Elemental Heroes: The Battle for Acruxia

Chapter 17 - Imogen

Chapter 17 : Imogen

What I would give to be thirteen again? Life was so simple then, back when Dad was alive when alive, when Iain and Trey were both my brothers, back when the only thing I needed to hate was President Snow from The Hunger Games. 

But then I got older, fathers die, brothers are born to be rivals, and life slaps you in the face and forces you to answer the big questions. 

Who do you love? 

Who do you hate? 

Do you agree with me? 

It’s big statements disguised as simple questions that ruin you and are force to define you. 

Why can't I be thirteen again? 

Back then, I didn't have to choose sides. Back then, I didn't have to be either a follower or an outcast. 

My stomach churned as Iain faced Zoey. 

“Zoey, this ends now. People are getting hurt.” Iain growled. 

“Iain, people are always getting hurt. People just never cared enough to notice until now. How many people have to die Iain before something is done? And how many more have to get raped or beaten to do it? I know this is wrong but things forced my hand.” Zoey looked down. Thanks to the black gold and the drugs she was on, she looked like she in serious physical and mental pain. 

I know that feeling quite well. When you want a lycan to just snap your neck and get it over with. When you want to hammer nails into your arm just to feel something, anything other than that mental cage your in. 

Danny coughed. “Morphie, you're her friend. Talk to the woman!”

There was no hope in Morpheus talking things out, as he was fast asleep on the Cerberus. I simply face palmed. 

“Any ideas?” I asked. 

“Well we could always get help from a real professional or we can blast our way to Alec.”  Danny shrugged. 

We held in our laughs and charged up our hands. As far as I knew, she was greatly outnumbered. Danny pulled out electric nunchucks and pulled out my butterfly katana. If I was going to be turned into a glorified Oscar statue, I'm going down with a real weapon. 

I looked to Danny. “You know how to use that right?”

Danny swung his nunchuck. “Pfft, how hard could it be?”

Danny let go and it hit Iain across the head. 

“Do you two insist upon hitting me or are you gonna help me out here?”

“Sorry?” Danny mouthed before literally charging into battle. 

Or at least, he was until Zoey grabbed him by the leg and threw him like a rag doll across the room.

“Are you ok?” I questioned. 

“No.” Danny groaned. 

I shook my head and joined Iain in an electric fist fight. Zoey knew Iain's movements and knew how to dodge each and every one, though she did take the occasional hit from me. 

“Ugh… I don't have time for this!” Zoey muttered and side swept us both on the ground. 

Iain winched in pain. “Gen, I have an idea. However… I'll sound quite mad when I do it though, not to mention make me completely useless when we're done here.”

I grabbed my stomach. “Iain, with you, everything is madness.”

Iain pulled out a large sword which what looked to be made of Pandoran crystals. He shocked me mentally when he stabbed himself. 

Even Zoey gasped at this sudden suicide.

“Iain, you hypocrite! Kill yourself later, I'll help!” I exclaimed. 

However he wasn't in any pain, he was absorbing the sword. Half the hair in his had was now white, similar to Cruella De Vil. 

He pulled it out and shone for a brief moment. It was when I looked at his flashing eyes when I noticed what was up. He wasn't absorbing the sword, he was absorbing Ahn Kite's power. 

He touched my hand then struck Zoey in the leg. She winced in pain and then Iain pulled his father's sword, he tapped Zoey's chest with it, like he was about to decapitate her with it. 

Instead he cut the chain of her necklace as well as her cheek. Then pointed at her throat. 

Zoey still had a weapon in her hand but judging by how close the sword was, she had no chance of defending herself. 

Zoey shed a tear. “Would you kill me Iain?”

Iain paused at the thought. “For Acruxia? Without question.”

Zoey lifted her hands in surrender, even pulling out her weapon and throwing it to the side. She lowered her hands and gave Iain a hug, however she didn't touch him with her hands. Parts of her golden skin left though she was still tainted, technically she was still the Zoey that Iain met. 

Iain pulled away not as an act of hate but an act of love and respect. He pulled off one of her gloves, and without hesitation, he held her hand. Zoey didn't turn him to gold. He used his other hand to caress her cheek then gently smack his lips against hers. 

MacWeaver was now canon. 

Danny regained consciousness and ruined the mood. 

“Um, Iain. I'm happy for you but don’t we still have to find the others?” Danny tilted his head. 

“Um, I know where Noah is. She's duking it out with Amethyst. The others made it out when I turned the cage into gold out of frustration” Zoey recalled. 

Iain's eyes widen. “Let's go then… and Zoey?”

Zoey pulled her hand away as little flecks of gold was on Iain's hand. 

“Ugh…. I can fix that.” Zoey gulped. 

“Later Goldilocks, we gotta go!” I assured her. We ran down the hall when we saw Amethyst sword fighting with Noah. Noah may have the most injuries but she was the one winning. That was until her sword broke in half.

“Oh crap.” Noah cursed. 

Amethyst grinned. “Finally… your luck finally ran out. Not even your Shadow lover can save you now.”

Before Amethyst could land the final blow, the weirdest thing happened. She was turned completely to Ice. She looked like a silver Oscar. We thought it was Zayn Denmark but we turned around and saw it was none other than Nightmaren's own ally, Eldingar. 

“Finally, I've been waiting for the chance to do that ever since she was brought back.” Eldingar explained remorselessly. 

I gulped. “Why though, I thought you and Nightmaren were allies with Shadow.”

“That was, until I spoke with Elissa of the Mirror Clan. Elissa explained the scenario I found myself in. Apparently, back before her death, she had abused thousands of shifters. I refuse to be part an alliance that builds its colonies on abuse and death of shifters that are no better than slaves.” Eldingar muttered. 

“So what will you do now?” Iain dared to ask. 

“My forces have caused enough damage already, I'll retreat to Ice Storm for now. However, a word of warning. If Acruxia doesn't lift it's laws on Segregation, I will come back and I will be far worse than Alec could ever achieve on his own.” Eldingar eased, summoning a flash of lightning. Suddenly, him and the ice statue of Amethyst was gone. 

“Took you guys long enough.” Noah coughed. 

“We had a little detour but we're fine now. Now we just need to find the others.” Iain explained.