Beyond the Iris

First Battle

Chase was the first to act.

    As soon as the bomb appeared, her pupils glowed, and she shifted her hands through the air. The bomb flew back, retracing its path through the air. A huge explosion shook the house, and everyone crouched down. 

    Adrenaline surged through my body, waking my senses and lifting my power. My mouth barked orders, but my ears were trained on the soldiers outside the door. I could hear them yelling, screaming, shouting for orders and more bombs.

    Everyone scrambled around, fear and anger shooting through their minds. I rose to my feet, images flashing through my mind: Jasmine signing to Xioro, telling him to go to the bedrooms and grab Pete and Laurel. Chase and Annabeth moving couches towards the door using telekinetic power. Isabella and Tele rushing around the kitchen, grabbing knives and marshmallow sticks.

    I looked at Trevor, and he looked at me. We both grinned at the same time, and flew into action. 

    Adrenaline and power pumped through my veins. I felt completely in my element, preparing for soldiers to storm the house. I rushed to the kitchen, grabbed a knife from Isabella, then rushed out, my mind still flickering with images. 

    Outside: soldiers in white and green stood with rifles and pistols. One had a sash stuck through with bombs. Another had vibrant eyes the color of an ocean and sunlight. But what caught my attention the most was the girl in the crowd: her long black hair back in a braid, her Asian features sharp, her black-brown eyes glittering like a scorpion’s. And her pulsating ultramarine and phthalo blue pupils. 

    Inside, I hunkered down under one of the windows looking out on the front lawn. Trevor crouches under the other, a knife in his hand. He looked at me, and I nodded to him. As one, we stood, flinging our knives.

    Chase caused the glass of the windows to break a millisecond before the knife blades hit it. The sound startled the soldiers, who all whirled to face the house. The two knives flew true, sinking into the chests of two soldiers, who dropped to the ground.

    Trevor and I crouched again, gesturing for more knives. Annabeth hurried over, crouching low, and handed each of us three blades. Bullets flew overhead, and gunfire assaulted my ears. I waited for a lull in the sound, then stood and flung all three of my knives at the same time. 

    Like with my first one, the knives sunk into my targets. Three bodies fell, and three guns clattered against the ground. I could smell blood as I crouched again, just barely avoiding a bullet. Trevor stood as well, flung his knives, then fell again.

    Shouted orders echoed up and down the ranks of soldiers. I grinned, then stood as the soldiers walked right up to the window.

    My eyes flashed, and my pupils glowed as I reached out towards the men’s minds. Thousands of thoughts assaulted me, but I ignored all of them. Without knowing what I was doing, I broke all of their minds. The sound of shattered glass echoed through my thoughts, and I sank back into my body.

    Outside, I could tell chaos raged. Men ran around, acting crazy. One was teething his rifle. Another was giving a piggyback ride to his comrade. The only two people outside not affected were the heterochromatic-eyed man and the Iris child. 

    I stood, and looked out at the man. He looked at me, then back at the child that hid behind him. He seemed to make a choice, as he stepped aside. He nodded to me, then turned his back and walked away.

    I paid little mind to him when my eyes locked onto the child. She stared at me in horror and awe, her hands clenched into fists. I raised my hands, and said, “I’m not going to hurt you. I was trying to protect you and my friends.”