I don't say anything. I don't know what to say, to be precise.
"We are, and it's time for you to pay," Kevin groans and charges towards Amperon. He pushes his fist forward, ready for a punch, and I feel a pit in my stomach. Amperon, without any struggle, grabs Kevin's arm and lifts him into the air as if he weighs nothing. In one single movement, he throws him aside.
"Kevin!" I run next to him to make sure he's okay. I hold his hand for support, and Kevin grimaces and groans as he stands up.
"What do you want from us?" I ask Amperon, glaring at him.
"You'll find out soon enough." He turns towards the antenna and the battery he took from Kevin. The sound of electricity grows stronger. "You two have proven yourselves to be quite useful. An Anodite and an Osmosian, quite the catch."
"What have you done to Denise?" I'm tired of his vague replies and attitude. I'm here for answers. I'm here for Denise.
"She will remain asleep for a while, unless I decide otherwise, of course." His face drops. "It depends on how you cooperate."
"You can't just hurt innocent people!" I clench my fists.
"Gwen, evil maniac here, I don't think he cares all that much."
After a moment, his words register. "Cooperate how?"
Amperon rolls his eyes, looking between the two of us with a bored expression, almost as if he doesn't even want to be here with us.
"I need your precious powers. Both of you."
"Hell no," Kevin says without even waiting a second.
"For what?" I squint my eyes and glare at Amperon. Nothing good can come out of this, and I know it.
"I do not have time to explain. Cooperate if you want your friend alive."
Both of us hesitate. We don't move, nor do we speak. I want Denise alive, of course I do, but his negotiation doesn't convince me. Behind him, the radio antenna is glowing a bright blue color, and the storm that is heading our way seems to concentrate at the top of the antenna.
"Eh, I don't have time for this," he says. He points a finger towards us, and a surge of monsters suddenly appears. They are black, ashy monsters, similar to the ones before. Some of them are terrifyingly tall, others short, and most of them have extra arms and legs, making them further deformed.
Amperon's black lips turn upwards, and I shoot an energy beam directly at him. If he ends up getting defeated, then so will his creatures. At least, I hope. My attack briefly misses him and hits directly at the tower, causing a small yet loud explosion. The creatures surrounding us disappear and reappear, almost like holographs. It takes Amperon a few seconds to react, but he instantly realizes what's wrong.
"Kevin," I whisper, as Kevin punches one of the monsters away. "Look." I point at the antenna.
"Kind of busy right now!" He takes a deep breath, and he punches yet another monster, dodging its attacks by a mere inch.
"The antenna," I explain, hoping he catches on. "We need to destroy it to stop the signal."
Kevin looks between me and the antenna, and his face lights up with realization. He pushes a creature off the building, then turns towards me. "Okay. Let's do this."
Kevin turns around and grabs a piece of a metal pillar next to him. He rips it off and creates a sharp and heavy weapon that can help us. He spins one time, then throws it directly at the antenna. Although it isn't enough to damage it, it creates a dent in the structure.
"No!" Amperon screams. His eyes glow orange, and he glares directly at the two of us, almost as if we are annoying children who need to be taught a lesson.
It scares me to think what he can do. I don't know the full scale of his powers, I don't know for sure if he's the one creating the visions, and I don't know what he's yet capable of doing.
He throws a surge of ash between me and Kevin, and we both jump away. I use my powers to create a shield around both of our bodies, and I sigh in relief as it misses us. Thinking that this might be all, Amperon grunts in anger. He raises both of his hands, and boxes and debris—anything that is located outside—head our way. I crouch and duck, and Kevin uses his powers to punch and destroy most of them out of our way.
I have had enough. I focus on my powers, on the antenna, and on Amperon, and I create a round ball of energy. I throw it directly onto the antenna, creating yet another dent and significantly damaging it. I do it once more and I inwardly cheer. I'm about to hit it again until a sharp pain flows throughout my whole body.
It hurts so bad. I yell in agony and collapse to the ground, holding my head. It feels as if my skull is being crushed. It's so similar to before, but I don't see any visions this time.
Kevin runs next to me and glares at Amperon. "What are you doing to her?"
But Amperon doesn't seem to be fazed. He continues whatever he is doing, and I'm internally begging for this torture to be over. I clench my fists and try to control my breathing, but the pain keeps pulsating.
Kevin rushes forward with the intention of attacking. He launches a punch directly at Amperon's face, causing him to stumble back. The headache stops at once, and I'm able to recover. I'm out of breath, unable to move, and all I can do is focus on my surroundings, but the pain is gone.
