part0024

White walls and floors surrounded us. My leg now healed, I was able to walk on my own down the corridor, Ryoko and Raikidan close on my heels. The field had changed twice since we had reached the mountain’s base. The first change had turned everything into a desert, although, thanks to Aurora, that didn’t last very long. Unfortunately, while Aurora was hacking the system to make the change, Blaze was removed from the fight by Nioush.

I peered around the corner and held my finger gun at the ready just in case. “I’m going to kill Aurora for making this a maze.”

Raikidan chuckled and peeked around the corner with me. Empty. We continued on. Reaching the end, we rounded the corner and ran into two people. Taken by surprise, everyone readied their guns.

Sighing, I lowered my gun. It was only Rylan and Argus.

“Don’t do that!” Ryoko hissed.

Rylan ran his hand through his hair and put his handgun away. “I could say the same for you.”

I looked around. I had this feeling we were being watched.

“You feel it too?” Raikidan whispered.

I looked at him and nodded. At least I wasn’t the only one, though it was strange Ryoko showed no signs of the same. Maybe she’s too distracted… or maybe the nerves are getting to us.

“Now that we’re regrouped, what should we do?” Argus asked. “Raynn’s team is being oddly elusive.”

I rubbed my chin. Even if this was a maze, normally they’d be wreaking havoc by now. “It is strange. It’d be in our best interest if we—”

I stopped and looked around. There was a strange thundering noise echoing through the corridors. “Rylan, I want you and Raikidan to get moving. The two of you are going to need to find a good sniping point. Ryoko, Argus, and I will continue looking around.”

Rylan removed his sniper rifle from his back and grabbed my shoulder. “All right, just be careful. That noise is making me uneasy.”

I grabbed his shoulder and nodded. Leaving them, I led Ryoko and Argus down the corridor.

We rounded a corner and hit a dead end. I ground my teeth together, my frustration rising within me. This was the fourth dead end, and this situation was all too familiar. I wasn’t sure how long we had been walking around, but I did know the thundering noise from earlier had stopped completely and we still hadn’t run into Raynn or his teammates. I didn’t even know where Seda was. Looking up at the team board was the only relief I had in knowing if she was still alive or not.

Ryoko sighed and sat down. “This is stupid! Raynn is the one who challenged us to this, and now he’s the one who is hiding.”

“Aurora, can’t you change the map again?” I begged.

“Sorry, babe,” she replied. “I’ve been trying, but I’m locked out. I’ve taken a few digital peeks at Ezhno’s system, and even he’s trying to change it.”

I had a feeling I now knew what that strange noise was. If Raynn wanted the map to change and he wasn’t getting it, he was probably throwing a temper tantrum. “All right, thanks, Aurora. Keep trying if you can. Raikidan.”

“What?” he asked.

“Have you guys found a place for Rylan to snipe from yet?”

He grunted. “It didn’t take us long, although Flower here was picky and made us look at four other spots before he was happy.”

I chuckled at Rylan’s new nickname and full-out laughed when Rylan smacked Raikidan. Calming myself down, I spoke to him again. “Are either of you picking up movement on the scanners?”

“Nothing,” he said.

I nodded. “I need you to do something for me.”

“All right, what is it?”

“I’m tired of feeling like a rat looking for cheese. Are you able to heat sense ?”

I prayed he could. Raikidan took a moment to respond. “I can. How did you know about that ability?”

“As a fire user myself, I’m also experienced with the technique.”

“Okay, give me a minute to use it.” Moments passed and Raikidan finally got back to me. “I’m seeing two figures standing around some ways off in the direction you’re facing. There are two other figures acting as lost as the three of you, and I’m seeing two others fighting. I’m assuming by their movements they’re our psychic friends.”

I counted the number of people he listed off. “We’re missing one.”

“That’s all I see.”

“The system says they still have six active on their team,” she said.

I didn’t like the sound of that. Nothing could sneak by a heat sense—not even something cold blooded. Then it hit me. “Aurora, I really need you to get information on that other teammate they pulled in. It’s urgent. More urgent than changing the map.”

“I’ve tried my best, babe. I can’t get in. I’m sorry.”

