Chapter Sixteen
Huge pillars of fiery plasma churn towards the sky as swirling, feathering flames scorch the dead bodies of Corsair soldiers that now litter the entrance to Alcazar. In the center of the carnage, is the tattooed-face of Brutalius, his arms outstretched with a phosphorescent red essence swirling around him. The glow in his eyes matches the resplendence perfectly and the sight is almost too dazzling to describe the destruction in which it dispenses.
As several more groups of soldiers approach, Brutalius sends his right heel into the stone beneath him. The relatively small gesture sends a surprisingly large lucent shockwave rolling out in all directions. When it reaches the outer wall, huge pieces of stone break off and crash into surrounding homes and buildings. The wave rolls over the soldiers, leaving them screaming in torment as their bodies solidify and break apart as if they were the stone themselves.
Luckily, by the time the wave reaches Apollo and Luna, it has dissipated enough to where it's merely a rumble beneath their feet. Luna pulls at him, "We have to get out of here! He's killing his own people!" Apollo acknowledges her but still doesn't move. Mostly, he's too preoccupied with what's going on around them. Apollo recalls what Seth said about Brutalius not having any real power, "It doesn't make any sense, Luna." The girl replies, "Of course it does, it's right in front of you!"
Apollo answers, "No, I mean it's not real." Luna looks at him, puzzled, "What do you mean it's not real? It looks pretty real to me!" The boy immediately counters, "No, I mean the way he's doing it. Seth said the End Game wasn't a weapon but just a power source, right? Luna nods, "Yeah," and Apollo continues, "Yeah, so that means Brutalius' power isn't really coming from him. It's being channeled from an outside source." Luna finishes his thought, "The End Game."
Apollo agrees, "Exactly, and if we can find it, maybe we can stop him." Luna then gives a suggestion, maybe he can tell you.
Apollo takes her idea and ventures into Brutalius' consciousness. Immediately he's distracted by a acute sense of something else going on. Apollo feels a deep sullen hatred for someone emanating from Brutalius and it gives him a clear picture of what's up ahead. Apollo turns and utters one word to Luna, "Furious."
Disregarding the risk, they run toward the gate. Luna doesn't bother to mention anything about the impulsive concern for Grace she suddenly sensed from Apollo. Pangs of rejection quell her heart and she's uncomfortable about the reaction; she's too proud to be jealous.
Then her thoughts are interrupted by Apollo's voice, "There!" She looks up to see Furious with swords in hand, taking full swings at Brutalius. As Luna moves closer, she's astounded to see the blades are having no effect. They are actually passing through Brutalius' body. It's as if the man himself wasn't real.
Just then, Brutalius stomps, sending another concussive wave blitzing the area. This time, everyone is close enough to feel its full effects. When the surge hits Apollo, it's as if every cell in his body seizes, and his muscles feel like their being torn away from his bones. He hears Luna start to scream as well and when her agony registers in his psyche, he feels another sensation suddenly hit him. But this one is familiar, it's a feeling he hasn't felt since he was back in the Porticus with his father.
Boiling heat rages in Apollo's core and courses up through his chest, burning behind his eyes. Instantly, Apollo's mind is acutely aware of the process in which Brutalius' wave is manipulating the molecules within and around him. Almost intuitively, Apollo begins to counter the effects by coercing the frequencies of all the surrounding matter back to their natural regularity. Now all of three people, including Furious, feel nothing as the wave is rendered ineffective.
Furious yells out, "Time to die!" and thrusts both his weapons toward Brutalius. But still, they pass straight through him and Furious stumbles to the ground. Brutalius cackles, "You can't defeat me!" as he slams both of his fists into Furious' torso, knocking the man back and sending red ribbon-like streams of plasma wrapping around his chest. Furious growls in anguish as Brutalius pulls a blade from his sleeve, ready to finish him off. But before he can do so and without warning, the earth around him splits open and swallows him whole.
Apollo immediately appears above the fissure, examining his work. But then Brutalius quickly rises above the crevice and sails toward Apollo, kicking the boy hard in the face. As blood flies and Apollo falls, Luna lunges, taking futile swings with her bladed Tonfa. She's astounded to see them too, pass through unsuccessfully as Brutalius' elbow swiftly smashes into her temple, sending her to the ground alongside Apollo.
They both struggle to regain their bearings. Apollo covers the lower half of his face, trying to stem the flow of blood. As his senses come back to him, he refocuses in on Brutalius' mind. Within moments, Apollo knows how, or rather who, is powering the End Game and he drops the hand from his face showing his astounded expression that's smeared in blood, his pale eyes striking piercingly through the crimson complexion.
Brutalius returns his attention to the fight at hand and Apollo watches Furious try to elude the man's attacks. Then a thought of Grace flashes through Apollo's head as he changes his focus again, this time boring into Furious' psyche. Quickly, he discovers the man surprisingly has a lack of knowledge about the End Game. He also detects a hint of probity from Furious which goes against anything he knows about him. For some reason, this makes Apollo despise him even more.
