EDIT: I had time to go over this a second time now, removed a few grammar mistakes and stuff like that.
Also, thanks to a really helpful review by ArcticBlue, I added a few parts. Saying which ones would spolier the entire chapter, so I'm just gonna say it added a lot to the characterization of Five. Thanks for that.
If you guys have other things you want to point out about anything that appears odd, please do so. I need all the help I can get :P
With that being said, enjoy!
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
10
"I don't think they followed us," I say as Five and I dash around the next corner.
Instead of answering, he suddenly tackles me sideways without warning. I let out a surprised squeal as we crash through a heavy iron door, not only lifting it out of its hinges but also completely obliterating the frame with the force of the impact.
We land alongside each other face first on the floor, but Five roles off and stands right back up. The fact that he just crushed a heavily armoured door with his bare shoulder doesn't seem to have even hurt him in the least.
I don't get up quite as fast as he did, but still in time to see an entire hail of bullets zip past the exact same spot we would be standing right now if Five hadn't seen them coming.
"Or maybe they did follow us after all," I manage to mumble before Five grabs me by the hand and yanks me forward again.
The blurry images of dark corridors and endless hallways rush past me as Five leads our escape through the secret underground US military facility. The sound of our own footsteps rapidly echoes off the wall, mixing with the shouts of the guards chasing us.
The soldiers don't stand a chance, though, as Five brings up a pace humans could hardly even reach in their dreams. In fact, at times my feet don't even touch the ground, but I rather get dragged through the air by Five, that's how fast we're going right now. If we were doing this on a public road, we'd get pulled over for speeding.
It doesn't take long until we lose our pursuers, and even though more and more guards keep popping up, we always have a small lead over them. Each time they enter a corridor, we've already disappeared through the next door. Each time they follow us up a staircase, we're already two floors higher.
And each time Five pulls me around another corner, I feel like my arm is being ripped out of its socket. I just hope we don't need to go much further, because, as a matter of fact, I like my arm just the way it is. Still connected to my shoulder.
If it weren't for Five, I'd probably be hopelessly lost by now. Every single hallway we briefly bolt through looks exactly like the last one. And I don't even want to think about all the dead ends I'd get stuck in if I were alone in this god damn place.
But Five seems to know exactly where we have to go, which turns we have to take and what doors lead to what rooms.
Or at least I hope so. I hope he's actually really as sure about what's the right way out of here as he seems. Just one simple mistake is enough to get you completely lost down here.
"Don't worry, Ellie, I know exactly where we're going. Trust me, I studied the blueprints of this place all day long yesterday," he says over his shoulder, as if reading my thoughts.
I shoot the back of his head a short, confused look. Was it just a coincidence? We keep going for about ten more seconds before I realize he actually can read my thoughts.
I almost laugh from my own stupidity. Mindreading. One of the most powerful abilities, if you ask me.
It was Five's first developed legacy, quickly followed by his second one, superspeed.
Not just the usual Loric being-faster-than-everyone-and-everything-else-sup erspeed, I mean real superspeed.
If he has to, Five can move so fast, all you see are blurred lines of where his hand and fight might have been a few split-seconds ago.
Right now, though, he has to carry me around with him, which means he is limited to a relatively slow speed.
Well, slow for him. Still fast as hell for me.
"Wouldn't expect anything less from you," I yell back at him and he gives me a quick smile over his shoulder.
Gosh, am I happy he's alive. I was seriously convinced I'd never see him again. Leaving him behind was one of the deepest regrets in my entire life. And I have made a lot of bad decisions I regret in my life.
Losing Five, though, was the worst of all. Having to live on with the thought that I'd never get to hear his voice again was even harder than the pain of Crayton's death, even harder than losing Uncle Pit. It was unbearable. And the worst part is it was all my fault.
Him being alive against all odds is the biggest relief I've ever felt, though. I'm so excited right now, if I wouldn't be so busy trying not to massively fall on my face while being dragged along with Five, I'd probably be bouncing up and down the walls out of happiness.
Five gives me another big smirk and then turns back forward. I keep staring at the back of his head, wondering how he could have possibly got out of that death trap I had been forced to leave him in. He looks just like the day I had last seen him, just before the Mogs had got to us. His short sandy-brown hair has just recently been cut – Five probably did it himself, as always. And despite him doing a horrible job at it every single time, he somehow manages to still look stunning just like that, even though there are some loose strings at random locations at the back of his head, where he didn't quite reach every spot. His long aquiline nose still leads to the same halfway joking, halfway dead serious smirk. The only thing that changed about the face I missed for so long is the white bandage covering the entire area around his eyes like a blindfold. There are small, pink burn scars winding their way from that area to all over his face. I'm not sure what happened to his eyes there, but the scars seem to be at least half a year old, and Five is still bandaging it. I have to stop myself from picturing the horrible scenarios in which this injury must have happened.
There's no use in doing that. It won't heal Five's injuries. It won't revert the damage done.
