Atlantis

Chapter 115

A throne of skulls, how dramatic. Russell Lightbourne never had that flare in him.

"Russell." Gabriel stepped forward. "Heh. What the hell is this?"

"Who the hell are you?" Russell demanded.

"Heh." Gabriel let out an unamused laugh.

Russell never had his mind drive removed, and Sheidheda left the Flame before it could be destroyed. Both created by Becca, both now had the same ugly sneer that haunted Faye to her core.

"That's not Russell."

"This is Malachi kom Sangedakru, and you will kneel before him." A guard said. Sangedakru must be proud to have their greatest champion back, but Faye didn't kneel to ghosts, not this time.

"Well, I guess we found Sheidheda's code." Raven whispered to Faye.

"Since my ascension, the protocol has become rather simple really. Kneel... or die." He ordered to the random people who showed up in his palace, standing out in their white robes and futuristic helmets.

"Ordinarily, I would relish the opportunity to recruit your forces to the cause, but unfortunately, I have neither the time nor patience to suffer your primitive tribalism." Cadogan bowed his head and the guards fell at the shot of lasers.

"Murphy!" Raven dropped her helmet and ran to his side.

"Indra." Faye grabbed her arm and pulled her away from that monster.

"Invisibility and ray guns I can accept." Murphy muttered. "That needs some explaining, though." He gestured to Bellamy once they got the ropes off his wrists.

"Tell me Madi's safe with Gaia." Faye pulled Indra's shoulder.

"We thought Gaia was with you." Indra said, her eyes becoming wide.

"Madi's safe for now." Murphy whispered. He nodded to Faye, he knew she'd be worried.

"Restrain the soldiers with him." Cadogan gestured to Sheidheda.

"No." Faye stood, protesting as the guards began to head for Indra. "She's with us."

"She was standing unrestrained by the throne. The only reason she is not dead is she was unarmed."

"Raah! Ugh!" Sheidheda yelled, running down the steps only to be stopped by a blow to the stomach. Once the guard revealed himself, they quickly realized it was a knife.

"The microphone." Cadogan pointed. "That sound is deep. I have no interest in removing you from your throne. Here's my proposal. You give me undisturbed passage to get what I came for. That means I see not a single soul on our path, and I leave Dr. Santiago here to treat you. When we're gone, you're free to continue the debasement of our species. Until you're saved like the rest of humanity by the completion of my quest. Refuse this, and you die."

Sheidheda bowed his head. Not even this great evil could stand up against this Shepard and his invisible army.

"Onward to the Key."

They were all led outside. Cadogan scanned Sanctum, like a god in a swamp. "Everywhere human beings go is worse off for it, but thanks to us, we will transcend. Thanks to use, we will reach the promised land."

"Oh, for God's sake." Faye rolled her eyes. She pushed her way through the Disciples and heading down the steps.

"Tell me he's not serious." Murphy muttered as he sped up to catch Raven and Faye.

"Welcome to the party." Raven said, noticing how Faye picked up her pace at the mention of Bellamy's betrayal. Faye didn't give too much away, but Raven knew it didn't feel good.

"Yeah. Not gonna lie. Feeling a little out of the loop." Murphy admitted.

"Mutual." Faye commented. Sheidheda took over Russell's body and then the rest of Sanctum. "You said Madi was safe for now. What does that even mean?"

"She's safe. She's with Emori... in the reactor." He almost predicted the exact look on Faye's face. "I know, I know, but believe it or not, it was the safest place in Sanctum."

"What the hell's going on here?" Raven asked.

"Hold." Cadogan ordered. Although the trio were not apart of the herd, they turned sharply.

"Look. I'm in a hurry. You have our friends. I would like them back, then to see my daughter. If you want to see yours, the Flame is this way."

"New plan." Clarke rolled her eyes. "You go. We'll stay here."

"Sir, you heard her. As long as our friends are out there, she won't risk their lives." Bellamy said. He didn't miss the light scoff that came from Faye.

"That's why these two are staying with us." He looked at Raven and Murphy. "Hurry along, Faye. I don't want to be on this infernal moon a moment longer than I have to."

Faye walked down the steps, all the way down the hill. And once she could no longer feel the light of the houses or voices of the people, she took off running towards the house.

She didn't slow down, not for a second. Madi was left in a reactor, that last Faye could understand, was unstable. Her friends were God only knows where, and she was alone.

She reached the farm house and took off down the hill towards the tree. She dropped to her knees without a thought and started digging up the Flame.

Was she so desperate to save everyone that she was now digging through dirt to find a broken piece of herself that was useless.

She thought she felt something under her finger tips, but it was only a stupid chain with a lost symbol on it.

Faye stopped digging. No one was here to watch, she was finally as alone as she felt.

She was tired, but she didn't need sleep. It was a dire need for peace. She needed to get home. Home, in Polis, with the Flame and Bellamy.

They'd been through the stars, no matter the difficulties.

She meant to look up at the stars that she wished to fly away to, but all she saw were the bugs flying into the shield. The eclipse.

She tossed the commander's emblem around her neck and kept digging. She finally found the Flame and ran into the house.

They needed antitoxin to think clearly. In her rush, it was hard to remember where everything she needed was. She began to throw all the antitoxins in a bag and grabbed a scarf.

Just as the shield was being brought down, she lit a torch and ran outside.

She had to run faster going up than she did coming down.