

### Superiority

By Pako Valor

Copyright © 2017 Pako Valor

All rights reserved.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual person, living or dead, business establishment, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

### Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright page

Table of contents

1 Shattered

2 The Scarlet Plague

3 Money Stained in Blood

4 Velodise

5 The Shadows

6 Transcendence

7 Necros

8 The Trioscepter Burden

9 Dark Secrets

10 Fire Rekindled

11 Vanishing Light

12 Location Three

13 Superiority II Teaser

About the Author

### 1 SHATTERED

A bird screeched, and a black spherical drone rushed from the top of the skyscraper. The claws twinkled and rushed toward the drone, slamming into it and tearing the metal. The drone whirled and scraped against the side of a brick building. It dived and burrowed into the mud as a large shadow of the bird passed. Drops of water fell from the sky and splashed against the drone's black metal surface.

The rain stopped, and the drone laid on the soft mud as droplets of water slid down. Its red light blinked and wires stuck out from its body. The red light faded as shoes slapped against the mud. Donovan, a slender man in a trench coat with spiky dark brown hair, grabbed the drone, and he took all of the parts including screws and bits of copper wire and placed it into a plastic bag.

In an alley, a mother and a kid covered themselves with a gray rag full of dirt stains and holes. The child's stomach growled, and the father dug through a garbage can, throwing banana peels, empty milk cartons, and diapers.

Donovan reached for his wallet, and it was a couple of twenties and a ten-dollar bill. He reached for the ten from his wallet and approached the father.

The father smiled, and a tear slid down his face. He pulled the ten, but he felt a tug.

Donovan's fingers pressed against the ten and ripped a bit of the bill from the top. His heart stopped, and the tear caused his fingers to unhook.

The man rubbed the ten across his face and inhaled the scent of the money. He ran to his family and showed them the ten. They smiled and leaped for joy.

Donovan walked away from the alley and stood from a bridge. He looked at a park with bare trees and weeds sprouting to the knees. The homes were made out of rusted sheets of metal and cardboard boxes. People played cards, hanged and washed their clothing, and some delinquents grabbed material from other houses. A man frowned and poked another in the chest as spit flew from his mouth into the others face. A fist launched, and both men rolled on the floor, punching each other.

Donovan walked away into an urban area, entering his home with mail in his hand. He opened his large fridge, and a loaf of bread remained. His stomach growled, but Donovan closed the fridge and sat on the table, ripping open the envelope and pulling out the paper. As he drank from his cup, his eyes enlarged, and he spat the water on the paper. The paper fell to the floor, and he slammed his fist more than once on the counter. Then he grabbed an empty glass and threw it against the wall, shattering it to pieces.

He swept the shattered glass as the radio played music from a violinist, and the doorknob twisted. It was Cassidy, and she appeared, having wavy blonde hair that glowed when the light shined. Her skin was fair, and her bright blue eyes would make your heart race. Cassidy's smile would light up the room, and it would spread to whoever was around her.

She held a bag of food with meat and bottled water. Cassidy laid it on the table, and her necklace showed. There was a seven-pointed star with a ruby stone in the middle, and it hung from the necklace. She leaned toward her husband and kissed him with her soft lips and said, "Well, I can hardly wait. Tell me what happened?"

He shut the radio off and said, "You're the only positive thing today. Sadly, I don't have any good news."

She said, "Don't worry about it. I know for sure we'll make it out of this."

He lowered his head and said, "I can't see what you view anymore. I only see black and white." His eyes watered and his fingers tapped on the surface of the counter.

She stroked his face. "Our luck will change. The dark clouds in the sky don't last forever."

He looked out the window and heat flowed into his eyes. "Storms end, but how do I know this one won't take me before the sun rises."

Cassidy wrapped her arms around Donovan and snuggled close to him. She touched the ring on his finger and said, "What does this mean to you?"

"Isn't it obvious, love."

"It means you're not alone. We're one." She rubbed his hand and said, "You steer the ship, and I'll guide you out from the storm and into the sunset."

They kissed in front of a window behind a sun setting, showing their silhouettes together.

The moonlight shined into their bedroom, and Cassidy laid in bed with her arms across the mattress. Her hands laid on the bed sheets that have been turned, and an imprint was left on the pillow and on the mattress. The knob twisted, and the door from their room closed.

Donovan entered his work room and wiped the sweat from his forehead. In the room, there was a clean table with a laptop. Papers covered the other desks, and they were filled with sketch designs.

Donovan closed his laptop of an article containing a picture of many tan boots marching. He threw the plastic bag on the table and set the tool box. His fingers unzipped the bag with the damaged drone, and he cracked his knuckles. As he took the drone apart, a coin-shaped piece with the dead light bounced. It rolled off the edge, and he jumped, throwing his hand and hitting the corner of the table. The part rolled from the crack of his fingers and onto the wooden floor. As it moved closer to a hole, he dived and slid on the floor, hitting his head against a chair and knocking over papers.

The papers scattered across the floor and covered the hole. Donovan rose and moved them. There was a paper stuck to the backside, and it saved it from falling into the hole. He detached the paper and found a phone number on it. A message was written on the paper, and his eyes moved toward a specific part.

The message read: We've watched you, and we've admired your inventions. Contact us, and I promise you that I can give you the life you once had.

Donovan walked toward a trash can but stopped. He folded the paper and placed it into his pocket. Then he grabbed the coin device and put it in a cabinet, securing it with a combination lock.

He pressed three hidden black buttons, and a small drone activated. It flew around the room in specific straight lines without curving, and two shelves full of historical figure books moved, revealing a hidden door. He brought all the parts that were on the table and entered the secret room.

The next day, in an office, a man in a suit wore glasses and wrote as the pen scratched on paper.

The hands on the clock moved steady, and the ticks echoed in Donovan's mind. He pulled his tie and scratched his head as the man scrolled his red mouse.

His scrolling finger stopped, and he adjusted his glasses with one hand. "You said your name was Donovan Macedon?"

"You're correct."

He handed Donovan's portfolio. "I admire your designs, but your intentions worry me."

"I can adjust the situation. I can fix anything with my hands."

"Your work doesn't need fixing. It's perfect. It's just the creator."

Donovan tapped his fingers on the desk and said, "My creations establish a better future. They promise you and your company a historical place in books. I'll work till my flesh and bones are merely dust to make that happen."

The man's hands came together, and he said, "I'm sorry Mr. Macedon, we're not interested in you or your dreams."

Donovan's fingers curled, and a vein showed from the top of his forehead.

The man pointed to the door. "Now, please get out of my office."

Donovan stepped outside with his eyes as large as an owl, and he took deep breaths, opening and closing his hands as he cracked his knuckles. Suddenly, A white liquid landed on the top of his hair and slid down his neck.

A large brown bird with a yellow beak sat on top of the building and adjusted its claws on the gutters as it shuffled its feathers. A rock flew and smacked into the bricks near the bird. The bird grabbed a stick from the gutters and threw it into Donovan's face.

Donovan stumbled and crashed into trash cans. He grabbed many rocks and threw them at the bird, but he missed its body.

The last rock hit the claw of the bird, and it rose into the air. It dived toward Donovan like a torpedo and its razor-sharp claws flung out.

Donovan fell into the mud and dodged the claws of the bird.

The bird rose high in the sky and went for another dive.

Donovan ran into an alley and bumped into trash cans as the screech of the bird echoed. He ran into a dead end, and the bird soared into the clouds, preparing for another dive. He searched through the trash and grabbed a bottle and balloon.

The bird dived down with its razor claws toward Donovan's direction.

Donovan attached the balloon over the lid of the cut bottle and placed a rock inside the balloon. The bird opened its beak and let out a shriek.

Donovan pulled the balloon, holding the rock inside the rubber. His fingers separated and released the rock.

The bird's eyes enlarged, and its feathers scattered. It spun out of control, and its wing slammed into Donovan. It flapped its wings and soared into the sky away from him.

Donovan wiped the mud from his black pants, and pieces of it landed on a gray blanket. It was a blanket with holes, stains, and blood. It was ripped, and pieces of the fabric laid on the floor. He followed the pieces, and it led to a dumpster. A rotten egg scent reached him, and he covered his nose and almost vomited.

His mouth dropped. Flies raced around, and small toes laid on the ground, covered in the mud behind the dumpster. A fly landed and groomed itself on a finger where a hand stuck from the dumpster. As Donovan stood in shock, someone pushed him to the floor, and he slid in the mud.

Six men in mahogany leather jackets stood in front of Donovan. Six wore red ski masks while the man in the middle face showed with a mustache and a goatee, and his name was Paul.

A man in a red ski mask cocked his gun back and slid his finger across the trigger, aiming at Donovan.

Donovan gulped and shut his eyes.

Paul said, "Hold it you bloodthirsty animal, or you'll find the next bullet wedged between your skull." He walked toward Donovan and took his knife. "You look familiar. I've seen you somewhere before." He grabbed Donovan's jaw and placed his knife near his face. "Tell me, why do I recognize you?"

A red mask drifted downward in front of the group of men.

The men grabbed their pistols, and the hairs on their necks stood. A man said, "Sir, we must leave now."

Paul tapped Donovan's cheek. "It seems I've got more important things to do." He let go of Donovan and stood. "Just some words of advice. Never interfere with Scarlet affairs." Two men ran toward Paul. "Let's go. We must follow orders." He turned to the others and said, "Stand your ground. Do not allow him to follow us."

The four remaining men cocked their guns back and hid behind cover. They placed their finger near the trigger and moved their eyes left to right.

A plastic bag rolled from a corner and floated toward them like a hovering ghost. A dagger shot from the top of the building and slammed into the head of a man.

A man wearing a black jacket with a hood above his head leaped from a low part of the building and disarmed one of the men.

The others fired but missed and penetrated the flesh of their own gang.

The man in the hood fired the stolen gun, and it hit a man in the head. He fired his last shot into the last Scarlet trying to run away.

Donovan crawled away but knocked over a trash can and grabbed the attention of the man in the hood.

The man walked toward him and took his hood off. It was a man with medium black hair with a neatly trimmed beard and mustache. "You there, you've nothing to fear." His hand reached toward Donovan. "My names Barry."

Donovan was lifted, and he nearly slipped on the mud. He glanced at a symbol on Barry's jacket which had three scepters.

Donovan said, "Why did you help me?"

"I didn't. I just happen to arrive." Barry walked and reached into the pockets of the dead men and took cash from the wallets.

Donovan watched him.

"What? It's not like he's going use it. Do you want some?"

Donovan lifted his hand for a second but returned it back to his waist. "I don't think I can."

"Well, I won't argue with that." Barry yanked his dagger from a head and cleaned the blood using a red mask. He tossed it in the mud and said, "You must go before more Scarlets infest the area. I doubt you'll be lucky next time." He then ran out from the alley.

After Barry had left, Donovan reached for the wallet on the body of the dead man. He opened it and found a ten ripped from the top, covered in red spots. His fists clenched, and he bit his lip as his eyes heated.

Donovan returned home and put on new clothes. He sat at a table, tapping his finger against the desk as sweat flowed down his neck. He stared at his computer screen as the dots move in a circular motion. The beat of his heart accelerated, and a pulsing heat rushed from his chest. The circular motion stopped, and a box appeared, showing only three hundred dollars left. He grabbed his hair, and a stinging heat surged above his head. He let go and slammed his fist against the table, biting his lip and trying to prevent a stream of water from rushing down his face.

Donovan walked past a broken, blue violin with strings sticking from it and turned on the radio. He shut his eyes and sat on a reclining chair with his fist clenched. One tear flowed down his face, and his hands loosened. He sat there for three hours.

It was eleven at night, and the knob of the door shook. His wife stumbled in, and her eyes drooped.

Donovan ran and lifted her up in his arms, taking her to their bedroom and covering her body with a blanket. His hand touched fresh blisters on her hand. "Are you ok? Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No, having you here is just fine."

"There must be something more than that. Just tell me. I don't like seeing you this way." He kissed her hand.

"Well, there is one thing."

"What is it?"

She touched his hand and said, "Have faith for the both of us. We'll make it out. Just believe." She started to fade as she held his hand. "Trust me, trust me."

Donovan opened his hand and held the star with the ruby that Cassidy gave him. It was the star that they found together. He turned off the light and placed the star in front of a picture of him proposing to Cassidy and in the background, was a painting of a person with green eyes and light pink hair with a signature as the number two.

Donovan entered his work room and paced back and forward with his hands together behind his back. He activated his mini-drone, and the shelves moved. Donovan walked to his computer and closed an article he viewed recently of foreign jets flying in formation.

He grabbed his tools and waited for the hidden door to reveal itself from the bookshelves, but the mini-drone curved and its propeller shot out and hit the wall. The drone swirled and rushed downward toward Donovan and nearly hit him but slammed through the crack of the shelves where the hidden door was located. The door was barely visible.

He reached through the cracks and was inches from touching the damaged drone as a burning soared through his arm and fingers. He retreated and pushed against the shelves, staring at the door as sweat dripped down his face, but the shelves didn't move. He slid his fingers and body downward against the wall and knelt on the floor as his tears gushed out from his eyes.

After he had wiped his eyes and nose, he reached into his pocket and grabbed the paper and phone, dialing the number that was on the paper. "Hello, it's Donovan. I'm leaving you a message to tell you that I have decided to take your offer. I want to work with you, but we must discuss some concerns I have. I look forward to meeting you as soon as possible." He hung up and placed the paper on the table. On the paper, was a stamp with three scepters going outward in the inside of a circle. Below the symbol was the organization's name. The Trioscepters.

### 2 THE SCARLET PLAGUE

Six months later. In the alley, handcuffs wrapped around the wrist of three Scarlet men and they sat on the ground as the cops talked to one another. A silencer pistol peaked from a dark corner, and a cop turned and saw the gun, causing his heart to stop. He reached for his pistol but the bullet burned through his chest. Alerted by the shot, the other cops turned and reached for their weapons, but many bullets slammed into their foreheads before they could fight back. One remained, and the gunmen fired again. It flew into the cop's hand, causing him to drop his weapon, and a fist soared into his face, making him dash through the dirt.

The cop's vision blurred and the three Scarlets stood without their handcuffs. A few more of them walked beside the three, and they crossed their arms. Somebody grabbed the cop by his shirt, and it was Paul.

