"Hey Daemon!" Zoey yelled up at him, "get down here! Fight me yourself, rather than having your soldiers die doing your dirty work!"
Lord Daemon craned his head down, his eyes closed into blue slits. Then opened again. He started to float down to the ground.
"Your team is crafty, I give you that," he chuckled.
His loud metal boots made a sharp clanging noise as he landed.
"So's yours." She replied, taking a few steps back.
"They really are. They keep surprising me," he stepped forward.
"Too bad most of them are useless now," she retorted.
He stopped advancing on her. She stopped stepping backward. They stared into each other for a good long awkward moment, Silence rang out over the littered battlefield. Fires were raging around them, growing and lapping away at cars and buildings.
The air around her buzzed and vibrated with energy, she knew the cage was materializing.
Jordan came out of seemingly nowhere and knocked Lord Daemon aside.
The cage formed a heartbeat later, trapping him inside.
She watched as her teammate collapsed to his knees and hands, panting for breath.
Lord Daemon stood up and stared at the cage, eyes wide with shock.
"A Faraday cage? Now that I was not expecting!" He said.
Jordan squinted his eyes, stood up slowly, looked at her, and then at Lord Daemon. Shook his head. Curled his fingers palm ward. Blinked hard and let tears roll down his face.
"What the hell happened to me?"
****
Jordan paced around and around like an animal inside the cage. His mind was as alive as a hive of hornets. Everything he'd been forced to do played out in a montage, flashing before his eyes. What have I done... what have I done?
Lord Daemon flew back up into the sky and aimed his hands at an apartment building down the street. Started carving away at it.
Mason ran over to the front of the cage and looked in at him. Shook his head in apology. The cage disappeared, and he took a few steps forward.
"Jordan?" Mason asked.
All Jordan could do was give a short nod in response.
Mason threw his arms around him, gave him a quick hug, and then scrambled away as if suddenly remembering they were in the middle of a disaster. He laughed and brushed himself off. Looked seriously relieved.
"How long... have I--"
"Too long," Mason said. "Are you alright?"
"Ye--"
He paused. Saw something coming out from the front of the museum across the street. A small figure dressed like one of the henchmen. Had a cape flowing behind him. A rifle aimed for Mason's head. Ready to kill him. His instincts kicked in. He shot forward, using his elbow to knock Mason right to the ground, and as he fell on top of him he threw his hand out and blasted a stream of hot lasers into the henchman's chest. The rifle fired into the air, and the henchman fell onto his back.
Jordan crushed his brother beneath him.
Mason grabbed his arms and threw him off. Stood up coughing.
"Dude, seriously?" He grumbled.
"You're welcome. I just saved you from psycho henchman number nine."
"I thought there were only eight," Mason said.
He shrugged. Stood up. Started to walk over to the fallen henchman.
"I'm gonna take his helmet, just for kicks," he said.
He strode on over, bent down on one knee, and grabbed the guy's helmet. Tore it off his head. That's not some guy... Sickness rose in his throat. His hand clasped over his mouth. Hot tears welled up in his eyes.
"Allie?!" He choked. "No! No no no!"
He slid his arms under her back and head, and cradled her in his lap. Rocked her back and forth, stroking her hair. His whole body was trembling, shivering with shock.
"No no no Allie please no. I had no idea it was you--" He cried.
Her eyes fluttered open for a brief moment, her hand came up and touched his cheek. Her skin was cold.
"I did this-- for you-- forgive me--" She coughed.
A harsh gust of wind came along and blew her hair around, the blazing fires of the battlefield reflecting in her eyes.
"Please don't leave me Allie! I forgive you, I do!" He exclaimed. "Somebody help!"
Her body quivered in his arms. Wet diamonds trickled down her cheeks. Her breath became rapid and shallow, and then it ceased to exist. Her eyes froze, staring up at the smoke-filled sky. Allie fell limp, her head lolled to the side.
"No no no no no no... I'm so sorry..." He touched his forehead to hers and cried so violently that he thought he might die and join her in Heaven.
YOU ARE READING
Dusk Harbor 1999
Science FictionYou've been out superheroing all night, and you just got your behind handed to you by a fellow hero who can't keep to his own territory. You come home to see that your beloved cat has brought in a business card, it's an invite to a secret meeting of...
