Ch. 13 Escape

(Contains a tribute to Beyblade: Metal Masters)

"Where is everyone?" Bonnie had gotten lost in the destruction that followed Flint's first dark energy blast. Her right arm had started bleeding so she'd stopped the blood with her scarf. If I had five pieces of gold for every time this scarf has saved a life. She ran toward Avery's court, seeing that the Golden Archer was still docked. Unfortunately, Flint's whole army was in her way. Where's Jordan when you need her? Suddenly, Flint's army was drawn to something in the distance. Bonnie didn't wait for an answer, she ran toward the steps to Avery's Court. Finally, she saw Lenora and some other pirate. Kyle?! Bonnie drew her Sparquebus and opened fire. Lenora saw her and drew her daggers, deflecting the shots. "What are you doing?!"

"He's on our side." Bonnie looked at Kyle and saw some truth to Lenora's words. She gave him a look that said don't make us regret trusting you. "We need to get to Adam. Flint threw some sort of dark energy spear into his leg. Riley is the only one standing between Tauros and Flint killing him." They ran. Kyle struggled more with every step.

"I've waited a long time for this, Merciless Adam Silver." Adam tried to get up, but the spear that had penetrated his leg prevented that from happening. He watched as Riley stood over him, protecting him.

"Stay away from him!" Tauros took another step closer, prompting the young girl to open fire. The personality matrix chuckled.

"That's the spirit." Tauros drew Blaze's sword. "I like your moxy, kid." He slashed down, but Riley rolled out of the way. She took two more shots before throwing the empty clip out of the gun and loading a new one in. Adam, once again, tried to get up, but couldn't.

"Blaze!" Tauros was taken aback.

"He's gone, Adam." He opened his arms. "I'm all that's left." Sagittarius flashed to life.

"No," the personality matrix stated, "You're lying. He's still in there fighting. I can sense it."

"Blaze!"

"Adam?" No. What could he want with me? He heard his voice again.

"Blaze, you have to fight back! Stop this madness!" Blaze saw a shimmer in the darkness that surrounded him. "This machine in front of me isn't you. I want my brother back. Please, you can't let yourself be defeated by darkness." Blaze took a step back in his dark cocoon.

"Don't listen to him." He turned and saw Tauros floating in front of him. "Don't hesitate. Go wild with dark energy. Out of control. I can do all of the thinking for you." Tauros shifted his form to look like Blaze. "I am you. Do as I say and everything will be okay." Blaze blinked at these words.

"You're right." If I can convince him that I've given up, I can break free. For mom. For Adam. Blaze stretched out his arms, in defeat. No more running. No more hiding. I will take back my mind.

"Blaze, no!" Alexis lashed out at Tauros, but hit nothing but air.

"He's mine now. Go ahead, Blaze. Release the darkness in your heart."

"You're right. There is darkness in my heart. All my life, I've lived with nothing but hate for my family. I've pushed them away, hurt them, and killed them. I deserve to suffer for what I've done."

"At least you've finally accepted—"

"I'm not done!" Tauros floated closer. "I deserve to suffer, but I won't. You and my mom were both right. There is darkness in me, but, at the same time, I also have light!" Blaze thought back on his choice to stop trying to kill Adam. "It's because of the darkness in me, that my light can burn bright!" Blaze's shadowy black aura was replaced by a bright silver light. Tauros covered his eyes to block the flash.

"What are you doing?! Stop it!"

"Light and darkness, they both exist inside of me." Blaze's light grew brighter with every word he said. "I won't let my mind be destroyed. Not now, not ever! I am the creator of the clockworks. I am Merciful Blaze Silver!" In succession, Blaze heard Alexis, Lenora, Sagittarius, and Adam shout the same thing.

"Blaze!"

"I'm going to help my brother and his friends. I am Blaze." Blaze's light grew so bright that Tauros' holographic form disappeared.

"Argh," Tauros cried out in pain as he vanished. Blaze lowered himself to the ground. As he touched down, a glowing doorway appeared a few feet away.

"Blaze!" Alexis wrapped her arms around her oldest son. "I knew you could do it." Blaze let out a tear.

"Thank you. For believing in me." He let go and looked at the doorway. He hesitated. "If I go through there, I won't be the same, will I?" Alexis shook her head.

"No," she stated, bluntly, "But you don't really have a choice, do you?" Blaze chuckled. He'd almost forgotten what his own laugh sounded like.

"Will I ever see you again?" Alexis closed her eyes and smiled.

"I've never left you, sweetie." She touched her left hand to his heart. "I'm with you." She started to cry. "Always." Blaze smiled and stepped through the glowing doorway that linked his mind to the real world. Alexis was left alone as the dream world started to collapse around her. "Do you think you made to right choice? Not telling him that you were here all along?" Avery walked out of the shadows.

"He needed to find his own reason to fight." Avery held his wife's hand. "We need to go." At that, they vanished.

"Good bye, Adam." Tauros lifted his sword and prepared to strike down.

"Riley, move!" Adam shouted. He closed his eyes and accepted his fate. But Riley didn't move and neither did Tauros. He opened his eyes and saw a mix of shadow and light surrounding his brother's body. "Blaze?" The blood red in Blaze's eyes that had marked Tauros' control over the pirate disappeared as they returned to their light brown pigment.

"Hope you didn't forget about me." The privateer let out a burst of dark and light energy, exiting the Kane armor and knocking Flint to the edge of Avery's Court. Lenora, Bonnie, and Kyle made their way to the trio. Blaze found the gear tattoo on his neck and removed it, tossing it toward the Kane armor. He looked down at his right arm, noticing the gold for the first time. "That's new." He turned and saw Flint start to get up. He pulled the lance from Adam's leg and threw it at his father. The dark pirate dodged while Blaze picked up his brother. "We've gotta go!" Lenora, Bonnie, and Kyle picked up the pace. Realizing how weak he actually was right now, Blaze stumbled, dropping Adam. Riley ran over to them and the two pirates each took a shoulder.

"We carry him together." Blaze wanted to argue, but saw a fire in the little girl's eyes. They walked up the boarding planks and waited for the other three to join them.

"Kyle!" Bonnie turned around and saw Lenora's dad lying on the ground. His leg wound was starting to take its toll. She and Lenora went to pick him up, but he shooed them away.

"No!" I know what I have to do. He took off his claw blades and put them in Lenora's hands.

"What are you doing?"

"What I have to do to protect you," he answered. He found a pistol lying near him and picked it up, reloading the almost empty clip. "I'll hold them off. Just get out of here!" Lenora started to cry. "Don't cry, Lenora. This is the way things have to be." Two dark pirates drew closer to the group and he opened fire. "GO!" Lenora and Bonnie started to leave, but the swashbuckler said one more thing before leaving.

"Don't leave me again." Kyle lowered his head as he continued to shoot into the crowd.

"I'm sorry." Flint, leading the crowd, stood in front of his traitorous lieutenant.

"No," his former leader stated, "you will be." Flint reformed his dark energy spear and thrust it through Kyle's heart. Kyle started to cough up blood.

"No apologies; did what was right." The swashbuckler spat blood into Flint's eyes. "I don't fear death and I don't fear you." Kyle's eyes glazed over and his head fell back, dangling in the air.

"You should have." He watched as the Golden Archer departed from Skull Island. "You SHOULD have."