“Bullshit! I’ve never known you to not be able to do something or give up. Now get your fingers typing and get me that damn information! Also, while you’re at it, do me a favor. Take down these walls in front of us. I want to take out these two enemies Raikidan said were just beyond them.”

Aurora chuckled. “Yes, ma’am.”

The sound of Rylan’s rifle firing rang through the maze. The team board pinged and crossed out one of Raynn’s teammates. “That was for Dan. Watch yourselves, though. The other one ran off.”

“Noted,” I stated. “Raikidan, keep an eye on that loose one so Rylan can set up his next shot.”

“Wouldn’t this be cheating?” he asked.

“Utilizing our natural abilities isn’t against the rules.”

“Ready yourselves,” Aurora instructed.

The floor began to shake, and walls shifted. We watched as some of the maze walls rearranged themselves and others disappeared into the floor. After a short period of time, we were faced with a long corridor that opened to a large, square room. In the center of the room stood a very confused Raynn and a man with tan skin, clean-shaven face, golden eyes, several types of piercing and gauged ears, and a short, green, unstyled mohawk with sideburns. Doppelganger . From the way he was standing, I guessed him to be the original.

Ryoko stood up and positioned herself in front of Argus and me. Raynn grinned and tossed his cigar on the ground. Doppelganger stood still as several copies pulled out of his body. It was quite a disturbing sight. As each copy pulled out, it would join the others in the forming lineup.

I narrowed my eyes. I wasn’t in the mood for this. Not waiting for Ryoko or Argus, I ran at them. Doppelganger would pose a problem due to the army he was creating, but my focus was Raynn. Taking him out would diminish the morale of what was left of his team. They couldn’t function without him shouting orders.

“Laz, wait!” Ryoko yelled.

I ignored her and picked up my speed. Doppelganger’s copies swarmed and ran at me. I took out my last grenade and pulled the pin. Tossing it, I watched it detonate, but I didn’t stop running. Using my momentum, I scaled the maze wall. As my fingers touched the wall, the small hidden spines under my skin surfaced and secured my hold.

Reaching the top of the wall, I continued running. The ground below was covered in smoke, but I didn’t bother to keep my attention on it. There was no way the copies could survive that explosion, and Doppelganger was continuing to make more. Many of them started to open fire on me. The bullets whizzed past and a few grazed my bodysuit, but thankfully none were direct hits, and I hardly felt them. I ran too fast for any of the doppelgangers to get a good shot, aiding me.

As discreetly as possible in the situation, I exhaled an ember and manipulated it in my hand. Jumping into the mob of doppelgangers, I balled my hand into a fist. As it collided with the ground, I forced the fire I held out in all directions, incinerating every doppelganger it came in contact with.

Lifting the fire up, I forced it to come back to me and swirled it around my body until I pushed it out into one large blast. It rushed through the rest of the corridor, incinerating everything it came in contact with. As it reached Raynn, he jumped away. Doppelganger appeared paralyzed as the fire rushed toward him, and I prayed it would hit him. Doppelganger was unable to move as he made copies of himself. But after another copy came out of his body, he moved just in time. Shit, not fast enough.

“Bitch,” Doppelganger muttered. He pulled out a pistol and aimed it at me, but it was kicked out of his hand. He looked at Raynn and glared. “What the hell?”

“She’s mine,” Raynn said, his focus on me.

I narrowed my eyes in disgust. I really couldn’t stand Raynn or his teammates. They were self-centered, arrogant pricks. Raynn himself was known to leave teammates behind to save his own ass, though none of it could ever be proven well enough to demote him while he was still in service.

Raynn cracked his knuckles. “Let’s dance, baby.”

I grimaced. There was another reason I hated him so much. He was worse than Blaze when it came to women.

Doppelganger got up and readied his gun, but he was shot at. The bullets ultimately missed, but it stalled him long enough for Argus and Ryoko to rush into the room, Argus with his gun at the ready. It’s unusual for Argus to miss at such a range. I wonder what happened.

Doppelganger backed off. As Argus and Ryoko advanced, he fled, and Argus and Ryoko were quick to pursue. Just Raynn and me now.

Not wanting to waste time, I charged. My fist collided with his arm, which he blocked easily. He took a swing at me, but I moved out of the way. I went at him again, but the result was the same, so I backed off and quickly thought it through. He was a Brute class, an old one, but still a Brute. Brutes pretty much fought the same way, meaning I had to think about how Ryoko fought.

