EVOLVE 12 Chapter 12: A Moment Or Two, That's What It Takes....

Anyway down below is a series of streets in a little town in the middle of nowhere, to be honest with you I don't know it's name.

Myself, Nicole and Marc (who immediately dismounts off Nicole's back) land.

It's quiet, eerily quiet. Like everyone's already dead kind of quiet.

"He said you'd show up!" Came a voice echoing from somewhere.

"Over here."

And so I turn, along with Marc and Nicole. Standing behind us is two people of varying size difference. One a woman of small stature, it's fair to point out she has a ma.s.sive jet black afro which looks so good. She's dressed in dark blue compact looking clothing. Next to her is a taller woman dressed in an all white pants suit, she too has an afro but hers is a little shorter. In their hands their holding the metal boxes with the Black Forms in them.

"Who are you?" Asks Marc

"Demonstrators." Replies the shorter of the women.

They drop the boxes and Instinctively I nervously take a pose of sorts, I don't need to look next to me to know that the others have also taken poses of their own.

"No need to worry about them as yet. We will be your opponents. I am Willow and this is my sister Whisper, collectively we are the Shudder sisters." Says Willow, the shorter sister.

Whisper removes what look like two injections from her pocket, she hands one to Willow and they simultaneously inject themselves in the neck.

"How'd you know we would be here?" I ask

"You may be sleek with WECA systems, but you aren't that sleek." Says Whisper. In that instance her entire body almost seems to vibrate and then disappears.

And she reappears right in front of Marc planting a firm boot on his chest and sending flying backwards, Nicole is the first to retaliate breathing fire at Whisper who once against vibrates and disappears, or rather shudders before disappearing.

Shudder sisters, now I get it.

Whisper appears beside her sister with a curious smile on her face. Willow's turn to shudder. But I'm tired of always being taken by surprise, that was supposed to be our turn today.

I stomp my foot sending a shudder of energy projection to explode beneath their feet, somewhat of a signature move that is now I think, the Shudders are nimble though. They move quickly in a combination of flips and a dash as the ground explodes beneath them.

They both rest in a crouch position for a second before shuddering and disappearing.

"Stick to the plan! Different opponents so adjust accordingly!" I shout.

And as we had planned early Nicole lifts up high into the air to rain down the fire at opportune moments.

Willow appears next to me in a flash of daggers and furious quickness. I dodge the first jab which was meant for my gut.

Up close her hair smells like peaches. Random thought but hey.

I dodge the next two swipes barely because one just tears through my clothing and slightly sc.r.a.pes against my arm. Then I get the weirdest feeling like something moving straight through me, I look down to see a pair of hands making their way straight through me followed by half a body, Marc's body. I watch through his transparent self as he takes over from where I left off and being more agile he's more of a match. Although he isn't really bothering to dodge. More taunting her because he's intangible.

From above me I hear a pained roar, I look up just as Nicole is sent careening out of the sky and through the wall of a building by a Black Form. I'm immediately running to her aid.

But where's Whisper? And when did one of those boxes open.

Mid run I look behind me and none of the boxes have opened, also a Black Form just got a hold of Marc and flings him aside, he hits the ground and rolls turning off his intangibility. Looking at the Black Form's small stature I come to a halt.

Now I know why the boxes haven't opened, there really aren't any black forms. What I'm looking is whisper but she's different.

It's almost as though the make up of the Black Form is bleeding through her pores turning her skin black. At first glance one would think she were one but looking closer it's a union of person and Black Form, her ma.s.sive afro now seems bigger.

I watch as she observes her hands marvelling and feeling her new state. This is a venom possession kind of thing almost.

"Watch yourself," comes a whisper from behind me by Whisper.

On instinct i thrust out my hands and send a strong shockwave of projected energy that shatters windows around me and sinks the ground below me slightly.

Behind me standing with her arms crossed in defence having slid back a lot of paces is Whisper Black Form edition. She's a bit different through. Her Black Form power up is manifested as a ninja style balaclava that looks like a second skin, a whispy dark cloak reminiscent of a set of bat wings, her arms are black and talloned.

She moves fast and shudders midway to attacking me, I jump up switching to flight hoping to throw her off but I'm wrong. She shudders into existence above me.

Switching to energy projection I make a pistol with my fingers and fire a couple of condensed energy shots at her which she dodges by flapping her bat cloak and ascending.

I switch to augmentation, making my body stronger to take the impact of hitting the ground because I hadn't flown up very high and had been falling. Even after bracing myself it still hurts, I roll to a stop and stand have just as Whisper is shooting down toward me, her bat cloak a flurry behind her.

