A Hero in the Dark: 2nd Edition

Chapter 75: Blue Inferno

~ Setrákus Ra's POV ~

The Garde arrive as I knew they would, two hours short before my deadline's expiration date. I must say; I'm impressed. I was not expecting a bunch of children to be punctual. Although, they do not recognize us when they enter the cavern—why would they? It is as dark as a cave here.

As little light as there may be, surely, one of the Garde must be able to see in the dark. Perhaps I got lucky, I think, and one of the first three had it instead.

My associate appears to be nervous, and while she does well in hiding it, the subtle shake of her body is evident. My granddaughter, on the other hand, does even more poorly. I only pray that they will toughen up sometime soon.

Emily, I think to her, expecting her to be tuned in. She eyes me, skeptically, might I add, where she knows I'm waiting. Do not activate your Legacy until either I or the Garde converge.

Yes, Beloved Leader.

I watch as the Garde make their way into the room. They appear to be surveying my latest handiwork: the newest experiments of the Russian Human Garde. John Smith's Lumen is apparent from this distance away. In one hand, he holds a blade glistening crimson. Ah, so he's mastered it after all. Perhaps we should put him to the test.

In a nanosecond, he turns, as if conjured by sudden thought. "Emily?" he calls, yet only the darkness answers him. It is now that I choose to rise out of the sea, slowly, so my life's work drips off my skin. It slithers into me as if seeking shelter. "Ella? What the—"

I have waited for this day for centuries: the day that I rid Mogadorian Progress of all resistance. I was right to wear my finest black-and-purple armour. This will be a fight to remember; I shall look forward to it 'till the last of them draws their final breath.

At last, I raise my arms. "Welcome!" I call. "Please, do not be offended by the sight of my failures. They were not fit to carry my gifts. Like you all, they were not ready for prog—"

John Smith pitches a fireball, interrupting me with a shriek. I'm relieved to see my associate counter it with a beam. Truly, this caught me by surprise. So, that is how it must be...

A dark boy with curled hair teleports behind my wards. I seal off his Legacies with a sudden telepathic warning. Emily spins, and in a flash, her eyes and fists are aglow. She sidesteps him, and I fling the boy away until he topples to his back where they came.

Emily nods at me, a look of gratitude. I shoot her a glance of pride as John flings his dagger. It penetrates my shoulder, punching straight through my armour! Argh! The nerve of that boy!

An empty void surfaces in the pit of my belly, but it's overcome with a flood of my life's work. I smile, better so, and float up a few feet. "You've cut me off from that piece of Lorien," I tell them, though I feel the need to applaud. "I won't be able to take your Legacies. It won't matter." I pull the dagger free and whip it back at him. He jumps aside. "I am beyond that now—beyond Legacies. Your powers derive from a primitive being with no rhyme or reason. My Augmentations are of my own choosing, limited not by an outside Entity, but only by my own genius." Already, the hole in my shoulder closes. I allow myself a calming breath, a full breath, a healthy breath.

Then, they are running at me. Five of them, for each of the remaining Garde. Numbers Four, Six, Seven, Eight, and Nine. They circle me, but I am not worried. Ella sneaks her way to Marina's side. Emily stomps, creating a rumbling buzz of hyperactive terrain through the ground. I must admit, she never ceases to amaze me. To fire rays of detrimental energy through the palms of her hands, to take life by simply breathing the same air... this is a move I have not taught her: electrifying her environment on the most external level. Spectacular.