Excalibur ~ World from Ashes
Chapter 25

It was raining again. Zak had the wipers going rapidly across the windshield as we drove out to the city. I was a little nervous about doing this, but I also knew that it needed to be done. Someone had to deal with Alik, and that someone was going to be me. As Zak pulled to the area where we had agreed on starting, he cut the engine and allowed the rain to pound down upon the car. Everyone was silent in the vehicle, watching the rain stream down the windshield.

The gray clouds that hung low made it sort of foggy outside as the rain pelted the streets of the city. Next to me Ahmeil had her arms crossed, her eye closed as she waited for Tristan to give the order to leave. Jace pulled back the slide of his gun, the familiar click taking my attention for a moment as he released it to load the weapon. He glanced back at me and then to Ahmeil. I knew he wasn’t happy with this at all. I gave him a smile, trying to reassure him.

“All right, I will give you about five minutes, Ahmeil will follow you after that,” Tristan said from the other side of the back seat.

I nodded and opened the door. The sound of the rain grew louder as I hopped out of the car. My feet splashed into a slightly deep puddle as I leapt from the tall hummer. Slamming the door shut, I waved at them and quickly took off into the rain soaked city. Reaching back, I pulled up the hood of the black sweater that I wore. My jeans were completely soaked through soon enough as I ran. Each breath I took puffed out in white smoke before my face as I moved down the street.

Five minutes later and I slowed down. I was pretty far in Alik’s territory. Some of the streets I was beginning to recognize from a while back. I hadn’t gone out of the hotel much when I was with him, but there were a few times, and I did remember a few places. For example, the record store that was across from me. Not that anyone had anything like that anymore, but it must have been a big thing at one time to be a store I supposed. It was such an odd place that it was really hard to forget really.

Taking a few deep breathes; I settled my racing heart and glanced around. I had yet to see any of Alik’s men which was a little odd seeing as I’d just slipped into his territory. Dumbass is really cocky. Should have more patrols. I frowned as I looked around. It was a pretty open area, the large main street cutting me off between the store and where I stood. I was pretty sure that if I went right and traveled at least fifteen minutes or so, I would find the place where the gang had last fought. Where I had first met Tristan.

I felt a grin on my lips. Boy, that was some meeting, wasn’t it? With a laugh and a sigh afterward, I shook my head and concentrated on what I was going to do. Alik was sure to know it was me. Who else would be stupid enough to do what I was going to? I hadn’t told Tristan how exactly I was going to drag out Alik, but I supposed it didn’t really matter so long as he came running.

“Let’s get started…” I muttered to myself and spread my feet, planting myself firmly on the tar, feeling the rain pelt my body.

My hands stayed at my sides and I closed my eyes, concentrating hard. Excalibur fueled my blood and I felt every pierce of rain against me. It was like time had slowed down for me. As I opened my gaze, the gray haze did little to hinder my sight. I could see through it now. I watched, fascinated by the rain as I could see every drop fall. My eyes followed the thick drops of water as they shimmered and twisted around in large circles. They hit the ground, splattering out in a small spray of water one after another like an exploding firework.

Taking a breath, I forced myself to pull away from watching the rain. It was so easy to get distracted when Excalibur was being used. Turning my focus, I felt my body’s natural electrical charge and increased it, much like I had when I was fighting Alik back in the storage room. The crackle of electricity flooded my body as the white sparks of light danced. I wanted to test something first, so I directed my gaze to a puddle of water and stretched out a hand.

The white light leapt from my fingers and touched the water. There was a loud, crackling and hissing sound as the water jumped at the touch and sprayed as I electrified it. I pulled back just a bit and let the water settle before I touched it again. As the water sprayed, I sent the electricity that was doubled by the water, up. I forced it to follow the rain drops, jumping between each and keeping a steady flow from my hand, to the puddle and up. Finally, I reached the electrical telephone lines that I was aiming for.

