A Circuit of Time: Book Two of Spark (A MPHFPC Fanfiction)

Chapter Five

"Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?" Emma asked Khione after they were done maintaining their weapons in their arsenal.

Khione looked over them, Caroline was still cleaning her rifle. "What's the matter?" she whispered.

"You don't seem happy we succeed. You and Olive." Emma said. "What happened?"

Khione shook her head, "The whole thing is too easy. No one actually tried to stop us. It doesn't feel right."

"But that's the point of our distraction, isn't it?" Emma asked. "We weren't supposed to be stopped."

"That's your part. My part was making the distraction. I should meet resistance. What if they let us in? What if they're following us?"

"We made sure they can't, haven't we?" Emma said, "They can't track our car. And we made sure there's no tracker on the hollow. How can they be following us?"

"I don't know. It just feels wrong." Khione complained. "They didn't send anyone to go after us—"

"Because we set their hollows loose." Emma replied, "How are they going to come after us if their whole base is overrun by murderous beasts?"

"You are probably right." Khione admitted, "But just keep that possibility in mind, will you? In case that come true..."

*

Footsteps echoed in the stairs leading to the cells in the temporary detention center of Talon Base.

Two pairs of footsteps.

A soldier led Emma down to the cells where Blanche and John was held.

"Let us talk in private," Emma demanded.

The soldier nodded and walked away.

"Emma?" Blanche said. "How long have you been back?"

"About three hours." Emma replied, then she asked, "What happened? How did you end up here?"

"We restored Blanche's soul." John told her from the next cell, "I broke into Genesis Lab to get the vial, and we used the spirit pool."

"But how did you get in without being caught?" Emma asked.

"Albiar let me in." John said miserably, "He baited me into giving him a reason to lock us up. No one even tried to stop me on my way out."

"No one tried..." Emma murmured to herself. Khione's words rang in her head.

The whole thing is too easy. No one actually tried to stop us.

"Ma'am, I got an order to release the prisoners," a new soldier ran down the stairs and disrupted her thought.

"Release us?" Blanche said, confused. "Who's order?"

"Miss Bittern." The soldier replied.

The soldier opened the door to their cells and gestured them to follow.

"What is going on?" Emma asked.

"Miss Bittern issued a release of Mr. Hill and Miss Blanche and return for their weapons." The soldier replied.

"Why?" John questioned.

"The council ordered an invasion drill." The soldier answered.

An invasion drill. Emma thought. But why give prisoners weapon if it's just a drill.

The soldier led them out of the detention center. "Commander Elephanta told me to bring you three to her." He explained. "She said your weapons are currently at her team's arsenal."

A distance away, Emma saw soldiers guiding civilians to the training square. Several worried faces among them, men, women, children, the real ages of whom far older than their looks.

"You are evacuating the whole loop?" Emma asked, "To where?"

"It's just part of the drill," the soldier said, "No need to worry."

The something exploded, something far away, but the noise of which was enough to send the crowd into panic.

More explosions followed. Chaos overtook the crowd, everyone running and screaming while the soldiers shouting that everything was under control.

Emma, Blanche, John and the soldier made a run for the arsenal, but then Emma stopped and ran towards a truck nearby.

"What are you doing?" John shouted. "Get back!"

But Emma ignored him. She grabbed the truck's side mirror and pulled herself to the top of the truck.

She had to be sure.

Emma gazed at the source of the explosion.

Half a loop away, Greenwood Medical Center was burning.

The invasion had started.