Paul threw the cop against the wall and kicked him on the ground. He put his boot over the cop's head and pushed as his face scraped against the rocks and dirt. He swung his boot into the cop's head, and he rolled as blood and dirt covered his face.

Paul walked toward the cop with his knife and squatted. He grabbed his badge and read it. "Astronon police force." He punched the cop in the face and yanked his badge, holding it and pressing his finger against the bead pattern. "Tell me something officer. What does this mean to you?"

The cops said, "To protect and serve the civilians of Astronon from scum bags like you."

Paul fired at his legs and blood gushed out. He laughed and said, "The civilians don't even trust you anymore. And I can see why too." He looked at the Scarlets and pointed his finger at them. "You let these men escape by my hand."

The cop said, "Mark my words Paul. Whatever the Scarlets are planning, it will fail."

Paul grabbed the cop by the collar and smiled with his knife close to his neck. "Injustice is what they speak in the streets. We're going to take advantage of this division, and no cops are going to stand in our way." He slashed the cop's throat and threw the badge in the dirt, stepping on it.

Paul turned to the Scarlets they released and frowned, "You've caused a detour, and I don't much appreciate that."

James, a slender man with black hair, said, "Paul, sir, please forgive us. We mean no offensive to you and are willing to ..." Blood leaked through his shirt, and he stumbled as he held onto his wound. He said, "Why?" He dropped to the ground around the other corpses.

The other two men's heart raced at the sight of their dead comrade.

Paul spat on the ground, glaring at the two, and he looked at everyone. "Let us continue toward the Trioscepter business."

High in the sky, something hummed and the Scarlets looked like ants in between the alley. They moved close toward the back of a Trioscepter building, and the camera zoomed in, observing all the silencer weapons they held in their hands.

Paul lifted his hand.

Everyone except Paul's hands trembled and the humming got louder. A Scarlet said, "Paul, we must return. This building must be guarded heavily too."

A vein bulged on Paul's forehead as he ground his teeth. "No, you fool. We've fallen into a trap. Look!" Small metal guns attached to the walls above squeak as they aimed toward the group of men. The guns surround them from where they came in toward the back of a Trioscepter business. In the sky, a mini black sphere hovered.

In a dark room, a Trioscepter henchman controlled only the guns on the wall and typed on the computer, and the metal guns fired single shots.

Some Scarlet shot their weapons toward the metal guns while others tried to escape. One guy fired, hitting the metal gun and causing it to explode, but the other machines fired back. They ran away as the metal guns killed them one by one and the injured dragged themselves, but multiple hot bullets pierced through their heads and backs.

In the sky and through the camera, dead bodies covered the alley and blood stained their clothing.

Paul and few other rushed away from the metal guns. Paul ran and shot back as a metal gun fired. It exploded, but one of its bullets scraped against Paul's cheek. The hot metal burned and stung him. He ran away from the guns, catching his breath while he held his cheek but turned and saw the remaining men dead on the ground.

Something hummed, and Paul growled as he held his cheek. A black spherical mini-drone hovered in the sky, and he fired several shots at the drone but missed everyone. He turned red and pointed his finger at the drone. "I'll find you. You hear me whoever you are. I'll find you for the chaos you've brought me." His fist clenched, and he kicked the dirt. The drone flew away, and the humming stopped.

It got dark, and Paul's phone rang. It was a video call of a man with cuts and blood covering his face. He sat on a rolling chair at a desk and behind him was a dark hallway. Paul said, "What the hell is going on?"

The man said, "Paul, sir, we're being robbed. Someone's hacked into our systems and is stealing our money from some of our accounts."

"What! What do you mean stealing? Who's doing this to you? Is it the Trioscepters?"

The audio cut off, but the man's lips continued to move. His hands trembled, and he breathed quickly. He turned, and two white spots appeared in the dark hallway. The lights shut off and the video went static.

### 3 MONEY STAINED IN BLOOD

Three days later. In the cloudy sky, four mini drones hummed and raced toward a bank and two white vans drove to the same destination. Leo, a long-haired man, tapped his boots on the floor as his black gloves grabbed bullets and put them inside the magazine. From his pocket, he pulled a knife and a red mask that was marked with a marker, creating a sinister face. Leo gripped his knife, and he sliced the mask in pieces.

The drones surrounded the top of the bank and hovered.

A brown-haired woman parked near the bank, laughing and smiling as she talked on the phone. She raised her hand on the dashboard, and a gold ring was on her finger. The sun pierced through the clouds, and the ring glimmered. She hung up the phone and grabbed her purse, walking into the bank with a big smile on her face.

A red light blinked from the drones, and a pole stuck out from the top of it.

Through the crosshairs of a sniper rifle, Barry watched the entrance of the bank from a building. In the room, dusty tables and a few boxes laid in the area. A few other people with him watched the bank and guarded the door. Barry grabbed chips with his other hand, and his earpiece blinked. "Have your drones activated the frequency blockade yet?"

Donovan sat in a room with a computer. "Yes, no one will be able to communicate except us."

Barry crunched on his chips and said, "Good, are you ready? You sound nervous."

Donovan said, "I don't like this."

Barry said, "Well, none of us do. We don't operate like this, but we've all been forced because most of our money was stolen that one night."

The white vans drove up in the banks parking lot, and Leo's ear piece blinked red. As he nodded and grabbed his semiautomatic gun, he looked at the men in the van and said, "We go in and grab all quickly. Then we can afford to destroy the Scarlets for their theft." He put on his black ski mask and walked on the red torn up pieces and opened the van's doors.

In the bank, gray pillars were at the entrance, and people waited in line to talk to the bank clerks. The brown-haired woman waited in line and talked with a group of individuals, showing off her ring to a couple. She spoke with her hands, and the couple smiled as they held each other close.

Someone screamed near the entrance, and a man tumbled on the hard cold floor. Men in black ski mask rushed into the building and leaped over obstacles. People ran to the exits, but more masked men blocked the way. Others ran into hiding, and others swung their arms toward the masked men, but the robbers beat them with their weapons.

Leo walked into the building and shot at the ceiling as bits and pieces fell. Leo said, "Shut your mouths. I won't hesitate to fire." They then rounded up the people into a large group.

The masked men opened the vault and ran to the cash, opening their bags and shoving the money inside.

Leo patrolled with others around the group, and his earpiece buzzed. He walked toward a trembling scrawny man and said, "You there. What's the matter? You seem more nervous than the others. Are you hiding something from me?" He stood in front of the man. "No, ok, I believe you. It's only logical not to lie to the man with the gun since your unarmed, right? I mean only a fool would try to call the authorities, right?" Leo frowned and pulled the trigger. The bullet dashed through the middle of the man's head, and his phone dropped.

The people screamed and covered their mouths. Some held their loved ones, and others closed their eyes. Their tears streamed from their red faces, and their bodies quivered.

Leo said, "It won't work. You can't call them, but don't worry. I'm here to give you a proper response." Leo walked around the group with his gun and glared at them through the holes of his ski mask.

The masked men threw the money into their bags. The room was nearly empty, and they struggled to lift it.

In the parking lot, two black vans with tinted windows drove near the entrance, and nobody left the vehicles. The drones blinked red and the crosshairs aimed at the vans.

Donovan said, "Barry, do you know who's in those vans?"

Barry put his bag of chips in his pocket and said, "I'm not sure." A small explosion went off downstairs, and he stood and looked at the other men with him. His eyes widen, and he said, "The tripwire." Footsteps marched up the stairs and voices echoed as Barry, and his crew sprinted, loading their weapons. They aimed at the door and hid behind the dusty tables and boxes.

They took deep breaths and put their finger close to the trigger. The marching stopped, and the voices subside. The door knob turned.

In the parking lot, the black van's windows lowered and hands tossed out smoke grenades. The white smoke rose and consumed the area, covering the entrance.

Donovan's headset blinked red.

Barry said, "Donovan?"

Donovan said, "Yes?"

In Barry's location, gunshots and the cries of men consumed the room. Barry said, "Donovan, it's the ... Donovan, it's the ..." The communication went static.

Donovan said, "Barry? Barry?" He slammed his fist on the desk and called for the backup cars to meet toward the back exit of the bank. He spoke to Leo and said, "Leo, plan B. Hurry, somethings coming your way."

Leo said to his men, "Plan B, now. Take the money and go to back exit. Move it."

The smoke crept into the bank's entrance, and an eruption of bullets flew from the smoke. People screamed and ran for cover as the rapid-fire hit both robbers and civilians. The gunshots stopped and the used bullet shells clanked against the concrete floor. Papers floated, and dust filled the area.

Leo laid on the floor against a desk, holding his stomach as blood leaked through the cracks of his fingers. Injured people crawled and dead bodies laid on the floor. The dust cleared, and something rolled toward him. It was a gold ring with an inscription that read: Forever.

Some of Leo's men hid behind counters and desk as they held their weapons and the money bags.

Leo held his wound and said, "Tell ... the others to leave. We'll hold them off."

The masked men with the money bags ran to the back exit, and the remaining people locked and loaded their guns.

At the entrance, the smoke cleared and men in black uniforms with red ski masks walked and positioned themselves against the thick pillars of the entrance.

Leo's eyes enlarged, and the veins on his forehead bulged as he clenched his fist.

Leo's men rose and fired. The bullets eroded the pillars and pieces of it flew, causing dust to fill the air.

From outside near the entrance, other Scarlets aimed and moved their crosshairs to the heads of the Trioscepter henchmen. They pressed the trigger. Flesh tore, and blood splattered as their bodies and weapons hit the floor.

Leo's fist tightens as the blood of his comrades flowed toward him. He extended his fingers to a gun on the floor and loaded it. After his weapon was ready, he pulled a picture of him in his teen years, and it was an image of his father, his brother Ron, and himself, dressed in suits.

The Scarlets rushed with their weapons and walked past the corpses of their enemies. They yelled and ran toward the back exit.

A body rose from the corpses, and Leo held the trigger at the backs of the Scarlets at close proximity. He yelled as the bullets shattered their bones and ripped their flesh. The hot bullets impacted their bodies, and the pain inflicted dictated their bodies movement.

Multiple bullets fired and went through Leo's back, and he descended in a rain of bullet shells. His gun dropped as smoke left the barrel and a dozen dead Scarlets laid on the floor. He opened his mouth, showing his bloody teeth, and his hands trembled as a coolness spread through his body. Leo coughed up blood and laughed hysterically as his hand dropped to the floor.

The remaining Scarlets yelled and pointed the finger at each other. They then kicked Leo and dragged him, but a device that Donovan created for him fell out from his clothing. It ticked, and the Scarlets yelled Leo's name.

Aldrich, a bald, middle-aged man, directed Leo's men into the vehicles. An explosion shook the ground as he leaped into the driver seat and his ear piece blinked red.

Donovan said, "Hurry, the police are rushing your way."

Aldrich stepped on the pedal with the other identical cars, and all the valuable cars were bulletproof as other decoy cars cruised around the city. The decoys were controlled by Donovan's small droids which would fly and rush out once the car was caught. Aldrich's vehicle had most of the cash and a tracking device on it for Donovan could supervise it with his drones.

The cop cars came and the Trioscepter cars scattered like cockroaches afraid of the light. The cops separated and followed the different cars but as they gave chase, the four mini drones above disturbed the communication between the cops, allowing Aldrich's car to get away.

Aldrich drove, and his rear-view mirror revealed a gray car following them. He sped up, but the gray car sped up as well.

A man in the backseat yelled, "It's the Scarlets."

In the gray car, the Scarlet's stepped on the pedal and caused the engine to roar. They rush toward them and in their hands, they loaded small machine guns.

Aldrich sped up and turned in different directions, hoping to lose them, but the gray car appeared in the rear-view mirror again.

The gray car's windows lowered, and the Scarlet men in red ski mask hung out the window and fired into the Trioscepter car. The driver sped up, and the cars met side by side. They fired again and left cracks on the glass as the bullet holes covered the car.

Aldrich twisted the steering wheel and rammed the side of the Scarlet's car.

A Scarlet man in the passenger seat dropped his gun out the window and hit his side on the door, and the pain pulsed as he held his injury.

A pillar was up ahead, and the Scarlet driver gasped for air. His car swerved and missed the pillar, and he sped up at the tail of Aldrich's car. Two men in the backseat fire and the back glass was full of cracks looking as if were going to burst.

In the sky, the four mini drones rushed to Aldrich's car but couldn't keep up with the speed. While they gave chase, the drones transmitted Aldrich yelling at the men in the car that were with him.

The men in Aldrich's car couldn't lower the windows because the Scarlet's kept shooting at close range, and as the bullets continued to hit the car, sweat slid down Aldrich's bald head.

Donovan said, "Aldrich, there is a shortcut near a bridge. I have a plan. Drive there, and my drones will catch up. They'll explode, and the shockwave will distract and divert them away."

Aldrich took the shortcut, turning a sharp corner and speeding off.

The Scarlets took the sharp corner as well.

Two drones rushed toward the Scarlet's car, and a bullet launched into one of the drones causing it to explode far away from the gray car.

The Scarlet's mouth dropped, and one of them pointed at the explosion. Another drone rushed, and they tried shooting at it but missed. Their eyes enlarged as the drone came closer.

Donovan's finger moved toward a red button, and he pushed it.

The Scarlet driver swerved and missed the mini explosion, but shrapnel pierced through one of their faces and cut one of them severely.

A man in Aldrich's car lowered the window, but as he looked out, bullets launched into his body, and he fell out the car. More shots fired and the back glass finally shattered. As the pieces of glass cut the men in the backseat, bullets hit their stomachs, and they held their wounds as blood leaked out.

Aldrich's heart pounded as he raced toward a bridge, and someone stood on there.

The Scarlet rushed toward the bridge and were shocked at what they saw. A few of their own men hung on the bridge as their bodies swung with the wind. The hanged men's faces were covered in a red sheet, and a sinister face was drawn on the sheets with black marker. The men in the car clenched their fist, and a fire burned in their eyes.

A blue light glowed on the bridge, and a finger slid close to the trigger of a large black weapon. It was Barry holding a weapon called the Plazroid. A smirk went across his face, and he said, "Donovan won't mind me using his prototype. I'll think I'll test it out for myself."

The light shined, and the Scarlet squinted their eyes.

Barry pressed the trigger and flew back as a blue laser soared out.

The laser slammed and melted the front of the Scarlet's car, engulfing it in flames as it raced and flipped toward Aldrich's vehicle.