I waited for him to come to me, and sure enough, he did. He rushed and swung a fist. Ducking, I grabbed his arm and swung my legs up and kicked him in the face. Pushing myself into the air and twisting so I’d land facing him, I drew a dagger from my arm and prepared to throw it as he stumbled.

“Eira, look out!” I looked up to see Raikidan running toward us on the top of a wall. What was so important that he had to leave Rylan’s side to warn me?

“Listen to him, Laz!” Rylan shouted through the communicator.

I turned, and my eyes widened. I should have listened to their warnings sooner. I wasn’t fast enough to move out of the way of the slab of wall that was flying right at me. It crashed into me, and my body collided with the adjacent maze wall. I cried out in pain as blood rushed into my throat.

“Eira!” Raikidan shouted.

I tried to move, but it was as if the slab was being held there.

“Nioush, you bastard. This is my fight. Stay out of it,” Raynn spat.

I ground my teeth. Of course Nioush would come out of nowhere and screw things up for my team.

Nioush snickered. “Sorry, Raynn. I couldn’t help it. I know how much my baby sister hates seeing her friends hurt. Don’t you, Seda?”

“Leave her alone,” Seda ordered. “Your fight is with me, not them.”

“Oh, but you’re mistaken,” Nioush said. “This is a team battle. Therefore, I choose whomever I wish to torture.”

I let out a dry laugh. “Team? None of you know the meaning of the word.”

“Silence, wench!” The wall slab pressed harder against me.

I refused to cry out in pain. I refused to give him that satisfaction, regardless of how difficult that was to do. The crackling of flames sounded, and the pressure of the slab lessened.

Nioush chuckled. “So, you’re a Firebreather, outsider. A rare find. What backwater country village did the wench find you in?”

Raikidan exhaled more fire and the pressure increased.

“Careful, Firebreather,” Nioush warned. “I don’t want to kill her just yet. I enjoy seeing my baby sister feel pain.”

“Rai…kidan…” It hurt to breathe. I thought I could hear the wall cracking, but maybe that was my ribcage. I was in so much pain I couldn’t tell.

“Yes, Raikidan, listen to her. She’s in such torment she can barely speak. She can only beg like a dog.” Nioush snickered. “I can sense the anger in you. I hope you’re not taken with her. She’s quite good at breaking hearts. They all are.”

I grunted. “No one cares… that a woman broke your heart… Nioush. So, do us all a favor… and keep your mind… on the battle at hand.”

The wall slab pressed harder into me.

“Shut up!” The sound of a distant gunshot rang through the maze, and Nioush chuckled. “Your other man toy is also tired of seeing you in pain. Do you enjoy toying with them, Eira? Do you find satisfaction in using them and then throwing them away?”

The wall started to press into me with even more force, but stopped when Seda yelled. “Let her go!”

A large wall slab crashed through the wall next to me.

Nioush chuckled. “Patience, Sister, your turn will come soon enough.”

Seda really threw that? I wondered how much energy she was using up in this fight. She was only a Seer and here she was in battle. No, that’s not right. She wasn’t a Seer or a Battle Psychic. She was something different than that. She was something in between, or was it beyond the two? She told me this once before… what was it?

The sound of magnetized bearing echoing from a railgun firing pulled me back to the battle at hand. “Hey, Battle Psychic wannabe, over here.”

Ryoko? I had to admit, I was a bit confused. The team board hadn’t told us Doppelganger was dead, and it wasn’t like Ryoko to leave a chase. Or come up with such a poor insult.

The rounds continued, along with the sound of fire. Nioush grunted and the pressure of the slab wall lessened. He’s getting overwhelmed. But as soon as I thought I could push it away, the pressure slammed back into me.

Raynn chuckled. “Didn’t think you could get away that easy, did you? Nioush may be overwhelmed by the three attacking him, but I’m still here and I’m going to make sure you are dead by my hands.”

I ground my teeth together. “In your dreams.”

He chuckled and pushed on the slab more. The pressure forced me to cough in pain, and blood splattered against the wall.

The sound of a far-off gun sounded again, but nothing came of it. “Do me a favor, baby, and tell your little man toy he needs to brush up on his aim. He was way off.”

