"Nice!" exclaimed Steel.
"It should be enough to take out a whole host of them once you're in there. You just need to make sure that these two," indicating Jar Man and DomCon with a nod of his head, "are standing between you and the crystal node. That way they won't be affected by the blast wave and you'll take out more of our enemies. Sound helpful?"
"Certainly does."
And with that, they all spent the next hour refining exactly what everyone's role was and just what time their attack would take place. Things were coming together.
40
You Can Choose Your Friends but Not Your Family
RELATIONSHIPS! That's what EVERYTHING boils down to. LIFE is about relationships. It might be between you and your favourite knife that you use to chop up the vegetables for dinner. It might be a special pen to write with, or your bond with a pet. Me? It's the relationship I have with my hockey stick. I might go months without picking it up or even seeing it. But it's with me all the time, an extension of my arms, occasionally invisibly strapped across my back, informing my decisions, influencing all of my actions, guiding me in everything that I do. Relationships, good or bad, are the key to EVERYTHING everywhere. Right at this very moment, that couldn't have been more apparent.
Fredric's heart soared up into his mouth, goosebumps racing down the bulging muscles of his arms as he set eyes on the king, his long time best friend. Anger flared at seeing him like that, but before it had a chance to consume him, another figure caught his eye. Having not seen him for decades, it seemed inconceivable that he could possibly recognise him now, here, in this state and in his human form. But recognise him he did. PETER, his grandson, bound and restrained by those that were about to pay! How was he even involved? Taking in the measure of the boy he'd give his life for, one of the two beings that just the very thought of had kept him sane over all this time, hoping against hope that somewhere in the future he'd get the chance to meet them again, these weren't the circumstances he'd hoped to do it in. Joy coursing through him despite the dire situation he found himself in, the very essence of his being roared in delight at finding both of them. And that's when it all changed and his heart turned BLACK! Not just any black, but the darkest, coldest black that had ever existed. Shivers replaced the goosebumps. His stomach rolled, and despite not having eaten for weeks, nausea threatened to drop him to his knees. What he was seeing just wasn't possible. Everything had to be an illusion. It had to be a nightmare, and he must still be back chained to that icy wall in Antarctica, he just had to be. Because there was no way fate would conspire to put him in a reality this bad. It just wasn't possible.
Still coming to terms with the surprise of the wormhole appearing in the middle of everything, it was then that she locked eyes with one of the new arrivals. A man mountain of a being, whose worn face was framed with dirty, matted long hair, the muscles of his bare torso wrapped in chains, glistening in the low light of the private residence they all found themselves in. Recognition wasn't instant. It took her a few seconds before she realised their connection. But that was all it took before the anger and hatred deep down inside her blossomed into life, fuelling her rage, stoking her revulsion and disgust, contorting her face into the very picture of abhorrence. It all flooded back. How he'd followed her from their home to the bar full of Nazis in the small piazza in Barcelona. The German psychopaths had nearly done her a big favour that day, but as per usual he'd escaped by the skin of his teeth. Luck nearly always seemed to be on his side. It was then that the unexpected memory returned, one that had been blanked out, no doubt through magical trauma. She remembered him slipping through the fire escape at the back of the hotel in Germany, his back exposed, concentrating as he should on the threat in front of him. It felt as if it were only yesterday, so vivid were the images deep within her. Savouring the satisfaction before unleashing the magical hell she had planned for him. But before she could finish the job, he began to realise something was wrong. In that instant she set free her magic, determined to take him down once and for all. And that's where the memories ended. It was a total blank. Up until now, she hadn't even thought about the man staring across at her. It was almost as if every last detail of him had been locked away deep within her mind and his appearance here and now had acted as the key, allowing her access to everything, in particular the raw emotions of just how much she hated him for holding her back. Knowing that somehow she'd failed on that dark, wet night in Germany acted only as a catalyst for her determination. She wouldn't fail again. Today, here and now, he would once and for all... DIE!
Joy at finding his best friend and grandson was tempered with all the pain and sorrow it was possible for one being to experience. Standing over them, shrouded in crazed madness, his daughter, Earth, eyed him from across the room. In all his time in incarceration, he'd never experienced such pain, such heartbreak. Despite his heroic, tough looking exterior, inside he was close to imploding. To see his daughter, the love of his life, a woman who'd not only broken his heart, but had tried to kill him on more than one occasion (yes, that's right, his memories of that fateful evening in Germany had flooded back, and now he could clearly see her reflection, about to let loose her magic, in the brilliant sheen of the car he'd cowered behind) standing over not only the king, but his grandson and her son, was nothing short of the ultimate torture. Anger, pity, shame and the sharp stench of failure threatened to gobble him up. If he'd done a better job with her upbringing, been a better father, then just maybe none of this would have happened. They wouldn't be standing here right now. How many lives would have been saved... hundreds, thousands, more? Tears blurred his sight as his hands started to shake uncontrollably. Try as he might words eluded him as the raw emotions whistled round inside his human shell, effectively neutralising him. His comrades in arms had no idea that one of their own had, at least for now, been taken out of the game.
Deep within her mind, the babbling had almost reached fever pitch. Fu-ts'ang was beside himself, and despite not being able to understand everything he was saying, she got the general gist of it and, like the ancient weapon, she too was beside herself with joy at seeing the mighty form of Flash at the front of the party that had arrived through the magical vortex, which had now disappeared. Although she didn't know any of the others, she did at least have something now that she'd thought she'd lost for good. HOPE!
A cold shiver raced down his spine... never a good thing for any dragon, anywhere, but here and now it seemed appropriate. This wasn't caused by the sheer terror he felt at the situation they all found themselves in. NO! It was his reaction to the arrival of the group that had mysteriously appeared through the magical gateway which had now vanished. Seeing Flash ensconced in what looked like laminium chains, accompanied by a whole group of other dragons, and Yoyo hiding out of the way at the back, buoyed his spirits considerably, despite the fact that a magnificent, regal looking naga slithered forward at the front of the group. And then the hammer came down and hit him, almost shattering his reality. Next to Flash, another human shape stood balanced and ready for action. Taut muscles gleamed as shaggy, matted hair drifted slightly in what little breeze blew around the private residence. An instant familiarity prevented Peter from taking his eyes off the... WARRIOR! That really was the only way to describe him as far as the young dragon was concerned. Rough around the edges, bruised and beaten even, but the strength and power radiating off him looked nothing short of legendary. And that's when he knew. Knew that Flash had been to Antarctica and achieved the impossible in rescuing not only the naga king, but his grandfather, Fredric! That was who he currently couldn't take his eyes off. Something, somewhere deep inside him urged him on, urged him to rally against what was happening, now that help had arrived. And with that little nudge, something he'd previously forgotten about sprang to the front of his mind. The alea! Unbelievably it was still dangling around his neck, his captors having made the mistake of not taking it off him. If he could break it when things kicked off, and he had no doubt now that they would kick off like there was no tomorrow, then just maybe he could play a part in whatever would happen. Closing his eyes, he pushed thoughts of everything else away, and focused on only one thing. How could he possibly break the alea and free the magic inside it that had remained dormant for centuries?