A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Free New Allies (Along With Two Strange People That Live Underground)

I stare at the man, uncomprehending what he said.

    Juxa laughs, swinging his arms out wide, as if for a hug. “Your great plan has failed, my boy. Surrender, and your torture won’t be too horrendous.” I start giggling, and Juxa’s face registers shock and anger. “I never had a plan, old man. So I haven’t failed, not yet. When the sun rises, Sionic will be burnt to the California ground.”

    Juxa glares at me, then does something surprising: he pulls a gun out of his lab coat pocket, and pulls the trigger.

    I feel the bullet hit my stomach, but don’t react to the sudden flame of pain. Juxa aims again, and pulls the trigger another time. This time, the silver cylinder hits my shoulder, alighting my entire left arm with flame. Another gunshot rings through the air, and a third bullet hits my leg, numbing everything below the waist on my right side.

    Murmuring to Shara, I say in Earth Tongue,”Go, my friend. Find Pux and Sam. Tell them to storm the compound at dawn. Go, I will protect you.” Shara flicks her squirrel ears to signal that she heard me, then crouches as I slide down her side.

    As soon as I hit the ground, my right leg crumples beneath me. Shara takes off running immediately, straight towards the men and women with guns trained right on her. Bullets fly through the air, but none touch the cair. I reach my power out, encompassing Shara in a shell of blue energy. Juxa yells at his guards to stop wasting time, and to go pick me up.

    Two men do so, picking me up by my armpits. My left arm screams out in pain, but I ignore it. Juxa’s face leers at me as I’m practically dragged towards him. Another bullet is in the chamber of his small handgun, and he aims the pistol straight at my skull.

    “Just one twitch of my finger, boy. One twitch, and your life will end in the blink of an eye.” I never see the punch coming, but I feel the pain explode across my jaw. I feel my tongue get bitten, but the dull ache doesn’t reach my mind. I smile at the dark-haired man, my teeth covered in blood, blue rivers pouring down my leg and arm and abdomen.

    “Death is life’s greatest journey,” I laugh, and Juxa’s dark eyes flash with unholy anger. His fist strikes my face again and again, until I can no longer see through the film of indigo and sky-colored liquid, and the pain has faded into nothing. My mind laughs, my mouth aches, my thoughts whirl, and my body sags, as the pain and blood loss and punches and kicks and bullets take their toll.

    Juxa glares at me one last time, spitting into my face as he says,”Great hunter my ass.” I smile one last time, and say back,”Great scientist my ass.” A laugh bubbles up through the blood clotting my throat as Juxa punches me once more, making my world go as black as a moonless night.

    I don’t remember the next few times I awake, save for bits and pieces.

    A woman, holding white cloth, now stained red, to my face, murmuring words in a strange language. A man, broad and built, ragging me to a dark building. A white room, so bright and filled with artificial light you would think my retinas would have been ruined. Juxa’s blurry face swimming before me, his hard voice saying,”Now then. Are you ready to cooperate?”

    I hear myself laugh and say,”Not on your life, old man.” More darkness and pain follows, which I gratefully sink into.

    A voice calls to me in my dreams of dark blackness. A man’s voice, saying strange things. “Carter. Carter. Carter. Get up, you idiot! Wake up!” I blink, and see Trevor standing there amid the blackness, a white light shining behind him.

    “Trevor?” I say, my voice a croak. The black-haired man rolls his dark sapphire eyes, and says,”Yes, you buffoon. Awake. We’ll be there soon.” Confusion fills me, and I ask,”There? What? Where am I?” Trevor sighs, and crouches, making me notice for the first time that I’m laying down and looking up at my brother-in-law.