Aldrich swerved, missing the burning car, and he sped away toward headquarters.

Barry wiped the dust from his shoulder. "Damn." He grabbed the weapon, and the front of it was melted. He got on his motorcycle and drove off. As he came close to the ocean, he threw the damaged weapon into it and thought, I wonder who hung the Scarlet men on the bridge?

### 4 VELODISE

Video Recording: A low hum echoed across the dark woods as the moon shined. The wind blew the trees, and a drone patrolled as something stepped and crunched on the dead leaves nearby. Suddenly, something banged into the drone, causing it to tumble into the branches. Its recording went static, and it played again on the floor full of leaves. As the breeze blew the limbs of the tree, the leaves cracked and crunched again, heading toward the damaged drone. It got louder, but then the cracking stopped for a moment. A blurred figure slammed something into the drone, and it went blank. End of Video.

In a room, inside the Trioscepter headquarters, Barry sat in front of a computer that played the recording. He squinted and grabbed one of the two red masks they discovered in the woods. The masks were drawn with black marker that created the eyes and mouth, and its face looked sinister, having a long grin.

Aldrich appeared and said "What a surprise. We thought you didn't make it."

Barry turned his seat and said, "I'm ashamed you believe that the Scarlets had a chance. In fact, I'm horrified you thought of that." He stood and stretched his arms. "Regardless, we made it out safely. Someone accidently stepped on my earpiece when we encounter the Scarlets. Have you told Ron what happen to his brother?"

Aldrich took a deep breath and said, "He was silent when I told him about his brother. The news of the cash didn't even make him feel any better."

Barry said, "I understand. My young brother passed away too back then in the country Velodise during their revolution. He was an inventor, and he wanted to use his technology for good." He gripped his knife. "But he was kidnapped, and I didn't make it in time. I'll never forget that day." He slammed the point of the knife into the desk and crossed his arms.

Aldrich sat on a rolling chair and put his hands together. "Maybe you should talk to him. Like you, he has no more family but the organization his father built."

Barry took a deep breath and said, "I rather not."

Aldrich moved his chair next to the computer and picked up a piece of a damaged drone on the table. He checked the computer screen and said, "Did you check the surveillance again from that night?"

Barry scratched his head and said, "Yes, it's strange. During the surprise attack from the Scarlets, a man yelled something similar." He grabbed two red masks and held them in the air. One was a regular red ski mask, and the other was marked with black marker.

Aldrich received the masks and compared them.

Barry said, "Before the man's death, he told me we weren't going to get away from what we did to them." He called us greedy fools because we robbed them at night and we were monsters for killing their brothers and sisters unmercifully. He yammered insults to us and then I shot him."

Aldrich put the masks on the desks. "We never took any money from them. They took from us." Aldrich scratched his chin and said, "This might explain why the Scarlets came into the bank. They were more aggressive than usual." He stood from the rolling chair and said, "Hey, on the bridge what did you use to take out the Scarlets. It nearly hit us. You could've got us killed. Did you use Donovan's prototype?"

Barry frowned and stood. He said "Wait a minute Aldrich, if it weren't for me you would've been killed. You're lucky I happened to show up."

Aldrich put his arms together. "You weren't supposed to use it."

Barry said, "Relax, Donovan won't mind. He's been working on it for six months since he's been here. He was practically begging for someone to use his new invention."

Aldrich said, "Donovan never wanted anyone to use it. He just wanted to show it off. He's always proud to show what he can do. He's almost like you, but you're more full of yourself. Where's the prototype? Do you have it with you?"

Barry said, "Well, I ..."

Donovan yelled, and Aldrich looked at Barry. They ran to Donovan's room. In a room with open cabinets and a computer, Donovan dug through piles of paperwork on a table. The papers dropped to the floor, and he was panicking.

Aldrich said, "What are you looking for?"

Donovan continued tossing papers not even realizing they had stepped in the room.

Barry leaned on the door with his arms crossed and said, "Ay! Aldrich just asked you a question."

Donovan slammed his hands on the table and put his head down. He said, "The man who was here for a couple of weeks has gone with my documents and has seen my face. You must alert everyone before it's too late."

Aldrich ran and alerted the entire headquarters to search for the man.

Barry said, "Don't worry, Donovan. We'll find this cockroach. You've got nothing to worry about."

Donovan said, "Barry, you will find him?"

Barry said, "Do you doubt me?"

"No."

Barry shook Donovan's hand firmly. "I'll find him. You have my word." Barry left and hopped on his motorcycle. As his engine roared, he drove off as the sun descended into the horizon.

Donovan returned home, and his hand trembled as he twisted the knob.

Cassidy opened the door and smiled. "Hey, how are you?"

Donovan smiled as sweat flowed down his face. "I'm doing great."

She said, "Are you sure? You don't look so well." She put her hand on his forehead. "Is it because of all the work you have?"

He said, "Yes, they have a way of putting pressure on me. They want to make sure all my security gadgets are made safe and well for the public."

Cassidy said, "You should've taken the job Dakota offered you in her home country. You wouldn't be stressing this much."

"I would have taken it, but I already got hired. I couldn't have just quit that same day."

"Well it's the past, so we don't have to worry about it anymore." She held his hand and said, "Why don't you come sit with me?"

Donovan said, "Well, maybe later. I've got things to do."

Cassidy frowned and said, "Like what? Is your work more important than me? Relax, you're not at work. You're with me." She grabbed the remote and turned on the television. "Come on, just relax."

He said, "Look let me just fix some things, and I'll come back."

She said, "You always say that, but you never do. Ever since you took this job, you hardly talk to me because you're always worried about deadlines and other stuff. You're always trying to control things, but you never have any faith that things will work out."

A vein bulged on his forehead, and he said, "I do have faith. I got a job didn't I and look what we have. We were on the brink of poverty, and now we have everything that we lost from that stupid company that fired me." A news report interrupted the television program that was playing. It was night, and a reporter stood in front of the bank as red and blue lights shined on his face. Donovan gulped and turned his face away from the television.

Cassidy listened to the report and said, "It seem like things are getting worse by the day."

Donovan then left and locked himself in his work room.

Cassidy looked back and held her tears as she stood alone in the living room. She said, "Donovan."

Donovan leaned on the door, and his chest began to hurt as heat moved across his body. He got up and paced near his inventions, talking to himself as he walked back and forward. "I wonder if they caught him? Who is he? Why did he steal from me? What will Cassidy think of me? No, I'm sure she will understand why I did this? She has to realize that I did this for us. She will understand, will she?"

He opened his computer and grabbed a black drone about the size of a large grapefruit. He brought a remote controller and walked to the window, but something grabbed his attention to the cabinet. As he moved toward it, he stepped on a broken lock. Donovan opened the door, thinking the chip was gone, but it remained inside and was surprised that the red-light still blinked and that the battery remained alive. Donovan scratched his head and walked to the buttons that opened the hidden doors with his mini-drone. He took the chip inside his secret room and walked from there.

He then typed on the computer, but suddenly, he fell from his chair onto his stomach, and his eyes shut as paper sketches dropped on his body.

Donovan woke up and grabbed his stomach as a burning pain pulsed through his body. He rose, putting his hand on his belly and the moonlight from the outside shined into the area from the large glass windows. In the room, there were computers on desks in rows from left to right, and the air was still. Not a single person was in the area, and he said, "Where am I?"

Donovan walked to the light switch, but the lights didn't turn on. A sudden bloom of heat went across his face and body, and for some strange reason, the beat of his heart accelerated as he flickered the switch. As he continued flickering the switch, a pressure hit his chest, and he had a hard time breathing. His entire body trembled as a dark laugh with a low pitch echoed in the entire building. Donovan finally let go of the switch and ran under a desk as he shook and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

The laughter stopped, and the air was still again. Donovan wrapped his arms around his body and tried to stop shaking. His head peeked out as he rose and he walked slowly because of a heavy pressure on his leg muscles. As he moved forward, something banged on the door, and it swung open. Donovan raced under the desk and planted his head on the floor. Through the cracks underneath the desk, black boots dashed on the floor. He rose, and a person in a hood leaped and crashed through the glass window.

Donovan got up and ran toward the shattered glass watching the person sprint on the snow into the woods. Loud steps marched toward Donovan's direction, and the dark laugh echoed through the building. Full of terror, Donovan jumped out the window and rolled into the snow. He stumbled on the clumps of snow and ran into the woods in the same direction as the individual.

As the night changed into the morning, the light revealed a beautiful snowy forest that had a light blue tint on all the trees leaves. They didn't lose their leaves in the cold temperature, and the tree bark was white. The deer played, and the white rabbits cleaned their fur. The icicles on the tree glowed as the sun shined its light and the rivers sparkled on the flowing rivers.

Donovan walked but fell into a snowy ditch. He wiped the snow off his clothing but was in shock at what he saw. A pile of dead soldiers rested in the snowy ditch with their mouths open and with their eyes enlarged as if they saw a ghost. Donovan climbed fast from the ditch and stood. The deer ran away, and the rabbits hopped into their holes. He stepped forward, and bright red covered the snow.

In the forest, someone shouted, "Fire! Kill that monster!" Multiple gun shots fired and men screamed. As the shots stopped, a man pleaded for mercy, and then he screeched like prey being killed by a predator.

Donovan ran away but got lost and was surrounded by forest. He stopped and moved the limb of a bush, and his heart stopped. A person in a gray hood kneeled in the snow with its head down and a dead body laid in its arms. This corpse didn't have the clothing of a soldier like the others scattered around it. He continued watching, but the person in the hood remained motionless. Near Donovan, something invisible wrote in the snow, and the writing was written in blood. It read: You are next.

Donovan shivered and breathed rapidly as he read it. He moved the bush limbs, but the hooded person and the corpses disappeared. At a distance, black smoke rose in the sky and fire consumed trees. He ran, but the fire caught up, burning nearby trees. The fire spread everywhere as trees slammed into the snow. Everything was starting to burn, and the forest looked like hell. The black smoke covered the entire sky, and the fire grew to the height of trees. Donovan ran and turned in every direction, but the flames surrounded him. He pulled his hair, and his watery eyes broaden. As he turned, the hooded person stood on a cliff.

A wall of fire rose in the background of the person in the hood, and the darkness from the hood covered the person's eyes and nose. The flames surrounded it and it still remained motionless. Suddenly, the person turned its head and pointed toward something at a distance away from the fire. A male and female silhouette were together in a lush green area with blue skies and animal life. That area didn't scorch, and an unburned pathway led there.

Donovan ran into the pathway as sweat streamed down his face and arms, but the fires raged and consumed the area, narrowing the path. He looked back once, but the hooded person disappeared again. Donovan continued running and fire spit on his clothes. He patted it down and ran down the narrow pathway as the fires destroyed everything behind him. He was inches away from the green forest, and he reached his hand out.

Donovan took another step, but his foot met the air, and he dropped and yelled into a bottomless trench. Looking up, he saw that there was an illusion. The beautiful place was farther than what he could perceive, and he was not even close to the green forest. It was extremely far way, and he shut his eyes and loosened his body as he fell into a dark pit.

Donovan awoke, and he leaped, gasping for air on the floor. As he stood, his papers design and inventions laid on his desk. Donovan looked at a clock, and it was close to dawn. He was back home and sluggishly walked toward the door until he spotted something. An old article laid on the floor with a picture of a military building near a snowy white forest. The title read: The Velodise Massacre.

### 5 THE SHADOWS

At night, the Scarlet spy's shoes slapped against a puddle and ran into an alley partially lit by orange city lights. He dialed on his phone, and it rang, but no one answered. He dialed more than once, but still, no one responded. He left a voicemail and said, "Hello, is anybody there? Somebody pick up the phone now!" A can clanked and rolled on the ground. His eyes move in every direction as sweat flowed from his head. Suddenly, big green eyes appeared in the darkness, and a coolness crept up his backside. It was a black cat, and it scurried away from the alley.

He wiped the sweat from his head and said, "Listen I've got important information about the Trioscepters. I can't discuss it over the phone because they're everywhere. I'll be at Location Two to send the information to all our headquarters." As he hung up the phone, he grabbed the folder he stole and said to himself, "We've finally got you, and you're going to pay."

Near a brick wall, he hid in the shadows and spotted a car parked. A man rushed from his vehicle and shut the door as he ran into an apartment building. The spy ran from the alley and opened the unlocked car. He rushed and hotwired the car causing it to rumble.

As he adjusted his seat, someone screamed from the apartment. At the top of the building, a window shattered, and a body flew in a rain of glass. The body landed on the street in front of the vehicle, and the glass impaled the body as it rested in a puddle of blood with scratches on the skin. It was the man who owned the car.

The spy mouth dropped, and he slammed his foot on the pedal, running over the bloody man. He checked the rear-view mirrors but no cars followed him, and only the trash blew in the street. He inhaled and exhaled as he drove off.

The spy drove toward Location Two past the woods and away from the city. He went past the plains filled with shrubs and vegetation. His car headlights shined on the dark road, and no cars passed him. The gas meter was close to empty, and there didn't seem to be a gas station in the area. It finally slowed down and stopped on the street. He sighed and grabbed a revolver, a flashlight, and the stolen documents. The spy then placed the documents inside his coat.

He walked on the street with his flashlight and as the wind whistled, something rustled in the tall grass. He flashed the light on it and a rat dashed through the weeds, running across the street. He exhaled and wiped the sweat from his head.

When he got to a gas station, the paint on the walls was chipped, and the windows were broken. All the metal on it was rusted and tall weeds pierced through the cracks of the concrete. There was one parked car with its lights still on, and the car door on the driver side was open. The spy grabbed his revolver and stepped toward the vehicle with his gun pointed at the car. He hid behind a bush and said, "If anybody is in there, get out of the car with your hands up." Only the crickets chirped, and the wind blew after he spoke. He stepped closer pointing his gun and flashlight at the car, but it was empty.

In the car, he shined his light on a wallet left on the floor near the pedal. As he grabbed the leather wallet, something crackled in the back seat of the car, and he flashed his light on a black blanket with images of rockets covering something on the seat. The blanket moved, and he pinched the blanket as he held his gun with his other hand. It crackled again, and he yanked it off. It was a brunette doll with its eyes ripped out. Its limbs moved slightly and wires stuck out from its missing eyes.

The spy grabbed the wallet and cards fell from it onto the floor. He found an ID of his friend in a suit who worked for the Scarlets, and they valued him because he was working undercover in Astronon's government. He tried to start the abandoned car, but it didn't move, so he walked again toward Location Two.