Don't get distracted. Luna's voice interrupts and Apollo turns his attention toward her for a split-second. In that same moment, Brutalius breaks through Furious defenses and slams into him, bringing him to his knees. Brutalius quickly clutches his hands around Furious' head, coercing yet more misty-red material, spreading it down his entire body.
Then Brutalius suddenly lets go and Furious falls lifelessly to the ground. He begins marching toward the other two and Apollo shoves Luna, sending a thought out to her, find my uncle. Simultaneously, he places an image of Nathan Lex in her mind and turns to meet the now-charging Brutalius. When they converge, Brutalius swings at him and the boy instinctively reacts, holding up his arms up in fear. A thick layer ice instantly erupts around Apollo's forearms and Brutalius' attack is met with a frosty shield as strong as any steel.
Protected for the moment, Apollo yells out, "Hurry! Find him!" Luna runs off as Apollo blocks Brutalius' assaults. Then something triggers in his mind, a memory of him walking down the beach right after he escaped the Chamber. He quickly realizes it's the moment he first learned he could communicate with ARIES.
He reaches out, ARIES what is the location of Nathan Lex. Instantly, the warm metallic voice fills his head with information leading him to the abandoned level between the tunnel and the lower floors of the Acropolis.
Apollo relays the information directly to Luna and also tries to address his other immediately dilemma, ARIES, what is the location of Brutalius Kaine? The computer responds and confirms that the Brutalius is indeed, standing before him. He follows that logic and sends out his next question, then why can't I hit him? ARIES' reply frustrates him, even more than his increasingly vain attempts to keep Brutalius at bay. Unable to resolve your inquiry, please restate the question.
Apollo summons yet even more ice to his shield as Brutalius relentlessly pounds through it. Each strike sends new waves of plasma that eventually melts completely through, blistering Apollo's skin. He winces in pain, turning away from Brutalius. In frustration, Apollo conjures an icy club in his hands and swings it to no effect. Brutalius immediately returns the attack and Apollo barely manages to parry. The boy now finds himself fighting toe-to-toe and he knows it's only a matter of time before Brutalius kills him.
He turns to run for his life. As he's moving, he attempts to rephrase his previous question, ARIES, how is the End Game affecting Brutalius Kaine? This time the wording of his query satisfies the computer and it goes into a detailed explanation on how Brutalius is manipulating the matter around him. More specifically, how the negative charge of the electrons in his atoms are being reversed, canceling out opposition to other objects. ARIES ends with a simple summary, regarding the aspect in question, the technology effectively causes the matter of the subject to be completely unabated by other masses.
The information settles in Apollo mind and he now understands it fully. He pictures infinitesimal electron clouds surrounding Brutalius' atoms and he then imagines them reverting back to their original polarity. As he feels the changes occur, he swings his rimy mace with all his strength. Brutalius doesn't even bother blocking Apollo's assault and his arrogance proves costly. The mass of electrified ice makes contact with Brutalius, exploding into a frigid, arc-blast of electricity.
Underground, Luna runs through an empty, abandoned passageway trying to find the way back outside. She still shudders inside from the state of the man she found chained to a table and near death. It was shocking how much he favored Apollo, it was almost like it was an older version of him lying there.
Finally she reaches daylight and spots Apollo standing over a smoldering Brutalius. "Stop! I found him! I found him!" Apollo's eyes widen and he instantly replies, "Where, where is he? Is he still alive?" Luna grabs Apollo's hand, "Barely, but we have to hurry!"
Apollo leaves the crumpled body of Brutalius and follows Luna back through the Acropolis, down the stairwell and through the passage that leads to Nathan Lex. Once inside, he is appalled by the conditions. Wires and tubes run from all across the damp dark room, each one attached to his uncle. Apollo looks to Luna for advice or suggestions, but the girl is at a loss. Then suddenly, someone rushes in as the ring of Luna's blade breaks the monotonous beeping sound of the surrounding machinery. She holds her weapon out ready to strike when they both recognize the familiar flame-tipped mohawk.
Furious doesn't say a word as he enters. He just stares down at the man on the table. He can feel Apollo glowering at him, "What's wrong, Bro? Got nothing to say?" Furious just shakes his head, "This is not my doings, man. I am sorry." The three stand there in silence, when something dawns on Luna.
"The syringe!"
"The what?"
"You know, what Seth gave me!"
Luna produces the small black box given by her mentor back at the Oculus. She hands the case over to Apollo. He stares at it confused and reads the message on the top, "Host Inhibitor NL." Luna nudges him to open it, "NL must mean Nathan Lex." Apollo nods and lifts back the top of the box. In that moment, the room suddenly explodes in a fiery blast, engulfing the entire area in flames.
When the fire dies and everything is left in utter darkness, Apollo searches through the now completely blackened space around him. "Luna!" he yells out, but doesn't get any response. He doesn't hear or feel anything of her. He shudders from the thought of her death as he notices a small, dim light glowing from across the room. It lights up something Apollo can't quite make out. Ever so slowly, it moves closer until he clearly sees what it is. It's the bloody face of Brutalius, illuminated by two flaming daggers in his hands, "You should have killed me when you had the chance, boy!"
