Nayantara

Chapter Seven: Island Retreat

The Bermuda island is in sight. I can see pockets of black smoke at different parts of the island. Several helicopters come into view the closer we get. They're flying high above a bunch of nasty-looking plant monster freaks.

"Oh god! They're here too?" I say.

"Shit!" Shar'I says and suddenly stops. Nemetoria hits the brakes, nearly throwing me off her back. I slid up her back. My knees catch her armpits, preventing me from jetting through the sky.

"Nikki?" Nemetoria grunts.

"Warn me next time," I say. I float off her body since I don't have reason to be holding on anymore. The island is in sight, so there is no reason to catch a ride. "What's wrong, Shar'I?"

"I never asked Eddie for the results of the samples." She claws her hands through her hair and groans as if she's in pain. "Whatever. I don't have to know that these are Cada made monsters."

"Huh?"

"You're joking?" Nemetoria says. Shar'I shakes her head no with her lips pressing into her mouth. "Shit," she whispers sharply through her teeth. "You could be right. Rayan didn't have these monsters until you came back."

"Could Rayan be using some of the meteorite?" I say.

"It has got to be," Shar'I says. "There's too many coincidences."

"Asteria," Nemetoria says then chokes up on the name before correcting herself. "I mean... Who's supplying him with that power?"

"A third party?" I say. Shar'I hums, giving me a feeling that she might take my side. I ask to clarify if any other parties hunger for power. She hums again but nods her head, no. "Maybe we should ask Shendour," I say and look at Nemetoria's face to judge if she'll follow along. Her arms are crossed with the right hand clawing the fold of the left elbow. Half of her body is turned towards the island while her head faces me. I can tell she wants to dive in there and possibly wreck shit up, but I want us to make a cohesive plan.

"You want us to talk with that freak?" Nemetoria says.

"Yeah! Why not? If he won't talk, I'm sure you'll beat the shit out of him until he does."

"Or," she chuckles, floating closer to me. "We kill him and be done with him for good," she says halfway to me before looking at Shar'I for the rest of it. "Let me do both of us a favor."

"No, Nemetoria," Shar'I says. "I'm on her side on this. Let us see what he knows."

"Alright." She looks down at the island. I look too but watch the closest monster I can see. It's in the water, attacking boats that are circling it. The second I'm about to tell everyone we need to attack, I realize I don't have my mask on my face.

"Guys!" I yell in a panic. "I forgot my mask!" Nemetoria takes off on her own. "Really?!

"It's in here," Shar'I says, taking my mask out of the pockets of my hoodie.

"Oh, thank god," I sigh in relief. "Okay! Let's go!"

Shar'I takes off and gaps me. We slam into the creature like guided missiles. She kicks it with both of her feet hard enough to make it nearly topple on its side. My flaming punch isn't enough to make it fall. Nemetoria sweeps in and drives it on its side. It crashes into the sand. The buildings next to it collapse. Shar'I sprays fire out of her hands, consuming half of it in a blazing flame. Nemetoria dive bombs into the burning half and comes out through the same hole with her arms extended out to her side. She splits the damn thing in half like it's nothing.

"Why am I even here?" I say. They seem to have it under control. The second monster is in their sights. They dart off to it while I float away toward the ocean to see what the Coast Guard is up to. Their boats are armed to the teeth. I can hear the shell casings roll around and smack one another when the waves rock the boat.