I brace myself staying with augmented strength, maybe I can catch her or something then hopef------

Well this is unexpected, Marc shudders to existence a very very short distance from me half thrown in front of me, I try to move but its too late. He crashes into me but fortunately I still have my augmentation on so I catch him.

He's a little banged up but okay he gives a quick word of thanks. Once on his feet his whole body begins buzzing with electricity. The sister's are approaching slowly, although Willow is slightly behind Whisper.

I really wish I'd been paying attention to Marc and Willow's fight somehow because black coloured fire is dancing ever so slightly on her shoulders and arms. I look at Marc and realise that his clothes are slightly singed.

"You still think we can hurt WECA?" He asks not taking his eyes off the sisters.

"Is that black fire?" I ask in turn.

"Yeah mine's got new abilities. How about yours?"

"Bat wings cloak thing, maybe something else but nothing for now." I say

"Where Nicky?"

On que the question answers itself as an angry dragon Nicole bursts out of the debris and blasts Willow with a fireball sending her flying. She switches out of dragon mode faster than I've ever seen her, she grabs Whisper by her bat cloak and rag dolls into the ground twice before throwing her through a shop window, going dragon mode again, spitting a fire ball and making the shop explode.

Nicole looks up into the sky and roars.

"To answer your first question I think yes we can still hurt them." I say, I gesture to Marc and we jog over to Nicole

"What was that? The thing you did after switching off your dragon thing." I ask

"It was that invulnerability thing, comes with a bit of strength." She says.

"That's pretty cool, we might not be done." I say

Out of the corner of my eye I catch a glimpse of Willow shudder behind Marc. She's shuddered away by the time I turn and Marc crumples to the ground.

Nicole spits fire at the Shudder sisters, who stand in front of the burning shop. Willow is holding her sister up as they Shudder but don't reappear.

I'm scared because there's blood seeping and pouring out of Marc's gut and he's breathing irregularly. And I don't know what to do, his eyes are wide open in shocked pain. I put his head on my lap and he stares up at me trying to understand what just happened.

That's what people do right put someone's head on their lap? That helps right?

I can almost barely hear Nicole speaking.

"Okay..... Help..... Out.... Here.... " Is all I hear from her. Marc's eyes are glazing over I don't think he should be allowed to pa.s.s out.

Nicole slaps me back to lucidity. I look over at her, she's back normal and tears stream down her face. What am I doing? I'm supposed to lead aren't I? Then why can't I say anything.

"They're coming Terry, you need to get Marc out of here." She says

Who's coming?

I look over her shoulder and see what the she means, the boxes have opened and the Black Forms are crawling out of them.

"I..... You go. I'll stay here, hold them off, let you escape." I say.

"Go. We both know I'm the big gun.. I'll hold them off. He'll die if you don't get there as fast as you can."

I take off my jacket and place it against Marc's bleeding gut. His lips are starting to discolour. She's right. I pick up Marc with augmented strength and lock eyes with Nicole.

"Stay alive, okay? I'll come back with the others. Don't die." I say. She nods.

I lift into the air, surprising my augmented strength stays on. Cla.s.sic crisis style ability activation. I shoot across the sky without looking back, the last thing I hear is a defiant dragon roar from Nicole.

"Don't die on me man," I whisper, "Nicole wouldn't forgive you and I wouldn't know what to do with that, I hadn't factored death into the plan. You hear me?" I say shaking Marc slightly.

He doesn't respond.

"Marc!" I say shaking Marc and pushing myself faster through the sky.

I concentrate to try and hear his breathing, for a moment I feel my soul freeze in fear then I hear it. Slow, shallow and spa.r.s.ed.

"Just like that, as long your heart's still beating."

I land on the lawn breaking into a run, reaching the door I kick it in and it falls, I step over it running through the kitchen then straight to the living and lay Marc on the Carpet. In front of a baffled Janice and Carla.

"TONI!!!!!" I yell

Toni comes rushing down the stairs and drops to his knees beside Marc, laying healing hands on his forehead. Not a word has been said as yet, everyone just hangs there in silent shock, waiting and fear.

After about a minute Toni looks up at me, concerned and now extremely pale. Come to think of it Toni is taller than he was when I first met him. Like he's been growing unnaturally.

"He's not dead," he says, "But I've done what I can for now but I can't push myself further than this today, I don't feel fine. Get him to his room, let him rest." He finishes.

"Please take him Toni. Carla we need to go, Nicole's in trouble. No time to explain." I say, "Toni we need to talk when I get back, about your..... Changes."

"Finally noticed, huh." He says as he telekinetically carries Marc away.

I grab Carla and lift her up running out of the house and shooting into the sky, headed back to where we were.