“Whoever said he was after you?” a low voice growled. “Now get off her!”

Raikidan? The weight of the slab was lifted as Raikidan tossed Raynn away and picked up the slab. I slid to the ground and turned in time to watch him throw the slab at Nioush. Nioush was so preoccupied with Seda and Ryoko, he didn’t see it coming. The slab crashed into him, pushing him back, but he recovered quickly and pushed it away with his psychic power.

Raikidan helped me up. “Are you okay?”

Coughing up a little more blood, I looked at him and wiped some of the blood that had dribbled down my lip. “I’ll be fine.”

The team board pinged and another member of Raynn’s team was eliminated.

“Doppelganger is finally down,” Argus sounded in. But just as he did, the sound of bullets rang through his headset, along with his own scream of agony. The team board sounded once again.

“Argus…” Seda whispered.

A pang of pity for her shot through me.

“Oh, did that particular death upset you, baby sister?” Nioush said. “I’d hoped so. I planned that one especially for you.”

You sick shit. I knew the two never got along, but this was a new low. His satisfaction in her pain sickened me.

Raynn chuckled as he sat up. “You’ll never win. Even if you manage to get rid of me and Nioush, you’ll never see your death coming. Just give up.”

That made me even angrier. I aimed my finger gun at him and shot him twice in the legs.

Raynn screamed in agony. “You bitch!”

Slowly I walked over to him and grabbed him by his hair. I raised him up until he was at eye level with me. I was in no mood for games, and although I would have wanted a better fight from Raynn, this was good enough.

“Any last words?” I asked.

He chuckled. “Just a few. Bye-bye, Ryoko.”

He pulled a small cylinder with a red button on the top from his back pocket and smirked before pressing it. My eyes widened, and I looked over at Ryoko. The ground below her burst and she, too, screamed in agony. The team board sounded for the fourth time.

I couldn’t believe it. Raynn had planted a bomb and had been able to use it on Ryoko, of all people. Numbness fell over me. My grip tightened on Raynn’s scalp as something stirred in the back of my head. I knew what it was, and I wasn’t okay with its dark presence. Raynn’s actions awoke it, and now it hungered for blood.

“Laz!” Rylan called in. “The other teammate Raynn brought in is—”

He was cut short by the sound of bullets and agonizing screams of pain. The team board pinged. I couldn’t hold it back now. First Ryoko and now Rylan. Someone needed to pay, and Raynn would be that person. My shoulder convulsed, and I thought I could hear the laughter of the presence inside me.

My pupils dilated, and my other shoulder convulsed. I looked into Raynn’s fear-stricken eyes and saw the reflection of my crazed look. My mind fogged, and I chuckled. “You’re going to pay, Raynn. Now die.”

I lifted up my hand and thrust it through his face. Blood gushed everywhere. Only when I pulled my hand out did his body pixelate away. Slowly I turned and faced Nioush, his body posture rigid. Although I couldn’t see the fear in his eyes, I thought I smelled it. After that display, who wouldn’t be afraid?

I chuckled again and moved closer to the two psychics. “You’re next, Nioush.”

I could feel it trying to claw its way out; it wanted blood so badly. It wanted to be let out, to kill with pleasure like it had always done in the past.

“What… what are you?” Nioush demanded.

I grinned and threw my finger gun to the ground. It was useless to me now that it was covered in blood. “A failed experiment, just like you.”

Taking my carbine off my back, I threw it on the ground. I would have no use for it against him. Instead, I drew the dagger that was still sheathed to my arm. Nioush looked down at the ground where the dagger I dropped earlier lay. Using his psychic ability, he threw it at me. I readied myself to block it, but as soon as it came in range, Raikidan grabbed it.

“I don’t know what’s up with you,” he whispered. “But if it’s going to shut this bastard up, I won’t ask ‘til later.”

I chuckled and took my dagger from him. Grinning, I looked at Nioush and then at Seda.

“I will follow your lead,” she told me.