The air was still, and the chirps of the crickets stopped. Lights shined from a tall lamp post in the distance from a once abandoned factory, and it was Location Two. The spy walked to the entrance of the factory, and tall fences covered the perimeter. At the gate, he found no one to greet him, so he walked past the gates and scratched his head as his shoes pressed against the gravel. Some of the bright lights that shined from the towers were off.

He walked with his flashlight into the dark factory that was filled with rusted machinery. His light shined on the wall and his eyes enlarged. Smeared blood was on the wall, and as he stepped back, his shoes pressed against something on the ground. He shined his light on his shoes and scattered bullets laid on the floor. The spy moved his light, and it reflected from something not too far away. It was a chrome mask with two black eyes to see through with an evil long grin. Something else caught his attention, and as he stepped forward, dead Scarlet guards laid on the floor covered in blood with a frightened look on their faces.

A trail of blood was nearby that led toward a closed door, and the spy twisted the cold knob, entering the room. A cold chill soared through the spy's body, and his hands shook as he stared at a horrific sight. The leader of Location Two hung with stab wounds across his body.

The spy clenched his fist, and his legs tingled and shook. Something thumped from the entrance of the factory. He bit his nails as the thumped got louder, and he rushed, stumbling on items on the floor.

He ran into a room that had a hidden secret area which was a trapdoor under a factory machine. As the spy searched for a button in the room, he found it and reached for it, but something jumped and pushed him. It was a skinny robot with two legs and two arms and on its face, was a big black circle with a red dot in the middle. The red dot moved, searching for him and it attacked the spy with its two saws which it had on each of its hands.

The spy dodged its attack, but a blade scratched his arm. He reached for his gun and shot, but it kept stepping toward him. He was pinned to the corner and the saws buzzed as they moved closer to him. He fired his last bullet but it continued, and the saws were inches from his flesh. Smoke flowed from the robot and sparks shot out of it. The red dot disappeared, and the saws on the robot's hands stopped. The robot fell on its back, and its arms twitched.

The spy closed his eyes and exhaled. He checked his gun's magazine, and it was empty. He spat on the robot and kicked it, but after he had hit it, the robot's torso opened, and a red light blinked. There was a small camera, and it zoomed in on his face. In fear, he ran toward the bulky machine, pressing the button, and it caused it to move silently, revealing the trap door.

The spy dropped into the underground area, and the machine hid the trap door. The lights were on in the hallway, and he turned the corner. Splattered blood covered the wall and on the floor, was bullet shells. A smiley face and a message were written on the wall with blood, and it read: Not a secret anymore.

The spy walked further down the hallway, and a couple of dead bodies sat against the wall. He entered the main area, and the room was filled with bloody corpses. A man hung off a pool table, and another body was inside a television screen. Men and women laid in a puddle of blood with bullets shells. Some of them had a fearful look on their faces as if they saw a ghost.

The hairs on his neck stood up, and he covered his mouth. Heat soared across his body, and he ground his teeth together, squeezing his fist. He thought, I must gather our secret documents and leave through the back exit. I must warn the others.

The spy walked toward the control room into the next hallway. It was dark and some of the lights from the ceiling hanged by their wires. The wires sparked, and the lights swung. He walked past some doors and some other bodies laid on the floor. Knobs were on the floor and bullet holes covered their bodies. Torn up pieces of wood stuck from the door and wood shavings laid near the dead.

As he walked, a knob rolled from a closet, and the spy grabbed his knife, stepping toward the door as his heart accelerated. His hands were sweaty, and he swung the door open with his knife raised, but there was nothing but mops, buckets, and dust pans. He started to close the door, but he spotted something. A black wall with a knob that stuck out. He moved the equipment and swung the other door open with his knife raised, but inside was a trembling man that sat on the floor with his hands in the air.

The Scarlet man had his eyes closed and said, "Please, don't hurt me."

The spy said, "Don't worry. I'm not your enemy."

The man opened his eyes, and he exhaled. He stood, wiping the sweat from his face and said, "Are they gone?"

The spy said, "Who are they?"

He said, "Look we have to leave quickly. They might come back, they ... they ... they might come back."

The spy grabbed him by the shirt and said, "Tell me who are they?"

The man said, "I don't know. It was dark and too fast. C'mon, we've got to leave."

The spy released him and said, "But we can't leave yet. We must gather the documents inside here. Do you know at least if they're safe?"

The man said, "Who cares about the documents. We must leave now." He tried to run, but the spy grabbed him and threw him on the wall.

The spy said, "These documents are important. If someone gets their hands on them, we'll be in big trouble."

Tears flowed down the man's eyes as his hands quivered. "I can't! You weren't here, and you don't understand." He ran down the hallway and said, "I won't go through this again. Find it on your own!"

The spy slammed his fist on the door and said, "You're a disgrace."

The spy continued walking and found a large steel door that was opened which was the control room. The room was full of surveillance computers and cabinets. Every computer screen was cracked except one, and like the other rooms, there were dead bodies on the floor. He searched the files, but they were burned in an attempt to keep the information away from the enemy. He reached in his coat, but the documents he stole were not there. He was enraged and said, "Damn! Where are they? No, no, I must have dropped them." He searched his coat again but didn't find them.

In the computer screen, the survivor ran down the hallway toward the back exit, and the spy growled. He changed the view to another room, and a black cloth swung in the corner and disappeared. His eyes broaden, and he changed the camera's view multiple times. He stopped, and a dark figure ran away from the view of the security camera. His heart raced, and he searched through the security cameras again. It was back in the hallway where the Scarlet man was at, but he was not there anymore.

He bit his nails as he searched for him through the security cameras, but as he continued, his skin went pale. From the back of the Scarlet man's shirt, something dressed in black dragged him by the collar into the darkness, and the man and the figure disappeared into the shadows. He changed the view, and the full face of a chrome mask blocked the screen. Its large black eyes and evil grin brought shivers up the spy's back. The screen turned into static, and the view changed to the back exit. There was nothing there that seemed like a threat, but his heart stopped because something stood next to the door in the darkness. Half of the mask was in the dark while the other half was visible. It was another thing in a chrome masks, and the whole face turned quickly toward the camera. The screen went static, and he said, "What was that? What's going on?"

The screen changed by itself like if it was being controlled by someone and it was zoomed in on the Scarlet man. Blood covered his face, and he hung with a rope tied around his neck. A nail was punctured through a sign and into his chest with writing that read: Hahaha.

His back was drenched in sweat. Then the power in the factory shut down, and darkness consumed the area.

The trembling spy took his knife, and he heard the beat of his heart echo in his mind. He turned his flashlight on, barricading the door and his limbs were stiff as he moved a large cabinet toward the door.

The flashlight flickered, and he replaced the batteries, fumbling as he put them inside. It was dark for a moment, but he finally got the flashlight working and turned the light on. He pushed a desk in front of the door, but then a wooden pole fell, smacking into the floor. He flashed the light, and there was an open hidden door behind him that he was unaware of. He stepped toward the open door, holding his knife and a computer dropped into the floor on the left. He turned, and something hit his head, causing him to fall straight on his face with his eyes closed.

Someone grabbed him by his shirt and dragged his body into the darkness.

The power restored and the light returned. In the control room, a black glove pressed a button, and a recording played. It said, "Listen I've got important information about the Trioscepters. I can't discuss it over the phone because they're everywhere. This information will serve us well, and I'll be at Location Two to send the information to all our headquarters."

### 6 TRANSCENDENCE

A brown violin played and the light cast Cassidy's shadow on the wall as she moved with the rhythm of the music. The bow moved and her fingers pressed against the strings. Her gold star sparkled as the light shined from the ceiling and from the depth of her spirit she moved her soft lips, singing a song. The singing was beautiful, and goosebumps would appear on the skin as you heard it.

The wind blew from the ceiling fan and papers from a desk flew toward Cassidy's face, causing her to stop playing. She removed the paper and on it were sketches of drone designs filled with notes and numbers.

She placed the papers on a dining table and played again, moving her legs with the beat, but her mind wandered and played wrong notes. Someone knocked on the door, and the distraction caused her legs to twist, and her feet slipped on the wooden floor. She stumbled, and the violin flew from her hands.

Dakota, a brunette, athletic woman, opened the door. The violin soared, and Dakota yelled as the violin slammed into her stomach, causing her to fall. She laid there and held her violin.

Cassidy got up and ran. "Dakota, are you alright?"

Dakota took a deep breath and said, "My god. Next time I'll just wait until you open the door." She grabbed Cassidy's hand and wiped the dust from her clothing. She walked into the room with Cassidy and said, "Are we going to deliver the food and the clothing?"

She put her violin in her case and walked toward the mirror. "Yes, let me just put my contacts on."

Dakota crossed her arms and paced around the house, and her shoes tapped a blue violin with a broken neck and with strings sticking out. It leaned against the wall and fell as she tried extending her hand to save it but the violin chipped, revealing a green color from the cracks. She turned, and Cassidy was behind her. "I'm sorry, I didn't ..."

Cassidy's blue eyes twinkled, and she said, "It's ok. It used to be green, but I painted the violin blue. Mostly cause it's my favorite color. In the past, it was a gift from Donovan on our first anniversary, and at that time we were sitting around a campfire together, but that violin has been broken ever since Donovan lost his job. He said he would fix it but hasn't had a chance."

Dakota said, "How's he doing in his job?"

Cassidy doesn't smile, and she said, "He's doing good, but I sure wish he would have taken the job you offered him that same day."

Dakota said, "Well, it was his decision. He didn't wait, and he could've got a better job from me."

Cassidy said, "Well, why don't we head out then."

They left the house and walked to a bridge carrying large plastic bag with clothes and bags of food. While they were walking, the cold air blew and stung their faces, and when they arrived, a group of people with tattered clothes ran toward them. Their fingers showed from the holes of their gloves and smudges of dirt covered their faces.

The sight of them touched Cassidy's heart, and she gave them bags filled with containers. A big smile crossed her face as the parents and the children took the food.

Dakota gave them the bags of blankets and clothing, and her heart warmed as Cassidy hugged a child who drew her a drawing. It was stick figures of people gathered around Cassidy playing music and the rays of the sun shined on her.

They took the hot steamy soup and sat with Cassidy and Dakota near a fire from a barrel. Their conversations and laughter echoed from the bridge, and the people asked her to play a song for them.

Cassidy smiled and took her violin from her case. She played, and they danced to the beat of the music.

Dakota smiled as she leaned on the wall with her arms crossed.

A strange stocky man with a hole in his shoe walked toward the bridge, and a couple of other strong men followed. He stood and said, "Hey you, aren't you the wife of Donovan?"

She stopped playing the music, and the crowd turned.

The veins on his neck bulged, and he said, "Your husband ruined my life as well as others. He got us all fired, and now most of us live on the streets because of him. We were framed, and now no one will hire us."

Heat moved toward Cassidy's eyes, and she gulped.

He said, "We're not traitors. Your husband Donovan is a traitor to this country and your nothing but a ..."

Dakota shouted, "That's enough. Another word leaves your mouth, and I'll slam your face into the cement."

He said, "Your threats mean nothing to me. You're only a woman."

Dakota's muscles stiffened, and she uncrossed her arms. Scars and cuts covered her fists as she walked toward him with a fire burning in her eyes.

Cassidy said, "Dakota, stop."

Dakota's eyes widen, and she stopped.

The man laughed, and he said, "Why don't you listen to your friend. You're only going to get yourself hurt."

Dakota clenched her fist.

Cassidy said, "Dakota, please let's just go."

They walked away and went to a restaurant together. Dakota cooled down and said, "Why did you stop me?"

Cassidy said, "Because I know where you're from and what you can do. It was best not to intensify the situation."

Dakota slurped her drink and said, "How could I let someone insult you. I won't let someone attack a kind person like you. I'll never forget what you did for me in the past. You're my best friend, and I'll protect you." Dakota then told funny stories to Cassidy, but she didn't smile or touch her food.

Cassidy's eyes watered as two people flew a drone together outside the window. She interrupted Dakota and walked to the bathroom, wiping her tears from her eyes and looking downward. Her chin touched something cold, and it was the star that hung from her necklace. She grabbed the star and covered the ruby, and as the heat from her hands traveled to the star, the ruby glimmered its red light on her wedding ring. She walked from the bathroom and sat with Dakota at the table.

Dakota said, "Are you alright?"

Cassidy said, "I'm fine."

Dakota asked for the check, and they left, walking toward Cassidy's car in the parking lot. A man stumbled in the alley, touching his stomach as blood dripped through the cracks of his hands, and he dropped to the ground.

Cassidy ran toward the man.

Dakota said, "Hey, wait."

They arrived, and it was the man who insulted Cassidy. He had been stabbed multiple times.

Dakota crossed her arms and said, "Serves you right. Come on, let's go."

Cassidy mouth hung open and said, "How dare you say such things. Don't be cold." She started to take care of his wounds.

Dakota said, "He insulted you and your husband. He got what's coming to him."

Cassidy said, "Bitterness doesn't help our world, and there's no way I would abandon someone bleeding to death. Where is your heart, Dakota? Didn't I help you one time?"

Something gripped Dakota's heart, and she didn't say another word.

A cold wind blew, and Cassidy put her coat on the man's body. She said, "Call the ambulance."

The man awoke and saw Cassidy taking care of him. He gasped for air and said, "Why... why are you helping me?"

Cassidy said, "You're injured, and you needed help."

The man said, "I don't understand you."

Cassidy said, "People's heart change as long as you show them love."

Tears slid down the man's face, and he said, "I'm... I'm sorry. Please for ... forgive me for what I said to you."

Cassidy said, "It's ok. I forgive you." The ruby on the star glowed and its lights shined on her white blonde hair. She placed the star in her hand and scratched her head, wondering why it shined randomly.

The man smiled as he closed his eyes and the ambulance arrived, taking him on the stretcher. As the ambulance drove away, the outline of the man's body glowed the same color as the ruby.

Dakota lowered her head.

Cassidy tapped her shoulder and said, "It's ok, Dakota. Don't beat yourself up. You're a strong and good friend."

Dakota smiled and thought, You're so kind to me no matter what. I will always respect you.

As they walked to the parking lot, Cassidy went to throw away some garbage. When she arrived at the trash can, a damaged drone with wire stuck out and laid in the waste. She put her hand on her chests as her heartbeats tapped on her fingers.

