MYCENIA SLEPT THROUGH the whole ride. Her head rested on Vinceo’s shoulder. He woke her up when the car finally stopped. She looked around and found out they parked on the side of a small restaurant. She doesn’t know what time is it but the sky was still dark. On the contrary, the streets and the restaurants were filled with busy people. The city was more alive at night, she thought.
“Come on.”
Arlette, the driver, unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out of the vehicle. She and Vinceo followed. As she stood, she saw Valtor, Renie, and Cyan hopped out of their black car. Arlette led them inside the restaurant. Mycenia was welcomed by the smell of various hot foods enjoyed by the customers. Her mouth began watering as her stomach also growled. She badly wants to taste their noodles.
They all occupied the seats at the round table next to the glass wall that frames the light traffic on the street. Arlette called the nearby waiter. The man in a black uniform approached her. She grabbed his hand and stared at his eyes. She mumbled words the others couldn’t hear. Mycenia watched carefully as she thought of what Arlette was capable of. When she let go of his hand, the waiter nodded and headed to the kitchen without looking back.
“What did you tell him?” Valtor asked.
“I asked for coffee and the things you wanted.”
“Wait...what?”
“I heard your loud thoughts the moment we went inside.”
“Why are we really here, Arlette? We’re supposed to be in hiding.” Mycenia sounded worried and anxious. She kept looking around, trying to spot any threats.
“We’re safer in public. Herozoan will not attack us here. They wouldn’t risk getting that kind of attention,” she explained and it made sense to everyone. “Other than that, I have a contact that we’re meeting up here,” she said telepathically to everyone.
A few minutes later, the waiters and waitresses served their food. Arlette helped in distributing the varied food they wished to eat. The flavorful aroma filled Mycenia’s nose as the steam of the noodle soup rose to her face. Using a fork, she picked up some strands of noodles and started eating. The others also began eating theirs. Mycenia noticed Arlette, across the table, stopped eating and closed her eyes.
“What’s wrong, Arlette?”
“My contact is here. He is an expert in hacking,” Arlette shared. “He looked into Vinceo’s implant and found out that it was sending a signal. We can’t bring that thing to our next hideout. Herozoan will hunt us. He is still checking if there are other things this implant can do.”
Mycenia reached out to Vinceo and placed her hand on the back of his neck. “The implant has grown. Its hair-like structures continue to spread and wrap around his brain, spinal cord, and other organs. It’s taking over his body.”
Mycenia’s heart sank. Cold just blanketed over her. She felt weak. Vinceo looked at her. Worry was written all over his face. She held his hand and gently tightened her grip to tell him it was going to be okay.
“Then what are we going to do now?”
“My contact will be figuring out if he can deactivate it. For now, we can’t bring that to our next hideout.”
“What are you implying, Arlette?” Mycenia couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“I’m saying Vinceo can’t come with us. He will be staying with my contact---”
“Vinceo and I,” she interrupted. “Vinceo and I will be going with your contact. Wherever Vinceo goes, I will go.”
Arlette shook her head. “You can’t. We need you.”
“And I need him, Arlette. I can’t lose him again. We already lost three years.”
“He’s being tracked. Herozoan will follow you both. And worse...you could lose your powers.”
“So it’s okay to lose Vinceo to Herozoan because he’s been tagged? I thought we’re a team?”
“To preserve the integrity of our group, yes. He’s a baggage we can’t carry all the time. We can’t have any setbacks. He can’t join the cause unless he gets his powers back,” Arlette said without even stuttering. “What’s important right now is taking down Herozoan and we need all the weapons we can get.”
The others were just silently listening to them and they caught the attention of customers close to their table.
“That’s fantastic, Arlette,” she sarcastically said. She was not the Arlette she always knew. “Fucking fantastic! You’re no different from those men at Herozoan. You’re only seeing us as weapons and not human beings.”
“We’re not humans, Mycenia. We’re different species.”
“Why do you always have to decide for us, Arlette?”
“Because if I let all of you go on with your lives, you will all face threats and even death without knowing the reason why. I took control because no one was brave enough to stand up against Herozoan. No one saw how twisted it was! You all played your part well like puppets on a string. Do you remember when I asked for your help to build an army for an uprising and you declined? That caused all the horrors Herozoan has done to our kind. If you only helped me end them before, we could have the life we dreamed of having years ago. None of this could have ever happened. She would have been alive right now. And now you’re here...because you know I am right about it and you want to make up for the damages you caused.”
“Don’t you fucking bring her up now.” Mycenia’s voice was low but her hands and lips were shaking in anger.
She heard the others gasp when all of a sudden, the glasses and bowls on their table cracked. They were still intact but one touch would shatter them down. The coffee and soup flowed out through the crack and began spreading on the table.
“Enough.” Vinceo intervened. “Arlette got a point, My. Knowing I am being tracked, I will be risking the others. I should go and deactivate this.”
“I’m coming with you, whether you all like it or not.”
The atmosphere was still heavy when Mycenia stormed out of their table and restaurant with Vinceo by her side. She looked for Arlette’s contact. It didn’t take long for her to find him when a black van stopped near them and opened its door. A man wearing a hoodie with a thick beard greeted them and introduced himself. They hopped in the van and left the restaurant.
YOU ARE READING
The Storm of Apocalypse
Science FictionOne night, the peaceful life of Mycenia was disturbed when a telepath visited her and restored her memories just right in time when she was ambushed by armed men. The gaps in her memories were filled. She remembered how she was raised on a secluded...