As my electricity touched it, amplified by the water, there was a loud crack, sparks flying all over the place and the smell of burning wires filled the air. I traced the power, flooding it with mine and sending it to the next block. I destroyed about three lines before I pulled back, feeling a little drained and tired. Starting across the street, I decided to start toward the far end of the road. Alik would most likely come from that way; the hotel was in that direction anyway.

I let go of Excalibur, letting it sink back down into my body. I tugged the hood of the sweater further up so that the rain didn’t splash my face all that much. My skin was still very sensitive and every strike of the icy water made me flinch as it felt like needles pricking my skin instead. Ten minutes into my walk up the street, I spotted the black sports car around the corner. The hum of the engine filled the air as it barreled down the street.

Stepping off the sidewalk, I got in the middle of the street, directly in Alik’s path. Excalibur burned as I pulled at it again. Faster than I had before, I ignited my body in the electricity and directed it at the oncoming car. The flash of white light cracked from my fingers as I thrust my hand at his car. I heard the engine rev up as Alik had probably punched the gas. He was either trying to scare me, or he was seriously going to run me over.

It didn’t matter either way though as my electricity touched the car. I shoved the white light through the grating at the front of the hood and let it spread out from there. My body shook a bit from the sudden exertion of Excalibur. The car, in turn, sputtered the hood bouncing as there was a mini explosion from underneath it. The sports car started to turn, drifting across the rain soaked street as the power was cut from the engine. I waited, watching it carefully as it skidded toward me.

The small sports car stopped a few feet from me, smoke curling from under the hood. I dropped my hand and straightened, a grin on my lips as I waited for Alik to get out of the car. The door popped open and he stepped out into the rain. His blonde hair immediately soaked to his forehead as he glared at me. We stared at each other for a while before his lips pulled into his wicked grin, his green eyes taking on a dangerous hue.

“I have to say, Valkyrie. You’re one ballsy fucking idiot. I didn’t expect you to come out here, or do something like that.”

“I’m just full of surprises, Alik. Thought you liked that kind of shit,” I responded with equal malice.

As I spoke, he moved from the driver side of the car, slamming the door shut to the ruined vehicle. Walking around to the hood to face me properly, he crossed his arms over his chest and glanced around the street.

“Certainly you’re not here alone,” he mused lightly as his green eyes began to glow.

I knew it was Excalibur that made them glow like that and got ready for anything that he might throw at me as I answered him, “Who knows, maybe I’m really that crazy,” I shrugged a bit.

“If you are,” Alik said, a threatening tone to his voice as he stepped toward me, “Then you really are an idiot. I’m going to tear you apart, Valkyrie, limb by limb.”

“Oh?” I asked as I matched him for every step forward, to taking a step backward, “I thought you wanted to rape me again, maybe have your way with me like that. Now it’s full on murder hu? Did I piss you off that much?”

Alik’s lips twisted up into a deeper, more malicious, sneering grin, “I will have my way with you. I’m going to make you scream, begging me for a sweet death that I might be inclined to give you.”

I tilted my head a bit, “Well, that’s just too bad. Because I’m not in the mood for letting you play around with me.”

I lifted my hand and the electricity sparked, launching out at him. Alik was surprised by it, but he moved rather quickly. Turning sideways, he avoided most of the attack, though the tendrils of the crackling light touched him briefly. Hissing in pain, he lunged at me and I backpedaled away from him rapidly. I felt the air around me grow tense and figured what he was going to try to do. Planting my feet, I changed my tactic and combated his attempt to throw me by adding to my central gravity. Though my body felt very heavy, almost uncomfortably so, it didn’t bother me all that much and Alik failed in tossing me to the ground.

Turning from making my body heavy, I concentrated on the air around us and forced it into a raging ball to hit Alik straight in his chest. He took the full force of it and he went flying straight back into his car. The windshield smashed, destroyed under the force of his body and my throwing him with the equivalent of a wrecking ball. As I stepped forward to force another wave of air onto him, there was a sharp crack through the air that startled me. Gun shot? From where? Who shot it? I looked up from where Alik was crushed into the windshield of his car but I didn’t see anyone.