Looking back at Nioush, I charged him. In response, he hovered higher in the air, mistakenly thinking it would help him. Turning quickly, I threw one of my daggers at him. He easily dodged, as I had expected. Picking up my pace, I veered left and used the room wall to launch myself into the air. I threw my other dagger at him, but this time he stopped it and forced it back at me. Catching it, I threw it once more, sacrificing the air I had gained. Landing, I jumped to the side as he threw it back at me. I went to rush him again, but he held out his hand and I could feel my body stop. I struggled to move. Only my eyes and mouth were unaffected.

He chuckled. “I don’t know what is going on in that head of yours, but I don’t care. I’ll make you take out the last two of your teammates and kill you nice and slow in the process.”

“Not going to happen.”

He smirked and clamped his hand into a fist. My body responded by binding up in a straight position. His grin widened and a large amount of pressure pulsed at the front of my mind. Closing my eyes, I tried to force it out. He was powerful. Seda had told us Battle Psychics were strong, but this was nothing like I had ever expected. Forcing it away was incredibly painful, and I gritted my teeth as the pain increased.

“Don’t be so impatient, outsider.” Nioush chuckled. “You’ll get your turn, if you can muster up the courage to kill the poor woman, that is.”

“Never,” Raikidan growled.

I opened my eyes to see Raikidan being hovered in the air. “Rai…ki…dan…”

“Hmm, you’re much more resilient to my methods than I thought you would be. My sister taught you well.” Nioush chuckled. “No matter. I’ll just have to be more forceful.”

I clenched my teeth and shut my eyes as the pain doubled, but I refused to give in, and refused to cry out. What was worse was that the presence was still there. It still wanted to get out. I opened my eyes when Seda yelled forcefully. A large wall slab flew in the air at Nioush. He maneuvered around it and threw Raikidan at her, sending them both through a few walls. Nioush put his focus back on me, and the pain in my head increased even more. I let out slow, labored breaths, but I was too stubborn to give in.

“Tenacious bitch,” Nioush muttered.

“Kill him. Spill his blood.” My eyes shut tightly as I tried to shut out the presence’s voice. “Annihilate him!”

Then it hit me. I snickered and Nioush frowned. “What’s so funny?”

“You…” I grinned. “You want in my head so bad. Well, so be it!”

“No, don’t do it, Laz!” Ryoko screamed through Aurora’s communicator.

I looked directly at him as I welcomed him into my mind, but that wasn’t the only thing I did. I let the presence loose. I could feel my face contort, and laughter escaped my lips. Although Nioush had a hold on my body, my shoulder muscles convulsed regardless. Smirking, I let every horrid memory flood through. All the pain. All the bloodshed. Every ounce of hunger for blood the monster inside yearned for. The monster fed off these and clawed about, trying to free itself completely.

Nioush moved back, fear flooding off him in waves. “W–what… what the hell?”

“What’s wrong, Nioush?” I snickered. “Afraid of what you see?”

His grip on me was fading, and I used this opportunity to gain control of my body.

“Say when,” Seda stated.

Nioush’s control on me was all but gone now. In one pressing force, I pushed him out of my mind for good. Crouching down, I drew a sheathed dagger from my leg. Pulling it close to my face, I breathed a little fire and lit the thin oil coating. The fire lit up the blade and I rushed Nioush.

I sent the dagger flying through the air, but Nioush gained his composure and dodged, only to be forced to repel a blast of fire from Raikidan. Using Raikidan’s distraction to my advantage, I grabbed a discarded dagger from the ground, and I leapt skyward and attempted to slice into Nioush while he was distracted, but he easily dodged when I came near. Turning as I fell to the ground, I threw the dagger at him, but instead of it making contact, he caught it by the hilt with his hands.

“Seda, now!” I ordered.

My dagger in her hand, she came at Nioush from behind. He turned to face her and was struck in the heart.

“You…” He coughed up blood. “Bitch…” Seda’s face was expressionless, and then it twisted in pain. Nioush had taken my dagger and thrust it into her back. “You’re pathetic. You weren’t strong enough to take me on… your own. You needed… your friends… to help.”

“At least… I have friends,” she spoke softly.

He chuckled softly. “I don’t need friends, especially if they’re anything like that woman down there. She’s not… a trustworthy one with what is going on inside her.”

“You do not know… what you are talking about, Nioush,” Seda said. “What you saw… is what I have known for a long time… and that is not even scratching the surface of who she is. I trust her.”