Black Equation - The Gifted Ones

Number Twenty-Nine

“The best way to escape your problem is to solve it.” – John Gemperle

 

Number Twenty-Nine

 

The darkness around her did not simply fade like in the movies. Reality was harsher. Brutal. She walked for what seemed like eternity, before she gradually grew so weak she had no choice but to collapse on the solid ground. Thirst and fatigue made her head pound in the nastiest ways. Her shoulder wound throbbed in pain. She was losing blood. Lots of blood.

She was done for. She was so sure that she was at her limits when the unexpected happened. Maybe it was Fate. Maybe it was Cecilia’s guiding hand.

The ground above her cracked and caved in, the fissure allowing streams of light to reach her. Tiny particles of dust floated in the air.

She could hear shouts and explosions from above. The tunnel shook as more explosions occurred. The opening grew and grew, until one adult body could fit in.

A way out.

But she had no strength left.

No strength left.

Kill him.

Kill him!

KILL HIM!

The thoughts were loud, angry. . . and downright scared.  

Atom woke up with a start, drenched in his own sweat, his odd amber eyes blankly staring ahead of him. The thoughts came from the other room, from seventeen furiously working minds, all thrown together in a heated argument, a battle of wills and opinions and self-interests, an obvious lack of unity between the top ranks of Creed. They were falling apart at the seams, driven to desperation by the Lights’ tactics, distrustful of one another, each one wanting to dominate their strategic meeting in order to prove who’s stronger, who’s smarter, and who’s better than the rest. They were just bickering. Foolishly making more conflicts that seeking answers.

Not even the current Master could handle them to make a unanimous decision.

But they had made a decision, every single one of them. It’s just that not one of the current Equations was voicing it out of fear from the more powerful Gifted amidst them. Deep inside though, Arashi and Ivan and Kreuz had reached the same conclusion. They just didn’t want to acknowledge it.

They would soon, once they knew how dire the situation was.

Kill Krad, and we kill Falcon.

Remove the head and the Light will not advance.

A little sacrifice for the common good of our kind.

Atom clenched his jaw and covered his ears with his bandaged hands. He screamed. And screamed and screamed and screamed, but he couldn’t drown out their filthy thoughts. He wanted to tell them to shut up. He wanted them to shut up!

They could not kill his brother.

As long as he was breathing, as long as he’s alive, he would never abandon Krad. His father might have turned against him. Even his own Master now plotted to eliminate him alongside his minions. Krad had no one else on his side but him.

He promised to be by his side forever. Them against the world. Them against these supernatural monsters.

But he was just a kid. One kid. How could he save him from an army of Gifted soldiers? How could he save him from Falcon’s clutches?