Amperon points a finger towards Kevin. There is no black ash or anything similar, and I assume he is trying to affect Kevin the same way he did to me. But his orange eyes turn red from the anger, and they widen when he realizes it doesn't work. Kevin isn't affected. And when he tries again, I'm certain of it. Kevin is safe from his control.
As I sit up on my knees, I concentrate on the mana around me. I feel numb and weak, but something must be done. I muster all of my energy and throw the largest ball of energy I can handle directly at the antenna. I manage to break a large piece of it, and the top of the antenna comes right off. The electricity stops at once, and everything grows quiet. Amperon evaporates into the air and disappears before us.
My vision blurs and I fall to the ground, unable to move. My eyes are slightly open, allowing me to see what is happening around me. Debris are headed directly towards us, and I brace for impact. I close my eyes tightly. But Kevin is already near me, and he covers my body with his own, protecting me from all the falling rubble.
He groans and, using all his strength, he pushes the metal debris off of us. He carries me to the side, gently placing me on the smooth ground. I don't know what has come over me, but I feel my stomach leap.
I try to stand up slowly, but I stop the moment I feel the soreness in my muscles.
"Easy," Kevin says, helping me sit back down. "Fighting Amperon was difficult enough. The last thing we want is for you to die from exhaustion instead."
I nod. He's right. We both need to take it easy, recover, and remain prepared. Amperon managed to get away, but it doesn't mean this is over.
"He'll be back, won't he?" I ask, looking at Kevin.
"Yep. People like him don't give up easily."
"I didn't think he'd make it easy." After spending a few minutes on the ground, I hold Kevin's arm as I stand up. "Thanks," I say.
He simply shrugs.
He continues to hold onto me. My eyes catch something in the rubble, and I squint to see what it is. I pick it up, inspecting it with my hands.
"It's the battery you traded him."
"The battery he stole."
I don't bother replying. "Why would he want this?"
"Probably for his radio thingy or whatever. Does it even matter? He obviously thought it wasn't important enough to keep around," Kevin picks it up in his hands instead. "Which means more money for me."
My lips stretch into a line and I stare at him in disbelief.
"We should head back. I need to check on Denise," I say. I don't have time to contemplate Amperon's plans right now. I feel myself limping as I walk ahead.
"Are you injured anywhere?" he asks.
I shake my head. "My muscles hurt, but nothing else. What about—" I pause, remembering the blow he received in the back. I turn him around, seeing the dried blood. A piece of his black shirt is ripped, revealing the affected area. "Kevin, you're hurt! Why didn't you say so sooner?"
"It's just a scratch." He shrugs as we climb off the roof. Kevin helps me land on my feet, holding my hand.
"You don't know if it's poisonous or not. It's the reason why Denise is still unconscious, remember?"
"You're starting to sound like my mom," says Kevin. "But I guess you're right. I'll get it checked once we're back."
I seem satisfied with that. We exit the building and head towards the car. It isn't parked that far away, but the walk feels like miles. Once we reach it, we both get inside, and I lay my head down, cherishing the comfort of the leather seats.
"How are you going to explain everything to your folks... or your friends'?"
"It'll be easy," I say hopeful at first, but then I think about it and facepalm. "Okay, maybe not. I'll just... I'll tell them there was an accident."
"They'll check on it. What about a hospital visit, police report?"
"It was minor, so it wasn't needed?"
"Your friend is literally bedridden."
I facepalm again, cringing at the word. That's right, Denise is bedridden.
"I'll think of something," I quickly say.
"Like what?"
"...I... don't know, anything. I don't know why I'm even discussing this with you right now."
He offers a small smirk, then turns back to the road. "Just trying to help."
"Well, don't." After a few seconds, I realize how harsh I sounded and turn to him. "Okay, sorry, I'm just a bit tense and..."
"Worried?" he asks.
"Yeah."
"Don't worry about it. I get it," he continues. "Your friend will be okay. We've already tried our best."
"Isn't there someone who can cure her? Some alien doctor that deals with that stuff?"
"I only know one person, and he's not exactly the type to help—I don't think he could even help."
I sigh in disappointment. I hope with all my might that Denise recovers.
My other worry, however, is Kevin. He has what he wants now. He has no further incentive to help me or stick around for this. I turn to look at him. He hasn't said anything about this, and neither will I. But I don't know what to expect, and if I should expect him to help me further…