A blinding pain flooded my shoulder, just under the collar bone and closer to my chest than anything. I shouted in pain and stumbled forward as Alik pulled himself from the glass to stand again. My fingers reached up and pressed against the wound, blood spilling from between my fingers. My breath shuddered as I turned to eye the wound. Grinding my teeth, I stepped away from Alik as I searched for the shooter. My concentration went to the wound and I started to heal it, but another shot wracked my body, just under the first one. My mouth opened in a soundless scream and I stumbled again.

“Don’t even try, little puppy. Not yet anyway.”

My heart went ice cold as I turned to the voice. The sound of a pair of boots striding across the black top soaked in water only matched my heavily beating heart. Setting eyes on Ahmeil, I shook as I spotted the gun in her hand leveled at none other than me. I couldn’t think for a long while as I stared at her, my fingers curling in the wounds to try to stop the bleeding.

“Well, well. I didn’t expect for Tristan’s so very trusted, one-eyed demonic bitch to turn on you.”

Ahmeil closed the distance between us and took hold of my wounded shoulder, digging her fingers into the burning tissue that was torn apart. I cried out, feeling the pain three times more because of Excalibur. Slowly, she pushed me down to my knees. Her weapon pressed against the side of my neck and I froze, terror in my limbs, amplified because of my high sensitivity. It felt like I couldn’t breathe, getting air into my lungs was almost impossible. Focusing was also very difficult, but I forced myself to do so. I sent my concentration to the wounds, trying to see how much damage she’d done to me.

I was shocked to find out that she hadn’t pierced my lung, or anything vital. Whether that was luck or she was just a damned good shot, I didn’t know. Either way I knew I wasn’t going to die, it was just going to hurt like hell for a while until she let me go and I could heal my wounds. At the same time, I was wondering where Tristan and the others were. If Tristan saw this… I didn’t know what would happen but I was pretty sure Ahmeil wouldn’t be standing anymore.

“You’re going to give me the drug, Alik. And then you can have the boy, do what you want with him. However, if you don’t give it to me, I’ll kill him.”

Alik crossed his arms over his chest. Son of a bitch! Does she really think he would care? Fuck! Tristan! Where are you!? I was starting to lose my cool as I knelt there in the rain. My breaths came out too quickly, the white puffs of air spreading thickly into the rain. I slowly looked up at Alik, my heart twisting painfully in my chest as he eyed me carefully, almost as if he were really having a hard time deciding what he wanted to do. He’s going to let her kill me… Fucking bastard! Of course he would!

“And why do you want the drug, one-eyed demon?”

Ahmeil shifted, tightening her hold on my shoulder, “So that I can heal wounds.”

“You can heal wounds using Excalibur? How exciting,” Alik mused lightly as he leaned against the hood of his ruined car.

I huffed and tried to pull out of Ahmeil’s grip. I was getting dizzy though, Excalibur was making me feel strange again and I had to let it go. When I dropped it, I felt an overwhelming urge to throw up. I bowed my head as Ahmeil pulled me up, holding me tighter in her iron grip and making the burning in my chest and shoulder spread further. Grinding my teeth, I tried to ignore the fact that her fingernails were digging at the wounds.

“What would you heal with it?” He asked her, “Your eye? Such a pity that happened to you a few years ago. What was it again? Oh yes, when Hades burned the building that you and Tristan were trapped in. Then they lit of an explosion and in the chaos as you tried to save him, you lost your eye as a result of that. My… sincerest apologies.”

“No. So that I can heal Tristan.”

My heart skipped a beat. Tristan? Was there something wrong with him? Why didn’t he tell me? I turned to look up at her. Ahmeil only kept her gaze on Alik. Looking over to him, I found his expression to be confused, much like how I was feeling.

“And what is wrong with the all powerful leader of Fukkatsu?” he hissed out, eyes narrowing as their green color dulled. He also let go of Excalibur.

“I will heal him of his sickness. That putrid desire of his that stems from this boy,” she hissed coldly.

My heart jumped.

My chest grew tight, the pit of my stomach knotted tightly.

What?

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