SOAR - Book One: DEAD HEROES

CHAPTER 12: THE DISTRESSED DAMSELS, AN ORB, AND THE VILLAIN

12

the DISTRESSED damsels, an orb,

and the villain

Locke and Iris were sitting in Iris' room with Iris lying at the head of the bed while Locke was sitting at the edge.

"So, any ideas of what we do?" Iris asked Locke who seemed to be deep in thought. "Well, we fell from the fourth floor to what I think is the third basement. It was dark for half of the trip and I was trying to stop you from hitting the wall while you were unconscious." Locke said still looking at the wall with furrowed brows.

Iris cheeks blushed an honest pink when she heard the Locke was trying to stop her from being hurt while they fell. Iris had learned that she had hit here head on one of the walls while they were on the way down and had been knocked unconscious. "I think all we can do is hope that Flynn, Wire, and Korwyn somehow manage to save us because according to zero-three-six-twelve, that is the only way out."

Iris nodded, "What do we do in the meantime?"

Locke shrugged his shoulders, "I think we should collect information until Flynn and the other arrive."

Iris looked at him and pointed out negatively, "If they ever come here."

Locke just looked at her with a smile, "When you first met Flynn, you felt that you could trust him with your life, right?"

Iris looked at Locke, surprised, "How did you know that?"

Locke chuckled, "Because Flynn has that effect on everybody he meets. When I first met him, after my planet was destroyed and I thought I couldn't trust anyone else ever again, I met him and I felt that my life – which was at rock bottom – could only go upwards. His idiotic optimism rubs off and I know with my entire being that no matter what happens, Flynn will come down here to save us." Iris was impressed by Locke's speech and she knew that all of it was true.

"Then why are we just sitting here while they do all of the work upstairs. I am not playing the role of the damsel in distress when they come down here; I am going to prove to Flynn that I was worth turning into a member of SOAR." Iris vowed with a smile.

Locke's face became congruent with hers, "Okay, I think we should talk to zero-three-six-five first."

"Before that, we should give her a shorter name, zero-three-six-five is a bit of a mouthful." Iris pointed out; exaggerating the trouble she had pronouncing the digits in the gray-skinned woman's name.

Locke nodded, "You're right. Anyways, according to her, it will probably take a while for them to get down here."

*** *** ***

The white wall turned to powder and crumbled under the weight of Flynn's fist. As he cleared out the wall, a red orb revealed itself. Flynn peered and Wire and Korwyn looked over his shoulder curiously.

"Show yourself! Bring Iris and Locke back up here!" Flynn commanded the orb. A dark mist began to move inside the orb.

"Uh... Flynn, I don't think you should stand so close to that orb..." Korwyn said as she and Wire cautiously stepped back. She tried to pull Flynn back as well but he remained rooted to the spot.

"HEY! I'M TALKING TO YOU!" Flynn shouted at the orb. The purple flames on his gauntlets were growing wild and their color grew deeper. His once-emerald eyes were a purple-black. "GIVE ME BACK IRIS AND LOCKE!"

The dark mist in the orb began to fill the sphere and the red soon turned to black.

"Flynn..." Wire mumbled uncertainly as the color of the sphere began to change, Flynn remained glaring at it. "FLYNN!" Wire shouted and attempted to pull Flynn by the shoulder. He had never seen the wild haired boy act like this before. His navy blue hair began to transform and turned to a deep purple that matched his gauntlets. Flynn slowly turned to face Wire and in an eerie voice he asked, "Don't you hear their cries of pain and anger?! These are creatures that want to survive but are being pushed into a corner. They are not the monsters... WE ARE!" His voice suddenly reached a high volume and he was about to send a punch right into Wire's jaw when his figure suddenly crumpled to the floor.