That is true", he agreed, "but we still have to do something. We can't wait for you to explode". "How about I go to bed and leave you adults to it?" With that, she left mumbling about her precious sleep. Tristan went after her.

"Do I need to talk sense into you?" Fortin questioned with a frown. "Not at all my friend", Zee stood up, "I'll fix this".

Natalie could not sleep when she returned to bed. She tossed from side to side. It was the night when everything started again. It felt like it happened over a month ago but it had only been three days.

Natalie went to close the window. She saw a shadow in the lawn. Natalie squinted her eyes. The person had a large frame and a hunched back. Natalie looked over her left and right shoulders before she teleported.

The person was no longer on the spot she saw him. She heard a crunch from behind her and immediately turned around with her fists in the air. "A warrior", the person crackled, "master would be pleased and not pleased". As Natalie listened closely, she was realized that it was a hiss.

The creature stepped into the ray of light from her designated room window. Natalie almost tumbled back in fear. It was seven foot tall crocodile lizard mutant. It's scaly skin was an army green shade and its diamond eyes were black as coal. Its fanged teeth glistened in the light and Natalie did not fail to see the large tail.

"What are you? And what do you want?" She asked hoping that her voice was strong. The creature accessed her. Natalie guessed that she didn't look very intimidating in tank top and sweatpants. "The Gladiator will collect debt", the creature hissed, "no one will survive".

The Gladiator? Natalie remembered Zee saying something like that. Her mind immediately put the pieces together. Vashaks. Her fear rose to the roof. No one mentioned anything about giant lizards. "Your fear smells satisfying". The creature used its forked tongue to lick its canines.

Natalie took a step back. She looked at her window. She had only two options; run away or put the monster in its place. Natalie considered the first option. It was best and she would escape unharmed but the thoughts of The Gladiator tricking Zee to kill her mother made her furious.

Natalie's fear turned to rage. The energy crept down her arm and formed her Stix.  The Vashak was surprised and Natalie didn't give it room to think. She struck with all her might and it was blown back. Her speed kicked in and she was in front of it once again. Natalie delivered strike after strike and relished in the painful hisses of the Vashak.

Natalie spun in the air and gave it a kick. It shook its head and fell on one knee. Natalie saw an opening and took it. Her Stix was firmly planted in its chest. Natalie stumbled back and the weapon reentered her. She shook her head in horror as she watched the life drain from its eyes. "No!" She screamed.

The Gladiator clawed his chair as he pulled out of her mind. He was highly disappointed to find that the girl had the killing instinct that her mother had. He had to work faster if he would have victory over the escapees once and for all.

Meanwhile, Natalie's sonic scream woke everyone in the house. Natalie had curled herself into a ball as she woke from the nightmare. She payed no attention to the hole in the celling. She kept shivering and muttering 'I'm not a killer'.

Casper was the first one to her room. He sat on the bed and touched her. Natalie flinched but once she saw that it was him, she attacked him with a hug. "I'm not a killer". She told him. "You're not". He whispered back. Natalie cried into his neck.

The adults just watched the exchange. Fiona excused herself to prepare tea for the girl. "Can you tell us what happened?" Carmosole wrapped her arms around the girl. Natalie gave Casper a look that said 'see for yourself'. Casper nodded and took a peek.

He gasped once he saw her dream. "Oh no" he said. "What?" Zee asked. "That Vashak was in her head". He announced. Everyone had panicked looks on their faces. "How did he know where to find her?" Evie was the first to speak up. "Damnit!" Zee cursed, "he used me. That was why he let us go. He knew we would come back and we led him right to us".

Zee kept scolding himself. Tristan gave him a sympathetic look. Zee was very grateful that Tristan still cared enough to be there for him. Casper was furious. He hated how that monster had been maliciously staring at him and now, he came after his best friend in the whole world. His soulmate. Moss placed a hand on Casper's shoulder to relax him.

Fiona came back with the tea and Natalie took it in one gulp. She didn't care that it burned her throat. Bartin who was the usual jokester had nothing to say about this. He was scared and the memories from the invasion hunted his mind.

"What do we do now? We can't wait for The Gladiator to attack us". Natalie finally spoke normally. The tea worked. "We have to warn the others", Carmosole shook her head, "I'll teleport all around town. There is no point fighting the feds. They will back off once the Vashaks begin their attack". "I'll come with". Fiona quipped. She gave a light kiss to Casper's forehead before she walked out.

"I saw something else that we can work with", Zee announced, "cases of Netronic Gas". Fortin widened his eyes, "cases? How many?" "A lot", Zee replied, "enough to power spaceships. A whole fleet of them. Boshville is just the base of his attack. He wants Earth".

Is it just me or I am hating the Vashaks more and more? What is the group going to do?

Find out in the next part!

Love you,

Josy💜