Bring Me To Life

Chapter XVII || Phantom's Base

The action always starts when the sun goes down, I like it that way. I see Ivy, Jace and Yuki standing outside the hotel waiting for us. Ivy’s eyes are constantly switching colours from brown, hazel and blue. I assume she’s controlling a few human’s minds. Yuki is staring at the spotlight, shimmering against the water fountain at the face of the Venetian. Jace is checking out skimpy girls walking into the hotel, probably heading for the casino. There are three yellow taxis parked in a line and we all jump in. I sit in the middle with Adam and Ivy on my side.

“New York, New York and make it quick.” Ivy commands. He flashes his bright teeth and revs the engine. In barely any time at all, we are standing in front of New York, New York, filled with hundreds of people.

“You ready?” Adam holds my hand.

“Yeah,” I lie. I’m not ready at all.

“As long as I’m here, you won’t get hurt. That’s a promise.” He pats my head with his free hand.

“Let’s go. You know the plan, right?” Ivy asks. I nod and she walks through the entrance. “Good. Now let’s get our revenge.” Skylar, Noah and Willow are already there. Jace and Yuki are just arriving. The casino is bursting with laughter, strippers and drunken men. Rings of victory drown out some laughter, which usually turns into an argument. I am taken in my the Ferrari spinning on the stand, ready to be won by someone who would just crash and wreck it. Why would Phantom pick such a crowded place to hide demons? Is there some secret mist that makes humans see other things? But can’t I see any demons. The signal of the plan should come about now but I don’t really get what Skylar and Jace have to do.

Skylar gives Jace a nod and he waves his hands around. All the neon lights in the casino black out. The ringing and laughter dissolves. A deep blue mist spreads around our feet and every single human disappears along with all the machines. There’s just floor, ceiling and a few lights remaining.

“Okay, I’m off.” The mist goes around Noah, Willow and Skylar and they fade away. Skylar is going to get more ingredients for her potions, with the help of Willow and Noah.

I glare at the two familiar faces of Fang Knight and Magenta Clark, and at the fresh face of a man who resembled Fang, in the darkness.

“That’s William Knight, brother of Fang. He’s almost impossible to beat.” Jace stutters nervously.

“What is he?” I ask with a worried tone.

“A multiplier, he can make unlimited copies of himself.” Suddenly there are about fifty Williams in the room. I gasp and Yuki smashes her fist into the ground. Sharp icicles shoot out from the red and gold carpet and stab some of the Williams. Fang and Magenta bear out their wings and start flying.

“You can kill him by killing the real one, which is so hard to find.” Jace’s eyes are shooting are everywhere, looking for the original William. His hand starts glowing brighter than the sun; you would be blinded if you look directly at it. His light hits several of the Williams but not the real one. They double up now. Yuki smashes the wall with her fist, yet again, and icicles stab through the ceiling to Magenta and Fang. They dodge it by a hair and fly down to the ground. Magenta touches the ground and it starts cracking. Yuki falls into the crack Magenta created. Magenta cackles as Yuki screams. I jump and grab her hand, trying to balance my weight away.

“Don’t let go Yuki!” I yell and she tremors.

“I’ll just let you both fall, then.” Magenta cackles and bends down to touch the ground again. Destruction at her fingertips, incredible.

Adam jumps and knocks Magenta over in time to save us. I look up to see Ivy predicting Fang’s movements before he even does them. I wonder if he had any supernatural power because it seems like everyone else does. Adam reaches down for Yuki and then helps me up.

“Agony.” I hear Fang say and Ivy falls on the ground screaming.

“No! Ivy!” I try running after her but Adam holds his arms around me. Jace stops conjuring light and glares at Fang. William’s multiple faces smirk.

“What did you do to her?” Jace cries and light flames out of his body.

“Uh uh uh.” Fang moves his index finger. “I just have to say death and she’s gone.” I gasp, it’s amazing but malevolent.

“Adam! Let go of me!” I want to save Ivy so badly; just watching her writhing is causing me pain.

“I can’t do that, Autumn.” He keeps his arms locked around me.

“Surrender now or she dies.” My chest starts to throb.

“We surrender!” I yell and Yuki looks at me like she’s going to cry.

“No! No!” Ivy yells and has spasms on the floor. “Make it stop! I beg you! Please!”

“Stop it!” I yell.

“Stop.” Fang says and Ivy calms down. Magenta wakes up and looks around, an evil smirk paints across her face. She gives a nod to William and all of the Williams walk up to us. I hear a thud as Jace falls to the floor.

“What?” I gasp. Another William smothers Yuki’s face with a cloth. Sulphur. Adam’s grip loosens and he falls too.

“Last and least.” He chuckles and my scream is muffled.

I find myself in a glass box, no actually, a room. Adam is sleeping against the glass wall in another room and in the room beside me is Ivy, hung up like she’s being crucified. I see Fang, William and Magenta walking down the hallway of these glass rooms and into Ivy’s.

“Tell us the weaknesses of the Top Ten.” William pokes her face.

“Never.” She grits her teeth.

“Torture.” Fang says. She starts screaming curses out.

“They’re my friends!” She holds her screams down.

“You said you would stop!” I punch the glass. I try healing her from this side of the glass.

“Looks like the princess is awake.” William says. “It’s no use, you can’t use your powers in there!”

I grunt as I try to break the glass although I knew it’s inept.

“Stop hurting her! Take me instead!” Magenta strides up to the glass and taps it with her long nails.

“But you don’t know everyone’s weaknesses,” She shakes her head, “and she’s read all your minds.” She strides back to the group.

“Agony and torture.” Fang says and Ivy screams even louder. I fall on my knees and bury my face in my palms.

“Ivy…” I choke.

“Stop! I’ll tell you…” Ivy whispers. “I’m truly sorry Autumn.” She mouths.

I mentally block out what she’s saying. I look at my friends in the other rooms. I try to remember their peaceful faces in their deep sleep, knowing that this will be the last of them like this. Phantom is going to use our weaknesses against us. Let us writhe in pain for several long hours, with no hope. The question is, why didn’t they just kill us? That’s what they wanted us for in the first place. What did they really want from us? I blink my tears out and stare at Ivy who is panting. Phantom has left now, leaving Ivy still tied up. She’s still twitching every few seconds.

“They want to take our powers.” She says and looks into my eyes in fear. I swallow hard and start crying, crying so hard there is a puddle forming on the ground. No, they couldn’t do this to us. I’m not going to let them. They don’t deserve to live on this planet full of love, hope and a future. I punch my knuckles into the ground and wail.

Why did they want our powers? Our powers are our lives. We will die without them. Are they just so conniving and sinful, that they want to torture us before stealing our lives? Do they not have hearts? I guess they don’t. I see my reflection in my puddle of tears and think of everything I’ve done to get here today. My life is going to end; it isn’t hard to tell. I stand up with my fist clenched and I scream, scream out the pain, the pity, and the hate. I just don’t want them to get hurt, I want to sleep in Adam’s arms again, laugh from Ivy rejecting Jace, hear Yuki’s timid voice, watch Noah and Skylar fall in love, heal Willow when she’s hurt, find out more about Crucivas, and meet Ryder, those are my last wishes. I hear footsteps approaching from the corridor. They’re coming for us.