Subject 305-b

Chapter 23

Nic had his wrist blade plunged into Jakes stomach, he stumbled backward in shock. Nic watched Jake fall to his knees, blood pouring from the wound. Nobody moved or said anything, he stood up and everyone took a step back. Jake spit blood on the ground and laughed.

"Congratulations..." Jake coughed.

"What have you done?!" Cassandra demanded.

"What needed to be done." Albero replied.

Cassandra screamed and aimed her gun at Albero. Nic reacted immediately, grabbing his shotgun and aimed it at her.

"Kill them all!" Cassandra ordered.

A gunfight began, Nic, Athena, and Reyna took cover. Albero however was standing in the same place with his eyes closed. He took a deep breath and disappeared, vanished into thin air. Nic looked over the pew he was behind, everyone looked confused. Then all of a sudden the ground started shaking, vines burst from the ground and wrapped around their feet.

Nic saw darkness for a moment and before he knew it they were all standing in field. He looked over at Athena and she just shrugged her shoulders. A tree burst from the ground with Albero attached to the top. Leaves were drapped around his whole body, making him look as if he was part of the tree. Limbs from the tree where wrapped around his legs and the tree was moving as if it was his own body.

More vines lifted Athena, Reyna and Nic into the air leaving the goons on the ground.

"Cosa stai facend!? Nic yelled. {What are you doing!?}

"Getting you out of my way" Albero yelled back.

More trees sprung up from the ground surrounding them. Tree limbs lashed out wipping about, hitting goons. Goons were sliced, thrown into the air or draged into the earth. The whole thing was horrible but none of them could say anything to Albero. Nic desided he couldn't look at trees the same. Cassandra picked up a sword and launched it at the tree. The sword was deaply impaled into the tree and sap oozed out from around it. Albero shouted in pain and tried to hit Cassandra but missed. He tried to hit her again but she dodged. Nic noticed that the change was begging to take affect on Albero.

"Albero! It's my turn!" Nic finally demanded.

The trees disappeared and they all fell to the ground. Athena and Reyna landed in leaves placed by Albero but he himself had fallen straight to the ground.

"Athena, Reyna go to him i'll handle Cassandra." Nic shouted.

"Its cute that you think you can handle me." Cassandra laughed.

"Cass you don't have to do this." Nic replied

"I have to." Cassandra smirked.

She swung her sword in an arc like motion but Nic jumped back and grabbed the tip and bent it. Cassandra angrily threw her sword down and picked up a piece of wood. Nic took a step back and braced himself. With all the force she had Cassandra launched herself at him. He caught the wood in his hand and pushed back. He heard the wood started to crack and then felt pain lightening throughout his hand. A large splinter of the wood had gone through his hand.

Nic kicked Cassandra as far back as he could. Looking at his hand he saw that the splinter had gone clean through his hand. He jerked the splinter out, unexpectedly the wound didn't heal. He didn't have much time to comprehend what was going on because Athena had screamed.

Cassandra had her arm around Athena and with the other her gun pointed to her head. Without thinking Nic pulled out shotgun.

"Do it! Kill me and the little girl!" Cassandra laughed.