And even though taking revenge won't undo anything either, it's Five's way of solving his issues with the Mogs. If you know Five – and I know him quite well – then you can be sure that they will pay dearly for everything they've done.
Five will make them regret the day they ever decided to mess with the Loric. And there is nothing in the world that will stop him from doing what he has in mind. Nothing. Not the Mogadorian forces, not the US army and above all not a bandage over his eyes.
Not even me.
Looking at the white piece of fabric covering his eyes, though, I briefly wonder how he can run at this pace, let alone navigate through this maze of corridors without seeing a single thing.
Then I slap myself on the forehead with my free hand. How could I forget about his other legacies?
After learning to control his third one, telekinesis, it took a long time until he finally discovered his final legacy, second sight. Without having to see or hear things, he would always know what was going on around him, as if he had invisible sensors, sweeping the surrounding area.
Now to understand why this was such a big problem, one would have to look a closer look at Five's personality. His most defining traits are the efficiency and determination in everything he does, always committing everything he's got to reach his goals, not taking no for an answer. His ability to work out flawless plans and then executing them perfectly is what used to keep Crayton and me alive for so long in all this time we were travelling up and down the USA together.
His first three legacies matched his personality perfectly; they allowed him to act effectively and quickly, always one step ahead of our enemies. Second sight on the other hand, was a completely different thing.
It started out when we were in the middle of ambushing a group of Mogs that had been foolish enough to reveal themselves. They had believed that once we knew they were close, we'd panic and flee head over heels and they might catch us off guard in the process. But Five had decided to take them out instead, knowing that was the last thing they expected.
So there we were, in the middle of a fight we were about to easily win when suddenly Five collapsed right next to me for no apparent reason at all. His fourth legacy had kicked in at the worst possible moment, and the newly developed senses had been so overwhelming, it must have been hard not to lose his sanity back then.
We barely made it out that day, and for a long time Five wasn't the same anymore.
He couldn't keep the new legacy under control at all. Sometimes he'd get visions of not only events that were taking place in the surrounding area, but also in places far, far away, way out of the usual second sight reach. Crayton used to say it was a gift, that once Five would learn to control it, he could use this extended range to his advantage.
But Five could never really grasp the concept of this second sight thing, and I always got the impression those random visions haunted him everywhere he went. Five never was one to complain, but deep inside I'm sure he cursed this last legacy. It seemed more than useless back then, it kept distracting him in important moments, which ultimately lead to the Mogs catching up to us the day we left him behind.
Well, as disruptive and frustrating as it might have been for him back then, with that bandage covering his eyes, it's the only thing that is going to get us out of here right now.
I'm so lost in thoughts, it takes me a few moments to realize we've slowed down quite a bit. At this pace, I'm almost able to keep up with Five.
The shouts and footsteps of the guards behind us are gone, and we pass the last couple of corridors in silence until we get to a dead end.
I look at Five in irritation. "Did we take a wrong turn?"
"Ellie, please, have a little of faith," he answers with a wink. "The military garage should be just through here."
"Ah, we take the rear exit. What then?"
"We steal a vehicle and get the hell out of here," he says and, noticing my sceptical look, he shrugs. "It's the easy plans that never go wrong."
Without further warning, he walks straight towards a door to the right, one that looks just like every other door we've passed on our way here. I really hope he knows what he's doing.
Five turns to me and motions me to be silent, then he slowly opens the door and we quickly slip through it.
The room behind it is a gigantic hall, filled with all kinds of military vehicles. Tanks, sand-buggies and even airplanes – everything painted in camouflage. Even though there seem to be no guards in sight, I hear at least two people talking not far away.
Unlike the rest of the facility, this place is well illuminated in bright neon lights. In fact, it's so bright in here compared to the dark corridors we've just been through, it takes a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness.
Five on the other hand doesn't need his eyes to adjust, as he has that bandage over them anyway. When I can see normally again without having to blink every two seconds, he's already moved down a row of huge F-16 jets and is ducking behind the loading area of a big pick up, right in the direction the voices come from.
Again, he motions me to be silent, then he waves me to come over to him. Without knowing who or what we're hiding from, I get to my knees and slowly crawl towards him.
When I reach him, he gives me a big, bittersweet smirk, and points past the car we are hiding behind.
"Have a look," he mouths without making a sound.
I glance around the back of the pick up and see a strange scene going down, just about twenty feet away from our hiding spot.
Two human soldiers stand face to face with a whole horde of fully armed Mogs. The alien's leader seems to be in the middle of an argument with the two guards. I hold my breath to understand what they are saying.
"I'm telling you," the human to the right is just saying. "She's not here!"
An icy feeling runs down my spine as the Mog commander answers in a slimy, deep voice. "Our informant says otherwise."
"Well, then your informant must be wrong," the human snaps back. I'm surprised he's not as intimidated as I would definitely be in his place. He either is really brave or, more likely, he has absolutely no idea in what danger he and his fellow guard are.