They entered Dakota's home where her furniture was sleek and organized. Pictures hung on the wall and Cassidy and Donovan was in many of the photos with her as well as a few of Cassidy friends. Dakota's arms were crossed in most of the pictures, and she barely smiled only when Donovan and Cassidy were there. Only one photo had a picture of Dakota smiling more than usual, and it was with another brunette with green eyes who was her friend in the past.

Dakota sat on her leather couch and said, "You're quieter than usual. What bothers you? C'mon, you can tell me."

Cassidy said, "It's Donovan. We're okay now, but for the past couple of days, I feel like he's been hiding something from me. I feel like I'm in denial telling myself that he's ok. However, this week he has been avoiding me and has been waking up in the middle of the night. Sometimes I find him passed out somewhere in the house. He keeps telling me everything is alright, but I really don't believe him."

Dakota said, "Don't worry. He's probably stressed out about work, or maybe he's just working on one of his hobbies. You know those silly hobbies." She mimicked Donovan's voice and said, "You just watch Dakota, I'm going to change the world, and everyone's going to know my name." She stuck her tongue out and crossed her arms.

Cassidy laughed and said, "Yeah, but I'm sure he could fulfill that dream." She drunk her water and smiled. "I don't know. Maybe I was overthinking this. But I hope things will get better than they are now."

They talked till the evening and Cassidy drove home as Dakota waved. She arrived home and walked into the house. A buzz saw sounded in Donovan's work area, and he sketched and wrote notes with his muscle shirt on as she stood by the door.

Donovan wiped his sweat from his forehead and said, "Hey, love, how are you?"

Cassidy said, "I'm doing alright. I just went to hang out with Dakota." She wrapped her arms around his neck and said, "Your home early. Did you finish your work on time?"

Donovan cleared his throat and said, "Not exactly. I just decided to come home early because I thought things would get done quicker."

Cassidy leaned over the desk and said, "Well, what is it that you're working on?"

Donovan said, "Well, I've been asked to develop new security bots. I have also been working on other things, but this was before I got this new job. I've been working on it for some time already."

Cassidy replied, "That's cool. Could you show me?"

Donovan opened a cabinet with a bunch of his designs, and different types of drones in strange shapes covered the paper.

She turned the pages, and something different appeared. It was a detailed sketch with lots of notes on the side. The sketch was a design of the human body, and Cassidy said, "Why did you draw these drawings?"

Donovan scratched his head and said, "Oh, I didn't know I left those there. These were designs that I messed around with. They're too advanced, complicated, and dangerous to even create at this moment. I was just using my imagination of what could be, but it's nothing serious."

Donovan walked to the window and put his hands on his head as he looked into the city. "Back then I thought it would be cool to somehow upgrade the human body. We could extend our lifespan and finish more things than in our current state. We wouldn't even have to deal with cancer or diseases. These are just idea that I thought would be cool to see happen. But I don't know. It's just probably a silly idea."

Cassidy said, "That would be cool, but I enjoy my current state. I wouldn't want to be a machine." She chuckled and said, "I wouldn't want to be a robot. I would look funny." She massaged his back and said, "I wouldn't be able to feel your warm touch. I think you're amazing, and I'm glad I'm with you. I believe that you'll make a positive difference in our world, but never forget me." Her beautiful blue eye stared into his, and she said, "I love you, Donovan. Always and forever."

Heat rushed to Donovan's heart, and he smiled. "I love you too with all my heart." He kissed her and wrapped his arms around her body.

It got dark, and Cassidy was asleep in her bed, but Donovan was not there. In the living room, he sat in the dark with his hands on his forehead and touched his chest as he thought, Why does it feel like there's a giant hole in my heart? Why won't it go away?

His brain pulsed and stung as tears streamed down. Something gripped his heart, and it stung his chest. He trembled and said to himself, "What have I done? Why am I such a fool? Why do I always try to take matters into my own hands?" He clenched his hands and said, "I can't do this anymore. I going to leave the Trioscepters before it's too late. I'm done with this."

Something fell in Donovan's work room, and he walked, tripping over a gray hoody, but Cassidy didn't wake up.

Donovan was inside his work room, but there was nothing unusual, and while he was there, he gazed at everything he worked on. He stepped forward, and a damaged drone was on the floor. Donovan put the damaged drone on a shelf but realized that the hidden door was left open and the light from the room shined on him. He thought, I don't remember opening this.

As he stood, he stared at his invention in awe and said, "You're my masterpiece, and no one will ever know what you are until I pass away. You will leave behind my legacy." He closed the door, and his invention went back into the dark.

### 7 NECROS

Darkness consumed the room, and the coolness of the air send a chill throughout the spy's body. He was chained to the wall by his wrist and his arms stretched from east to west. His hands dangled from his cuffs as he sat down with his head downward and dried up blood covered his clothes as sweat dripped from his face. The clothes on his back were torn up, and bruises and cuts covered his arms. His eyes drooped as a weight pulled, and then they shut.

The room went dim and punches swung into his torso. The spy gasped for air as the pain pulsed through his body, and a fist launched into his bruised eye. The spy swung his fist, but the chains pulled his arms. The cuffs cut his skin, and he yelled.

People in wooden happy and sad masks kicked him in the stomach.

He coughed and gasped for air, bleeding from his wounds onto his shirt and it dripped from his mouth.

The masked men stopped and stood as they wrote a message on a board. The board was turned for the spy to read the message and he frowned and yelled insults at the masked men as spit flew out of his mouth. The room went pitch black after the insults. Thirty minutes passed, and the masked men returned, beating him when the room went dim again.

It was five days of darkness, beatings, and no human contact. The spy's stomach growled, and he swallowed his spit inside his dry mouth. He licked his chapped lips and spoke gibberish in the darkness as his limbs tingled and shook.

Whispers echoed in his head, and he shook the chains hoping they would break. He jerked the chain, imagining the locks breaking, but they didn't break. He wept and said, "Please, Pleeease. Let me go!"

In the midst of the darkness, lights showed from a few candles, and white gloves carried them. The darkness hid everything else, and distorted noises echoed in the dark room.

The spy's muscles stiffened as he gripped the chains. A female child giggled, and his heart pounded. The candles moved closer to the spy, and the white masks on their faces were faint. The masks had the same sinister grin as the chrome masks he saw.

The faces disappeared and reappeared into the darkness. They randomly reappeared in different areas of the dark room, but only one remained fixed in its position, and it stepped closer to the spy.

The spy trembled and said, "Please! I beg of youuuu. Please stop." He cried and said, "What do you want from me? What do you want?" He started to laugh nervously and said, "This isn't real. It's just a dream. This isn't reality. I'm dreaming." He giggled and said, "It's just a dream. It's just a dream."

The person in the white masks stood and wrote on a white board with a black marker. The marker scratched against the board, and it turned the board for him to read the message.

He finished reading it, and something laughed in the darkness. His jaw dropped, and his whole body trembled. His hands shook and rattled the chains as the cuffs cut his wrist. His eyes broaden, and he saw flashes of light sparking on and off as saliva ran from his mouth.

He was unaware that he'd been knocked out for a couple of hours and the room was pitch dark again. He said, "Have mercy on me. I'll tell you anything you want to know. Just please, please set me free... Hello... Hello?"

It was silent and the chains laid on the floor. The spy moved his legs and arms, and nothing restrained him. He chuckled and leaped for joy, scratching his head and thinking, I never saw them set me free.

He searched for an escape in the darkness and his arms stretched with his hands in front of him. His skin crawled as he walked in the dark room, hoping nothing was there with him, and he touched the wall, walking around the perimeter. As he continued walking, he rubbed his hands on the surface, and his fingers brushed against deep scratches. He moved toward the cold door knob and twisted it, but it didn't open. The spy banged on the door, but no one answered, so he ran and tackled the door, but it didn't break open. The pain pulsed through his shoulders and he wondered again in hopes of another exit.

The spy touched the walls and moved throughout the perimeter for hours. He was joyful to find another door, but as he rubbed his hands against it, he felt the same deep scratches. He pulled his hair and yelled. He said, "Let me out. Please let me out." The spy beat against the door, but no one answered, and he fell on his knees, lying on the floor and rolling around the room as tears fell.

The door opened and shut and the spy stopped rolling. His mouth hung and said, "Who's there?" He stood and looked for the walls, bumping into the door and touching the knob. As he turned the knob, it twisted, and he laughed while he opened it, but someone on the other side slammed it shut. It clicked, and the spy twist, but it was locked again. He yelled from the top of his lungs and struck the door, kicking and throwing his body on it as he cried.

Something nudged his body like a shark in the ocean, and it bumped into him again. The spy shook and said, "Who's ... who's there? Who's there?" His body tingled, and his limbs trembled. "I'm not crazy. Nothing's here. It's just a bad dream."

Something pushed him to the cement floor, and the spy's body vibrated in fear. He yelled and said, "This isn't real. It must be a dream. I want to wake up. Please, Somebody, wake me up." Footsteps approached him, and he stood and ran with his hand in front of him, speaking words that made sense to him, but they were nothing but gibberish.

A cold blade struck the spy's back, and he fell on the floor twitching. Hands grabbed his feet and dragged him against the cement. A scream echoed throughout the room, and it sounded like a helpless animal being slaughter by an unmerciful predator. The spy never realized that three hours passed since his encounter with the white masked figure and was unaware he already gave all the information he knew, including the Trioscepter's secret.

### 8 THE TRIOSCEPTER'S BURDEN

A pen tapped against a desk and it smacked faster by the Trioscepter leader named Ron. He was a man with combed light brown hair and glasses, and he sat on his leather chair, looking at a portrait of his father in a tux that hung in his office. He thought, I didn't ask for this. I didn't want to be the one in charge. It's all my fault that everything is falling apart. It's my fault that my brother is no longer here.

Ron slammed his fist on the desk and stopped tapping the pen, launching it against the room and breaking it.

Aldrich stood by the door with a straight face and said, "Well, perhaps I stepped in at the wrong time. Maybe I'll return when you've cooled off."

Ron said, "Wait, you've come for a reason. I assume you've got some news for me."

Aldrich said, "Barry informed me of some information he discovered. It may bring you a bit of comfort, but it's a bit disturbing as well. It's about the news broadcasted the other day."

Ron said, "Yes, I'm well aware. However, I'm unconvinced though that the Scarlet are fighting among themselves. It's not like the past when Drake took over the organization."

Aldrich said, "Well, Barry was at the scene undercover, and he hacked into the system to get more information." Aldrich took out a flash drive from his coat and walked toward Ron's computer. The flash drive clicked into the computer, and he stood behind Ron. Aldrich said, "It's disturbing, but anyways I think you should watch it to get an understanding of the situation we might be in."

The video played without audio and it was dusk. A gate and tall fences were at Location Two's entrance, and tall light post lit up the factory area. Two Scarlet men stood in watchtowers, and two others guarded the gates.

Ron said, "I thought that factory was abandoned a long time ago."

Aldrich said, "It used to be abandon but not anymore."

The men guarding the fence talked with each other as two more men appeared from the factory with drinks in their hands. They moved their hands as they had a conversation with the guards at the fence and the men on the watch towers stretched their backs, looking into the distance.

Two shots fired and the bright path of the bullet slammed straight into the lights. It was dark, and all the guards appeared as silhouettes. The light of the bullets struck all the guards at the gate except one who escaped. Rapid fire flew into the watchtowers, and the men ducked as the bullets ricocheted.

From the brush, twelve silhouettes rushed toward the factory and leaped onto the fence, climbing quickly and then it went static, ending the video.

Ron looked over his shoulder where Aldrich stood and said, "Who are these people who went charging toward the fence? Those aren't our men."

Aldrich said, "We're not sure who or where these individuals came from. We don't even know how many there are." Aldrich grabbed a photo from his pocket and said, "Remember the spy that got away from our headquarters."

Ron slowly looked over his shoulders and frowned. "I hate being reminded about him getting away. This better be good news, Aldrich. Otherwise, I've failed to keep my promise to Donovan that he'd be safe. Ever since my father was assassinated, nothing's been going right until he came. I can't bare another failure."

Ron grabbed a glass from his desk and threw it toward the wall. Sweat dripped from his face, and he breathed in and out. He took his glasses off and laid them on his desk as he wiped his sweat. He said, "If the enemy knows him they'll want him and his technology. They've witnessed our power grow and will crave our superiority. However, let me hear what you've got to say"

Aldrich said, "Barry has recovered Donovan's document, and the spy is dead." He put the document and photos on the desk. On the picture, puncture wounds were on the spy's face and body. The spy was bruised, and blood covered his clothing and body. He laid in the grass barefoot.

Aldrich said, "The documents were found at a gas station, and Barry found the spy's body close by Location Two in a black bag, but we don't know who killed him."

Ron said, "So the Scarlet never got word of Donovan?"

Aldrich said, "No, they're distracted by the mysterious killings that occurred, and they believe the spy was killed with the rest."

Ron put his glasses on and said, "Bring Donovan to my office. I must have a word with him." Aldrich went and got him. Donovan arrived sluggishly and with bags under his eyes.

Ron said, "Well, Donovan, I can assure you that you'll have much rest after the news which was told to me. The spy is dead, and your documents are returned. You no longer have to worry about it."

His face was droopy as he grabbed his documents and said, "I feel awful that I am relieved of the death of a man. I'm happy and disgusted with myself. Since I lost my career, I have seen a side of myself that I never thought existed. All I want is for this nightmare to end."

Ron said, "Donovan, the nightmare has ended. You no longer have to worry about anybody telling your secret." He grabbed a thick amount of money from his drawer and laid it on his desk. "Donovan, here is your share. Your skills have strengthened our organization. You're truly a talented young man, and I do hope one day your dreams will come true. Hopefully, no one will ever find out about this dark time in your life."

Donovan looked at the money and stared at it for a while. He looked at Ron and said, "I'm honored for this gift, but I cannot accept it."

Ron said, "Why can't you take this?"

Donovan said, "I don't mean any disrespect to you. It's just that I cannot bear more weight on my shoulders. Many people died trying to obtain this money, and I cannot take any more of it."

Ron said, "I understand. I respect your decision. However, if you ever change your mind, you've got one week to retrieve it." Ron put his hands together and cleared his throat. He said, "Donovan, I almost failed to keep my promise to you, and I don't want this to happen again. I must ask you to leave. I hope you understand. But anyways I want to thank you for helping us in our difficult time. I hope you do succeed in following your dreams."

