Silent Storm
Chapter 18 - Have We Met Before Darling?

Isabella leads Rebecca, Damon, Ivan and Jax down another flight of rocky steps and through a dark pathway.

The continuous shaking of the cave causing rock and rubble to fall from above.

They see a light emanating from an approaching opening.

They enter to see Cordelia backing them, with outstretched arms.

Her hair sways as strong gusts of wind fill the area.

A hooded man stands beside her.

A large Harvest Rune is seen on the ground at the base of the giant statue.

The statue slowly recedes into the circle.

Stalactites fall from above as the shaking intensifies.

Isabella’s eyes are fixated on the harvest rune and the sinking statue. She begins to tremble with fear. “What in Gaia’s name?” she says to herself.

“Izzy whats going on? I sense death all around me.” Asks Rebecca.

Jax fixes his eyes on one of the pods on the statue and sees someone inside. “What the hell? There’s someone in there.”

“Cordelia you monster!” shouts Isabella.

Cordelia half turns and looks back at the team.

“Where’s my son you bitch!” Yells Ivan.

Cordelia lowers her hands and turns around completely.

The rumbling stops.

“My goodness Ivan, is that you darling? The years have certainly done you an injustice,” she says.

Cordelia looks up and down at Isabella.

“Have we met before darling?” She asks.

“Luckily we haven’t,” Isabella responds.

“I’m assuming you’re the pesky little witch that’s been trying to locate me. Seems I underestimated your resolve. But tell me, do you have any idea how slippery a slope you’re now on?”

“What’s she talking about,” asks Jax.

Isabella and Rebecca glance suspiciously at each other.

Cordelia lets out her usual devilish laugh.

Ivan’s hand stretches several feet at unbelievable speed, delivering a powerful punch to Cordelia’s face.

Cordelia falls back but quickly recomposes herself.

She is furious now and begins to exclaim. “You worthless piece of shit!”

She summons the Star Rune and pushes her hands in the team’s direction.

Isabella and Rebecca counter with their own Star Runes and push towards Cordelia.

The opposing forces collide in the space between them, and the energy disburses throughout the cave.

Cordelia’s eyes darken as she conjures the Scythe Rune.

She glances at Rebecca with intent and fires a stream of dark energy at her.

Isabella intercepts and attempts to repel the blast with the Rune of Man.

She succeeds for a moment, to Cordelia’s surprise, but is eventually overwhelmed by the blast and falls back, colliding with Rebecca.

Cordelia fires several more streams of dark energy at the group but Damon summons an energy dome protecting them.

Ivan and Jax charge Cordelia but are stopped in their tracks and flung away with the swipe of her hand.

Cordelia walks back gallantly toward the statue and talks to the hooded man.

“I’m gonna need you to cut your meal short darling. I need to get this done so we can be on our way.”

Isabella and Rebecca wobble back to their feet, looking on cautiously.

The hooded figure removes his hood to reveal a tube attached to the back of his neck.

He removes the tube which is also attached to the pod atop the statue at the other end.

The pod opens and an unconscious boy falls to the ground.

An impressed Cordelia gazes at the man’s healthy skin and thick blond hair as he turns around to face her. A stark contrast to the hairless monstrosity seen before.

“That’s alright, I’ve had my fill, I feel a little bloated now,” the man responds.

The man focuses his attention on Ivan.

Ivan looks on in absolute shock and disbelief.

Cordelia laughs out loud and continues to work on the statue.

The rumbling resumes.

Cracks start to appear in the ceiling as rubble and stalactites begin to fall.

***

Back at the cave’s upper level, intense battles are taking place all around.

Christian grabs Gale and leaps high into the air, slamming her violently into the ceiling.

The majestic cluster bugs are able to avert contact in complete unison.

As Gale falls to the floor, the bugs move back into place, covering the entire ceiling once more.

Christian is hovering above Gale, flapping his wings.

“You think you’re on top of the world huh? That power that’s coursing through you, it’s not yours, it’s not natural,” says Gale as she lifts herself back to her feet.

“Shut up!” yells Christian as he flies down at Gale.

Gale summons a strong wind and sends Christian spiraling upwards, pressing him against the ceiling.

The bugs avoid contact once again.

Gale observes Christian’s pendant.

She leaps toward him using the air as a springboard and punches him in the stomach and rips the pendant from around his neck.

She descends as Christian falls to the ground.