Brutalius lunges and Apollo can barely manage to slip out of the way. He dodges another fiery swipe at his head that comes streaking across the blackness in a blazing trail. Then impulsively, Apollo encases his entire fist in solid ice and sends it into Brutalius' jaw. This is enough to knock the man off-balance and cause both daggers to fly out of his hands. Everything is back to darkness now but Apollo has an idea how to end this fight, once and for all. He concentrates on the air surrounding Brutalius, coercing it into a thick layer of frosty crust that instantly entombs him.
Apollo doesn't waste any more time and searches for the syringe on the floor. Luckily, it doesn't take long to find it. As he sends the needle into his uncle's skin, another explosion rips through the room. This time, it ends with a sharp, burning pain in Apollo's side and instantly, it's like all the strength leaves his body. He stares down to see a ruby-red knife handle protruding from his rib cage and he falls to his knees. The wicked burn from knife's laced steel slithers through his veins, pumping plasma directly into his heart. The boy struggles as his body convulses involuntarily and he clutches his chest trying to contain the sensation. But it's only a matter of seconds before he finally gives in and falls over, dying.
Apollo doesn't hear Brutalius mocking him. He is too occupied with the images of his childhood now flooding his memory. Even in death, he attempts to control the flow. Surprisingly, all of his thoughts dwell on Sabrina. Scenes of nights at her house, alongside Solomon, her tucking each one of them into bed, her wishing them goodnight. He sees her bending down, kissing Solomon. Apollo wonders why he never got those kisses.
He covets her.
The guilt hangs even heavier still, when I hear him cry out. Even through all his physical and emotional pain, I know his sobs are still only for her. It's one of my deepest regrets, the miscalculation of the depth of my son's love for her. It's something, I'm afraid, I will certainly pay dearly for. But I can find some solace in the fact that this charade has not only saved our city, but our people. And it has also readied my son for his future. It's a great price to pay, a worthy sacrifice.
So in that instant, I lift the perceived destruction to Alcazar. With the exception of the hole in the outer wall, all the damage was just mere stratagem. Briefly I pause though, but only to listen to the sounds of Vitus' guards, who are now in the process of clubbing his badly informed nephew, Brutalius, into submission.
When they drag him away, I can't help but comment, "Not too bad for an old man, huh?" But the once boisterous, triumphant boy of a tyrant doesn't respond, apparently he is still too broken and embarrassed. But his uncle speaks to me, "Oriah, I'll let you know when we set the execution date."
I reach down to help Apollo to his feet, but he refuses my hand. Instead, he springs up on his own. Backing away, he asks, "What's going on here?" I attempt to reach out to him mentally, it's all over son. You did well. But he remains aphonic and angry so I decide it would be better to convey the many reasons for my deception a different way. I send a string of mental images to Luna. I instruct her to go to Apollo and she follows my suggestions, falling into his arms. Immediately, I detect dubiety from him and it forces me to offer more, "Your mother is alive, Apollo. She's at the schoolhouse." He still doesn't move. Instead, he questions my motives, "If that is true then why? Why put us through all of this!"
"I had no choice in the matter. Our lives depended on it."
"And what about Solomon's life!"
I cringe as he spits his response. I try to place my hand on his shoulder, but he jerks away again. I attempt to explain to him that Solomon is too, alive and well. That Sabrina retrieved him unexpectedly but I know better than to try and dissuade her. "He's with her now even as we speak, in the bunker underneath the school, where she's always been. Go see for yourself."
"No this is just another trick! I saw her! I saw her blood!"
"No Apollo, it was merely a figment."
I feel him grow colder toward me, so again, I make a suggestion that could surely benefit everyone, "Go see them, Apollo." I expected he would leave this time, but still he remains. To my surprise, he rephrases his original question, his tone now low, downhearted and defeated, "Well why then, why put me though all of this?"
I visualize his pale-blue eyes pleading with me. I know they're probably flowing with tears. I also know he won't accept the answers I give him. I want to embrace him as my son and proclaim how proud I am but my heart I know he would just reject me. So my reply comes with my usual false sense of apathy.
"It was for your Ascension."
Then to my relief, Luna speaks up, "Come on, Apollo. I know they want to see you. I'll go if you want me to." I can sense his reluctance but he finally agrees. I wait until their footsteps tell me they have left the room and turn my concentration on tying up any loose ends. I no more than make my way up to my study when I feel Apollo's anger. This time it seems it's not pointed at me so I have to delve a little further to find its target. I'm shocked and disturbed to see it's Luna.
Apparently, Apollo doesn't accept my explanation, no matter who it comes from. It might be best just to continue to follow him, like I have been doing, ever since we got separated. Then perhaps, after enough understanding is gained, I can salvage what's left of my relationship with my only son.