Broken Bonds

Chapter One, Part Two

'Till I Collapse - Eminem

Word Count: 1526

"Run!" Somebody shouts. It's Farley, and she barks out orders to everyone. I'm not told to do anything specific, but before I recognize what's happening, I'm being dragged away from my position in line by Lady Titanos. I guess I'm a part of her group now.

Another building explodes as we run. I slip my arm away from Lady Titanos and focus on getting through the city. The signs of abandonment are clear here, overgrowth around us uncontrolled beyond what I could have imagined before. I can sense the planes above us, circling around like hawks looking for prey.

We skid to a halt. I'm not sure why. Lady Titanos, Kilorn, and the teleporter start talking. I don't listen to the conversation fully, only picking up on the fact that we're going to the river. I'm more focused on my surroundings. I pick up broken metal and make a dagger, twirling it between my fingers. It could be useful.

"The planes are flying away from us," Lady Titanos says. When the teleporter and Kilorn take a moment to give her a weird look, I finally pipe into the conversation.

"She's right," I say. "I can sense it, too." Now she's not the only one receiving weird looks.

"Why should we trust anything that comes from you?" Kilorn sneers. I wince. He doesn't see me as anything more than a lying Silver.

"Trust him," Lady Titanos demands. "We have to move now."

Without another word, I'm being dragged along the streets again. We cut through more underbrush and alleys, and I catch glimpses of red in the distance, showing others like us trying to escape. The explosions surround us, filling the air with ash. The Snapdragons are destructive, and it's clear now as I look across the city.

But the Snapdragon's damage seems like nothing when I recognize the other sound approaching. Marching footsteps from the north. The soldiers that Cal was talking about have arrived.

I'm behind the other three, but I can tell from their reaction that this isn't good. The scene of the soldiers we must have come upon must not be good. It wouldn't be. The three have a moment of hesitation, looking at the scene before them. I don't break it yet, focusing instead on the world around me, trying to find another way out.

"You have to do something." Kilorn hisses, wheeling back so he can point at Lady Titanos and me. I blink, unsure of what to do. His voice quiets, a little more hopeless. "The chains..."

"No, we can't. It's too dangerous," she says, taking Kilorn's arm and starting to tug him away with the teleporter.

When they finally start going, I go after them. I don't have another choice. But I slow down when I see the front lines. Red soldiers. Not even soldiers, but servants. Iron chains keep them down. It was the Reds and the chains that must have stopped the rest of my group, but it's what's behind them that upsets me as well.

Silver officers, hiding behind a wall of people. How long ago would that have been me?

I don't realize I've stopped until someone grabs my arm. It's the teleporter, and suddenly I find myself running alongside the others who were far away from me moments ago. I don't have time to be shocked. I have to keep running. Buildings collapse around us as the explosions continue. Metal and glass shatter, and while I do my best to save us from the metal shards, the glass is out of my control.

The teleporter grabs Lady Titanos's arm, and Kilorn's, and he shouts something to me. It's hard to hear over the explosions, but it's enough for me to get the message, something like: It's too dangerous to run now; we have to teleport. But to teleport, you'd have to be physically touching me. Can you reach me?

But won't jumping with four people drain him after too long?

"Leave me," I tell him. Something tells me not to go. I'd rather risk my sole death in a fight and have the people who belong in their rebellion stay there than risk us all dying. "Take the others. I'll protect myself."

"But Lucas-" I hear Lady Titanos starts, but I don't let her finish.

"I don't want to wear you out too soon," I tell the teleporter. "Get the people who matter out of here. I'll fight for myself."

No one has time to respond as an explosion goes off in the building across the street. The teleporter disappears with Lady Titanos and Kilorn. My instinct is to raise my hand. Metal rises, creating a shield and blocking the worst of the ash and rubble. I keep running, my abilities acting as my protection. It's not too hard to do. I cover my head with my arms, a motion that creates a metal shield above and around me from the fallen shards of it. It'll keep me safe for now.

It doesn't seem to take long to catch up. When I catch up to the group, they've all stopped to stare. I skid to a halt and look up at the building they are, one that's broken-up, breaking, and now collapsing. But that's only our first issue; the gunfire is next. It's hard to tell where it's coming from, somewhere by the broken building. I only have a moment to analyze the scene. 

I recognize one thing before it happens. The teleporter is about to be shot.

I watch the teleporter wrap his arms around Lady Titanos, probably expecting her to be shot and wanting to risk himself. But the bullets never reach him.

I stand between them and the gunfire, holding my hands up like I'm shielding myself. The bullets meant to kill us never make it, hitting an invisible barrier and dropping. If I had a moment to think, I might have not protected them, but my guard instinct caught me first. "Go!" I shout to the teleporter, Lady Titanos, and Kilorn. "Get ahead, I'll buy us time." I'm thankful when they don't argue and sprint off, leaving me to fight a legion. But I feel Lady Titanos's gaze on me as she goes, either wanting to fight or wanting me to run. I can't afford either right now if we want to live.

I finally look at what I'm against. My gaze instantly goes to the magnetrons, House Samos fighters with silver hair and black armor. I realize how little I look like them, though; I don't have the silver hair or armor of my House to show. Covered in a red rag, cuts, and a dirty outfit, I look like just another Red for them to kill. I can't tell if it's for better or for worse.

Evangeline and Ptolemus are with them, and suddenly I regret not killing them before, however much I know I wouldn't still, given a chance. I see other colors in the crowd of powerful Silver fighters. The new king sent all the best Silvers he could to kill us, ones who are blind and dedicated enough to destroy the world to find Lady Titanos and the other Calore. And me, too. I have to remember- I escaped my execution. I'm now just as much of a criminal as everyone else with me on the run.

The magnetrons stop the building from collapsing so that the legions can move forward. I know my next move; I have to overpower them and take down the building. Just for a moment. Enough to make the building unstoppable. I take a moment where I'm not being shot at and stretch my hands towards the building, finding all the metal I can in it. With a breath and all the strength I can find, I pull down.

The building begins to collapse once again. The sudden force of it falling again is more than the rest of my house can hold up. Suddenly, I'm watching a new struggle. The magnetrons try and stop the fall while the rest of the legion scatters, but I know my House members won't be quick enough to save everyone. I can't take a moment to watch the chaos I created as I turn on my heels and run after my group. I know the building won't hold them off for long. Distance is important now.

I sprint towards where the others disappeared, hoping I can find a way to them between dust and ash.

When I find them, it's almost like the scene before, except the problem is more obvious. A collapsed building block the path, one that the teleporter can't see over and can't jump past. I slow down and stop beside the group. 

"What now?" I ask them.

I'm answered, not by them, but by the sound of people behind me. King Maven's people have caught up, sooner than I expected, but as they get closer to us, they slow down to a stop. And as they appear before us through the ash, officers shouting orders, I hear the one I was hoping wouldn't sound.

"Make way for the king!"