The Minerva Prophecy

05: Fighting the Unknown

"You...you can hear me?"

"Yes. But this is not the time for that. Escape through that window when you get the chance."

"What? No way. I'm afraid of heights."

"Do you think you're able to negotiate that right now?"

The three intruders are now forming a semicircle around the man who jumped in through the window. Ares grabs Crystal by the arm and moves to the back, closer to the office door and a distance away from the window, fully anticipating a fight is about to happen.

"I don't think they are here to kill me."

"Sure, they are only here to capture you. But whoever sent them here might want to kill you later."

"Yet how do I know you aren't here to do the same thing?"

"Didn't I tell you to trust me?"

Crystal grunts something incoherent under her breath. Ares turns his head slightly towards her while still holding her right arm, almost certain he detected swear words.

"Well if it isn't Ethan. What a surprise for us to be meeting here."

Ethan looks around the room at the male intruder and the three robots. The original Ares robot is in the back with Crystal. The other two robots are slightly upgraded Phobos and Deimos fighter robots, who are facing him with intent to end him.

"Triton, you shouldn't be here." Ethan turns towards the man, his baritone voice showing hints of warning. Crystal is surprised to hear him speak. She has heard his voice in her head before, but this is the first time she's hearing him with her ears.

"I don't think any of us should be here. And yet, here we are."

"If you try to take her, another war might break out. There is already enough tension as it is."

Triton chuckles. "Another war? The war never ended. It's been one long continuous never-ending war. But I must say, Ethan, you're such a disappointment. Considering who you are, shouldn't you be on our side? And yet you choose to side with Proteus. Doesn't that make you a traitor?"

Ethan was silent for a moment, "Let's stop the nonsense. Let her go."

"We're here for the same reasons you are. Why don't you stop it and walk away?"

"I guess there is no point in this conversation." Ethan tightens his right fist.

"Complete waste of time." Triton takes out a gun, "Phobos and Deimos, kill him. But try not to make too much noise. We are here to take her quietly."

Phobos and Deimos rushes towards Ethan with fists swinging. Ethan turns to his right and swiftly kicks Phobos. Deimos swings his arm, trying to hit Ethan's head. Ethan lowers his body and dodges.

Crystal and Ares are standing near the door, watching this fight. The lenses for Ares' eyes are starting to emit a green light.

As he watches the fight, Triton is beginning to lose patience. He grabs his gun and aims it at Ethan's head and fires. With a loud bang, a bullet flies out and Ethan turns his head towards Triton. Just as the bullet is about to hit Ethan in the eye, it changes direction and shoots up to the ceiling.

"What?" Crystal's mouth drops wide open.

No longer caring about being discreet, Triton continues firing his gun and barks at the two fighter robots. "Destroy him! Now!"

The bullets continue to change direction right before hitting Ethan, swinging upwards toward the ceiling at the last minute.

Crystal watches with her eyes wide open. There is not enough light in the room to be sure but even in darkness, she could see the gun was aimed at Ethan before bullets were fired. Even though she can see the sparks, she can also hear the bullets flying upwards and hitting the ceiling.