Chapter One: A Corrupt Government and Fusion Matter Don't Mix
Author's Note: This is my first time publishing my writing anywhere. I got this idea one day and decided to run with it. I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with it. Comments and constructive criticism would be wonderful. Thank you for your time. I hope you enjoy!
If you're reading this, you probably know that the war with Fuse has been going on for some time now. Common knowledge, right? Well, not for everyone. Pretty much everyone back home is clueless.
Speaking of home, things are way different there. As far as everyone knows, Fuse doesn't exist. The war hasn't even been heard of. How does one hide a war, exactly? With a handful or more of corrupt government officials. Laws have been put into place that make fighting Fuse impossible. All contact with Townsville has been cut off. If we're caught with anyone from Townsville or its surrounding areas, or having contact with anyone, we're arrested. No one can carry a weapon. Speaking against the government is punishable by law. Those are just a few of the recent changes in government policy.
Not everyone follows laws, ya know. I had some pen pals in Townsville, so I knew what was up. So did most of my friends. So, we became a part of the not so well known Underground Resistance. It's basically just what it sounds like: those of us wishing to fight Fuse passed information to the Resistance and gave whatever help we could without revealing ourselves.
Every few weeks, we'd meet with a member of the Resistance. This time around, unbeknownst to us, they came to recruit.
There were 20 members of my branch on the Underground Resistance. Or, at least, there had been. Three people dropped out because they feared they'd be discovered. And five of us were about to get a costly promotion.
We usually met in a school classroom under the guise of a Muggle Quidditch Club. But school had just ended for the year, so we moved to an abandoned bookstore on the edge of town.
There were seventeen of us at that meeting on a dreary, rainy Friday. Rex and Number One came to speak with us. They had a duffel bag with them. Though I found this curious, I said nothing.
The meeting started out normally enough. Soon, we slipped into a lengthy discussion on what we had talked about in school classes, as far as the recent adjustments in government policy. A few teachers, especially my phenomenal English professor, had allowed us to talk about the changes in the government. Three of us in my class knew much more than we dared let on. We frequently tread the thin line between discussing, or questioning and criticizing the government. Alex was about to chime in when-
BAM! The door flew open rather violently. A leader of the Resistance stood in the doorway. The expression plaguing the face of the teen in the green jacket told us all something was wrong. "Security's been breached," Ben Tennyson gasped. "I don't know how they know, but they know."
"Well, I really wanted to ease into this, but now we can't." Rex's eyes swept over us. "If you're prepared to stay and fight, officially becoming members of the Resistance, we'll help you. If you aren't willing to take that step, leave, now."
Twelve people jumped out of their seats and practically trampled Tennyson to leave, keeping their identities hidden. Five of us remained: my sister Sarah, my friends Alex, Hunter, and Ben, and myself.
"Well, whaddaya know, you were right," Tennyson said, glancing at Nigel.
"Of course we were!" Rex grinned before picking the duffel bag up off of the floor. He unzipped it, revealing that it was full of cardboard boxes sealed with packing tape. Rex tossed a box to each of us. They were all different shapes and sizes. Mine was very thin and long.
"We've been gathering data and think we've paired each of you with the perfect weapon," Number One informed us as we fought with the tape.
Data? What kind of data? I didn't dwell on that thought for long, however. Soon, the tape was off and I reached into the sea of packing peanuts and fumbled around until my hand met metal. I wrapped my hand around it and pulled. I found myself holding dual swords in a sheath.
I glanced up and saw the three teens from the Resistance watching us. Rex met my eyes and grinned mischievously. I looked over at my friends and saw them all holding some sort of gun.
Ben Tennyson walked over to Alex, seated at the farthest end of the room. She held an oddly shaped weapon. "That is a Null Void pistol. Finest weapon to come out of DexLabs, some say."
He walked over to Hunter, who was seated on Alex's left. "You have been equipped with Val Halen's Axe. It shoots electricity," he stated, indicating the bright blue guitar Hunter held.
Ben informed us that Ben held a lightning gun. "It's one of the most difficult weapons to wield. It's no overly effective head-on; it takes a clever person to use it well."
He continued down the line to Sarah. "Dual ice pop pistols. We think they'll work well for you."
"And last, but most certainly not least..." Ben Tennyson crossed over to stand in front of me. Unlike my comrades I looked at his face and held his gaze, instead of studying my weapon. "Dual swords. Fairly self-explanatory, I think."
Number one, who had been standing by the open door, shouted, "Better hurry up, Ben! We've gotta leave, now!"
"Is there an open space nearby where we can make our stand?" Tennyson addressed no one in particular.
"Just down the street and to the right, there's a park," Ben said.
A million thoughts raced through my mind. This was exciting, yet terrifying, at the same time. None of us had ever done anything like this.
"Lead the way, then," Rex said. We stood. I belted my swords around my waist. Ben went first, followed by Tennyson, Alex, Hunter, and Sarah. Rex and I left together.
We sprinted to the park. I made the mistake of looking over my shoulder. I saw a mechanical nightmare chasing us. It was composed of miscellaneous mechanical parts bound together by glowing, acid green Fusion Matter. I'd never seen anything like it before. I was so shocked that I tripped over my own two feet. Rex caught me by the arm and steadied me before I could fall.
"What is that thing?" I asked, out of breath.
"Fusion Monster," Rex replied. "I've never seen one like it before, though."
The others barely beat us to the field. Everyone was holding their weapon of choice, or their only weapon, except Tennyson. He looked distraught as he played with a watch or something. It had to be his Omntrix.
Tennyson confirmed this. "Why isn't this stupid thing working? The Omntrix is on the fritz.. again." Seconds after he finished speaking, Number One tossed him a gun.
My apprehension grew and grew as each lengthy second dragged by. However, I didn't have too long to dwell upon my fears because the monster was upon us within seconds.