Morph [EDITING] || Wattys 2017 Winner

~FORTY ONE~

~amelie~

Hunter grabs my hand and sprints out of the room, and I'm pulled along behind him as he runs towards the wall that leads to the outside world. More people stream around us, all running in the same direction we are. I spot Lila's distinctive hair ahead, and when I look behind me I see the Professor being swept along by the tide of people. I feel a tug on my hand and I run faster, trying to keep up with Hunter's longer legs. Sound fills the air - Genevieve's amplified voice still repeating itself, people talking around us, my heartbeat thumping in my ears. Other people jostle me, and I'm elbowed, kicked, pushed in the struggle to defend our base as quickly as possible. But I elbow, kick, push back, and so we're all caught in the flow of people, speeding towards our destination.

We round a corner and suddenly there it is, there's the wall, and there are three figures diverting the flow of people. One of them has their hands splayed and is projecting words into the air - FRONTS, DEFENDERS, BOOSTERS. I see Victoria just beyond the Boosters sign, putting her hands briefly on each person going past. Hunter gives my hand a squeeze and I hear him shout "Stay alive!" before he lets go and disappears into the crowd, making for Victoria. I turn away and aim for the Fronts sign, where most people are heading. My arms are almost pinned to my sides by the throng, but luckily the flow of the crowd gets me there quickly.

Genevieve's voice cuts off as I run past the wall and out, blinking at the bright sunlight. People fan out all around me, some changing shape, some conjuring energy, some just waiting, staring ahead. I look forward as well, and apprehension fills me as I see a thick group of figures marching towards us. The only thing I can't figure out is why they're not attacking us right now, instead of just walking closer. But as I cast my gaze across the rebels around me, I see Lila at the front, holding up her hands. She must be shielding us from view. I'm searching for my other friends, like Hunter and Genevieve, when I spot a familiar face, and shock fills me as they approach me.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, astonished.
"This is my fault," says Dad. "I'm here to fix it."
I frown. "That's not what I mean. You don't have powers. You're going to... how are you going to fight them?" I point to the approaching army for emphasis, but it doesn't faze him.
He reaches behind him and pulls out twin firearms, saying, "Shoulder holsters. I'll survive."

I'm about to force him to go back, to stay out of the way, when I hear Lila shouting.

"Get ready!" she yells, her voice carrying over to all of us. "We're coming into view in three..."

I clench my fists, and breathe in.

"Two..."

Dad cocks his guns.

"One..."

The world is silent.

"NOW!"

And then it explodes, the opposing army spotting us as Lila's illusion drops and shouting, speeding towards us, and we go to meet them and everyone around me is yelling and I lose track of Dad as we plunge into battle. I'm in the middle of the rebels when we clash with the enemy, and so I can't see over the people in front of me, and it takes me completely by surprise as I'm knocked flat on my back by a super powered punch that comes from nowhere.

I spring back onto my feet and my opponent comes at me again, striking towards my stomach, but I manage to dodge and my fists swell and I hit him under the chin. He reels back and I move in for another shot, but his arm meets my fist and then he pushes out, sending me flying. I land on my side, winded but miraculously uninjured, and then a fist slams down inches from my face. I roll, and manage to evade his next blow, and I kick sideways, sweeping my leg and connecting with his knee, and it buckles and he falls. But then he's up again, and I have no idea how he's recovering so fast, but I don't have time to consider it. I duck as his fist sails wildly towards my head, and he hits empty space instead, and then I get back onto my feet as I throw a uppercut that smashes into his jaw. It doesn't even seem to affect him, not like it would normal people, and he returns the punch with force and my vision blurs for a second, my head rocking back. I'm defenceless as he aims another hit, right at me, and then suddenly someone materialises in front of me, taking the punch, and there's a pause and a swirling mass of colour-flecked darkness appears and my opponent vanishes.

Hunter turns around, eyes almost glowing, and pulls me to my feet. "Are you okay?" he asks.
"Yeah, I... are you? With the boosting?"
He glances around for enemies, but for this brief moment there's nobody gunning for us. "Yeah. It feels... wrong, but not painful. Like something's buzzing... just under my skin."
I say, "How did you just... appear like that?"
He shrugs. "Apparently I can use the dimension to teleport. Go in at one place, come out at another. I saw you, and you looked like you needed some help."

Hunter grimaces slightly then, and I frown as he clenches his fists. "I can't... I can feel him trying to get out. You need to go so I can deal with him."
"Okay," I say, knowing he's not trying to insult me by asking me to leave. He's the better fighter, and we both know it, and he stands a much better chance of winning, especially with these new teleporting powers. "Stay alive," I tell him, repeating his earlier words, and a tiny smile plays on his lips before he turns, making my opponent reappear, and I run off to find someone else to fight.

As I run, I look around, and everyone is occupied. I see bright bursts of energy colliding, speedsters whizzing around each other, people fighting. Gunshots and explosive noises fill the air, and I frantically crane my neck to look for anyone I know. I run through the list of names in my head, people I know are in Boosters or Fronts - Lila, Dad, Genevieve, Hunter... and then my thoughts freeze as I see a short girl with a swishing blonde ponytail, waving her hands around and making random plants sprout up around her, a taller adult sneaking up behind her.

No.

I sprint over to my sister, barrelling into the enemy like a tank, fists outstretched, and they go flying. She doesn't see me until I grab her shoulders and spin her around, and her face lights up.

"Ammy! I found you!" she says excitedly.
"What are you doing here?" I ask, panicked, frantic, suddenly sick with worry. "How did you get here?"
She blinks, and I realise the intensity of my expression must have unnerved her. "I came out with all of you. I saw you running and I thought..." She trails off, looking scared, and glances around.
"But you're not allowed out here! You're meant to be in there, safe!" I say. "Where's James?"
"I don't know," she whispers, suddenly looking terrified. "Ammy, I didn't mean to-"

Sophia lets out a scream as someone smashes into me and I shout, falling to the ground. My cheek hits the dirt with a thump, and I twist around, pain erupting in the left side of my face as I stare up into the face of someone I never thought I'd see again.

Ryan brings his fists down and I block with my arms crossed, panic filling me. The last time I fought him, he beat me and left me for dead. But this time, it won't happen again, because I have to protect my little sister. So I lash out with a fist as I push him off me, and he flies a few feet into the sky before touching down again, moving to hit me. But I get the punch in first, and he staggers as I make contact with his temple. My fist swells as I raise it to hit him again, and then Sophia screams again and I stop, and so does he.

Someone is hovering above her, purple electricity crackling around his hands, preparing to strike her, and she's paralysed with fear as she cowers below him.

I let out a matching cry and tear towards her, and I'm dimly aware that Ryan is doing the same, but I'm focusing on Sophia, and then I reach her and I'm hitting her opponent relentlessly, and then he's knocked back in the crowd. I turn back to my sister, panicking, and I see Ryan still running towards her, and I'm about to grab her and shield her from him when something knocks into me, and I push it off me as I'm shoved sideways and frantically search for Sophia, but I've lost track of both her and Ryan, and all I can think about is that my little sister is alone with a boy who wants to kill me.

Edit: This chapter is going to turn into Chapter Forty Two when I upload the rewritten One and Two and add an extra Three. Just so there's no confusion! :)