Donovan said, "Thank you. However, I believe someone else can change this world." Donovan looked at his wedding ring and said. "I realized what my whole world is." He walked toward the door.

Ron said, "Best regards, Donovan."

Donovan returned home with his head down. He entered, and his wife sat on the sofa facing the opposite direction from him, showing only her backside. Donovan shut the door and said, "Cassidy, I'm home." She didn't answer, and he said, "Cassidy?" He walked toward her, and her suitcase was next to her.

Cassidy grabbed a tissue from the end table but didn't turn. She blew her nose and said, "Where were you?"

Donovan gulped.

Cassidy yelled, "Donovan, answer me. Where were you?"

Donovan said, "I-I-I was working like I've always been."

Cassidy blew her nose and tried to hold in her tears. She reached for another tissue, but the box was empty. Cassidy grabbed the box and threw it against the wall. She stood up and looked at him. A tint of red was in her eyes and the light shined on the dry tear streaks. "I went to the place where you said you worked and they told me you never did work there. You or someone paid them to cover up your lies. Now, don't tell me another lie, Donovan. I want the truth from you now!"

Donovan was silent for a moment but said, "I've had enough of this, so I'll go right ahead and say it. I ... I created technology for ... for the Trioscepters."

Cassidy said, "What? Why would you do this to us?"

Donovan's eyes watered and said, "I did what I thought was right to do. I saw a poor father digging in a garbage trying to provide for his wife and child in the alley, and they were murdered the next day. I was afraid that this was our future and I wasn't going to let that happen to us. But now I see that I'm a fool, and you were right. I don't have any faith in what you believe in." He looked downward and said, "I'm a criminal, and I'm the one who should leave. Not you. I don't deserve someone like you." He turned and walked out the door.

Cassidy wiped her red nose as tears streamed. The door shut and she put her hand on her chest where her heart was located. It felt as if Cassidy had a hole in her heart. She felt empty and alone. The air was still in her house and the clock ticked. She knelt on her sofa and grabbed a pillow, covering it with tears as her hand laid on her heart.

### 9 DARK SECRETS

Three days later. Barry entered into one of the largest skyscrapers in Astronon and on the building, was the logo of a hawk. Classical painting was on the walls of the hallway, and tiny expensive sculptures sat on desks against the wall. Barry's hands grabbed the sculptures as if he were shopping and he placed them inside a bag he carried. Then he passed a painting of a woman with pink hair and green eyes and on the bottom right was a signature number two.

He entered an office near the top of the skyscraper and stepped on the sleek floor passing black leather furniture. Barry moved toward the desk where there was a picture of a blonde man in a suit. He grabbed chocolates wrapped in aluminum foil from a bowl and ate them as he looked through a desk in search of documents. Barry lifted his head and heard a conversation heading his way.

Barry placed a small device under the desk, and his elbow bumped the bowl of chocolates. Barry's eyes widen. His fingers rushed toward the chocolates, and he moved them toward the bowl, but some leaked through the cracks of his fingers and dropped on the gray carpet. The voices got louder, and he grabbed the chocolates and threw them into the bowl. Two male silhouettes grew larger on the door. He grabbed one chocolate and ran toward the closet, but the chocolate slipped from his fingers. He moved toward it, but the knob moved and the chocolate laid on the floor. His fist tightened, and he hid in a closet. He turned on his earpiece and left a crack in the closet door.

Two men stepped into the office. Damian, a black haired pale man, dressed in all black with a long-sleeved shirt, gazed around the room with his cold eyes. There were a few wrinkles on his forehead, and he didn't smile.

The other man was blonde and wore a nice suit with his hair combed. He walked with his head held high and pulled back his rolling chair from his desk. Both men sat.

Damian said, "You got a nice place here, Robert. I can see you redecorated the office."

Robert said, "I've settled on making this my place of glory. It's like my second home. If it weren't for you and your people, I wouldn't have gotten here."

Damian frowned and fixed his eyes on Robert.

Robert said, "So, um, what business would you like to discuss?"

Damian said, "The future of this company. We also seek more of your technology cause we've got a new problem we must solve."

Robert said, "What kind of problem?"

Damian said, "It's none of your concern. All you need to know is there's going to be some changes around here."

Robert scratched his head and said, "What do you mean changes? Can you clarify?"

Damian took a deep breath and said, "It's a shame you already got yourself settled here." He petted the hawk statue on the desks and said, "Have you notice that some of your friends haven't shown up to work lately?"

Robert frowned and said, "What are you getting at? Tell me why the hell are you here and stop wasting my time."

Damian dropped the statue on the floor and stood up, slamming his knife on Robert's sleek desk. He glared and said, "Watch yourself. You wouldn't want me to lose my temper." He yanked the knife out and said, "Robert, we've become very ambitious over the past couple of years but times have changed. We know you've sold technology to our enemies the Sodorians behind our back."

Robert pulled his shirt collar.

"The nation Sodorah now has some technology because you and the others wanted to get your wallets fatter. Your betrayal is great, and you disgust us. Our deals with you are over and were going to take control of this company. You'll be replaced, and it seems we should have made our deals with the other man you hated."

Robert said, "What do you mean your company? These are our positions. Please forgive us and we'll design custom technology for you all. We'll provide anything you wish."

Damian said, "No, you're not be trusted." He checked his watch. "Soon you'll understand the consequences of your actions as the others. I advise you to leave this place before the sunsets. You wouldn't want to be home or here at night."

Robert's eyes followed the knife's movements as he talked.

Damian said, "The boss always has all the fun. Hunting, the boss says." He chuckles as he looked at the bottom of the blade to the sharpest point. "It's truly a shame that I won't be joining in this little game of cat and mouse. Well, that's all I've got to say to you." He glared and said, "Run, run as far, far away as you can. You'll at least have some time to enjoy your last moments. Not that you deserve it." Damian turned and walked down the hall.

Robert yelled, "You all won't take this away from me. You hear me. I earned this!"

Damian continued to walk and didn't turn.

Sweat dropped from Robert's face and as his heart pounded. The door closed and Robert's hands trembled as he grabbed his phone. He said, "Hello, yes, I'm calling you because my private plane needs to be ready by today." He cleared his throat and swallowed. "No, don't argue with me something unexpected just happened. Yes, I know I had other things planned, but again something just turned up, ok. Yes, all right and one more thing. I need you to find me some bodyguards too. Look, I'll explain everything later but now is not the time. Ok, bye." He hung up the phone, and he looked at his watch as it ticked. He stood and walked to the window view of the city.

Barry made his escape from the office and went out the building, jumping onto his motorcycle and pursuing Damian who drove off in a black car.

Damian sat on the passenger seat looking at the side mirrors. "We've got some company." He squinted his eyes and said, "Well, what do you know. It's our old friend Barry." Damian and the others in the car put on skull ski masks. Everyone except the driver got their Uzi's and loaded their weapons. The windows lowered, and the Uzis fired.

Barry dodged and shot back at the car, but he missed.

The black car went through a fence, heading downward into a ditch. The people in the black car continued to fire bullets at Barry but were unable to hit him because of his maneuverability. Damian said, "Give me that weapon." It was an odd looking pistol with a large bulge at the end part of the barrel. He fired and a glowing circular sphere flew from it.

Barry drove over a ramp as the glowing sphere slammed into the ramp, exploding and leaving an inferno.

Damian slammed his fist and said, "Kill the assassin, now." The men in the backseat hung out the window and fired at Barry.

Barry drove out of the ditch into the elevated part. He drove at high speeds and the gadget on his wrist unwounded like a complex puzzle.

Damian loaded the odd-looking pistol and held his breath, aiming it at Barry. His finger slid and squeezed the trigger.

Barry aimed, and the gadget shot a small metallic bomb from his wrists.

Damian fired the pistol, and it flew toward Barry. The glowing sphere flew side by side with the small metallic bomb. The metallic bomb attracted the sphere toward it, and they exploded. The shockwave flipped the black car, and it laid with its tire facing upward.

Damian and two men crawled from beneath the car. Their mask, shirt, and pants were ripped, and blood flowed from the wounds of their body. They were all alive except the driver, and they grabbed their knives from their pockets, looking toward the fire where the bomb exploded. There pupil and iris moved around the white of their eyes in every direction, and they wiped the blood from their mouths as their other hands gripped the handles of their knives.

Barry leaped from the bridge as one of the men attempted to stab him. He grabbed his arm and sliced the man's throat.

Damian and the other man charged toward Barry and attacked him.

The man in front of him swung his knife at Barry, but he dodged.

Barry grabbed the back of his shirt and lifted the man. He slammed the man on the hard ground and jabbed his knife into his heart, leaving his knife inside him.

Barry turned, and Damian was the last man standing.

Their eyes met, and the leaves blew in between them. Damian put his knife in his pocket, and they got into fighting stances without blinking an eye. They took a deep breath and ran toward each other.

Damian lunged his foot toward Barry's neck, but Barry stopped the attack with both of his hands. He threw his fist at him, but Barry dodged by lowering his head. Damian punched again, but Barry caught his fist.

Barry lunged his elbow, but Damian pushed it away and threw multiple punches at Barry. Barry deflected every one of them and rushed his knee toward Damian's torso, hitting him three times. Barry's elbow slammed into Damian's head, and he threw him to the ground.

Damian got up and stumbled. Barry's fist came at Damian like bullets, and he fell to the ground.

Barry yanked his knife from the corpse and walked toward him.

Damian leaned against the incline of the ditch.

Barry said, "You and your men put up a tougher fight than the men I have faced here. It's funny you actually thought you could get away from me." He yanked the mask from Damian's face, and his eyes broaden. "You're ... you're one of the rebels from Velodise." He growled, grabbing him by the neck of his shirt. "Why are you Velojins here? Do all of you hold a grudge against me?"

Damian laughed as the blood on his teeth showed. "You're an arrogant fool. Do you honestly think we're here for you?"

Barry jabbed his sharp knife into Damian's leg. Barry said, "Tell me, why are you here? Tell me before I cut you up little by little."

Damian laughed and said, "You can't torture me, Barry. There's nothing you can do to inflict the level of physical and mental pain I went through." He giggled and said, "Remember the spy that got away from you all."

Barry frowned and said, "What about the spy?" Damian laughed hard and said, "We know the Trioscepter's little secret." He laughed out of control.

Sweat dripped from Barry's face, and he stepped back.

Something purred above, and Damian's chest vibrated from the noise, and he stopped laughing. He gasped as he looked at the sky. His heart sprinted, and he threw his hands in the air. "Please, no. Don't kill me." A bullet flew into the middle of his head.

Barry's mouth dropped, and a triangular drone hovered and purred in the sky, but it didn't belong to Donovan. It had four propellers and beneath it was a small cannon. The drone flew away, and Barry took out his phone and called Ron. "Hello, Ron, we've got a problem."

Ron said, "What do you mean we have a problem?"

A voice was heard in the background, and it said, "We're under attack!" The phone hit the floor.

Barry said, "Hello, Ron, what's going on?" Bullets fired as people yelled and screamed.

A voice in the background said, "They've shut down the power. The lights are off. Oh no! It can't ..." Bullets fired again, and a man begged for his life. He screamed, and the phone lost connection.

Barry's heart raced, and a beeping noise came from Damian's pocket. He searched the pockets, and it was his phone with a voicemail.

The recording played, and it said, "Be advised. They know him and we must act fast. They've found his weapon on the shore, the Plazroid."

### 10 FIRE REKINDLED

A door slammed, and Dakota jumped up. She was surrounded by concrete walls, and there was a wooden door with an opening that had bars. It was dark in the room, and there were no windows, and the light only shined from the door's opening window. She got up, but the chains connected to the wall tugged on a metal thing wrapped around her torso.

On the side of her, a woman sat with her head down on her knees. "Dakota, there's no escape. We're stuck here," said the brunette woman.

"No, we must escape. We can't live like this anymore. Don't give up hope."

"I've already given up. I've got nothing to lose anymore. Ever since he left, I've not been the same. I miss him."

Dakota pulled her chains and the screws loosened. "Don't talk like that. We'll get out of here together. We'll no longer be their puppets."

Her green eyes showed above her arms and tears dropped. "Dakota, please help me. I can't take any more of this."

The door flung open, and three men appeared. A man, wearing a black shirt said, "Which one did the doctor want for the experiment. The men beside him spoke in his ear. "All right get her." They walked toward the woman and grabbed her.

The woman said, "Dakota, don't let them take me. Please, don't let them."

Dakota yanked her chain as the burning intensified on her torso and her teeth pressed against each other with every pull. The man in the black shirt launched punches at Dakota, and she gasped for air.

The man said to the others, "Hurry up. We mustn't keep the doc waiting."

Dakota laid on the floor and held her stomach. Her vision blurred and the woman's scream echoed in her mind.

"Dakota, Dakota," said the woman.

They struggled to hold the woman out the door.

Dakota's legs shook as she stood up. She grabbed the chain and pulled as her veins showed. The metal pressed against her hands and her blood dripped on the floor. The metal plate fell from the wall, and she flew off, landing on her back. She limped out the door and held her stomach as the chains dangled from her back. At the end of the hallway, the three men struggled to hold the kicking and punching women. They took the woman into the room, and the door slammed shut.

Dakota's eyes opened, and she fell off the couch as she took deep breaths. It was 6 pm, and Cassidy was at her house in a blue dress with decorative patterns. Dakota said, "Why are you dressed?"

Cassidy said, "I thought I told you I was going to be performing at the Hope Center."

"In the condition you've been in. You've cleaned me out of tissues and won't eat. Sometimes I find you here in the middle of the night crying your eyes out. I don't think you should perform."

Cassidy said, "I must do something to keep my mind occupied. I won't let any problems get in the way of my life."

"I understand but why not do something else? You can always reschedule for another day."

"You're right I could always reschedule, but I don't want to. The money will be made for the children's hospital." She picked up a photo from Dakota's table, and it was a picture of Dakota with scars on her face in a hospital bed. In the photo, Dakota gave a thumbs up and beside her was Cassidy with balloons. "I've always believed our purpose is to help and love one another. Nobody can make it in this world by themselves. We need each other, so I'm going to do my part."

