Binary: Rough Draft Edition (Sword Dancers, Book 1)

Chapter 26: Tyree

Tyree and the others charged at Cable with their weapons. Colin and Razor swung their sword but it passes through the Cable.

"It's an illusion," Tyree said. "This is bad, bad, bad. I can't focus any sense on him.

From all around them they heard Cable's voice. "I forgot to mention how my checkmate works. See, my totem uses snow or water as a spray which has light manipulation abilities. The light has a hypnotic effect that affects the brain of both machines and man. I already told you that even if you know it's an illusion, you will still believe it. My checkmate ability, however, well let's just say that it allows me to generate and control cold." he said.

Tyree froze in place and started to shiver. Colin and Ashley were shivering too. The only one not affected was Olivia. Tyree guessed it was because she was wearing Haze who was already an ice tribe member.

"It's getting cold," Ashley said.

"I thought it was getting warm," Colin said sarcastically. He looked over at Tyree. "You sure you can't sense him.?"

Tyree nodded. "His snowglow is too strong. I can only sense him when he appears. Cable emerged behind Tyree and kicked him before disappearing. He repeated the same attack on all four members.

"I told you that you can't stop me. This is your last chance. Join me. We can take this planet ourselves. You can each rule over a continent.'

"If he keeps making it colder we're going to experience health issues." Ashley pointed out to everyone.

"How long?" Colin asked.

"Five minutes at the rate he is dropping the temperature," she said.

"Okay, Tyree, any ideas?"

Tyree didn't know what to think. He's never fought, superpowered individuals. Hell, he never fought in a real war personally. When he deployed he did corrections. Drawing on Crush's memories of battles he still had nothing. He noticed that Crush's movements were slowing.

"I don't have any ideas, but how come it's affecting the Sparks?"

"It's affecting Ashley and Flair the most." Olivia said. "because her tribe is weak to the ice. As for everyone else, Cable is just stronger."

Cable appeared and sat at one of the small tables. He didn't look worried and Tyree's anger started to build. Most of it enhanced by Crush's aggressiveness. He could feel the emptiness inside Cable. This was no longer the mentor of the Sparks. He was now their assassin.

"What do you say?" Cable asked. Then Tyree smiled. 

"Ashley, what do you say, what is the probability of his illusions still working?"

Ashley looked at Tyree with confusion, but then her eyes went wide. Looking at Cable her eyes glowed yellow. "Oh, I don't know, lets see, according to Flair there seems to be 50/50 and we all know how I deal with probabilities."

Cable started to get up and realized his mistake. The one thing that could stop him. What were the chances that a host and a spark would have a probability alteration checkmate. He went to fire a gun, but it backfired in his face. He waved his hand to start form snow but nothing happen. He went to fire a burst, but it fizzled. When he looked around, he saw that he was within a glowing green ciricle.

"Damn you!" he said just as Tyree landed a running superman punch to his jaw. Colin followed by cutting off a hand with his siccor blade. Olivia hit him in sevearl pressure points brigning him down to his knees. Colin posiiton himself behind Cable opening up the blade around Cable's neck. 

"What do you say?" Colin asked.

"I say, you can't keep this up." Just like that he blinded Colin. Tyree had enough time to cover his face and hsield his eyes. When he opened them Cable made a rush towards Ashley, whose ability was only temporary.  In his nands was solid light made into a sword.  A focused laser in the shape of a word that would cut her in half. Tyree raced to save her. 

Cable stopped in his tracks and peeled over. He looked at his side. He seemed sruprised to Tyree. With a scream ofa agony he hyelled and pulled out something from his side. The object was a chakram that was sparking with electricity. Two more  charams flew into him both exploding with electric currents. Cable feel onto all fours as a figure rushed  him down. Flint was up now and slashed CAble with two pairs of chakrams. EAch delivering an electric shock. 

"How, why are you betraying me?" Cable asked Flint. Flint dropped to one knee and his helmete receded. 

"You betrayed us. All those years ago." Flint walked over to AShley. "thanks your field help clear us too." he said. and Tyree noticed that Flint was wounded and blood was rushing out. Flint also doubled over.

"Olivia ran over and looked at the wound. "This is bad, but I think I can heal it. She claps her hands and  went to heal them, but a barrier of light stopped it. Tyree couldnt' believe it. Cable, laying there with one hand stretch out was using the a light energy barrier to block it. 

Flint lowered his face plate allowing everyone to see his host. An old man who was crying. "This is how it ends. Flint let me die. No use i n both of us." Flint receded back into a watch and detach itself. Ashley caught Flint and the leaned the old man against her. 

"You can't die, not now." She tried using her power, eyes flashing green, but nothing happened. She then focused on Cable, but he passed out or was dead. Tyree wasn't sure. He ran over to both women as Oliiva tried to heal  the old man. 

<His wounds are too deep, I couldn't protecte him from his own mind.> Flint said from wihtin Ashley hands. 

"Psychosomatic" Olivia said.

"He believed he was dying and now he is." Tyree said

Olivia nodded. "I can't heal psychological wounds."

Ashley kept cradling the old man who began to pray. "My ability only created bad luck for others." 

"It's not a problem ladies." The old man said. "I served during Nam and it was an honor to defend my country  one more time." 

The old man closed his eyes and Tyree didn't hear the sounds of a heartbeat. Even Tyree started to cry. Colin came over and rest a hand on Tyree's shoulder.

"He served too and we couldn't save him. He saved us all." Colin said. Ashley laid him down and stood along with Oliva."

"It's, " she paused. "It's not fair, sometimes I just don't understand God."

"I hear you." said Ashley as they all hugged each other. Thankful to be alive. Tyree heard Crush whispere in his ear.

"Guys, the host for Forge died too. Flint and Forge are going to need hosts to survive." He looked around the store. Then at Cable who had receded into a watch. Quinn laid there with shallow breaths.

"He's dead. You killed him. you killed him." he cried. "At least now I'm going to die too."

Oliiva came over and stood over him. "You're right."

Tyree couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Olivia, don't be like him. if you can save him then save him. 

Ashley came over and lifted up Quinn's arm. She dislodges Cable. "Let's make sure he's dead."

"no, no, no!" Quinn cried.

"I agree with Olivia. This man was murdering people so that he can rule. the worlds better off without him. 

Tyree knew that they all wanted to do this, to let the man die. There was part of himself that agreed, but they had to do the right thing. "Guys, we can't do this, or else we become just like him."

Colin came over holding Forge in his hands. "I hate to say it, but Tyree is right. We'll call Troy and have her bring him in.

The girls nodded and Olivia began to heal Quinn from dying, but proceed to dislocate his knee with a chop. 

<Don't worry about DNA,> Crush told him. When we are merged, our scents combine, but our DNA is different.  Tyree relayed the information to everyone.

"Where are we going to find a host?"