The angry Christian springs up, twitching at intervals, and begins to scream at Gale.

“Give it back!”

“Look at you, you’re addicted, is this the help you think you deserve?” Gale scolds.

Christian charges Gale who takes several steps back and back flips, catapulting Christian into the air with a kick.

She then somersaults in the air and delivers a crunching blow to his stomach with the back of her heel, sending him crashing to the floor, knocking him unconscious.

Gale throws the pendant on the floor and smashes it beneath her boot---

---Jason and Ronald are speeding all around the cave, however, Ronald is struggling to keep up.

They both come to a stop.

“With all that dark energy, you still can’t keep up?” asks Jason.

Ronald reveals his pendant and ingests the contents of the vial.

Swollen dark veins appear on his arms and neck, and his eyes blacken.

The cave rumbles again.

Large cracks appear beneath their feet.

“This place will be your tomb,” says Ronald.

Ronald circles around Jason with frightening speed, releasing streaks of dark energy as he moves.

Jason smiles as if he’s already won.

He sprays the entire surface with a blast of water from his mouth, causing Ronald to slip and lose his balance.

He then releases countless bolts of electricity from his body, illuminating the cave and striking everything within close proximity.

Ronald is struck and knocked unconscious.

The pendant is destroyed in the process---

---Riley and Silo are standing opposite each other, panting for breath.

“Look, I can tell you’re not a mindless idiot,” says Riley.

“Wish I could say the same about you,” Silo responds.

Riley is annoyed but quickly disregards the comment.

“Whatever it is that’s going on down there, It’s gonna bring this entire cave down on us. We can help you at the Academy, you don’t need Cordelia, she’s just using you.”

Silo fires several blasts at Riley but Riley meets them with bolts of lightning.

The blasts and the lightning explode on contact.

“I noticed the expression on your face when you saw that hot reptile chick earlier. You know something’s wrong,” says Riley.

Silo goes into deep thought.

“There are supposed to be more kids than the ones we found in the pods. Where are they?”

Silo hesitates but eventually responds. “The treatment doesn’t react well with everyone. For years it was just me and the other guys. Cassie only recently came out the pod. The rest didn’t turn out so well.”

“So, what happened to them?”

“Cordelia takes them below to help them,”

“She killed Sasha right in front of you for not complying man. You really think she cares about helping anybody? Have you ever even been down there?”

Silo is clearly distressed at this point and holds his head.

“No, we’re not allowed,” he responds.

The cave shakes some more and throws Riley off balance.

“I have to see for myself,” says Silo as he takes off and heads to the lower level, propelling himself with his energy blasts.

Jason contacts Riley on his wrist pad.

“Riley, you ok?”

“Yea, but we need to head to the lower level, now.”

“Ok, we’re coming to you, just wait.”

“Can’t wait brother,” says Riley as he ends the transmission and speeds off---

---Jason regroups with Gale.

“You ok?” he asks.

“Oh now you’re talking to me?” she responds.

“You’re the one that asked for space---Look now is not the time Gale, let’s check on Brain.”

***

Jason and Gale enter the Pod Room and place Christian and Ronald’s unconscious bodies on the floor.

“How’s it going?” Jason asks Brain.

“Almost done here,” he responds.

“No we’re done,” says Jasper as he passes out from exhaustion.

The rune on the ceiling disappears.

Brain places his hand on the processor.

His hand glows a bright silver.

The pods begin to open slowly, one at a time.

“We’re good Jason, Gale you ok?” asks Brain.

“She’s fine,” says Jason, interrupting before Gale can answer.

Jason grabs her hand. “Let’s go,” he says as they leave the room.

“Jerk. Anyway, I hope Muscle’s ok,” Brain says to himself.

A mirror floats above, startling him and causing him to quickly jump out of the way.

Muscle and Mergana jump through with Cassie tightly in their grasp.

They slam her to the ground, knocking her out cold.

Trish jumps out of the mirror.

They all look battered and bruised. Their clothes ripped to shreds.

“Piece of cake,” says Trish flicking her hair.

“Come on you guys, help me get them out of the pods,” says Brain, pointing to the unconscious kids.

The ceiling crumbles slowly, causing debris to fall down on them.

Something catches Brain’s eye through the room’s glass.

Brain looks and sees a flaming figure.

He wipes his glasses in disbelief and looks again.

The figure disappears.

“Brain what is it?” asks Muscle.

“Nothing lets hurry,” he says.

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