It was 7 pm at the Hope Center, and Dakota left the room where Cassidy prepared herself. Many people filled the auditorium, and Dakota said, "This is the largest crowd I've seen in any of her concerts." Cassidy's friends sat in the front row seat and greeted Dakota. The front seats were filled except for two empty seats, and she sat next to the empty seat.

It was 7:15 pm and the show was about to start. Cassidy checked herself in the mirror and opened the cabinet. She searched through the clutter, and a photo appeared. It was an image of her smiling with her arms wrapped around Donovan at a party. She covered her mouth, and her tears fell on the photo. A mysterious case was on the side of the wall, and she grabbed it. It was a blue violin, and it was finally fixed. Heat rushed to her chest and her heart beat. Her hand settled on her chest and she said, "I miss him."

It was 8:30 pm. Dakota and the crowd threw their hands up in the air to the sound of her music as Cassidy played the blue violin. Concert light shined, and they danced to the beat. Dakota then left to use the restroom. She came out, and two men talked, wearing hoodies with black gloves. A tall man picked up his phone, and he pointed his finger. His short partner ran in the direction pointed, and then the tall man headed in the opposite direction. Dakota became curious, and she followed the short man.

Dakota walked into the back room and hid behind some crates. Four men stood.

Rudy, a man with short hair and a beard, spoke on the phone next to the three men. "We're in position. We're only waiting for it to end which is shortly. We don't want to draw any attention."

Dakota leaned on the crate, and a small box from the top dropped. Someone grabbed Dakota from behind. She elbowed the man and launched her fist into his face, knocking him out.

Rudy said, "Go see who's behind there."

Dakota grabbed the man's knife and hid it in her jacket. Her adrenaline rushed through her body and sweat dripped from her face. A barcode on her wrist showed from her coat, and she said, "It's been a while since I've done this."

One of the men found her and said, "It's just a woman." He walked toward Dakota. "You shouldn't have come down here." The man arms reached toward her.

Dakota broke his arm and kicked him in the groin.

He kneeled and her fist thrust into the man's jaw.

The other two surrounded and rushed toward her.

Dakota jabbed her knife into one and dodged the other. She snatched his silencer from his waist and fired at the man's back.

Rudy's mouth hung, and he fumbled to grab his silencer, but a bullet flew through his hand, and his gun dropped to the floor. A fist banged into his face, and he fell on his back, holding his hand as blood leaked from the wound.

Dakota kicked his gun from him and pointed her gun at Rudy. "Tell me who you people are, or there's going to be a lot more of your blood on the floor."

Rudy said, "Why don't you go to hell." A bullet soared into his foot, and his mouth opened wide as a string of saliva detached from his teeth.

"This next one is going in between your eyes. I'm sure your life is more valuable to you than the information you hold."

He rolled on the floor as he held his foot with one hand, pressing his teeth together. The silencer rose, and it aimed at him. The finger slid against the trigger, and he said, "No, wait. Please have mercy. I'll tell you anything. Anything I promise. Just don't pull the trigger."

"Well, go on. I'm losing my patience."

Rudy said, "We've ... we've got a weapon called the Plazroid. We're after ..." A bullet flew straight through his head.

A bullet hit Dakota's arm, and she leaped behind the crates.

After Cassidy's performance, she headed back into her room. She asked one of her friends where Dakota had gone and they told her that she went to the restroom.

Dakota leaned against the crate and peeked through the cracks, but nothing was there. A wrapper cracked from the side, and a knife flew toward her. She grabbed the wrist of a man in a dark red leather jacket as the knife's point twinkled. She stomped on his foot and punched him.

The knife dropped from his hand, and he punched Dakota in the face. He pushed her, and her silencer slid across the floor. She landed on the crate, and the pain soared throughout her back.

The man grabbed her head and slammed her head against the crate. He threw her, and she crashed into the wall. She stood and stumbled. A fist flew into her face, and she fell on the floor. She leaned against the wall and blood dripped from her forehead as her wounded arm laid lifeless.

The man walked up toward her and said, "You can't save the girl." He grabbed a large piece of wood. "And you're going to die."

Dakota's vision blurred and her eyes drooped.

Cassidy sat at the hospital with her. Cassidy said, "My names Cassidy, by the way. Don't worry. I'll be here with you. I don't have a family either." Cassidy was on a curb beside her. "Why are you all by yourself, Dakota. Come on, I'll introduce you to my friends." Cassidy smiled, and her eyes sparkled. "We'll all have a great time." Cassidy was at the park on the bench with Dakota. "Not all people are bad, Dakota. There are good people in the world too."

It was dark, and the woman with green eyes appeared and stood. "Are you going to let them take her as they took me?"

Dakota's fist shook as a tear slid.

The woman said, "Pull yourself together, Dakota. Where's your pride and honor? You were trained to endure pain. This is nothing compared to what we and the others went through. Fight for your best friend or die like a weakling to this fool."

The large wood lifted up, and a surge of fury skyrocketed throughout Dakota's body. Her eyes enlarged, and she yelled with tears streaming from her face. She moved like lighting and pulled her knife out.

The wood came down toward Dakota, and something smacked on the concrete. It was the wood.

The knife jabbed deep into the man's heart, and the veins on Dakota forehead and wrist bulged. The man fell to the floor, and she breathed in and out, ripping the knife out of the man and limping as she held her bloody arm.

She stepped outside and tried to find a shortcut to Cassidy's room. A white van parked outside near her room and Paul opened the van doors as three men rushed into the van with Cassidy. Tape was across her mouth, and she was tied up. Dakota's heart stopped, and she limped as the pain pricked her flesh.

Paul frowned and pulled his gun, firing twice into Dakota's chest.

Cassidy's face turned red, and a stream of tears rushed from her face. Her star dropped from her necklace and into the asphalt.

The men brought Cassidy into the van as she kicked and punched.

Paul shut the doors, and the van rushed off.

Blood flowed from Dakota's body, and she crawled toward the star. Water poured from her eyes and a cold chill flooded her body. She was closer to the star, and her hand vibrated as her tear dropped on the ruby. Her hand landed on the star, and she closed her eyes as her heart stopped pumping. The ruby from the star glowed, and the outline of Dakota's body turned red, causing the scratches and wounds on her to disappear. She laid on the asphalt, and her hand gripped the star. Dakota opened her eyes and breathed again.

### 11 VANISHING LIGHT

Aldrich limped from the Trioscepter headquarters and held on to his arm. His clothes were shredded, and cuts were on his arms and legs. He stumbled over bodies and debris rolled in the wind. Piles of rubble laid and the embers burned.

A car came and parked at the Trioscepter headquarters. Donovan ran out of his vehicle and put Aldrich's arm over him. They walked toward his car, and Donovan said, "Where are the others?"

Aldrich wiped the blood and sweat from his face with a handkerchief. He said, "Look around. Do you see the fire, the shattered glass, and the bullet holes in the wall?" He squeezed the handkerchief, and his knuckles popped as they stretched the skin. "We couldn't stop them."

On the ground laid the Trioscepter symbol broken in pieces with corpses surrounding it. Donovan said, "Why did the Scarlets come here?"

Aldrich said, "They were not Scarlets. They don't have the strength to do this."

A survivor came to greet them, and Donovan stood toward the building. Shatter glass laid on the floor and bullet shell covered the ground. The survivor talked with Aldrich and Donovan opened his car door, entering it. He said to the survivor, "Take Aldrich, to the hospital now. I've got to go right away."

Aldrich said, "Where are you going?"

The engine rumbled, and Donovan said, "Home." The car dashed out, and his phone buzzed. It was Barry. "Hello."

"Donovan, listen to me carefully. Don't go to your home. They're waiting for you there," said Barry.

"What, what are you saying? No, this ... this can't be."

"Donovan, they're ..." The phone cut off.

"Barry?"

The phone buzzed again. The contact name was Cassidy, and he answered as a cold chill went up to his spine.

Paul said, "Hello."

Donovan said, "Who is this?"

"I'm the man you've plagued for the last six months. We now know who's been behind the Trioscepter's success. Didn't I tell you never to interfere with Scarlet affairs."

"You're the man from the alley."

"And you're one of Astronon's traitors. I remember you from the news in the past."

"Those were lies. I never did those things."

Paul laughed and said, "Sure they were."

"What do you want?"

"Don't be an idiot Donovan, you know what I want. Your technology is very impressive, and with your knowledge, Astronon will fall into our hands quickly. If it weren't for this, I would've killed her and you slowly."

Donovan received a picture. Wrapped duct tape covered Cassidy's mouth, and a rope tied her arms and legs. Donovan's fist tightened, and he said, "If you harm her, I'll hunt you down."

Paul laughed and said, "I doubt that, but I won't hurt her if you provide us with your technology. Now, I expect you to come in thirty minutes holding no weapons. If a gun is found, I'll kill her." Paul hanged up.

Donovan ground his teeth and tapped his fingers. He yelled inside of the car and punched his seat.

Donovan's car drove up to a building, and a couple of Scarlet men were outside. Two tall men with leather jackets and red shirts stood with their arms folded in front of the entrance. The car door opened and Donovan stepped out of the car.

"You there. Put your hands up in the air and face the other direction," said a guard. They grabbed him and pat his body down from top to bottom. A guard pulled out a mic and said, "He's clear, sir. Ok, we'll bring him inside." The guard pushed Donovan with his gun and said, "Move it."

The shrubs rustled and a branch fell from the trees. A stick cracked around the shrubs and guard put his hand on his chest. Blood leaked on his hands. The guards outside grabbed their guns and their heart beat accelerated.

The bullets flew out of the bushes, and it ripped the flesh of the Scarlet guards. Some dived and hid behind concrete cover. Pieces of concrete flew, and bullets clashed against metal as sparks flew from it. They were the rebel Velojins from Velodise, but the Scarlet called the mysterious people who attacked them the Necros.

Near the entrance, Donovan dived behind cover and grabbed a gun from a bloody hand.

The Scarlets fired from the windows of the building and the Scarlets outside shot too. A guard talked on his mic, "Paul, you mustn't come here. We're under attack. It's the Necros that attacked Location ..." Blood flowed from the middle of his forehead, and his mic dropped as he fell on his back.

Donovan rushed through the Scarlet entrance in the midst of the chaos. Scarlet men sneaked up and grabbed him as they held their weapons, dragging him by his arms. Donovan's gun fell to the floor, and they threw him into a room.

In the room, the windows shattered and men in black clothing dived inside. They punched and stabbed the Scarlet men, and they screamed as the knife punctured their bodies.

Donovan rushed from the room, and gunshots fired from inside the building. Scarlet men crawled on the floor, leaving a trail of blood and dead Necros in black ski masks laid on the floor with their eyes open.

Donovan ran through a hallway and opened doors as he passed.

A Scarlet grabbed Donovan's shoulder, but a Necro flew through the window, jabbing his knife into the Scarlet. The Necro walked toward Donovan but a gunshot fired at him. The Necro dropped to the floor, and a Scarlet held a gun at the doorway. The Scarlet turned and stopped a knife from hitting him. A Necro fought the Scarlet, and they moved to the left no longer visible from the doorway.

Donovan ran and broke through a door. In the room, there were no windows. Duct tape and rope laid on the floor and a Scarlet ran into the room, pushing him against the wall.

Four more Scarlets rushed in and shut the door. One backed up to the darkest part of the corner. Black gloves covered his mouth, and a blade went through his backside.

A Necro in a chrome masks rushed out and fired at three Scarlets. The last Scarlet tackled him, and they wrestled on the floor in front of the entrance.

The Necro took his knife out and pointed it in the direction of the Scarlet's chest.

The Scarlet held the Necro's wrist and pushed him to the side. They rolled, and the Scarlet snatched his knife. The Scarlet was on top of the Necro, pointing the blade close to his torso.

A gun was on the floor, and Donovan crawled toward it.

The Scarlet punctured the Necro's flesh, and a bullet fired into the head of the Scarlet. The blood splattered on the chrome masks.

Donovan's hand trembled as he held the gun.

The Necro leaned against the wall and blood flowed on the floor.

Donovan's hands shook as he pointed the gun at him.

The Necro coughed and his bloody hand laid on his wound. He leaned over and died.

Donovan's mouth hung as the gunfire continued outside. He ran into the hallway, and someone stood at the doorway. It was Cassidy.

They drowned out the violence outside, and their hearts raced. Heat rushed to their bodies, and their eyes sparkled.

"It's good to see you," said Cassidy.

Donovan swallowed, and his legs shook. He said, "I'm happy you're ok."

The door slammed, and a muscular man in a red leather jacket walked in the room, blocking the door and holding a gun. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "The two of you've brought trouble on us. I've got you both now, and I won't allow you to escape."

Donovan pulled out his gun, and it clicked.

The man frowned.

Donovan ground his teeth and ran toward the man. He punched the man multiple times, but the man was unaffected.

The man launched his heavy fist into Donovan's stomach.

Donovan gasped for air and knelt to the floor, holding his stomach. The man grabbed him by his collar and lifted him up with one arm.

Cassidy's eyes watered, and she said, "Please, no, don't hurt him." The man threw Donovan against the wall and Cassidy ran toward him.

Donovan stood and stumbled. He lunged forward toward the Scarlet, but Cassidy stopped him. "Please, don't. You're going to get yourself killed. My heart can't take anymore," said Cassidy.

The man's phone rang. He said, "Yes, I have them both with me. What? But Paul, I don't understand. Fine, I'll obey orders." He hung up and said to Donovan, "If we can't use you, then no one can. We won't let another organization like the Trioscepter have an advantage over us."

From another building, someone held a sniper rifle. Crosshairs aimed and the person breathed heavily. Through the window, Donovan stood beside Cassidy and in front of them was the Scarlet.

The man said, "Your ideas will go with you to the ground." He lifted his gun and pointed at Donovan. The bullet flew from the barrel and left behind a spark as it distorted the air around it. It echoed and soared toward Donovan as he shuts his eyes.

Cassidy pushed him to the floor.

Donovan's eyes widened and said, "Noooooooo!"

Cassidy held her stomach and laid on the floor.

The man laid on the floor with a gunshot in his head and glass from the window scattered across his body. Donovan ran to Cassidy and lifted her up. Tears rushed down his face as he held her in his arms.

Cassidy's eyes drooped, and her hands trembled. "I couldn't lose you."

"No, it wasn't meant for you. No, please, oh god, please. Stay with me. Don't leave me."

Cassidy caressed his hand and whispered, "I'll always be there. I love you, always and forever. Always and forever." Her eyes closed and the caressing stopped.