"What happened, Terry?" Asks Carla. As we shoot across the sky

"I'll explain later, with the others." I say

It doesn't take as long as I thought to get back to that small town. Parts of it are on fire and its mostly destroyed. I land and put Carla down, she zips away beginning to search for Nicole before I tell her to.

At my feet is a body. A Black Form body, it's got an arm missing and three holes in it's body. I walk around for a bit and run into another black form body inside a burning apartment lobby next to some fallen debris, it too has three holes in it's body in the same place as the others

Is this how they die? I guess I shouldn't be too surprised, Nicole is a dragon and she does have invulnerability in her back pocket too.

"TERRY!" Comes Carla's voice.

I run out of the place and head to where Carla's voice came, half expecting to find her knelt to a body.

I turn the corner into an alleyway, there is a body but thankfully it isn't Nicole. Its the third black form, missing a leg and with three holes on the same part of the body. Carla is knelt next to Nicole who's leaning against a wall, nursing what looks like a broken arm in maybe a couple of places. She's a b.l.o.o.d.y messy but she's alive.

"Are you okay?" I ask kneeling next to Carla.

"You kiddin me... You should see the other guys." She says jokingly.

"Yeah I'm okay, maybe I've got a concussion, other than that I got a few cuts, my body hurts like h.e.l.l, my wrist is snapped in a couple places I think and I'm bleeding from the head.... How's Marc?" She asks.

"He's alive... Sorry we took so long." Says Carla.

"And I thought you were the fast one." Replies Nicole. The two of them chuckle for a bit.

"Here." She says reaching down and handing me the camcorder. "We got everything we need." She finishes with a smile.

"Thanks to you." I say taking the camcorder.

Carla and I help Nicole up and walk with her.

"How'd you do it?" I ask

"I figured it out with the first one it was accidental really, they have three hearts and I accidentally took two out then it was a matter of figuring where the third was and repeating the process. They were tough, I mean they made me bleed and broke my bones." She says.

"Carla you run her home, see if Toni can do something about her. I'll be right behind you." I say.

"Okay." Says Carla hefting Nicole and zipping away at her super speed.

I look for a bit of clear wall and drag the black form bodies to it dumping them there. And leave a message written with the Black Form's blood before headed home:

'Told You We Weren't Going Back'

Upon arriving back home I call a meeting. The first agenda being Toni because I'm a little concerned at the aging thing I've noticed him going through.

Marc is awake, although he is laying down still not fully healed. Nicole is also still covered in cuts and her arm is tentatively wrapped.

"Toni, how old are you?" I ask

"I'm ten."

"What's going on with your body man, you look like a fourteen year old now in the s.p.a.ce of a few days?" I ask

"It happened a couple days ago, it wasn't as extensive, I think the more I use healing hands the older I get in some ways. I think it depends on how serious something is. Bringing Marc back from the brink is what's got me the way I am now like you said a ten year old in a fourteen year old's body." He says

"I thought we supposed to be immune to ramifications from using powers." I say to Janice

"That's what I know too." She replies

"That's what we were told at WECA." Says Carla

"Maybe it's over use, I mean we have been asking a lot of Toni. And maybe been a little careless in fights because we've got him." Says Marc

"Maybe but that still doesn't explain it." I say.

"Perhaps I can be of a.s.sistance." Comes a voice from the entrance of the living room. I know that voice it's Marlea. But everyone else can see her this time because everyone's gaze has shifted to her.

She's dressed in a grey pants suit and her hair is tied nearly behind her. And as always her strobe light eyes are shinning bright.

"That's gotta be her right?" Asks Nicole. Yeah they can definitely see her.

"It is true that you have no, ramifications, as you put it." She says, stepping into the room. "However your reliance on young Toni Lewandowski's healing makes you all complacent, so I added a change to his genes where his healing will age him. That being said I had not antic.i.p.ating a near death situation..... Well not quite this soon at least."

"Why?" Asks Toni

"Because young Toni Lewandowski, what is the point of a game if it all too easy. Ask Terry Barnes about this, he knows how I love a good spanner in the works, and who knows who might be next." She says, smiling and looking at everyone in the room.

"You're playing G.o.d with us." Says Carla.

None of us has moved or rather we can't move literally, because I can't.

"Ms Carla Cole, yes I am and I'm enjoying it." She says as a portal opens next to her. "Ah I almost forgot congratulations Terry Barnes on cracking the code and gaining the ability to use more than one ability at the same time."

"I don't know how but we're gonna come for you eventually, Marlea." I say

"I look forward to it." She says smiling and disappearing through her portal.

"She p.i.s.ses me off, I wanted so badly to punch her." Says Marc

Yeah me too and maybe we'll get the opportunity to. For now we've got a rebellion to run.