"This is your last chance. Hand over the girl or else we will take actions," the Mog leader says, lowering his voice to a threatening whisper.
"Trouble in paradise," Five mumbles next to me with an amused grin. And indeed, the government getting into trouble with the Mogs is a good thing for us. Our enemies fighting each other means we have some time to breathe.
But I just can't help but feel sorry for those humans. They don't know what they're getting themselves into.
"For the last time," the soldier says again. "We don't have her. And what makes you think we would hand her over to somebody like you, anyway, even if she was here?"
I hear the cocking of guns, that special, numbing sound of Mog guns being prepared to shoot. My hands start shaking from being torn between either aiding the two poor humans or letting them die. They are our enemies after all, and they let me rot in that dark, isolated cell down there.
On the other hand, they probably only have their orders, they might not even know who I am or why the Mogs want to get hold of me so desperately. Maybe they really didn't even know I'm here at all. Who am I to just let them die. They could have a family at home, they could have kids, waiting for them to come home, they could be completely innocent.
"Then you are of no use to us anymore," I hear the Mog leader say in a sepulchral voice, and I know I have to act.
I'm about to jump up and run out of our hiding spot, when suddenly I feel Five's hand, tightening around my shoulder, pulling me back down. I shoot him a desperate look, trying to make him understand, trying to make him see that those humans are no different than us. They didn't ask to become involved in this conflict, and they don't have to die.
But Five just shakes his head with a cold, bitter expression. He doesn't care about any of that. For him those humans are enemies, just like the Mogs closing in on them. For him, they're just another obstacle on the path to revenge, just another chess piece the US government won't be able to use anymore.
As much as I usually appreciate Five, it's this dark, cold-hearted part of his soul that has question his entire . He's bound to nothing, loyal to no one but himself, which makes him so unpredictable and dangerous. Everything he ever did for me, all those times he saved my life, it could all be just another strategic move in his crusade against the Mogs.
And what happens, when one day, I might be the one he needs to sacrifice for his cause? Would he do it?
The Five I know wouldn't. The Five I know would never even let me get close to danger without making sure nothing will happen to me. But the Five I know wouldn't let those two humans die, either.
This is not the Five I know. The only question that remains is how much is left of the old one.
Unable to do anything against his grip, I helplessly watch the Mog commander turn to his soldiers and give them a sign.
"Wait," one of the guards shouts, but it's too late already.
The deafening shots echo through the garage even long after the two motionless bodies hit the floor.
I gasp and almost let out the squeeking sound that builds up in my chest. The ignorant cruelty of those monsters keeps shocking me every time. They don't even stop at killing their own allies.
Next to me, Five takes his hand off my shoulder and throws me a glance, which is kind of strange, considering he has no way to even throw me a glance with this badnage over his eyes. Still, I get the feeling as if it's an apologizing gesture, like he's trying to say sorry.
He shifts his weight from leg to leg as he silently takes an old leather glove out of the back pocket of his trousers. All lack of seriousness has now disappeared from his face, creating place for that deadly mask of confidence and determination he always puts on before a fight.
Meanwhile, one of the Mog soldiers hands the Mog leader a device that has some similarities to a telephone.
"They refused to cooperate. Immediately execute the assaults on all other targets," the commander loudly speaks into it, then he nods to the other soldiers and they begin to leave.
Five realizes this is his chance, as they all have their backs turned to us now. In a split-second, he's on his feet, stepping away from our hiding spot. His hand slips into his Loric glove, or the glove of doom, as I like to call it, as the harmless glove slowly transforms into a deadly weapon.
"Forgot something?" he shouts at the Mog squad, already rushing towards them.
The Mogs look up in confused alarm, but the moment they see Five and realize what's going on, it's already too late.
I don't look as Five shreds through them like they were nothing but thin air. I just wait for the silent sound of ash, slowly dropping to the floor.
Hey everybody!
Next chapter, updating a bit quicker than last time XD
I tried quite hard to get this out as soon as possible, to let you guys know I'm really trying to keep this thing going this time.
Second thing I wanted to announce is that I decided to answer your comments, as much as I can. So from now on, I'll try to respond to every single review, starting from the ones of the last chapter.
ArcticBlue: Thanks, glad you liked Nivi (number 11), creating her (yeah, it actually is supposed to be female, I feel like an idiot for not even pointing that out once -.-) was one of my most controversial decisions, hearing positive feedback about that really helped. Thanks :)
Zack619: Thanks a lot, I'll try to keep updating more often. Thanks for your continued support, too, you are awesome :P
Mysteryfanaticno1: I will try to update more often =)
. . .Five: Thanks, can't wait for more of your own stuff :)
ZattyZ: Oh god, hadn't even noticed. But now that you pointed it out... can't be unseen...
That's all for now, have a great time until next time, and as always, thanks a lot for reading my story!