Donovan held Cassidy, and a gush of tears left his eyes. He took deep breaths, and a sharp pain struck his heart. He shut his eyes tight, and his hands balled up into a fist, cracking his knuckles.

Outside of the building, Scarlets shot back and covered the others as they dumped gasoline on the building.

A great cry echoed from the building and send shivers up the spines of everyone. A coolness spread throughout everyone's bodies, and their hearts raced for some strange reason.

The Scarlets lit the match and threw it. The building went ablaze and collapsed into a pile of rubble. Smoke and fire rose to the sky, and on the wall, a shadow held a body, running from the area.

### 12 LOCATION THREE

A car drove toward a fence guarded by Scarlets, and a guard walked toward the car with an assault rifle. The window lowered and inside the car was Paul. He said, "Will Drake be attending this meeting?"

A guard said "The boss won't be in and hasn't arrived in the city yet, but he's heard of your failures. He will come in a few days to talk with you, but there's a rumor that someone will take all that you possessed."

A vein bulged on Paul's head, and his hand balled up. He said, "Very well."

As Paul's car drove toward the mansion, something rustled in the bushes near the gate. One of the guards moved forward while the others got behind cover and aimed their weapons. He pointed his assault rifle as the bushes moved, sliding his finger near the trigger but a raccoon leaped out and scurried, taking off into the tall grass. The guard wiped the sweat from his face and walked back toward the gate.

Paul entered a room with a large desk, and people sat around it, and only one man named Joe wore a suit.

Joe said, "It's nice of you to finally join us. Now sit, Paul."

Paul sat and crossed his arms as Joe spoke.

Joe pressed a button that caused a screen from the ceiling to lower.

Paul turned to the window, and two white spots glowed. He shivered, remembering an injured Scarlet mentioning seeing two glowing white spots in the dark before an attack, but as Paul turned, they were two lights coming from a computer, reflecting on the window.

He exhaled and paid attention to the screen which was images of the Trioscepter headquarters. The building was full of bullet holes and broken concrete. Shattered windows appeared, and embers peaked through some of the rubble. The headquarters' symbol of three scepters laid on the floor and was cracked into pieces. Joe changed the screen and bodies laid on the floor near the woods, but as Joe spoke about the pictures, Paul's eyes widen. In the woods, two glowing white spots appeared side by side.

The group spoke about the Necros and how they should handle the threat. They also talked about the attacks at Location Two, other similar places, and the recent attack when they tried to capture Donovan.

The Scarlets slammed their fist and argued, but Paul remained silent as he stared at the two white spots in the woods.

Joe calmed everyone down and said, "We must deal with this threat before we end up like the Trioscepters, but we must find out who they are."

Then two Scarlet men came in, telling everyone that they came from Donovan's home before the cops arrived. They said the house was as it was before Cassidy and Donovan left, but one room was completely empty. There were no documents of technology designs but a few tools that laid on the tables. The bookshelves still had all their books but were left open, revealing a hidden door. They said when they opened the secret door, they hoped of finding technology designs, but it was completely empty.

Outside the mansion, guards hung around the areas, stretching and checking their weapons. Security cameras were all over the place watching the entire area.

Scarlets sat in a security room and spoke to each other, but the computer screen glitched and grabbed their attention. It remained like this for a couple of minutes but returned back to normal. They continued talking, but again their attention was diverted to the screen. At the gate, the two guards were not at their post, and they turned on their earpieces trying to speak to the guards, but they didn't answer. Something cracked, and a static noise sounded in their earpieces. They pressed a button, sending for other guards to search the area near the gate.

At the gate, the guards searched the area with their assault rifles. Something buzzed, and they turned their heads in different directions but it stopped, and it was calm. They scratched their heads and searched, but they didn't find the other guards. They called back to the men in the security room, but no one answered. They tried several times, but there was no response.

They were frustrated and worried, causing them to call other guards around the mansion. Static interfered, and they took off their earpieces. The words on the earpiece devices read: No signal.

A guard grabbed his phone and dialed Paul's number, but something happened to the phone's screen. The screen rippled and distorted, and their hearts pounded against their chest as the buzzing returned, getting louder.

In the room with the big desk, Joe continued discussing plans of how to deal with the Necros, but Paul was still quiet. The screen turned off, and the lights flickered in the room. The lights stopped flickering, and Joe pressed the buttons on his remote, but it remained off.

A cold chill rose on Paul's back, and he put his hand close to his gun underneath the table.

The men in the room said, "Joe, what's going on?"

The security cameras in the room spun, stopped, and pointed toward the men at the desk. The screen turned on, but it was blue. It distorted, and the security room appeared on the screen. The guards were not there, and the screen moved in the room from left to right three times.

It returned to the middle, and a figure stood. It was dark and not much light made the figure visible. It looked like a sleek, black robot and on its chest, was a small black coin with a red light glowing in the middle. It spoke in a deep voice and said, "Hello, I've come to collect. Tonight, you'll sleep in the puddle of your own blood."

Paul took his gun and shot at the screen. "That's their leader. Kill him or destruction will fall on us." They all grabbed their weapons as terror gripped their hearts.

The screen shut off and something appeared in the hallway. It was a person standing in the middle, and they fired until the person fell to the ground. Four Scarlets stepped in the hallway with their fingers near the trigger, coming closer to the body as their hearts raced. Their black shoes stepped next to it, and it was a dummy robot dressed in clothing. They looked to one another trembling, and their attention turned to the wall. Metal cylinders stuck to the wall and a red light shined from it. Laser sliced through them and they dropped with burn wounds.

Not too far away, gunshots fired and men yelled as loud buzzing noises echoed down the hallway. A deep voice spoke through the intercoms and said, "Wherever you try to hide, it does not matter to me. You're only choosing your grave spot."

Paul and the others hands trembled as they held their weapons. Large black spherical drones with red lights rushed straight into the hallway, and they were called the predator drones.

Paul said, "Impossible. It's him. But how?"

These drones were the size of a large grapefruit, and the Scarlet fired as the drones flew. The drones then shot loads of bullets at the Scarlets.

Paul ground his teeth and fired at the drones, missing every shot.

The drones fired and the Scarlets dropped like flies. Guards showed up and joined the battle, but died before they could shoot their guns.

Fear consumed Paul as the drones shred the flesh of the Scarlets and even Joe. The windows shattered and more drones entered the room. Bullets flew everywhere, and blood flowed on the floor. Paul and some survivors ran out the room toward the garage, entering cars.

The robot said, "You won't escape. I'll hunt you down." Its metal hand touched a button and all the mansion's doors shut and locked. Inside the mansion, the predator drones blinked red and were getting ready to explode.

In the cars, Paul and the others sped, but the garage doors began to lower. They stepped on the pedal as the garage doors moved closer, dashing and rushing from it. Three cars made it out, but the other slammed against the metal and were trapped.

The engines roared as the cars sped away together, but something flew from the roof of the building. It was the black robot, and it was in the dark sky, flying toward the cars with a few drones beside it. Rain fell from the sky, and the storm's water hid the robot and drones. An enormous explosion destroyed Location Three, and it glowed. Paul and the others grabbed their machine guns and loaded it. Lightning flashed in the sky, and the silhouette of the figure appeared.

The lightning flashed again, and the three drones appeared on the side of the only car that was not bullet proof. The drones fired, and the bullets tore through doors as glass shattered and blood splattered. The car burst into flames, and it exploded, taking two drones with it and leaving the last one badly damaged.

Paul and the others lowered their windows, sticking their machine guns out as their fingers held the trigger. The bullets rebounded against the robot, scratching the metal of the robotic suit. Sparks flew from it, and it tried to dodge the bullets, but it couldn't get away. It flew upwards and pointed its hand at the first car ahead. A small missile popped under its wrist and soared into the first car.

The car burst into flames and shrapnel hit Paul's car. The shockwave flipped it, rolling it over several times until its tires faced the sky. At the same time, lightning struck the robot, and the suit malfunctioned. The robot dropped from the sky, fumbling to press a button on its chest. As he finally pressed the button, a small jet pack deployed and the robot nearly crashed into the ground. However, the jetpack malfunctioned, and the robot hit the ground as mud covered the scratched suit.

Paul crawled onto the muddy ground from the car and blood dripped from his face with cuts covering his arms. His clothing ripped, and he stood with his machine gun. All the Scarlets were dead in the car.

The robot squeaked as it rose and wires stuck from the body.

Paul pointed his machine gun, and the light of the lightning reflected off the damaged machine. He pressed the trigger, but it clicked.

The robot turned and charged at the Paul, tackling him to the ground. It punched Paul, but he kicked the robot. The robot rolled in the mud as the rain fell.

Paul grabbed a metal piece of the car and swung it at the robot, lunging the metal into the torso. The robot dropped to its knees, and Paul slammed the metal on its back multiple times. The robot laid on its stomach and Paul said, "What's wrong? I thought you were going to kill me." He slammed the metal into its back. "Stay in the mud and take the beating you deserve." The veins on Paul's arms bulged as the metal slammed into its back again.

The robot dropped to the floor, and the mud splattered. The mask of the robot flew off.

Paul stepped toward the robot, rolling him over with his boot and the lightning flashed its light on Donovan's face. Paul laughed for a moment but realized that he took many lives of the Scarlets. He frowned and beat Donovan with the metal. Pieces of the suit cracked and the edge of the metal pierced through the armor, scratching the surface of Donovan's flesh.

Donovan threw a punch, but Paul slammed the metal on his armored arm. The metal cut through the armor and stabbed his flesh. The metal swung into Donovan's torso, and he flew back, slamming into a tree and sitting against it. Dents covered his suit as blood leaked through the cracks.

Paul threw the metal on the floor and searched through the corpses for a gun. He said, "You know, Donovan. I didn't want to believe it, but I knew it was you all along. I'm going to leave you for the vultures in the sky."

As Paul searched, Donovan kept pressing a button on his wrist but sparks shot out and wires slung from it. The button didn't work.

Paul grabbed a machine gun from a dead body and walked toward him. He squatted in front of Donovan who was laying against the tree and said, "What happen killer robot? Have you lost your touch in genocide?" He slapped Donovan with the machine gun and pressed the barrel against his chin. Paul said, "I don't care anymore about your inventions. Ever since you interfered, everything that I worked for burned to the ground because of you!" He slapped him with the machine gun again and stood up as the rain fell. "It's all your fault, Donovan. I'm surprised though. You've killed more in six months than I've had in my life. You're the reason why many people died." He laughed at Donovan and said, "Oh, let's not forget the other one. You killed your wife."

Donovan yelled, and the black coin with the red light on his chest flickered. A distorted buzz echoed, and the sound vibrated against their bodies.

Paul scratched his head and could not understand why his hands and legs were trembling. His heart raced, and a cold chill rose for some strange reason.

As confusion fell on Paul, Donovan rushed and tackled him. The machine gun fired, but it shot in the air. Donovan held Paul's arm as he struggled to aim the gun at Donovan.

The distorted buzz got louder, and Paul kicked Donovan.

Donovan rolled over and growled.

Paul aimed his machine gun and said, "Die you fool!"

Donovan said, "No, you die!" He pressed his wrist button.

Donovan's badly damaged drone slammed its blade right into the back of Paul. His eyes enlarged as he squeezed the trigger, but the bullets missed Donovan. His gun dropped, and the drone fell, yanking its blade from his back. It was drizzling, and the drone fell into the mud as its light blinked red.

Donovan walked as Paul laughed and blood dripped from Paul's mouth.

Donovan punched him, and he dropped to the ground.

Paul sat up and stared into Donovan's eyes. He laughed and said, "Was the genocide supposed to make her magically appear into your arms again." He wiped the blood from his mouth, and his hand shook. "I'm going to die, but at least I won't rot alive." He laughed and fell into the mud. His hands stopped shaking, and his body got cold.

Tears streamed from Donovan's face as his hands clenched. The rain stopped, and puddles filled the area. He stood, leaning over a puddle and it was the reflection of his scratched robotic suit. As he put his hand over the coin shape device, a drop of water fell and disturbed the puddle, causing it to change into a different image. A gray jacket was on his body, and a hood was above his head.

### 13 SUPERIORITY II TEASER

It was night, and the woods surrounded Roberts large cabin. A bloody hand laid on the sofa near a remote and pieces of glass laid on the floor next to bodyguards covered in blood. It stuck to the flesh and bullet shell laid on the floor. Another bodyguard hung from a rope with his eyes open and with his stiff, cold hands dangling.

The television light flashed on the bloody hand on the sofa. On the news, a reporter talked on a street and behind him was a forest. The reporter Ivan said, "Residents have stated that they've seen chrome masked people popping up around in this forest. Many worry as to why they're showing up but nobody really knows what they're doing. Mike, back to you."

Mike adjusted his tie and said, "Thank you, Ivan. Now, to other news about the death of Cassidy and Donovan. Police have been searching for information on how the couple got into the mix of a criminal feud. Many are mourning the death of the couple and especially one of Cassidy best friend, Dakota." Dakota appeared with a necklace around her neck, and the seven-pointed star with the ruby hung from it. She wiped her tears with a tissue and talked about Donovan and Cassidy.

In the cabin, footsteps got louder and black boots walked on the wooden floor toward the television.

Robert hid in his desk biting his nail. The lights in the cabin flickered, and the power shut off. A breeze flowed from a broken window, and his hands trembled as he held his gun. In another room, someone was begging for mercy, and Robert's heart raced. The man pleaded and screamed as a window shattered.

Robert stood with his gun as his legs shook and he went to the door, holding his gun tight. He peeked through the door crack, and the hallway was dark. Near him was another dead bodyguard on his stomach. He opened the door and aimed in the dark hallway, breathing fast, and a cold chill crept up his back.

At the window curtains behind him, a black figure snuck toward Robert.

The hairs on Robert's neck stood, and he froze as he stared into the dark hallway. The figure stood behind Robert, and two glowing white eyes appeared.

### About the Author

Pako Valor is an artist and novelist, graduate of San Antonio College with an Associate of Fine Art degree in Arts and is currently earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Creating Writing from Full Sail University. As a storyteller, he writes about crime, war, or sci-fi. Pako published his first crime novel _Superiority_ , and is including paintings of the characters from his stories. In his spare time, he's either walking his dog, Nacho, or eating tacos at a restaurant. You can visit him at: <https://www.facebook.com/artistpako>

